# fairway woods, do high handicappers benefit.



## shewy (Jan 17, 2015)

Just wondering as I see many higher handicappers struggle with them, driver off the tee, they kind of get away with it but put a smaller headed 3 wood in their hands and they mess it up, off the deck it's just a card wrecker, I wonder if they would be better going driver then say 19 degree hybrid.
Just an observation from the range yesterday.


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## Oddsocks (Jan 17, 2015)

The key is finding a shape that inspires confidence. 

A shallow face often helps


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## virtuocity (Jan 17, 2015)

Or Driver, then 7 iron?


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## Beezerk (Jan 17, 2015)

5 wood with a cut down shaft for me, can hit it better than a #3 hybrid off the deck.


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## patricks148 (Jan 17, 2015)

Ive never really thought about it but you might be right about the 3 wood. I struggled with a 3 wood until was was at least into single figures. 5 wood on the other had i was fine with off the deck and i find a those very easy to hit, just never worked off a tee, so dropped that in my first year of playing.


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## Oddsocks (Jan 17, 2015)

I'm the other way, as a junior starting off 31 I couldn't hit a driver, even though I had regular gaps in playing I got to 15 from 31 hitting nothing longer than a 3w , I always hit my 3woods well


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## SaintHacker (Jan 17, 2015)

I don't bother with a driver, I find for the extra 15 yards or so its not worth the trade off for the accuracy I lose, and I can normally outdrive most of my driver wielding mates so its a no brainer for me.


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## Pin-seeker (Jan 17, 2015)

I'm much more confident hitting a 3w over driver. 
I never use to attempt 3w off the fairway,love it now.


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## Imurg (Jan 17, 2015)

3 wood off the deck is not an easy shot for your average common or garden handicap golfer..
I struggle to flight a 15Â° 3 wood with any consistency so my adjustable is set to 16Â° - only another degree of loft but it makes all the difference to me.
Most higher handicappers really only need a 4 or 5 wood for longer fairway shots,


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## Andy (Jan 17, 2015)

Ditched my 3 wood in favour of the 5 and I'll maybe slot in the old 2 hybrid.


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## garyinderry (Jan 17, 2015)

Posted on here many times about the danger of the 3 wood to the higher handicapper.  I used to duff a tee shot, reach for the 3 wood then end up in more trouble.

Dropped two shots of my handicap within two weeks of ditching my 3 wood years ago.


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## Qwerty (Jan 17, 2015)

Ive always been poor with 3 woods, went through stacks of them when I started out trying to find one I got on with, all with no success.
Ive since had a g15 4 wood in the bag for about 4 years although it's not often I'll use it off the deck.  I much prefer my old Adams a7  2 hybrid. Any severe greenside danger though and the aim is an 80 yard lay up.

i think the key is know your strengths and play to them.


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## tugglesf239 (Jan 17, 2015)

Not a fan of fairways personally 

Mainly because I know I'm going to duff the shot. 

Now play driver, 2h, 3h 

Much happier. 

I can hit the 2h around 3w distance, but feel some much more confident.


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## garyinderry (Jan 17, 2015)

Ive put various 3 wood into the bag since dropping it.  None have ever lasted long.


Every now and again I get the itch to try a new one.  4 wood been in the bag a little while now.


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## tsped83 (Jan 17, 2015)

Oddsocks said:



			A shallow face often helps
		
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Complete opposite for me. Shallow face fairways just make me think i'll go right underneath it. Agree about using higher lofted FWs, my 5 wood is my favourite club and is a beast.


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## louise_a (Jan 17, 2015)

I love my 3 wood although at 17 degrees it is probably more like a mans 4 or 5 wood. I could not hit it when I first got it, but found a youtube video which showed me the correct way.


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## Foxholer (Jan 17, 2015)

Never really had a problem with FW off deck. Playing winter Golf on links courses it - even at 13* - was a pretty natural tool for me. 

I'd suggest that rather than being something higher handicappers should avoid, that it's more a indicator  of *why* they are high cappers - the inability to get the clubhead to a pretty specific place consistently! Better ball-striking - found through lessons/practice - will improve both the handicap and the ability to hit FWs.

All that said, there's a definite argument for the 4W (or 3HL). Not only is it easier to hit, but the higher loft will almost certainly result in greater distance overall anyway!


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## Marshy77 (Jan 17, 2015)

garyinderry said:



			Posted on here many times about the danger of the 3 wood to the higher handicapper.  I used to duff a tee shot, reach for the 3 wood then end up in more trouble.

Dropped two shots of my handicap within two weeks of ditching my 3 wood years ago.
		
