Here’s how you can rescue shots
What’s your go-to shot when you miss the fairway? Are you a wedge-it-out golfer or a grip-it-and-rip-it player? We’re looking at the best way to save shots.
Equipment
What's your mix?
There’s a big gap between your driver and your approach irons, so which clubs do you use to get close to the green if you’re still a long way out?
Some players prefer to play with fairway woods, while some use utility irons and others swear by hybrids. There’s no right answer as each of these kinds of clubs nicely fills the gap between your driver and scoring irons.
By-and-large, hitting woods and hybrids off the deck will help you pack a punch and they’re easy to make good connection with the ball with, but longer irons provide that much-sought-after length and accuracy.
We’re seeing a modern trend of tour players opting for smaller fairway woods like 7-woods to help bridge the distance between the fairway and the green.
So, while there are different options open to you, what are the benefits of lining your golf bag with fairway woods?
Why use a fairway wood?
We all know that golf is a very challenging game, and as we’ve already hinted at, fairway woods will help give you a better connection with the ball when you’re hitting straight off the fairway rather than teeing off. The soles on fairway woods have been meticulously designed to power through the short grass, allowing you to translate that momentum into distance on your strikes.
When you play with a fairway wood, your strikes will simply glide across the top of turf and will have the power to give you both a higher ball flight, and a better landing on the green. The ST Max fairway wood from Mizuno has a wide profile that’s been built to resist twisting on impact to keep your shots accurate with your target. A modified leading edge also ensures you strike through any turf with ease.
While it can be tempting to reach for an iron simply because you’re hitting off the fairway, there are potentially more benefits to hitting a fairway wood. If you tend to suffer from either a fade or slide when hitting the ball, fairway woods will give you a higher launch on your strikes, and have better shot-correction tech built into the larger clubhead.
Why use a hybrid?
You may be inclined to fill this gap between your clubs with a hybrid, and they’re an excellent choice if you do. Hybrids won’t give you as much power on your strikes when compared to fairway woods, but they’re very maneuverable to swing and will help you punch though the turf if your shot has landed in a poor area.
The Mizuno ST Max hybrid has a large profile with a light crown that brings the weight down. This low weight will give you a higher launch, and a high-energy face will give you faster ball speeds on your strikes.
Why use a utility iron?
Some golfers prefer to play with utility irons when they find themselves a good distance from the hole. A huge benefit of adding long irons to the bag is your set up to the ball and swing are similar to your scoring irons, allowing you to retain a consistent sense of feel when striking the ball from the fairway to the putting surface.
With Mizuno’s 431SS body construction, the Pro Fli-Hi driving iron offers the player a satisfying sound on impact and a consistent ball flight in the air. With a 21g tungsten weight built into the iron head, this driving iron will have your shots flying down the fairway.
Mizuno ST fairway woods
The latest fairway woods from Mizuno, those in the ST range, don’t just look fantastic. There’s a lot of tech that’s been packed into the clubhead to give you a trouble-free time on the golf course.
As we’ve already mentioned, the ST Max fairway wood is a nifty bit of kit. As well as having a modified leading edge, the club makes use of Mizuno’s MAS1C steel face that ensures you retain excellent ball speeds on off-center shots. The club also has a quick switch hosel that’s adjustable to 4 degrees.
A fantastic lightweight alternative, the ST-G 440 fairway wood is equipped with Mizuno’s Cortech Chamber that acts as an additional energy source to give you a boost of distance. An 80g steel sole plate, an 8g front screw, and a lightweight waffle crown all contribute towards an ultra-low spin construction. If you’re a consistent-striking golfer, you’ll make the most out of this club.
A club that’ll be a real benefit to any player’s bag, the ST-Z 230 fairway wood features a carbon composite crown that both lowers the overall center of gravity and offers a stable, consistent launch when you strike through the ball. This club will certainly give you the confidence to go for the green when you’re still a good distance from the hole.
These fantastic Mizuno fairway woods are available right now in the pro shop. If you pop by the shop, we’d be more than happy to book you in for a custom fitting.
