When it comes time to work your way along those long pars, or out of a difficult lie, having a few trusted fairway woods in your golf bag can be an invaluable asset. The importance of fairway woods is often misunderstood. That lack of understanding many times results in golfers paying hundreds of dollars for the latest and greatest big head driver that looks great, but usually does not help their game to any great extent. If they spent that money (or usually much less) and bought the correct fairway woods, they would definitely see an improvement in their game.
The name fairway woods can be deceiving. While these woods are typically lofted at fifteen degrees or better, the term 'fairway woods' does not dictate that their use is restricted to the fairways. Instead, the name refers to the group of woods with high loft angles that would typically be used for driving from the fairway.
Actually, their use is often appropriate for tee shots. With the number one and two woods typically reserved for tee shots, familiar fairway woods for most players include the number three, five, and seven woods. The higher loft angles of these woods provide a bit more accuracy than lower numbered woods, yet can deliver increased distance over irons with a similar loft.
Like all golf clubs, fairway woods can vary in shaft length, composition, head design and loft. Adding to the choice is the relatively new line of golf clubs that are being developed and sold.
These new breeds of golf clubs are referred to as 'hybrids'. Coined 'hybrid' because they capture the benefits of the long irons combined with the stability and ease of a fairway wood, these clubs have helped to improve the fairway efforts of golfers of all skill levels.
Deciding which fairway woods are right for you depends on your skill level, frequency of play and, of course, budget. Remember, the most expensive is not always the best.
If you are looking to purchase a new set of fairway woods, consider the features of your existing clubs that you enjoy, stick with what works for you and your game.
Whether you are making a first time purchase or upgrading, many dealers will let you try a demonstration set of clubs before making a decision. This is an invaluable resource not only for deciding upon fairway woods but for the rest of the clubs that will make up your golf bag.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Is There Any Cure For Golf Putting Problems
It is perhaps the supreme irony in golf that the simplest shot in the book seems to cause the biggest problem to the largest number of golfers.
Let's face it, the putt is the only golf shot that it is really possible to execute flawlessly without any tuition at all. We all start off doing this as kids. Some of us are even superb at it at this young age. It is this shot that is often the spur that leads to a lifelong addiction to this wonderful game of golf.
What then, goes wrong? How can this easiest of golf shots become the absolute bane of an adult golfer's life? Sorry to say, there is no easy answer. Experts are just as baffled as inexperienced amateurs over this one. The saying 'it's all in the mind' was probably never more true than in this golfing case.
Several years ago, an American company developed a golf putting machine. They carried out tests in optimum putting conditions and were gob-smacked to discover that their pride and joy couldn't hole every putt. They took that machine apart and tweaked every element of it until they were certain that it was in perfect working order. And, guess what? It still failed to hole some putts. If this doesn't go to prove that there is at least an element of 'black art' about golf putting, then nothing will.
The best lesson to take from the above is that you really never are going to achieve putting perfection. If a machine in perfect working under operating under perfect putting conditions fails to hole every golf putt, then a human being with all his or her imperfections never is.
So, the first rule is, stop giving yourself such a hard time whenever you miss a few putts. It happens to even top professional golfers. In fact, any problem you have with putting is much more likely to be psychological than physical, so the very last thing you should be doing is getting down on yourself mentally; this can only make matters worse.
Is there anything you can do if you really do have severe, regular putting problems? Well, apart from working on the mental side of things to inculcate strong belief that you really can putt (try some self-hypnosis tapes etc.) the best advice is to see if a change of putter will do the trick. Take your lead from the professionals. So many professional golfers who've suffered terribly from the 'yips' on the putting green, such as Bernhard Langer, found their salvation in the broom handle putter - maybe you should give one a try.
Let's face it, the putt is the only golf shot that it is really possible to execute flawlessly without any tuition at all. We all start off doing this as kids. Some of us are even superb at it at this young age. It is this shot that is often the spur that leads to a lifelong addiction to this wonderful game of golf.
What then, goes wrong? How can this easiest of golf shots become the absolute bane of an adult golfer's life? Sorry to say, there is no easy answer. Experts are just as baffled as inexperienced amateurs over this one. The saying 'it's all in the mind' was probably never more true than in this golfing case.
Several years ago, an American company developed a golf putting machine. They carried out tests in optimum putting conditions and were gob-smacked to discover that their pride and joy couldn't hole every putt. They took that machine apart and tweaked every element of it until they were certain that it was in perfect working order. And, guess what? It still failed to hole some putts. If this doesn't go to prove that there is at least an element of 'black art' about golf putting, then nothing will.
The best lesson to take from the above is that you really never are going to achieve putting perfection. If a machine in perfect working under operating under perfect putting conditions fails to hole every golf putt, then a human being with all his or her imperfections never is.
So, the first rule is, stop giving yourself such a hard time whenever you miss a few putts. It happens to even top professional golfers. In fact, any problem you have with putting is much more likely to be psychological than physical, so the very last thing you should be doing is getting down on yourself mentally; this can only make matters worse.
Is there anything you can do if you really do have severe, regular putting problems? Well, apart from working on the mental side of things to inculcate strong belief that you really can putt (try some self-hypnosis tapes etc.) the best advice is to see if a change of putter will do the trick. Take your lead from the professionals. So many professional golfers who've suffered terribly from the 'yips' on the putting green, such as Bernhard Langer, found their salvation in the broom handle putter - maybe you should give one a try.
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