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Why is my 5 wood going as far as my 3 wood?


Lgebbers

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Hi all, 

I'm looking for some advice here. 

I have been playing with my Callaway Epic Flash 5 Wood and am really happy with it. It has an Project X Even Flow Green 5.5 or 5.0 Regular Flex shaft and the club has 18 degrees of loft and is set to standard.
I'm still a beginner so I only hit it around 180-185 yards but I hit it fairly save and am happy with the distance for now while I work on my swing and overall speed.

As I like the club I bought  the same just as a 3 wood, thinking it would go bit further. 
I bought it used so it came with a different shaft. This one has a Tensei AV BLUE 75 also with Regular Flex. This club has 15 degrees of loft and is also set to standard. 

After playing a few rounds I'm struggeling a bit with the new 3 wood. 
My misses are much bigger and it tends to fly only as far as my 5 wood even if I hit it rather well.
So now I have a tendency to just stick with my 5 wood and leave the 3 wood in the bag. 

Any tips or ideas from the pros here why that is and what to do moving forward?
Could it be just the different shaft or do the 3 degrees just don't make that much of a difference?
If it is the different shaft (I understand that the Tensei is heavier the Project X) would it make sense to change the shaft?
I also could set it to 14 degrees if that would help. 

Happy to get any advice. 

Thanks and all the best

 

 

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You would need to get numbers on a launch monitor to really see what’s going on.

In general the 3w is harder to hit than the 5w and with your distance with the 5w you have a relatively slow swing speed which will make it harder to get the proper launch and ball flight with the 3w to get it to go farther than your 5w. 
 

The bigger misses from the 3w are due to the lack of speed, spin, height that come from slower swing speeds and swing flaws.

Could it be the shaft? Possible but again that is something that would need launch monitor and probably a good fitting. There’s nothing that says you need a 3w and since the 5w is working you can stick with that. 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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@RickyBobby_PRcovered pretty much everything.  15 degree 3 woods are simply hard to hit an many people don’t use them.  There are many topics on the forum about 3 woods but the most recent/active one is:  

 

 

 

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven
Fairway: :titelist-small: TS3 15*  w/Project X Hzardous Smoke
Hybrids:  :titelist-small: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype
                :titelist-small: 915H  24*  w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype        
Irons:      :honma:TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite
Wedge:  :titleist-small: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite
Putter:   :taylormade-small:TM-180

Testing:   SPGC_logo.jpg

Backups:  :odyssey-small: Milled Collection RSX 2, :seemore-small: mFGP2, :cameron-small: Futura 5W

Member:  MGS Hitsquad since 2017697979773_DSCN2368(Custom).JPG.a1a25f5e430d9eebae93c5d652cbd4b9.JPG

 

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I'm no expert but I was in the same situation.

Have a Cleveland 3w and a cobra 5w, I never played a wood before in my life before this year. I got better at golf, started playing those. The contact with the 3W are inconsistent, launch angle is often too low to be able to go over the 5w for me, shaft is longer so I am even more inconsistent with it. For the 5W,  I'm still a little bit inconsistent with it but when I am, I am 150 yards in front of me straight (top the ball mostly) and when I catch it, I get wonderful numbers. 

Most fitter would recommend a 5w over a 3w because its easy to hit. So Now I play with a 5w at 17degre vs my 3w at 15degre. When I go at the driving range if I catch both of them on the nose, 3w goes like 15-20 yards more but in 10 shot, my 3w would be 20 yards shorter in average than my 5w. my 5w is 200-210 yards, a good hit on it is 230- 250 in the wind.

Edit: sorry wrong button too fast.

Lower swing speed have trouble launching lower number club off the ground

3w,4w, 2iron, 3iron,4iron even sometimes the 5 iron, hybrid 2 and sometimes hybrid 3.

Those club have lower loft and with lower swing speed you cannot generate enough height to get a better distance than another more lofted club.

