3 Wood Options

[RickyBobby_PR]

1 hour ago, fixyurdivot said:

It's the Alta CB 65 R & S on the 3w and R on the 5w.  Based on the TS fitting, the Diamana Thump 65 R on the Tsi2 proved best, but with the ZX5 purchase and KBS TD shaft for the driver, I wasn't ready to make that investment on the 3w.  Since the fitting moved me from the Alta CB Red 55 stiff to regular, the Thump was R, and because I hit the 5w just fine, figured just switching to a R shaft might be the magic.

Because they did not have the correct adapter, I was unable to test the Diamana shaft on my 3w.... I think that would have been telling.  

The same shaft just shorter in your 3w could work in then 5w. All things being equal the 3-4 mph extra you mentioned would lead to 6-12 yards difference between the two clubs. Every 1mph is about 2-3 yards in distance if all things are equal

[fixyurdivot]

Well, I'm still stuck in the muck on this part of my bag .  I did get a bit sidetracked working on the new irons and shafts, but with that now completed, back to looking at 3w options.  As suggested, I did swap out my G400 3w shaft into my 5w and it added a few yards but not what I need.  With most of you thinking a shaft swap won't get it done either, I'm now looking into the options noted above - principally the "high launch" or "Max" models.  

Whilst watching the inclement weather roll through and watching the Zurich Classic the past couple of days, I did some eBay browsing.  One that caught my attention is the Srixon ZX 3+.  Anyone tested or playing one?  I know they were the MGS Most Wanted but not sure if the 3+ was tested? I realize it's counter to the HL models suggested, and the 13.5 deg loft will make launch height more challenging, but might the lower ball flight get the added 10+ yards I'm looking for?

Also, when considering a set-up like this, would a softer tip/flex shaft aid in getting higher launch angle?  They come stock with PX Hazdus Smoke 60 or Evenflow Rip Tide shafts and while I play a stiff on the Alta CB, thinking a R might be better on a low lofted head?

Just kicking around some ideas... lay some knowledge on me .

 

 

[RickyBobby_PR]

2 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Anyone tested or playing one?  I know they were the MGS Most Wanted but not sure if the 3+ was tested? I realize it's counter to the HL models suggested, and the 13.5 deg loft will make launch height more challenging, but might the lower ball flight get the added 10+ yards I'm looking for?

Srixon makes good fairways and they usually have a pretty hot face. If you struggle getting the ball in the air and launching in the right window with a 15° going power loft probably won’t really help and you may get a lot lower ball flight and less hang time and not get any extra yards out of it. You may get a lower flight than your 3w and the extra 10 yards or more because you are just hitting line drives that will land and roll along way but if a course gets wet that will hurt the roll out.

 

2 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Also, when considering a set-up like this, would a softer tip/flex shaft aid in getting higher launch angle?  They come stock with PX Hazdus Smoke 60 or Evenflow Rip Tide shafts and while I play a stiff on the Alta CB, thinking a R might be better on a low lofted head?

A softer tip shaft may launch higher and may produce more spin. Could be a good thing or bad thing. Too much and it’s a bad thing and a little extra than what you have it could be a good thing. However if the shaft weight and overall feel change your swing dynamics it could lead to more bad results but, but if it works with your swing you may see same or better results than what you have.

Blind buying is a guessing game and could be an expensive one you got fit for irons why not go get fit for a fairway wood and know for sure what combo works for you. It doesn’t make sense to fit part of your bag and then guess at the rest 

[GolfSpy_BNG]

I agree on Srixon fairways. I have had a F85 5 wood in my bag for 3 years now I believe. Longest time a club has ever stayed for me. As long as any 3 wood I had tested/played before it. Picked up a matching 3 wood this year and it finally filled my gap between driver and 5 wood. I have always struggled with fairway woods but these are money. Explosive feel, massive distance for me, and can be had cheap nowadays. Haven’t tried the new zx models yet but can’t see anyway they are worth the extra money over the 85 models.  I think Cleveland/Srixon really has something with the hibore crown

[PBH3]

On 3/23/2021 at 4:09 PM, fixyurdivot said:

Who's gamed or still gaming one of these?

My playing partner yesterday was a big hitter to be sure, but he twice hit near 280+ yard drives with this 3w.  I'd heard of and seen them, but never really looked closely at them and the speed slot behind the face.  Doing a little digging I found this article testing it against the newer M2 (another I'm not familiar with).  Definitely an interesting design approach and, by most accounts, regarded as the longest hitting 3w on the market... if you have a tour like swing speeds.

