gkcapers Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 I am curious if many golfers are replacing their 3 wood with a 5 wood. I struggle to consistently hit my 3 wood off the fairway and I feel more comfortable/consistent hitting my 5 wood. Last year I removed my 3 wood and now use my 5 wood as my “go to” fairway wood. Do you carry and use a 3 wood? Josh Parker and RetiredBoomer 2 Quote Cobra LTDX driver, Calloway Apex irons (6-AW), TSi2 3 wood, M6 5 wood, M2 hybrids (4,5), Scotty Cameron Squareback 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M-in2Golf Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 I swapped it out, But grip down before you give up on the 3w if you need the distance (for longer courses) For me 5 wood and 7 wood interchange depending on the length of the course. I'm finding 7w used more lately, even have a 9 wood now to reduce roll-out when going for a green. I think I was only using 3 wood once or twice a round at best, some times not at all. Josh Parker and Shrek74 2 Quote WITB Cobra F9 driver Adams golf 2 hybrid Mizuno 9 wood Cleveland Zipcore XL irons 5i - GW Pron Wedge 52/10 Mizuno T20 wedge 56/10 Wilson Harmonized wedge 60/10 Seemore putter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.B. TexasEx Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 (edited) I carry a 3, 5, and 7-wood now, but I rarely hit the 3-wood off the deck unless the lie is perfect. It's for steer-job, tee shots on tight holes. Edited May 10 by J.B. TexasEx Josh Parker and Shrek74 2 Quote My C-130 cart bag includes; DRIVER: z565 10.5*, Miyazaki Kaula Mizu 6 S-Flex FAIRWAYS: X-Hot 15* & 18*, Project X PXv, R-Flex and 21*, UST DHI dRVR, R-Flex IRONS: New Level 623-CB, 5-PW, IO, 5.5 R+Flex WEDGES: CG10; 50*, 54*, 58*, Dynamic Gold W-Flex PUTTER: Ray Cook Blue Goose GRIPS: Lamkin Crossline (irons), Lamkin UTx (wedges), Golf Pride Z-Cord & MCC (woods) BALL: Kirkland Signature 3-Piece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NM01 Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 More loft make sit easier to hit especially for those with slower swing speeds. Removing a 3w for something with more loft will make the game easier for most golfers and they won’t sacrifice much distance because the consistency of contact with the 4 or 5 wood will benefit the ball flight RetiredBoomer, Josh Parker, Shrek74 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCDuffer Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 I tried a 5W and still have it. In the bag is a 4W. Off the tee it is much better for me than the 5W as the 5W off the tee was way too high. Off the deck it’s easier to hit the 5. With the 4W when I choke up a little things are OK. If I don’t choke up, I can pull it low left or if I hit it higher it’s a slight push fade. I don’t know why 2 degrees of loft and a 1/2” makes that big a difference. I have a 3H that is good to me and it’s about the same distance as the 5W. Off the tee I can hit it low with run or high. I think the shorter shaft helps my contact. Josh Parker and Shrek74 2 Quote TSi2 Driver, Titleist TSi2 4 Wood, Ping G410 3 Hybrid, Ping G400 4 Hybrid, Maltby TS1 5-GW, Maltby Max Milled 54, Maltby Max Milled 58, Piretti Forza. Some folks say golf messes up a nice walk. That’s not true, golf makes a nice walk bearable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakit300 Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 I took out my 3 wood a couple of seasons ago and changed to 5-wood (turned down to 17.5°) and have no regrets whatsoever. I don't get quite as much distance when I flush it but I hit the 5-wood consistently where the 3-wood was hit or miss. Love it! Shrek74, ClarkWGriswoldIII, Josh Parker and 1 other 4 Quote Aerojet LS 9° / Brava BGT SE F/4 Stealth FW 5 / TPT 16 MK/MT/SW M3 3/19° Rescue / Fujikura Ventus Red 7-S iCrossover 4 / Fx200H M4 ZX5 (5) - ProModus3 Tour 120 ZX7 (6-AW) - ProModus3 Tour 120 T20 56° & 60°/ ProModus3 Tour 125 Wedge Royal GRIP V Sand Wrap MEZZ.1 / L.A.B. Tour X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrek74 Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 I play a 3w & 5w currently, but that may change to the point I add a 7w or 9w to the list. I hit my 3w all the time, both on the tee and off the deck. I find myself being a bit rare in the fact I love my 3w and hit it well 90% of the time. The other 10% if typically a top or thin. Josh Parker 1 Quote Driver: STMax 230 10.5*, Stiff HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX, 60g Fairways: 949x 3w / 5w, 15* / 18*, Stiff HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX, 70g Hybrids: 939x 4h, 21*, Stiff HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX, 80g Hybrid Irons: JPX923 Hot Metal Pro, 5-GW, UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4 Wedges: S23, 54* & 60*, UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4 Putter: Moment X Tour @ 35" & 71*, Super Stroke Pistol GT 2.0, White/Red Ball: Tour CG Technology: Anarch Rangefinder, V5 w/ Tags Shot Tracking. https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/65161-vortex-optics-rangefinders-2024-member-test/?do=findComment&comment=1089247 