fairway – Golfing Networks https://golfingnetworks.com Golf news & updates Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:21:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://golfingnetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cropped-GN_Favicon-32x32.png fairway – Golfing Networks https://golfingnetworks.com 32 32 Orlimar TriMetal Fairway Wood Returns: Faster Ball Speed, Higher Launch, Longer Distance https://golfingnetworks.com/orlimar-trimetal-fairway-wood-returns-faster-ball-speed-higher-launch-longer-distance/ https://golfingnetworks.com/orlimar-trimetal-fairway-wood-returns-faster-ball-speed-higher-launch-longer-distance/#respond Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:21:41 +0000 https://golfingnetworks.com/orlimar-trimetal-fairway-wood-returns-faster-ball-speed-higher-launch-longer-distance/

Orlimar Brings Back the Iconic TriMetal Fairway Wood

Roseville, CA — Hireko Golf, owner of Orlimar Golf, is excited to announce the return of one of the most recognizable clubs, the Orlimar TriMetal Fairway Wood. Originally launched in 1998, the TriMetal quickly earned a reputation for innovative design and exceptional playability from the tee to the fairway. Now, 28 years later, the newest iteration combines the TriMetal’s legendary design with modern technology to deliver faster ball speeds, higher launch, and longer distance.

Designed for a wide range of golfers, the Orlimar TriMetal Fairway Wood is a forgiving fairway wood that helps improve ball speed, launch angle, and overall consistency.

The new TriMetal features an ultra-thin S450 maraging steel face, designed to maximize ball speed while producing a crisp, powerful feel at impact. A vacuum-cast 17-4 stainless steel sole, heat-treated for strength, enhances durability while optimizing weight distribution throughout the clubhead.

A strategically positioned copper weighted screw provides pinpoint accuracy and forgiveness, while the club’s Shallow face and railed sole make it an easy-to-launch fairway wood, especially effective from tight lies and challenging turf conditions.

The TriMetal is paired with the SK Fiber Supernova Copper graphite shaft, engineered for enhanced stability, ball speed, and launch. This newest iteration builds on the TriMetal’s legendary design to deliver confidence on every swing. 

Key Features

  • Ultra-Thin S450 Maraging Steel Face – Maximizes ball speed and distance with crisp sound and feel.
  • Vacuum Cast 17-4 Stainless Sole – Heat-treated for strength and optimized weight distribution.
  • Copper Weighted Screw – Strategically positions weight for pinpoint accuracy and forgiveness.
  • Distinctive Low Profile Design – Shallow face and railed sole launch the ball easily from tight lies.
  • SK Fiber Supernova Copper Graphite Shaft – Enhances stability, speed, and launch angle.

The Orlimar TriMetal Fairway Wood is available for men, women, and seniors in both right- and left-hand options. Purchase via www.hirekogolf.com and www.orlimar.com or through your nearest authorized Orlimar distributor.

About Hireko Golf

Hireko Golf is a manufacturer of golf equipment and accessories headquartered in Roseville, California. Hireko’s stable of brands includes Orlimar, Intech, Juggernaut, Karma Grips, Acer & Dynacraft Golf Components and SK Fiber Golf Shafts. Hireko is also the licensee for PowerBilt in the USA.

For more information, or to become a dealer, contact support@hirekogolf.com or call +1 (626) 330-5525

 

Media Contact:
Hireko Trading Co., Inc
Ja’Monie Johnson
626-330-5525
jamonie@hirekogolf.com

 

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How to hit a fairway wood like a pro https://golfingnetworks.com/how-to-hit-a-fairway-wood-like-a-pro/ https://golfingnetworks.com/how-to-hit-a-fairway-wood-like-a-pro/#respond Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:24:50 +0000 https://golfingnetworks.com/how-to-hit-a-fairway-wood-like-a-pro/

Learning how to hit a fairway wood could transform your golfing game in par-five or particularly long par-four holes. Gaining the ability to reach the green in just a couple of strokes is a hugely significant advantage, and mastering the required technique could result in your handicap shooting down.

But it’s not easy. If you find yourself topping your fairway woods or struggling to get them off the ground, this guide is for you. Who knows – getting to grips with one of the trickiest clubs to use could be the key to moving to the next level.

 

Where to use a fairway wood

The first thing to understand when learning how to hit with a fairway wood is when to use it.

A fairway wood – particularly a 3-wood – is primed for use once you’ve teed off and have found yourself in the middle of the fairway on par five holes. Or even par four holes, which are particularly long. The aim of the game with a fairway wood is to fire yourself within touching distance of the green, rather than getting all the way there.

