| Fairway woods and long irons are invariably | | | | powerful club in a golfer's armory. It is usually used to |
| troublesome to the average golfer and it is important | | | | hit tee shots on par 4s and par 5s, and is the club |
| to know what you should do when you are in a divot | | | | that hits the ball farthest. Phil Mickelson regularly |
| and how you should cope with such quandaries as | | | | propels the ball 350 yards or 320 meters with his |
| being stuck with a downhill or sloping lie. This article | | | | driver. |
| will teach you how to play each long range shot with | | | | An average player will hit it about 200 yards or 200 |
| the minimum of effort. | | | | meters, although many amateurs find it one of the |
| These days, woods are not made from wood at all. | | | | most difficult clubs to use. It is the straight face on a |
| They are invariably composed of metal and they | | | | driver that causes the problems. A typical driver will |
| make a ghastly sound when they meet the back of | | | | possess a loft angle of just ten degrees. |
| the ball. There are consolations, the ball goes farther, | | | | Many are intimidated by it, believing that they will |
| and the new generation of metal woods is very | | | | never get the ball airborne, so they try to help the |
| forgiving so even a badly miss hit shot will travel a | | | | process along, usually with fatal consequences. For |
| fair distance. | | | | the correct driver technique, search the information |
| With both irons and woods the number of the club | | | | online. |
| indicates its potential with regard to how far the ball | | | | Best, then, to start with a 2- or 3-wood, which is |
| will travel. The lower the wood number, the less | | | | more helpful to the beginner. The former is basically a |
| degree of loft on the clubface, the longer the shaft, | | | | substitute driver and so really only suitable for use |
| and so the farther you can hit the ball. | | | | off a tee. |
| The driver or 1-wood, therefore, is the most | | | | |