The fairway wood is a crucial scoring club. It’s used to advance the ball long distances from the fairway or off the tee on tight holes. However, many golfers fear this club because of the dreaded “top”—where the leading edge of the club hits the top of the ball, sending it skipping along the ground. This mistake often comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of the swing’s low point.
Our featured video, “Stop Topping Your Fairway Woods – Easy Golf Lesson”, provides a simple, foundational fix that eliminates topping and helps you hit pure, penetrating fairway shots consistently.
The Cause of Topping: The Rising Low Point
Topping your fairway wood is almost always a result of your swing’s low point occurring before the ball. This is often caused by trying to “help” the ball into the air, which results in:
- Early Extension: The body stands up too early during the downswing, lifting the arms and moving the low point backward.
- Hanging Back: Failing to transfer weight fully to the lead side, shifting the low point behind the ball.
- Scooping: An active flipping motion of the hands to lift the ball, which raises the clubhead just before impact.
The Easy Lesson: Sweeping, Not Scooping
The key to hitting a fairway wood correctly is executing a “sweep” motion, ensuring the club makes contact with the ball right at the bottom of its arc, or slightly after, grazing the turf gently.
The Easy Golf Lesson focuses on simple, actionable changes:
1. Ball Position Check
The ball must be played slightly more forward in your stance than a standard iron (usually just inside the lead heel). This encourages the club to meet the ball on a level or slightly ascending path. This is a foundational element that dictates the entire swing.
2. The Setup Anchor
Anchor your low point by establishing a good, stable SET UP FOR THE GOLF SWING. Ensure your spine is slightly tilted away from the target (similar to the driver setup) to promote the sweeping motion.
3. The Mental Cue: The “Second Tee” Drill
The video likely demonstrates a drill where you place a tee just in front of the ball.
- The Feel: Your swing thought should be to hit the ball and then brush the turf where the tee is located. This simple cue forces the low point forward and prevents the hands from scooping or lifting.
The Path to Fairway Confidence
By implementing this easy lesson, you gain confidence with a club that often costs golfers valuable distance and accuracy. Hitting your fairway woods cleanly will dramatically improve your course management, especially on long par 4s and par 5s.
Ready to start hitting those long, pure fairway woods? Check on YouTube