Purpose of a 3 wood?

[Super Tuna]

Greets!

 

So, the question of the day. Do you carry a 3 wood and why? The more I play, the more I'm finding the club fairly useless.

 

Generally the reasons I see that people keep them are

A: I want to place the ball in the fairway, especially when my driver is wild

B: I want to go for Par 5's in 2

C: I hit woods better then hybrids

 

Now, maybe I just haven't played with that many really good players, but I'm finding through my experience and watching many others, A and B just don't sing.

 

Rarely do I see the player that can really place a fairway shot when their driver is already wild on the way. Sure, maybe within 25 yards laterally of where they're looking at, but to me, that's not placing. That's hitting and hoping, especially if one is facing a tight fairway. Most of the time I'm seeing people have much better luck with a hybrid, long iron or in a few cases, a driving iron when they want to place the ball out there.

 

Even more rare is the player that not only can bomb the 3 wood from the turf but can do so accurately enough from 230 odd yards to actually hit a green that might be 25-30 feet across. That's an awfully small margin of error. Sure, if you miss, you're at least closer to the green, assuming a hazard hasn't gotten in the way. Or one could hit say a comfortable 5/6/whatever iron and be left with an easy wedge to the green. Again, the really good long hitters probably don't slot in here as well but I've seen very, very, very few players who end up being more accurate with a 3 wood and then a really tricky chip to recover vs those that hit an iron followed by a wedge.

 

Point C, I can see. I have seen a fair few players who simply don't get along with hybrids or long irons in equal measure and find that a wood of any label suits them better. I don't know what it is, but it seems like this pool of player is shrinking.

 

Thus, 3 wood's or heck even 5 woods. Why do you keep them around/How do they help you in your round?

[Tyk]

I haven't carried a "fairway wood/metal" in years. For me, their purpose is to A)Slice or pull a ball out of play Top a ball 75 yards in front of me C)stick the head in the ground behind the ball!

 

I have used a 15* Adams SuperHybrid for 3 seasons, and have just replaced it with the new 15* Adams SH XTD that I am still getting used to but liking quite a bit. I hit my hybrids well and while the 15* can be a bit unpredictable I typically keep it in play. It generally goes about where I intend it to, typical yardage is somewhere between 220-240, and sometimes I hit absolutely beautiful shots with it. Bottom line is it's a fairly safe club for me to hit with alot of upside, whereas a fairway wood is a disaster waiting to happen!

[Kanoito]

Only reason I carry one is for a 230 yard Par 3.

For Par 5's I use my 4 iron.

[Ice]

I currently carry nothing higher than my 17* 910H. (Sig needs updating). I plan on adding a 3 wood. Why? Because I want to. I hit my driver great and rarely play courses where it is needed off the ground. In fact it will be needed on par 4s that are too short for driver. My home course is really short. And I do like woods better than hybrids.

[BK in TEXAS]

I bag a 3 wood and a 19Ëš Hybrid. Both are only used off the tee box when I want to be shorter than the driver for many reasons. FWIW....on my home course....the Hybrid sees more tee shots than the Driver and 3 wood combined.

[hckymeyer]

I played 4w and 18* hybrid all summer, but just switched to a 3w. Reasoning behind it was a tee shot on #15 at my home course. Perfect length drive is a 3w. The 4w ok, but into a stiff wind it wasn't enough.

 

I'll also use on into the wind par 5's for my second shot. Most likely still not going to hit the green, but I'm better from 20-30yds than I am from 100yds.

 

I feel like I have less slice with a 3w than my hybrid, but that is mostly mental. I may try a 16* hybrid next summer, we'll see how this setup works out.

[Tony Covey MGS]

I carry the 3-wood only when the driver has been put in time out, and even then I'll only hit it off the tee when a hybrid won't get me to where I need to be.

 

I'm definitely more accurate with it off the tee, but only slightly, and not so much so that it offers a distinct advantage over the driver.

