Any trick to hitting a fairway wood off the deck?

[SiberianDVM]

There has to be a trick to this, I just know it! You know, a secret handshake kind of thing, that all the good players know about and keep to themselves, just so they can watch a hacker like me and snicker.

Well, I'm tired of it! I won't stand for it any longer! I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!

I'm talking about hitting my 3 wood or 5 wood off of a tight lie. I get about 1 in 20 "just right" or close to it. The rest stink: thin, fat, hook, slice. I think it's the long shaft. I have considered just buying 16*/17* and 19*/20* hybrids to replace them, and I may yet if I can't get to where I can hit them better.

Maybe if I choked up on the grip to where they are the same length as a comparable hybrid?

[tn-golfnut-from-nj]

I'll hit my 3W off a tee, or off the fairway with a decent lie.
I struggeled with even that for a time, but now I'm much more consistant.

A tight lie, or some rough, you cant beat a hybrid.

[Sandy]

Personally I find I can hit my fairway woods much better off the fairway if I take a stronger grip than normal - I suspect it helps me promote a sweeping motion which in turn picks the ball off the turf and sends the ball off the face with a more penetrating trajectory.

Can definitely recommend trying out a 19*/20* hybrid though, as that'll give you a lot more versatility than the 5w. Maybe do what I do and carry a 4w and then a 19* hybrid?

[ezra76]

I always struggled a bit Doc but this year I've improved 10fold. I can honestly say I can hit my 5W 90% of the time, 13* 75% of the time and even driver off the deck over 50% of the time.

My 2 keys... 1) check my grip, must be nice and nuetral and the clubface must be setup nice and square. For me that's actually meant weaking my grip up. 2) Stay connected. You've read Hogan... keep those arms as close together throughout the swing as possible and glued. When I get that odd feeling of my body just pulling my arms through the shot... I usually get the distance and trajectory off the deck as I do off a tee. Driver tends to fly lower regardess, I usually either play that to fade or setup draw, again, clubface must actaully set up almost open though, otherwise it'll get shut, delofted and sent low and left.

A little mental/visual thing that's helped is to envision hitting the ball with the leading edge of the club as well. The club should hit the ball slightly downward but the face pointing upward.

[kwcsports]

All I do is make sure I sweep the ball off the turf. If I place it too far forward or too far back I am done. Thin or fat will result. At the range I work on ball position with the fairway woods and it has paid off. I am hitting them better than I ever have before. Just my 2 cents.

[5iron]

Ive never hit my driver off the grass i think the head is to big. The only time i hit it was like my first 2 times golfing.

[robereno]

I find that its all about trajectory, you need to have your take away as low to the ground as possible attempting to sweep the ball on the down swing. Your miss with a fairway would should always be thin if possible as that allows for the "best" miss possible usually only 15yd loss of distance. I used to put a tee behind my ball about 12 inches and try to hit it on the takeaway in order to get the feel for the sweeping motion.

[Bubble Head]

Before I spent the last winter at the range taking lessons, I couldn't hit a wood off of grass to save my life. Now that I am getting my weight shifted from right to left better, this is one of the better parts of my game.

I am also hitting down on the ball a bit more, though I am still a "sweeper".

[Sandpiper3]

I find that its all about trajectory, you need to have your take away as low to the ground as possible attempting to sweep the ball on the down swing. Your miss with a fairway would should always be thin if possible as that allows for the "best" miss possible usually only 15yd loss of distance. I used to put a tee behind my ball about 12 inches and try to hit it on the takeaway in order to get the feel for the sweeping motion.

That's a great tip robereno, i did a similar thing, but used a ball and pushed it back with my takeaway as long as possible. Same effect, keeping the club low to the ground as long as possible to help get the sweeping motion.

[Sandy]

I find that its all about trajectory, you need to have your take away as low to the ground as possible attempting to sweep the ball on the down swing.

I think that's why the strong grip works so well for me, as it stops me getting too 'wristy' and picking the clubhead up in my backswing...

[ezra76]

Ive never hit my driver off the grass i think the head is to big. The only time i hit it was like my first 2 times golfing.

It's actually not a bad thing to try for someone who is a having a little trouble with FW woods IMO. I hit off the grass at the range and if I can get the driver 6-8ft. off the ground and carrying over 200 in the air, the 3 and 5 wood are stupid easy after that. Might as well be teed up.

[Sandpiper3]

I love hitting my driver off the deck, money shot if im out about 280-300 and have nothing i have to carry (excluding bunkers cuz its got enough juice to run right through them).

[dave.]

I want bto say something but it might sound arrogant and a bit mean,but I don't mean it to,BUT.......................well what the heck



You need a good swing to hit a long wood off the deck consistently,there is no trick,or if there is thats it,a good solid repeating swing.If you deloft you have no hope and all good ball strikers maintain loft in their swing,usually because they have width,and thus the power required to get the ball up.

[WildCatGolfer17]

There has to be a trick to this, I just know it! You know, a secret handshake kind of thing, that all the good players know about and keep to themselves, just so they can watch a hacker like me and snicker.

Well, I'm tired of it! I won't stand for it any longer! I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!

I'm talking about hitting my 3 wood or 5 wood off of a tight lie. I get about 1 in 20 "just right" or close to it. The rest stink: thin, fat, hook, slice. I think it's the long shaft. I have considered just buying 16*/17* and 19*/20* hybrids to replace them, and I may yet if I can't get to where I can hit them better.

Maybe if I choked up on the grip to where they are the same length as a comparable hybrid?

Ok honestly im known to my friends and family as a good wood's and wedge player

the first thing is CONFIDENCE!!!!
How to you build confidence.. well when you grab your 3 wood right in the fairway.. what are you thinking when you get it out of the bag.. " Oh no I hope this one is good?"
you pull that club out and it should be alright, nice and smooth no problem. your last thought before you swing the ball other than regular things like" rotate wrist bla bla.. Should be Solid golf shot.

I play my woods as often as I can because I still have trouble with my 3 Iron.

first thing i do with my 3 wood: Check my lie is it really tight? Or sitting up a TINY bit in the fairway." This just helps me concentrate "
When I am making a swing I want to make sure that its very steep and not be afraid to make a divot.

Also a 3 wood isnt a driver. that means HIT DOWN ON it( which means on the down swing you make contact not flush or the up swing but the DOWN Swing.
Next you should be playing a little bit forward in your stance.. I play it about 4 inches inside of my left foot " Right handed "

that can be different for you but try it out, if you are hooking it go further forward.. slicing further back.

When you swing pick a spot on the golf ball that you want to smash in:laugh:

Now on the course you not supposed to move the ball but lets say at the driving range.. Line up the painted stripes to the target and concentrate on hitting the start of the stripe all the way to the end of it to the target.

after a while you can invision the stripe on the ball when your out on the course. I hope this helps.

[SiberianDVM]

I did OK last night with my 19* 5 wood and 17* 4 wood. I still have trouble with the 15* 3 wood off the deck (hitting a terrible slice with it), so it looks like the 4 wood will replace the 3 wood in the bag for a while, OR I could just not try to hit the friggin 3 wood off the deck.