Purpose of a 3 wood?

[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.

[revkev]

I'd applaud any course that only had two sets of tees but not if they were the lengths that you mentioned Sparnar - that's nuts - no wonder you're having such a struggle - I can't even begin to imagine how long rounds must take once the course gets crowded.

 

I live in Florida, a place chock full of very, very good golfers and our top amateur tournaments are not played at the distances that you just describes -

 

That's ashame.

 

In my opinion courses should only have two sets of tees out for each day - back and front - the back should play between 6,200 and 6,400 and the back about 1,000 yards shorter - No one is allowed to play from the tips (the true back of the course) unless he or she has a written letter of recommendation from their pro.

 

That would be a great way to reduce the time of a round of golf and to increase enjoyment.

 

I guess we've succesfully hijacked this thread - sorry Tuna - I like the original intent of the thread and will like it more once my new 3 wood gets here.

[Shambles]

I carry a 3 wood for it's original purpose. Off the tee, only a little bit less than the driver and a little bit more reliable for direction and carry. Off the fairway, needing a good lie to truly perform for distance and/or flight height, otherwise I go with a shorter fairway or long iron.

 

 

Shambles

[BK in TEXAS]

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.

I'm going to paint boobs, balls, and bigger balls on the markers on my course...then they will have organs

 

Seriously though. If a course only has red/white/blue then there is no escaping the fact they are de facto womens, mens, and pro tee boxes.

[RoverRick]

I'm going to paint boobs, balls, and bigger balls on the markers on my course...then they will have organs

 

Seriously though. If a course only has red/white/blue then there is no escaping the fact they are de facto womens, mens, and pro tee boxes.

Spanar's course probably does not use red, white, and blue maybe green, gold, and black.

 

With just three tees, why are these not labeled less than 200 yard drivers, 200-250 yard driver, and 250+ yard drivers. The purpose of different tees is not so that we can separate men, women and seniors, but so that all players can hit approximately the same irons into the green and can compete on a level playing field. Golf is the only game, in which provisions are made so that people of all ages, sexes, and physical abilities can compete against each other and have any sense of a fair game.

 

I can play in a foursome with Tiger, Rory and my lawyer, and because of different tees, and different handicaps whomever plays better than their average can still win. (I am not betting on me or Willie.) How long would you last on a tennis court with Boris Becker, or a basketball court with Micheal Jordan?

[BK in TEXAS]

The purpose of different tees is not so that we can separate men, women and seniors, but so that all players can hit approximately the same irons into the green and can compete on a level playing field.

Ya I agree with that completely. My point was simply that if a course wants to ditch the paradigms they need to use colors other than red/wht/blue........because........as long as they use those colors......they will be womens/mens/pro tee.

[MikeG]

Hireko has a component that's 3 wood loft but 5 wood weight. the shaft gets tipped like a 5 wood, and playing length is the same as a 5 wood. There's negligable loss of distance because contact is always good with the shorter club.

 

Don't forget, you can build or have them build with the shaft you want.

 

Would you try one of these?

[GolfSpy Dave]

I am fairly certain that my 3w is in the bag to provide a place for its headcover. I think that my bag looks better with the matching driver and 3w covers.

 

Seriously thinking about going 2H and never looking at the fairways again. If the Cally Razr X came in a 2h it would be done already.

Maybe 2013 will be the year I find a solid fairway wood and swing.

And maybe too it will be the year I roll only one putter.

And the year that I play at Augusta with Tiger, Phil, Jack, Santa Claus, Wolverine, Rorschach, & ...

