Would it be wise for beginner golfer to use a Fairway Wood (5) instead of a driver?

Question

I am new to golf, and I have read around about golf on the web and learned that a beginner really should use a Fairway wood, then use a driver when they get better because it is harder to use. Is this true? Would that be a smart decision?

Answer 1

Good idea to start with a 3 or 5 wood off the tee.  It will be easier to hit straight and get up in the air.  When you have more experience and can develop more clubhead speed then you can go to the driver.

Answer 2

When I started playing golf in late 2006, I couldn't hit my woods any better than my driver.  I can hit them both OK now but I have a big slice with driver.  I can repeat the swing every time and get about 260-ish into the woods with driver.  I stuck with driver for a long time because occassional I'd hit longer than that and keep in play and that was a big advantage.  The slice seems to have gotten worse lately and I'm not using driver much anymore.  I practice every day but have never taken a lessen so the practice has engrained an out to in swing arc that I can't seem to do anything about.  Going back, I should have taken lessens from the beginning and probably wouldn't have this problem now.  I'd say that if you start off taking lessens it wouldn't matter what club you used because you'd be able to hit both.

Answer 3

Use whatever club you hit straight.  I hit 3 wood consistently straighter than driver so I hit it more often.  I can hit it almost as far as driver unless I really get a hold of one with my driver.  That happens a third of the time.

Answer 4

3 wood is good for neginners

Answer 5

Newer golfers tend to think that since a driver is supposed to hit the ball farther, you have to swing harder.  That error in thinking contributes to the lack of control many weekend golfers have with their long clubs.  

Spend some good quality time at the driving range, concentrating on a good smooth swing, not a hard swing.  Once you can become consistent in hitting the ball straight, then you can start building your distance by swinging that same smooth swing, only harder.

I don't see any point in practicing with the wrong club.  It won't improve your ability to use the correct one.

Answer 6

In my experience, I tried hitting a driver from the beginning and was not hitting it that well.  A very few shots fly perfectly, and that caused me to be reluctant to give it up.  But when I finally decided to start hitting a 5 wood off the tee, I became more consistent with my shots.  I my opinion, it is because the shorter wood is a little easier to control through your swing than the longer driver.

Answer 7

Driver is meant to drive a golf ball long way. But, only if you are able to hit it on a sweet spot and hit it solid consistently. Until you learn to hit the ball consistently on a sweet spot, choose the club that is most comfortable for you, whether it be a 3 wood, 5 wood or even an iron.

For a beginner to get better off the tee, I recommend trying some of the hybrid clubs. They are easy to handle and far easier to control than traditional 3 or 5 woods.

Good luck with your game!

Answer 8

Most of the people will say, if you new it should be better use your 3/5 wood...

I prefer keep using my driver, no matter I hit good or not... with the new technology, it make a lot of advantage using driver.

I have a friend, years ago  he had problems using his driver then he start using his 3 iron for tee off... he did good with 3 iron. he keep using 3 iron from tee boxes until now because he never can use his driver anymore... he have no  more confindence using his driver.

I also know 1 young man... he is scratch golfer.  He can hit driver on the range very well,  but on course... he keep using his 3 wood for tee of, he can't use his driver on course he lost confidence.

Answer 9

Absolutely Mighty Man,  due to the drivers straighter face, there is less room for error, so your ball striking has to be spot on, and that only comes with practice, practice, practice.  A five wood is far more forgiving although you ll sacrifice distance( although accuracy beats distance every time), so keep it up dude!

Answer 10

A 3 wood is good to learn with, as a driver is hard to use at first.  It can go nearly as far as a driver.  Practice with a driver at the golf range for while before you try it on course.

Answer 11

definatly to many players are using drivers when there scores would be reduced by using a three or five wood . you are doing the right thing . 5 wood shorter shaft  more loft hence more accuracy . save time because not in farway . save money fewer lost balls . i pulled driver because of age stuck 5th wedge in . works

Answer 12

The driver is the hardest club in your bag to hit correctly. This is because of the distance between you and the ball. It becomes much easier, with a driver, to have the clubface open or closed, hit the ball off the heel or toe of the club.

Work your way up to using the driver on the tee by practicing on the range. When you can consistently hit the driver further than you can hit the 5 or 3 wood, then start using it on the course. Until then, leave it in the bag and use either wood or even a 3 iron off the tee. You will have better control on the course and that will get you better scores overall.

Answer 13

A three or five wood is the perfect weapon for a beginner golfer off the tee. You'll likely lose a couple of shots during a round due to the shorter distance, but you'll get those shots back because you'll be in the fairway more often. If the extra ten or twenty yards you get from a driver mean that you're always playing from the rough (or from the trees), that's no good.

The fairway woods have two advantages: One, they're shorter, so they're easier to control than a driver. Two, the higher loft means more accuracy and more carry (just less roll). It's also easier to get the ball up in the air with them.

Another thought: The average male golfer hits drives of less than 200 yards (but imagines that he's 30 yards longer). So if you're getting 200 with a three or five wood (entirely possible, due to the loft), you're doing better than most.

But also, please be sure you are playing from the correct tees. There's no shame in playing from the forward tees. You'll enjoy the game so much more.