Make solid contact with your fairway woods

Do you hit a fairway wood like a driver? Read on to find out.

The latest crop of new fairway woods that are primed for more powerful shots are all the rage this year. Call them "mini-drivers" if you will, since they're made to hit higher,longer shots from both off the tee and from the fairway. Knowing how to harness the power of a fairway wood is key, since no matter how great a club is, if you don't use it properly, you won't see the kinds of results you want. The following pages outline some simple tips to help you make the most of your powerful new fairway wood.

SET UP THE RIGHT WAY

Getting into the right setup, not only with a fairway wood, but with any club for the matter, is the easiest thing to do right. You don't have to make a swing, so getting the basics right should be priority one. With a fairway wood, the goal is to make a more level swing into the ball. (With a driver, you're more inclined to hit up on it.) If you're going to err on one side or the other, hitting down on the ball is a lot better than trying to hit up on it, which will likely cause a lot of fat and thin shots.


So, position the ball with your fairway wood off the inside of your logo on your shirt—in other words, about an inch closer to your center than where you normally play your driver. Second, position the hands so the shaft is pointing vertically, as opposed to with a driver where some negative shaft lean can help you hit the ball on the incline of your downswing.

Position your weight evenly over both feet and get ready to make a smooth swing. A lot of amateurs feel as though they need to muscle their fairway woods, since they're smaller and shorter than their drivers.

That's wrong. If anything, think of your fairway woods as you do a short iron. Swing them in a smooth, rhythmic fashion and let the club do the work. There's no need to force anything! Read More...

---

TaylorMade Rocketballz Fairway Woods

As if you haven't heard of these clubs yet (how could you not?), the new RocketBallz (RBZ) line from TaylorMade promises big distance, especially in the new fairway woods. I took time personally to try the new woods (I tested two models), and here's my take.

Before you dig on my summary, let's clarify a few things. TaylorMade claims its Tour players can add upwards of 17 yards of distance using an RBZ fairway wood vs. the previously hailed Burner Fairway wood. That's a big number, and some regular hacks like you and I might gain even more. Nonetheless, we appreciate the cajones it takes to make such a bold statement for added power—let alone from a fairway wood and not a driver, both within the TaylorMade brand.

There's also another point worth considering. When we test equipment for this very column, we don't do robotic testing. And, we don't use a launch monitor. Why not, you ask? Because you can get that sort of data just about anywhere. And frankly, we think it's better to test equipment the way most folks are able to test new gear: with our hands, eyes and ears and in real-life scenarios out on the golf course. This gives us more than just scientific data—it helps us evaluate not only club performance, but also how well a particular club helps us perform out on the course. No amount of computer data can tell you how good a club feels in your hands when you swing it, let alone how a club affects your confidence and shotmaking decisions. So we go "old-school" on purpose, hoping that our practical trial of new equipment presents a useful analysis for you when it's time to choose the right equipment for your game.

INITIAL LOOK:
Five years ago, I don't think the RBZ color combo (a sparkly white finish and neon green/black graphics) would have worked. However, it seems there are some pretty savvy and fashion-forward people over there at TaylorMade. Bold colors are back in style in a big way, and neon green is a huge hit. I happen to like the graphics, especially the white crown against the black clubface and the green turf. With such contrast, and with no boundaries on what might look good or not, I wish the RBZ woods had a bigger alignment aid on the crown. I know, the white crown/black face is supposed to help with alignment, but with a club that's so fashion forward, a black or even green line on the crown might look really cool. (It works on putters, so why not on woods?)

The traditionally shaped, oversized RBZ has a slightly deeper face than most new fairway woods—something that I've wanted to see for some time now. Underneath, you can see the Speed Pocket (more on that later) and weight plug directly behind it.

FEEL & PERFORMANCE:
I tried two models: the regular RBZ 3-wood (15°) and the high-launching RBZ HL (17-loft). Reason being, I had heard how long this wood was, and thought if I could get away with hitting a longer fairway wood, I'd like to hit it as high as I could, too. With woods, in my case, the higher the better, since they land softer and are easier to control. There's also a Tour version, with an open face angle and less internal draw-bias weighting. I didn't test that one.

