Fault fixes: Topping your fairway woods

Fairway woods have been banished from my bag for as long as I can remember. The reason?

I can’t get them off the ground.

It’s really annoying on when you’ve hit a nice tee shot to then give it away by topping it.

Learning to get a solid contact with my fairway woods would make a previously unreachable target – getting on a par 5 in two shots – suddenly look achievable.

I’ve turned to The Pro at The Shack for help and, as always, he has all the right answers…

Ball position

It’s quite obvious to The Pro, from the first shot I strike, that my ball position is completely wrong.

The ball is way too far forward in my stance – outside of the front foot. I’ve always thought you put the driver and fairway wood in the same category.

But while the driver is on a tee peg and designed to be swept off the surface, fairway woods require compressing with the ball on the ground.

The Pro explains I need to hit down on the ball. He instructs me to bring it an inch or two inside the stance.

He also asks that my weight is placed further forward – putting a bit more on the front foot.

Conquer your fear

Once my ball position is correct, the strikes are much better. I’m now regularly threatening 200 yards with the fairway woods.

Now I’m using different swings for my driver and my fairway woods. They are back in the bag ready to be wielded once again in competition.

Key point

1 – Ball position