Collection: The Easiest Clubs In Golf: High Loft Fairway Woods & Hybrids

Ever feel confused by the variety of fairway woods and hybrids, and which clubs you need (and may not need) for your bag? You’re probably not the only one. With the re-introduction of 7 and 9 woods from many club manufacturers, golfers have more options than ever but also a lot of potential redundancies to avoid. These high-lofted fairway woods often have the same loft as longer hybrids, but two similarly-lofted clubs may perform very differently for you.

Some general rules of thumb: 

• The numbers on fairway woods — 3, 5, 7, 9, etc. — are arbitrary in terms of loft. They’re just there to give the club a short reference. Generally speaking: most 3 woods are 15 degrees, 4 woods are 16 or 17 degrees, 5 woods are 18-19 degrees, 7 woods are 21 degrees, and 9 woods are 24 degrees. Some clubs may have a bit less or a bit more, depending on the manufacturer and the design of the club.
• Numbers on hybrids correspond to the iron they replace in your bag. So a 3 hybrid (usually 19 degrees or so) is a 3 iron equivalent, a 4 hybrid is usually 21-22 degrees and replaces your 4 iron, so on and so forth.
• 7 and 9 woods are also fantastic long iron replacements, so if you are in the market for a new hybrid, definitely look into 7 and 9 woods as well (and vice versa). Odds are you do not need both a 7 wood and a 3 hybrid, for instance, because they will likely go roughly the same distance.
• Keep in mind that a 3 wood is absolutely not necessary to your bag. 3 woods require speed and consistent strikes to get in the air and maximize performance. It is much easier to get a 4 or 5 wood up into the air, which is where you can get more distance even if those clubs have more loft. It’s great if you have a 3 wood that reliably works, but don’t fret if it isn’t for you.