First, the feel on both RBZ 3-woods was exceptional. They both felt lighter than my own 3-wood, and turns out, they are—by about 10 grams. Also, both models are .5 inches longer than my 3-wood (which is 43 inches). That took a little getting used to. (A lot of the new 3-woods that promise big distance are longer than the unofficial standard of 43 inches.)

In terms of how each wood performed, let's start with the 15° RBZ. At first, I wasn't quite sure how to handle this thing. With the longer shaft, I wondered, "Should I hit this thing like a driver?" Because of this, the first few shots fired were a little fat and drifted to the right. A quick correction in my setup (I moved the ball forward a bit), and I quickly started hitting shots that, no joke, seemed longer than some of my driver tee shots as little as five to six years ago. Missed shots, which for me tended to be on the toe, had some distance loss and flew lower. Some of my fades and hooks were more pronounced than I'm used to, as well.

Read More...

---

Are the new fairway woods as long as your driver?

TEE IT DOWN!
By Brad Sherfy, PGA

Teeing your ball the right height with your metalwoods and hybrids determines what kind of contact you make.

With drivers, you want to tee the ball up so you catch it high on the clubface and take advantage of the clubface's trampoline effect. However, with a fairway wood or hybrid, teeing it low is the way to go.

Consider the two photos you see at left. The top photo shows the correct height. The ball barely sits above the ground, because when struck, you want to take advantage of the club's natural loft. (Note how angled my clubface is.) Now look at the bottom photo. If my club were to bottom out, I'd barely catch the top of the face. At best, I'd hit a knuckle ball, which wouldn't go very far; at worst, I'd "sky it" and damage my club's crown.

WOODS
Adams Speedline Fast 12 Key Feature: The Velocity Slot on the Fast 12 is visible from the crown and the sole, and when combined, enables the ball to compress against the face much as it does off a driver. This means more power in what Adams considers the longest fairway ever made by Adams Golf. And hey, we love the retro satin finish, too. It has power and style. Who It's For: Gluttons for reaching par-5s in two and also those who want a viable driver alternative. Specs: 3+, 3-, 5-wood models, as well as draw and women's. Stock shaft is Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue graphite. adamsgolf.com | $249	Adams Speedline Super XTD Key Feature: A titanium build with Velocity Slot Technology? This is as close as you can get to a driver without being one. The club is even designed to hit the ball high and with little spin, just like a driver is supposed to. Really, this is all the power anyone needs from the fairway. Heck, who said you need a driver anymore? Not us... Who It's For: Golfers looking to hit some real bombs not only from the tee, but from 275 yards out in the fairway. Specs: Comes in three strong lofts (13°, 14.5°, 18°) with Fubuki AX graphite shafts. (LH available) adamsgolf.com | $349	Boccieri Golf Heavy Fairway Key Feature: Like the Heavy Driver, the Heavy Fairway has a unique backweighting system. The 50g weight beneath the grip offsets the added mass in the clubhead, resulting in a balanced club that promotes better rhythm, tempo and control. By the way, the Heavy Fairway actually produced hits that flew longer and farther than we expected! Who It's For: Golfers who want to make a smooth swing from the fairway and want a shorter shaft in their woods. Specs: Comes in two lofts (15°, 19°) with Aldila NVS graphite shafts. boccierigolf.com | $199

Read More...

---

When it comes to equipment, Mizuno has been a top contender in the forged-iron category for what seems like forever. Year after year, they crank out irons that not only look like works of art, but also, in the right hands, perform as good as an iron possibly can. But this go-around, we wanted to take a look at something else Mizuno has been doing really well. You may not think of metalwoods when you think of Mizuno, but we're here to tell you it's time to change your thinking. The latest crop of woods from Mizuno don't disappoint, as we found out during some hands-on testing with a driver, fairway wood and hybrid club.

JPX-800 Driver

Looks And Feel: The forged, all-titanium JPX-800 driver is a real treat to look at. Its dark navy-blue finish sits well in the bright sun, and the shaping of the club makes it easier to align than a traditional pear-shaped driver would be. (The JPX-800 has more of a triangular, modern head shape.) When combined with a custom white Mitsubishi Rayon Fubuki shaft, the driver almost has a nautical look to it. As for how it feels, we expected this driver to feel great, and it does. The feel on solid shots resembles what a forged iron from Mizuno feels like: smooth and buttery. Off-center hits felt slightly firmer, but the Ultimate Dynamic Stability and Hot Metal face technologies really made the sweet spot feel huge. We hardly missed.

