How to hit...... a 3 Wood

[drawboy]

am I the only one reading this thread and wondering how it got to focussing on the club rather than the objective?

hitting a long shot from the fairway to a small target (always smaller than a tee shot) is always going to test - for the average handicap golfer that 'test' is normally one step too far.

searching for 'the club' to resolve this is somewhat similar to seaching for the holy grail.

Is the correct answer and exactly what I was going to write before reading this. Any handicap golfer above scratch that expects to hit a green as a second shot on a par 5 or long par 4 with a 3 wood is seriously overestimating his/her skill level. These are once a season hits for most. Yes pro's do it regularly but it is their job and they practice it over and over and over. I do not even attempt this shot. Take the 6/7 iron, bump it up the fairway and then hit the 9 into the green. Leave the 3 wood on the shop shelf.

 

[duncan mackie]

However, still prefer the 4 wood hybrid if I'm honest. Goes almost as far but without the same degree of risk.

but that club is about 3 full clubs less 'power' than a 3 wood.......

I absolutely agree it's easier to hit, more accurate and, in many cases it's a better shot choice to use it and 'lay up' - but this is the crux of the problem with many posts on this thread.

apples and pears

 

[Oddsocks]

Is it a stiff shaft? and How much?

It will be fitted back with the standard rip stuff, not the motore f1 as that's an upgrade shaft, I'll pm you a price

 

[garyinderry]

Is the correct answer and exactly what I was going to write before reading this. Any handicap golfer above scratch that expects to hit a green as a second shot on a par 5 or long par 4 with a 3 wood is seriously overestimating his/her skill level. These are once a season hits for most. Yes pro's do it regularly but it is their job and they practice it over and over and over. I do not even attempt this shot. Take the 6/7 iron, bump it up the fairway and then hit the 9 into the green. Leave the 3 wood on the shop shelf.

so true. im always preaching to people to dump the 3 wood approach shot. hitting the green from over 200 yards is pretty darn hard. i found even if i hit it in the general direction of the green i often found bunkers. ended up costing me more shots in the long run. my 16 degree hybrid is the longest club i use and i dont often go for greens with it unless its pretty safe to do so.

 

[Oddsocks]

I think a 3w off the deck is a confidence thing, do it enough and its an awesome shot to have in your armoury!

 

[Stuey01]

I do not even attempt this shot.

Well that will certainly ensure that you never pull it off.


The OP has said that he has to hit the 3w to give him a chance of getting on a par 5 in 3 shots, as his next longest club is 5iron he is taking 4 shots to get there. That is why we started discussing a club between 3w and 5iron that is easier to hit than the 3w, to get him close enough for a decent 3rd into the green, not to get on it in two..

 

[Nashy]

It took me 10 years to get a 3 wood I felt comfortable with and got consistent results from. Confidence is the big thing with any club in the bag, I am a steady driver of the ball so left my driver out for practice rounds to make me hit the 3 wood more.

 

[drawboy]

Well that will certainly ensure that you never pull it off.


The OP has said that he has to hit the 3w to give him a chance of getting on a par 5 in 3 shots, as his next longest club is 5iron he is taking 4 shots to get there. That is why we started discussing a club between 3w and 5iron that is easier to hit than the 3w, to get him close enough for a decent 3rd into the green, not to get on it in two..

If that is the case then he is struggling with a lot more than the 3 wood. That means he cannot hit a driver either. Sorry to the OP this isn't aimed at you in any way it is in the general discussion. If you cannot hit driver and a mid/long iron followed by a 9/wedge then how can you get there with the 3 wood?

 

[Stuey01]

Maybe it's a 600 yard hole. If he is not a long hitter and hits his driver 220, then 5 iron 170, he is still 210 from the green.

Regardless of that, I think we can surely agree that 3 wood to 5 iron is an enormous distance gap to have in your set up?

 

[mykweb]

Sorry been watching the footie and not had a chance to post back up.

As said above I am not planning on using the 2nd shot on a par 5 to hit the green. Christ I would be happy to hit there in 3 most days.

My regular drive just now is 197(measured on trackman with range balls) but hoping this will go up to 220 when the fairways dry out.

I normally hit my 5 iron 164-170, so on some par 5's I am still hitting a 8 or 9 to find the green.

My other issue is playing long par 3's where a 5 iron is just not enough. So I was looking to either persist with the 3 wood or get a hybrid

 

[duncan mackie]

Regardless of that, I think we can surely agree that 3 wood to 5 iron is an enormous distance gap to have in your set up?

Stuey, I can certainly agree with this, and my earlier comment wan't aimed your way.

I would however be asking the question 'why that gap?' If the answer is that the player's not comfortable with anything stronger than a 5 iron then things head another direction.

There's also no reason why most handicap golfers should be concerned about hitting 600yd par 5's in 3 shots!!! None at all. Although CK doesn't have a long par 5 on it...