 

Everybody likes going for Par5s in 2, but if you need a 3-wood to do it, for most of us, that's a very low percentage shot. In that situation, a well placed 7 iron probably provides a better chance at birdie. Eagles are awesome...I've probably had 8 or 9 of them over the years. ZERO came from approach shots hit with a fairway wood. Driver - hybrid (or shorter), that's where they've all come from.

 

I'd be willing to be that most of the guys who don't play golf on TV and who try and make eagles with fairway woods in their hands end up with bogeys or worse.

 

Better with a fairway wood than a hybrid... I've heard it...I hear it from one of our testers on a regular basis. It's a mental thing, but golf is mental, so I guess that one is reasonable.

[GolfSpy WD]

There is one hole at a course I play where driver -> 3 wood is totally called for because the landing area is pretty big with little penalty of missing. Other than that, I use it for times off the tee when I have a better chance of hitting the fat part of the fairway. I'd rather be 100 yards out than 30 sometimes

[Super Tuna]

Interesting.

 

Most of what I'm getting, and correct me here if I'm wrong, but I'm seeing the reasoning for a 3 wood is being dictated by a particular shot or shots on your home course. Oui?

 

To expand the question then, is there any other home course special clubs that you could see value in having? For example is there a hole where you steeply short side yourself often where a 64 wedge would be just the ticket?

 

Stevenhw8: Picking on your for a minute. How often do you hit the green with that tee shot if you're willing to share?

[The Dansome]

and now the typical WRX answer

 

I carry a 3 wood because I'm so long I'm always driving through the end of fairways. Sometimes I just need to take a little off, hence the 3 wood to keep it around 308 to 315 yards.

[GolfSpy WD]

Most of what I'm getting, and correct me here if I'm wrong, but I'm seeing the reasoning for a 3 wood is being dictated by a particular shot or shots on your home course. Oui?

 

Oui, though I suck with my 3 wood for 350+ yard shots and am totally more comfortable with 330 or a baby 300 shot

 

In all honesty though, I hate my 3wood and hook the hell out of it almost every time, but I keep trying for some reason. I could see leaving it out of the bag if a certain par 3 called for another club where I had an ugly gap. With my current set, I hate 110 and 190 yard shots, so if I had extra clubs lying around, I'd get something to fill those spots and bring that club when I needed.

[Matt Saternus]

MBP: I was actually about the post that. Except that I was serious. Now I just feel like a jag. F.......

 

In all seriousness, I started carrying one again this year after a many year hiatus just because I love the RBZ.

 

It's not significantly more accurate than my driver, but it is something that I will use to "switch it up" if my driving is bad. I have no illusions that I can "place" my shots with it, but there are times when I just can't bear to pull the driver because the results haven't been good. And, on certain holes, driver is too long (dog legs and split fairways and such).

 

I don't go for many Par 5's unless it's wide open and there's no trouble anywhere. So not often.

 

I don't think that I hit the 3W better than a hybrid, but, like I said, I fell for the RBZ this year and so it stayed in the bag.

[The Dansome]

MBP: I was actually about the post that. Except that I was serious. Now I just feel like a jag. F.......

 

In all seriousness, I started carrying one again this year after a many year hiatus just because I love the RBZ.

 

It's not significantly more accurate than my driver, but it is something that I will use to "switch it up" if my driving is bad. I have no illusions that I can "place" my shots with it, but there are times when I just can't bear to pull the driver because the results haven't been good. And, on certain holes, driver is too long (dog legs and split fairways and such).

 

I don't go for many Par 5's unless it's wide open and there's no trouble anywhere. So not often.

 

I don't think that I hit the 3W better than a hybrid, but, like I said, I fell for the RBZ this year and so it stayed in the bag.

 

Man I hate you guys who are constantly driving it 370-390

[GolfSpy WD]

Man I hate you guys who are constantly driving it 370-390

 

Don't, it's rough. I can only use my PW or above on anything short of a par 4 and no one makes the XXX stiff shafts I need! Luckily I've learned to shape the ball for a 100 yard draw/fade which helps when I'm having an awful day and only five under par by the turn.

