These babies bomb !! Part 2 - Handicap Reduction !!!

[Macster]

1st Comp with my new RBZ Fairways........midweek Stableford.

Front 9 - 22 Pts +1 Gross.

Back 9 - 16 Pts +6 Gross - Started to get protective - lesson learned.

Overall 38pts - Gross 75 (SSS 68 CSS 69)

The 3W again put me in places that even my Driver never usually reached, it really is a powerful club, and for me, just so much more useable with the smaller head.
The only occasion I pulled the 5W from the bag was with 232 yds to the green, which then went through -

Dont know the result as yet, but its certainly a 0.4 Reduction, perhaps 0.6, depending on CSS, which will take me back to 9.0 or 8.8, - either which will be my lowest ever. RESULT !

The quest to stay in Singles, or get lower, has started !

 

[Slab]

Have you found that its your course management (i.e shot selection) that's been the main difference regardless of the brand of fairway wood you've gone for or could it only have been the TM that would make you drop the driver?

 

[Macster]

Just putting me in great places off the tee !
Seriously - some of my Tee shots ended up where I have 'rarely' been with a Driver, leaving a Wedge or short iron to the green, which makes such s difference.
Only reason I bought these was because the 3W loft can be adjusted, and had the chance to Demo them from my Pro Shop before buying, and they felt good, and went long.

I hit a couple of 'not so good' ones as the round went on, put that was purely me, as my swing perhaps got protective of such a good score coming down the last few holes, but they'd done enough by then to convince me they have been the best additions to my game for many many years.

Honestly - fellow golfers, think seriously about whether you 'need' a Driver.

 

[Alex1975]

Clearly you and not the clubs but they seem to have given you awesome confidence!

 

[Macster]

Clearly you and not the clubs but they seem to have given you awesome confidence!

Well yes - you have to put a good swing on things to score well, I agree.

But - seriously, with having to 'thrash it', this 3W Tour has gone out to 250/260yds, and down the middle, which is more what I wanted !

 

[Sweep]

The 3W again put me in places that even my Driver never usually reached, it really is a powerful club, and for me, just so much more useable with the smaller head. !

Maybe that's the difference between you off 9 and me off 17. I hate using a fairway wood off the tee and find the larger head of a driver so much easier to use gives me and a lot more confidence. Something I need to work on, clearly.
I am glad it's working for you and congrats on your reduction. Well done!

 

[Alex1975]

Well yes - you have to put a good swing on things to score well, I agree.

But - seriously, with having to 'thrash it', this 3W Tour has gone out to 250/260yds, and down the middle, which is more what I wanted !

How far would you hit a good driver out of interest?

 

[Macster]

A 'good' Drive - perhaps only 260/270 anyway...... as well as the occasional ripper that perhaps gets the 300, but very rare.

Distance isnt my objective, accuracy is. However, 250/260 on the fairway consistently would be a huge leap forward .....time will tell.

 

[Alex1975]

A 'good' Drive - perhaps only 260/270 anyway...... as well as the occasional ripper that perhaps gets the 300, but very rare.

Distance isnt my objective, accuracy is. However, 250/260 on the fairway consistently would be a huge leap forward .....time will tell.

Yep, I am with you, just wanted to know what you were comparing it against.

You feel you can place the ball better with the new club/s? and have good distance, not far short of a good drive?!

 

[Macster]

Alex1975: Its more that I can 'feel' the clubhead with the 3W, or the 5W, whereas I dont get that feeling with a Driver,
- when I swing the 3 I seem more aware of where the head is, or what its doing, and with more 'weight', hence more confidence, and so far - better results.

 

[Alex1975]

Long may it continue!

 

[Imurg]

Good scoring Chris...

My only concern, when I had the RBZ 14.5*, was hitting it into the wind.
I found I really lost distance compared to a driver.
But at any other time mine went as far as most other's drivers.

Are you finding a gap in your bag just behind the fairways?
Effectively your 3 is your driver and your 5 is your 3 - do you still have the 7w in? Is it keeping up?

