If you hit your 3 wd

[The19thHole]

the same average distance as your driver, what would
be the most likely cause of this? ball position?
weight distribution? swing plane angle?

I’m a tad puzzled by this :-S

 

[Ken_A]

Better launch angle - better suited to your swing depends on a load of things.
Are you talking about hitting them both 250yards or 150yds with a slicing drive and a straight 3wood? Describe both shots and that might help get you an answer.

 

[0]

I hit my 4 wood further than my driver- reason, crap swing with driver.

however with your question there are many factors, an obvious one is less side spin on a 3 wood compared to a driver which has less loft, shaft can play a big part also as well as launch angle.

 

[golfinger]

Seems likely you don't swing your driver fast enough to benefit from the lower loft. I see you are using stiff shafts and 10.5 club face. Perhaps a regular shaft and 11.5 club face would help.

Perhaps you apply different swings (even subconciously) to the two clubs.

How far is your 3 wood travelling?

 

[The19thHole]

I am pretty straight with both to be honest (without sounding cocky)

Driver & 3 wd both go around 240-50. Always reach the end fence/trees at the range too.

I don’t really have a complaint with the direction or my swing, just that driver should ideally go further.

 

[Essex_Stu]

If I nail both I can hit driver 20 yards further than my 3w. On average though I hit my 3w spot on 85% of the time and hit around 240yards. Only hit my driver well 40% of the time. I can't work it out thats what I'm trying to say

 

[twohats]

If I nail both I can hit driver 20 yards further than my 3w. On average though I hit my 3w spot on 85% of the time and hit around 240yards. Only hit my driver well 40% of the time. I can't work it out thats what I'm trying to say

I have a similar problem and cant seem to figure out the problem.

From what I have just read in here, it could be my clubs, but I don't want to blame them straight away without looking at the way I am using them....

I will quite often play a whole round without touching my driver, purely because of this.

 

[scozzie]

i havent carried a driver for two seasons! hit my 3W just like you,about 240 ish & straightish & its dependable (most of the time!) definitely more so than the big dog that just got me into trouble for maybe 20 yds extra....if I could find the b****y thing!! oh how many cards did that thing wreck! anyhoo I do fine without it. Do you really need a driver if you are mostly fairway & mostly 240+?

 

[Region3]

Not really a question but something to think about...

If you threw 2 cricket balls with the same force, one of them at 20° and the other at 40°, which one do you think would go furthest?

 

[ScienceBoy]

I used to never be able to hit woods, so I just carried a driver and irons, eventually got a 5 wood to fill the gap.

Now with hybrids and the fact I have found my driver is too long for some holes now I think its time I ditched it in favour of a 3 wood for alternative tee choices.

Currently distances are:

Driver: 260-280
5 wood- 210=220
3h- 200
4- 180

As you can see the 5 wood and the hybrid are too close and MILES from the driver... Just need to funds to ditch the 5 wood and buy a 3 wood!

 

[The19thHole]

i havent carried a driver for two seasons! hit my 3W just like you,about 240 ish & straightish & its dependable (most of the time!) definitely more so than the big dog that just got me into trouble for maybe 20 yds extra....if I could find the b****y thing!! oh how many cards did that thing wreck! anyhoo I do fine without it. Do you really need a driver if you are mostly fairway & mostly 240+?

Yeah, I’d like to get more from my drives. If I can get 240 from a 3wd... I am not making full use of my driver. Hopefully I can get 260 with my driver with a little adjustment.

 

[Tiger]

Not really a question but something to think about...

If you threw 2 cricket balls with the same force, one of them at 20° and the other at 40°, which one do you think would go furthest?

Ok Gary I was cr@p at physics but I'm going to have a go at this. If force applied is consistent for both then the distance would depend on force lost. The ball travelling at 40 degrees will lost momentum as it climbs to the point where the projecting force is not greater than the mass at which point it would reach its highest point and begin to drop.