Performance: Hitting the JPX-800 Driver was quite a surprise. From a company that tends to make irons designed for better players (except for the new JPX-800 irons, which are insanely long and forgiving), we expected this driver to cater more toward lower-handicappers and be a little more challenging to wield. We've even read the reviews of this driver from other sources, claiming the ball flew lower and with modest distance. Dare we say, we disagree with that assessment. We found this driver was both easy to hit and flew higher than several other drivers we've tried this year. Maybe it was the finely tuned Fubuki shaft, the 45.5-inch shaft length, or just plain ol' good design, but this driver was easy to align and flew really straight. Best of all, we found shots hit with this driver to be very consistent in terms of ballflight (moderate to high) and spin rate (moderate.)

Bottom Line: In the midst of adjustable-driver tech, it's good to know you can still buy a great driver without adjustability features. The JPX-800 is as straightforward as it gets in terms of clean aesthetics, ample forgiveness and distance on both solid and off-center hits. Thanks to a square face angle, this driver showed some maneuverability as well, which is ideal for players who like to shape shots. It's a top pick among nonadjustable drivers for 2011.

Pros: Solid feel, surprisingly forgiving on off-center hits.

Cons: No left-landed models, and we question the need for that extra long shaft.

JPX-800 Fairway Wood

Looks And Feel: Like the driver with the same name, the JPX-800 fairway woods have a deep navy-blue finish and a modern head shape, albeit in a low-profile, fairway-wood design. Shots hit on the sweet spot felt firm and responsive—which, by the way, is what we want from a fairway wood. Off-center hits had a tinge more vibration, but again, that's to be expected from a stainless-steel design. On a side note, the beveled leading edge really made solid ball contact easier to achieve—something we wish we saw more of in all fairway-wood designs.

Performance: The JPX-800 fairway wood has more of the feel and performance we've come to expect from Mizuno. Better players will like the square face angle, making it easier to hit a variety of shots. Higher-handicappers or slower swingers may see their shots fly to the right, but the right shaft and flex combination ought to mitigate that. As for distance, we hit several bombs from the fairway that rivaled a few of our tee shots. The ball flew with a moderate trajectory—again, better players will like this, slower swingers and/or higher-handicappers will want more height in their fairway shots.
Read More...

---

Titleist 910 Series

Late last year, Titleist introduced its next generation of woods, called the 910 series. These three offerings—driver, 3-wood and hybrid—continue the company’s tradition of making Tour-caliber golf clubs for better golfers.

Quite possibly the golf industry’s most sophisticated off-the-rack clubs, these sleek all-black clubs feature what’s called a SureFit adjustable hosel and come with a wide variety of pre-mium stock shafts. If you’re a player, you’ve got to try them.

Titleist 910D3 Driver
First Impression: If there’s one thing Titleist consistently does across the board, it’s make top-tier golf equipment designed primarily for better players. And the company doesn’t hide behind that truism, they embrace it by essentially claiming that if their equipment is suited properly for a Tour player, it’s good enough for weekend warriors to use, as well. We were lucky enough to try one of the new pear-shaped 445cc 910D3 drivers (the other offering, the D2, has a more modern, round-shaped profile).

Now, before you read any further, it’s important to remember that we’re not Tour players and we don’t play as often as you might think. Hence, we were a bit intimidated by what we were about to test.

At first glance, the all-black cosmetics had a stealthy appearance that looked fast and sleek. Second, the 9.5° 910D3 came with a SureFit, dual-angle adjustable hosel that could be adjusted to fine-tune a player’s launch angle and ballflight characteristics (higher/lower, fade/draw). Those were two big design pluses (and confidence boosts), and we hadn’t even put the club in play yet. Next, the shaft we tried was a “stock” Mitsubishi Rayon Kai’li 65R. The driver measured 45 inches and had a standard velvet-style grip.

Performance: In our trial, the 910D3 not only was playable, but has turned out to be one of the top drivers we’ve tried in 2011. The ball launched with the type of ballflight that’s to be expected from a Titleist driver—no ballooning or excessively high trajectories. Rather the ball flew with a mid to lower ballflight that better players tend to prefer. When we hit it squarely, it really flew a long way. At impact, the ball had a muted sound but a responsive feel that, again, better players will like.

