Welcome to GOLF’s new series “Firsthand with a Fitter,” where we dive into some of the most common issues golfers struggle with on the course, and how properly fit equipment can help address those issues and make the game easier.
When it comes to picking the right clubs for your bag and creating the proper set composition from driver to putter, there are many options depending on your clubhead speed. You have fairway woods, utility woods, hybrids, driving irons and long irons, and that’s before we even get to wedge options. The best way to know for sure what’s best for you is to see a fitter and work on a launch monitor to determine your exact needs, but if you have limited access we’re here to help with some advice.
Know what you need
When looking at the clubs in your set, it’s important to determine what their role is. They can generally be broken down into two categories: driving clubs and approach clubs. Driving clubs maximize distance and often fly lower since the goal is to get extra roll. Approach clubs, on the other hand, are intended to fly a specific distance and have the ability to stop quicker with a higher descent angle — which is something we covered in-depth in a previous installment of this series: How to stop your irons faster.
Another point to understand when it comes to picking clubs is the faster your clubhead speed the easier time you will have launching the ball and creating spin — just like a plane taking off, the faster the ball is traveling the more lift it generates. As the video below demonstrates, clubs with shallower profiles, like fairway woods, launch higher and with more spin.
For faster players, the world is your oyster. That’s because of simple physics — it’s much easier to make up come down than it is to make down go up. One of the best examples of this principle from the PGA Tour is Tommy Fleetwood, because although his speed and ball striking are world-class, he chooses to play a 9-wood to help with longer shots.
For players on the lower end of the speed spectrum, don’t worry: There are still plenty of options, and this is where a proper club-fitting and technology can help you properly gap your bag, and have a club for every shot.
“With the number of options and technology packed into modern fairway woods and hybrids, it’s easier than ever to select clubs that are going to fit any gap in your bag,” says Kris McCormack, VP of tour and education at True Spec Golf, which is an affiliate of GOLF.com. “Almost every company on the market offers their fairway woods up to 7-wood, and there are even more 9- and even 11-wood options to help those with moderate swing speeds find reasonable gapping through the set. If the best players in the world are finding 7-woods beneficial, there is no reason to not make a higher lofted fairway wood part of your set.”
