Driver Vs 3 Wood

[Oldham92]

Only been playing for around 6 months and had loads of driver issues. First one I had was an awful slice and a straight shot only carried around 100 yards. Found a £25 brand new bargain at AG that was a lower loft and stiff shaft, that's improved things slightly (slice less often and straight goes around 150) but still not ideal. But when I hit my 3 wood off a tee I'm getting around 200 and hardly any slices. Has anyone else ever found anything similar and if you did what did you do to fix it?

And before everyone just says get lessons, a family member is buying me a lesson package for Christmas, so I will be doing that anyway, was just curious if it's only me or if it's a regular problem.

 

[anotherdouble]

Imurg is a forum member that has gone through this and only used a 3 wood for some considerable time.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Not unusual at all. Obvious answer, not necessarily right for you but was for me, is that the longer shaft length of the driver is causing you problems. The 3 wood is shorter and you are able to control it better.

There could be other reasons but that one caused me problems for some time until I found a driver that suited me better. Even now I reckon my nailed 3 wood goes further than my usual drive.

 

[Imurg]

Imurg is a forum member that has gone through this and only used a 3 wood for some considerable time.

Yep.
Been there and worn out the T-shirt.
3 wood has a shorter shaft and more loft so making it easier, generally, to control.
Your swing speed likely drops with the 3 wood but it's easier to hit the middle of the club head - so you often get similar or more distance than hitting your driver all over the face.
A centred strike with a driver will better a centered strike with a 3 wood but most people will find the centre of the 3 more often, even though the head is considerably shorter.
I carry a driver at the moment as, apart from today, I've worked out a way of getting something from it.
Ivan smack it 240/250 on the fly bullet straight but next tee it's going 45° right.....or left!
3 wood, well I have a 4 wood, goes about 220+ but generally reasonably straight.
I've won many a comp with a 4 wood being my longest club

Get lessons, keep trying it but don't be afraid to drop it.

 

[Oldham92]

Yep.
Been there and worn out the T-shirt.
3 wood has a shorter shaft and more loft so making it easier, generally, to control.
Your swing speed likely drops with the 3 wood but it's easier to hit the middle of the club head - so you often get similar or more distance than hitting your driver all over the face.
A centred strike with a driver will better a centered strike with a 3 wood but most people will find the centre of the 3 more often, even though the head is considerably shorter.
I carry a driver at the moment as, apart from today, I've worked out a way of getting something from it.
Ivan smack it 240/250 on the fly bullet straight but next tee it's going 45° right.....or left!
3 wood, well I have a 4 wood, goes about 220+ but generally reasonably straight.
I've won many a comp with a 4 wood being my longest club

Get lessons, keep trying it but don't be afraid to drop it.

Will probably be back out at the club on Wednesday so may leave the driver at home and see what happens

 

[Grumps]

I use my 3 wood in the winter as it goes just as far as driver does without the slice and the wet conditions rule out any run a driver gets

 

[TheDork]

Loft, simple really.

 

[Oldham92]

Loft, simple really.

Original driver was an adjustable HL though which was set to 13.5, my 3 wood is 15. Not much difference there

 

[dronfield]

Some of the problem could be shaft length - modern drivers are 45-46".

For the past 2 years i have been solely using a Taylormade Mini Driver - 3 wood length shaft with 14 degree bigger head. Generally hit it straight, and certainly long enough for the courses i play.

I have found it more forgiving and therefore confidence boosting - only use it off tees, not off fairway.

Rich

 

[Oldham92]

Would it be possible to put a 3 wood length shaft into my driver? And if it would, would it be something I could do myself?

 

[Imurg]

If the driver has a detachable shaft then it's easy to do and possibly worth a try.
It may feel a bit funny and will definitely look wired but it can work well for some.
You get a slight drop in swing speed but you're more likely to find the middle.
It didn't work for me but then not much does these days

 

[clarke_111]

I have a 3 wood length shaft in my ping g400 head. I’ve found that I have gained distance and improved consistency, so it’s staying for me. Feels much easier to control and I hit the middle of the face more often which helps with distance (better strike) and dispersion as well (less gearing).

Definitely worth a try. Modern driver shafts are getting longer and longer-I think the standard now is around 45.5 for many companies. The tour average is more like 44 though I believe (mine is 43.5).

 

[Grant85]

I have a 3 wood length shaft in my ping g400 head. I’ve found that I have gained distance and improved consistency, so it’s staying for me. Feels much easier to control and I hit the middle of the face more often which helps with distance (better strike) and dispersion as well (less gearing).

Definitely worth a try. Modern driver shafts are getting longer and longer-I think the standard now is around 45.5 for many companies. The tour average is more like 44 though I believe (mine is 43.5).

Yes - agree.

This is exactly the sort of thing I'd want to be asking at a lesson / fitting with regard to shaft length.

My 3 wood average is probably not far away from my driver average because I mishit so many drivers, compared with 3 woods.

 

[jim8flog]

As general point (without seeing your swing) most beginners think that they got to thrash the hell out of club (in particular a driver) to get the distance. If you have ever heard the phrase " let the club do the work" then this is most suited to a driver.

 

[OOB]

Even at my best I'd say my 3 wood is only 20 yards shorter than my driver off the tee. It's not a massive one to be concerned about, the answers are probably lessons, then fitting, with a caveat that adds nothing new and shiny will do the job any better than something 10 years old.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

As general point (without seeing your swing) most beginners think that they got to thrash the hell out of club (in particular a driver) to get the distance.

Only beginners? You mean this isn't how to do it?

 

[Orikoru]

If you can't hit a driver then just keep hitting the 3 wood. Loads and loads of players do that. If you hit the 3 wood 200 yards and straight there's absolutely no harm in it whatsoever.

Personally I'm the other way around. I love hitting a driver due to the massive face, feels like I can't miss, whereas I can't hit a fairway wood very consistently at all. Don't even carry one anymore.

 

[azazel]

I had matching driver, 3 wood and 5 wood, all with the same spec shafts, albeit in different lengths. Couldn't hit the driver to save my life so binned it, the 5 wood is inconsistent at best with a tendency to fly low and left but the 3 wood is my favourite club in the bag and I don't intend changing it until the day it dies. Not entirely sure why all that would be the case but hey ho!

 

[Redskins21]

I played for a couple of years without a driver in the bag, hitting 3 wood all the time. Now I've got back into playing I hit a driver far better than 3 wood.
I think confidence has a lot to do with it along with the factors already mentioned.

 

[Rlburnside]

The shorter shaft in your 3 wood is almost sure to be the reason you hit that club better than your driver.

As others have alluded to the pros use shorter length shafts in their drivers and consequently because of manufacturers marketing ploys a great many players are playing with the wrong length of shafts in their drivers.

If your hitting your 3 wood 200 yards consistently then stick with that and try the driver when you get lessons.

Good luck