In testing the 910D3, we learned that while custom-fitting the SureFit dual-angle hosel can certainly help you fine-tune your game, it won’t alleviate your problems if you’re playing with the wrong shaft. In the case of the driver we tried, we found the best results to come from faster swing speeds—and we tried an R-flex model. In other words, because of it’s Tour-friendly performance attributes, if you swing slower and want to reap the rewards of this driver, you might consider adding a degree or two more loft, and/or making sure you have the correct flex profile for your game.
All in all, we felt that it was an awesome driver and produced solid results.

Specs: 910D3 9.5° with the Mitsubishi Rayon Kai’li 65R shaft. Three other stock shafts available. Custom options too. $449


Titleist 910F
First Impression: Like the 910 drivers, Titleist’s new fairway woods are sleek and pleasing to look at. Whether looking down on it at address or pulling it out of the bag, the sleek-looking woods make you feel like you’re playing a round of golf with Johnny Cash.

Performance: The fairway woods also were built for the better player, so they’ll be a challenge for higher-handicappers to make consistently solid contact. When we hit the 910F “on the screws,” it yielded shots that pierced through the air on a penetrating yet high trajectory—whether teed up or on the turf. These results largely come from the club’s thinner crown technology. Titleist engineers pushed weight lower and farther back in the clubhead. As for acoustics, we noticed that solid strikes produced a muted sound that better players prefer. There was no high-pitched “ting” or hollow sound that game-improvement clubs produce.

Technology: While Titleist has built players’ clubs for years, with the introduction of the 910 series, they’ve raised the bar for adjustability. Most impressively, this new series allows golfers to change the club’s loft and lie angles independent of one another, all while offering numerous premium stock shafts of varying flexes and weights.

As we like to regularly remind readers, the best way to find the club that’s right for you is to get fitted, and Titleist has covered all the bases with these new clubs. And with the right shaft, you can personalize the clubs even more.
Not personal enough? Consider that all woods come with a precision bezel weight directly in line with the club’s CG. An optional precision weight kit is available with 2g, 5g, 7g, 9g and 12g weights to adjust swing weight and feel with different shafts.

Specs: 910F 15° with the Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana ’Ahina 82 (stiff, 82 grams, 3.1° torque). Other shafts, including custom options, available. $279


Titleist 910H
First Impression: The most forgiving offering in the 910 series, the 910H hybrid comes in four loft options and the same black color scheme of its bigger, longer brethren.

Performance: For less precise golfers, the 910H is the best option if you want to put one of these clubs in your bag. The trajectory, which you can adjust, is mid to high, and needless to say, the ball travels a mile. A mile. Performs like a champ out of any lie.

Technology: Like the drivers and fairway woods, the 910H affords users the chance to adjust their loft and lie independently of one another for optimal ballflight. (There are 16 loft/lie combinations.) Its progressive head sizes and CG locations create the optimum trajectory and spin for each loft.

Specs: 21°, Mitsubishi Rayon Kai’li Hybrid 80. Comes in four lofts: 17°, 19°, 21° and 24°. $259.

For more information on all Titleist products, visit www.titleist.com.

---

Woods and hybrids are a breeze to hit

By now, you probably carry at least two fairway woods and a hybrid in your bag. Some golfers carry more hybrids or even swap out their irons with iron-woods. If you're reluctant to add these forgiving sticks to your arsenal (or if you're too proud to lug a bag around with lots of headcovers), don't be. Modern-day woods and hybrids have been constructed to deliver big distance and lots of forgiveness, so why make the game any more difficult than it already is? This year, add a couple new woods and hybrids to your lineup and watch your scores drop.

