It’s hard to believe that the hybrid has been with us for over 25 years.
TaylorMade successfully introduced the first-generation Rescue clubs in 1999. Part of the Burner series, the Rescue was an oddity in that it aimed to combine the distance of a long iron with more forgiveness found in a lofted fairway wood.
The timing was perfect. Professionals were seeking a long iron equivalent that could launch the ball higher and give more stopping power on the ever-faster PGA Tour and European Tour greens, and the club could be marketed to amateur golfers as the perfect replacement for difficult-to-hit long irons.
Other manufacturers cottoned on to the potential benefits of the hybrid club (to date, TaylorMade is the only company that collectively calls this family of golf clubs rescue clubs, for everybody else, their hybrids), and a new market segment was created.
Lofted woods weren’t used heavily on the tour. Opinions started to change when Tiger Woods put a five wood in his bag.
Why had Woods made the move? The inventor of the famous stinger shot with his two-iron wanted to hit the ball higher and have more flexibility out of the rough. Woods even invented a new shot for us to consider, the “chippy” five-wood.
As soon as the best player in the world switched, the floodgates opened, and we’ve not only seen an increase in five-wood use but also seven- and nine-woods appearing in tour players' bags.
Are lofted fairway woods easier to hit than hybrids?
We’ll answer that question by looking at three areas:
- What’s Changed In Fairway Woods?
- Who Should Consider A Lofted Fairway Wood?
- How To Decide Between A Lofted Fairway Wood And A Hybrid.
What’s Changed In Fairway Woods?
It’s fair to say that fairway woods are no longer lagging in the technology stakes compared to drivers.
Callaway’s Elyte, Mizuno’s ST-Z 230, or Titleist’s GT Series fairway woods are constructed from the same carbon fibre or carbon composite materials as the drivers.
The lighter material provides a significant weight saving on traditional titanium or steel-headed fairway woods. That saved weight can be redistributed within the head to optimise the fairway wood's playing characteristics.
The mass is positioned low and as far from the face as possible, achieving more stability. Move the mass up closer to the face for faster ball speeds.
Saving weight using exotic carbon composite materials is just one of the tools engineers use.
Moveable weight technology is also used and highlighted in lofted fairway woods like PXG’s Black Ops fairway woods.
Interchangeable weights can be positioned to alter shot shape and ball flight. If you’re looking for a stable, straight ball flight, the heaviest weight can be positioned in the rear of the head. If you want to draw the ball, place the heavy weight in the heel port to allow the toe to close quicker.
TaylorMade’s Qi35 Tour Fairway has a 40-gram moveable weight on a track that can be positioned closer to the face for faster lower-flighted shots or pushed back to create higher ball flights.
Adjustable hosel technology further enhances dialling in shot shape and ideal flight characteristics. Most adjustable hosel systems allow the loft and lie angle to be moved up or down by up to two degrees. Cobra’s DS-Adapt fairway woods have moved the game on significantly by utilising its new FutureFit33 adjustable hosel system.
The main advantage of FutureFit33 is that the loft can be moved up or down without opening or closing the clubface. Better golfers don’t like to see the face sitting closed if loft is added, whereas higher-handicap golfers don’t like to see the face open as they fear they will slice shots.
Performance from the face has also moved on significantly. Callaway’s Ai10X Face creates lots of miniature sweet spots across the face to maintain consistent ball speeds regardless of strike location.
Sticking with Callaway, they have introduced a new 35-gram tungsten weight close to the face on the club's sole to help produce higher ball speeds.
Srixon’s ZXi fairway woods benefit from fitting a rebound frame. Two flex zones sit behind the face to amplify the energy transfer into the ball at impact, creating higher ball speeds.
TaylorMade relies on its Thru-Slot Speed Pocket technology to help improve the trampoline effect from the face to improve ball speeds. If you don’t catch out the middle, Twist-Face technology will help straighten out the ball flight.
Another area of focus for manufacturers is on the design of the sole to help improve turf interaction, making fairway woods easier to hit from the fairway or rough. Cleveland has incorporated GlideRail technology into its Launcher XL Halo fairway woods to help keep the face square at impact.
Another way fairway woods are following the same route as their driver counterparts is through the different head profiles available.
If we take the Titleist GT Series fairway woods as an example, you have:
- GT2 - bigger head profile behind the ball to enhance stability and fit a wider profile of players.
- GT3 - more compact head and deeper face, designed for better players who don’t need much help with ball striking and like to shape shots.
Companies like Callaway, Cobra, and TaylorMade offer an additional option that mimics the high-MOI drivers available in the range.
Like the drivers, these high-MOI fairway woods feature the largest head profile behind the ball, with the weight positioned furthest from the face to improve launch and spin conditions for players with less clubhead speed.
Higher-lofted fairway woods, such as seven and nine woods, are becoming suitable companions for players who switch from using a three-wood to a mini-driver.
Seven and nine woods provide suitable lofting options to maintain consistent distance gapping at the top end of the golf bag.
Who Should Consider A Lofted Fairway Wood?
Lofted fairway woods are packed full of technology that makes them more attractive to a wide range of players.
