How to hit Fairway Woods with Confidence
By Teresa Justine Kelly
You have just driven your tee shot straight down the fairway, leaving you about 200 yards to the green. Now trepidation sets in. A good shot with a fairway wood will allow you to reach the green. But many golfers have little confidence in their skills with the fairway woods, often topping the ball, hitting "worm-burners" or simply popping the ball up. With a few techniques you will feel confident in choosing your fairway wood the next time you need to power the ball a long distance.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Position the ball about 2 or 3 inches left of center in your stance, with your hands pointing straight downwards. Make sure your hands are not forward or behind the ball.
Widen your stance slightly to create a more sweeping swing.
Make sure your right shoulder is lower than your left at setup.
Hold your chin slightly upwards. Your chin should not be positioned downwards on your chest.
Angle your right knee inwards toward the target.
Sweep the grass back on your takeaway.
Cock your wrists early in the backswing.
Sweep the ball down and through on your downswing, using a nice wide arc, keeping the club low to the ground and maintaining a smooth, even tempo.
Tips & Warnings
Fairway woods are clubs made for sweeping the ball off the turf leaving little or no divot behind. The large club head and wide sole produces longer shots and make them much more forgiving clubs to use than irons. When using your fairway woods, think "low, slow and wide" on your takeaway.
Make sure your angle of attack using your fairway woods is not steep. A steep angle will not produce a long golf shot.
About The Author
Teresa Kelly graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. She was an editor for seven years for several magazines and publishing houses. Kelly is an avid golfer, a well-known children's book and golf author, and is currently the president of Highview Press/Golfing Lady that produces all occasion golf greeting cards.