The ball thrown at 20 degrees will reach it's highest point quicker but will have greater inertia at the point of landing enabling it to generate more roll. Therefore by considering the impact of friction from both the air and ground on both balls the only thing remaining for consideration is the property of the ground surface.

Therefore I would propose the following:

On normal - dry ground both balls would probably travel a similar distance but the ball thrown at 20 degrees would get there quicker

On wet to soggy to thick rough ground the ball thrown at 40 degrees would travel farther

The moral of the story you need to generate more force with your driver compared to your 3 wood in order to maximise the distance you can hit the club?

 

[bobmac]

I used to never be able to hit woods, so I just carried a driver and irons, eventually got a 5 wood to fill the gap.

Now with hybrids and the fact I have found my driver is too long for some holes now I think its time I ditched it in favour of a 3 wood for alternative tee choices.

Currently distances are:

Driver: 260-280
5 wood- 210=220
3h- 200
4- 180

As you can see the 5 wood and the hybrid are too close and MILES from the driver... Just need to funds to ditch the 5 wood and buy a 3 wood!

Nooooooooooooooo

Keep the 5 wood, get a 3 wood and ditch the 60 LW

 

[GB72]

For the first time ever I ditched the driver yesterday. More emphasis on position and a bad day with it over the first couple of holes resulted in this change of plan. Never found myself short of distance and am even thinking of giving this a try around my home club at the weekend.

 

[Region3]

My example isn't 100% relevant as the cricket ball would have almost no spin affecting the flight whereas a golf ball obviously would.
I was also only talking about carry distance.

Assuming there are no other forces acting upon the cricket ball other than what you give it and gravity, maximum carry distance is achieved with a launch angle of 45°.

Obviously that's not going to be the case with a golf ball spinning at 3k rpm or whatever, but I think the real moral of the story is most people would hit the ball further with more loft and a shorter shaft for more control.

I just had the idea that (while I was bored at work) I could do some sums on a very basic model.

If you have the launch angle and initial velocity, using trigonometry you can work out the horizontal and vertical velocities, as they work independent of each other.

Using an initial velocity of 33m/s

20° launch
vert = 11m/s
horiz = 31m/s

Using the laws of motion, we can work the time taken for the ball to reach it's peak height and drop back to the ground.

time = 2.24s

31m/s x 2.24s = 69m carry distance

40° launch
vert = 21m/s
horiz = 25 m/s
time = 4.28s

carry distance = 25 x 4.28 = 107m

QED

Now may I please have my award for pointless geek post of the day

 

[Tiger]

My example isn't 100% relevant as the cricket ball would have almost no spin affecting the flight whereas a golf ball obviously would.
I was also only talking about carry distance.

Assuming there are no other forces acting upon the cricket ball other than what you give it and gravity, maximum carry distance is achieved with a launch angle of 45°.

Obviously that's not going to be the case with a golf ball spinning at 3k rpm or whatever, but I think the real moral of the story is most people would hit the ball further with more loft and a shorter shaft for more control.

I just had the idea that (while I was bored at work) I could do some sums on a very basic model.

If you have the launch angle and initial velocity, using trigonometry you can work out the horizontal and vertical velocities, as they work independent of each other.

Using an initial velocity of 33m/s

20° launch
vert = 11m/s
horiz = 31m/s

Using the laws of motion, we can work the time taken for the ball to reach it's peak height and drop back to the ground.

time = 2.24s

31m/s x 2.24s = 69m carry distance

40° launch
vert = 21m/s
horiz = 25 m/s
time = 4.28s

carry distance = 25 x 4.28 = 107m

QED

Now may I please have my award for pointless geek post of the day

Awesome. I still don't get the physics calculations but I do love a bit of science. Gold Star for Region3!

 

[Region3]

They're only true if there's no spin on the ball and they didn't lose momentum through the air

But you see the theory behind higher (to a point) is better (for the same ball speed) I hope.