We’ve mentioned that Tiger Woods faithfully keeps a five-wood in his bag, while players like Tommy Fleetwood have added a nine-wood to their bags.
Why has he opted for such a high-lofted fairway wood? The answer comes down to loft and distance gapping. Fleetwood uses a mini-driver, and the nine-wood provides him with the correct distance and trajectory for the gap between his mini-driver and the longest iron in his bag.
You should also take a leaf out of Fleetwood’s book by looking at higher-lofted fairway woods if you are still toiling away with long irons or have a hybrid you just don’t get on with.
Hybrids don’t always provide a satisfactory trajectory to help you hold the putting surface on longer approach shots. Play on courses where greens are traditionally fast and hard. A lofted fairway wood might give you the trajectory you need to get more stopping power.
If you are a high-handicap player or new to the game, the appearance of more loft and a friendly-looking profile will increase your confidence when you address the ball. High-MOI lofted fairway woods will give you a much bigger profile behind the ball compared to the equivalent hybrid.
If you play from the rough a lot, the higher-lofted fairway wood will likely help you move the ball more effectively from the thick stuff than the smaller-headed hybrid. Hybrids can falter like irons, where longer grass can wrap around the hosel and close the face down at impact.
Remember Tiger Woods’s “chippy” rough shot that he can only execute with his five wood compared to his two iron or hybrid equivalent.
How To Decide Between A Lofted Fairway Wood And A Hybrid
Hybrids still have their place and can be a real asset in your golf bag, so how do you choose between hybrids and higher-lofted fairway woods?
There are several factors to consider.
- If your clubhead speed is slower, you might be unable to launch hybrids with the correct spin profile to get the ball to stop quickly on the green.
- If you are newer to the game, you might feel more comfortable with the larger head of a lofted fairway wood.
- You also need to consider the course conditions you regularly face. If you play a course with long, thick, rough, or the greens get particularly quick in the summer months, you may need the higher trajectory and the more contoured soles in lofted fairway woods.
- Higher-lofted fairway woods might also create greater continuity at the top end of your bag if you have been fitted for a driver in the same lineup.
We’ve discussed the many adjustable options available with lofted fairway woods. However, hybrids also have features like adjustable hosels and moveable weights that can be dialled in during a fitting session to match your requirements.
Hybrids might also work better if you play golf courses that are more exposed to the elements, such as links courses, where the higher trajectory of the lofted fairway wood might prove to be more of a hindrance. In preparation for the Open Championship, many pros will remove their lofted fairway woods and replace them with equivalent hybrids or driving irons to keep the ball under the wind.
Ultimately, knowing the best route to take comes down to custom fitting.
Custom-fitting employs launch monitor technology to analyse what you’re producing with your existing clubs and then hones in on the optimal spin and launch numbers to provide the right trajectory and the correct distance gapping between each club.
However, custom-fitting isn’t purely about launch monitor numbers. It’s about the interaction with the experienced fitter, which plays a key role in determining what you end up putting in your bag. This is where the decision between hybrid or lofted fairway comes to the fore.
You can share with the fitter what you like and don’t like between the two choices. You must feel comfortable with what’s sitting behind your golf ball at address.
We’ve discussed the many adjustable options available with lofted fairway woods. However, hybrids also have features like adjustable hosels and moveable weights that can be dialled in during a fitting session to match your requirements.
Hybrids might also work better if you play golf courses that are more exposed to the elements, such as links courses, where the higher trajectory of the lofted fairway wood might prove to be more of a hindrance. In preparation for the Open Championship, many pros will remove their lofted fairway woods and replace them with equivalent hybrids or driving irons to keep the ball under the wind.
With the increased levels of technology and performance available, lofted fairway woods have become more popular in recent years. Lofted-fairway woods can help launch the ball higher, providing more stopping power on fast, hard greens.
Where a five-wood has been commonplace in the bags of players like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, seven and nine-woods are now becoming more common due to some professionals employing mini-drivers instead of a traditional three-wood. The seven or nine wood provides better distance gapping and is much more effective out of deep, thick rough, which is a regular on professional tours.
Amateurs can benefit from lofted fairway woods for similar reasons. The added launch and spin numbers can optimise carry distances for players with less clubhead speed who will face a lot of long approach shots into greens.
Lofted-fairway woods can look more inviting behind the ball for players who are new to the game. Better players can also struggle with a hybrid’s aesthetics and could also prefer the lofted-fairway option.
Hybrids still pack a lot of technology and still serve a valuable role. If you can get good numbers and are happy with the looks, you should still certainly consider the benefits of a hybrid club.
Determining the optimal numbers for any golfers comes to engaging with experienced club fitters like Nine By Nine Golf.
We have helped golfers of every level find the right setup for what can be a tricky area of the bag to cater for.
We have created a tailored fitting, especially for Fairway Woods, where we can analyse your existing setup before making recommendations and get you to try our recommendations.
We are an independent club fitter, so we work with manufacturers we believe are the best in the business and can provide the best options for players from scratch to high handicaps.
Go to the Nine By Nine Golf website to book your session with us, and let us help you improve your game.