So this is why 5w is generally a good safe fit for everyone

this is why women's set tend to have 2-3 hybrid in there

this is why one length set from cobra stop often at 5 or 6 because people who play those don't have the necessary swing speed to get more distance from a lower lofted club.

Edited by pouetvl
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Everyone above hit it on the head.  A 3w is just harder to hit because of the lower loft and longer shaft length.  I've got a 3w that I've got adjusted up to ~5w loft to make it easier to hit and get a closed face to help keep me from slicing it.  It's still hit or miss for me and I'm thinking about dropping it and just getting a real 5w.

 

The same concept applies to the long irons as well.  A lot of people will find that their 3 iron/hybrid goes the same length as their 4 and sometimes even the 5.  They just aren't easy clubs to hit and therefore don't travel as far as they should and end up being redundant with other clubs in your bag.

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1 minute ago, ChitownM2 said:

Everyone above hit it on the head.  A 3w is just harder to hit because of the lower loft and longer shaft length.  I've got a 3w that I've got adjusted up to ~5w loft to make it easier to hit and get a closed face to help keep me from slicing it.  It's still hit or miss for me and I'm thinking about dropping it and just getting a real 5w.

 

The same concept applies to the long irons as well.  A lot of people will find that their 3 iron/hybrid goes the same length as their 4 and sometimes even the 5.  They just aren't easy clubs to hit and therefore don't travel as far as they should and end up being redundant with other clubs in your bag.

Story on my life lol!

Ping G430 Max 9* turned up to 10* in draw setting X-Stiff Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 60

Srixon ZX 3w Ventus Velocore Blue 7s

Ping G425 5w X-Stiff Ping Tour 70 

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

Srixon ZX& 7-PW  Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore 50* 54* 58* TrueTemper Dynamic Gold Spinner

 See the source image Phantom X5 Putter

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond <>

 

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Hi all, thanks a lot that does sound very logical to me.

My swing speed is slow at the moment, probably even slower on course as I try to be more accurate, so what @RickyBobby_PR and @pouetvl saying makes very much sense to me.
I probably need a session with a launch monitor. I feel like a lot of gapping and distances are off in my bag which is probably normal as you build up your golf bag while you are improving.

So what would be your opinion in regards to a driver? I usually try to be comfortable with next lower number. I bought the 5 wood after being comfortable with the 5 iron and Hybrid 4, then bought the 3 wood and planned to wait with the driver until I'm again comfortable with that. 
Now hearing this I'm tempted to maybe already jump to the big sticks right away. 

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I had the same exact issue had a 3+ wood and 4 wood, about 3* of difference but they were redundant.  Stick will the one you can hit more consistently.  Which was the 4 wood due to the added loft which improved the forgiveness and made it easier to hit on a tight lie.

But ChitownM2 is totally right, a lot of people are in your same boat.

Ping G430 Max 9* turned up to 10* in draw setting X-Stiff Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 60

Srixon ZX 3w Ventus Velocore Blue 7s

Ping G425 5w X-Stiff Ping Tour 70 

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

Srixon ZX& 7-PW  Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore 50* 54* 58* TrueTemper Dynamic Gold Spinner

 See the source image Phantom X5 Putter

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond <>

 

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7 minutes ago, Lgebbers said:

Hi all, thanks a lot that does sound very logical to me.

My swing speed is slow at the moment, probably even slower on course as I try to be more accurate, so what @RickyBobby_PR and @pouetvl saying makes very much sense to me.
I probably need a session with a launch monitor. I feel like a lot of gapping and distances are off in my bag which is probably normal as you build up your golf bag while you are improving.

So what would be your opinion in regards to a driver? I usually try to be comfortable with next lower number. I bought the 5 wood after being comfortable with the 5 iron and Hybrid 4, then bought the 3 wood and planned to wait with the driver until I'm again comfortable with that. 
Now hearing this I'm tempted to maybe already jump to the big sticks right away. 

