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196 Views 35 Replies
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Years ago, the 3-wood tee shot was considered a safe play because it was an easier club to hit than the driver. But with today's 460cc drivers, a lot of us (and a lot of tour players) can hit the ball straighter with a driver than the much smaller headed 3-wood.
Which leads me to these two: 1. Do any of you have more trouble keeping a 3-wood tee shot in play over the driver like I do? 2. Why aren't the golf gods sending down 460cc 3-woods? |
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| # 1 4/29/2012 10:40:01 PM |
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You are absolutely right that the larger headed drivers make that club more forgiving. I will often use driver on a long par 3 rather than a 3 metal (or sometimes even a hybrid). As long as you use some of those same principles touched upon in the "I've Got No Shot..." 25-50 yard pitch discussion (shorter back swing, smooth transition, turn back and through the ball with acceleration) I find this a great alternative that gets me on the green a high percentage of the time.
The why they don't make 460 cc 3-metals is the same reason you don't see a lot of folks hitting 460 cc drivers off the deck. It's somewhere between difficult to impossible to get the ball in the air from a tight lie with those big headed drivers. |
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| # 2 4/29/2012 10:48:56 PM |
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The problem I had with my old driver was, on many dogleg holes, it's just too long. With my new driver the problem is worse. I tee up a 3 wood not for control left/right but for distance control. I also have a 2 hybrid for a few holes where the 3 wood is too much club.
I have a slice, it's not caused by the club I'm using. It's caused by how I'm using the club. When I make a smooth, relaxed swing with a posed follow through, I get a straight shot with all those clubs from the tee. When I rush the takeaway/back swing or lurch at the downswing, I slice with all of them. I don't think a 460cc 3 wood would be much use in the fairway, which is a good first reason not to make one. |
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| # 3 4/30/2012 3:11:00 AM |
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The problem I had with my old driver was, on many dogleg holes, it's just too long. With my new driver the problem is worse. I tee up a 3 wood not for control left/right but for distance control. ... I've got the same problem with my driver. I use the Callaway RAZR Hawk which is too long on most holes (I now realize). I need to use my 3W more off the tee. |
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| # 4 4/30/2012 6:39:10 AM |
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I love my 3w. It has been in my bag longer than any club that I own. I am more accurate with my 3w and it is really easy to hit off of the deck on those long par 5s. I personally can not stand the 460cc heads and prefer something between 400 and 445. As for the 460cc 3w, you are better off just getting a higher lofted driver and switching out your 3w for a 4 or 5 wood.
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| # 5 4/30/2012 6:42:21 AM |
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I hardly hit 3 wood off the tee just because I'm such a short hitter, and I have to hit driver to be more competitive. I will hit it though if there's crap I can reach or it's a really narrow hole, BUT short. Although both clubs have movement, there's no question I hit my 3 wood "straighter" than I hit driver.
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| # 6 4/30/2012 7:06:17 AM |
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I pop my 3 wood up off the tee alot ...................I'll take a 3 hybrid or a 4-iron off the tee-box before I will a 3-wood if I think the shot required is too short for a driver.
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| # 7 4/30/2012 8:12:58 AM |
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Modern 3 wood = 43" + , shallow faced, lighter overall weight. OEM approach the fairway wood like the driver with lighter weight, longer shaft length, to produce potentially longer distance to get more market share.
The average golfers couldn't play anything longer than 41"-42" off the turf with any consistency. You want to play the fairway woods well ? Find the correct length and flex for your swing. Usually, a low handicapper like the deep face for faiwaywoods and the high handicapper likes th shallower face design. There are plenty of medium face height design for fairway woods on the market. Also noted for the average golfer, a more flexible shaft in the fairway woods than what's been used in the driver will produce better result. |
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| # 8 4/30/2012 9:01:21 AM |
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To many golfers want to hit it as far off the tee as they can. 3 woods off the tee should be used more often I think. It's not only about hitting the fairway but having a good yardage into the green. I like to be 125 yards out more then being 75 yards out. I have 3 holes at the course I play from the white tees it's better to hit 3 wood then to hit Driver.
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| # 9 4/30/2012 9:09:10 AM |
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To many golfers want to hit it as far off the tee as they can. 3 woods off the tee should be used more often I think. It's not only about hitting the fairway but having a good yardage into the green. I like to be 125 yards out more then being 75 yards out. I have 3 holes at the course I play from the white tees it's better to hit 3 wood then to hit Driver. I'll take the 75 yards anyday over 125. |
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| # 10 4/30/2012 9:24:13 AM |
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Tee off with whatever satisfies my course management game plan for that particular hole. I have hit 6iron off the Box on Par 5 before to stay out of trouble. I like hitting 3w off the box as well on anything 350 to 375 or less to have the distance I would rather have to hit into the green. Whatever works to my strengths.
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| # 11 4/30/2012 12:08:09 PM |
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To many golfers want to hit it as far off the tee as they can. 3 woods off the tee should be used more often I think. It's not only about hitting the fairway but having a good yardage into the green. I like to be 125 yards out more then being 75 yards out. I have 3 holes at the course I play from the white tees it's better to hit 3 wood then to hit Driver. I'll take the 75 yards anyday over 125. Right now 80 to 60 yards is a hole in my bag. I feel much better at 100 to 125 yards. inside 40 yards is also a good spot to be for me. |
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| # 12 4/30/2012 6:16:12 PM |
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Right now I freaking hate my 3 wood and its in time out with the 3 iron.
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| # 13 4/30/2012 8:44:05 PM |
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If the 3 wood was 460 cc it would be a driver, so that won't work. I use a 2 Callaway hybrid and T it up very low, almost to the ground. It is 17 degrees which is only 2 degrees over most 3 woods and it is very forgiving, lofts up nicely and lands soft, or if I move it back in my stance about 2 balls widths I can punch out a nice stinger that rolls forever. I am 230 with it, which is the same as I hit a 3 wood. I know, I am not very long, but then I am 60 also. I can shape it nicely left or right, not a lot, but enough to do the job. I use it on dog legs, where my driver (240 - 260 on average, before any roll) is too long or there is a narrow approach to the fairway and I want to stay very straight. It hits great off the deck, whether it is a thin lie or a swamp. It is great out of fairway bunkers and just about any rough. I also carry 3 and 4 hybrids (same Callaways) which are 21 degree's and 24 degree's. I have them for the same reasons as the 2. These are great clubs for a long approach shot and to lay up to a good approach shot yardage on short par 4's. I am 200 to 210 with the 3 and 186 to 196 with the 4. I love these clubs, I don't carry any woods or fairway metals in my bag.
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| # 14 4/30/2012 8:52:24 PM |
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Not much of a response, but if you are having trouble getting good contact and flight with a 3w, then I recommend demoing the Ping K15 3wood. It is very forgiving and instills confidence when hitting off the deck or a tee.
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| # 15 4/30/2012 8:59:06 PM |
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I still manage to put about half of my drives somewhere other than the fairway. I definitely have more control with a 3W. That said, I usually hit an 18 degree hybrid off the turf because I hit it almost as far as the 3W and rarely hit it poorly.
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