[RookieBlue7]

I carry a 3 wood because of distance gapping, and for a set distance. It's used when a driver is too much club and I can hit it through the fairway on a dogleg hole (there are several on my home course). I also use it for positional play where hitting driver leaves me a half club or a delicate shot, and instead, back myself up with a 3 wood where I'm hitting a full club. It's easier to hit a full club, IMO, than try to dial in a short yardage half swing with a wedge. I don't carry it because "I can hit it straighter than a driver" as is the common excuse. Maybe if we're talking 15 years ago, you might have a point. But we're not, and today's drivers are every bit as forgiving as a fairway wood. That logic doesn't fly with me. I also don't buy the excuse that it's easier to hit than a driver, no, it's not. The face of the modern driver is much larger, has a wider margin of error/forgiveness across the face, etc. It's pointless to pull a fairway, IMO, if you're hitting your driver a little crooked because you think it's easier to hit straight. It's smart to pull a fairway if it's a positional play, though.

[RoverRick]

On cold mornings, the air shock thingies that hold up the back of the tailgate on my Range Rover do not work as well as they should, so I could use the 3 wood to hold it up, it is the perfect length.

 

 

Seriously, I parked yesterday morning beside a guy with a Tahoe who pulled a shower rod out and used it to hold up his tailgate. He asked me if I had that problem ever, and I said, that is the reason I carry a 3 wood, because I damn sure did not use it the rest of the time. And he nearly fell over.

 

As I stated earlier, I use mine on several holes and have actually been using it more and more lately now that I seem to remember occasionally that I need to swing at the same speed as a 9 iron and it will work great. If I try to kill it, well, I do. I kill it, it being a good score.

[sparnar]

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.

 

 

I'd applaud any course that only had two sets of tees but not if they were the lengths that you mentioned Sparnar - that's nuts - no wonder you're having such a struggle - I can't even begin to imagine how long rounds must take once the course gets crowded.

 

I live in Florida, a place chock full of very, very good golfers and our top amateur tournaments are not played at the distances that you just describes -

 

That's ashame.

 

In my opinion courses should only have two sets of tees out for each day - back and front - the back should play between 6,200 and 6,400 and the back about 1,000 yards shorter - No one is allowed to play from the tips (the true back of the course) unless he or she has a written letter of recommendation from their pro.

 

That would be a great way to reduce the time of a round of golf and to increase enjoyment.

 

I guess we've succesfully hijacked this thread - sorry Tuna - I like the original intent of the thread and will like it more once my new 3 wood gets here.

 

 

Spanar's course probably does not use red, white, and blue maybe green, gold, and black.

 

With just three tees, why are these not labeled less than 200 yard drivers, 200-250 yard driver, and 250+ yard drivers. The purpose of different tees is not so that we can separate men, women and seniors, but so that all players can hit approximately the same irons into the green and can compete on a level playing field. Golf is the only game, in which provisions are made so that people of all ages, sexes, and physical abilities can compete against each other and have any sense of a fair game.

 

I can play in a foursome with Tiger, Rory and my lawyer, and because of different tees, and different handicaps whomever plays better than their average can still win. (I am not betting on me or Willie.) How long would you last on a tennis court with Boris Becker, or a basketball court with Micheal Jordan?

 

Thanks for all the advice, guys. Unfortunately I am stuck in this boat, and can't really do much about it.

 

There is no way that I can convince friends of mine to play from the so-called 'senior' tees. And I am pretty sure I wouldn't last 5 holes with all the heckling, and this would definitely lead to less enjoyment, not more.

 

Don't take this the wrong way, I really appreciate the advice. I just can't implement it. Right now my aim is to play bogey golf, which means I have to reach the green in 3 shots on par 4s, which I am comfortable with. That one hole of 470m is an exception, and not the rule. With holes around 350m, I am semi-confident that I can reach the green if I had a shot. Perhaps I should rather say, that I am semi-confident that it will be in the bigger green area.

 

I understand your concern with this, and I fully understand the logic behind this. But there have been times where I have reached par 4s in regulation, and also some par 5s. I know I can do it, and while it might be the exception, rather than the rule at this moment, once I become more consistent, it will happen more often.

 

Thanks again. I'll try to stay on topic now :-)