I’ve been golfing for quite a while now and still do not game a driver because I cannot control it. I am one of the oddballs who loves hitting my 3w and do so well probably because of my swing speed and other things.

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11 minutes ago, Lgebbers said:

Hi all, thanks a lot that does sound very logical to me.

My swing speed is slow at the moment, probably even slower on course as I try to be more accurate, so what @RickyBobby_PR and @pouetvl saying makes very much sense to me.
I probably need a session with a launch monitor. I feel like a lot of gapping and distances are off in my bag which is probably normal as you build up your golf bag while you are improving.

So what would be your opinion in regards to a driver? I usually try to be comfortable with next lower number. I bought the 5 wood after being comfortable with the 5 iron and Hybrid 4, then bought the 3 wood and planned to wait with the driver until I'm again comfortable with that. 
Now hearing this I'm tempted to maybe already jump to the big sticks right away. 

Get fit for a driver. All the drivers on the market are good and some work better for some golfers and not so good for others. There are a large number of shafts that each brand offers for no upcharge and they come with varying weights and flexes. Buying blind or based on a recommendation is a crap shoot.

As far whether to game one that depends on how comfortable one feels biting driver. But for the long run it’s better to spend money and time on lessons to improve hour swing and while doing that test drivers and do a fitting.

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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I'm going to hop in here with only one thing to add - the technology in drivers is far better than 3 wood and you are always (at your level) hitting them off a tee.  You should definitely have a good driver fitting even at your stage of development, take a few lessons and practice.  The nice thing about modern drivers is that they are extremely adjustable so even though you are fit today it will be able to "grow" with you for a while, loft down, movable weight, easy to drop a new shaft in.

Also, ability to hit a 3 wood isn't only about relative playing ability, there are a variety of factors.  A modern 5 wood is a 4 wood anyone so you aren't sacrificing a lot by having that as the longest wood in your bag.

 

Okay that was more than one thing. 🙂

 

Good luck!  

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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The 3 wood is honestly the hardest club to hit in a bag. low loft and second longest shaft. Also if you are trying to hit if from the fairway it generally requires decent speed to be successful. I prefer that beginner golfers skip the 3 wood. 5 wood is fine. It has enough loft to be more successful. I see it frequently that most hit a 4 wood or 5 wood better. The shorter shaft and added loft create higher chance for success. 

Plus you have to always think that a ball in the air will almost always go further than one on the ground. Gravity being equal. The club that gets the ball higher in the air will go further. Of course there are limits to that and other factors at play but I see it regularly that players hit a 3, 5, 7 woods and hybrids all the same distance.  

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple diamond 10.5 Ventus black TR 6x

3 wood ; Callaway Paradym triple diamond 15 degree, Ventus black TR 7x

Apex UW 19 degree, Ventus black TR 8x

Utility Iron: Mizuno Pro Fli Hi 4 utility, Ventus blue HB 90X

Irons: Callaway Apex MB 5-PW, KBS $ taper 130x

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw 50, 54, 58, KBS $ taper 130x

Putter: Wilson Staff TM22, hand torched, KBS cutter putter shaft, Super stroke Pistol GT 1.0

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7 hours ago, tommc23 said:

I’ve been golfing for quite a while now and still do not game a driver because I cannot control it. I am one of the oddballs who loves hitting my 3w and do so well probably because of my swing speed and other things.

Yep you are young and strong and in your profession I know you are in great physical shape--- I gave up on my old Steelhead 13* 3 wood some 4 years ago now. I am now carrying what I call a 4 wood an old Adams at 16*

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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Guys, it is a real relief to hear that. I was doubting my ability a bit or thought my settings are all wrong.
But hearing how many of you are struggling with the 3 wood is encouraging.

Also in regards to the driver, it is a very good point that you can always adjust the setting and "grow" with the driver.
I always thought to go secondhand and buy an old driver just to learn the swing and get used to it.
However, listening to you guys a driver fitting might make sense even at my level.

