Utility woods are clubs that are designed to get the ball out of a trouble situation as easily as possible. A look at utility woods provides shows us why they are easy to hit from difficult lies. Many utility woods have higher lofts. High lofts help get the ball out of the rough quickly. Remember, the key is to get the ball back in play as quickly as possible when you hit it in the rough!
Don’t hesitate to consider a #7, 9 or even an 11 wood when it comes to selecting a club for escape from bad lies. A utility wood might not hit it as far as a #3 wood, but there is no doubt you will get the ball out easier and more consistently. Many Tour pros carry these types of woods with great success.
Many utility woods have what is called a low profile. This means that the heads usually aren’t very big and are definitely not very tall. Low profile woods typically have face heights less than 35 millimeters, with faces less than 30 not uncommon. The idea of the low profile (also called low center of gravity or LCG), in addition to lowering a club’s center of gravity, is to prevent the club head from twisting when it is hit from the rough. The smaller the head, the less chance there is to get it caught in the grass, making for straighter shots. Plus, the low profile woods have much of their weight on the sole. This makes it even easier for you to get the ball in the air quicker with these kinds of woods. Examples of utility woods of the low profile design in the Dynacraft catalog are the LCG and the popular Tour Caliber.
A number of utilities also have rails on their soles, including our LCG. Often these rails are fitted with dense weights. Our LCG features heavier copper weights in the rails for a lower CG. These rails lower the weight of the club even more. Any time a player can get weight under the ball at impact, there is a better chance for the ball to go higher out of the rough. Usually the higher a ball goes, the more accurately it goes as well because of the extra backspin from the higher shot. A trend in golf today is to use heavier metals in utility clubs. These heavier metals, such as tungsten, copper or brass, also have the effect of getting the ball in the air and out of trouble quickly. When combined with lower profiles, these clubs provide players with clubs that make getting out of trouble easier than it has ever been.
Wedges and utility clubs can be keys to lower scores. Getting the ball out of trouble more efficiently can only lead to lower scores. Low profile or specially weighted clubs give your customer an advantage; adding a properly fitted one to his or her set will take strokes off their handicap. Choosing the proper wedge will help the player get the ball close to the hole, not only after he has made a good recovery with a utility wood, but when he’s hit the perfect drive near the green. Take time to choose the clubs best suited to the player’s game and watch the scores come down – quickly!
