When testing fairway woods for the Golf Digest Hot List, our players have the option of hitting 3-woods, 5-woods, or both. An interesting trend developed for some of those who hit both: They hit the 5-wood farther than the 3-wood.
One of the testers who saw an increase with more loft was Anand Mudaliar, who averaged 221.12 yards with the 5-wood but only 216.14 yards with the 3-wood, according to data obtained from the Rapsodo MLM2 Pro Launch monitor were collected.
Mudaliar, a 40-year-old, 9-handicapper from Philadelphia, is only 5ft 7 but generates a driver swing speed of 105mph. As an avid gamer, he manages 55 to 60 rounds a year. He is currently carrying a 3-wood but not a 5-wood.
“I’m shocked by this data point, but probably shouldn’t be,” says Mudaliar. “Sometime a few years ago I stopped using a 3wood because it was hard to hit and went to the 5wood more often. Now I know why.”
To be fair, the Rapsodo data showed that Mudaliar’s longest shots were slightly longer with 3-wood, but he was much more consistent with 5-wood. Also, his worst shots, including a couple of cold tops, were magnified with the 3-wood.
Golf Galaxy’s Chris Marchini often sees such results during fittings. “I have players prove to me that they can hit a 15-degree 3 wood before I fit them into one,” he says. “I routinely see the 5-wood wear longer in almost all types of players. It’s just easier to get airborne and it’s more forgiving. The more loft, the less curve to the shot. The slightly shorter shaft is also easier to control. For many players it just doesn’t make sense to have a 15 degree blade in their pocket.”
This includes some PGA Tour players. Each week, about 10 to 15 percent of the field plays their longest fairway wood with more than 15 degrees of loft. While they (or even Mudaliar) don’t, a common reason the 5-wood produces better results for most is that many golfers simply aren’t generating the appropriate speed to generate enough lift and spin to play a 3-wood to reach sufficient height. For them, a higher loft fairway wood can improve performance and forgiveness while being more versatile.
Marchini is quick to jump on the versatility aspect, citing that the higher loft is not only better out of the rough, but also for use around the greens for a bump and run shot. “If you’re looking at nothing but grass, a 5-wood can be a good club to chip in place of a wedge. You don’t have to be nearly as precise and the chances of getting an acceptable shot increase significantly.”
As for Mudaliar, no further persuasion is needed. “I’ve been thinking about changing a few things and being more precise with longer racquets,” he says. “I’m pretty decent from distance but I want to get better chances on par 5s and have better distance control with my fairway wood. I also like the idea of the high launch and the ability to land shots softly on the greens. The numbers don’t lie, which club is better suited for this.”
