Why are they still called Fairway "Woods"?

[Mr. 82]

No disrespect for anyone who calls your fairway club a "wood".  Lord knows I've been calling it that forever, mostly because I honestly don't know what else you would call it.  I mean, Johnny Miller used to always say fairway "metal", which is technically more accurate, but that just sounds weird; it always has.  And unless you are still sporting that fabulous set of persimmons from the late 1980's fairway clubs haven't been "wood" since Callaway introduced the "Big Bertha" and Taylormade came out with fairway clubs that were made of some sort of metal component.

I suppose it will take a reinvention of this sort of club to the point where it isn't even called a fairway whatever club anymore, but like the "driver", which used to be called a "1 wood" back when I WAS playing persimmons, does anyone have any bright ideas on how to name your fairway metal club something nice that sets it apart and makes it unique and classy?  I mean come on, we're all intelligent, above average addicted golfers here.  Can we come up with something fancy to call it?  Heck, we used to call the driver the "play club" back when they hit hickories, and the 2 wood was the "brassie, and the fairway wood was the "baffing spoon".  Surely we can come up with a name that has some sort of sex appeal and staying power?  

Then again, if you marketing gurus want to get paid, you might not respond here, and call Callaway direct and give them the business first.  

[null]

Interesting post, but I can only hear this as I read it

 

[JonMUSC08]

It is for sure carry-over from the original WOOD clubs but it will not be long before you cannot use fairway METALS anymore as many manufacturers are incorporating as much carbon fiber as they do metal. NOW what do you call them.... 

[deejaid]

Or how about all the companies start making real wood woods again?


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[Shankster]

Shouldn’t some of them be called fairway composites?

[deejaid]

Then we should also rename irons too as they are made out of steel, which is iron and carbon, and for stainless steel, chromium.


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[dhartmann34]

For me they should be called rough metals

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[GolfSpy MPR]

Honestly, it grinds on me when someone says "fairway metal." Always struck me as too precious and pedantic (and I know I can be pedantic).

It seems to be that anyone calling them "fairway metals" should also be forced to insist that approach shots are hit with "steels" instead of "irons," just to demonstrate how obnoxious it is

[CarlH]

You should hear what I call them when one goes wayward on me  

[gaussman1]

Then we should also rename irons too as they are made out of steel, which is iron and carbon, and for stainless steel, chromium.


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Yeah, and why aren't baseballs and footballs called baseball balls and football balls? The game is called baseball, so the ball is the ball used in the game, right? If tennis uses a tennis ball, bowling uses a bowling ball and golf uses a golf ball, then baseball and football should use baseball balls and football balls. I can't wait to here some announcer say "that was a great football play right there, and as good of a football ball throw and football ball catch as I've ever seen". Let's get literal!



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[PING Apologist #9]

14 minutes ago, gaussman1 said:

Yeah, and why aren't baseballs and footballs called baseball balls and football balls? The game is called baseball, so the ball is the ball used in the game, right? If tennis uses a tennis ball, bowling uses a bowling ball and golf uses a golf ball, then baseball and football should use baseball balls and football balls. I can't wait to here some announcer say "that was a great football play right there, and as good of a football ball throw and football ball catch as I've ever seen". Let's get literal!



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LOL! Well stated!

[Kenny B]

That's it!  That's why I quit playing a fairway wood.  I couldn't take it anymore.  Well, that and I hit a 2H just as far and straighter.

[FrogginBullfish]

One thing that's always ground my gears is Roger Maltbie calling Sand Wedges Sand Irons.

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[perseveringgolfer]

Similar over here as to why we call every vacuum cleaner a Hoover, as they were first. Even a Dyson is called a hoover when you need to hoover up the dust.

[bens197]

In my line of work we have a saying...

There are two things every fireman hates...

1) change
2) the way things are


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[alfriday101]

To me they will always be fairway woods--in deference to the history and traditions of the game, just as my irons will always be irons.  Now, where did I leave my mashie?

[Angry Yeti]

Odd, I always thought they were "Woods" because that's where the ball was heading. Learn something new every day.

[PlaidJacket]

This is kind of trivial IMO.

Doesn't matter to me what anyone calls their clubs. I call mine what I'm used to calling them and is commonly accepted. Woods, irons, wedges, etc. If you want to call your fairway club a Composite 3 go right ahead and have a nice day. What did you score on the hole? A composite double bogie you say; as compared to my free range birdie.

[NiftyNiblick]

On ‎3‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 7:02 PM, GolfSpy MPR said:

Honestly, it grinds on me when someone says "fairway metal." Always struck me as too precious and pedantic (and I know I can be pedantic).

It seems to be that anyone calling them "fairway metals" should also be forced to insist that approach shots are hit with "steels" instead of "irons," just to demonstrate how obnoxious it is

Titleist, a conservative clubmaker, calls them "metals" still, and I've never had a problem with it at all.

