You use the woods for maximum distance both on the tee and the fairway. Although woods are usually harder to control than irons, especially when you are new to the game, you should learn how to use them as soon as possible. Using woods to hit the ball long distances is an ability you must learn at an early stage to lower your scores.

A well-struck wood shot sets you up in the best possible way for the remainder of the hole.

The most commonly used woods are the 1, 3 and 5. They are designed to increase your distance and power without any extra effort.

While the size and shape of the clubhead provides the most obvious visual difference between woods and irons, it is the length of their shafts that helps you achieve the extra distance.

Shape, material and length combine with your technique to extract power from the club.
 
More power

When you swing a wood, the longer shaft gives a wider arc and this means that the clubhead has a greater distance to travel. If you swing a wood with the same rhythm and  
tempo as an iron, the clubhead travels around the arc in the same time, but it has to cover much more distance and this raises its speed. It is this increase in clubhead speed that provides you with the additional power to hit the ball longer distances. You do not have to speed up your swing and tempo to make the clubhead go faster. Your tempo should be the same for every 'full' shot from driving to pitching.

While the longer shaft of the wood should not affect yourtiming.it does lead to changes in your address including stance, posture and ball position. It also affects your swingplane.

Address and swingplane

With a wood, you stand further away from the ball than you would with an iron because the shaft is longer. Your stance is wider so that you can maintain your balance. Your posture changes so that you address the ball with your back more upright and you position the ball opposite the inside of your left heel.

This upright posture triggers a number of other differences between woods and irons. Your swingplane is flatter, so the clubhead approaches the ball at a shallower angle. You sweep through the ball, which is struck at a later point in your swing. This is why the ball is placed opposite the inside of your left heel.

The backswing

Once you have understood the changes to your stance, posture, I position and swingplane, the sic technique for using woods similar to using irons. Your npo remains the same, as do jr grip, aim and alignment procedures.

:rom address, take the club away wly, keeping the clubhead se to the ground for the first 6-(15-23cm). Your left shoulder is led across and your weight transfers from an even distribution at address to the inside of your right foot by the completion of the backswing.

Pause at the top

When you reach the top of your backswing, allow for a slight pause before starting the downswing. This pause helps create rhythm and improves timing by separating the backswing from the downswing. Many golfers believe that the backswing and downswing are one continuous movement. This is wrong, and to treat them as one movement only leads to a rushed swing and a poor strike.

The downswing

Begin the downswing by smoothly rotating your left hip to the left. This pulls your hands, arms and the clubhead down to the halfway position where your arms and hands swing the clubhead through the ball. The momentum of the clubhead pulls your right shoulder under your chin. Your head rotates to face the target and your weight moves across to your left foot.

Teeing up the ball

When playing a wood shot from a tee peg you have to place the peg at the correct height. The height varies from club to club, but the general rule is that the centre of the ball should be level with the top of the clubface when the club is resting on the ground and the ball is on the tee.

Clubfaces on woods vary in depth, although within any one set, the lower the number of the wood then the deeper its clubface and bigger its clubhead. The 1 wood has the deepest clubface of all woods. The tee peg for a 1 wood should be higher than for a 3 wood, which in turn is higher than for a 5-wood. A ball teed at the correct height is easy to sweep off the top of the tee peg.

If you don't tee your ball at the correct height you lose both distance and accuracy or even mis-hit the shot.

Wood and iron swingplanes

There is a marked difference between the swingplane of a wood and that of an iron. The swingplane of a wood (blue) is flatter, where you cause the clubhead to sweep through the ball at impact. The swingplane of an iron (pink) is more vertical, and the clubhead approaches the ball at a more acute angle. These differences are brought about by the length of the club changing your posture at address. Posture is more upright with a wood.

Swinging with woods

1: Address & takeaway
 At address the ball is opposite the inside of your left heel. Take the club away slowly keeping the clubhead low to the ground.

2: Rotate to the right
 Allow your upper body to rotate freely as your left arm swings the club back. By the two-thirds point in your backswing your weight has transferred from a central position at address to the inside of your right foot.

3: Top of the backswing
At the top of the backswing your shoulders have rotated 90° and your hips 45°. Make sure you complete the backswing before starting the downswing - a slight pause before the downswing helps. At the top of the backswing the shaft should point at the target.

4: Starting the downswing
Rotate your left hip to the left to start the downswing. This pulls your arms and hands into an ideal striking position.

5: Followthrough
After impact, allow your weight to move across to the outside of your left foot. The left side of your body controls the entire swing - from takeaway to followthrough - while your right side remains passive.

6: The completed position
 Allow the momentum of your club to pull your right shoulder and your head to face the target. Your whole body should also face the target. At the finish you should be balanced with most of your weight on your left foot.