Irons and Woods to Fit Your Game

Contents:

• Irons vs. Woods
• Utility Woods
• Testing for Par
• Senior Set-Up
• Better Player Set-Up

Irons vs. Woods

There is a better way to get more out of your clubs. Today's utility woods can replace long irons, the clubs that many find difficult to hit. 3, 4, and 5 irons demand greater swing speed and a squarely aligned clubface. This is a difficult feat for most because the clubheads are relatively small, the shafts relatively long, and the loft of the face relatively upright. This can result in slices, hooks, and topped shots. Today's utility woods can sometimes replace those clubs.

Irons, however, do give golfers more choices: high (shorter clubs with more face loft) and low (longer clubs with less loft). Too many amateurs get hung up on distance, thinking they should hit a pitching wedge 120 yards, for example. It doesn't really matter what club is needed to carry the ball 130 yards over a canyon to the green; this will vary from person to person. It is important to focus on number of strokes, not who can hit it the farthest.

Remember is that there is more than one way to carry prescribed distances. Again, it comes down to the individual golfer. One may prefer a set that allows for consistent contact and ball flight rather than a set that enables a golfer to pull off a pro-type shot once a round. It all depends on what you want to do on the course.

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Utility Woods

• Utility woods are easier to hit than long irons because they have a larger, weighted clubface for maximum forgiveness, meaning mis-hits travel farther and straighter.
• More forgiving soles, which glide along the turf, make it easier to achieve good contact.
• A longer shaft enhances clubhead speed at impact, increasing distance.

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Testing for Par

There is no one distance standard for any particular club. A 9-wood may travel as far as a 7-iron. Forget distance. The only way to judge is by the frequency and accuracy with which it approches the target. It is important to configure your clubs to maximize your chances for par. The best way to test this is using a medium-length par-4. For example, a senior or a woman who may achieve 180 yards with a driver or 130 with a fairway wood shot would find most likely follow a shot sequence on a 360-yard hole like this: Driver, 3-wood, 7-wood onto green. A better player with more strength and clubhead speed might find the shot sequence to be: Driver, pitching wedge. On par-fives, the senior or woman might play the following: Driver, 3-wood, 3-wood, 9-wood onto the green. The stronger player might go: Driver, 3-wood, lob wedge. Thus, how these two people set up their bags will differ.

• SENIOR SET-UP Driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 7-wood, 9-wood, 11-wood, 7-9 irons, gap wedge, pitching wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge and putter (for a total of 14.
• BETTER PLAYER SET-UP Driver, strong 4-wood, irons 3-9, pitching wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge, putter.

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