Why Tommy Fleetwood Won't Leave Home Without His

If the 7-wood has gone from novelty to necessity on tour, the 9-wood is one step further down that road — and one of its biggest believers is Tommy Fleetwood, one of the most consistent ball-strikers in the game.

Fleetwood isn't new to high-lofted fairway woods. He first added a 7-wood to his rotation back in 2019, swapping it in for a 3-iron depending on conditions. But ahead of THE PLAYERS Championship in 2023, with TPC Sawgrass playing firm and fast, he went a step further and put a 9-wood in play — becoming one of the rare tour pros to carry one.

What Makes the 9-Wood Different

A 9-wood typically sits around 24 to 26 degrees of loft, similar to a 4- or 5-iron in distance, but built with the same forgiving, high-launching wood-head design as a 5- or 7-wood. Fleetwood summed up the shot shape it produces simply: "it goes up and drops straight down." It's not a club built for maximum distance or workability — it's built to fly high and stop fast, which is exactly the shot he wants when the ground is too firm to trust a running approach.

That's proven especially valuable at Augusta National, where Fleetwood has leaned on the club heading into the Masters. Describing the setup one year, he called it "a perfect 9-wood golf course" — the kind of layout where the ball needs to come down steeply on tough greens, particularly on the par-5s and the long par-3 4th.

The distance math is part of the appeal, too. Fleetwood has said his 9-wood travels almost the same distance as his 4-iron — within about five yards — but performs completely differently in the air. Where a long iron with too little loft can come in low and hot, the 9-wood arrives soft, which matters enormously when the pin is tucked or the green is firm. On weeks where he doesn't need that extra club, he'll swap it out for another wedge, treating it as a specialist tool rather than a permanent fixture.

Why More Golfers Should Consider One

The logic that works for Fleetwood applies even more to everyday players. Most amateur golfers already struggle to get a 4- or 5-iron airborne consistently, let alone control where it lands. A 9-wood offers the same distance with a much bigger margin for error: more forgiveness on off-center strikes, a higher natural launch, and a steeper, softer landing angle that holds the green instead of releasing into trouble long.

It's a particularly good fit for players who:

• Struggle to get long irons in the air consistently
• Play courses with firm, fast greens that punish low, running approaches
• Want a reliable, repeatable club for those in-between 170-to-200-yard approach shots
• Are looking to replace a long iron or hybrid they don't fully trust

It's not for everyone — players with very fast swing speeds or a strong preference for shaping shots may still prefer a long iron for control. But for the average golfer looking for an easier way to hold a green from mid-to-long range, the 9-wood is no longer a gimmick. It's a legitimate, tour-tested option.

Want to see if a 9-wood fits your game? Shop our full 9-wood collection and we'll help you dial in the right loft and shaft for your swing.

Sources: PGA TOUR, Golf.com, Golf Digest, Yahoo Sports