Fairway WoodsAvoid Fat and Thin ShotsAddress Posture / Stance at Address Wood Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 12 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Hitting Your Fairway Wood: Start with Your Stance

Name: Hitting Your Fairway Wood: Start with Your Stance
Uploaded: 2020-10-31T12:00:00+00:00
Duration: 11 min 55 s
Channel: Danny Maude
Description: Does your fairway wood roll along the ground or hit the ball low on the clubface? Danny Maude sees this as a sign that the player isn’t getting low enough to the ball. He starts by correcting the player’s posture, then has them work on their shoulders with a towel under their arms.

Does your fairway wood roll along the ground or hit the ball low on the clubface? Danny Maude sees this as a sign that the player isn’t getting low enough to the ball. He starts by correcting the player’s posture, then has them work on their shoulders with a towel under their arms.

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Danny Maude · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

9 minSame problemHitting Your Hybrid: Aim for a tee in front of the ballLewis Wallace · Beginner / Intermediate 4 minSame problemSwinging an iron 7 with a fairway wood: let the club do the workGolf Mates · Beginner / Intermediate 9 minFrom the same proPlaying from Slopes Made Simple: Danny MaudeDanny Maude · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

To hit a fairway wood properly when it's lying on the ground, you need to touch the ball and then the ground, while moving slightly downward. The player who hits the ball often strikes it while moving upward, using the lower part of the clubface. According to Danny Maude, the cause lies primarily at address: the buttocks too far back from the line of the heels, with the upper body leaning too far forward. This “overly athletic” posture causes the knees to lock as soon as you start your downswing: you stand up, move away from the ball, and have to stretch your arms to reach it. The solution: Bring your hips under your torso, with your buttocks roughly in line with your heels. Stand a little closer to the ball, let your arms hang naturally, and your body can lower itself naturally as you go down, just as the best players do.

Second cause: a swing of the arms and hands, shoulders that remain raised. The club passes over the ball. You need a pivot where the left shoulder drops during the backswing and the right shoulder drops during the downswing. The exercise: a towel tucked under both arms, which connects the biceps to the chest. Start with short bursts of running, then gradually increase your speed before removing the towel.

The Exercise, Step by Step

At address, stretch your legs out a little and bring your pelvis under your chest.
Position your buttocks roughly in line with your heels, with your arms hanging down.
Check in a mirror: you'll probably feel closer to the ball.
Tuck a towel under both arms, against your chest.
Do some small chips from the fairway wood while feeling your shoulders work downward.
Gradually increase the speed while maintaining the same connection.
Remove the towel and hit a few balls with the same feel.

Key Takeaways

With the fairway wood resting on the ground, you hit the ball and then the ground.

The best players often come from a club that doesn't make it far enough.

Hips too far back: Stand up on the downswing and move away from the ball.

Buttocks in line with the heels: stand closer together, and you can lower yourself.

Rotating shoulders: the left shoulder drops, then the right shoulder.

Holding the towel under your arms forces your body to carry the club.

Mistakes to Avoid

Hips too far back and upper body leaning too far forward at address.
Knees that lock as soon as the downswing begins.
Swing your arms and hands, keeping your shoulders level.
Try to lift the ball by swinging upward.
Take full swings with the towel: it's meant for short swings.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

Checking Your Posture in Front of a Mirror
Small chips from the fairway wood with a towel tucked under his arm
Gradual increase in speed
A few shots without a towel, while still keeping the feel

Your Questions

Why do I hit my fairway wood well but not my driver?

On the ground, you need to bring the club down to the ball and strike it lightly as you come down. Danny Maude explains that most players who top the ball fail to bring the club low enough and hit the ball with the bottom of the clubface.

Where should you sit at address with a fairway wood?

Roughly in line with your heels, or just behind them. If you stand too far back, you'll end up rising as you swing down and moving away from the ball.

What is the purpose of the towel under your arms?

It connects the biceps to the chest. To move the club, you have to use your shoulders rather than your hands. Danny Maude reserves it for short strokes, not full swings.

Learn More

All “Fairway wood” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you All “Avoiding Fat and Thin Shots” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you All videos on “Stance / Address Posture” →Find the lesson that's right for you Gripping Down When Chipping, by Van de VeldeShortening the grip brings you closer to the ball and makes your swing more vertical: the clubhead leaves the ground sooner and strikes the ball in the center, without a fat shot or a top. Thin Shots and Early Extension: The Chair DrillA thin shot comes from the pelvis moving early toward the ball; to keep your spine angle: a chair against your backside, and Woods' low downswing. Fat Shot from Tipping Back: Right Shoulder Toward the BallThe “gratte aux fers” comes from tilting the upper body backward: the sternum in front of the ball (“right shoulder toward the ball”), controlled by a stick. Danny MaudeAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Danny Maude). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.