fairway woods

Hi guys. Could you please give me some advice/drills that can help cure my problem.
I'm having problems hitting fairway woods....I seem to be hitting about 5 inches before the ball. I don't think I have a steep swing so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I can hit my driver pretty so I'm not really sure what the problem is.

Thanks for any help.

The problem may be that you are trying help the ball up. This is completely the wrong thing to do, especially with fairway woods. When your trying to help the ball up, your keeping your weight on your back foot and you tilt back causing you to hit it somewhat fat.

Take a few balls and your fairway wood and take some easy half swings. Feel that your hitting the ball OUT and not up (this may help if you try it hitting down hill). Small half swings will show you how loft takes effect. Your objective is to hit the ball OUT and the loft does the rest.

I hope I was clear. I know I'm hard to understand sometimes.

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first things first. as always, make sure your set up and posture are correct. ball too far back in your stance? standing too tall or hunched over?

next, check the transition from backswing to downswing. chances are your head is moving forward as you start your downswing, causing your weight to move forward eratically and the club to dig down behind the ball instead of sweeping it off the turf.

try this: make a very slow motion backswing (always remember when doing this drill to be aiming at something as well, whether it be a dandelion or a patch of carpet) when you get to the top, feel that your left shoulder is separating from your chin to start the downswing. this in turn will cause your right elbow to come down to your body and your weight to gradually shift forward. this will get your club on the correct plane on the downswing. when you practice this drill, just work on that transition very slowly by stopping, bringing it back up to the top, transition again, bring it back up, then transition again and keeping slow motion in mind, swing through to a full finish. (doing a slow motion swing trains your muscle memory just as well as a full speed swing, and is probably better because you're practicing the correct technique)

by the way, use this technique with any club, and youll start hitting much purer and straighter shots

It could be that you are straightening your right leg at the top of your backswing and then dropping back down in on the downswing, causing a fat shot.

thanks for the advice guys

A simple tip is just to slow down the backswing. You're probably, like myself, subconsciously trying to blast it because it's a wood.

Take a nice easy practice swing. Set yourself up. Look at the target, and as soon as you return your eyes to the ball, hit it with an even back and down swing.

Once you get your confidence back, you can start trying to hit it harder/faster.

I think my problem is the weight shift. I try to start my backswing with by letting my left knee get back to address, turn hips, turn shoulders, then release the club.

Do you guys know any drills on weight shift (to try to trigger the downswing properly) and train proper swing sequence?

Try greg's walking drill:

http://members.cox.net/gregjwillis/LESSON2.htm

I'd say check 2 things before we get into weight shift and all that technical jazz. Check:
1. ball position - you might be putting the ball too far forward
2. that during the downswing, the club doesn't get ahead of your hands. Your left hand should lead the club through impact.

Often I find it's simple things that golfers do wrong. If you can hit a driver well, why would your swing be any different with a fairway wood? Remember though, your ball is tee'd up and your swing arc is a few inches above ground level so hitting fat is a tough task.

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Golf is easy ... once you know how.
Graham Arnott, teaching professional
Kelrosa Golf Studios
www.kelrosagolf.com
Class 'A' PGA Member
Full Member: World Golf Teachers Federation (GB&I)

I had this same problem earlier in my career. I just shortened my backswing (a little past perpindicular) and today i blasted it 250 from buried in the rough. (I know a 3wood from a buried lie is not smart but i should have got DQ'd but i ended up getting assesed an 13 stroke penalty so i did not care too much about my round.