Anyone play a 5 wood only for their lone Fairway Wood?

[Valtiel]

Occasionally yes. If the course has lots of big driving opportunities that demand both shapes, I do the fade/draw dual driver setup ala Mickelson and bag a 4w which is always a 5w lofted down. Same deal for scrambles except with an even longer second driver. 

[lil'mike]

I played the 5wd as my only FW for quite some time!  My setup then was driver, 5wd, 4h but then I started playing longer courses around 6300-6600 or a bit more so when I started seeing 215 yd par 3's  and some par 5's at 585 yds or close to it I had to change my setup some since I am not a long ball hitter!

 

I don't like carrying a full bag but currently going with driver, 3wd 14 deg, 18 deg and 21 deg hybrids, 5-U, 52, 56 and putter.  I will work with and see if I can end up with less clubs by keeping track.  May e less irons!

 

[Whatnogarnish]

 I love my covert 2.0 tour 5w. It’s also cut to 42”
 

Top of the bag is Driver, 5w, 4iron

[foamhead]

Im driver, 5w, 4i. I turned the 5w down from 19* --->  17*   its a beast

[Billfitz]

I retired my Taylor Made 3 and 5 woods, replacing them with 16 and 19 degree Cleveland Launcher Halo hybrids. I replaced the stock grips with the same Winn Dri-Tac that I have on all my clubs, and while I was at it extended the shafts by an inch to bring them up to 3 and 5 wood lengths. They're just as long off the tee as the Taylor Made, but they're longer off the turf, and they can get through rough where the aptly named fairway woods couldn't. I made the switch when I realized than I might hit the 3 and 5 woods off the tee maybe two holes per round, but off the deck or out of the rough at least four holes per round.

[agood3putt]

Yup G410 17.5* turned down to 16.5* making it a 4W

[Longballjock]

Hi OP , 

 

My last fairway wood fit, I was fit into a g400 17.5 5wood lofted down 1*.

Was nothing to do with ease of launch or not being able to hit a 3wood. But this just suited me. I prefer a smaller shallow head. 

I can get it out there of the tee and it's excellent of the deck. I can't get it out my bag and that's nearly 5 seasons.

 

I go Driver 10* , 5 wood 16.5*, 2 iron 18* 

 

Just suits my game perfect, I just think alot of amateurs would benefit from lofting up.

[sleepyeg]

Just shafted Tour AD VR into my Sim2 max 5 wood. Will see how it compares to my M3 3 Hybrid. 

[Chipperyamane]

I was temporarily using just 5w in my bag when I broke my 2h and needed to fill the gap. I lofted up a 3HL to 19°. I’m glad I did because I got rid of my 3w and just use 5w now. I hit the ball really low (due to steep aoa) so the 5w has been great off the ground and still long enough off the tee. 
 

I did though replace my 2h with a 7w and it has been life changing. 2h was great off the tee but really tough into long par 3s and par 5s. 7w has really gotten the ball up for me. 

[DHoch]

I started carrying just a 5w turned down to a 4w loft earlier this summer and am never going back lol. It's so much easier to hit off the deck than any 3w I've owned, and being able to set a club into auto-fade mode by turning the loft down has been great when I need a fairway finder.

 

As far as brands go, don't sleep on the Mizuno STZ line. I wish I had learned about them sooner.

[PowderedToastMan]

I’ve tried it but always go back to a strong 3 wood at around 13 degrees. It’s such a great option off the tee, a ball that stays below the tree line with some speed. 
 

I also have a 7 wood lofted down to 19.5. I think this setup offers the best of both worlds with no compromise, for me anyways. 

[A-A-RonCCC]

A 5 wood is the longest wood that can be hit with any amount of reliability for a lot golfers.  I think about trying out only a 5 wood but I am currently using a mini driver and 7 wood combo for my FWs.  The 5 wood only would also make a lot of sense if I was looking to get an additional wedge in the bag.

[T.B.]

Have a 16.5  4 wood turned up to 17.25.   Works well off the tee and off the deck.  More reliable off the ground and not giving up much yardage off the tee compared to a 3 wood 

[joostin]

Yes, 2 drivers (fade, draw, both 460cc), 5 wood, then irons.  5W is great from anywhere for me.  Strong 3W will only go back in the bag if there is a hole I can drive with it, and is rarely needed off the turf.

[JeffJ1014]

Always found that 3 woods just never fit a shot yardage I'd need on any of the courses I play.  260-270yds from the fairway just never comes up for me and the dispersion off shorter tee shots with my Mavrik SZ 5 wood is just so much tighter, so I sold my 3wood and haven't missed it at all.  Added a super hybrid between the 5wood and my set 4 iron and haven't looked back.

[NRJyzr]

What's being described is really a return to the fairway wood lofts used by many/most for decades.  In Ye Olde Days, most players carried a driver and a 17* fairway club, then maybe a 20* or 23* fairway club, if not both.  Some players substituted a 2w for the driver, not having enough swingspeed and/or trajectory for driver lofts.  

 

14* fairway clubs were carried by few.  

 

The only actual difference...  in those days, the 17* club was labeled a 3w, with the 4w being 20* and 5w being 23*; the 14* club was the 2w.  These days, it might be a 4w or even 5w, with hybrids filling the loft slots just above this club, for some players.

 

Essentially, it's a return to the lofts that have worked for a great many players for a great many years.  <shrug>    It doesn't matter what you call the clubs, the lofts are what matters.

 

TLDR - same story with different names.  