[JBones]

Interesting.

 

Most of what I'm getting, and correct me here if I'm wrong, but I'm seeing the reasoning for a 3 wood is being dictated by a particular shot or shots on your home course. Oui?

This is exactly why I carry a 3W, but not just on a home course. I only hit about 65% of fairways with my driver and that maybe goes up to 70% with my 3W, but every course has holes where a driver can get you into trouble and a 3W won't. I hit my 3W about 265 off the tee, so whether I'm in the fairway or not, if trouble starts at 285-290, I can't get there and I will hit the 3W. I also hit it on dogleg holes, because for me it is easier to work the ball with the 3W. But mainly, I hit it when I want to have a full club into a green, instead of the 1/2 club I'd have with hitting driver. I pretty much hit 3W on anything under 375, unless I can reach it with the driver; if I hit it I have GW, if I miss it I have 7I, which for me is way more accurate than a 1/2 or 3/4 SW.

[Kanoito]

Stevenhw8: Picking on your for a minute. How often do you hit the green with that tee shot if you're willing to share?

 

Of course I can share

 

I hit that green about 40% of the time. Another 40% will be near the green and I can chip and putt for par.

The remaining 20% well... I'll either top the and see it fly 50 yards or a big hook OB.

 

The good thing about that hole is, there are no severe penalties for missing the green. There is a bunker on the left and a normal rough on the right, either way allow you to get up and down.

 

The only reason I hit the 3W here is:

 

1. Distance-wise is perfect

2. I can use a tee

 

I would never try my 3W off the deck. If I position the ball forward, I'll top it. If I play it close to the middle, I'll slice it in a fugly way.

So on the fairways, I'll just my 4 iron, which is about 20 yards shorter.

 

And on my home course, the Par 5's are too long to get on 2. The shortest one is about 560 yards. I could hit 2 drivers and still be short.

[Mr.Clean]

The reason I carry a 3 wood is for any par 4 that is less than 400 yards. The reason being, I am so much more comfortable hitting a 150 yard full 8 iron into a green than I am an in between-wedge shot. Most of this probably boils down to an improper wedge fitting that has me hitting wedge flex vokey's And the fact that I'm too stupid to change them yet.

 

It's a second shot confidence thing for me. Not to mention a 150-160 yard approach from the fairway sure beats a 90-110 yard punch shot under a tree, over a creek, around a sand trap, down a...

[JBones]

and now the typical WRX answer

 

I carry a 3 wood because I'm so long I'm always driving through the end of fairways. Sometimes I just need to take a little off, hence the 3 wood to keep it around 308 to 315 yards.

Let me tell you what happened the last time I tried to hit a 300yd 3W. I was extremely pissed coming off of a horrible hole. I took a deathgrip on my 3W and swung so hard that I literally almost came out of my shoes. I topped the ball so bad that it shot out straight backwards and then spun back to my feet. I thought I hit my buddy behind me, turns out he was just rolling on the ground from laughing so hard. Honest to God, true story; I'm probably the only person to hit a 3W -1yd without hitting anything.

[Paul S]

I removed my 15 degree 3w and inserted a 16 degree Adams hybrid. I hit it MUCH more consistently well, albeit slightly shorter. The distance difference is negligible as far as I'm concerned, and I hit my driver much more accurately than I ever hit my 3w when I had it... So there ya have it, no more 3w. I held on to it for awhile after I took it out of the bag, but then I just got rid of it altogether and haven't looked back.

 

Paul

[finalist]

I use my three about 2-3 times per round for my second shot into Par 5s. It's the club I use when I have the need for max distance and I have a green light. It rarely lands on the green as usually I'm too far out, but a good shot leaves me with a little pitch shot for a birdie putt... hopefully.

 

I don't find it any more accurate than my large headed driver from the tee, so I don't ever recall pulling a three wood on the tee for accuracy. It would be easier to choke up a driver and bunt it out there if that's the shot I wanted.

