In praise of high lofted fairway woods

[Hook DeLoft 726]

As I get older (and older, and older), I've realized the need to loft up.  I recently bought a 5 wood to take the place of my 3 wood and, wait for it, an 11 wood to replace my 6 iron.  I think it is the best equipment choice I have ever made.  The 5 wood is straight and high.  It takes a truly horrendous swing to hit a worm burner.  The 11 wood has been a revelation.  I can hit it high or low, draw or fade, although it really wants to go straight and high.  I've never had a hybrid I felt comfortable with, but this club serves that function admirably.  Both clubs are Callaway Epic Max's that I got from cally preowned.  I already had a Cobra 7 wood set at 23.5 degrees that fills the gap between the other two.  If Cally made a 13 wood I would buy it.

[sandpounder 34]

Yes!  The older I have gotten, the more valuable the high lofted woods are.  I prefer the Callaway Big Bertha War Bird 11 wood (Ely Would), it is a classic & has a unique steelhead sole design.  Easy to hit from any lie.  My 9 wood is a Callaway Steelhead Plus.  Same reason, classic design & easy to hit.  I prefer those woods to today's clubs.  They have a deeper face & are easy to work draws or fades.  Also because of the deeper face they are easier to knock down the flight when needing a lower trajectory.   I hit the 11 wood easily 170, and it comes in much higher than a 5 iron or a hybrid.  I am surprised that more golfers do not play these higher lofts.  When we see the tour pros hitting their 7 woods, with their swing speed, it makes perfect sense that average amateurs can benefit by 9 & 11 woods.

[BostonSal 565]

I like hi-lofted fairway woods,

but while modern tech aspires to make strong lofted fairway woods easier to launch,

it doesn't seem to affect hi-loft models as much.

 

My fairway woods were all built in the previous millennium.

Cleveland QuadPro___17°

Top Flite Intimidator 400___21, 25°.

No problems so far.   Just keep the grips fresh.

 

 

 

 

[Parshooter36 100]

The 7 wood has been my favorite club for years. I tried to put together a 9 wood last year, but it spun so much that it left a 30 yard gap from the 7 wood.

[Hoyoymac 287]

I’m a digger and hit down on everything.  Loft is my friend.  Ditched the 3 wood/5 wood combo a few years ago.  Now playing a 5 wood/7 wood combo.  Much happier.  Higher launch, more carry, same total distance.

[tehuti 655]

At least for the foreseeable future I am happy with my 4w/7w combination. I could never really hit a 3 wood but the 16° 4 wood works for me.

[revkev 25,417]

Ping 5,7,9 woods for me - I was a part of the Ping long game test group - that was where we went for a Ping fitting and had to take whatever the fitter gave us between our longest iron and driver - He took out 3 wood, 4,5 hybrid and replaced those with the fairways.

 

I hooked a number of drives last Friday and so had ample opportunity to need lofted fairways to get out of trouble.  I twice hit 9 wood over trees that I could never have gotten a 5 iron over.

[russtopherb 9,642]

My 21* wood was my security blanket for years. I've replaced it with a brand new 18* with sole rails to really help with fairway & rough lies. I'm excited to get it out on the course this season.

[BostonSal 565]

Just before the turn of the millennium, Spalding made some awesome high loft fairway woods called the Top Flight Intimidator 400.

Lee Trevino actually provided input into their design and actually played them.

You couldn't get custom shafts, however, because they used .400" tip shafts made by the famous fishing rod manufacturer, Fenwick.

Apparently the wide tip was important because it was incorporated into the model name.

 

You could get a "strong three" at 13° or a standard three at 16°. 

I didn't like either and got a 17° Clevlend QuadPro instead. Reason in a minute.

 

However, the five at 21º, the seven at 25º, and the nine at a whopping 29°--one degree more lofted than a Ginty!--

were awesome clubs that, with new grips, still find their way into my bag today.

 

They can dig the ball out of divots, out of rough, and they hop trees as if they weren't even there.

Their ball descent angle is so steep that they make the coolest ball marks you've ever seen.   

That's why you don't choose one for your longest, Hail Mary fairway wood,

although somebody who can hit a thirteen off the deck told me that the thirteen is a cannon.

 

Anyway, if you can find one, it'll probably cost fifteen bucks now.

(And they have titanium bodies for some reason.)

It's a nice looking club with approvals from Lee (that means something) and Sal (that doesn't).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14 by BostonSal

[Bassbeamer 7]

3 hours ago, revkev said:

Ping 5,7,9 woods for me - I was a part of the Ping long game test group - that was where we went for a Ping fitting and had to take whatever the fitter gave us between our longest iron and driver - He took out 3 wood, 4,5 hybrid and replaced those with the fairways.

 

I hooked a number of drives last Friday and so had ample opportunity to need lofted fairways to get out of trouble.  I twice hit 9 wood over trees that I could never have gotten a 5 iron over.

I use the same wood selections as well.

[70445 23]

Heck yes on lofted fairway woods!  I ditched a 3 wood for a 5 , and then went to the 7, 11 combo!  Now I looking to add a 9.  Not sure which 9 probably a Ping or Cally.  For my game easier to hit and loft.  I don’t care what my golf buddies say, but it works for me.  It doesn’t  say on the score card what you used.  I’m 76, hit the 7 about 170-80, the 11 about 150 or so.  What’s everyone using? Play forward tees and the clubs that get results!

[Golf Dawg 42]

I’m going to add a 4 and 5 hybrid to my bag this spring, instead of my 4 and 5 irons. I’ve enjoyed my 3H for 2 season and am curious if they would make a difference.