Does anyone really enjoy hitting fairway woods/metals as .....

[Thomas Dai]

For those not ‘in the business’ golf is most likely a leisure activity and as such really ought to be fun. Certainly not monotonous or boring.
Does anyone really enjoy, ie have ‘fun’, hitting more than the occasional fairway wood/metal for their second shot on a par-4 (or their 3rd shot on a par-5)? And for some including probably many/most ladies and quite a few older senior gents probably more times than this.
Atb

[Tommy Williamsen]

At 72 I have moved up to about 6300 yards. I will hit my drive about 220 so I do have a few times when I am hitting a 3 or 5 wood into a green. I actually enjoy it periodically. It adds to the challenge for me. I would not like to hit it into par five as a third shot.

[John Kavanaugh]

I better like it cause a 7 is my longest iron.

[Steve Lang]

   well, at 66, i enjoy my Orlimar 12 deg, Titleist 16.5 & 21 deg. fairway woods...  whatever it takes I use, and enjoy, and especialy when they work well! 

[BHoover]

I enjoy playing golf, regardless of what club I’m hitting. I’d rather hit a fairway wood into a green than not hitting any shot.

[Scott Warren]

I don’t really understand the thesis behind the question in the OP, but anyone who plays golf in a windy place is going to have their share of fairway wood (or low loft hybrid) approach shots. And piping one in that situation is one of the best feelings in golf.

[jeffwarne]

I don’t really understand the thesis behind the question in the OP, but anyone who plays golf in a windy place is going to have their share of fairway wood (or low loft hybrid) approach shots. And piping one in that situation is one of the best feelings in golf.

+1
Many players are far better at  5/7 woods then they are with 5 or 6 irons

[Matthew Rose]

I enjoy hitting hybrid clubs. Perhaps once a round I'll need one on a par four, once on a par five, and maybe once on a par three.


Executing these shots are still thrilling to me.

[Nicolas Joakimides]

Thomas,


I enjoy hitting fairway woods (everywhere:par 3,4 or 5) if the hole is well designed ...!


But I think , seniors and women hit way to many times these clubs during a round.

[Kyle Harris]

Oh yes.


And I don't feel complete until I do it on a one-shot hole, too.

[Thomas Dai]

Interesting responses.
Fairways woods/metals folks....not hybrids!

So how many fairway wood/metal shots per round would be acceptable to you, ie how many before hitting such clubs becomes monotonous and boring?
2 times per round? 3 times per round? 4 times? 5 times? 6 times? ....... 15 times? 20 times? 30 times?
Atb

[Nicolas Joakimides]

So how many fairway wood/metal shots per round would be acceptable to you, ie how many before hitting such clubs becomes monotonous and boring?
2 times per round? 3 times per round? 4 times? 5 times? 6 times? ....... 15 times? 20 times? 30 times?



I depends on the course...but I would say 6 times maximum

[Kyle Harris]

Interesting responses.
Fairways woods/metals folks....not hybrids!

So how many fairway wood/metal shots per round would be acceptable to you, ie how many before hitting such clubs becomes monotonous and boring?
2 times per round? 3 times per round? 4 times? 5 times? 6 times? ....... 15 times? 20 times? 30 times?
Atb

Context is key, but consider:


A shot from a perfect lie (par 3)
A shot required after playing a good-to-great tee shot (long par 4)
A shot where it's a viable option v. a longer play to gain position (Extremely short par 4)
A shot where good-to-great execution is required to attack the hole on the subsequent shot (long par 5)
A shot where good-to-great execution gains a shot on the "field" (reachable par 5)

A golf course featuring all of the above would likely be lauded in these circles, and that's five times right off the bat.

[ward peyronnin]

At Age 64 I don't even carry a 3 wood I use what is now called a 16.5 degree hi launch 3 wood or what is really a 4 wood and carry it around 200 yards. Yesterday I hit it to 6 feet on a 415 yard par 4 and it was thrilling. I still hit a 5 wood and can shape shots with it. I think 5 or 6 shots with these clubs is about all the extra work I care to do and that argues for at lest one if not two drive and pitch par fours within a well designed course.
Quite some time ago, when I started being less confident with a 3 wood I had an epiphany. For those you who started early, I have played now for 58 years, all one hit was a fairway wood to bunt ones way down the fairway. Even in my 20s I still loved my 4 wood and looked forward to confidently striking fairway woods. But the toll of only hitting one 4 times in a regulation round eventually diminished that confidence and facility.
I don't know where this discussion is leading but the obvious answer is for a player to play from the appropriate tees and supports the concept of multiple tees in a course design. Of course if we enjoyed firm and fast fairways in this country one could try to manufacture a additional distance by developing the old slinger many of us remember the old guys resorting to before ubiquitous irrigation

[Mark Pearce]

Fairways woods/metals folks....not hybrids!

