Golf technology has come a long way in the game of golf.
Drivers now have a head as big as 460cc with a sweet spot that is bigger than ever. The pure speed and forgiveness now available in drivers sets golfers up to experience a lot of success with these amazing clubs.
The 5 woods are easier to hit higher and further than ever before. The amount of forgiveness and ability to hit the 5 wood from a variety of lies makes the club a valuable club for many golfers. Golfers who lack some swing speed compared to the top end golf will want to carry a 5 wood or a 5 hybrid in their bag.
So how does the 5 wood compare to the driver?
5 Wood vs Driver
The loft of a 5 wood is right around 19 degrees with a shaft length between 41-42 inches. While the driver has a loft of between 8 and 11 degrees with a shaft length between 44-46 inches. There are pros and cons to each club when compared against each other.
Pros of the 5 Wood
- Easier to hit higher and straighter
- Great out of many different lies
- Ideal club for many mid to high handicap golfers
Pros of the Driver
- Massive sweet spot
- Easy to produce quality ball speeds and distance
- Designed to launch shot high and far
Is a 5 wood easier to hit than a driver?
For many amateurs, the 5 wood is easier to hit higher and straighter, even though they may lose some total distance compared to the driver. The reason why it might be easier to hit is the additional loft and a shorter shaft. The extra loft makes it easier to launch the ball and the shorter shaft helps improve accuracy.
Pros of the 5 Wood: Easier to hit higher and straighter
The extra loft and shorter shaft is a combination that makes it easier to handle for many amateurs compared to the driver. The driver can be complicated for some due to the overall length of the shaft and lack of loft. The lower amount of loft causes the ball to curve more and accuracy often drops for many golfers.
You will hear many high handicap golfers claim that they wish they could hit their driver liker their 3 wood or 5 wood.
Pros of the 5 Wood: Great out of many different lies
The overall versatility makes it a great golf club option for many golfers. The ability to hit the ball off the tee, out of the fairway, from the rough and even out of fairway bunkers makes it a go to club for many golfers. The higher the handicap the higher the frequency of use is for most golfers. Advancing the ball on par 4s or par 5s with some quality distance and accuracy is important for many golfers. When compared to a long iron, the 5 wood is significantly easier to hit higher and further with more accuracy, especially out of the rough.
Pros of the 5 Wood: Ideal club for many mid to high handicap golfers
Many mid to high handicap golfers might lack some overall swing speed and will struggle with the longer irons in their bag. Our recommendation is to replace the 3, 4 and 5 iron with a 3, 4, or 5 hybrid or fairway wood for many mid to high handicap golfers. The solid feeling that one gets with the hybrids and the fairway woods is much improved over the long irons shots. The twisting that often takes place out of the rough with long irons makes it difficult on the majority of golfers.
Pros of the Driver: Massive sweet spot
As a golfer gets further into his or her golf journey, they will more than likely improve with the driver and learn to take advantage of the huge sweet spot and the extra length in the shaft. The combination of the lower amount of loft and the longer shaft helps produce more distance once the golfer learns to control the clubface and the swing path. The driver is engineered to get great distance with a lot of forgiveness. If you watch the PGA Tour, you will see many of the top end drivers of the golf ball really going at the ball and swinging fast.
Pros the Driver: Easy to produce quality ball speeds and distance
Let’s use an example of why the driver is important. A golfer heads to a par 4 that is playing 420 yards. They pull out their driver and are able to hit it 250 yards total distance, but maybe they are in the rough. They now have 170 yards left to the middle of the green. Or they pull out their 5 wood and hit the ball 200 yards down the fairway. They are left with 220 yards to the middle of the green from the fairway.
What would you rather have left? Most golfers will pick the 170 yard shot as the shot can be hit with a mid to long iron or a fairway wood or hybrid. Most golfers don’t have a club in the bag to even hit the shot 220 yards. Golfers must learn to hit the driver and keep it in play, while maximizing the distance. In order to get to certain levels in the game, the driver becomes a necessity. It is worth spending time to improve your ability with the driver.
The bottom line is that the driver provides the golfer the opportunity to produce quality ball speeds and overall distance. Did you know that even the pros struggle with hitting the driver perfectly straight? They have a 60 yard dispersion from left to right with the driver on average. This fine, keep the ball in play and take advantage of the extra distance.
Pros the Driver: Designed to launch shot high and far
When teed up properly with the proper ball positioning, the driver is designed to tee it high and let it fly. The ball, even with a 9 degree loft, can be hit high and far with a lower spin rate. The lower spin rate will help you maximize distance which can be setup through the proper golf shaft and the right angle of attack.
Why does my 5 wood go as far as my driver?
This is more than likely a result of not hitting the driver properly due to a poor setup or hititng down into the ball, instead of teeing it high and letting it fly. The driver is designed to be hit on the upswing to send the ball launching with a lower spin rate.
I would highly recommend this Shawn Clement video on launching the driver to help you see an increase in the overall distance with your driver.
Next Steps: Test Out on a Launch Monitor
One of the best says to get immediate feedback is through a launch monitor.
My favorite place to test out a variety of club options and potential swing adjustments is on my Skytrak. The data I receive with each and every shot is fantastic. This includes:
- Carry and total distance
- Launch Angle
- Spin Rate
- Spin Axis
- Ball Speed
I can spend all winter tinkering and training to improve my overall score. The launch monitor has been a game changer for my scores and overall improvement as a ball striker.
This data in combination with the shot tracer helps me visualize the shot I am hitting with key data at my fingertips.
Plus when paired with my TGC software I can play some of the most amazing courses in the world including Augusta, Pebble, Whistling Straits and St. Andrews!
Here are the top 3 options for launch monitors to check out:
Next Steps: Check out some online instruction
If you are struggling with either club, I would highly recommend checking out some fantastic online golf instructors that we believe are truly impressive. Having access to these excellent teachers is a game changer for many golfers. Here are some of the top reviews we have completed and would recommend for the majority of golfers:
Read Other 5 Wood Related Posts
- 4 iron vs 5 wood
- How to hit a 5 wood
- 2 iron vs 5 wood
- 5 wood vs 7 wood
- When to use a 5 wood
- 3 wood vs 5 wood
- 5 wood vs 3 iron
- 5 wood vs 3 hybrid