Which club gap to fill, D-3H or 3H-5i?

[max31man]

I'm thinking about taking my 4i out of my bag. I find I hit my 5i generally as far as the 4i just due to the 4i being more difficult to hit. Because of that, I almost never hit the 4i. My current gaps are: 

• Driver: ~295 yards
• 3H: ~235 yards
• 5i: ~205 yards

I could go with a 3W (haven't had one in my bag for years) or 5W (might be some overlap with the 3H) to help fill this large D-3H gap. This primary use would be off the tee when the Driver isn't working or the course doesn't allow it.

Alternatively, I could go with a 7W or 4H to fill the gap left by the 4i. This primary use would be for long par 3's or attacking short par 5's.

 

What have you all found to be the most beneficial/useful capability?

[cnosil]

2 minutes ago, max31man said:

What have you all found to be the most beneficial/useful capability?

What distance do you encounter the most that you don’t have a club to hit?

[max31man]

20 minutes ago, cnosil said:

What distance do you encounter the most that you don’t have a club to hit?

The lower distance gap would certainly be encountered more. I think I'm just intrigued with the idea of being able to put away the driver off the tee more often.

[cnosil]

23 minutes ago, max31man said:

The lower distance gap would certainly be encountered more. I think I'm just intrigued with the idea of being able to put away the driver off the tee more often.

Why put away the driver?  Modern course strategy is to hit the driver as much as possible.  If you want a different shot shape off the tee then a 3w might be beneficial as long as the stick shot is the opposite direction.   Based on your response, I’d say fill the lower gap since it will get more use. 

[Hook DeLoft]

One bit of information you need is how much more accurate you are with a fairway wood vs driver. Even on tour, you see players missing the fairway with 3 woods. I would lean toward adding a 4 hybrid or 7 wood.  Given the distances you hit the ball, you could score hitting the ball 235 off the tee if the driver is acting up. 

[max31man]

3 minutes ago, Hook DeLoft said:

One bit of information you need is how much more accurate you are with a fairway wood vs driver. Even on tour, you see players missing the fairway with 3 woods. I would lean toward adding a 4 hybrid or 7 wood.  Given the distances you hit the ball, you could score hitting the ball 235 off the tee if the driver is acting up. 

Yeah that’s accuracy information I don’t really have since I haven’t had a 3W for probably two decades! Eventually I’ll spring for a full bag fitting to help answer my own questions. I am definitely leaning more towards a 4H though; would get a lot more use for sure.

I really do struggle mightily with driver consistency; definitely the biggest flaw in my game. One of these days I’d love to play a round only teeing off with the 3H every hole just to see how well I can shoot with the added consistency.

[hckymeyer]

Honestly I'd consider dropping the 3h too.  Look at something in the 220-225 range (maybe 7w or 4h) and then look at something in the 250-255 range (2h, 3w or 4w).  That would allow both being able to attack longer par 5's in two and give another option off the tee while narrowing the gaps between 5i and driver.

[max31man]

7 minutes ago, hckymeyer said:

Honestly I'd consider dropping the 3h too.  Look at something in the 220-225 range (maybe 7w or 4h) and then look at something in the 250-255 range (2h, 3w or 4w).  That would allow both being able to attack longer par 5's in two and give another option off the tee while narrowing the gaps between 5i and driver.

I honestly was thinking about doing this exact thing for a better top-of-bag distance spread. The only thing holding me back would be having to buy two clubs instead of one, ha!

[xgecemx]

Filling the gap between driver and 3-hybrid makes sense to me. A 3-wood or 5-wood would give you that extra option off the tee when driver is too much club. Though the 5-wood may overlap the 3-hybrid a bit in distance, having that progressive gapping can still be useful for different trajectory and shaping options.

For the gap left by removing the 4-iron, I think a 7-wood or a 4-hybrid could work, but I'd lean toward the 7-wood. The launch and spin characteristics of a 7-wood versus a 4-hybrid may give you an extra dimension of shot versatility for long par 3's and approach shots. And the smaller head and fairway wood design can help the 7-wood hold firmer greens better than a hybrid.

Ultimately, you'll have to test different options to see what fits your swing and gives you the yardage gaps you need. But from a golf scorecard club makeup perspective, carrying driver, 3-hybrid, 5-iron as your longest iron, and then adding a 3/5-wood and 7-wood could be a really nice, balanced setup. Give it a try before your next round!

Edited August 20, 2023 by xgecemx

[Dweed]

8 hours ago, max31man said:

 One of these days I’d love to play a round only teeing off with the 3H every hole just to see how well I can shoot with the added consistency.

First off welcome to the forum. I think you'll find info interesting and thought provoking. Good luck in your gap search. Sooooo, just go out next round and do just that. Tee off with your 3H just to see. Make it happen.