Wood or Rescue?

[bro4dhead]

Hi there

Looking for some advice on which clubs to carry. I am a high handicapper and struggle to hit my 3 wood off the fairway and rarely use it from the tee.

Would it be worth ditching it and buying rescue clubs instead?

Thanks,

Ben

 

[bobmac]

Hi there

Looking for some advice on which clubs to carry.

Would it be worth ditching it and buying rescue clubs instead?

Thanks,

Ben

No, don't ditch it.
Don't spend your money on clubs you don't need.
Learn how to hit the 3 wood through practice.
After all, golf is supposed to be a skill that you learn. You dont buy it.

 

[pbrown7582]

Bobs so right don't ditch it learn how to sweep it off the fairway and it's a handy alternative off the tee too if you can get it going.

 

[GreiginFife]

Some of the best shots I have been hitting from the fairway have been with my 3 and 5 wood lately. As Bob indicated this only happened through learning how to hit them as a year ago I was scared of them.

 

[Curls]

Slighty hijacking the thread cos I don't think my question is worth a thread of its own and I think the OP might have his answer but I'm looking to pick up a 3 hybrid as I've lost confidence with the 3 iron (not sure I ever had it!). Prefer to use my 5 wood off the ground at distance and I'm pretty good with it but there's a fair gap between that and my 4 iron (which I also like to hit) - Would you say man up and learn how to hit a 3i or is a hybrid replacement at the same loft a good idea?

 

[GreiginFife]

Slighty hijacking the thread cos I don't think my question is worth a thread of its own and I think the OP might have his answer but I'm looking to pick up a 3 hybrid as I've lost confidence with the 3 iron (not sure I ever had it!). Prefer to use my 5 wood off the ground at distance and I'm pretty good with it but there's a fair gap between that and my 4 iron (which I also like to hit) - Would you say man up and learn how to hit a 3i or is a hybrid replacement at the same loft a good idea?

To me the question lies in would it benefit you. I don't carry a 3i for the reason that I could only hit one as far as I can my 5 wood. The 5 wood gives me better ball flight for the higher shots that I need and I have a 17* MP CLK hybrid that I can hit the same distance (roughly) but with less height. So I feel well covered at that distance.
IMO its all about what you have and what you can do with it against what you may think you need.

 

[Curls]

To me the question lies in would it benefit you. I don't carry a 3i for the reason that I could only hit one as far as I can my 5 wood. The 5 wood gives me better ball flight for the higher shots that I need and I have a 17* MP CLK hybrid that I can hit the same distance (roughly) but with less height. So I feel well covered at that distance.
IMO its all about what you have and what you can do with it against what you may think you need.

Thanks Greig, I'm a different kettle of fish, ~200 - 220 with my 5 wood and whether its me or the low launch shaft and I always blast it low and get loads of run, so carry is probably only ~170 (one of our par 3s is 200, I land it just short and it rolls pin high or to the back when I get a half decent swing at it). 4 iron I'd carry 160 finishing 170~180, and the 3 iron probably only goes that far but with more run. I like that I keep the ball low from distance as our course is very exposed (inland links) so often a very strong wind up, my question really was would a 3 hybrid behave more like the 5 wood I love hitting or am I better off practising til I get the 3i in the sky? (i.e can I buy a ~190 shot by bridging a perceived gap?!). At the moment is Im 180-190 out Ill weigh up the trouble in front of the green and opt to play it through the back with the 5 wood rather than risk coming up well short with the 4i

 

[GreiginFife]

Thanks Greig, I'm a different kettle of fish, ~200 - 220 with my 5 wood and whether its me or the low launch shaft and I always blast it low and get loads of run, so carry is probably only ~170 (one of our par 3s is 200, I land it just short and it rolls pin high or to the back when I get a half decent swing at it). 4 iron I'd carry 160 finishing 170~180, and the 3 iron probably only goes that far but with more run. I like that I keep the ball low from distance as our course is very exposed (inland links) so often a very strong wind up, my question really was would a 3 hybrid behave more like the 5 wood I love hitting or am I better off practising til I get the 3i in the sky? (i.e can I buy a ~190 shot by bridging a perceived gap?!). At the moment is Im 180-190 out Ill weigh up the trouble in front of the green and opt to play it through the back with the 5 wood rather than risk coming up well short with the 4i

I got you. Have you considered learning to grip down on the 5w to produce a shorter shot?

 

[Curls]

I got you. Have you considered learning to grip down on the 5w to produce a shorter shot?

Ha, you know something, I haven't! It seems so bloody obvious now you've said it

Will give it a go next time at the range, cheers chap.