WOODS
Adams Speedline F11 Key Feature: Like the driver, the Speedline F11 woods are shaped for maximum aerodynamics, only this time, in the smaller shape of a wood that also can cut through the grass. The Vertical Slot tech is designed to add more spring-like power to every shot. What We Like: Great looks and a ballflight that pops the ball upward in a hurry. Who It's For: Golfers who want a long-hitting fairway wood, especially the titanium model. Specs: Comes in three lofts (13°, 15°, 18°) with Aldila VooDoo VS or Matrix X-Con graphite shafts. Ti, Draw model, and L-hand available. adamsgolf.com | $199/$299 ti	Bobby Bones Player Series Key Feature: The unique shape uses a forged, maraging-steel face insert for added distance and a lower CG for a higher trajectory. What We Like: The classic-meets-new geometry. Classic lines and curves mask a neo-triangular shape. Players can't help but notice how sharp they look. The high-launch characteristics are ideal for players who want more carry and distance from their woods. Who It's For: Golfers who want a sweet-looking fairway wood with an added boost in trajectory. Specs: Comes in four lofts (13°, 15°, 17°, 19°) with Graphite Design JS shafts. bobbyjonesgolf.com | $199	Callaway Diablo Octane Key Feature: Made of stainless steel for rugged durability, these clubs utilize VFT technology to launch the ball off the face with added distance and forgiveness. What We Like: Big power and a big sole make it easy to hit this club both off a tee and off the ground. The shaping is pure Callaway. Who It's For: Golfers who want big distance from on or off the fairway. Better players will dig the more neutral Tour version. Specs: Comes in five lofts (15°, 17°, 19°, 21°, 24°) with Diablo Octane graphite shafts. L-hand available in 15° and 17°. callawaygolf.com | $199

Read More...

---

Today's fairway woods and hybrids are bigger, longer and easier to hit than ever.

Looking to finally reach that long par-5 in two? How about actually hitting the green from 200 yards away, in the rough? With this year’s offering of new fairway woods and hybrids, we suspect you’ll be hitting shots you never thought possible.

Golf Tips Legend Our picks for new technologies, hot trends and equipment standouts.

Choosing the right club—that too has gotten a lot easier. We think fairway woods, in general, have become much easier to hit. All you have to do is dial in the right loft and shaft and you’ll be ready to scorch up the par-5s and hit more fairways on those tricky short par-4s. Check out our picks for the best new fairway woods and hybrids of 2010.


Read More...

---

Fresh New Callaway Sticks

FT-IZ DRIVER
Featuring a radical triangular design (buh-bye square), this driver is dubbed by Callaway as the company’s longest and straightest driver ever.

Looks and Feel: It has fighter-jet good looks—aerodynamic, sleek, mean. It’s also a cinch to align. The face angle seemed to sit shut rather than square at address even though we tested a 10-degree model with a square face angle, but that’s likely a function of the shape as it rests on the turf. As for feel, it’s the first carbon-crowned driver that doesn’t feel like one at all. It has a tremendous pop at impact.

Performance: It’s definitely long, just like Callaway says. But, in our test, we found it was a lot easier to turn this over and hit a hook than it was to hit a slice. That is, a lot of our misses were pull hooks. We suspect that’s not a mistake, since the configuration of the head shape and internal weighting, in fact, combine to make this club easier to square up at impact than, say, a traditionally shaped head. That took some getting used to, but once we did, we fell in love. As for forgiveness on off-center hits, the FT-iZ demonstrated a lot of give. We rarely missed big, and when we did, it was our fault, not the driver’s.

Bottom Line: If you want a driver that has a new-age shape, awesome forgiveness and is an inherent slice-killer, the FT-iZ is a solid choice. We didn’t test a Tour version (with a one-degree open face), but we suspect that one would have cured our hooks in a jiffy. That said, the FT-iZ remains a top contender for a 2010 GT Tech Award.

DIABLO EDGE DRIVER
The new Diablo Edge is a four-piece, all-titanium design that, like the FT-iZ, is hell-bent on adding more distance to everyone’s drives.

Looks and Feel: Callaway is really making strides in bucking against traditional driver shapes and trying something different. The Diablo Edge is aerodynamic and aesthetically pleasing, and both solid and missed hits feel pretty good. Our only criticism is of the S2H2 hosel configuration on the Standard model. We understand the point: Weight is removed from the hosel and redistributed in the clubhead. Then why affix a cheapish-looking ferrule on the short hosel? It takes away from the sexiness of the sleek titanium design. However, the Tour model, well, that has got to be one of the best-looking shapes (it has a traditional hosel) we’ve ever seen from Callaway. Booyah.

Performance: We only tested the Standard model, but our findings were impressive. The Diablo Edge produces a surprisingly penetrating ballflight, thanks to both a nine-degree loft and a square face angle (models above 10 degrees have one-degree closed faces). We saw a limited dispersion on our misses, and our solid bombs flew a long way, usually in the direction we wanted. In fact, we took a couple swats and tried to mis-hit and had trouble doing so—let that give you an idea of how forgiving this driver is. You may not always hit it straight (that’s up to your swing, not necessarily the driver), but you’ll definitely hit a lot of long drives with this club.