Isn't the whole point that hybrids have replaced the long irons that might have been the alternative to a fairway wood back in the day.  My longest hybrid (I carry two) is about 20 yards shorter than my 3 wood.  I aim to never hit my 3 wood off the deck as I am far, far less consistent with it than with that hybrid.

[Jeff Schley]

Fairways woods/metals folks....not hybrids!

Isn't the whole point that hybrids have replaced the long irons that might have been the alternative to a fairway wood back in the day.  My longest hybrid (I carry two) is about 20 yards shorter than my 3 wood.  I aim to never hit my 3 wood off the deck as I am far, far less consistent with it than with that hybrid.

Agree.  I carry occasionally a 21 degree hybrid  in place of my 5 or 7 wood depending on the course. If there rough is deep I usually have it although I'm not particularly good with it at all. I also have  7 wood I use for long par 3's.  Carry a 5 iron as my longest iron.  I really respect the guys carry the long irons and hit them well. Nothing like a well struck long iron.  I can count on one hand probably my 2/3/4 iron shots that were well struck.  Particularly rare was my ping eye 2 old 2 iron, which the only time I have hit it well was on the range one day at Lost Canyons (NLE) in Simi Valley.  Many was flushing them 250 and felt great.  Last time that every happened.

[Garland Bayley]

Interesting responses.
Fairways woods/metals folks....not hybrids!

So how many fairway wood/metal shots per round would be acceptable to you,

As many as neccessary.


Ie how many before hitting such clubs becomes monotonous and boring?

never
2 times per round? 3 times per round? 4 times? 5 times? 6 times? ....... 15 times? 20 times? 30 times?
Atb

[Steve Lang]

   Numbers of hits are almost meaningless in an absolute sense, it seems I gave up the butterknife (1 iron) probably 25 years ago when it was just 2-4x hit per game only because I wanted to add a wedge.  Used to love to bring it out on the back 9 when there were bets floating around


isn't it all about the range and trajectory that a set offers, e.g., on teh short end, I could live with just my 53 deg wedge and boot out the 60 for those 2-4x shots per game, hmmmm what would I trade???...

[Sean_A]

For those not ‘in the business’ golf is most likely a leisure activity and as such really ought to be fun. Certainly not monotonous or boring.
Does anyone really enjoy, ie have ‘fun’, hitting more than the occasional fairway wood/metal for their second shot on a par-4 (or their 3rd shot on a par-5)? And for some including probably many/most ladies and quite a few older senior gents probably more times than this.
Atb

Having played in a gale yesterday (and often in wind which makes holes as much about how far you hit as how straight), I can say it does get old bashing away with 3/4 wood.  I don't know how many fairway woods is too many, but I enjoy golf more when distance isn't the primary objective for more than a handful of holes.  I would be quite happy to never play 6500 yards again.

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

For those not ‘in the business’ golf is most likely a leisure activity and as such really ought to be fun. Certainly not monotonous or boring.
Does anyone really enjoy, ie have ‘fun’, hitting more than the occasional fairway wood/metal for their second shot on a par-4 (or their 3rd shot on a par-5)? And for some including probably many/most ladies and quite a few older senior gents probably more times than this.
Atb

Having played in a gale yesterday (and often in wind which makes holes as much about how far you hit as how straight), I can say it does get old bashing away with 3/4 wood.  I don't know how many fairway woods is too many, but I enjoy golf more when distance isn't the primary objective for more than a handful of holes.  I would be quite happy to never play 6500 yards again.
Ciao

I like the line “....I enjoy golf more when distance isn’t the primary objective for more than a handful of holes.” Kind of sums up where I’ve been attempting to come from with this thread. Nice sometimes, indeed many a time, not to have to hit a distance searching long fairway wood shot too often. Too often can become boring and monotonous and the fun factor can decline accordingly. Given how many times most ladies, not all ladies, but most, seem to have to hit distance searching fairway wood shots, even when playing from the front tees, it’s not surprising to me at least that relative to males not many ladies play the game. And moving up a set of tees isn’t necessarily the answer if you’re already playing from the front most tees.
Atb