Fairway woods

[mrserv0n18]

You want to sweep the ball for sure not hit down on it. Alot of your topple and fat hits with your woods is ball position.

If you would have had that ball just 1 to 2 ball lengths closer to the center of the stance youd have probably crushed it, if you chunked it then you probably had it too far in your stance.

Take some practice swings in the lawn and try to keep your weight from shifting too much till you find where you consistently bottom out the club on the ground and you want the ball just in front of that spot.

So without even changing your swing it could be as simple as ball placement. I used to be deathly scared of the 3 and 5 wood off the deck, but once I got my Burner rescue it completely changed my game and its so easy to crush and I simply took that same swing to my woods and it was $$

[1dayIllBaPro]

3 Wood is my favorite club !!! I feel like it's the hardest club to hit, and if I hit it well, I actually increase my confidence.

When I hit 3 Wood, I don't think as sweeping it. I hit just like hitting a wedge, but change the ball position, 2 ball forward basically.

[misty_mountainhop]

You want to sweep the ball for sure not hit down on it.

Nay, nay and thrice nay. I think there is some confusion here as to the definition of

hitting down on the ball. With fairway woods we aren't talking like it's a pitching wedge; it's a slight descending blow and the most it'll typically do is shave the grass away just after striking the ball. Anyway; whatever....

Im glad it works for you, but hitting down on it isnt the best way to go. Hitting down causes more backspin, which makes the ball go higher and results in less distance.

I hate to tell you this but you need some backspin to get the ball airborne. If you're thinking fairway woods are all about distance, you're sadly mistaken.

[st0wgolf08]

I hate to tell you this but you need some backspin to get the ball airborne. If you're thinking fairway woods are all about distance, you're sadly mistaken.[/QUOTE]

I agree, if I'm going for a par 5 in two, I would like the ball to land on the green and stop, not land 20 yards short and trickle up.

[JCDot33]

Some of you in this thread are assuming that I am going to take everyone's advice as Holy Rule (but I still really appreciate your attempts here) ... I'm an 8 handicap and I have a lot faith in my swing. I'd like to think that I "own" my swing, I work on it whenever I can, I tweak it when it's not working, I fiddle with it when it's off. I know what feels right, and when it's wrong.

When I ask if I should be "swinging down" or "sweeping" there is a huge difference, at least in my mind, between "hitting down" on a fairway wood and an iron. I understand that you swing a 3W and a 56* wedge differently. I am not trying to get my 3W to back-up 50 feet on a green from 240 yrds out (honestly, I'd pay money to see THAT shot).

What I was trying to figure out was what, well for a lack of a better word, swing path I should be focusing on with these two clubs.

I agree with both misty_mountaintop that you need backspin to get a ball airborn (that's just fact) and with st0wgolf08's assesment that you want a ball to check-up or stop on a green, and do it fairly quickly, from a long distance out.

Going back to the indoor range and see if I can wwork on these two damn sticks again ... I think I have swung these guys more than any of the other clubs in my bag just trying to get a feel for them. Can't wait to actually get them out on the course.