fairway woods, do high handicappers benefit.

[TheCaddie]

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.

 

[bignev]

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)

 

[Jensen]

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.

 

[drewster]

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.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

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.

 

[IanG]

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.

 

[MadAdey]

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.

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.

 

[Smiffy]

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.