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Yes I'm about to sell my Ben Ross 3 wood as I'm so inconsistant with it and as you say just leads me into further trouble. Great club when it goes but for me I don't hit it well enough times.


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## garyinderry (Jan 17, 2015)

3 woods are not hard to hit.   I very rarely duff them these daya.  It's just that they are long distance wise and once you go offline there is no coming back.  The damage to a round can be massive.  

Until you get low enough there really isn't the need to go for greens on par 5s.   If you need to hit less than driver on a short par 4 then just hit your driver a tap or hybrid.


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## Biggleswade Blue (Jan 17, 2015)

I've just put a 3 wood into the bag (Ping G20).  It has helped me enormously.  But you have to choose when to use it - if I'm sitting down in some soggy rough, that is not the time.  But when on the fairway, with the ball sitting up, it is my go to club.


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## LanDog (Jan 17, 2015)

My 3 wood is my favourite club I'd say, feel very confident off the tee or deck with it, I think there's a big trust issue for people and fairway woods, they need time to feel comfortable with them to be successful, not everyone, but most certainly me, I tried a Cleveland Classic and could control it at all it was a hook machine on the good days and Lord knows what on the bad ones!


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## Skypilot (Jan 17, 2015)

I posted recently on the "What have you bought" thread about a charity shop 5 wood I picked up for Â£2.
I'm a long time hacker but it's transformed my game.
I duff the odd shot but when I connect it really flies. It's actually 21 degrees and I've seen some with this loft described as 7 woods.
I'm wondering now if I should try something around 17/18/19 degrees to see if that gives me a little more length but I don't want to jinx what's working pretty good at the moment.
I carded my best ever score yesterday on a shortish 67 par course I like. Which included my first ever par 4 birdie (foreshortened by tees placed forward)
I've also been helped by a lob wedge I bought a couple of days ago which has stopped the thins I was getting using my sand wedge.


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## jak kez 187 (Jan 17, 2015)

Still can't hit a 3 wood to save my life.

Was going to try a 4 wood but I think its just the head shape that doesn't inspire me with any confidence. Have a ping g20 hybrid 20* which is great and is an iron like head shape so may try find a 2 hybrid and see how that goes.


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## NWJocko (Jan 17, 2015)

Given up on 3 woods.

Too inconsistent and I can't be bothered practising. At my course wouldn't really use it much anyway, off the tee either iron short of bunkers or driver launched over them.

Recent convert to a 5 wood as can launch it miles in the air, much prefer it to hybrids.

Got a 2 iron aswell so plenty enough at the top end of the bag


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## Oddsocks (Jan 17, 2015)

Love my frankinthree , when I'm swinging well it's a missile off the deck and it's almost as long as my driver off the tee


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## shewy (Jan 17, 2015)

i think the franken 3 woods are a godsend for higher hcp's, a good alternative to the driver and easier to control.


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## Skypilot (Jan 17, 2015)

Ok, I give in. What's a Frankenwood? Another name for a Hybrid?


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## shewy (Jan 17, 2015)

Clubs like the 3 deep and sldr mini, Ping rapture as well.


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## HomerJSimpson (Jan 17, 2015)

It takes some practice to learn the correct technique but I do think higher handicappers can use them and that for many, a five wood or even a three wood off the tee would actually be more friendly and easier to hit. I have no qualms hitting a five wood on very tight driving holes or if I'm struggling off the tee


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## Oddsocks (Jan 17, 2015)

shewy said:



			Clubs like the 3 deep and sldr mini, Ping rapture as well.
		
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I call it a frankinthree but really it's just a standard cobra amp v1 3w with a modded driver shaft.  It's s deeper face 3w like the 3deep instead of a more traditional 3w like the burners


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## Hickory_Hacker (Jan 17, 2015)

shewy said:



			Just wondering as I see many higher handicappers struggle with them, driver off the tee, they kind of get away with it but put a smaller headed 3 wood in their hands and they mess it up, off the deck it's just a card wrecker, I wonder if they would be better going driver then say 19 degree hybrid.
Just an observation from the range yesterday.
		
Click to expand...

Hang on a minute ...

What is it the High Handicappers see when they're watching you


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## Simbo (Jan 17, 2015)

I struggle with a three wood off the deck, because I no longer carry a 3 iron( which I miss) iv been considering ditching the 15 degree 3 wood and adding a 17 hybrid and then changing the 19 hybrid I have for a 21. Mainly down to the fact that I find the 3 wood quite a high tariff shot, my success rate with it is quite poor tbh. In saying that my old man, who's 70 hits 3 woods all the time no problem.


