Do you actually use your 3-Wood?

[Beaumissy]

I carry a 5 wood and 7 wood.  They work fine............

[Sooty Golfer]

I use my 3 wood on those hole where a corner needs to be cut off the tee and driver is too much so on the courses I play is 4-5 times per 18. And 5 wood off the deck in long par 5 

[Firebird]

I use my 3W quite often off the tee and off the deck. If I find I am not hitting my Driver great then it gives me an alternative off the tee.

Yes, it will stay in my bag, in fact I am in the process of buy a new one.

[archship]

Dropping it from my bag and adding a 7 Heavenwood. The 3W is inconsistent. My driver is really accurate and I hit the 5W almost as far as the 3W, but with more accuracy. 

[Kevyn Nightingale]

I use my 3 wood a fair bit. On tee shots where I have to stay short of 240; on the fairway for 2nd shots on many par 5s. When I have a long way to a green that isn't too small, or has a bail out area. I use a 5 wood as well.

[MCB14230]

I use mine a lot. I tee off on tighter holes with it and on most par 5s to have a go at the green. I also have a 4 wood which is so easy to hit.  Not getting rid of mine!

[Bubbly Pop]

I believe the only reason to carry a 3W will depend on how far your driver is off the tee.   For example, I love my 3W but only off the deck, never off the tee.  I use it for second shots into long par 4's and 2nd shots on many par 5's.  If you only have it in the bag to occasionally drive with, I don't see the point of carrying it.  I use it off the deck 4-6 times a round depending on the course.     

Edited November 20, 2021 by Bubbly Pop

[chisag]

3 hours ago, JalanK said:

While you may not be suggesting this: If the overall length is within my range, I'm not going to play a different tee on a longer hole just to reach the green in reg, unless the course has mixed tees that have a given slope and rating. It's tough when there is  about a 500 yard difference between two sets of tees, while the slope difference is not that significant. I'll take my lumps on the longer tees rather than shorten the course to the extent it's a pitch and putt on too many holes. I don't hold people up when I play so, that's not a concern or reason for choosing the shorter tees.

 

... That is the wonderful thing about this game. You are free to play it anyway you like. With so many courses having combo tees on their scorecard I think it is just laziness or economic reasons to not offer combo tees when it is quite far between tee boxes. Too short or too long is no fun for anyone and 500yds or more between tees can make some par 4 holes par 4.5's to outright par 5's. Designers take into account approach shots on every hole and while some long par 4's are designed to have a wood run up on the green, others have the front guarded by bunkers or water because the designer expects players to be using a mid iron not a hybrid or wood. If you can't carry those obstacles you are not playing the hole the way it was designed. 

... The course I mentioned is either 6722 or 6264 and I designed my own combo scorecard that is 6533 and allows me to use every club in my bag. 

[JalanK]

34 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... That is the wonderful thing about this game. You are free to play it anyway you like. With so many courses having combo tees on their scorecard I think it is just laziness or economic reasons to not offer combo tees when it is quite far between tee boxes. Too short or too long is no fun for anyone and 500yds or more between tees can make some par 4 holes par 4.5's to outright par 5's. Designers take into account approach shots on every hole and while some long par 4's are designed to have a wood run up on the green, others have the front guarded by bunkers or water because the designer expects players to be using a mid iron not a hybrid or wood. If you can't carry those obstacles you are not playing the hole the way it was designed. 

... The course I mentioned is either 6722 or 6264 and I designed my own combo scorecard that is 6533 and allows me to use every club in my bag. 

My home course has two vastly different 9s. While similar in length, the back nine is more difficult due to significant terrain changes, some forced carries, natural grasses areas which are not marked as hazards or drop areas, and over the course of a season, can become quite long and thick. This leads to lost ball penalties.  The back also has a far greater exposure to the wind. People I have played with will play the front nine from the "White", then play the back from the "Senior" tee box. I think most of them enter their scores as a total for the round, usually from the longer tees. If you just enter the scores as two 9 hole rounds handicapping is no problem.

Mixing tee boxes, did you adjust slope and rating for hcp. purposes? Where could one fine the info necessary to do that?

Edited November 20, 2021 by JalanK

[HDTVMAN]

Don't have a 3 wood...use a 5 wood turned down to 16°. Perfect off the tee and deck.

[chisag]

45 minutes ago, JalanK said:

Mixing tee boxes, did you adjust slope and rating for hcp. purposes? Where could one fine the info necessary to do that?

 

... I just don't enter those scores. I really don't care much about handicaps these days as I usually shoot around par. Bad days I am over, good days I am under and average days I am right around par so my index has been pretty much the same for a few years now. My home course has several really tough (long) par 4's and unless I hit a terrible tee shot I usually play a hybrid or long iron into those greens. When the day comes that I can no longer reach those holes in two I will combo before moving up on the mid length and shorter holes. So many ways to enjoy this game and keep it challenging...

