One club that is rarely seen in golf bags and is not located in many stores is the 11-wood. Many players do not own one or even know it exists.
The club has many different benefits and can be used in various scenarios on the course, whether in the fairway or to get out of a tricky situation.
This article will explore the 11-wood and describe its strengths, how to use it, what golf club it replaces in your bag and our favorite 11 Woods on the market.
11-Wood Explained Including Loft and Distance
What is an 11-wood golf club? It is a fairway wood designed with a similar loft to a 5-iron or 5-hybrid. We will compare these clubs later in the article.
11 woods have a large bulky head to them and can be used both off of the tee, in short grass, or even the rough.
They are ideal to hit when trying to attain a higher ball trajectory and hit over objects such as trees or clear ponds and bunkers.
An 11-wood loft angle is typically set at 25-29 degrees depending on the model. The 11-wood is going to travel about 175-205 yards depending on your ball speed, how solid you make contact and the strength of the actual loft and shaft of the club.
What Golf club does an 11-wood replace?
The 11-wood is a great club for a 5-iron replacement. Both have similar lofts. Stronger bent 5-irons will be closer to 27-28 degrees compared to the standard 30-degree fives.
Older golfers will benefit from hitting an 11-wood due to it capturing more height in the air as well as being more forgiving. It is also a lighter club, so it helps increase swing speed. (What everyone wants to improve.)
There are tour golfers who use 7-woods, such as Dustin Johnson, so if you can purchase or try out an 11-wood made by a good company, it’s definitely worth a shot.
When tested side by side by Golf.com, an 11-wood had significantly more backspin. There was also less side spin with the wood, resulting in straighter shots to the target. Being more accurate leads to lower scores.
Having more spin allows the ball to stop quicker when it drops and has less rollout when it lands. This is crucial when playing par 3s or from the fairway on approach shots.
On courses with hard ground, playing a club with more rollout is going to take more skill and lead to fewer birdie looks therefore an 11-wood is great for hard and dry setups.
It’s much easier to slice or hook a 5-iron due to it having more sidespin. This makes the 11-wood a more forgiving club.
📢 Need To Know: Fairway woods have bigger heads and when designed, are built with a lower center of gravity as well as a moment of inertia. (CG and MOI) This helps produce more spin off the face when struck and creates a higher ball trajectory.
11 Wood Golf Club Vs. 5 Hybrid – Which Club Is Better To Carry?
The best recommendation for golfers wondering which club to carry would be to find a golf store that carries both and try them out on launch monitors. How it feels and the monitor’s results will answer the question. Have an expert or teacher watch you if you need a professional opinion.
A 5-hybrid is a combination of wood and iron. It is designed with a smaller head like an iron. The club is ideal for getting more length off the tee or from the fairway. It will have a lower trajectory and travel further with more rollout.
A 5-hybrid will usually have a loft angle of 24-28 degrees. It will travel around 200 yards or further depending on who is hitting it, whereas the 11-wood will fly shorter distances as mentioned above. The 11-wood will have significantly more spin.
Fairway woods are usually easier to hit for most golfers than hybrids, so if you are a beginner or high-handicapper, then an 11-wood is the better option.
Like a 5-iron, you’ll have a higher chance of not hitting the center of the face with a 5-hybrid versus the easier-to-hit 11-wood.
Both clubs are great to hit off of the deck, in the fairway, and in the rough.
If you’re looking for more distance and lower flying shots, reach for the 5-hybrid. If you prefer more spin and higher ball flight, go for the 11-wood.
📋 Keep in mind: Both clubs can get you out of trouble but in different ways. If you’re trying to hit under a tree, then a 5-hybrid would be the better choice. Both clubs are great out of the rough.
Our Preferred 11 Wood
Who makes an 11-wood golf club?
Callaway Golf produces excellent fairway woods and among them are 11-woods. Both the Callaway Rogue ST fairway wood and Epic models of the 11-wood are fantastic to hit.
Callaway’s Jailbreak technology helps golfers gather more swing speed and hit the ball harder, resulting in longer shots and more contact with the sweet spot.
The Rogue features a tungsten speed cartridge that helps provide a lower center of gravity for more ball speed.
A Flash Face Cup by Callaway allows for mishits on the face to still produce desirable results, making the club extremely forgiving.
This Callaway Rogue ST Max is a great example and excellent for seniors.
📢 Need To Know: The Callaway 11-woods can be purchased in stiff, regular or senior flex and at different loft angles with 25 and 27 degrees being extremely popular.
How do you hit an 11-wood?
The following video by two-time PGA Teacher of the Year Adam Bazalgette, explains how to hit fairway woods crisp and make proper contact.
FAQ
What is a golf 11 wood equivalent to?
An 11-wood is typically equivalent to a 5-iron due to its similar loft and distance. It is a versatile club for golfers of different skill levels and can be a useful addition to a golfer’s bag for longer shots on the fairway or rough.
How far can I hit an 11-wood?
The distance that you can hit an 11 wood will depend on various factors such as your swing speed, ball flight, and course conditions. On average, a golfer can expect to hit an 11 wood between 140 to 180 yards, but it can vary from person to person.