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Sadly fitting is generally the way to go and the most expensive, if you are quite stable on your swing, the equipment will last for long. You need to refrain yourself from upgrading and make impulsive purchase when you don't play well. 1 or 2 club a year is a good goal on the long term. Drivers every 5 years or so, irons 10 years, putter 10 years, wood/hybrid 10 years, wedges more often. make sure you sell your old stuff too to decrease the cost. 

Came back to golf after 10 years, full set this years i'm at 3000$ and more. Like the guy who wanted to sell me a club at the store said...I have a 80 yards fade... Best investment was a SFT driver that make me drive straight... drive was the worst part of my game, now its the best. I already saved half the club's value in non lost ball this year alone... Nothing better to start with a good straight long drive in the fairway. I got fitted with a ping g425 with regular alta shaft...

Was too expensive for me, went for ping g410 SFT from last year, same shaft, same result, 200$ less in cost, still expensive but managed to save a little here and there.

Also if you want to learn, everything older than 5 years tend to have tons of spin compared to the newest one. Shorter shaft also help me. I still bring my 2005 taylormade R5 to the range when I'm mad at my current driver, after a few hit, I remember why I use a ping sft...

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5 hours ago, Lgebbers said:

Guys, it is a real relief to hear that. I was doubting my ability a bit or thought my settings are all wrong.
But hearing how many of you are struggling with the 3 wood is encouraging.

Also in regards to the driver, it is a very good point that you can always adjust the setting and "grow" with the driver.
I always thought to go secondhand and buy an old driver just to learn the swing and get used to it.
However, listening to you guys a driver fitting might make sense even at my level.

It’s bette to have club that work with your swing than developing bad habits from making a swing to get a club to work. A fitting isn’t going to make you instantly better but it will help to make the results from a bad swing not as bad.

 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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I had this happen with the first generation Taylormade SiM where I was hitting a 5W with a regular shaft farther, on carry distance, than the 3W in a stiff. It really made me re-think my shaft choice (both were Ventus Blue) since I am probably right on the line between stiff and regular (even though stiffness varies between manufacturers, etc) with a swing speed with driver of 103-106 mph. I have a relatively controlled transition so I don't necessarily need a bunch of stiffness. Anyway, that was off topic, but to get to your question I was hitting both fairly well and in the center of the clubface and the 5W was just nuclear for whatever reason. In some cases it was carrying close to what I hit my driver which was insane. I resisted the urge to buy it because it was like $325 for a fairway wood and I hit my current 3W fine but I do still think about that day a lot. The launch angle was higher so on a windy day may not be as good but the 5W was just optimal for me for whatever reason. 

:mizuno-small: STZ 230 9.5* "Std" setting ➖ :mizuno-small: STZ 230 Hybrid 18* "lower" setting➖ :mizuno-small: Pro Fli-Hi 21.5* ➖ MALTBY TS1-IM 5-GW ➖ :benhogan-small: Equalizer II 54* ➖ :ping-small: Glide 4.0 (S) 58* ➖ L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1 
Maxfli Tour X Official Review -- https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/63068-testers-announced-maxfli-tour-x-golf-balls-with-max-align-technology/?do=findComment&comment=1021832

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On 5/17/2021 at 9:23 AM, Lgebbers said:

Hi all, 

I'm looking for some advice here. 

I have been playing with my Callaway Epic Flash 5 Wood and am really happy with it. It has an Project X Even Flow Green 5.5 or 5.0 Regular Flex shaft and the club has 18 degrees of loft and is set to standard.
I'm still a beginner so I only hit it around 180-185 yards but I hit it fairly save and am happy with the distance for now while I work on my swing and overall speed.

As I like the club I bought  the same just as a 3 wood, thinking it would go bit further. 
I bought it used so it came with a different shaft. This one has a Tensei AV BLUE 75 also with Regular Flex. This club has 15 degrees of loft and is also set to standard. 