Head 2 Head: TaylorMade M2 Fairway vs. RBZ | MyGolfSpy

The driveresque sole profile shouts "not as friendly off the deck" as my G400 although several reviews suggest it is? 

My next step in trying to find more yardage with my G400 is in route - simply swapping out the Alta CB 65 stiff with a regular.  I'm hopeful this yields pay dirt but after seeing the TM in action yesterday, it has my interest.  

 

I played the RBZ 3 wood for a few years.  It was an absolute monster off the tee, longer than any 3 wood I have played before or since, but was a mess off the deck for me.

[fixyurdivot]

1 hour ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Blind buying is a guessing game and could be an expensive one you got fit for irons why not go get fit for a fairway wood and know for sure what combo works for you. It doesn’t make sense to fit part of your bag and then guess at the rest 

Guilty as charged.  My challenge is the lack of convenient places to get a fitting done.  I might consider the guy in Bozeman as he now likely has a bigger selection than my fitting with him only months after having opened his shop.

[fixyurdivot]

Hey guys.  I'm looking at a Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero 3+ (13 degree) with a KBS TD shaft (factory installed).  I'm kind of thinking to try the "experiment" and see if this might work. It's like new and the price is right. @RickyBobby_PRjust sighed .  I'm also thinking that if I don't like the head, I could remove the shaft, install a G400 adapter, and sell the head. 

Being this is a non-adjustable, fixed shaft, what if any issues might the pull the shaft plan involve?  

[RickyBobby_PR]

2 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Hey guys.  I'm looking at a Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero 3+ (13 degree) with a KBS TD shaft (factory installed).  I'm kind of thinking to try the "experiment" and see if this might work. It's like new and the price is right. @RickyBobby_PRjust sighed .  I'm also thinking that if I don't like the head, I could remove the shaft, install a G400 adapter, and sell the head. 

Being this is a non-adjustable, fixed shaft, what if any issues might the pull the shaft plan involve?  

Haha. Talk about going to the extreme in an experiment. Super low loft 3w, low spin head and a shaft designed to play stiff. Experiment wise it’s not going to hurt anything you will have experimented with the 3 things I mentioned and see what if any you like or don’t like. Although for my personal preference it’s too many variables at once. But hey that’s what makes tinkering fun.

As for the adapter if you swap, you may have to trim the tip but I’m not into club/shaft building so not 100% sure on that

[bens197]

On 4/24/2022 at 2:00 PM, PBH3 said:

I played the RBZ 3 wood for a few years.  It was an absolute monster off the tee, longer than any 3 wood I have played before or since, but was a mess off the deck for me.

This one belongs in my top 10 of longest 3 wood heads I've ever hit.  This thing was a howitzer.

[fixyurdivot]

1 hour ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Haha. Talk about going to the extreme in an experiment. Super low loft 3w, low spin head and a shaft designed to play stiff. Experiment wise it’s not going to hurt anything you will have experimented with the 3 things I mentioned and see what if any you like or don’t like. Although for my personal preference it’s too many variables at once. But hey that’s what makes tinkering fun.

As for the adapter if you swap, you may have to trim the tip but I’m not into club/shaft building so not 100% sure on that

Well, my thought here is that I was fit to the KBS TD for my driver and would suspect it to be a match for a fw?  The Alta CB 65 in my G400 is a stiff flex and, when I bought and tested that shaft in R flex, it offered no help in distance and dispersion was worse...so I'm thinking the S flex in the KBS would work.  True, this violates all basic laws of a "designed experiment", but I no longer have to sell such things to program Chief Engineers and the FAA .

[fixyurdivot]

Switching gears here a little; how many of you have experimented with 2i Utility or Hybrid designs?  Do these offer any added distance over 3w's? Thinking here along the lines of being able to launch them higher like the 5w but stronger loft.

[chisag]

2 hours ago, bens197 said:

This one belongs in my top 10 of longest 3 wood heads I've ever hit.  This thing was a howitzer.

 

... I have posted this before but when the RBZ fairway wood was introduced as gaining "17 more yards" it was met with "skepticism" and I am being generous. Talking with the VP of Engineering at the pga show, he produced some data that verified more yardage than that for better players, but they felt 23yds would have just been too unbelievable for the average golfer, especially since they would not see those kinds of gains. So "Howitzer" is a great description for that ground breaking slot technology.  

