I am frequently asked how to set up for a fairway-wood shot. The first step is standing the correct distance from the ball. An easy way to check is to grab a spare glove and lodge it between your left bicep and the side of your chest, with the fingers pointing outward (below). Allow your arms to hang down naturally and move them slowly away from your body until youre just able to hold the glove in place. Then grip the club and address the ball (above).
JD Cuban
If you stand too far from the ball and reach with your the arms, the glove will fall out. Conversely, if you stand too close to the ball, your hold on the glove will be pretty tight. Feeling a soft squeeze on the glove is a great way to groove this setup key.
The second step is having a little side tilt in your upper body at address. The mistake many amateurs make with these longer clubs is that they set up with their hips and shoulders level, like you would for a short iron, and then beat down on the ball. As a result, they hit line drives or slide the clubhead underneath the ball and pop it up.
Instead, hike your lead hip up a bit so that your spine is angled slightly away from the target and your lead shoulder is higher than your trail shoulder. Do that while keeping a gentle hold on the glove, and youre in a great setup position to deliver the club to the ball for a solid strike.
Jordan Dempsey, one of Golf Digests Best Teachers in Florida, teaches at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.