 

Or, if you prefer, loft creeps affects woods, too.  🙂

 

[VanTheMan0519]

46 minutes ago, JeffJ1014 said:

Always found that 3 woods just never fit a shot yardage I'd need on any of the courses I play.  260-270yds from the fairway just never comes up for me and the dispersion off shorter tee shots with my Mavrik SZ 5 wood is just so much tighter, so I sold my 3wood and haven't missed it at all.  Added a super hybrid between the 5wood and my set 4 iron and haven't looked back.

 What degree hybrid if I may ask?

[phil75070]

I used to play a 4W as my only fairway wood. Now that I have found a good fit in a 3W (Mavrik Max), I carry both it and a 5W.

[Bad9]

1 hour ago, NRJyzr said:

What's being described is really a return to the fairway wood lofts used by many/most for decades.  In Ye Olde Days, most players carried a driver and a 17* fairway club, then maybe a 20* or 23* fairway club, if not both.  Some players substituted a 2w for the driver, not having enough swingspeed and/or trajectory for driver lofts.  

 

14* fairway clubs were carried by few.  

 

The only actual difference...  in those days, the 17* club was labeled a 3w, with the 4w being 20* and 5w being 23*; the 14* club was the 2w.  These days, it might be a 4w or even 5w, with hybrids filling the loft slots just above this club, for some players.

 

Essentially, it's a return to the lofts that have worked for a great many players for a great many years.  <shrug>    It doesn't matter what you call the clubs, the lofts are what matters.

 

TLDR - same story with different names.  

 

Or, if you prefer, loft creeps affects woods, too.  🙂

 

 

Truth. What guys are now describing as 5w's was my 4w from 1995-2015. Hell most current 7w's are the 5w's spec wise from the same peiod.

[NRJyzr]

5 minutes ago, Bad9 said:

 

Truth. What guys are now describing as 5w's was my 4w from 1995-2015. Hell most current 7w's are the 5w's spec wise from the same peiod.

 

And its only a few years farther back to get to "modern 7w equals 4w."  Ping Zing woods, as one example.

 

Comment for what is almost certain to come...  this isn't me decrying loft creep.  What I'm really saying is pay attention to the lofts, because that is what matters to each of us.  What the clubs are called isn't important.

 

[Mascot]

I struggle with my 3 wood and probably would benefit from a change to a 5 wood lofted down

[cj4501]

Have a radspeed 5w on the way. Hopefully my last fairway purchase in a long time.   Planning on turning down to 17* and use that as my only fairway wood

[PhilsFanDrew]

I think most new players and higher handicaps would benefit from having a 5W be their lowest lofted FW.  The difference off the tee from a 3W to a 5W for most of those players is going to be negligible but where it really helps will be from the fairway/sitting up in the rough on a 2nd shot to a par 5 or on longer par 4s.  The added loft should help get the ball in the air and they are much more likely to have a longer carry and overall distance with the 5W.   

[JeffJ1014]

2 hours ago, VanTheMan0519 said:

 What degree hybrid if I may ask?

I have a 20 degree super hybrid that I play at 19 to take some of the left out of it. Only 1 degree more than the 5 wood, but it flies 230-235 to my 5wood's 250.  Fits right between the 4i and 5w.  

Edited August 19, 2021 by JeffJ1014

[motts]

I play a TSi2 4w as my only fairway. I love it. Distance is great, and I find it a bit easier to hit than a 3w

[Rochester]

I find this discussion very interesting. I have been carrying a 4-wood as my only fairway wood for quite some time, but I had a mild stroke a year ago and lost about 20 yards on my driver (I'm now averaging 210 yds), and my 4-wood has been somewhat inconsistent. I have two Cobra F7 hybrids, a 3-4, and a 4-5, and hit them pretty good. My 4-wood (when I hit it well) wasn't going much further than the 3-4, so I picked up a Cobra F7 2-3 hybrid, and set it at 16.5 degrees. I set the 3-4 hybrid at 19.5, and the 4-5 hybrid at 22.5, and then go to my 5 iron. I'm hitting the 2-3 hybrid just as far as my 4-wood, more consistently, and it's better out of the rough. I have been averaging about 185-190 with it. The other upside is that my swing seems to work better with irons and hybrids than it does with fairway woods anyway. I also just started playing shorter tees that don't require a second shot with a fairway wood on long par 4s, even when I have a decent drive. I recently read that length of tees you should play, should give you the CAPABILITY of hitting any green in regulation. On a 435 yard par 4, I had no chance.

[blakesmittkamp]

played a shorter course this weekend and took out my sim three wood.  played my sim 19* and then a 20* hybrid.  it was perfect.  sim 19* is sooo long anyway i might just keep this moving fwd.  

[SylvesterLundgren]

People lose me when they say “5w” but then they change the loft and throw a 3w shaft....... I guess I legit take it as you can move a 19degree 5 wood some distance because you can hit it. Not turn it into a 4w and say you play a 5w lol 

[golfinrig24]

I used a ping g30 5wood lofted down to 17* for a few years while I was trying to find a trust 3 wood again

I used it mostly of tee balls but found for the little extra height I was getting it was still a similar distance as my 2I @ 18 degrees. 

I still take it when I travel but it was been benched since the TSI 3 3 wood came in

 

 

[gsxrdn]

I played with a guy only carry 5W and Driver. His 5w fly 210 to 230 ish, he plays from the tip every course and hit them so accurately that make me want to switch my wood to my hybrid. But he is -1 handicap and has been playing golf for 49 years.