After playing a few rounds I'm struggeling a bit with the new 3 wood. 
My misses are much bigger and it tends to fly only as far as my 5 wood even if I hit it rather well.
So now I have a tendency to just stick with my 5 wood and leave the 3 wood in the bag. 

Any tips or ideas from the pros here why that is and what to do moving forward?
Could it be just the different shaft or do the 3 degrees just don't make that much of a difference?
If it is the different shaft (I understand that the Tensei is heavier the Project X) would it make sense to change the shaft?
I also could set it to 14 degrees if that would help. 

Happy to get any advice. 

Thanks and all the best

 

 

My 3 wood is in a closet at home and no longer in my bag.  You likely need a faster swing speed to get a three wood up in the air and don't have one.  I hit my 5 wood much better than my 3 wood.

  • :taylormade-small: Sim 2 Driver Fujikura Ventus Blue 6R shaft
  • :taylormade-small:Sim 2 5 wood Fujikura Ventus Blue 5R shaft
  •  th.jpg.d6e2abdaeb04f007fd259c979f389de6.jpg  0311 Gen 5 Seven Wood Project X Cypher 50 5.5 shaft set to flat with weights set to fade.
  • :titelist-small: H818 Hybrid 25 degrees Tensei ck Series 60 HY regular flex shafts at C4 setting (flat for lefties)
  • :titelist-small: 718 AP1 irons 6-gap Tensei ck Series AMC IR regular flex bent two degrees flat
  • :vokey-small: SM 7 Wedge 58 degrees M grind with 8 bounce Steel shafts wedge flex bent 2 degrees flat
  • :ping-small: Glide 3 52.12 and 56.14 with  Alta CB Red Regular Flex shaft bent 2 degrees flat
  • Go back and forth between :cameron-small: Select Newport 2 putter 34 inch length and :ping-small: Sigma G Tyne putter 33 inch length
  • Bridgestone B X.
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On 5/17/2021 at 9:55 AM, Lgebbers said:

Hi all, thanks a lot that does sound very logical to me.

My swing speed is slow at the moment, probably even slower on course as I try to be more accurate, so what @RickyBobby_PR and @pouetvl saying makes very much sense to me.
I probably need a session with a launch monitor. I feel like a lot of gapping and distances are off in my bag which is probably normal as you build up your golf bag while you are improving.

So what would be your opinion in regards to a driver? I usually try to be comfortable with next lower number. I bought the 5 wood after being comfortable with the 5 iron and Hybrid 4, then bought the 3 wood and planned to wait with the driver until I'm again comfortable with that. 
Now hearing this I'm tempted to maybe already jump to the big sticks right away. 

You probably need lessons more than a session with a launch monitor.

  • :taylormade-small: Sim 2 Driver Fujikura Ventus Blue 6R shaft
  • :taylormade-small:Sim 2 5 wood Fujikura Ventus Blue 5R shaft
  •  th.jpg.d6e2abdaeb04f007fd259c979f389de6.jpg  0311 Gen 5 Seven Wood Project X Cypher 50 5.5 shaft set to flat with weights set to fade.
  • :titelist-small: H818 Hybrid 25 degrees Tensei ck Series 60 HY regular flex shafts at C4 setting (flat for lefties)
  • :titelist-small: 718 AP1 irons 6-gap Tensei ck Series AMC IR regular flex bent two degrees flat
  • :vokey-small: SM 7 Wedge 58 degrees M grind with 8 bounce Steel shafts wedge flex bent 2 degrees flat
  • :ping-small: Glide 3 52.12 and 56.14 with  Alta CB Red Regular Flex shaft bent 2 degrees flat
  • Go back and forth between :cameron-small: Select Newport 2 putter 34 inch length and :ping-small: Sigma G Tyne putter 33 inch length
  • Bridgestone B X.
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I wouldn't play my 3 wood for the longest time as I didn't find I could launch it consistently and put too much spin. I recently switched from the g410 3-wood to the g410 sft 3-wood and am hitting it phenomenally. I think going from 14.5* of launch in the std. 3-wood to basically a 4-wood at 16* of launch has helped a ton. 