https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/66852-unofficial-review-tpi-virtual-assessment https://forum.mygolfspy.com/classifieds/ - DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CLASSIFIEDS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClarkWGriswoldIII Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 I bailed on the 3-wood before last season. I sold the damn thing to take the temptation out of the bag! I've gone to a 5-wood turned down a degree that goes nearly as far with much more control and a 7 wood with a 5-wood length shaft. Josh Parker 1 Quote Aerojet LS driver G425 Max 5-wood G425 Max 7-wood Hot Metal 921, 5-GW, UST Mamiya Recoil 95 Graphite (currently testing New Level 480DB) CBX ZipCore Chrome 52* 56* 60* Wedges HB SOFT 2 Putter – Model 8C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Parker Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 I play the 4w cut down to 5w length currently. ClarkWGriswoldIII 1 Quote Titleist GT3 11* Tensei 1k blue Titleist TSR2 4w 16* Titleist TSR2 5w 18.75* MKII ZX 5's (4-6) w/ KBS Tour V MKII ZX 7's (7-PW) w/ KBS Tour V Vokey SM9 Wedges 50* 54* 58* DF2.1 Putter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE GOLF GUY Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 (edited) I have the 13.5* mini driver (my 3 wood )and a 5 (18*)&7 (21*)wood . I can hit the mini off the deck with a decent lie and it’s even better off the tee ,so do I don’t need a 3 wood . At my home course the 5&7 woods get me home on the par 5’s for the most part . Edited May 13 by THE GOLF GUY TheHollow11 1 Quote Taylormade Stealth 2 10.5* Fujikura Ventus 5 S (tipped an inch) @ upright @9.75* Taylormade Stealth 2 HL 16.5* 3 wood Fujikura Ventus 6 S Taylormade Stealth 2 7 wood Fujikura Ventus 7 S Taylormade P7MC 5-PW Aerotech Steelfiber I 95 gm R Tileist SM09 54 & 60* wedges Ping Anser Bridgestone BXS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haile Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 I have a 3 wood turned up to 16.5 degrees, so it's more like a 4 wood. I do not currently carry a 5 wood because for me, it doesn't make much sense gap wise. I will say that the 3 wood is the club that I struggle with the most in my bag. At first it was just striking in general. Now I overcook the draw on it pretty consistently. I don't want to call it a hook just yet. But man, is it left. I get plenty of distance out of it. I'm currently toying with the idea of turning it back into a 3 wood and putting a 5 wood in the bag. I just haven't run into many situations where I needed it. But, in my humble little opinion, it is the most difficult club to get the hang of. THE GOLF GUY and Hoyoymac 2 Quote Driver - Taylormade Stealth 2 Plus 9 degree @ 44.5" 3 wood - Cobra LTDx max 5 wood - Cobra LTDx Taylormade P770 4-PW Mizuno S22 wedges - 50, 54 and 58 Putter - Odyssey white hot OG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerGrey Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 I just got a Cobra Darkspeed Max and this is so easy to hit off the deck and the distance is much better than I anticipated. I'm now curious about the darkspeed hybrids Quote Driver: GT2 9* w/ Graphite Design Tour AD-XC 5 3W : GT 2 13.5* W/ Graphite Design Tour AD-VF 5 5W Qi10 w/ NX Speeder TCS 5 4H: Qi10 w/ NX Speeder TCS 5 5 thru PW : APEX Ai300 5-PW w/ AXIOM 75 shafts (ordered) Wedges: RTX 6 Full face 48*, 54* w/ i95 SteelFiber shafts Puter: GREEN DF3 w/Black 34" w/ BGT Stability ONE w/Press II 3 grip Bag: FOLDS of HONOR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWeppler Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 For years I had both in my bag which made decision making much harder. Midway through last season I decided to take my 3 wood out after a suggestion from a friend and haven’t looked back! I love having the higher loft on my 5 wood which makes it much more consistent. Plus, for the course I play at, driver compared with 3 wood vs 5 wood isn’t a huge difference in ball placement off the tee. That being said, I still have my 4 hybrid in my bag (instead of my 3) as the wood doesn’t help me anywhere expect off the tee. Quote Cheers, Wepps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredBoomer Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 On 5/10/2024 at 6:22 PM, gkcapers said: I am curious if many golfers are replacing their 3 wood with a 5 wood. I struggle to consistently hit my 3 wood off the fairway and I feel more comfortable/consistent hitting my 5 wood. Last year I removed my 3 wood and now use my 5 wood as my “go to” fairway wood. Do you carry and use a 3 wood? I do not. My five-wood is 18º. I'm not going to hit anything stronger than that off the deck. For every heroic shot, I'd hit three crappy ones. My driver, however...a new BRNR...is for all intents and purposes a 2-wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRCorb Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I have a 3 wood that is adjusted to one notch of more loft and a 5 wood that replaced my 3 hybrid. I can get about 15 more yards with