[RickyBobby_PR]

32 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Well, my thought here is that I was fit to the KBS TD for my driver and would suspect it to be a match for a fw?  The Alta CB 65 in my G400 is a stiff flex and, when I bought and tested that shaft in R flex, it offered no help in distance and dispersion was worse...so I'm thinking the S flex in the KBS would work.  True, this violates all basic laws of a "designed experiment", but I no longer have to sell such things to program Chief Engineers and the FAA .

Somethings to remember. 1) with driver most are trying to hit level to up on the ball and it’s off a tee with some good height above the ground, whereas with fairway woods we are hitting off the ground and trying to hit level to slightly down. This will usually result in needing different shafts in each of those clubs. For some using same shaft but in heavier weight will work while for others it won’t. 2) Flex is only relevant to shafts in the same weight class in the same shaft line. I will use PX as the example. Hzrdus smoke yellow 60g the flexes in this line and weight are what should be compared. The shafts in the 70g class shouldn’t be compared to the 60g class ones even though they are the same line. Also shouldn’t be compared to the 60g class of the Evenflow line of shafts. 3) I’m not surprised you didn’t see much difference between the regular and stiff in your driver shaft. Unless you were a higher swing speed person who would have the x stiff in that shaft and comparing it to the regular flex in that shaft then I would expect to see a change in performance.

Finding the right weight and feel of a shaft and head combo along with the shaft profile to get the right launch characteristics is what you want to do. One may need a higher kick point in their driver shaft and a mid or lower one on their woods or vice versa. Some may prefer a stiff handle while someone else might prefer something a little or even more softer feeling handle.

 

9 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Switching gears here a little; how many of you have experimented with 2i Utility or Hybrid designs?  Do these offer any added distance over 3w's? Thinking here along the lines of being able to launch them higher like the 5w but stronger loft.

I haven’t had a 2u in the bag but have used 3 or 4u as tee options for long par 3s and short par 4s where placement off the tee is critical due to forced carries, hole designs, etc. they don’t launch higher than 5w for me and I rarely used it off the deck. Hybrids vs woods is personal preference. Some just  can’t hit a hybrid or because of design they have a tendency to pull the ball. If I was looking at loft vs loft in a hybrid vs wood and my goal was to launch the ball in the air I’m taking a wood everyday

[chisag]

39 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Switching gears here a little; how many of you have experimented with 2i Utility or Hybrid designs?  Do these offer any added distance over 3w's? Thinking here along the lines of being able to launch them higher like the 5w but stronger loft.

 

... I find the opposite. I use a 2/3 Utility because I hit them lower than my 3 wood but still get plenty of roll in the desert. The shorter shaft makes it more accurate when I need to avoid trouble off the tee. I also used a DI back in Illinois but mostly on short par 4's were again accuracy was paramount off the tee, I just did not use it as much as here in the desert. 

[fixyurdivot]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... I have posted this before but when the RBZ fairway wood was introduced as gaining "17 more yards" it was met with "skepticism" and I am being generous. Talking with the VP of Engineering at the pga show, he produced some data that verified more yardage than that for better players, but they felt 23yds would have just been too unbelievable for the average golfer, especially since they would not see those kinds of gains. So "Howitzer" is a great description for that ground breaking slot technology.  

A quick look on eBay suggests these became quite popular; their are pages of them for sale.  TM kind of missed it on the finish though... lots of chipped white paint .  So what was it about these?  The speed pocket, the face, both?

[chisag]

17 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

So what was it about these?  The speed pocket, the face, both?

 

... Speed pocket was a technological breakthrough that added much more spring to the face. Now almost every OEM has some form of that slot technology and of course TM has further refined it along with other advancements. That white paint was a disaster imo, much like the legendary Adams LS hybrids that also chipped like crazy. 

[fixyurdivot]

Still web surfing/shopping and now have a question about the "high launch" designs.  Many I see are TM series.  My G400 SFT is 16* nominal setting.  Most of those with "HL" in their model designation are 16*-17* and about half of those are fixed (non-adjustable loft/lie).  So my question is whether the "HL" designation is more about static loft or some other design aspects?  If their intent is to get closer to being a 4w, should their stock shaft lengths be longer than non "HL" 3 wood?

