postheadericon A General Idea on Achieving Fairway Woods Shot


by Samantha Eckley


Most golfers find hitting fairway woods to be difficult and hence frustrating as the probability of shots being mishit are extremely high with the ball either falling far short of the intended mark or ending up in a spot where it is not supposed to be at all. Undoubtedly this is one of the toughest shots in golf and can be overcome only by identifying the Achilles heel and cultivating consistency while establishing contact.

So when are fairway woods shots required? This kind of shot is particularly useful during tough situations or when the golfer is trying to cover up for a previous mistake. Usually in such scenarios, the golfer would aim for a par 5 in two shots or try to try to make the ball go in the direction of the green as close as possible or he would try to cover up for his poorly hit drive.

Most of the time a golfer will find the shot did more damage to the score then good. Before attempting to take the shot it is best to take some lessons in how to hit fairway woods. This would help the in letting the golfer know when to attempt the shot and when to disregard the thought.

The reasons for failing to hit fairway woods can be mainly chicken wings or buckling arms, hanging back on the right or raising up the arms. The muscles in the forearm contract and buckle when too much strength is being put into the shot and this can cause the club's shaft to lag behind the clubface. Also, when one lifts the club off the ground, it can cause failure to hit fairway woods.

When a golfer is hitting the ball, they know just when to look up and follow it with their eyes. If there is too much force in the swing then the golfer will look up to soon. When hitting the ball it is necessary to use the lower body and the arms. If the golfer is only using their arms then they will hang on their right foot. When this happens the ball will overshoot the desired target.

The consequence of both errors is a severely topped fairway woods shot leaving the ball airborne for much longer. This can be rectified by allowing the arms to stretch out while hitting the shot so that the club makes a wide arc and does not lean behind the ball at the time of impact.

'Practice makes man perfect' is the axiom which is apt while learning how to hit fairway woods and regular practice sessions at home would not only loosen up the arms but enable the golfer to get used to the feeling as well. Another tip is to try out a couple of swings as warm-up prior to indulging in a fairway woods shot so as to get into the flow.

After one has successfully improved at making contact and keeping the arms relaxed and turning the body a tad faster, fairway woods shots would no longer be such an intimidating shot!




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