Bottom Line: A forgiving power-hitter. The shaft felt a little whippy, so if you opt for one, be sure you get fitted for the proper weight and flex. Read More...

---

They might not be as exciting to hit as drivers, or as fun to collect as putters, but if you master your woods and hybrids, you can keep the golf ball in the fairway and knock it closer to the pin than ever before. Trust us.

If you’ve ever teed off with a 3-wood, you’ve probably gotten some serious ribbing from your buddies. “What? Can’t hit your driver?” they might say. We understand. It’s happened to us too. But we don’t mind, because after we blister our 3-woods down the center of the fairway, we like to turn to the rest of our foursome (who are combing the rough for their drives) and say, “Who’s laughing now?”

Okay, so we admit that fairway woods aren’t the “sexiest” clubs on the market. Heck, it’s possible to go an entire round and not hit one, but with the new materials and weighting technologies in them, they now go farther and straighter than ever. And unless you play the tips at a “Tiger-proof” course, you should tee off with one on any number of shortish par-4s. (We bet you can hit some fairway woods as far as your old driver, but unlike your old driver, you’ll probably hit the fairway too!)

Comb through the following pages and pick a fairway wood and hybrid that match your needs. Keep in mind the “distance gap” between your clubs and how the right club can help fill those yardages.

Adams Insight Tech a4 Key Feature:Resembling the shape of the classic Tight Lies club with a large sole and small crown, this fairway hybrid has Adams’ Boxer Technology, a hot face and a cambered sole. What We Like: The line between fairway wood and hybrid is blurred even more, making it an easy transition from one to another. Great aesthetics all around. Who It’s For: Moderate swingers who want a mid to high launch off the tee and from the fairway. Specs: Comes in three lofts (13°, 15°, 18°) with Matrix Ozik shafts. adamsgolf.com | $269	Adams Speedline Key Feature: The Speedline combines the playability of a hybrid and the distance of a fairway wood in one. Boxer Technology makes the MOI 12 percent greater than standard fairway woods for extreme stability. What We Like: Once again, the looks are razor sharp and so is the paint job. Who It’s For: Golfers who no longer want to choose whether to play either a hybrid or fairway wood. Specs: Comes in three lofts (13°, 15°, 18°) with Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue Axis graphite shafts. adamsgolf.com | $179	Bobby Jones Player Series Key Feature: The unique shape uses a forged maraging steel face insert for a lower CG and a higher trajectory. What We Like: The old-meets-new geometry. Classic lines mask a newer, triangular shape. All players can’t help but notice how sharp they look. The high-launch characteristics are ideal for players who want more carry and distance from their woods. Who It’s For: Slow to moderate swingers who could use some extra lift. Specs: Comes in four lofts (13°, 15°, 17°, 19°) with Graphite Design JS shafts. bobbyjonesgolf.net | $200

Read More...

---

Whether it?s a fairway wood or hybrid, knowing what club to hit depends on what clubs are in your bag

It doesn’t matter if it’s a long par-3, a short par-4 or a reachable par-5, making the right shot choice first depends on having the right clubs to choose from. Today, fairway woods have become longer, bigger and more powerful than ever, and hybrids, on the other hand, have become more specific, acting as either long-iron replacements or high-lofted fairway-wood replacements. The key is to begin analyzing your current set makeup in order to determine what’s missing. Need a club that goes 215 yards and stops on a dime? How about a 3-wood that flies almost as far as your driver, albeit a lot straighter? Maybe both? Discerning your needs is crucial to hitting better shots. And with today’s models, it’s hard to go wrong.

Sole Provider
The sole of a fairway wood or hybrid is especially important since it’s used off the grass in a sweeping motion, unlike a digging motion that an iron may have. Some FW models have fins to help minimize friction, while others may have smooth soles to help the club slide through the turf. Either way, the technology of most fairway woods and hybrids is on the inside, where much of the weight is placed low and deep on the sole to help lower the center of gravity. A lower CG promotes a high launch angle for higher shots. The deeper in the sole the CG is placed, the higher the MOI, which affects the clubhead’s forgiveness and loss of distance on off-center hits.

