Can we blame the golf club manufacturers for presenting ‘Hype and Hyperbole’? Of course not! It is a legitimate marketing way of life.

We were pushed into the ‘Hybrid Battleground’. Useful and truthful? You shall have your own experience and opinion. The ‘Hybrid Technology’ was an inbred cross between an iron and a ‘Wood or Fairway Metal’… more sole, more bounce or trim and less digging. Good things!

There is a lot of marketing chatter currently about a ‘Magical New Breed Of Woods or Fairway Metals’ that flight substantially higher and go farther. “Wouldn’t you make changes in your bag for these improvements? Of course, you would!” First, excluding Shaft and Grip variables and capabilities, one should investigate fundamental ‘Clubhead Specifications’.

We all, well most of us, know of ‘The Oriental Equipment Standard’. To get more needed performance across ‘The Pacific Pond’, the ‘Short Syndrome’ fix was to ‘Strong Loft’. To correct the ‘One Club Short Reality’ the manufacturers reduced the ‘Standard Loft’ about 4 to as much as 6 degrees. “Magically” the #6 Iron performed like a #5 iron. ‘Hybrid Technology’ accomplished similar ‘Length and Shape Targets’ … Trajectory and Parabola. Quite simply, a new golf club element or product line was born. Not a bad thing in a sagging market?

Back to basics? For a very long time Drivers had a standard 10 degree loft. III Woods were 15 degrees. V Woods were 20 degrees. VII Fairway Metals were 25 degrees. This was and is known as ‘5 Degree Splits’ in the long sticks. Less in the irons. Very logical?

To the ‘Magical Mystery III Wood’ topic. Need more Height and Distance? Need to stop struggling with your ‘Fat Thin 4/5/6’. Need to make better III Wood strikes? The Fairway Metal was bred and incubated! Not secretive but subtle club business? If you increase your III Wood loft from 15 degrees to 17 or 18 degrees, you get the ‘Magical Mystery’ outcome revealed. Add 2 to 3 degrees to your stock III Wood (with some shape and weight distribution changes) and you actually have a IV Wood! How does it pick, launch and carry golf balls? Farther!