This makes them especially useful for these longer holes.

You can also tee off with a fairway wood; however, the technique required differs slightly from when it’s used off the ground on the fairway.

 

How do you hit a fairway wood?

Woman hitting a fairway wood on the golf course

Once you’ve recognised that you’re in the correct position to use the fairway wood, it’s time to get out your club – and it’s a long one. There’s a high chance the fairway wood is the longest club in your bag, and this is part of what makes the technique so challenging.

Instinctively, you might want to swing upwards and lift the ball to maximise the height and distance of your shot. But striking the ball upwards could result in you hitting the ground before the ball or topping the ball.

Instead, you want to be hitting down into the ball. And the first step to getting this right is practising the correct stance.

The stance

When using a fairway wood, a wide stance – with your feet a little wider than shoulder width – will help you hit down on the ball.

The ball should be positioned slightly forward in your stance, approximately one ball length to the left of centre. This will also help you achieve the downward angle of attack necessary to get the most out of the club.

Your sternum should be positioned in line with and over the top of the clubhead so that your stance is nice and straight. You don’t want to lean back, as this will make it harder to hit down on the ball.

The ideal contact

Because it’s such a long club, correctly gauging how the club is going to make contact with the ball can be one of the trickiest parts of using a fairway wood.

Try placing the clubhead on the floor behind the ball to help you do this. You’re going to be making contact with the ball first, before following through to make a little divot in the ground after you’ve hit the ball.

You’ll notice that the fairway wood is quite flat. This prevents the club from digging into the ground and making a much larger and more noticeable impact on the turf.

Now you know what to expect when the ball makes contact, it’s time to think about the swing.

The swing

You can compare the swing of a fairway club to that of a 7-iron. The most important thing is to let the club do the work. There’s no need to attack the ball really quickly, because the club is already weighted towards the back. A nice, consistent and smooth swing is going to help you maximise the distance of your shot much better than just hitting the ball as hard as you can.

What you don’t want to do during your swing is lean back. You instead want to move your bodyweight to the left so that you’re moving with the swing and allowing the club to work for you instead of the other way around. Aim to shift your weight onto your left foot by pressing it into the ground.

While you’re hitting down towards the ball, you want to keep your club low. You’ll know it’s a good shot when you’ve made that small divot in the ground just after contact, or if you’ve just scuffed the grass.

A good drill to help get to grips with this idea of keeping the club low and making your divot only after the ball has been hit is to put a tee peg all the way into the ground, a little over an inch in front of the ball. After you’ve made contact with the ball, focus on trying to bring that tee peg up.

 

How to hit a fairway wood off the tee

From the tee, your technique with a fairway wood is different because the ball is above the ground. This gives you more freedom to drop your right shoulder and hit the ball more upward.

In this case, position the ball slightly further to the left so that it’s closer to your left foot than the centre of your stance. From tee, you don’t need to worry about creating that divot in the floor either.

The key points to remember

When using a fairway wood in the fairway, don’t let its length deceive you. You might instinctively want to place the ball really far in front of your stance, but the length of a golf ball is all that’s really required.

Keep your stance relatively neutral. Don’t lean back – you’re not trying to hit up on the ball. Instead, hit down on it. And after making contact with the ball, aim to make a small divot in the ground.

Don’t rush the swing or try to hit the ball too hard. Let the club do the work, shift your weight, and focus on a consistent swing. 
That’s how to hit a fairway wood and really shoot yourself towards the green on those longer holes.

 

Specialist golf insurance through Golf Care

Now you know how to hit a fairway wood correctly, you may want to consider protecting yourself and your golf equipment with specialist golf insurance. Get a quote online today.

 

 

Please note the information provided on this page should not be taken as advice and has been written as a matter of opinion. For more on insurance cover and policy wording, see our homepage.

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Cobra OPTM fairway woods emphasize launch, stability and control https://golfingnetworks.com/cobra-optm-fairway-woods-emphasize-launch-stability-and-control/ https://golfingnetworks.com/cobra-optm-fairway-woods-emphasize-launch-stability-and-control/#respond Wed, 28 Jan 2026 06:01:10 +0000 https://golfingnetworks.com/cobra-optm-fairway-woods-emphasize-launch-stability-and-control/


Cobra OPTM fairway woods use refined weighting and face design to deliver higher launch, tighter dispersion and reliable distance off the tee or turf.