About Face
What’s in a face? It depends. In the case of the Tour Edge Exotics CB2, the face is a titanium “cupface” design, which means the entire front section of the clubhead and a portion of the sole and crown form a cup shape, which is then Combo-Brazed onto the rest of the club. This method helps not only strengthen the face, but adds strength where it’s needed and promotes a low and deep CG to promote a higher ballflight. As for COR, most fairway woods have CORs that challenge drivers in the category (reaching the 0.830 limit). When it comes to shape, note that shallow-faced models tend to have lower CGs than deep-faced models.

Choose The Right Clubs!
If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that fairway woods and hybrids don’t get the credit they so deserve. In fact, we think fairway woods and hybrids don’t get enough play, either, considering many amateurs still tend to hit driver off every tee and long irons from the fairway, despite there being other clubs that are a lot easier to hit. Therefore, let’s make 2007 the year we start playing smarter by choosing a fairway wood that gets the job done both off the tee and on the grass. Also, now is the time to drop those long irons from the bag in favor of a hybrid (or a few). Check out the following models, and pay attention to which clubs have the kind of performance benefits that will help your game the most. Trust us, the right fairway woods and hybrids will lower your score immediately.

Understanding Our Charts
Features: The primary design elements that make the wood noteworthy.
Advantages: How the primary design elements are meant to elevate the wood’s performance.
Benefits: A general recommendation as to which skill level or player type would be best served by the wood model in question.
What We Like: We have our preferences, too. A quick description of what impressed us in our review and testing.
Lineup: The other wood models available from the manufacturer.
Clubhead: The primary material from which the club is either forged or cast, usually a form of steel. There are titanium models, but steel dominates the wood market, as the smaller head size mandates the use of heavier materials.
Clubface: Indicates the material used for the strike area. Check out the prevalent use of maraging steel for the face.
Lofts: Lists all of the lofts available in the line and whether or not the wood models are available for lefties.
Shafts: These are the stock graphite shaft offerings from the manufacturer. Almost all fairway woods are available with custom shaft options, however. See the manufacturers’ Websites for details. The driver is the star of the golf club world, and as such, gets seemingly all the attention, all the kudos and all the technological advancements. As a result, for a lot of golfers fairway woods have become nothing more than afterthoughts that are needed simply to fill out their collection of clubs. This approach is a definite mistake, and one that should be immediately exchanged for one that views fairway clubs as critical members of every golfer’s arsenal.

Read More...

---

Today's fairway woods have tons of technology and an array of features that make them a must from the tee, fairway and rough. Don't miss out.

The driver is the star of the golf club world, and as such, gets seemingly all the attention, all the kudos and all the technological advancements. As a result, for a lot of golfers fairway woods have become nothing more than afterthoughts that are needed simply to fill out their collection of clubs. This approach is a definite mistake, and one that should be immediately exchanged for one that views fairway clubs as critical members of every golfer’s arsenal.

In fact, modern fairway woods now feature many of the same technologies found in drivers, including movable weights, ultra-thin clubfaces, low CG placement, premium-quality, high-tech shafts, innovative materials and a wide variety of loft choices. If you’re the type of player who prefers to use your 3-wood as a driver alternative off the tee, you’ll be happy to find that many of today’s fairway woods perform like mini drivers, providing significantly greater ball speed, distance and forgiveness than ever before. And for those who like to use fairway woods to reach long par-4s and attack par-5s, the array of modern sole designs and loft choices will make your life, and your golf game, a lot easier. So don’t take your fairway woods for granted. Explore the choices that are now available, and experiment with a few different models. You’ll be surprised how great these clubs really are.

Take a look at a sampling of premium-quality woods and you’ll notice a variety of sole rails, sizes, weights and geometries, all of which play a part in not only how the club performs when it’s in motion, but how it sits at address and, in the case of hybrids, how it might work on greenside chips. Of course, the best way to find out which of these design elements work best is to demo some different models and observe the results. Keep in mind that the type of courses you play should also be a consideration, as certain types of sole designs will work better in soft conditions and others on firm turf.

Got Sole?
When it comes to fairway wood design, the sole is a major point of focus, and for good reason. Obviously, a significant part of a fairway wood’s job is to be functional from the fairway and rough, and the design of the sole—and how it interacts with different lies and types of turf—is critical to its overall performance.

