Ryan Barath
I don’t like to gossip about the term “game changing” a lot, and even when I do, it’s usually about something that will make the game a lot easier for beginner golfers. Now, I’m not a beginner golfer and have tested a fair share of clubs in my life, but one thing I haven’t tried until recently is 9-wood – it’s a game changer! Or at least for me it is.
As much as I want to say this is a revelation that just came to me, trying 9-wood is something I’ve been thinking about for quite some years now. Long irons are hard to hit, and whether you play a lot or not, trying to hit an iron that carries at least 185 yards can be a difficult task.
Not only that, but using a high top fairway wood to get out of the rough and advance the ball is something that can help make the game easier for any golfer, including the pros at the highest level.
After attending the PGA Championship a few weeks ago and watching tour players test and play the 7th and 9th woods, I knew it was about time I at least gave it a shot. The results have been amazing so far. First, let’s take a look at the specs: The TaylorMade Stealth 2 24-degree angle with ProjectX HZRDUZ Black 70-gram shaft. It’s important to note that all of the options are available directly from TaylorMade, so there’s really no special treat for you.
Results
As you might expect, having 9 woods makes hitting the ball much higher and farther. The biggest improvement in my game came from close to par three, especially on holes in the 200-210 yard range. Rather than seeing mostly inconsistent results with my longest iron, the 9-wood makes getting a 200-yard carry seem almost effortless, and to top it off, the ball also has a much higher rise, which leads to a steeper landing angle that stops the pellet on ten. cents.
Before you assume that loft loft makes the nine-wood a one-dimensional club, it is actually the opposite. You can use it to perform running lane bunkering shots, hit fumbles, run and even fly the ball, when needed. To quote something a larger fitter once told me, “It’s easier to make up, go down than to make it go down.” What he meant was that it’s easier to lower the fly with a club that’s higher than it is to get it to go higher because you’re fighting what that club is designed to do along with gravity.
So if you’re like me and have always struggled to gain confidence in long 3s and other approach shots at and around 200 yards, give the 7 or 9 woods a try because the results may shock you. At the end of the day, shooting low scores is a lot more fun, especially when you have the right gear setup to make things easier.
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