Should you play the same weight shaft in your driver and 3 wood?
When it comes to optimizing performance on the golf course, every golfer seeks the ideal equipment setup to achieve consistent and reliable results. One key aspect of club selection often debated among players and professionals alike is whether to employ the same weight shafts in both the driver and fairway woods. While there is no definitive answer, the decision ultimately boils down to an individual's preferences, swing characteristics, and desired ball flight. With some help from our sponsor True Temper we’ll break down why you may or may not play the same weight shafts in your driver and fairway woods, and how that can potentially impact your game.
Assuming that you’ve already dialed in the right shaft for your driver, the decision about what to do with the weight of your fairway woods shaft can go in several directions. Some golfers like the feeling of knowing that their fairway wood and driver are built with the same equipment which can create a consistency in the swing with each club. Other golfers however, like the feeling of slightly heavier equipment once they start to go into shorter, higher lofted options like a 5w or lower. The choice is completely up to each individual player.
How are you using the clubs?
One factor to consider when selecting the correct weight of shaft in your fairway wood is to think about how you use the club most. Some people rarely use their fairway woods off the turf, and rely on it as a tee replacement more than anything else. In that case, it may be beneficial to use the same weight shaft in your fairway wood as you do in your driver because you’re able to create a consistent swing with both options. Conversely, somebody who tends to use their fairway wood as a more playable club, potentially even from a less-than-ideal lie, may find that the added bit of control that comes with a little additional weight is beneficial.
This decision is going to be more important for players at higher speeds than lower speeds. For lower swing speed player’s we’d always recommend staying as light as possible to get the most out of your clubs, meaning that you’d probably be better off playing the same lightweight shaft in your driver and 3 wood, and then making a small change in your 5w and 7w together.
Player’s at higher speeds who may already be playing heavier options in their driver, may also want to keep their fairway woods consistent with that driver, just because they are starting from a heavier shaft instead of worrying about starting with something lighter. There are plenty of pros on the PGA Tour who are using a 70g driver shaft as well as a 70g fairway wood shaft.
How does shaft
profile factor in?
Another factor that may play a role in what shaft weight you need for your fairway is to look at what shaft profile you are playing. It’s common to play a higher-launching profile in your fairway woods than your driver shaft, and that higher-launching profile may also be better suited with a lighter shaft.
At the end of the day, while it’s always suggested on paper to go heavier as you add loft and lose length, it really is a player dependent answer. Figure out what the data says works better for your swing, as well as how you normally play those clubs during the course of a round, and make a confident decision.
Thanks to our sponsor True Temper Golf for supplying us with the product you saw in this topic. For more information on all True Temper Golf products and accessories check out truetempersports.com/golf