Face The Facts
When oversized titanium drivers began boasting high COR (trampoline effect) due largely to thin, strong, flexible titanium faces, most golfers eagerly anticipated the day when the same technology would be available in fairway woods. Unfortunately, due to the smaller size of fairway woods, that development didn’t come right away, and many players figured it never would. Well, the day is finally here, as club designers and engineers have found ways to raise the COR of fairway woods through the use of new steel alloys that can be made extremely thin and flexible. As a result, many strong-lofted 3-woods can now produce driver-like distance with ample forgiveness.

Read More...

---

No longer considered a novelty, the hybrid club has developed a new reputation as the go-to shotmaker from the fairway, the rough and, believe it or not, around the green.

How To Hit A Hybrid
If you’re supposed to hit down on the ball with your irons and slightly up on the ball with your woods, what in the world do you do with a hybrid club?

David Glod, president of Tour Edge Golf, says that the key to swinging a hybrid correctly is to look at what club(s) the hybrid has replaced. “Because most hybrids are designed to be iron replacements, we advise golfers to swing them like they would their middle irons.”

As such, remember that it’s not necessary to try and scoop the ball upward (as many feel they have to do with low-lofted irons). Instead, allow the low and deep CG to work its magic and launch the ball at a high and optimal angle. The trick? Don’t be afraid to swing down and through as you would with a mid- or long iron.

If you use a hybrid off the tee or in the middle of a round, take at least four practice swings to adjust to the different weight and feel of the club, particularly when you’ve been hitting woods for consecutive holes. Tee up the ball higher than you would a normal iron, which makes it easier to achieve square contact. Finally, swing with a moderate tempo and remember to hit down on the ball. As for those long irons? Kiss ’em goodbye!


Biased Base. The new Callaway Fusion FT-Hybrids feature a permanent draw, neutral or fade bias to help players improve their accuracy and shot-shape patterns. The center of gravity is either in the middle or toward the heel or toe, helping to offset the effects of off-center strikes. Also cool from Callaway is the bore-through shaft technology, which removes weight from the hosel and accentuates the effect of perimeter weighting along the trail end of the club.


Iron Shape. The popular line of hybrids from Tour Edge resembles irons more than fairway woods, making them an exceptional choice for golfers who prefer hitting irons rather than high-lofted fairway woods. But don’t be fooled. Despite the iron-inspired shape, these hybrids feature ample perimeter weighting and a lowered center of gravity for higher shots that produce the needed spin required to get the ball to land softly on the green.


Fairway Wood Shape. The 3DX hybrids from Nickent trend more toward a fairway wood shape for golfers who appreciate a low-profile, fairway wood appearance. Some claim the wood-like models afford greater shotmaking capabilities, but that’s not to say this style of hybrid isn’t forgiving as well. The long, flat sole design helps position a majority of weight low and deep in the clubhead, resulting in a high trajectory with ample spin for better control. 


Adjustable Weighting. Some models such as the new TaylorMade Rescue Dual feature removable weight cartridges that allow for customized performance. Players can manipulate weight to favor a draw or fade, hook or slice, all with a simple click of a torque wrench. Typically, a draw bias will promote a lower trajectory than a fade bias, allowing golfers to adjust to different playing conditions as well as course demands and swing styles. 


Composite Crown. Composite crown technology has already jumped from drivers to fairway woods, and with the help of the new hybrids from Yonex, it looks like the trend is here to stay in hybrid clubs. Having a composite crown enables more weight to be placed lower and deeper in the clubhead, helping golfers get the ball in the air faster with plenty of spin to promote softer landings. Look for this trend to really catch on in the next couple of years. 

Hybrid Shafts. Don’t neglect the all-important shaft! New hybrid shafts are all the rage, with many of the leading driver shaft manufacturers unveiling their own special hybrid renditions. The Graphite Design YS-Hybrid Type II, Fujikura Fit-On E 300 Series, Aldila NV Hybrid, Grafalloy ProLaunch HY and UST Proforce V2 Hybrid graphite shafts all feature innovative technologies designed to cater to a variety of demands and playing characteristics. Before you buy a new hybrid, make sure you have the right shaft flex, weight and kickpoint for your game. Be assured a premium shaft can make a big difference in how well a hybrid performs.

Read More...

---