Conference 7.286::golf

    but if it works for you who cares?? I think it was Arnold Palmer
    who once said something like the following to a women who had made
    a comment about his swing...
    
    	"it is a game of how many, not how..."
    
    Many golfers are just opposite you in that they can sweep a wood
    better than hitting down on irons...so what...it's the score that
    counts...I play golf with a guy at my club who has one arm and uses
    woods for almost all shots outside 100 yards and he can give a tough
    match to anyone reguardless of handicap...
    
    it's how many that counts...not how or with what...as long as it's
    a legal club...
    
    my 2 cents worth
    

         I wish I could hit the 2 and 3 irons !!  Usually I just get a weak
    slice so I quit carrying them. I carry a 5 wood all the time and even
    carry a 7 wood on occaision if the course calls for it. I don't seem to
    have a problem hitting in the right direction, its just that the two
    clubs hit the ball so high that if the wind is blowing very much I lose
    a lot of distance. 5-wood 200-220 yds, 7-wood 180-200 yds.
    
    Mad Hacker

    
    
    Speaking as a hacker:
    
    The 5 & 7 woods are my best friends on the golf course.  When I really
    need to make a good shot, or hit a narrow fairway, one of these guys
    comes to the rescue.
    
    I got the idea to buy a 7 wood from this file, it was the best choice I
    ever made.  I don't carry an iron over the 5, so the 7 wood gets a ton
    of use.
    
    It's taken quite a few strokes off of my game, and cut down on the wood
    hunting. 
    
    So I'll keep using those sissy clubs, and helping my buddies look in
    the woods when they slice that 3 iron!!!!!!!!!
    
    Shane
    

    wish I could hit sissy clubs to the tune of a million a year like
    the merry mex does.....!!!!! :^)
    

    Trevino used to hit alot of long irons when he was younger.
    
    What suprises me is that so many of you play 5 woods in deference to
    3-irons.  I must be unusual.
    
    Rick

    "fairway woods" - just the thought of the word scares me, i've been
    having trouble with that shot all year, usually just hit the 1 or 2
    iron.
    
    i'm definitly in that 10%, wish i knew why
    
    the problem i'm having in that my fairway wood goes right to right of
    right and usually ends up ob or in the woods
    
    anyone got any advise?
    
    peter

    
    I rarely use my 3 or 5 wood. Sometimes from the tee, but hardly never
    in the fairway. My 2 and 3 iron work out just fine. I can hit my 3 iron
    over 220 yards so what do I need a 3 or 5 wood for??? And I'm a lot
    more accurate with my irons.
    
    Mike

Peter,

   I had severe problems with the fairway wood at the beginning of the year.
 The problems were exactly what you described. Absolutely no control. What
 I did was choke down about 1" and used my driver swing.  It worked so well,
 that the fairway wood was becoming my "money" shot at the end of the year.
   I still prefer the long irons though over the woods, but it is important
 to have both types of weapons in your arsenal.

-rick

    
    I will hit a 3 iron rather than the 5 wood in most cases. There
    are times however when the yardage looks longer than the marker says it
    is and then I will bring out the fin. Hey whatever works for you. You
    know the guy who says to the doctor "it hurts when I do this". If you feel
    more confident with a seven wood then lash away. If it's a 2 or 3 iron
    then go for it. The only thing that really matters is where it comes
    down.  
    
    Pete

    Well... Mike, Pete, and I must have better iron swings than "sweeping"
    wood swings.  I miss right and left with a 5-wood.  I started carrying
    only 1, and 4 in woods this year, and consequently hit very few OB
    shots.  My 5-wood can go anywhere from 180-240 in any direction, and a 
    3-wood makes me twitch.  Fortunatly I hit 2-iron off the fairway 210+
    reasonably consistently.  I even started hitting a soft draw with it 
    this year.
    
    ... nothing feels like a pure long iron... except sex!:^)
    
    rick

    Rick
      Glad you clarified your feelings about a pure hit on a 2- iron !!
    As I recall, last year you thought the 2-iron hit was the greatest
    feeling !! 8^)
       I would prefer hitting the 2-3 irons but haven't been able to
    for a couple of years and in deference to scoring, use the woods.
    Since getting my 845 clones from Gene,though I have quit carrying the 7
    because my luck with the 3 iron is getting much better.
    