I'm admittedly not a populist, however, and don't adopt sketchy terms because they've become popular and commonplace. 

Woods wouldn't count as a sketchy term, however, because it simply represents a continuation.  I have no problem with people still using "woods" for that reason.

I just wouldn't call "metals" pretentious(or precious and pedantic) if that's what Titleist and Johnny Miller say-- because I say it too.

I'm old enough to remember when the Queen's language was important.

I don't say "less" or "amount" when "fewer" or "number" is called for;

I don't use "their" as a singular possessive pronoun;  

I don't say "feel badly" when "feel bad" is correct (feel is a connecting verb, here; feeling badly is what a fourteen year old does trying to fondle breasts for the first time).

 I'd never say "between you and I"  instead of "between you and me;"

and more on the topic, I wouldn't use the alleged word "golfing" anymore than I'd say "tennising."  (Bowling is OK.)
 

Sounding like a regular guy--Joe Sixpack if you will--was never an aspiration for me.

I guess that we all speak "golf" similarly to how we speak everything else.

At the end of the day, therefore,  isn't  at least ok for an "elitist eastern snob" to say "fairway metal?"

 

 

 

[GolfSpy MPR]

1 minute ago, NiftyNiblick said:

At the end of the day, therefore,  isn't  at least ok for an "elitist eastern snob" to say "fairway metal?"

So I'm as much a grammar snob as anyone; I'm all in with you on your list of examples (especially the singular "their").

Here's my guess: while I have hit an actual wood or two in my life, I've played almost all my golf in the era of metal (and composite) woods. My hunch, and it's only a hunch without any supporting data, is that those who prefer the term "fairway metal" actually played with fairway woods, so that the difference is really meaningful for them. For those of us who've never really played with fairway woods, who've always had a metal club labeled "3W" in our bags, the difference doesn't register as much.

[NiftyNiblick]

1 minute ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

My hunch, and it's only a hunch without any supporting data, is that those who prefer the term "fairway metal" actually played with fairway woods, so that the difference is really meaningful for them. For those of us who've never really played with fairway woods, who've always had a metal club labeled "3W" in our bags, the difference doesn't register as much.

Excellent observation, MPR.  Although I didn't think of that, reading it makes it seem that it should have been obvious.

[GolfSpy MPR]

5 minutes ago, NiftyNiblick said:

Excellent observation, MPR.  Although I didn't think of that, reading it makes it seem that it should have been obvious.

Which also means that my perception of the term "fairway metal" as being pretentious should be reined in a bit, as I need to recognize my own circumstances that make it seem such to me. Good and helpful exchange here, @NiftyNiblick.

[PING Apologist #9]

I think the answer here is very simple. It is just easier for us lazy humans to say "fairway wood" than it is to say "fairway metal"...One less syllable just rolls off the tongue better, that's all. 

[revkev]

They are called fairway woods for the same reason that the Majors are Majors - tradition - You could argue that its the course(s) for the majors but other tournaments are played where majors are played and they aren't majors when they are played there unless they are played there as a major.

 

So its tradition to call fairway metals, fairway woods - that's why they are called that.

 

For the record I am 62 years old (older than GSwag) and I've never called a driver a 1 wood.  When I started playing I carried a driver and a spoon.  My wood's were called by names that hearkened back to when they had wooden shafts.  The irons already were known by numbers except the wedge(s).  My first metal wood was a tour spoon that I owned back in the 80's.  I sometimes called it that but normally referred to it as my 3 metal.  I think I split time between 3 metal or fairway wood now.

[deejaid]

Titleist, a conservative clubmaker, calls them "metals" still, and I've never had a problem with it at all.
I'm admittedly not a populist, however, and don't adopt sketchy terms because they've become popular and commonplace. 
Woods wouldn't count as a sketchy term, however, because it simply represents a continuation.  I have no problem with people still using "woods" for that reason.
I just wouldn't call "metals" pretentious(or precious and pedantic) if that's what Titleist and Johnny Miller say-- because I say it too.
I'm old enough to remember when the Queen's language was important.
I don't say "less" or "amount" when "fewer" or "number" is called for;
I don't use "their" as a singular possessive pronoun;  
I don't say "feel badly" when "feel bad" is correct (feel is a connecting verb, here; feeling badly is what a fourteen year old does trying to fondle breasts for the first time).
 I'd never say "between you and I"  instead of "between you and me;"
and more on the topic, I wouldn't use the alleged word "golfing" anymore than I'd say "tennising."  (Bowling is OK.)
 
Sounding like a regular guy--Joe Sixpack if you will--was never an aspiration for me.
I guess that we all speak "golf" similarly to how we speak everything else.
At the end of the day, therefore,  isn't  at least ok for an "elitist eastern snob" to say "fairway metal?"
 
 
 

I thought you died 10 years ago...is that you George?

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