5 Wood Loft and Distance: What to Check Before Adding One to Your Bag

A 5 wood often has between 17°-19° of loft, depending on the model. How far it goes depends on your strike, swing and the club’s build. Check your own carry distance before assuming it will sit neatly between your 3 wood and longest iron.

Our team finds that buyers commonly want a 5 wood to fill that gap while being easier to launch. The starting question is which shots your current clubs leave uncovered. A 5 wood needs to improve those options to earn its place.

What loft is a 5 wood?

PING’s G430 MAX, TaylorMade’s SIM2 Max and Callaway’s Rogue ST MAX 5 woods all have a published loft of 18°. TaylorMade’s SIM2 Max D 5 wood has 19°.

These examples show why the full model name matters. SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max D are closely related names, but the 5 woods do not have identical lofts. Other generations and versions may differ again.

5-wood specifications compared

These are manufacturer specifications for the selected standard builds. They describe the original designs, rather than measurements of individual used clubs. Each model name links to its source.

TaylorMade’s figures refer to the standard builds in its 2021 component catalogue, rather than the separate women’s builds. Match the precise version when comparing specifications.

Standard length is a reference. A second-hand club may have a replacement shaft, a shortened build or another alteration. Check its actual playing length if that detail affects your choice.

How far does a 5 wood go?

There is no single 5-wood distance that every golfer should achieve. The useful answer is how far you can carry that club with representative contact, and whether those shots cover a gap in your bag.

During a club fitting consultation, our team starts by asking which clubs sit either side of the proposed 5 wood, how far you hit them and whether you have tried alternatives such as hybrids. Your experience and current equipment help frame the comparison. They do not establish a required yardage.

Keep your normal result separate from your longest strike. A club that occasionally reaches the desired distance but often falls short may not provide a dependable approach option.

Carry and total are different numbers

Carry describes the airborne part of the shot. Trackman’s carry definition uses a landing point at the same elevation as impact, so an uphill or downhill target needs a separate allowance.

Total distance includes where the ball finishes after landing. That matters when judging a running shot, but it cannot replace carry when you need to clear a bunker or water.

Compare carry with carry across your clubs. If you also record total, keep it separate and check whether the figure is an observed outdoor finish or a launch monitor’s calculation.

Why loft alone cannot give you a yardage

The loft printed on a club describes its specification. Delivered loft, also called dynamic loft, is the loft the face presents at impact. Trackman explains that delivery, shaft bending and strike location can affect it.

That is one reason two golfers can produce different flights with the same 5 wood. Head design, shaft and playing length also make it important to compare the actual clubs rather than the loft markings alone.

Do not assume that reducing loft always adds useful distance. A different setting or model needs to produce a better result with your swing. Likewise, a 5 wood does not automatically carry farther than every 7 wood.

Find your usable 5-wood distance

Compare the candidate with the clubs you expect to use immediately above and below it. Use similar balls and conditions, and note the lie and wind. Keep shots from a tee separate from shots off turf.

Look at carry, contact, direction and playable finish. Keep ordinary mishits visible, because they show whether the club remains useful when you miss the centre of the face.

A tight group around a useful distance tells a different story from shots spread across the distances of two existing clubs. If results vary widely, investigate contact and fit before deciding that the loft is wrong.

You do not need an identical gap between every club. You need options for the shots you face, with enough separation or a useful difference in flight to make each choice worthwhile.

Does the 5 wood fill a useful gap?

There are three outcomes worth distinguishing. A clear carry gap is one reason to keep a 5 wood, but it is not the only one.

Similar distance can hide different shots

Our team highlights course conditions and flight as reasons to look beyond one distance figure. A higher approach and a lower running shot can serve different purposes.

Make the measurement clear first. A shot carrying 200 yards is not equivalent to one finishing at 200 yards after rolling. Compare both clubs’ carry and total before deciding whether their distances overlap.

Then check whether both flights are useful on your courses. A lower option may help with some exposed shots; a different flight may suit an approach. Keep both only when the results justify the space they take.

What if your 5 wood goes as far as your 3 wood?

Treat it as a result to investigate. Check that you are comparing the same lie and measurement, then look at strike and launch. A 3 wood’s lower stated loft does not guarantee longer carry for your swing.

If the 5 wood provides equally useful distance with more dependable results, that can support changing the bag. If contact is inconsistent with both, a lesson or fitting may clarify the cause before another purchase.

Choosing a second-hand 5 wood

Our team checks the exact variant, loft, shaft, condition and price when comparing used options. A model name alone does not describe the whole club.

• Model and suffix: distinguish standard, draw-biased and low-spin versions where offered. Check what the exact manufacturer means by its labels.
• Loft and setting: confirm the marked loft and current hosel position if adjustable.
• Shaft and actual length: compare the shaft model, weight and flex, and ask about build alterations.
• Handedness: confirm that the individual club is for the hand you play.
• Condition and photographs: inspect the actual face, crown, sole, shaft and grip alongside the condition grade.
• Price: compare the build and condition you need within your budget.

Do not choose a shaft solely because its flex label matches another club. Weight, profile and your results also matter. Nor does a shorter build guarantee better accuracy.

Once you have established the role and specification, browse our used 5 woods. If the distance or flight checks point elsewhere, compare the wider used fairway woods range before committing.

Questions to resolve before buying

Are all 5 woods 18°?

No. The table includes TaylorMade’s 19° SIM2 Max D alongside 18° models. Check the exact generation and version, plus any adjustable setting.

How far should I hit a 5 wood at my age?

Age does not set one correct distance or shaft flex. Use your own contact, carry and shot pattern to assess whether the club provides something useful.

Does increasing loft always reduce distance?

No. The result depends on the flight and contact you produce. Compare settings or builds under similar conditions rather than converting a loft change into a promised yardage change.

Should I buy one if the gap is already covered?

Only if it offers another useful improvement, such as a flight or level of reliability your existing clubs cannot provide. Our team would recommend no purchase when the 5 wood neither improves the options nor fills a useful gap.