"Why on earth do TV commentators talk of 'fairway metals'?"

[HighlandLaird]

I'm heartily sick of listening to silly TV commentators who refer to "fairway metals".   "Irons" are not made of iron, but of steel, either mild or stainless ( both of which do contain some iron, being alloys), and some have been made of graphite. But we do not talk of Mickelson using a 5 steel. Similarly,  IMHO we should refer to fairway 'woods', even though they are no longer made of wood (mind you, I still have an old Ping 4 wood!!).

It would be perhaps better to refer to drivers, spoons, baffies etc, in the old terminology, but it is pedantic in the extreme to talk of "fairway metals", and in my opinion, only an ignoramus would use this daft term.

This is just my opinion----what do you think?

[Mr. Desmond]

Somehow, "Lay some metal on it" just doesn't work.

I'm with you.

"Lay some wood on it."

Poll.

[MPtheKid]

Woods all day. I don't think I've ever used the term fairway metal.

[jetsknicks1]

Yep. Fairway metal just sounds stupid. There's no better feeling in golf then a purely struck 3 wood.

[colin007]

Wood only for me.  Fairway "metal" screams "sir-douche-a-lot" to me...

[albatross]

Agree with the rest.  Fairway metal sounds stupid, and I get annoyed when they say it.

[boogielicious]

Originally Posted by colin007

Wood only for me.  Fairway "metal" screams "sir-douche-a-lot" to me...

If Brandel was knighted, this would be his title.

Are they going to refer to it as a "3-composite" next?

[GaijinGolfer]

Im not aware of any irons that are made of, "mild" steel.  Far as I know, its either carbon steel or stainless steel.

As for the whole, "fairway metals" thing, they arent wood anymore, so they call them metals.  Whatever.  How about when they refer to a hybrid as a, "utility" or "rescue"?

[Dave2512]

Metal for me, the technology has changed.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by GaijinGolfer

Im not aware of any irons that are made of, "mild" steel.  Far as I know, its either carbon steel or stainless steel.

As for the whole, "fairway metals" thing, they arent wood anymore, so they call them metals.  Whatever.  How about when they refer to a hybrid as a, "utility" or "rescue"?

Then to be consistent, why not call it a "fairway" and state the approximate degrees of loft.

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Then to be consistent, why not call it a "fairway" and state the approximate degrees of loft.

I've heard a few do that when refering to a specific club if it's known the player has a made a recent change. More on the LPGA than anywhere else. You'd think the manufacturers would be all over that.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by HighlandLaird

I'm heartily sick of listening to silly TV commentators who refer to "fairway metals".   "Irons" are not made of iron, but of steel, either mild or stainless ( both of which do contain some iron, being alloys), and some have been made of graphite. But we do not talk of Mickelson using a 5 steel. Similarly,  IMHO we should refer to fairway 'woods', even though they are no longer made of wood (mind you, I still have an old Ping 4 wood!!).

It would be perhaps better to refer to drivers, spoons, baffies etc, in the old terminology, but it is pedantic in the extreme to talk of "fairway metals", and in my opinion, only an ignoramus would use this daft term.

This is just my opinion----what do you think?

I agree.  Sometime the traditional way is best even if it isn't scientifically correct.  There are other examples:

How do you "peg" the speedometer on a digital dashboard?

"Type" are pieces of metal with raised letters, numbers and icons on them usually used in transferring ink to paper.  A typewriter used "type" attached to an arm or ball to print with ink on paper.  Yet we still call what I'm doing now "typing" even though it will never have any involvement with "type".

I see nothing wrong with continuing to call them "woods" regardless of the exotic materials that they may eventually be made of.  I will alwasy use my 3 wood, never a 3 metal, 3 steel, fairway 3, or whatever other PC term they come up with.

[Meltdwhiskey]

I still always call them woods - I guess out of habbit.  I can't say 'metal' actualy bothers me though.  They are metal after all.  But I don't know if I am willing to go drivers, spoons, baffies and such as the OP suggests.  That would really be learning all new lingo for me.

[colin007]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

If Brandel was knighted, this would be his title.

lol!  who would do the knighting, vijay?

[luu5]

Originally Posted by GaijinGolfer

How about when they refer to a hybrid as a, "utility" or "rescue"?

For some reason it says Rescue in the bottom of my two hybrid clubs.

[Fyearoldgolfer]

None of my hybrids say 'rescue' anywhere on them.

[Missouri Swede]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Yet we still call what I'm doing now "typing" even though it will never have any involvement with "type".

I'm with you.  But IIRC, my kids had to learn "keyboarding" in school.  (I, on the other hand, had "typing" class in the previous millenium.)

Back to the point, I've also heard "metal wood."

I think that's probably the worst option of all.

Edit (off topic): How do I dial my cell phone?

[bkuehn1952]

Like many of you, I find fairway "metal" to be an irritating name for a type of club I will always consider a fairway wood.  I don't doubt that club designations will continue to evolve just as my 7-iron once was a "mashie niblick" but it will a 3-wood until they pry it from my cold dead hands.  ;)