[RickyBobby_PR]

1 hour ago, fixyurdivot said:

Still web surfing/shopping and now have a question about the "high launch" designs.  Many I see are TM series.  My G400 SFT is 16* nominal setting.  Most of those with "HL" in their model designation are 16*-17* and about half of those are fixed (non-adjustable loft/lie).  So my question is whether the "HL" designation is more about static loft or some other design aspects?  If their intent is to get closer to being a 4w, should their stock shaft lengths be longer than non "HL" 3 wood?

It’s a combo of static loft plus length and head size. The HL is a 3w head size and length but with more loft than a 3w. The loft helps get the ball in the air better but the length helps with the speed and distance. It’s the best of two worlds 

[fixyurdivot]

13 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

It’s a combo of static loft plus length and head size. The HL is a 3w head size and length but with more loft than a 3w. The loft helps get the ball in the air better but the length helps with the speed and distance. It’s the best of two worlds 

So maybe I jest need a "speed pocket" design?  While I know I should probably wait until I can arrange a fitting, I don't think I can hold off until then.  I've just got a hankering to find a longer hitting 3w... and preferably in time for the PNW Meet-up .

[RickyBobby_PR]

22 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

So maybe I jest need a "speed pocket" design?  While I know I should probably wait until I can arrange a fitting, I don't think I can hold off until then.  I've just got a hankering to find a longer hitting 3w... and preferably in time for the PNW Meet-up .

It’s possible but in reality it’s whatever is going to give you the speed and launch characteristics to get whatever distance you are tying to hit. A stock 4w could be the right club, it could be a 5w with longer shaft, a 3w with a shorter shaft. 
 

Yeah a fitting will be the best way to find what, if anything works for you to get whatever combo of head, loft and shaft to hit the distance number you want, assuming you are looking more at optimizing carry. If you just want total distance then get a low lofted 3w that’s going to be a bullet and will run for days on dry fairways but won’t be as long I’m softer fairways.

Bling tinkering is going to be a hit or miss approach. I could say that the 2016 m2 3hl with the stock reax shaft will get you more distance than your current wood setup but that would be a guess. I could say that g410 5w with 3w shaft turned down 1* would be the best. I could say the 917 f2 16.5 is great for distance off the deck. All are true for some people. 

[brutal brutus]

I really love my TSi2 16.5* HL 3w. I don't feel like I'm losing all that much distance with it compared to the 15* that I tested(maybe 10yds?) but I do think I have better control with it... off the tee. I couldn't hit either off the deck though. Which is why I just got a 17* TS2 hybrid for fairway use.

[fixyurdivot]

3 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

I could say that the 2016 m2 3hl with the stock reax shaft will get you more distance than your current wood setup but that would be a guess.

I'm leaning toward one of the M series or maybe the SIM2 MAX 3HL (16.5*).  I'm also thinking that having the adjustability of the M3 might be the better choice being that I'm in the "blind tinker mode"... thoughts on that?

3 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

If you just want total distance then get a low lofted 3w that’s going to be a bullet and will run for days on dry fairways but won’t be as long I’m softer fairways.

I've been watching for a G400 Stretch as I do like the look and profile of the PING's.  This was the bummer side of my TS fitting in that they did not have the right adapter for the G400 and I couldn't see how the Diamana Thump or other shafts may have improved numbers.

2 hours ago, brutal brutus said:

I really love my TSi2 16.5* HL 3w. I don't feel like I'm losing all that much distance with it compared to the 15* that I tested(maybe 10yds?) but I do think I have better control with it... off the tee. I couldn't hit either off the deck though. Which is why I just got a 17* TS2 hybrid for fairway use.

TrueSpec fitting yielded the TSi2 15* with the Diamana Thump 65... but I wasn't ready to drop $500+.

[chisag]

1 minute ago, fixyurdivot said:

I'm leaning toward one of the M series or maybe the SIM2 MAX 3HL (16.5*).  I'm also thinking that having the adjustability of the M3 might be the better choice being that I'm in the "blind tinker mode"... thoughts on that?

 

... Owning all 3 of the Sim2 Max fairway woods I find myself more often than not just playing the 5 wood. Like all 3 woods hitting the 15* off the deck requires a good swing with excellent contact, although off the tee it is a monster. The HL is a little easier to hit, elevates a little easier but is the same head/face size as the 15* so far from a night and day difference in forgiveness. The 5 wood is a smaller head and just silly easier to hit from the fairway than the 3 or HL, although I rarely use it off the tee as my DI is just as long and more accurate. 

