Someone recently asked what kind of woods to use as a beginner. My answer? None. If this is your first season, play without woods in your bag. Once you’ve played a few rounds, you’ll know which (if any) you should add to your bag.
The Question: Which Woods for Beginners?
Here’s the original post, which asks what kind of golf woods he should use as a beginner.
He might be wondering about 3 wood vs. 5 wood. That’s a valid question. But I think there’s a better option. And remember, I’ve provided expert feedback on new clubs for other golfers.
But here’s the truth: You shouldn’t buy a wood right now.. A hybrid will suffice right now, and it won’t hurt to hold off on woods until you know what your specific skillset requires. Of course, once you’ve got a full set, you might want to evaluate golf push carts.
Video Response: What Kind of Woods Do I Need as a Beginning Golfer?
Video Transcript
Getting your first set of clubs is equally exciting as it is intimidating. There are tons of options out there, and I’m sure this Reddit poster is seeing just that. He’s already got most of his sets sorted and just needs a little help with finalizing the woods.
I can make this real easy for you, for all beginners out there: You don’t need any woods for your first season.
I know that might sound a bit extreme, but one of the few uses a beginner would have for a fairway wood would be to replace their driver. But it seems like this golfer is comfortable with his driver, and even has a backup.
The other scenario where a beginner would use a fairway wood is when they’re on the fairway of a long hole. But since the invention of hybrids, a beginner is much better off adding one or two of them to their bag rather than a fairway wood.
Hybrids are just easier to use and offer more forgiveness to all golfers, especially beginners.
Related: How Does a 3 Hybrid Stack Up Against a 3 Wood?
Sure, you’ll sacrifice a bit of distance, but your ball contact will be more consistent with a hybrid. Less chance of topping it two feet in front of you. If you must add a wood to your bag, make it a 5 wood. It’s much more versatile than a 3 or a 7 wood, and it will complement a 3 or a 4 hybrid nicely.
But just to summarize quickly, my recommendation would be to hold off on any wood purchases until you have your irons and hybrids sorted.
Play with that set for a season, and then ask yourself if having a fairway wood would have helped you shoot better scores. If so, which shots would you have used it on? If you can make a strong case for buying a fairway wood, then go for it. But don’t think you must have a fairway wood to improve beyond beginner status.
I assure you, no one will hold it against you if you show up without any fairway woods in your bag.
Thanks for watching. I’m Clint McCormick, resident golf pro at Golfspan.com.
Clint is PGA-certified and was a Head Teaching Professional at one of Toronto's busiest golf academies. He was also featured on Canada's National Golf TV program, "Score Golf Canada," twice. He graduated with a degree in Golf Management from the College of the Desert in California and studied under Callaway's co-founder, Tony Manzoni. He has a handicap index of 6.2 and spends the winters near Oaxaca, Mexico, where he plays twice a month at the Club de Golf Vista Hermosa. He's written over 100 articles at GolfSpan since 2021. You can connect with Clint at LinkedIn, FB, his website, or Clintcpga@gmail.com.