 

[Macster]

HI Ian, yes I still have the 7wood in the bag, its invaluable for the 200-210yd shots, particularly on long Par3's where you need a soft landing etc.
That does perhaps leave me with a slight gap between the 7 & 5W, which so far looks like its good for 225 - 240, but hey-ho, i'll have to choke down !


Time will tell how the 3W copes in the wind, but its set at 13.5*, so should be reasonably strong, and anyway, its maybe me that struggles in the wind !

 

[harpo_72]

I tried these but opted for the callaway x hot pro 17 degree 4 wood. Honestly speaking I don't like big headed drivers. However the comment about loosing distance into the wind with a fairway off the tee, is fair enough, but why would you not take the driver ? Hitting a fairway down wind will gain you a massive amount of distance, dare I be controversial here and suggest further than a driver ... ( I will now be slagged off massively by the big drive fraternity)

 

[Imurg]

Mickleson wanted to take a 3 wood downwind at a TOurnament a while back but Bones wouldn't let him
Phil reckoned if he hit 3w and got more height, the wind would carry the hazard and he'd be much straighter ......

Bones persuaded him to take the driver, he made the carry and analysis/comment from those in the know reckoned Bones was right.

The amount of extra carry provided by the wind when using a 3w will generally not push it past where your driver will get it to.

 

[virtuocity]

Played in a supplementary round today and ditched the driver after 4 holes, reverting to my 18 degree hybrid. Finding the fairway every time was nice and very different.

Putting cost me dearly today but what surprised me was my complete lack of a desire to hit my driver.

Straight into AG to try the Stage 2 RBZ 3 wood. Struggled for the first 5 balls then sent 15 range balls 230 yards (total) straight down the range.

Club went straight in the bag.

 

[harpo_72]

Mickleson wanted to take a 3 wood downwind at a TOurnament a while back but Bones wouldn't let him
Phil reckoned if he hit 3w and got more height, the wind would carry the hazard and he'd be much straighter ......

Bones persuaded him to take the driver, he made the carry and analysis/comment from those in the know reckoned Bones was right.

The amount of extra carry provided by the wind when using a 3w will generally not push it past where your driver will get it to.

The pros play a different game and their swing speeds maximise the lofts they use, your average amature is probably carrying a driver with not enough loft, hence the argument. Then chuck in the mix about the new hot faced or max COR fairways and the argument becomes a little stronger ... Of cause I hit drives 300 yards + down wind so I have to hit a fairway off the tee to get a full wedge shot as a second into par 5 s

 

[Dave B]

I bought a second hand RBZ 3 wood and although it was good off the tee, I found that I had to have an absolutely perfect lie on the fairway with the ball sitting up otherwise there was a good chance I'd skud the shot.

I spoke to the guy who sold it to me and he sold it for that exact reason and knew several others who had found the same.

I sold it for £75 and bought a Cobra S2 from Clubhouse golf on special at £49.99 and it's possibly the best golfing buy I've made as it is as easy to use off the fairway as it is off the tee. It is 10yds shorter than the RBZ but it is far more accurate and versatile.

 

[jason6r]

I'm currently torn between using the trusty old G5 driver and my newer old G10 17* 4 wood off the tee. I love the feeling of hitting a big booming drive straight down the middle and as I've worked on accuracy and technique a lot over the past few months, I'm hitting more fairways regardless of club. However, using the 4 wood or 4 hybrid from the tee virtually guarantees the ball ending up on the short stuff and also makes me think my way round a course more, which I have found really satisfying.

Like the OP, I also like the look and increased sense of awareness I get from the smaller head of my 4 wood - I am seriously minded to demo the RBZ 3 wood on the 13* setting based on this thread.

 

[sydney greenstreet]

I tried the rbz 3 wood and chose to buy a cally diablo 3 wood instead, as has been said the reason you are hitting it better is more down to the confidence boost the club gives you. If you are confident enough you can hit almost anything.