The average golfer hits a driver 230-250 yards and a 3 iron 180-190 yards. This leaves quite a gap of around 60 yards. This gap has been bridged historically with fairway woods.

Fairway woods come in many lofts. The loft is the angle of the club face against the vertical plane and with fairway woods they begin at 2 wood and go right up to 13 or even 15 wood. The most common fairway woods are 3 and 5. The loft of a 3 wood is normally 15 degrees and the loft of a 5 wood is 19 degrees. The average golfer would hit a 3 wood about 200-220 yards and a 5 wood about 180-200 yards.

Fairway woods, as you would expect, were designed to be hit off the fairway but a 3 wood off the tee is a common shot especially on shorter, tight holes where accuracy is more important than distance.

Fairway woods are easier to hit than drivers and many players find them easier to hit than long irons especially out of the rough as the fairway wood is less prone to twisting and doesn't get caught up in long grass.

Fairway woods are no longer made of wood and, in fact, a more accurate name would be fairway metals. The most common construction is steel, as unlike drivers, fairway metals don't need to be oversized and the benefits of titanium construction are nowhere near as pronounced in fairway metals as they are in drivers.

Finally, in recent years a new category of hybrid club has appeared and this has led to a slight decline in fairway wood sales. Hybrid clubs are worth a look both for replacing higher lofted fairway woods and long irons particularly for slightly better players.

If I'm choosing my first fairway metal.

Fairway Wood Budget

The first thing to think about is budget. Generally in golf the more you spend the better product you get and even if you are a beginner you will get benefits from stretching the budget as far as you can. Once you've established this, then what type of fairway metal will suit?

Type of Fairway Wood Head

It is suggested you start off with a 3 and a 5 wood. The head size is not that important as these clubs are fairly easy to hit and also with a lie off the fairway; a lower profile head can sit behind the ball nicely to promote confidence. Adding a 7 wood later can be a good idea if you struggle with long irons and find it easier to hit a fairway wood.

The head construction of a fairway metal head has not undergone the same rapid technological changes as seen in golf driver heads. This is probably due to the fact that with more loft, fairway metals are easier to hit and more accurate anyway. Most golf players are happy with a steel headed fairway metal although there are carbon graphite and titanium to be found in some fairway metal heads. These are designed to lower the centre of gravity (COG) and make it even easier to get the ball airborne. For players who struggle to do this then these types of head constructions are worth a look.

Type of Fairway Wood Shaft

The next variable is the type of shaft. Graphite shafts are more prevalent in fairway metals sales then steel shafts but unlike drivers there are plenty of players who use steel shafts. The benefits of steel shafts are cost (they are cheaper) and they tend to be more consistent giving better control. The benefits of graphite shafts are that they are lighter and allow players to increase their club head speed and therefore the distance the ball will travel. Most newcomers to golf will probably benefit having graphite shafts in their fairway metals, particularly those will slower swing speeds.

As with drivers, the next variable is shaft flex. Your shaft will be available in a number of flexes. The main ones are Lady, Regular, Stiff and Senior.

In general for the average male, it's best to start off with a regular flex. If you are a lady or a senior then go for those flexes. The most flexible is lady, then senior, then regular, then stiff and so on. The stiffer the shaft then the more accurate the club will be and you will be able to get more control of your shots. The big downside though is that stiffer shafts require you to generate more club head speed to fly the ball as far as you want to. When you start out in golf you don't generally have the club head speed you need so a more flexible shaft will allow you to hit the ball further. If, as you improve, you struggle to control the ball then this can be addressed by moving to a stiffer shaft then.

Type of Fairway Wood Grip

One other point when selecting any club is grip. The size of the grip can have an effect if you have either particularly small or large hands. If you have small hands a thinner grip can have benefits and if you have large hands a thicker grip can have benefits. Most grips are of a standard thickness and will be fine for the majority of golfers. They can be easily changed later at your local Nevada Bobs Golf shop if required.

For further advice please don't hesitate to contact our experts at Nevada Bobs customer.services@nevadabobs.co.uk

Fairway Wood Technical Terms

Centre of Gravity (COG): Rather than worry about what it is, what you need to know is that the position of the centre of gravity in a club head affects the flight of the golf ball. Manufacturers try to position the COG as far back from the club face and as low as possible to assist you it gaining height and a good trajectory. Better players may not want the COG placed too far back as they prefer a lower, more penetrating ball flight but for the rest of us its very helpful.

Moment of Inertia (MOI): This refers to level of twisting of an object around its axis. In golf terms, a high MOI in a driver means that the club head has a higher resistance to twisting and will therefore be more stable and forgiving.

Perimeter Weighting: This refers to placing weight on the perimeter of the club head and its effect is to increase the Moment of Inertia.

Carbon Graphite Crown: Some clubs use a mixture of titanium and carbon graphite. The lighter carbon graphite crown helps to lower the Centre of Gravity further.