Is a 3 wood needed?

[Dannyj1984]

I currently have a driver and then next is a 23 degree hybrid. I keep thinking of getting a 3 wood but every time I try one I'm awful with it off the floor, I am sure with practice I'd be ok, at the moment my driver is about 250, hybrid is about 190-200..... my usuall play on par 5s is driver, 7i and then appropriate shorter iron to the green, the par 5s on my course are from 480-524 (off yellow tees) so I'd be pushing it to reach in two with a driver and 3 wood, so not sure if there is a benefit of getting one. I may hit the greens on 480 yard par 5 with a good drive and well hit 3w.

Does anyone else play without any type of fairway wood? My current handicap is 20 and I think with hopefully working on putting over winter should get that down.

Thanks

Danny

 

[Crazyface]

Two words....Chipping + Putting

 

[duncan mackie]

Clearly you don't need one playing your course.

Get one when you do feel the need.

 

[MendieGK]

is your bag full? If you dont have 14 clubs then i would 100% look to fill that gap. It doesn't have to be a 3wood though, why not a 17 degree wood or even another hybrid?

 

[BTatHome]

So many reasons to carry and many reasons to not carry one too.

Is your driver straight? 250 is a damn good driver for most people! If your driver isn't behaving what do you do? Continue to hit it, change to hybrid? Many people use 3w off the tee when driver isn't working, or when accuracy is required.

If you 3w distance sat between your hybrid and driver (and you can hit it reliably) then why wouldn't you carry it? After all, how many clubs do you have in your bag that you hit without any reliability ... and yet you still carry it!

 

[tugglesf239]

I have tried a few 3 Woods in my time and never ever got on with any of them.

I found I am no better of the tee with one and hopeless of the deck.

I think it depends on the length of your course personally.

When I was at my last place (Chorley) I found I only really needed that long 2nd shot into one hole (par 5 13th) and the chances of me stiffing a 3 wood onto the green were slim anyway.

These days I rely on my Adams 2 hybrid as I find it much easier to hit if the deck and much much easier to control.

Must admit tough that the club is a monster. Probably nearly as long as most 3 woods I have owned tbh.

I never thought it worth having a club in my bag that I might only use once during an entire round. Not to mention the chances of my flushing it were like 5/1 at best.

Maybe go 5 wood or low lofted hybrid. Personally I think hybrid best as you will get more flexibility from it.

Such as low punchy shots from under the trees...

 

[Dannyj1984]

Currently have 12 (D, 4h, 5-aw, 54,58 and putter. So I have room for more clubs.

My driving is pretty good, was a little erratic with the odd slice but recently bought a new driver (stiff shaft, previously regular) only played twice with it, but all drives going on or just slightly off the fairway, nothing unplayable though, would a 5w work better? I don't have a clue how far this would go? I'm guessing not much more than my hybrid,

My chipping and play around the green I'm happy with, putting is quite poor, although improved slightly with a new putter and spending a little more time lining up the shorter putts so I'm not missing silly 6ft putts

Thanks

 

[Qwerty]

I'm useless at hitting woods of the deck I always have been, Hcap 7. I lost count of the amount of 3 woods I bought over the first few years of me playing the game, I also get a lot of funky lies on the course I play so that doesn't help.

It certainly helps set up birdie opportunities if you can bomb a 3 wood up there but I suppose it also depends what the risk is on your course.

Ive got a 4 wood in the bag but it's very rare I'll use it off the deck. What I've done over the years is practice like hell on 70-100 yard shots, I'll lay up to a comfortable
distance and still make a good amount of birdies on par 5s.
I've found that nailing down your wedge yardages with a rangefinder and having the
ability to hit the right shot when required is the difference between birdies and pars.

Im also useless between 30-60 yards!
Play to your strengths :thup:

 

[Dannyj1984]

Think I'll look at another lower degree hybrid, got. 19degree Adams at a shop round the corner from me for £60 brand new. Same brand as my 23 degree one.

I'm probably not good enough yet to hit exact yardages especially with wedges when it's not a full swing :/ hopefully get better over winter 👍🏻

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I could never hit fairway woods (generally there were bigger headed ones, taller). But then good old Adams bought out the smaller(not so tall) headed fairway woods I bought them.

Still cant hit a 3 wood off the deck, well I can but it goes no further than my 5 wood and is not as actual.

Get a 5 wood 19 degree, love the club. For me this is a carry of about 200-210 depending on how hard I swing.(driver carries about 230 yards)

BTW I did recently buy the upto date Adam 5wood Ti club, but have just taken it out of the bag, due to the massive draws I get with it(like 30 yards ones and my normally a bad strike for me is toey). I do not get them with the original tight lies that I have put back in the bag!)

