#Long game golf driver
#Long game golf plus

If you tend to hit moon balls, you can afford to play a lower launching club. If you tend to hit the ball low, you’ll want a club that helps you get the ball in the air. Launch & Spin – Much like directional bias, you don’t need to know the exact specifications, but you will need something that fits your swing.

This directional bias is one of the major reasons many people say they “don’t like hybrids.” Ultimately, you don’t need to know the exact location of your club’s CoG, but you do want to know that the club you’re buying is helping to minimize your misses rather than amplifying them.

Typically, this means that clubs for higher handicap players are going to have a center of gravity (CoG) closer to the heel, making it easier to hit a draw, and clubs for better players will have a centered or toe-side CoG to promote a fade. While bigger heads are generally more forgiving and easier to launch, there is no set rule about who prefers what: some good players like bigger heads, some high handicap players prefer smaller heads.ĭirectional Bias – Though you rarely hear about it from the OEMs, most clubs do have some directional bias built into them. Head size and shape – The way a club looks will absolutely impact your confidence and how you swing it. Players who hit hooks will probably prefer little or no offset. Generally, players that fight a slice will benefit from more offset. Offset – This is more of a concern with hybrids and utility irons there aren’t too many offset fairway woods. Keep in mind that your preference will also play a huge part in the decision making on any of these variables. Here’s a list of some of the variables you’ll encounter when choosing a fairway wood, hybrid, or utility iron and some guidelines for helping you pick the one that will best suit your game. This is why, when a player says, “I don’t like hybrids/fairway woods,” I always reply, “You just haven’t found the right one.” Rules of Thumb Where most irons are fairly similar, there is unbelievable variety in fairway woods, hybrids, and utility irons. What I mean is that there are some fairway woods that are really easy to hit and others that are very demanding, some that are high launching, some that launch very low. Things to ConsiderĪs I said, golfers have a huge number of choices for their long game clubs, and the clubs are more varied in this segment than in any other.

#Long game golf plus

If I were making recommendations, I would suggest finding hybrids or fairway woods that carried 175-185 and 190-200, plus a “longest club off the turf,” probably a 4W. Let’s assume that he also has 3 spots left in his bag. This player is going to hit their 5-iron closer to 165-170 yards and their driver, assuming it’s near-optimal, around 230 yards. Let’s consider another example, an average player with a club head speed around 90 MPH. Rather than add a club I won’t hit often or well, I’d rather leave the spot open for a specialty club. I would love to have a club that carried 220-225 yards on a high trajectory, but that’s not realistic for my swing speed and low-launching swing. While I still have one open spot in my bag, there really aren’t any other shots or yardages I need to cover. I’ve yet to find a club I can hit well from the turf that’s signficantly longer. For me, this is my Tour Edge Exotics CB4 3W. This is for getting home in two on par 5’s or really long par 4’s…or for recovering from bad tee shots. Next, I want a club that I can hit off the turf as far as possible. In fact, with less loft I may get more total distance but less carry because of my swing. While the loft may only be 2° stronger than my 5-iron, the ball speed and launch conditions that it creates allow for the 30 extra yards of carry. The first thing I want is a club that I can carry 200-210 for long par 3’s. Now, knowing my gap and how many spots I have left in the bag (3), I can start to think about what yardages I want to be able to cover. To be clear, 275 isn’t necessarily my true driving average, but rather a good, solid drive for me.

#Long game golf driver

The gap between my 5-iron and my driver is 185 to 275. The gap I’m referring to is the one between your driver and your longest iron.įor illustration, I’ll use my own distance gaps and explain the thinking behind my set composition. Golfers have more choices than ever for the long game – a raft of fairway woods, hybrids, and utility irons – so you can really dial in your clubs to fit your swing, the courses you play, and your style of play.īefore you test a single fairway wood, you need to know what kind of gap you’re dealing with. With your driver, putter, irons, and wedges set, it’s time to decide how you’re going to attack the par 5’s and the long par 3’s.