fairway woods, do high handicappers benefit.

[shewy]

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.

 

[Oddsocks]

The key is finding a shape that inspires confidence.

A shallow face often helps

 

[virtuocity]

Or Driver, then 7 iron?

 

[Beezerk]

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

 

[patricks148]

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.

 

[Oddsocks]

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

 

[SaintHacker]

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.

 

[Pin-seeker]

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

 

[Imurg]

3 wood off the deck is not an easy shot for your average common or garden handicap golfer..
I struggle to flight a 15° 3 wood with any consistency so my adjustable is set to 16° - 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,

 

[Andy]

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

 

[garyinderry]

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.

 

[Qwerty]

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.

 

[tugglesf239]

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.

 

[garyinderry]

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.

 

[tsped83]

A shallow face often helps

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.

 

[louise_a]

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.

 

[Foxholer]

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!

 

[Marshy77]

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.

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.

 

[garyinderry]

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.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

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.