 

[GreiginFife]

Ha, you know something, I haven't! It seems so bloody obvious now you've said it

Will give it a go next time at the range, cheers chap.

LOL, no worries mate. Hope it works for you. I found it hard to master but easy to maintain if that makes sense. Worth it to learn as it gives you another option.

 

[SGC001]

It would depend a little on why you can't hit the 3 wood. Practice or lessons might be the most appropriate answer or for certain swings and their launch conditions it may be that your 3 wood should have more loft and maybe a different number on the sole, though there the other options may be able to change those launch conditions for you.

It can be argued that rescued woods are more suited to modern balls than the longer irons, and depending on your game it could determine if lofted woods or hybrids may be a good option for your game.

 

[FairwayDodger]

No, don't ditch it.
Don't spend your money on clubs you don't need.
Learn how to hit the 3 wood through practice.
After all, golf is supposed to be a skill that you learn. You dont buy it.

+1

I hit my fairway woods pretty well but that wasn't always the case - now they're a real weapon either for position off the tee or longer approach shots. Practice got me there.

I've got a rescue club but don't tend to carry it - I just hit it about the same distance as my 5 wood anyway.

 

[Garesfield ACE]

Hi there

Looking for some advice on which clubs to carry. I am a high handicapper and struggle to hit my 3 wood off the fairway and rarely use it from the tee.

Would it be worth ditching it and buying rescue clubs instead?

Thanks,

Ben

Hi Ben

I am also a high handicapper and touch wood(no pun intended!) its took me the best part of 2 years to find a club to help on the fairways long par4's/par 5.

I have tried 3 wood and had a bit more success with 5 wood for short while but gave up on that too.

Recently I went back to a very cheap make 4 hybrid and it went decent/good for me.I read somewhere in GM mag that with rescue/hybrids you hit the ball similar to an iron (attack down on it and middle stance ) where as with woods it said you play it more like a driver (sweep up and ball closer to left foot ).

So ive been trying those positions with the rescue/hybrid and have now splashed out on a TM Burner 22 loft rescue club.Its been going very well so far.My percentage ratio of shots that are good has gone up from around 25% with fairway woods to around 70 % with the rescue club.

So its working for me so far after all the frustration of struggling with woods.

Cheers

Kev

 

[theWOAT]

I picked up a Ping G15 3 wood few weeks back, and can't hit it too well at the moment, but got a 2 Machspeed to compliment it and bridge the gap from my 3 iron rather than replace anything for now, went to the range with that for the first time today, and worked superb with it....but found that alone helped my confidence with the 3 wood as my percentages on that definitely went up.

I'd definitely say keep it, try and work around it. Or test out a few different woods, which is what I'm gonna do, because it's only thing I seem to truly struggle with, my driver is good, and now 2 hybrid is great, gonna test those RBZ's next time out.

 

[Doh]

Whats the loft on your 3 wood ?

 

[MadAdey]

Definitely agree with what Bob has said. Are you looking at swapping the 3-wood for a low lofted rescue then? I carry a 19 and 16 rescue instead of fairway woods. I would not say the 16 degree rescue is any easier to hit than a 3-wood IMHO. I use it as I get a similar distance to a 3-wood, maybe a little bit shorter but not much. But I like it as I can control the type of shot that I want to play, wether it be high, low, draw or fade.

But going back to what Bob has said about learning to hit the 3-wood, you may find you have a similar problem with a low lofted rescue as you do with the 3-wood

 

[Foxholer]

What makes you think you will actually hit your rescue any better - as opposed to shorter so not so far into the cabbage/trees?

If you have tried them and get on well with one, then that could well be a good interim solution - and you will enjoy your golf more - but you really should learn to hit Fairway Woods, both off the tee and off the deck. The process will make you a better player overall, and will very probably help with the Rescue/hybrid as well - but is probably a 'longer term' solution.

 

[garyinderry]

bobmac - is there any chance of a fairway woods video the next time to get a chance at the range. from dtl and side on. any help would be great. i am still struggleing with these! i only hit them when i know it safe to do.

 

[bobmac]

i am still struggleing with these! i only hit them when i know it safe to do.

What's the problem......
How you hit it or
where you hit it?

 

[Wolfman]

Guys the 3w is one of the hardest clubs to hit well of the fairway yet a rescue club is good from the fairway, light rough, tee box etc etc

My advice is yes learn to use it but add a low cost rescue such as old TM burner 22 deg and you will have more confidence in using it. I use mine more than my 3 wood often 2nd shot on par 5 holes

So the teachers will suggest learn to use it, in the meantime find a cheap rescue, Benross, TM, MD Golf, Wilson Staff