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  • Cobra is releasing three new OPTM fairway woods designed for different types of golfers.
  • The new models aim to increase ball speed and forgiveness by using advanced internal weighting and shaping.
  • Each club features a lightweight carbon-fiber crown and an adjustable hosel for fine-tuning performance.

Gear: Cobra OPTM LS, OPTM X, OPTM Max fairway woods

Price: $469 (LS), $369 (X, Max) with Mitsubishi Kai’li shaft and Cobra Lamkin Crossline grips

Specs: Titanium construction (LS) and stainless-steel chassis with carbon-fiber, internal weights and Future Fit 33 adjustable hosel.

Available: Jan. 13 (pre-sale), Jan. 20 (in stores)

Who it’s for: Golfers who want more ball speed and forgiveness from the fairway or off the tee.

What you should know: The OPTM fairway woods build on last season’s DS-Adapt family but push forgiveness and accuracy further by re-engineering the internal structure using Cobra’s new POI shaping. Every model in the line features the Future Fit 33 hosel, the refined 15-zone variable-thickness face and carefully placed weight to maintain ball speed and tighten dispersion.

The Deep Dive: There’s always been a balancing act in fairway-wood design between distance and forgiveness. Shifting the center of gravity (CG) forward can increase ball speed and boost distance, but clubs like that can be difficult to control and challenging for some golfers to hit high in the air. However, while pushing the CG back can enhance stability and make it easier to get shots airborne, it can sacrifice speed, and for some players, generate excessive spin and height.

Cobra’s three new OPTM fairway woods aim to erase that trade-off. Each is designed with a different player in mind, but they all blend aerodynamic shaping with internal weights and geometries that tighten dispersion without giving up ball speed.

Each OPTM fairway wood has a lightweight carbon-fiber crown that frees up mass, which engineers reposition down in the head. This lowers the center of gravity (CG) location, making it easier to launch shots from tight lies while increasing stability.

Each of the clubs also boasts Cobra’s 15-zone H.O.T. Face (H.O.T. stands for Highly Optimized Topology). This variable-thickness pattern was mapped using artificial intelligence to maintain ball speed across a wider area, particularly low on the face where many fairway-wood strikes occur.

Finally, each OPTM fairway wood has a Future Fit 33 hosel. This system debuted in 2025 with the release of the DS-Adapt woodsand offers 33 loft-and-lie combinations, including 2 degrees of movement in any direction. That allows fitters to fine-tune trajectory, spin and bias for smoother gapping through the bag.

OPTM LS (14.5, 16, 17.5 degrees) – Compact and powerful, the LS (which stands for low spin) is designed for fast-swinging golfers who want to create a piercing ball flight. It features a titanium face and body, which let Cobra make the face even thinner, so it can flex more efficiently at impact while saving even more weight. Much of the discretionary mass was repurposed in the form of a large tungsten weight located behind the face. It pushes the CG forward for low spin and a lower launch angle, while a single rear weight maintains forgiveness. The LS has three weight ports and comes standard with a 14-, 11- and 3-gram weight, so the club can be configured with a draw, a fade bias, or a more-forgiving setup with the 14-gram weight in the back, the 11-gram weight in the heel and the 3-gram weight in the toe.

OPTM X (15.5, 16.5, 18, 21, 24 degrees) – The most versatile of the group, the OPTM X features a stainless-steel chassis and a carbon crown to deliver high-launching, mid-spin flight. Its CG sits slightly farther back than the LS to promote forgiveness and consistent carry. The X version has two movable weights (11 and 3 grams) with ports in the back and toe areas. This version offers the most loft options and will likely be the ideal model for the widest range of players.

OPTM Max (15.5, 18.5, 21.5, 24.5 degrees) – Designed for golfers who need help squaring the face, the Max has a 14-gram weight in the back-heel and a 3-gram weight in the front-heel. The result is higher launch, added spin and a built-in draw bias that helps reduce the severity of a slice.

Aesthetically, the OPTM fairways carry the same understated design language introduced with the OPTM drivers—black for LS, blue for X and gray for Max. The look is sleek and performance-first, a big contrast to the bright color palettes Cobra once favored.

At the engineering level, the OPTM fairway woods differ most in how they manage weight and stability compared with last season’s DS-Adapt series. The older line relied heavily on front-to-back tungsten placement and adjustable sole weights to tune spin, while the new OPTM heads also utilize shaping to reduce twisting through impact. That structural change helps each model maintain speed and accuracy across a larger portion of the face, producing tighter dispersion and a more consistent flight pattern for every type of player.

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