image.png.258d22fcc4d0d25f5fdb8eea25fcd23f.png B21 9.5* w/ PX Evenflow Black 6.5

:ping-small: G410 SFT 16* 3-wood w/ PX Evenflow Black 6.5

image.png.de7870be9e5ebe2ff26fab3151edb989.png Stealth DHY 2i w/ Aldila Ascent Black Stiff

:srixon-small: z585 4-AW w/ Modus3 120x

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack Raw 56.12 & 60.10 w/ Modus3 125w

image.png.a2a25073d1a41c5de1690a6254814da3.png Super Select Newport Plus -or- :odyssey-small: White Hot OG #1WS w/ Stroke Lab 

image.png.d2e91492049dce3981a9fad088921b12.png ProV1

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  • 2 weeks later...

Over the last 8 years I have probably had a dozen different fairway woods in and out of my bag.  Currently testing 3 new ones now.

My issue is that my swing path is generally fairly steep and I swing in to out with a negative attack angle due to delofting my club at set-up and at impact.  Consequently I hit the ball low and with a draw.  Great for iron play, not so good with woods.

What I’ve found for me that is working is more loft.  Added a 21 degree 7 wood to the bag and it has been a huge help from the fairway.  It is my 215 yard club.

My current 16.5 degree 4 wood has worked well off the tee but has a tendency to hook.  I just don’t have confidence with it from the fairway.  

I’m currently experimenting with another 4 wood and two five woods.

The 4 wood that I‘m testing, love the way it feels, looks and sounds.  I got a slightly softer shaft in it hoping it would provide more launch.  It launches higher alright, but it also hooks a lot more because the tip is not as stiff and the shaft has a higher torque.  Ordered a new shaft to see if I can tame the hook.

One of the 5 woods I’m testing has a stiffer and heavier shaft in it and it feels like a lot of work to swing it.  The other 5 wood has adjustable loft from 17-21 Deg. And also has a heavier shaft.  It may be the Goldilocks.  Super long off the tee, almost as long as my driver and just a slight draw.  Still need to spend some time on fairway shots, but it is promising.  The problem is that I don’t really like the way it looks, and it sounds weird to me.

Also trying out a 4 utility iron.  Super hot face, launches low bullets that run like a scalded dog, but oddly satisfying.  Probably a club to keep, but not use much unless it is very dry and firm or very windy.

 

 

Tour Edge C723 8.0 MCA Tensei AV Blue Xlink 65S

Cobra LTDx 3W lofted to 16.5 Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7S

Tour Edge E723 21 degree MCA Tensei AV Blue 65 S

Cobra LTDx 24 degree 5 hybrid Fujikura Fuel 85g Stiff

Corey Paul - 5-PW Japan Forged Minimalist Blades KBS $-Taper 120 Stiff

Corey Paul Functional Art 52, 56 & 60

Odyssey O Works Black #7 with BGT Stability Tour Shaft, SuperStroke Traxion 3.0 & 75g CounterCore

Bridgestone Tour BRX or MaxFli Tour

Tracked by Arccos

Bushnell V4

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20 minutes ago, Hoyoymac said:

Over the last 8 years I have probably had a dozen different fairway woods in and out of my bag.  Currently testing 3 new ones now.

My issue is that my swing path is generally fairly steep and I swing in to out with a negative attack angle due to delofting my club at set-up and at impact.  Consequently I hit the ball low and with a draw.  Great for iron play, not so good with woods.

What I’ve found for me that is working is more loft.  Added a 21 degree 7 wood to the bag and it has been a huge help from the fairway.  It is my 215 yard club.

