Play Tour Technique
Go Long Put more faith in your fairway woods by henrik stenson
t’s no secret that the 3-wood is my go-to club. When I won the Players Championship in 2009, I think I hit driver five times all week. At the 2015 Tour Championship, I went 3-wood, 3-wood to hit the green in two on a 600-yard par 5. I use 3-woods so often, I’ve caved in the face on more than one over the years. The reason I love this club is that it’s so damn dependable. It puts the ball in play when I need it most, it produces high shots from long range that hold par-5 greens, and it gives me a chance to get some yardage back when I get out of position. It’s for those reasons that I’ve often wondered why most of the amateurs I play with shy away from the 3-wood— and fairway woods in general. These clubs can really help you score better. If you lack confidence in your woods, let me help you with that. I’m going to start by sharing a drill that I still use to build trust in my 3-woods. (There’s a reason why I named my old Callaway Diablo model “Old Faithful.”) Next time you’re on the range, try hitting some drivers off the deck. I’m serious—if you can stripe a few with the driver this way, you’ll have no problem getting a fairway wood airborne, even from the tightest lies. That’s my first tip, but on the following pages, I’ll share some more practical advice for learning how to smoke it with these clubs.
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—with dave allen
12 golfdigestme.com | august 2021