 

It's a fun club to practice with on the range form the turf because it is probably the hardest to hit well consistently. Any little out of sequence move and it can be topped, fat, hooked, sliced so easily.

[Will Par]

I carry a 15* 3-wood and a 21* hybrid. These are my clubs of choice for 2nd shots on par 5s. I'm seldom going for the green in two, but I've learned that I'll make more birdies when I'm as close to the green as I can get. I'd rather hit a 60 yard shot than an 85 yard shot, I'd rather hit a 100 yard approach than a 120 yard approach, etc. I'm going to hit the 3-wood every time unless I have a poor lie or if the ball is on a down slope. In those cases I'll hit the hybrid or an iron if I'm in a really bad spot. I don't carry a club between the 15* and 21*. Depending on conditions that can be a 30 yard difference. Being 30 yards closer to the green is something that I'm going for every chance I get.

 

I almost always use a driver from the tee. The only time I use the 3-wood from the tee is if I encounter a hole that is difficult to get the ball in play with a driver. I don't have any holes like that on the courses I normally play.

[RoverRick]

I did not usually carry a 3 wood until I got the TMag R11. I carry it now and use it off the tee on three par 4's and one par 5 (sometimes). I also will use it for the second shot on some holes if conditions warrant it. In two cases, the par 4's have trees that I want to clear so I use the added loft of the three wood to ensure that I do. On the other, I can not reach the water with it so it is safe to hit it. On the par 5's I may hit it on the second shot depending on the conditions.

 

I did hit this club 5 times today. I put in a different shaft today, a Talamonti PD80 and it is 42". I creamed this today and was longer and more accurate than I was with the 43.5 shaft. On the first par 5, I hit a big cut that went 190 and did turn 40 yards, and ended up just short of the green. The next time, I hit a great tee shot that landed in the fairway that normally would have run out in the open but hit a construction cone and stayed under the limbs overhanging the fairway. I had to hit a low draw to clear some trees and then hope to run it up the hill from 220. Sadly, I did not keep it low and it caught a branch and left me 85 yards short but still in the fairway. On another par 5, I hit it 238 and did hit the green from the center of the fairway. I had a 15 foot eagle putt, and of course missed it. I hit it perfect on the two par 4's off the tee.

 

I may also hit it on one of the par 5s but usually do not. Today, I used a driver and hit a perfect shot, but it left me 220 yards and a bunch of trees to go around. I hit the big cut with the 3 wood today, but normally would not try that shot. Since I do not want to try that, I also do not want to hit Driver/Wedge/Wedge. I can hit 3W but I still have not gained much so I will hit 4I/4I/P.

 

I hit the 3W really well, now but did not carry one for most of the season. And while I did hit it alot today, I may not tomorrow. Depends on who I am playing and what I am playing for. It is a risk/reward club.

[revkev]

I carry a three wood for two reasons.

 

1. On my home course there are a number of holes, 6, that require a drive between 200 and 220. At times that distance is a 20 degree hybrid and at other times its a 3 wood depending upon wind and course conditions. Given that the holes run in every imaginable distance I will almost always need to hit both clubs between 2 and 4 times in a round. There are also two par 5's that play very long in the summer and since they go in opposite directions I may need a 3 wood just to put myself into position to have a short iron third shot into the green. Finally there is one par 4 where I occasionally need a 3 wood to reach in regulation and 2 par 5's where I might need a 3 wood to get home in two.

 

I sometimes hit as many 3 woods in a round on that course as driver.

 

2. Away from my home course I find that there is a high probability that I will face at least 1 tee shot like the one described above and I frequently encounter a par 4 where I need 210 or so into the gree.

 

 

It should be noted that I am in now way an average golfer. I'm very accurate with the 3 wood and can hit it onto the green from 210 or at least miss in a safe spot a very resonable amount of time. When I use it off the tee I'm not just trying to put it in the fairway I'm trying to put it in the proper part of the fairway to attack the pin with a reasonably short club so that I might make birdie.