... So I go back to my original statement that unless you are a really good fairway wood player from the turf, the 5 wood is almost always going to be your best option. I bought the HL to replace the 3 and 5 woods in one club but found there was not a big difference between the 3 and the HL. I will add the fast hard fairways in the desert produce plenty of roll with my 5 wood whereas wet soft conditions in the Midwest favored the HL or 3 wood. The ball also sits up a little more in the Midwest compared to the very short grass that can be almost hard pan fairways found around Phoenix making the 5 wood the best play. 

[brutal brutus]

12 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

TrueSpec fitting yielded the TSi2 15* with the Diamana Thump 65... but I wasn't ready to drop $500+.

I feel ya there. I kinda got lucky with mine. Right time, right place, right price.

Found it used at a local shop but it was still in great condition. I think there was one tiny little scratch on the very bottom of the face. I'm guessing whoever owned it before me might have hit it a couple dozen times. Plus, it already had a nice Kuro Kage Black stiff shaft on it and it had my preferred grip.

I think I paid $200 after taxes. 

Eventually, I might get a new HZRDUS extra stiff put on it just so it matches my driver and hybrids but it works great as is.

[RickyBobby_PR]

27 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

I'm leaning toward one of the M series or maybe the SIM2 MAX 3HL (16.5*).  I'm also thinking that having the adjustability of the M3 might be the better choice being that I'm in the "blind tinker mode"... thoughts on that?

The adjustability is a good option as it w could help with face angle adjustment but also some added loft. The m1 and m2 imo were the best ones made. I messed with the original sim version just on try a shaft so it wasn’t around long for me as the overall feel was off. 
 

But I do like the aspect of adjustability 

31 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

I've been watching for a G400 Stretch as I do like the look and profile of the PING's.  This was the bummer side of my TS fitting in that they did not have the right adapter for the G400 and I couldn't see how the Diamana Thump or other shafts may have improved numbers.

I like the Ping heads too. G400 and 410 are both good models

 

32 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

TrueSpec fitting yielded the TSi2 15* with the Diamana Thump 65... but I wasn't ready to drop $500+.

The downside of fittings where stock options aren’t available, but also going into a place like this one has to expect cost is going to be high. I’ve paid that plus some for my m5 5w with 3w length shaft that’s still in the bag 

[fixyurdivot]

21 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Owning all 3 of the Sim2 Max fairway woods I find myself more often than not just playing the 5 wood. Like all 3 woods hitting the 15* off the deck requires a good swing with excellent contact, although off the tee it is a monster. The HL is a little easier to hit, elevates a little easier but is the same head/face size as the 15* so far from a night and day difference in forgiveness. The 5 wood is a smaller head and just silly easier to hit from the fairway than the 3 or HL, although I rarely use it off the tee as my DI is just as long and more accurate. 

... So I go back to my original statement that unless you are a really good fairway wood player from the turf, the 5 wood is almost always going to be your best option. I bought the HL to replace the 3 and 5 woods in one club but found there was not a big difference between the 3 and the HL. I will add the fast hard fairways in the desert produce plenty of roll with my 5 wood whereas wet soft conditions in the Midwest favored the HL or 3 wood. The ball also sits up a little more in the Midwest compared to the very short grass that can be almost hard pan fairways found around Phoenix making the 5 wood the best play. 

I'm able to reliably launch the G400 3w off the deck but just want more carry.  These are my baseline numbers during the TrueSpec fitting (off the mat).  We did the fairway after the irons and driver segments and I may have started to run out of gas as we spent lots of time on irons which was my primary focus. In play, based on my Shotscope yardage, I'm seeing closer to 190 total distance but hoping to find something that will get me 200+.  

Here is what the TSi2 and Thump yielded

I would have loved to test my 5w at the fitting but they did not have the correct adapters and we ran short of time (another customer waiting).  Again, based on my Shotscope data during rounds, I'm seeing about 175-180 total distance with the G400 5w.  When I put the 3w shaft on the 5w, and tested it at the range using my SC200, I picked up about 4 yards.

Do you play a 3w length shaft on your 5w?  I do agree the 5w is easier to launch but that's not getting me past the 200 yard mark... which would help me reach a few of the shorter par 5's in two and long par 4's in regulation.

[Kenny B]

I have never had much luck with 3 Woods, even when I could generate more speed than I do now.  In fact, I haven't played any kind of fairway wood for several years.  I kept trying them, but I could not consistently make them work... even 5W.  I opted for a 17º 2H as my longest non-driver club.