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## Merv_swerve (Jan 17, 2015)

I find the high handicappers play much better with 3 or 5 than driver off the tee and do ok on the deck.
I have been all the way from 28 to 10 and always looked forward to hitting my wood and had to use it a lot from the fw as I was always so short from the tee.
Now I use it about 3 times a round unless its gale force out there. Got 2 hybrids in the bag also.


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## shewy (Jan 17, 2015)

Hickory_Hacker said:



			Hang on a minute ...

What is it the High Handicappers see when they're watching you 

Click to expand...

Brad Pitt


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## pendodave (Jan 17, 2015)

I've always found that I don't have the ball striking ability or swing speed to make a 3 wood anything like worth taking from a fairway. Even a 5 is touch and go.

A 7 wood on the other hand is a thing of beauty. Shorter shaft and more loft. Decent enough distance and some useable height to get onto greens (including long par 3s).

I'm also in the sceptical about high 'cappers camp. If I were to make a suggestion it would be to start with a 7, and if that works progress down to a 5, then 3. 

It sometimes seems to me that there are a lot of 20+ players whose best two clubs are the 3 wood and the lob wedge....


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## Biggleswade Blue (Jan 17, 2015)

Spraying it about and struggling from high handicappers isn't a unique feature of a 3 wood - it happens with all the clubs.  I don't think it is inherently worse, although the added distance can make it look worse.  A short 5 iron often has a less bad outcome than a 3 wood.


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## HomerJSimpson (Jan 17, 2015)

To be honest unless the rewards outweighed the risks, I wouldn't consider hitting a three wood off the fairway. Going into a long par four or hitting a par five, I'd rather use my shots and play a more conservative approach and certainly on the par five make sure I made the par first rather than taking the glory shot on and ending up with bogey or worse


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## chellie (Jan 17, 2015)

I love my 3 wood off the deck.


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## ScienceBoy (Jan 17, 2015)

Lessons are the cure here, generally its not new kit.


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## MadAdey (Jan 18, 2015)

I think high handicappers reach for it without really thinking when on the fairway. I've seen it a million times when they are that far from the green even their Sunday best 3w is not going to get within 50 yards. But they hit it anyway, stick it in the crap, take a drop, chip it out and stick it on for 5. Something like a 4h and a wedge would be on in 3. 

Loft is is your friend and hitting a 5w that flies properly will go further than a 3w for most.


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## TheCaddie (Jan 18, 2015)

At this stage I wouldn't even try a 3w off the deck as a second shot. Agree with all the comments that loft is your friend, and that lessons are required. Definitely a technique which needs to be taught and learnt in my opinion.


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## bignev (Jan 18, 2015)

I carry Driver, 3 wood and 5 wood then if driver miss behaving 3 wood off the tee.
Always my 5 wood off the fairway as soon as I put it behind the ball I feel I  can hit it well. (if that makes sence)


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## Jensen (Jan 18, 2015)

It's an old one, but I love my 3 wood, see signature below. Use it both off the tee and the deck.
It's a deeper face than the modern 3 woods but I love it.


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## drewster (Jan 19, 2015)

I have a total phobia with fairways and don't even carry one anymore . I find a strong hybrid much easier to hit straight and relatively ok lengthwise.


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## StrangelyBrown (Jan 19, 2015)

I've always struggled with the 3 wood, so I go driver, 4 wood, 19* hybrid... it works ok for me.

HC is 22, for what it's worth.


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## IanG (Jan 19, 2015)

Another here who has sworn off the 3-wood. Yes it means that sometimes you can't reach the green with that sweetly struck shot, but leaving it at home removes the temptation which more often than not ends in tears. 

With a trusty 19 degree hybrid you can be there or thereabouts and hope for a nice up and down to make par. Worst case scenario is an acceptable bogey and move on. Scores are definitely more consistent since the temptress has been left in the garage.


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## MadAdey (Jan 20, 2015)

drewster said:



			I have a total phobia with fairways and don't even carry one anymore . I find a strong hybrid much easier to hit straight and relatively ok lengthwise.
		
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So do most. I've known plenty of good golfers that only carry 5w or low lofted hybrid as the 3w was a card wrecker. Infact a lot of them found the 5w went as far  as their 3w as they actually made a better connection with it. 

I only started carrying a 3w about 4 years ago after playing for the previous 19 years without one. That was thanks to a lesson that made so much sense on how to hit one consistently off the deck. Now I would not be without one as having that distance from the deck makes a lot of par 5s reachable.


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## Smiffy (Jan 20, 2015)

I have just purchased an Adams Tight Lies 3 wood (16 degree) and find it much easier to hit off the deck than my old Cobra S2. Very small head on it though, it looks more like a hybrid as it's so shallow.
I can't hit a hybrid to save my life, so the 3 wood comes in handy now and then.


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