 

[pokerjoke]

Is the correct answer and exactly what I was going to write before reading this. Any handicap golfer above scratch that expects to hit a green as a second shot on a par 5 or long par 4 with a 3 wood is seriously overestimating his/her skill level. These are once a season hits for most. Yes pro's do it regularly but it is their job and they practice it over and over and over. I do not even attempt this shot. Take the 6/7 iron, bump it up the fairway and then hit the 9 into the green. Leave the 3 wood on the shop shelf.

Totally disagree.

 

[Oddsocks]

Sorry been watching the footie and not had a chance to post back up.

As said above I am not planning on using the 2nd shot on a par 5 to hit the green. Christ I would be happy to hit there in 3 most days.

My regular drive just now is 197(measured on trackman with range balls) but hoping this will go up to 220 when the fairways dry out.

I normally hit my 5 iron 164-170, so on some par 5's I am still hitting a 8 or 9 to find the green.

My other issue is playing long par 3's where a 5 iron is just not enough. So I was looking to either persist with the 3 wood or get a hybrid

Honestly, I'd keep the 3w and look at something between the 2, if your gaps are 3w then 5i, id look towards a 19/20* hybrid , the 17 that I will be moving is to close to the 3w and too far from the 5i, plus again being honest I think its harder to hit than the 3w

 

[kid2]

To the OP.....

Its hard to give advice when people havent got all the info from you but we'll try help all the same......If your hitting it off the deck on a Par 5 or long Par 4 then grip down about 1.5" on the grip...This will help with control..Play the ball roughly in line with the left side of your chest......Try and keep your head behind the ball....If you get over or in front of it then you wont catch it clean.....Like others have said you need to swing smooth with a 3 wood and trust the loft.....There's enough of it there to get the ball airborne....Dont lift the club away from the ball straight away like you would an iron...You need to brush the grass for the first 12" to 18"......

This works for me but i have to keep my head behind the ball.....
Its a similar setup off the tee but make sure that you tee it up enough....At least half the ball above the head of the club......
If you really want to get to be good with it leave your driver at home and play a few rounds with it....
I played without a driver only hitting a 3 wood for nearly 2 years so im pretty confident with it.....

Also even though we have 4 par 5's ,only 2 of them are within range of a really good strike of my 3 wood.....Do i go for it every time out..Definitely not.....Like Drawboy has said.....Driver off the tee...Mid Iron and wedge...That will work on most par 5's and thats my thought in nearly every Medal....To much risk involved otherwise....

 

[kid2]

I normally hit my 5 iron 164-170, so on some par 5's I am still hitting a 8 or 9 to find the green.

My other issue is playing long par 3's where a 5 iron is just not enough. So I was looking to either persist with the 3 wood or get a hybrid

Just the 2 things i see here.....Nothing wrong with hitting an 8 iron or a 9 iron for a 3rd shot....These are scoring clubs and with enough practice then they shouldnt be an issue......
Secondly.....If at the moment your struggling with a 3 wood....Then a Hybrid of equal loft is going to be just as much work for you as the 3 wood.....

 

[garyinderry]

when you watch the pros having to hit woods and hyrids in they also spray it all over the place. they may be hitting from alot further out but its still relative to our 200+ approaches.

they have more of an idea where to miss!

 

[Nashy]

You really need a club or 2 between your 3 wood and 5 iron. That's a huge distance gap to have IMO, a 23 and 21 hybrid would help and a lot of people find them easier to hit.

 

[mykweb]

Correct carrick knowe does not have any mega long par 5's but some courses do. And I play the 7 edinburgh municipal courses plus others every1-2 weekends.

its funny because a few years ago I could not hit a driver for toffee. I used a ping g5 3 wood for everything. Used to get some good results. Then one day I got a g10 driver and bang... Could not hit the 3 wood lol . I think it's all in my head most of the time.

Thetips of head behind the ball makes sence and I don't think I am doing this. I have been messing around with various ball positions in my stance and each time I miss hit it hacks me off and I think I get frustrated.

 

[Crow]

If ever the phrase "sweeping the ball away" was to be applied to one club only, then in my mind that club is the three wood. Just let the ball get in the way as you sweep the club through.

My 3 wood is my go to club when faced with a difficult tee shot and it's pretty reliable from the fairway too. It's only an old Mizuno MP-001 but it has a proper stiff shaft and when hit true the ball flight is awesome, to borrow a phrase!

 

[Heidi]

Correct carrick knowe does not have any mega long par 5's but some courses do. And I play the 7 edinburgh municipal courses plus others every1-2 weekends.

its funny because a few years ago I could not hit a driver for toffee. I used a ping g5 3 wood for everything. Used to get some good results. Then one day I got a g10 driver and bang... Could not hit the 3 wood lol . I think it's all in my head most of the time.

Thetips of head behind the ball makes sence and I don't think I am doing this. I have been messing around with various ball positions in my stance and each time I miss hit it hacks me off and I think I get frustrated.

The 14th is 480 off the whites - with the worlds widest fairway...its the perfect hole for a 3 wood for the second shot