 

[Slab]

Messing around with our clubs/bag set up is one of the little pleasures golf gives us when not on the course

Dropping this club, adding that club etc when really new /replacement stuff is never a long term fix

I used to use 3w loads until a few bad rounds saw me add a 5w for off the deck
When the 5w misbehaved I got a 22 hybrid then also put the 3w back in as it was going great again (shock)
The 3&5 have alternated and its the 3w that's currently in there over the last few months as I'm hitting the 5 off the heel!
Ordered a 19 hybrid now too so that I can fiddle with options even more

Its fun and frustrating in equal measure and if you avoid buying the latest/greatest then its not expensive to mess around

Don't get a 3w just to fill a perceived gap (especially when the gap distance may not be applicable to your course) get one if you think you'll have fun with it

 

[patricks148]

The courses i play and my home track a 3 wood is a must. weather its off the tee to lay short of hazards or hitting long 2nd shots into greens, if its very windy.

I was not so good with one for a while, but i learnt to use them and its usually you not the club thats the issue. No magic wand or new fancy club will mask poor technique.

take time to learn to hit it..

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I don't have any woods.... Driver, 17 degree hybrid then 4 iron updwards.

Even on our 660 yard par 5 17th I still haven't found a "need" for a 3 wood.

 

[Foxholer]

Having learnt to hit Fairway Woods of links fairways (especially in Winter), I wouldn't be without one, so have 2! 13.5 for times when Driver is too much (never really had trouble with Driver that isn't 'Operator Error' so would probably worse with FW) or when I'm really after length or low flight. The 16 is competes with the 23h for 'most reliable' club!

Key for me is to feel as if I keep swinging through impact, so rarely take a divot.

 

[duncan mackie]

My driving is pretty good.... all drives going on or just slightly off the fairway, nothing unplayable though,

My chipping and play around the green I'm happy with, putting is quite poor, although improved slightly with a new putter and spending a little more time lining up the shorter putts so I'm not missing silly 6ft putts

The above would suggest you should be off single figures with your new driver and new putter. Don't waste time even thinking about a 3 wood, just put the rest into practice and get out there winning everything for a bit.

 

[bobmac]

Is a 3 wood needed?

Yes
All day, every day and twice on Sunday

 

[Dannyj1984]

The above would suggest you should be off single figures with your new driver and new putter. Don't waste time even thinking about a 3 wood, just put the rest into practice and get out there winning everything for a bit.

That would be nice, I only got my handicap last week, yet to play in a tournament. Got my first one next weekend 😃 it will be interesting if all goes as well as playing for fun when it's in a tournament situation 😃

 

[ScienceBoy]

Yes and no.

There are many permutations but really it comes down the person, their strengths etc.

If you have a bag without one and going for a green in two is not in your game plan or you can already do so with a 5 wood or similar then it's a plain straight no.

You only need one driving club, the rest of the clubs are for hitting a specific distance.

For me my driving club is my 3 wood at the moment, been so long I have forgotten how to hit my driver, it used to be my best club off the tee.

If you already have a driving club and a going for a green in two club then why add a club with little expected use, I would bet the next club down is just as good for tight holes off the tee anyway.

 

[Hosel Fade]

Think of it this way, how many more times do you get up and down from 30 yards than you do from 100? If you can strike it decently I would say a 3 wood is a dangerous weapon in terms of scoring as for the average player closer is almost always better.

Most people are too shallow on their fairway woods imo so it might be worth trying to take a tiny divot after it. Or go and buy a V-Steel, they practically hit themselves.

 

[duncan mackie]

Think of it this way, how many more times do you get up and down from 30 yards than you do from 100? If you can strike it decently I would say a 3 wood is a dangerous weapon in terms of scoring...

You could also think of it in the following terms-

There are generally more hazards within 30 yards of the flag than 100
As you hit it longer you need to hit it even more accurately to achieve the same angular error ie the same 15 yds miss with a 7 iron will be a 30 yds miss with a 3 wood
Many higher handicaps will take even more from a green side bunker than 100yds (or more realistically 30yds see below) - and if they have to play over one to a short sided pin anything can happen.
As the OP can hit his 4h 200 the 3 wood will only really give him 30 yds not 70 - and there's generally little between them on average.
If he could strike one decently he probably wouldn't be asking the question.

So if you really don't need one from the tee it's probably the least useful club in the bag of the average handicap golfer.

You summed it up brilliantly...I would say a 3 wood is a dangerous weapon in terms of scoring.