[Jay Marie]

I absolutely love hitting my 3 wood regardless of brand/model. When I returned to golf after 20 years it was after many months that I put a driver in my bag. 3 wood off the tee or deck it always gives me confidence 

[kikbuti]

I'm a senior short knocker.  I carry two 3-woods, both adjustable. My TaylorMade is adjusted to 14 and my Ping is adjusted to 17.  I use mostly the Ping from the fairways, but if there's a chance of reaching the green with the TaylorMade without much hazard risk, I'll hit it.  I tee off with a three wood or driving iron when a driver is too much or the shot is too risky.  I don't hit 5-woods consistently.  I ditched them long ago.

Edited November 20, 2021 by kikbuti
corrected unwanted autotype

[rgk5]

11 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... That is the wonderful thing about this game. You are free to play it anyway you like. With so many courses having combo tees on their scorecard I think it is just laziness or economic reasons to not offer combo tees when it is quite far between tee boxes. Too short or too long is no fun for anyone and 500yds or more between tees can make some par 4 holes par 4.5's to outright par 5's. Designers take into account approach shots on every hole and while some long par 4's are designed to have a wood run up on the green, others have the front guarded by bunkers or water because the designer expects players to be using a mid iron not a hybrid or wood. If you can't carry those obstacles you are not playing the hole the way it was designed. 

... The course I mentioned is either 6722 or 6264 and I designed my own combo scorecard that is 6533 and allows me to use every club in my bag. 

Hi Sam:  Good lucking set up in the bag.  Mine has changed a lot in the last two years as I'm now 74 years old.  Take a peek below. 

 

Ciao.

[Franc38]

I don't really have a 3wood. I carry a 16° wood with 42" shaft. I guess that is a 4 wood.

Anyway, I do use that thing a lot... I mean, my driver is the absolute on/off part of my game, possibly worse than my putting. On a given day I might drive "fine" (ie straight... I typically spin the ball too much with that dawn club, so I rarely get more than 260 yards out of it) and on an other one, I block 7 out of 10 drives miles right. So here comes the 4 wood. It goes about 240 yards, pushing to 260 on dry hot days and it draws a few yards or some days cuts a few yards... Sure I do get the occasional snap hook, but that's all. So I tend to use it often off the tee. I don't have many holes where it's making sense for me to use it for a second shot (the par 5s that are "the right distance" to get there in two with that club are either double dog-legs or with tiny greens guarded severely) but it can help if the previously mentioned snap hook has me playing my second shot from the woods 150 yards from the tee box

[Thibide1]

I had this same experience. Then I got fitted again. After getting it zoned in to where it hits a 220-240 shot it became immensely useful. I tried tinkering on my own a million times but nothing made an impact like a good fitting… ensured my gaps were filled and made me feel confident with it off the fairway but also w the right rough lie. 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I use my 3 wood four to five times a round. Only once off the tee. My course has three par 5's and none are straight forward.  The holes have turns and large elevation changes. You have to be very accurate off the tee. If I am in good position I try to go for the green. Hardly ever make it due to either the down hill lie and hitting to and up hill green. I'm not talking little elevation changes either.The holes are 472, 470, and 503 from the white tees which are the normal men's tee's. I am around  240 off the tee with my driver. My 3 wood gets me 220 yards. 

The one time I use it off the tee is is because it's a short hole of 315 yards. But you can't go directly for the green. Trees and a trap are in the way. The green is tucked in behind them. You play straight out or to the right side of the fairway then angle into the green. I lay up to a comfortable 100 yard approach. 

[Lefty19]

Different stokes- all dependent on what YOU need for the courses you play. Is it primarily a mini driver or do we actually need it for specific spots on the course, par 5 in two? 

 

I dumped mine as I don't need it for the courses I play and the yardages anymore. Is the 17* vs. the 13* I use to play more accurate? Yes and I don't need to throttle it outright on every hole since I don't play courses that don't need max. distance either. I play a tighter course with no advantage of being 25yds. + longer but SHO need them to be more accurate for my junky swing. 

 

David

[Billy-Bo-Jim-Bob]

3W is my favorite club to hit! Up until a few years ago I had two 3W's (12 and 15 degree). Now I just have 15 degree to add a wedge. Use it on shorter par 4's, or navigating dog legs/bunkers to avoid trouble. Use it more from the tee, than fairway. To shoot for green on par 5 has to be clear path to the green w limited trouble or I lay up to wedge zone.

MUST stay in the bag!

Edited November 23, 2021 by Billy-Bo-Jim-Bob