What is the easiest fairway wood to hit off the fairway?
PING G430 MAX Fairway Wood
It's not a tall face like a mini-driver at all. This makes it really feel easy to hit off the fairway. The sole is much flatter than what you would expect in fairway woods and sits very nicely on the ground behind the ball.
PING G430 MAX Fairway Wood
It's not a tall face like a mini-driver at all. This makes it really feel easy to hit off the fairway. The sole is much flatter than what you would expect in fairway woods and sits very nicely on the ground behind the ball.
A 5-wood is a very versatile club and used in all types of situations. With 18 or 19 degrees of loft, it makes it easier to hit off the fairway than a 3 wood and can be used from the rough too. Unless it's really sitting down in a bad lie, a 5 wood can help you escape the rough.
Lower center of gravity in a club launches the ball higher and spins the ball more, while higher center of gravity launches the ball lower and spins the ball less. A 3-wood has the deepest face of the fairway woods, hence a higher center of gravity, which again makes it difficult to get the ball in the air.
It's much easier than hitting a 3 wood. Third, 7-woods produce a higher launch and ball flight than hybrids thanks to the increased loft. For the average golfer, this will help you hold the green more often.
Although you are playing the ball forward in your stance and attempting to make a flatter swing, you still need to hit slightly downward on the ball.
A low-lofted hybrid (14° to 17°) is ideally suited to replace your 3-wood or your 5-wood. This club is easier to hit than a long iron off the fairway.
The best fairway wood can be accurate whether you're an average golfer or part of the high handicap golfers crew. You can expect a golf ball to be launched higher with a 5 wood but go farther with a 3 wood.
Even though hybrids have a smaller head size than fairway woods, they're usually considered easier to hit than a fairway wood due to their shorter shafts.
The tendency when you put a 3-wood in your hand is to sweep the ball or try to swing up. That's wrong. Just like with a 9-iron, you want to hit the ball and take a little turf after contact. You want to make contact with a 3-wood at that ball the same as you would with an iron."
How far can you hit a 3 wood off the tee?
3-wood: 125-235 yards
While you might be cutting off 30 yards from a driver, a 3-wood can give you a more accurate tee shot, which could be important on tricky or narrow holes.
Being off balance can ruin many a good setup and swing. With fairway woods this is particularly important. If you are off balance during your swing, that makes it nearly impossible to make great contact. Try to hold your finish in balance until your golf ball lands.

The majority of average golfers hit their 5 wood farther than their 3 wood because the shaft is shorter and there's more loft. The higher loft will help get the ball in the air and the shorter shaft will improve consistency.
A golfer with an average swing speed and average club lofts should be able to hit the 7 iron about 140 yards. For a senior golfer, the yardage could be closer to 130, and the same applies to the slower swing speed player.
A standard 3-hybrid is set with 19 degrees of loft, compared to the 21 degrees of a 7-wood club. My trusted 7-wood is slightly weaker at 22 degrees. However, on average, you can expect one degree stronger. At 19 degrees, a 3-hybrid carries the same loft profile as a 3-iron and therefore launches lower than the 7-wood.
The Shot Scope statistics show the average distance a player hits their Driver and 3 wood off the tee. It is evident that on average, a Driver will go around 20-30 yards further than a 3 wood, which is probably what you would expect.
High handicappers tend to hit 3 wood about 210 yards. There are some very fast swing speed golfers that can get the 3 wood to travel closer to 225, but the dispersion rates are probably quite high.
Why? Because the fairways of today are typically very short grass, so in order to hit a truly solid fairway wood, you need to hit the ground and maybe even make a divot. If your ball position is too far forward, like a driver, you may hit the ground before the ball, costing you good contact and distance.
High lofted fairway woods are relatively easy to hit, they don't require tremendous swing speed to get airborne, and they are even a little easier on your joints than a traditional iron.
The tendency when you put a 3-wood in your hand is to sweep the ball or try to swing up. That's wrong. Just like with a 9-iron, you want to hit the ball and take a little turf after contact. You want to make contact with a 3-wood at that ball the same as you would with an iron."
How much further does a driver go than a 3 wood?
The Shot Scope statistics show the average distance a player hits their Driver and 3 wood off the tee. It is evident that on average, a Driver will go around 20-30 yards further than a 3 wood, which is probably what you would expect.
Without a doubt, a hybrid is easier to hit than a 5-wood because of the added forgiveness it provides. Whether you strike it high or low, or in the heel or toe, you will get the ball airborne and enjoy acceptable carry distance.
You can take a drop in the fairway (up to 2 club lengths from the rough), on the line with where your drive left play, with a two-stroke penalty.
References
- https://shotscope.com/blog/stats/driver-versus-3-wood/
- https://www.pga.com/archive/golf-instruction/lesson-learned/fundamentals/how-can-pure-your-3-wood-justin-thomas-did-way-winning
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