the 3 wood off the fairway. Consistency between 2 clubs close, so I use 3 wood more often on the fairway. In the rough I use the 5 wood as it is much harder to hit from the rough with the less lofted 3 wood. RetiredBoomer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredBoomer Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 6 minutes ago, JRCorb said: I have a 3 wood that is adjusted to one notch of more loft and a 5 wood that replaced my 3 hybrid. I can get about 15 more yards with the 3 wood off the fairway. Consistency between 2 clubs close, so I use 3 wood more often on the fairway. In the rough I use the 5 wood as it is much harder to hit from the rough with the less lofted 3 wood. The original TaylorMade Pittsburgh Persimmon 3-wood had 17° of loft, and while I could hit it off the deck, it was hardly automatic like the 20º 4-wood or 23º 5-wood back then. Those old wooden club lofts on metalwoods didn't last very long, as we of course know. Young people probably don't believe that they ever existed. The modern 15º 3-wood, although laden with helpful tech, is not a useable fairway club for me at this stage of my game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MN Loon Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 No 3W for me. I carry a 16.5 “4-wood” instead, although I generally hit my 19 degree hybrid for shots of 180+ yds. Thinking about switching to an 18 degree 5-wood, but afraid to lose the hybrid consistency. RetiredBoomer 1 Quote Titleist TSR1 Driver @ 10.5 Titleist TSR1 FW @ 16.5 Titleist TSR1 HB @ 19 Titleist TSR1 HB @ 24 Titleist T300: 6-U Titleist SM9: 52, 56, 60 Cleveland 2 Smart Square Putter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredBoomer Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 43 minutes ago, MN Loon said: No 3W for me. I carry a 16.5 “4-wood” instead, although I generally hit my 19 degree hybrid for shots of 180+ yds. Thinking about switching to an 18 degree 5-wood, but afraid to lose the hybrid consistency. I don't think you'll get the same distance gapping going to an 18º fairway wood from a shorter-shafted 19º hybrid. It would be too close to the four-wood, I'm guessing. I guess you can't know for sure until you try, but you seem to be doing well with what you're hitting now. MN Loon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agram57 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I still carry my 3 wood but rarely use it. The 5 wood is easier to hit and a flushed 5 goes further than a mis hit 3 wood. RetiredBoomer and J.B. TexasEx 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hkim Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 22 hours ago, Haile said: I have a 3 wood turned up to 16.5 degrees, so it's more like a 4 wood. I do not currently carry a 5 wood because for me, it doesn't make much sense gap wise. I will say that the 3 wood is the club that I struggle with the most in my bag. At first it was just striking in general. Now I overcook the draw on it pretty consistently. I don't want to call it a hook just yet. But man, is it left. I get plenty of distance out of it. I'm currently toying with the idea of turning it back into a 3 wood and putting a 5 wood in the bag. I just haven't run into many situations where I needed it. But, in my humble little opinion, it is the most difficult club to get the hang of. Adding loft theoretically closes the clubface a bit which could be the cause of the draw. It might be worth exploring buying a 16.5 lofted fairway would straighten you out. I currently use a 16.5 and 20.5 fairway and the gapping works out for me. MN Loon and Haile 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haile Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 35 minutes ago, hkim said: Adding loft theoretically closes the clubface a bit which could be the cause of the draw. It might be worth exploring buying a 16.5 lofted fairway would straighten you out. I currently use a 16.5 and 20.5 fairway and the gapping works out for me. My 3 wood will go down as far as 14.5 I think being that it's adjustable. I still have to toy around with it. Part of the overdrawing is my swing. I make a hard left turn and tend to have a very closed face. I'm working on it. But if it works out after I turn it back down, then adding a 5 wood could probably make sense. But, just gotta play around with things and find out what works best. My 4 hybrid is 205-210 on just about every swing. The 3 wood is around 235 on a good swing. 