Can't hit fairway woods from the fairway!

The subject says it all... I'll mostly hit them thin, or I'll over compensate and hit it nice and fat.

I'm getting quite confident hitting irons from the fairway, even my longer irons aren't too bad. I know I can hit down with these, so I normally make good contact with the ball.

I try to sweep the ball with a fairway wood, but as I say I seem to always catch them thin. I think the ball position is OK... slightly forward in my stance. Or should I try moving it back to make sure I'm not catching it on the up-swing?

Thanks!

I would play the ball right where you play your 3 and 4 iron. Heck, I would even focus on making the same swing you make with the iron. Don't consciously think of making a different swing. ABOVE ALL:

DON'T TRY TO PICK THE BALL UP IN THE AIR. I know you read this all the time.....but don't think about it. The loft on the 3-wood and 5 wood will get the ball in the air for you, just make a normal smooth swing.

I know this sounds simplistic but if you are hitting your long irons ok there really isn't a swing flaw you are doing wrong, it is a mental flaw!

BE CONFIDENT Just think to yourself, this is the same swing as a 3-iron which I hit well.

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Most likely coming in too steep. You need to make more of a driver swing. You dont want to hit down on it but you also dont want to try to pick it up in the air.

The post above says it all. All I can stay is try to stay behind the ball and stay on plane.

I use a 13.5 strong 3 and a 17 strong 5. Those are a bit harder to get airborne. But what I have found, and what works for me, is playing then about 1-2 inches from where I would play my driver. I also focus on staying behind the ball and making a nice I/O swing.

I wish I could do it all the time with me irons

__________________
What's in my bag....
Cleveland VP 2 Blade Putter
Ping Tour Wedges, 54 & 60
TaylorMade rac LT2, 4i thru PW
Tour Edge Exotics Iron-Wood 21* 3i - Aldila NV 90 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 18* 5 Wood - ProLaunch Blue 75 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 15* 3 Wood - Aldila NV 75 Stiff Shaft
Cleveland HiBore XL 9.5* - Fujikura Fit-On Red Stiff Shaft

When I hit my fairway woods or long irons thin, it is normally because I am playing the ball too far forward (toward the left foot for right handed golfers). With the advent of the big-headed drivers that require you to play the ball high on the tee & forward in your stance, I think the stance for other shots can become somewhat skewed. I find myself playing the ball more forward than I used to and thin shots result.

I play my r7 right off my left heel. Now, I do turn my left heel to about 10-11 o'clock. I would say most of my woods are played 2 inches behind that. I still keep my hands BEHIND the ball at setup. My long irons and hybrid I bring back even further. However, my hands are even at the start.

In my opinion, those are the 2 things most people screw up the most.....hand AND ball position at address.

It drives me mad to see people hit drives with their hands infront of the ball at address.

__________________
What's in my bag....
Cleveland VP 2 Blade Putter
Ping Tour Wedges, 54 & 60
TaylorMade rac LT2, 4i thru PW
Tour Edge Exotics Iron-Wood 21* 3i - Aldila NV 90 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 18* 5 Wood - ProLaunch Blue 75 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 15* 3 Wood - Aldila NV 75 Stiff Shaft
Cleveland HiBore XL 9.5* - Fujikura Fit-On Red Stiff Shaft

Random, If you look at the set up of even most professionals. Their hands are most likely a little ahead or at least even with the ball. You got to have that straight down the line look. I would MUCH MUCH rather see someone with the pronounced forward press than someone with their hands behind the ball. Just my opinion.

I used to have a kinda similar issue with the long irons and 3/5 woods. I was standing to close to the ball. In order to get the Clubhead back to the ball my body and arms had to make up for my flaw. On the downswing my hips moved away and and forward to make space for the hands. I ended up skulling or hitting fat.
In my case it was a "want to control the clubhead issue" I didn't allow and trust the club to do its work. I spent some hours in my backyard looking at the 7 and 3 club comparing hand and ball position.
Once I got my mind to understand that it is ok to just let the clubhead do its thing, the issue was solved.
Since your wood is a bit longer than your long irons.... maybe the same issue?

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I think Albert Einstein was smart enough to stay away from golf... thats why he kept he's sanity...?

Driver/3W: Mizuno T-Zoid Forged
Irons: TaylorMade 200 3-PW 2up +1"
Hybrid: Cleveland QuadPro Lauch Iron 18*
SW: King Cobra m/54*
LW: Taylormade RAC Satin 58*
Putter: Slazenger LAM1 (Custom)

Hi, i know the problem all too well, i used to do the exact same thing, after a lesson with the pro he pointed out that i had a ball position more like i was using a sand wedge rather than a 7 wood, this resulted in my swing being out of sync, all my stance becoming mis-shapen to compensate for the ball position, now i take more of a driver stance the ball just off centre towards my left foot and a nice long backswing looking in the mirror just like a driver swing path. And also the mental side of the swing i was (scared) that i would thin the ball or slice it, therefore this made my swing very choppy, now in my new stance i relax take a practice swing and dont be scared to make a very solid contact with the ball.

I echo the thoughts of Hornsfan. Essentially your fairway wood swing should be identical to the one you use for the long irons. You might be thinking driver swing instead and keeping your hands behind the ball at impact resulting in the thin shots. I hit a 5-wood from some of the fairway and the tees on my course and notice that my set-up is subtley different in both cases. When the ball's teed up my hands are just slightly behind or level with it at address but off the fairway they are slightly in front.

For me, I like to stay behind the ball. Its the one swing thought that has helped me out the most. With the driver I like to catch the ball on the slightest upswing. It helps me launch the ball and hit monster drives.

I think the forward press position of the hands encourages a decending blow.

I actually moved my 5 wood setup to a EVEN position, meaning I put my hands right at the ball. I noticed a little increase in trajectory and a slight drop in distance. It might be a better play depending on the shot I need.

I think the main reason for the setup for myself, I tend to bottom out my swing too early either hitting fat or thin BEHIND the ball.

__________________
What's in my bag....
Cleveland VP 2 Blade Putter
Ping Tour Wedges, 54 & 60
TaylorMade rac LT2, 4i thru PW
Tour Edge Exotics Iron-Wood 21* 3i - Aldila NV 90 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 18* 5 Wood - ProLaunch Blue 75 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 15* 3 Wood - Aldila NV 75 Stiff Shaft
Cleveland HiBore XL 9.5* - Fujikura Fit-On Red Stiff Shaft