Frank talk: fairway woods aren't getting any bigger, but they're still easier to hit than long irons

Golf Digest, August, 2003 by Frank Thomas

If doubling the clubhead size of a driver has led to more forgiveness, why wouldn't an oversize fairway wood be easier to hit?

B.V., Grand Junction, Colo.

It would be if you could use a tee in the fairway. The problem with large 3-woods is how they're most often used. It's difficult to design the center of gravity low enough in a big clubhead to be effective for a shot hit off the ground. Trampoline effect in a large titanium clubhead happens when the ball is struck on or near the center of the clubface. To hit that spot when the ball is lying on a tightly mowed fairway, the player would have to hit it fat. That's why even pros no longer attempt to hit their new 300- to 400-cubic-centimeter drivers off the deck.

However, that doesn't mean technology is dead in fairway woods. New types of steels have allowed club designers to create hotter faces, decrease turf drag through better sole designs and optimize trajectory. For now, though, it's safe to assume that the size of the fairway clubhead is about where it should be. (For more information on drivers, check out www.franklygolf.com.)

My 3- and 4-iron shots tend to miss right. I borrowed a buddy's 7-wood and hit it much more accurately. Should I switch?

Larry Johnson, Farmington Hills, Mich.

The reason your 3- and 4-iron shots are going to the right may be that the lie angle for those two clubs is too flat. Regardless, I would recommend that you find a place for a 7-wood in your bag. This club is easier to hit than those irons, gets the ball up better because its center of gravity location is farther back from the face and is a lot more forgiving because of its wider sole (making it harder to hit fat shots). Dump the 3- and 4-iron, buy a good 7-wood and watch your long shots from the fairway go up and your scores go down.

What is your take on lie angle versus length? For instance, should you shorten your clubs or flatten your lie? Darrell Wayne, Ramstein Air Base, U.K.

If you have standard-length clubs, change the lie angle rather than shorten the clubs. Shortening clubs affects the dynamic balance and the feel. Lie changes will have a slight effect on the swing-weight balance, but only in extreme lie-change cases (more than 2 degrees).

Can you explain how launch monitors determine ball-spin rate? Don't you need special cameras for an accurate reading? J.P. Bouffard, Washington, D.C.

You are right. Launch monitors that provide spin data based on estimates from launch angle and ball speed are not ideal for making a selection of a club-ball combination to optimize distance. Information about spin obtained without a marked ball and cameras is not accurate. These machines require a fairly substantial investment, so don't expect to find them at every local golf shop. Though their use is growing, I believe we are putting too much faith in launch monitors, hoping the results will provide the answers to all of our problems. These devices are good for top golfers to help fine-tune their equipment. The rest of us should concentrate on getting the engine running before worrying about balancing ourwheels.

Frank Thomas, technical director of the USGA from 1974-2000, is Golf Digest's Chief Technical Advisor. E-mail him at equipment @golfdigest.com.