Hitting a fairway wood or a long iron intimidates many golfers. But players who hit the ball average distances must master these clubs to drive down their scores and golf handicaps.
Because fairway woods and long irons are “straight-faced” clubs, golfers often think they have to “help” the ball get airborne. As a result, they take a quick, relatively short backswings, throwing their rhythm and timing off and mis-hitting.
Here are 5 keys to hitting fairway woods/long irons.
With fairway woods and long irons, you hit the ball at the bottom of the swing. This contrasts sharply with short irons, which you hit with a descending blow, and drivers, which you hit with an ascending blow. Take advantage of this and position the ball just behind where you’d tee the ball for a drive.
Also, keep in mind that these clubs don’t create large divots. In fact, most times they create a shallow divot or no divot at all. So when you swing, think in terms of just clipping the tops of the grass as you make impact.
Next time you’re hitting a fairway wood or long iron, don’t panic. Make a real effort to complete your backswing and slide your right shoulder under your chin as you rotate your body. If you do both of these things well, you’ll transfer your weight correctly and make good use of your body pivot.
Here’s a drill for practicing fairway woods and long irons:
Place a tee where you would normally position your ball, with the top of the tee just sticking out of the ground. Take a fairway wood or long iron and try clipping the tee as you swing. When you’re comfortable doing this, substitute a ball.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80…And Shoot Like The Pros!. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that was able to figure out the secrets of shooting in the 70’s on a consistent basis without quitting your day job. Jack has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately.