Does anyone use a 5 wood anymore?

Good question. Last fall I swapped out a Slazenger RDS 5W for a TM 19* Raylor. Some people say the Raylor is a fairway wood, others say it is a hybrid. It has a boat hull, v-shaped sole, and the shaft length common to a 5W.

The Slazenger had a draw bias, and I couldn't seem to stop the ball when I wanted to. Lots of misses to the left. Stance manipulations led to big pushes.

For the future, take a look a June issue of Golf Digest. (I think they have a blocker on the article, called Secret Weapon.) It seems the club makers are revisiting the FW, trying to harness the trampoline effect, with things such as the Adams speed slot that supposedly creates a "hotter face." I expect a push for middle HDCP golfers to load up with 3-5-7W.

GD also had a feature in January talking about the number of pros who carry a 5W:

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/blogs/hotlist365/2011/01/fairway-woodhybrid-debate-cont.html

i have never carried a 5w. i have thought about a 4w but so far have decided to stay with a 3w (15*) and 3h (20*). 

I slice my 3-wood much worse than the 5-wood.  So I took the 3-wood out of the bag, and only have Driver, 5-wood (+irons, wedges, putter).  If I can ever start hitting the 3-wood straight, I might stop using the 5-wood, but right now, I've been doing okay with the 5.

I still hit my 3 wood off the deck sometimes, but I pulled the 5 wood out and replaced it with a HALO 19* 2i hybrid.  It's a shorter club and I can hit it just over 200 off the deck, and more than that off the tee.

I use it almost exclusively on par 5s.  I figure if I hit 210 with the 2i, then 190 with the 3i, I have a short iron onto the green.  Heck with trying to bomb it off the tee for the 550+ holes.

hi, yeah i recently putting a 5 wood in the bag. been struggling recently wth my driver, and if swinging badly then I've got no right trying to hit my 3 wood. recently got a cheapie 5 wood, last years Benross vx proto, with aldila dvs stiff shaft.  I tend to hit te ball too low, so the 19 degree of loft really helps. measured it wiht sky caddie last week with skycaddie and going 235-245 and straight. if driver woring then it goes about 275-285 ( tour edge exotics xcg-3 ).  the matching3wood is a great club, but for confidence the 5 wood is a belter. would much rather than 240 up the middle, than 250 with the 3 wood in the trees

This week I pulled the 3 and 5 woods from my bag and added a 4 wood. Everything I've ever read about this scenario is true, the 4 hits just as easy as the 5 and goes just as far as the 3. Of course I can take something off to get down to a 5 wood distance or just crank up my swing on my 7 wood. I also carry a 23* 9 wood since I despise hybrids.

I hit a 17 degree hybrid last year; I used to carry a 17 and a 20 degree hybrid, both by Adams. Replaced them this year with a 19 degree hybrid and put my 3 iron back in the bag.

Awful decision. Regretting it terribly.

My 17 degree Adams A7 was a weapon. Long. Could hit it low, high, draw, fade, etc. You can do everything a fairway can do with a hybrid, but the converse isn't quite true. I'd advise you to look at a hybrid of comparable loft, even with a non-stock shaft (something more 5W like, perhaps). I carried a 5W for a long time and don't miss it. My '2' hybrid (17 degree) is a different story, however...any time I get stuck behind a tree line or need to hit a ball through some crazy chute I still miss that thing. My home course is tree-lined, and I probably used it 5 times a round. Really miss it.

Yes.  I am much more consisant with my FW woods than any hybrid.  I carry a 5 and 7 wood right now.  I switch out my 3 wood and 5 wood depending on how I'm hitting it and course conditions. 

I had written off fairway woods but decided to give it one last shot and just added a Ping K15 5w to the bag today.  I used it off the tee on 4 holes with some good success about (195-200) when I caught it plush (I only drive the ball about 230 on a good hit). 

I also have a G15 17* hybrid on order.  I am curious to see how this plays on the course compared to the 5w.  I know distance should be about the same with both clubs according to Ping, but I just wanted the option depending on the lie I have.  3 woods do me no good.  Too erratic. 

I still use a 5 wood, I am not a fan of the hybrids.  I have tried several different brands/styles and just never found them as reliable as my 5w/long irons. 

I have an old 16* Taylor Raylor that I carry instead of a 3 or 4.  I have considered a 5 wood but leaning toward a 19-20* hybrid to fill the gap between the 16* and the 5 iron. The shortest I can control the 16* is about 185-190; good full swing is about 215-225. I want something I can use 175 ish to 200.

I love my 5W, one of my favorite clubs to hit at the range, but I rarely bag it. My 19* adams super hybrid just makes more sense. Maybe 10 yards shorter than the 5W but much more versatile. I can't chop shots out of the rough very well with the 5W and the hybrid does everything very well.

My 5W had sat in my bag for ever until I switched out my irons for a set that skipped the 3i.  I still want to replace the 3i with a hybrid, but I grabbed my 5W about 3 rounds ago for a few shots and surprised myself with how well I hit the thing.  Needless to say it's been getting a workout.

I do not. I've used a 19° hybrid since I started playing almost two years ago, and I wouldn't switch it out for a 5-wood right now given my lack of skill with a 3-wood in the fairway.

I've played a TM R7 steel 5 wood for the last couple years.  In my younger days when I played a lot my 2 iron was my favorite club in the bag.  My swing lost consistency and I switched to a hybrid, but couldn't control it.  I am much more consistent now with the 5 wood.  It's certainly possible I just was playing the wrong hybrid though.