240 flushed. Hit softly I can get 225 out of it as it sits. So I'm only looking at a 15 to 20 yard gap on soft hits. So that's I why I say it doesn't make a ton of sense to add a 5 wood as it sits. Who knows though, I may add a 5 wood, find it's much easier to hit and just forget about the 3 wood unless I'm trying to make a long par 5 in two. The process is where the fun is at for me. Quote Driver - Taylormade Stealth 2 Plus 9 degree @ 44.5" 3 wood - Cobra LTDx max 5 wood - Cobra LTDx Taylormade P770 4-PW Mizuno S22 wedges - 50, 54 and 58 Putter - Odyssey white hot OG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrenator8 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I have a 3-wood in the bag, but I mostly use it as a back up driver for when it misbehaves for me. I tend to hit my utility iron (which I also use off the tee) more from longer distances out off the deck. Quote Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max D, 9.0 Degrees Fairway Wood: Ping 430 Max, 15 Degrees Hybrid: Ping 430, 19 Degrees Irons: Cobra LTDx, 5-GW Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50, 54 bent to 55, 60) Putter: Odyssey White Ice 2-Ball Past Reviews: Titleist White Box, Lean Lock Putter, Byrdie Golf Design Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB_44 Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 Interesting topic. I have a 3 and 5 wood. I am pretty discriminant about when I use the 3 wood---tee box, fairway when I am way far out on a very long Par 5 or if I didn't get what I should have gotten from the driver. The 3 wood is just too difficult to hold a green if I hit it so I have to be short of the green and bounce up and on. I guess I am fortunate to not see that often. The 5 wood is just more effective for me for holding a green. Last week I had 235 to the center of the green and I hit the front, bounced 2x and I was putting for eagle. A couple holes later I used the 3 wood from the tee to play short of a pond at 265 and it worked beautifully. I have always struggled with certainty with these longer clubs. I used to have a 3 wood and a heaven wood. I got an iCrossover and didn't use the heaven wood as much and thought the 5 wood would have me a little more and it has. Now I sometimes wonder if I would be a little better off with a 4 wood and a 7 wood or would that overlap with the iCrossover (or is it another option for a different shot at a similar distance). I don't know, but I feel fortunate to see these issues as the problems I need to find answers for. I need counsel. Quote Driver-- TSr 3 -9* (B1) -Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6-X Fairway - - G430Max 15*-Flat, 3 Wood -Fujikura Ventus TR Red 7-X Fairway - - G430MAX 20* (-1, flat) 7 Wood Tour 2.0 Chrome stiff Hybrid - - G430MAX 3 Hybrid (-1, Flat) Alta CB Stiff (looking for a new shaft) UDI- - iCrossover Utility Driving 3 iron (18*, flat) Project X RDX Red 6.5 sometimes -699 Pro 4 -22* Driving Iron UST Proforce V2 Stiff Irons- - ZX4 MK II 5-7, Srixon ZX5 8-P Nippon Pro Modus 3 Tour 105 X-Stiff Wedges- - RTX Zip Core 50*, 54* Nippon Modus 3 Wedge, 58* True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Putter- - ER5v Short Slant Ball- Bridgestone Tour B X Bag- Hoofer Stand Bag Clic Gear 4.0 push cart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkcapers Posted May 22 Author Share Posted May 22 Thanks for your insight. There have been lots of interesting discussions on the topic. I personally am very happy with my choice to game my 5 wood and new 7 wood after removing my 3 wood. Happy golfing! Quote Cobra LTDX driver, Calloway Apex irons (6-AW), TSi2 3 wood, M6 5 wood, M2 hybrids (4,5), Scotty Cameron Squareback 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah T Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 Off the deck I carry my 3 wood about 5 -7 yards farther than my 5 wood. It’s not a club I have 100% faith in off the deck. 3 wood rolls out more, but really I use it off the tee when Driver is on timeout or the ball cannot move right. Really the only time I’m going to hit a 3 wood off the deck is a scramble, or maybe while I’m on vacation playing at sea level. Some would argue that having a club be that specific is wasting a spot in your bag, but it depends on your setup, what shots you tend to leave yourself, and of course how far you hit your Driver and your longest iron/hybrid. Quote Driver - Cobra LtDxLS 3 Wood - Ping g410 LST 2iron - Titleist U505 Irons - Ping i59 Wedges - Vokey Sm9 Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsteetime Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 Just this year, I started wondering why I have a 3-metal in my bag. It is more inconsistent than my 5-metal. Also, may be because of confidence, I get more distance from my 5-metal. I have thought about changing the club setting to something more like a 4-metal. However, I have not tried that adjustment on the practice range yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan220 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 I swapped out the 3W for the 5W ... 5w is easier to hit lost little distance but make better contact itsteetime 1 Quote Speedzone Driver Tensei AV Blue or G400 SFT 10. KBS TD 50 Category 3 shaft King Speedzone Black Yellow Fairway 3 wood Tensei AV Blue 65 F9 SpeedBack Black Grey Fairway 5 Wood ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 7 shaft T300 4i-GW - Tensei AV Blue AM2 Regular Flex or JPX 900 Hot Metal 5 - GW Project X Lz 4.5 Regular Flex Graphite Glide 2.0 SS Wedges 54 & 58 TP Red White Ardmore Putter - BGT Stability Tour Black shaft Precision Pro NX7 range finder Ultralight Cart Bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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