At a minimum every golfer should carry at least one fairway wood with some higher handicap or slower swing speed players carrying up to 3-4 fairway woods. The majority of golfers will carry 2 fairway woods. A 3 wood and a 5 wood.
Golf is a difficult game!
The golfer has to get multiple conditions just right in the swing: 1)control the low point, 2) control the clubface and swing path, all while 3) generating enough speed to play the course.
On top of all of those items above, they must also select the right clubs to carry in their bag and then select the right club for every shot they face over the course of a round.
The good news is that golfers have plenty of options, the bad is that golfers have plenty of options.
For some, this can be confusing, but we are here to help you set up your bag to match your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
How Many Fairway Woods Should I Carry?
Update: Most amateurs, especially those with a swing speed below 90mph with the driver, do not carry enough fairway woods or hybrids. Make sure you measure your driver swing speed, consider your distances with your long irons and consider adding some easier to hit golf clubs!
This is the stock option for many golfers, but every golfer should give serious consideration to the 14 club that they carry in their bag.
Depending on the swing speed and their distance chart, some golfers will choose to carry a variety of fairway woods when they are having difficulty hitting their irons high enough or far enough to reach certain greens in regulation.
Some Factors That Will Impact How Many Fairway Woods A Golfer Carries
- Swing Speed
- Shot Height
- Course Type
Factor #1: Swing Speed
The slower the swing speed, the more likely a golfer is to carry less long irons and more fairway woods or hybrid clubs. The fairway woods and hybrid clubs are designed to help the slower swing speed golfer hit the ball a bit higher and further than the corresponding long irons. These clubs are designed to be forgiving with off center hits and have a lower center of gravity to help launch the ball higher and at a quicker rate.
With the versatility of fairway woods in today’s golf market, we should recommend anyone worth a driver swing speed of below 90 with a driver carry at least 3 fairway woods or hybrid combination and with a swing speed below 80 with a driver carry at least 4 fairway woods or hybrid combination.
How to hit fairway woods consistently!
Here is a quick reference point:
- Swing Speed < 90 = Carry at least 3 fairway woods/hybrids
- Swing Speed < 80 = Carry at least 4 fairway woods/hybrids
Factor #2: Shot Height
Have you ever hit a solid 3 iron or 4 iron onto a green only to see it hit the green and run through. This isn’t necessarily due to a lack of spin, but more so due to a lack of shot height. Most 3 to 4 irons will spin in the 3000-4000 RPM range, any more spin and you will lose significant distance.
The fairway woods and hybrids, with their low center of gravity, help the golfer launch the ball higher which helps maximize total carry distance and gives the golfer a chance to hold the green on par 3s and longer approach shots on par 4s.
Golf is difficult enough and if you are struggling to hold on the shots on the green, there could be a connection to your shot height. The fairway woods like a 5, 7 or 9 wood are worth checking out and testing to see if they fit into your game.
Factor #3: Course Type
The longer the course, the longer the approach shots. If you are playing course that is ont he shorter side for the distance you hit your driver, more wedges and less fairway woods might be the better option. However, if you are playing a longer course, more fairway woods and less longer irons might be the better option.
4 Iron vs 5 Wood: Which one should I carry?
Our recommendation is to own somewhere between 18 and 20 clubs and swap out depending on several factors:
- What is the course type you are playing
- What are the current strengths of your game
- What are the length of the par 3s
The longer the course, the more fairway woods. Play off your strengths. Maybe you need 4-5 wedges because you miss a lot of greens or layup frequently and need the different options from inside of 100 yards. And finally, take note of the length of the par 3s. The longer the par 3s, the more fairway woods/hybrids you will need. If the par 3s are all under 140, maybe you need the additional wedge for that course.
The overly prepared golfer has multipel options and has a shot chart that has measured and recorded the average carry distance of every club you have available. Here is a sample of my shot distance chart that I use:
I would highly recommend each golfer create a distance chart like the sample below:
| Club | Carry Distance (100%) | 90% | 80% |
| Driver | 250 | ||
| 3 Wood | 230 | ||
| 3 Hybrid | 215 | ||
| 2 Utility Iron | 210 | ||
| 4 iron | 190 | ||
| 5 iron | 181 | ||
| 6 iron | 171 | ||
| 7 iron | 163 | ||
| 8 iron | 153 | ||
| 9 iron | 143 | ||
| P Club | 130 | 123 | 115 |
| Pitching Wedge | 118 | 110 | 102 |
| SW Club | 105 | 97 | 91 |
| LW Club | 90 | 82 | 74 |
Next Steps: Create Your Shot Distance Chart
How can you create your own chart?
Best Option: I would highly recommend a launch monitor!
These portable devices can be used at the driving range, golf course or set up in your home net or golf simulator. These devices are game changers not only on being able to map your bag and know your distances, but they also provide quality feedback after on every shot and provide the following information:
- Carry Distance
- Spin Rate
- Launch Angle
- Spin Axis
- Total Distance
- Ball Speed
This information will help you map your bag, decide on which clubs are best for your game, develop a stock shot and much more. I love using my SkyTrak 365 days a year in my golf simulator setup.
The process for mapping your bag can looking something like this:
- Hit 5 shots with each club in your bag.
- Log the carry distance and total distance for each shot.
- Eliminate any outlier numbers (poor hits or low spin rates).
- Take the average and create a map of your bag.
If you visit any PGA Tour event you will see plenty of golfers utilizing their launch monitors. While most can’t afford a Trackman, there are some very affordable options in the 500-2000 dollar range. I own the SkyTrak and think the world of it.
Here are the top 3 options to check out:
Final Thoughts: Know Your Distances
There are two key factors that you will need to know:
- Your current swing speed with the driver
- Your average carry distance with each club you own
You can vary your bag from round to round and from course to course. Understand your current strengths, how you are hitting various clubs and the overall trend of your game. Be in though, be honest and make the necessary adjustments to equip yourself with the best options available for your game.
7 wood vs 4 iron: which one should I carry?
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.