What do you think about dropping a 3 wood?

[top_swings]

What do you think about dropping a 3 wood? I have been trying to rework the top of my bag and came up with this. What if I went 4 iron- 3utility- 5wood and then driver. Would dropping the 3 wood make an issue? Thanks!

[RickyBobby_PR]

Probably not. Most amateurs struggle with 3w especially off the deck and higher lofted woods provided better and more consistent results 

[Middler]

It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. If YOU can live with less than a 3 wood “off the deck” what’s next at the top of your bag is fine. I use my 3 wood for second shots on long par 5’s almost every round, sometimes off the tee when a driver is too much, and I’ve reached some par 5’s in two with a 3W, glad I’ve had it for all those shots. A 4 iron, 3 utility and a 5 wood all sounds like similar distance clubs - but if all three are useful to YOU over a 3W, do it. When I’m thinking about adding a club to my bag, I look at what’s there that I use the least - for me that wouldn’t be a 3W, probably my 60*…

[juspoole]

I haven't had a 3 wood for the past couple years and have not had any issues.  There have been a couple times where I cannot get to a par 5 in two, but it's seldom.  I go from driver to 2 hybrid.   This year I just added a 3 hybrid, but before that I was going 2 hybrid straight to 4 iron without much issue.  I'd choke up a hair and play more of a cut if I need to take distance off my 2 hybrid.   To give some context, I hit my 2 hybrid around 240 and can usually get 255 out of it if need be.  3 hybrid should now fill gap from 225 - 240.

[BostonSal]

15° three woods take swing speed to launch to their intended axis.

16.5 or 17 works, in my opinion, for a lot more people.

[russtopherb]

I got rid of mine plus my 21* Heavenwood and will be playing a Cleveland HyWood this season. I rarely if ever touched my 3w and when I did it was tee only. Made no sense to keep it in the bag. 

[revkev]

Good question - 

Twenty years ago already my pro was advocating that most of the players at the club go 4 wood/7 wood or hybrid.  While there are always exceptions most of people will hit a 5 wood (the equivalent of a 4 wood 20 years ago) farther than 3 wood.  The shorter shaft and a bit more loft make it easier to launch.  

As others have written you need to use the equipment that works best for you rather than what may be seen as traditional.  You could always go for a top of the bag gapping session to see what fits your game best.

 

What part of Connecticut are you from?  I'm a native.  Weston High '74 - haven't been there in about 15 years though.

[KC Golf]

I always used a 16.5 deg 3W, but in the Fall, I decided to buy a 15 deg 3W and put it into my bag.

I should note I never hit my 3W off the fairway.  It never ends well.  So I use a 3 Hybrid off the fairway.  The number of times I hit a 3W in any round is probably less than 2-3 times regardless of the course or tee box.  So taking my 3W out of the bag is probably not a bad option.  If you look at Decade Golf data, etc. it almost never pays to take anything but driver on most holes unless a driver is too much club and you end up driving it into a hazard.  Given my average driver distance this is rarely a problem.

If my 15 deg 3W experiment doesn't work this Spring, I will probably get a 18 / 19 deg UW or Hybrid to replace my 3W.  It would probably get more use in my bag given its flexibility.

[Tyler86]

I had a 3 wood. Couldnt hit it consistent enough. Hit a 5wood on a whim one day at second swing. 3 years later, no desire to go back. I hit a 5 wood further and my misses are better. Contemplating a heaven wood in leu of my hybrid. 

[top_swings]

2 hours ago, KC Golf said:

I always used a 16.5 deg 3W, but in the Fall, I decided to buy a 15 deg 3W and put it into my bag.

I should note I never hit my 3W off the fairway.  It never ends well.  So I use a 3 Hybrid off the fairway.  The number of times I hit a 3W in any round is probably less than 2-3 times regardless of the course or tee box.  So taking my 3W out of the bag is probably not a bad option.  If you look at Decade Golf data, etc. it almost never pays to take anything but driver on most holes unless a driver is too much club and you end up driving it into a hazard.  Given my average driver distance this is rarely a problem.

If my 15 deg 3W experiment doesn't work this Spring, I will probably get a 18 / 19 deg UW or Hybrid to replace my 3W.  It would probably get more use in my bag given its flexibility.

Ok thanks, I was thinking having the 5 wood for long par 5’s (I hit the ball pretty far) and use the 3 or 2 iron as my 3 wood of the tee since thats the only time I used it too. Just feel more confident with the iron. And 5 woods are just so easy to hit and tons of confidence!

3 hours ago, revkev said:

Good question - 

Twenty years ago already my pro was advocating that most of the players at the club go 4 wood/7 wood or hybrid.  While there are always exceptions most of people will hit a 5 wood (the equivalent of a 4 wood 20 years ago) farther than 3 wood.  The shorter shaft and a bit more loft make it easier to launch.  

As others have written you need to use the equipment that works best for you rather than what may be seen as traditional.  You could always go for a top of the bag gapping session to see what fits your game best.

 

What part of Connecticut are you from?  I'm a native.  Weston High '74 - haven't been there in about 15 years though.

Thats for your input. I’m from West Hartford! 

[revkev]

Just looking at your equipment consider that a 17 degree 5 wood (pretty much standard these days) is only 1.5 degrees "weaker" than your 3 wood and given that yours is a R11 the shaft length might be the same or 1/2" less max - you'd only be getting about 5 yards less on shots that were absolutely nutted with both clubs and your misses will be much fewer and much less severe with the 5 wood.

[pakman92]

I don't carry a 3 wood personally.  I have 3, 4, 5 hybrids followed by 5i-pw.   My 3 hybrid carries about 205 off the tee and 200 off the deck.  My driver carries 240 rolling out to 265.   I'm considering putting a 3 wood.  I would take out the 4 hybrid as gap between 3 and 5 hybrid is only 15 yards.

 

[BostonSal]

 

Does "3-wood" really make sense anymore?

Why do they still put club numbers on fairway woods?

Has anybody purchased a 1, 3, 4, 5 set since 1975?

People choose fairway woods individually as long range utilities and the club numbers are silly. The lofts are sufficient.

Titlieist dropped them generations ago, and I feel that the rest should have followed.

[Middler]

5 minutes ago, BostonSal said:

 

Does "3-wood" really make sense anymore?

Why do they still put club numbers on fairway woods?

Has anybody purchased a 1, 3, 4, 5 set since 1975?

People choose fairway woods individually as long range utilities and the club numbers are silly. The lofts are sufficient.

Titlieist dropped them generations ago, and I feel that the rest should have followed.

Makes way more sense than numbers on irons these days, those numbers are almost meaningless now. Most 3W's are 15 or so, whereas 7i's range from 26 to 35 or so?

[BostonSal]

59 minutes ago, Middler said:

Makes way more sense than numbers on irons these days, those numbers are almost meaningless now. Most 3W's are 15 or so, whereas 7i's range from 26 to 35 or so?

I totally agree about club numbers on anything,

but at least irons still come in a set, and even if the club numbers don't correspond to lofts anymore,

at least they form a progression with one another.

 

Club numbers on woods, these days chosen individually, mean nothing at all anymore.  Titleist stopped using them more thirty years ago.

Edited February 8, 2022 by BostonSal