What is a wood in golf?

Definition

A category of golf clubs with larger heads traditionally made from wood (now typically metal) designed for long-distance shots from the tee and fairway. Woods include drivers (1-wood) and fairway woods (3-wood, 5-wood, 7-wood, etc.) and feature lower lofts and longer shafts than irons. Modern woods incorporate advanced materials like titanium and carbon fiber to maximize distance while maintaining forgiveness. The larger head size provides a bigger sweet spot and higher moment of inertia, making woods easier to hit than long irons for most golfers.