 

I'm interested to see what happens with my new 3 wood because it's significantly longer than my old one - I'm getting a rocket blz. But then again I'm about a club longer with my new 20 than I was with my old one so I'm at the point where I hit the 20 about as far as my old three wood.

 

We'll see how this shakes out.

 

Good question though Super Tuna - If your point is that there are a lot of players carrying a 3 wood who should I think you're probably right. They'd probably be better off using a 2 wood for their driver and then carrying a strong 5 w - that's a topic for another thread though.

[whiskey golf]

I currently use a 2 iron/utility club as a replacement for a 3 wood. I've tried hybrids, 3 woods, and 4 woods and the 2 iron gives me the best results. I would rather have this or a hybrid instead of a 3 wood any day. The 2 iron gives me good distance, it probably goes as far as a 3 wood at least for me. It's way more accurate which helps with tight fairways or when you need to stick it on a reachable green from +200 yards. And finally, I'm not a tour player so the idea of hitting a green from +250 out doesn't work, I'd rather place the ball in a good spot and have a short pitch shot, knock it close, and make birdie rather than trying to get lucky with a risky shot.

[sparnar]

I've got a 4W in the bag, which I got earlier in the year. But it hasn't seen any on-course action as yet. Still have to build some confidence with it on the range. And right now, I have other things that require some practice.

 

I got the 4W as my pro suggested the added loft (compared to a 3W) would make it easier to hit.

 

I still have a problem with my driver, so it is also out of rotation (even though it is still in the bag). I use my 19* 3H for my tee shots.

 

I don't go for the green in 2 on par 5, or on long par 4s for that matter. This past weekend the stroke 1 hole was a 470 metre (roughly 520 yards) par 4. I hit 3H, 7i, 7i and was close enough to the green to get the up and down for bogey. Felt really good. But there was no way I was pulling anything except 7i on the second shot. I might have considered 6i had I been in the short stuff, but I was in the rough and pulled out old faithful (aka as my 7i).

 

I don't even hit my 3H or 4H off the deck currently. This just causes too many bad shots. Will have to work on it though.

 

I don't really go for the green if it is more than 160yards. Distances bigger than that, I try to play it so that I have a chip\pitch with a good angle into the hole.

[revkev]

I've got a 4W in the bag, which I got earlier in the year. But it hasn't seen any on-course action as yet. Still have to build some confidence with it on the range. And right now, I have other things that require some practice.

 

I got the 4W as my pro suggested the added loft (compared to a 3W) would make it easier to hit.

 

I still have a problem with my driver, so it is also out of rotation (even though it is still in the bag). I use my 19* 3H for my tee shots.

 

I don't go for the green in 2 on par 5, or on long par 4s for that matter. This past weekend the stroke 1 hole was a 470 metre (roughly 520 yards) par 4. I hit 3H, 7i, 7i and was close enough to the green to get the up and down for bogey. Felt really good. But there was no way I was pulling anything except 7i on the second shot. I might have considered 6i had I been in the short stuff, but I was in the rough and pulled out old faithful (aka as my 7i).

 

I don't even hit my 3H or 4H off the deck currently. This just causes too many bad shots. Will have to work on it though.

 

I don't really go for the green if it is more than 160yards. Distances bigger than that, I try to play it so that I have a chip\pitch with a good angle into the hole.

 

Please don't take this wrong but I have to ask what a guy who's on a quest to break 100 is doing playing from a set of tees that would have a 500 plus yard par 4 on it. That could be a huge, emphasis on huge, part of your problem. Move up a couple of sets, get comfortable shooting lower scores and the try moving back.

 

Just a suggestion.

[RoverRick]

Please don't take this wrong but I have to ask what a guy who's on a quest to break 100 is doing playing from a set of tees that would have a 500 plus yard par 4 on it. That could be a huge, emphasis on huge, part of your problem. Move up a couple of sets, get comfortable shooting lower scores and the try moving back.

 

Just a suggestion.

 

Amen Reverend. I have to agree with this.