    Mad Hacker

    One of the idiosyncracies of having a ~30 handicap, I guess...
    
    I absolutely cannot hit a wood in the fairway.  I just don't have the
    swing for it, I guess.  Which probably explains why I have a 30 handicap.
    At any rate, I usually drive with the 3-wood and I've started getting a 
    little brave and have found that the 5-wood is handy in the deep rough (a 
    place I am intimately acquainted with).
    
    But my 3 iron (along with most of the irons) is one of the few clubs I
    have the confidence that I'll hit long and reasonably straight more than 
    60% of the time.  Which is a lot more than I can say for any of the 
    woods. Or my putts,  Or...
    
    Al
    

    
    Well, I must be on the 10% line.  I use both a 3 iron and a 5 wood, I
    don't carry a 1 or 2 iron.
    
    I can hit the 5 wood a little farther (240 vs 230 or so). I typically
    will use the 3 iron from fairways, especially to a small or well 
    guarded green since I have more confidence in it going where I want it 
    to go.  With the 5 wood I use it when I have to carry something right
    in front of the green, it comes in higher and goes a little farther.
    
    Overall I like my 3 iron better, but will use the 5 wood when the need
    arises.
    
    --Bob
    

    I've just read through these notes and am consistently amazed at the
    distances that you guys are getting with your clubs !
    When i read that you are hitting a 5w 240 yards then i assume you hit
    the driver 280-290.
    Is the distance including roll after landing. In my opinion you should
    only quote the distance the ball pitches. That's how you know what club
    to hit to the green.
    I'm an 8 handicap player, shooting consistent 77-80 scores , but must
    confess to having never hit a 2 iron over 200 yards from the turf.
    Likewise i think the furthest i've hit the 5w is 210, and that's a
    flush hit.
    
    I don't want to sound like i think you're all fishermen ( that big, eh !!), 
    but i'd really like to know what's goin' on.
    
    A confused reader.
    martin

    Hi Martin,
    
    	I am not surpised by the distances quoted from the other noters...
    You play great, and I see you are VERY consistent. Your tempo is
    probably very smooth and grooved... which gives you a more consistent
    distance and therefore such great scores. 
    	On the other hand, if you coil up like a spring... and unwind
    like a spinning top the ball will go a ton :) ! 
    	
    	Watching the Pro's on TV... almost all of them can hit a 2 iron
    over 200 yards, and fairly accurately ( near the intended target).
    We can do the 200 yard part OK, it's the (near intended target)
    part that isn't quite repeatable ;( .
    
    	Happy New Year Everyone !
    
    	Walta

    I would say I CARRY the ball about 240 with a driver.
    That gives me anywhere from 240-280 yard tee shots.
    I am human and have days when I can't hit it at all,
    but when I'm right, the above is a good estimate.
    
    I have been able to carry 2-iron as far as 240... that is max!
    Usually I get 190 carry and alot of roll because of the 
    low trajectory, so 220+ is not out of the question.  If I'm a
    solid 200 yards out I hit smooth 2-iron.  My five
    wood is about a 200 yard carry also, with less roll... I hit it 
    too high.
    
    Rick

    Interesting replies.
    
    Walta, i think you've diagnosed me properly. Most of my friends comment
    on my smooth swing so I suppose I'm hitting at about 85% of max effort.
    I have days when i'm not playing well and i try and murder the ball,
    but, as you say it goes everywhere. 
    The feeling that I get when I'm playing well is of hardly using any
    effort at all.
    
    martin

I've allways carried a 5W AND a 2 iron.  They say they are about the same but
I don't agree.  The 5w I hit further than the 2 iron - I think because it 
gives a much further carry than the 2.  I use it on par 5s and long
par 4s.  But the 2 iron I will use off the tee on short tight holes and long
approach shots into the wind where the hight of a 5W gets blown all over the
place.

I've since taken the 3W and 5W out and replaced with a Taylor 4W but still
use the same stratagy.

Bob

    fyi
    
    Lee Trevino plays a 25 degree taylor made 7 wood, that info is from
    "Golf World"
    
    peter

    I think I read somewhere that he also uses a 5 wood with a strong loft
    on a three wood shaft....
    
    

    a useless fact
    
    trevino has changed his club manufacture, he now plays a 24 degree 7
    wood, spaulding something or other, he uses s400 shafts on all his
    clubs
    
    p