I actually just posted in the equipment thread about this topic, I also use a 21* Heavenwood as my "fairway wood" and it's been my favorite club for a few years now due to how easy it is to launch. My 3w is currently lofted up to make it a 4w and I exclusively use it off the tee when the driver is misbehaving. Which is often. 

In my  :wilson_staff_small:  carry bag:
:mizuno-small: ST-X 10.5* Kai'li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 15* Kai/li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 4h Linq Blue R Flex
:cleveland-small: Launcher 5h
:cleveland-small: Launcher CBX 6i-PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 54* & 58*
:cleveland-small: Huntington Beach #10
:bridgestone-small: e12 Contact
CURRENTLY TESTING - Mizuno Long Game

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On 5/18/2021 at 3:19 AM, Lgebbers said:

Guys, it is a real relief to hear that. I was doubting my ability a bit or thought my settings are all wrong.
But hearing how many of you are struggling with the 3 wood is encouraging.

Also in regards to the driver, it is a very good point that you can always adjust the setting and "grow" with the driver.
I always thought to go secondhand and buy an old driver just to learn the swing and get used to it.
However, listening to you guys a driver fitting might make sense even at my level.

Sometimes you have to adjust and get used to a new driver. I have been experimenting with a M-6 the last couple of months. I ended up with that thing on a deal. Liked it to begin with when I did hit it but was not consistant. I had no confidence in it at all. Did a lot of experimenting and finally got it set and it is crazy. Got it set to 9* and about 6 grams of lead tape right in the back. Set it up weight wise just like my V-Steel Fairways. LOL tons of experimenting on my part as in trying to dial it in and getting my body back in shape again. Got to hitting it so good I also put my old V-Steel 7 wood in the bag and then found in my stash an old V-Steel 3 wood with a regular shaft that I flat crush. Yep I have been blessed in the fact I can build and fit my own clubs.

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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Lots of familiar tales here. My current fairway woods are a 5&7 ping G400 with stiff shafts the 7 is at 21 degrees - the same loft as my first 5 wood 30+ years ago. The 5 wood is cranked down to 16 degrees about what my original 3 woods were. I can still reach the short par 5’s in 2 and can hit the 5 wood about 250 off the tee 240 of the deck.  To gain 10 yards with a 3 wood I’ll snap hook it out of play about every 4th or 5th swing. - not worth it too hard to hit straight & screaming low hooks really aren’t the best shots for me.

The sound of a long drive is so much cooler when your playing partner says “Wow”

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  • 2 weeks later...

For a lot of players, the 3 wood is dead. Slower players aren't going to have the swing speed needed to optimize the launch conditions of the club, and its incredibly common to hit a 4 wood or 5 wood farther. And of course those clubs with have more control with shorter shafts and more backspin and hence less side spin. On the other side of the spectrum, alot of fast players can hit the 3 wood near driver distances, which can make it impractical to carry in the bag. Or they hit it so far, that is rarely comes up and a needed shot on a par 5, when a hybrid or 5 wood could be used to hit a softer shot into a green. Either way, do not feel like you have to carry a 3 wood just to check the boxes.

 

@Lgebbers, what you learned about your 3W/5W is applicable to the driver. It's probably not the case that a 8 or 9 degree driver would go further for you than a 10.5, 11, or maybe even a 12 degree driver. More loft will almost always help you hit it straighter, and more height may give you more distance depending on your swing speed. Its likely that a driver with a longer shaft will be harder to control as well. 

 

 

 

GARSEN GRIP TESTER

  • Driver: PING G400 MAX, Ventus Blue 6x
  • Woods: COBRA F6 Baffler AD DI 8S
  • Hybrid: CALLAWAY Apex Pro, Ventus Blue 8s
  • Irons: SRIXON ZX5 mk2 5-6, ZX7 mk2 7-PW, Modus 120x
  • Wedges: EDEL 50 C grind, 54 V grind, CLEVELAND 60 RTX6 Low
  • Putter: YES Abbie!
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