 

 

I was playing around this morning waiting for my match before it got cancelled. And I was hitting 2 iron and 3 wood off the deck at the greens, I averaged 15 more yards with the 2 iron than the 3 wood. Off the tee, I hit the 3 wood very well, and I thought I was hitting it great off the ground, and it was great, it simply did not cover as much distance as the 2 iron. So now I know.

[sparnar]

Please don't take this wrong but I have to ask what a guy who's on a quest to break 100 is doing playing from a set of tees that would have a 500 plus yard par 4 on it. That could be a huge, emphasis on huge, part of your problem. Move up a couple of sets, get comfortable shooting lower scores and the try moving back.

 

Just a suggestion.

 

 

Amen Reverend. I have to agree with this.

 

 

I was playing around this morning waiting for my match before it got cancelled. And I was hitting 2 iron and 3 wood off the deck at the greens, I averaged 15 more yards with the 2 iron than the 3 wood. Off the tee, I hit the 3 wood very well, and I thought I was hitting it great off the ground, and it was great, it simply did not cover as much distance as the 2 iron. So now I know.

 

Thanks for the advice, RevKev and RoverRick.

 

As I mentioned this was the stroke 1 hole on the course, and usually this type of length would be a par 5.

 

Unfortunately most courses I play don't have a whole bunch of different tees. They basically have mens, seniors and ladies tees. Some courses have championship tees, but these aren't always marked out.

 

So I always play the mens tees, which at most courses are both the longest and shortest set of tees for men.

 

I'm just not as spoilt for choice as most of you are.

 

And I have to mention that this was the only really, really long par 4 on the course. There were some short par 4s as well. The par 4s on the course in mention, were of the following distances: 344m, 471m, 415m, 338m, 303m, 401m, 392m, 437m, 313m, 331m).

[Kanoito]

I'm just not as spoilt for choice as most of you are.

 

I feel ya, bro!

We don't even have senior tees. Only 2 sets: men and women

[RoverRick]

Guys, unless you lift the tee markers up and they actually have different sex organs on them, there is really no such thing as men's womens"s, Senior's and Any other tees. Tees should be based on the length you can hit the ball with a reasonable amount of accuracy. Those distances in yards are 376, 515, 453, 369, 331, 438, 428, 471, 342, 361. In my opinion a high handicapper only have a reason expectation of hitting the green in two if the hole is 350 yards or less or 320m. Of course this depends on the green size and hole layout, but that is the world according to RR. You should be close on those less than 400 yards or 360 meters, but anything more than that is pretty unrealistic.

 

Most people average accurately hitting a driver 210 and a 7 iron 150 and PW 100. I played with a guy Saturday who could hit the ball a long way but had no control. Who cares if I hit driver/7i and he hit D/W, I found the green in two and he found the pasture next to the golf course.

 

(As an aside, earlier Saturday, one of the really good high school boys came up to me on the seventh tee box and asked if I had made that putt on 6, and I had. He said he watched my approach shot and was very impressed with the way I played it and asked what I hit. I told him I hit an 8 iron from 100 yards and the reason I did was because I was under a lot of pressure to win the hole because of the bet, the wind was behind me. I felt that a gap wedge would carry too far, and hitting a sand wedge that hard would give up some control. My other option was a chip with the 8 iron, waist high, that I knew from experience would travel that distance. It was a shorter swing and more controllable. And less susceptible to wind and nerves. I did make the short putt but it was for par not birdie. I had hit a tree with my drive and bounced behind the tee box and was already a stroke down on the hole. He said that it was a clutch hit and he would work on that. He said that every one always hits the high shot and he watched everyone in his group that day miss the green because of the wind.)

 

Most guys will not move up to the proper tees because of ego and the fact that people, and even some clubs, erroneously mislabel the tees. At my club they are labeled red, gold, white and blue. This is the proper label and like I said, unless they have some identifiable sex organs on them all tee markers are neutered. However, when I tried to have one of the guys in my group move up a set of tees because he could not hit driver, he took lessons and learned to hit the driver.