Jump to content
IGNORED

Fairway Woods: Face Dimensions. Trade-offs


Skenny
Note: This thread is 3462 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

I looked for info on this and don't see alot of discussion about "oversized" fairway woods, and their playability from various lies versus forgiveness, owing to an oversized clubhead/face. More specifically, and/or said another way, I recently purchased 5, 7, and 9 fairway woods that I hit extremely well (for me) off a mat at the range. They had larger club faces than previous versions I owned, so I attributed their performance to forgiveness. In actual play, however, this larger clubface seemed to get held up by grass in light rough or even just lush fairways, resulting in weaker fades, as opposed to what I was hitting at the range.

At this point, I have gone back to my older FWs with smaller club faces. They appear to have more potential from "real world" lies. Would this be a typical trade-off between the two scenarios, or am I missing something? Please note, for purposes of this question, I am not concerned about tee shots, which I think would benefit from the larger face, just like from the mat at the range.

What I would like is clubs that hit explosive shots with maximum forgiveness from all lies........  (humor intended). Thanks for feedback.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


No fairway wood can give you the best of both worlds. I suggest trying some lead tape low and back on the larger head to help with the flight off the ground or find a hybrid with a deeper face.

:callaway: Big Bertha Alpha 815 DBD  :bridgestone: TD-03 Putter   
:tmade: 300 Tour 3W                 :true_linkswear: Motion Shoes
:titleist: 585H Hybrid                       
:tmade: TP MC irons                 
:ping: Glide 54             
:ping: Glide 58
:cleveland: 588 RTX 62

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

A larger-headed FW will give you more confidence when you use it off the tee because the head looks larger.

But when the larger heads appear to catch on the turf, it may actually be a balance issues - not size issues.

The balance issue relates to the location of the Vertical Center of Gravity (VCOG) in the clubhead.

Position 1 shows a VCOG which is high and forward. This would tend to give a hot, "power" low-spin, low trajectory launch. You might find this in pro or tour head FWs. used by players who are solid ballstrikers and have high clubhead speed.

Position 2 shows a VCOG which is lower and more rearward. Because the weight is lower, you get a higher launch with more spin; also, the more rearward position allows the shaft/clubhead to bow more forward, also increasing loft.

(Note: the 1 and 2 positions above are not absolute either-or locations. Clubmakers will move the VCOG around this general range to tweak launch effects of the club.)

In the case of the TaylorMade RBZ family, some players had trouble with the FWs because the woods were a bit top-heavy. I was able to hit the RBZ 3W fine off a tee or out of light rough (cushion below ball), but had trouble getting good launch off the fairway. The RBZ Stage 2 corrected this by lowering the VCOG, and having a shallower clubface. The SLDR S fairway woods have a clubface that is shallower still.

The idea of low profile was made famous by the Adams Tight Lies woods and drivers of the mid-1990s. The low profile and lower weight positioning helped players with moderate swingspeed get a higher launch on the ball. And, this is being "rediscovered" by other golf OEMs.

(Note on diagram just above: The CG is below the center of the ball on most modern woods).

Focus, connect and follow through!

  • Completed KBS Education Seminar (online, 2015)
  • GolfWorks Clubmaking AcademyFitting, Assembly & Repair School (2012)

Driver:  :touredge: EXS 10.5°, weights neutral   ||  FWs:  :callaway: Rogue 4W + 7W
Hybrid:  :callaway: Big Bertha OS 4H at 22°  ||  Irons:  :callaway: Mavrik MAX 5i-PW
Wedges:  :callaway: MD3: 48°, 54°... MD4: 58° ||  Putter:image.png.b6c3447dddf0df25e482bf21abf775ae.pngInertial NM SL-583F, 34"  
Ball:  image.png.f0ca9194546a61407ba38502672e5ecf.png QStar Tour - Divide  ||  Bag: :sunmountain: Three 5 stand bag

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Note: This thread is 3462 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    TourStriker PlaneMate
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-15%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope.
  • Popular Now

  • Posts

    • Day 76 - Pretty sore today, so I opted for putting over my Stack session. Primary focus was on starting line, as my putting has been pretty poor this year. 
    • Been a bit of delay in updates but I needed to come back east as my mom's health has taken a serious turn for the worse. In a 3 day span we learned she had a tumor to she has stage 4 cancer and stopped eating and drinking for the most part. She has had a rough 3 months but certainly didn't think we'd be at the point of setting up hospice for her. My mom was never into any sports really other than following the Red Sox because my dad was a big fan. She always cared about what we were involved in including asking about how golf went.  I have kept up with my 5 minutes of daily practice and will go to the gym here in NH tomorrow morning. Despite the somber nature of this trip my family has commented more than a few times about my weight loss so it's important to me to keep it up. I know my mom always wanted us happy in whatever we did so I'll continue with my fitness journey keeping that in mind. 
    • Day 109- Putting drills on a putting green for 20 minutes. 
    • Day 252: did a stack session. Did some slow rehearsal swings during breaks. 
    • Day 82: 3/18/24 Tried a Stack session but could not certify my warmup. Finished with indoor chips and putting. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...