However, I recently purchased a Like New Callaway Epic Max Heavenwood as an alternative to try out.  I hit it so well that I thought WTH, I might as well give the Epic Max 3W a try.  Well, now I'm in love with this club!!  Finally, I have the ability to hit laser straight shots further on par 5's and the long par 4's, which means shorter clubs for final approaches.  The head is much shallower than any 3W I have ever hit which seems to help launch the ball higher.  I suspect the shaft also has a considerable influence on shots.  It's the stock Project X Cypher with the same weight as my Epic Max driver so it feels comfortable.  So now with the 3W, the Heavenwood has replaced my 2H.  I need to get a 9W to replace my 4H.

I know Callaway has replaced the Epic line with the Rogue ST.  It may be just as good, but I seriously doubt the new 3W will be 10 yards longer as stated on the Callaway website.  These FW will be in my bag for a long time... or until I feel like trying something else!!

[fixyurdivot]

20 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

I have never had much luck with 3 Woods, even when I could generate more speed than I do now.  In fact, I haven't played any kind of fairway wood for several years.  I kept trying them, but I could not consistently make them work... even 5W.  I opted for a 17º 2H as my longest non-driver club.

However, I recently purchased a Like New Callaway Epic Max Heavenwood as an alternative to try out.  I hit it so well that I thought WTH, I might as well give the Epic Max 3W a try.  Well, now I'm in love with this club!!  Finally, I have the ability to hit laser straight shots further on par 5's and the long par 4's, which means shorter clubs for final approaches.  The head is much shallower than any 3W I have ever hit which seems to help launch the ball higher.  I suspect the shaft also has a considerable influence on shots.  It's the stock Project X Cypher with the same weight as my Epic Max driver so it feels comfortable.  So now with the 3W, the Heavenwood has replaced my 2H.  I need to get a 9W to replace my 4H.

I know Callaway has replaced the Epic line with the Rogue ST.  It may be just as good, but I seriously doubt the new 3W will be 10 yards longer as stated on the Callaway website.  These FW will be in my bag for a long time... or until I feel like trying something else!!

Kenny at some yet TBD point (or two, or three) during rounds at the PNW Meet-up... "where the hell is my 3w?" .

I just looked at these and there are a slew of options.  I thought you were making a play on words with the "Heavenwood" but they do have such a thing.  What loft do you have?

[chisag]

9 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Do you play a 3w length shaft on your 5w?  I do agree the 5w is easier to launch but that's not getting me past the 200 yard mark... which would help me reach a few of the shorter par 5's in two and long par 4's in regulation.

 

... I play my 5 wood at standard length. As you know the desert is a unique place. My home course has a 540yd par 5 that is the only hole I could use a 3/HL for my 2nd shot and there is a deep bunker right and a fall off left so unless I hit a perfect shot, getting on in 2 is no bargain. (back in Chicago with soft fairways I was not reaching a 540yd par 5 in two with my 3 wood unless I hit a perfect shot) On the three other par 5's depending on the wind I can easily reach with my 5 wood and that includes a good 20yds of roll. It didn't take long for me to figure out my HL was just too long after I hit it over the green several times. I play a different course in the summer that does not have the same kind of roll as they tend to leave the fairways and rough longer and water more in the intense heat so I can use the 3 or HL on that course. 

... I think many that are a little distance challenged might find they actually carry their 5 wood farther due to increased spin so the ball stays in the air longer compared to a 3 or HL. Your 4th shot with the Thump had by far the most spin and produced the most carry and it would have been interesting to see how your 5 wood compared. As always everyone is different and if you aren't in the "normal for most" the only way to find out is demo different fairway woods, especially on the course.

[RickyBobby_PR]

49 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

I do agree the 5w is easier to launch but that's not getting me past the 200 yard mark... which would help me reach a few of the shorter par 5's in two and long par 4's in regulation.

You are going to either have to find more 3-4 mph more ball speed which is going to be hard or find a setup that produces more peak height without over doing spin so that you get more carry and rollout.

Imo chasing total distance is tough and it the best way to look at what club is the right one because you are relying on course conditions to be the same every time you play so that you get the same rollout. That’s going to be very inconsistent round to round and possibly hole to hole. Also if it’s to reach a green you run the risk of the ball running thru the green if there’s not enough spin and land angle to stop then ball. 
 

A 13* 3w that launches low and flies low and runs out a lot is a possibility if just looking for more total distance.

If reaching par 5 in 2 and longer par 4 in regulation is the goal why not just move up a tee box