Switch from Driver-3W to Driver 5W

[Flyers99]

Thinking that my current 3W is somewhat useless. I hit my driver more consistent and I find when I need less distance or a whole is tight I usually just choke down on my driver. Off the turf is inconsistent and I am a shorter hitter so rarely am getting looks at par 5’s in 2. I have hit 5W many years ago and wonder if I should go back. I hit them well in the past and decent off the turf.  My 3W is older and 15* so I would think a modern 17.5/18* 5W would not lose much distance. Any thoughts or experiences?

[rufus mangler]

You could also try a HL 3 wood at 16/17º. Knowing the ball will get in the air really frees up your swing.

[waltonsfinest]

5W is a go in my opinion. 

[dukeman]

Your modern 5 wood will probably Have 18° of loft and play more like a four wood. Maybe 10 to 12 yards shorter than a three wood but much easier to hit consistently and get up in the air. I use this configuration in my bag.

[Chadwickog]

4 or 5 wood is the way to go. 

[raaandy]

Recently made the switch from Driver-15* 3W to Driver -18* 5W. Added confidence in just seeing the loft makes a world of difference to me at least. Great off the tee and off the deck, and I didn’t lose much (if any) distance thanks to more consistent swings and I’m sure a bit of swing changes as the months have gone on. 

[Fairway14]

Modern 3-woods have heads too large and shafts too long to be  suitable for anything but tee boxes and perfect level fairway lies. For that reason 5-woods are the "new 3-woods".

[cardoustie]

G400 five wood or Cally 2016 GBB 5w, both easy peasy and loft adjustable

[ChitownM2]

Also thinking of making this switch but took the intermediate step of trying out an adjustable 3w and setting it to 17. 

[Hougz79]

For many years I gamed a 4w (1995-2008).  Honestly best of both worlds.  Easy off the fairway, good distance off the tee.  A modern 5W with an adjustable hosel would be similar.  Solid strategy IMO.

[Jonesy]

Definitely the way to go, I had the 5wood in the bag but for some reason decided I needed to put the 3w back, it's been terrible... So I've gone back to the 5w and all is well in the world.

 

OG RBZ tour 5w for reference, still goes miles and is so easy off the deck. 

[Russ757]

G410 turned down. Open the face and flat setting.... Winning

[Tommyj]

I've been driver/5W for years.  With the shorter shaft I was putting a more aggressive swing on the 5W and hitting it more consistently and as far as my 3W.  Also found 3W off the fairway to be completely useless and usually caused more problems than anything else.

[cn34]

Made this move over the summer. I play driver and then Cobra F9 5 wood, turned down to 17*. 

 

Really has worked well for me. Enjoying the higher flight and seemingly is much easier to hit from the turf. 

 

Definitely would make this move, I don't think you'll lose anything and the upside should be noticeable

[ThreeBoxers]

Do it.  A 5W will be easier to hit on a better trajectory for the average joe, which means you may get nearly as much distance out of it than you would with a 3W.  Plus it'll be a little easier off the deck and in the end, a well struck 5W will probably get you closer to the green than a poorly struck 3W.

Edited October 15, 2020 by ThreeBoxers

[me05501]

I'm still carrying driver/3/5 which probably makes me a dinosaur but it works for me. I like having all the options at the top of my bag. 

 

My Rogue Draw driver is my tee club barring anything unusual (short fairway, tight dogleg, etc).

 

My Epic Flash three wood is adjusted for higher loft and it is a cannon off a short tee. I am learning to hit it from the ground as well, but that is always going to be lie-dependent. I like to see the ball sitting up and just imagine it's on that short tee and it works pretty well. If the lie it dodgy I'll choose the five wood instead. 

 

My five wood is an older non-adjustable Callaway Fusion with a Recoil F3 shaft. It's a great club for me from the fairway. I also use it on long par threes (195-210) and feel comfortable choking down or making less-than-full swings with it. It's definitely a comfortable club for me. 

 

The trade off is playing one less wedge than most people do, but I find that my PW/52/58 setup gives me all the options I need and prevents some analysis paralysis that can come with trying to choose between three wedges that could be used for the same shot. I used to use 52/56/60 and found myself doubting my club selection a lot which can be deadly in the short game. 

[MrStiber]

I benched my M5 3-wood simply because I almost never used it - off the tee I hit slightly more fairways with my driver than my spoon, so hitting spoon just was giving up distance and accuracy. Now I use my 5-wood or driving iron if I have to lay up short off hazards. The only situation where I miss my spoon is on 2nd shots on par-5s into wind where a penetrating ball flight is needed - but it is not that often that happens so 3-wood is no longer in play, just driver then 5-wood (18*).

[Flip4000]

I did this myself. Cracked my ping 3 wood and sent it to ping. It took them about 7 weeks to return and in that time I picked up a low spin 5 wood ( epic flash subzero 5 wood) and i'll never look back. 5 wood is so much easier to launch off the deck at 18 degrees and more versatile as I can hit hard to get more distance but also hit it easy and due to the loft still get good launch.

 

I get enough height to land on greens and hold them off the deck and can get the ball out of the rough with no issue. Honestly I am only giving up about 15-20 yards off the tee max but to hit more fairways is HUGE

 

My 3 wood flew far when hit well, but the low loft made it hard to control sometimes and hit a lot of hot low hooks especially off the deck. Never had that issue with my 5 wood and its really become a confidence club off the tee for me or on long approaches. I feel extremely confident going for par 5s now and almost expect to get home in 2.

I used to chuckle when most pros said amatuer golfers should consider using a 5 wood instead of a 3 wood, but now I am eating those words.

 

 Will never own a 3 wood again. 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Flip4000

[Flyers99]

A lot of good info here guys thanks. I am leaning towards the 18 degree 5 wood. I think I will be more confident with it and use it more.   Realistically the distance difference between 15 and 18 will only be a few yards probably but consistency should improve which kinda negates the distance. 

[goheels11]

Dumped the 3 wood years ago and have never looked back.  Hit driver straighter and carry my 4/5 wood further than a 3.  I currently game a 19 sim ti turned to 17 and love that it is fade biased as well.  Previously was an 18 degree XR pro.  That thing is a beast as well and you can get them for cheap.  

 

Oh, and I hate a ton of headcovers in the bag, so this helps that as well...room for more wedges...

[agood3putt]

I think it’s a great idea. I got driver (9.5*) then 5W but adjusted to (16.5*) so essentially a 4W. I get the shorter shaft for more control and the less loft helps with distance. Hitting it as far as my 3W was but more consistent 

 

definitely give it a go! 

[Song Dog]

I went D to 5W and totally happy with it. I doubt I will ever have a 3W again

[North Butte]

I think you've correctly identified the two issues. 

 

1) What is the longest and strongest lofted club you can hit well off the fairway?

2) Do you need a slightly shorter than driver club, optimized for distance off the tee?

 

For a lot of us, myself included, this gets pretty simple. I answer #1 first and the answer is something around 18 or 19 degrees of loft no more than 42" or at most 42-1/2" long. That's pretty much a 5-wood nowadays. And my answer to #2 is no.

 

There are two guys I frequently play with who are much better golfers (around 5hcp) than I am and who rely a lot on the option of 3-wood off the tee. In both cases it's because they feel they hit their driver crooked and play 3-wood for "safety". It's funny reading this thread right now because both of them, on separate occasions, have recently told me they are reconsidering that strategy because they don't actually hit the fairway every time with the 3-wood.

 

As one of them said the other day, "It's like I'm giving up 20 yards for no reason". And this guy, the one who said that, also carries a 5-wood which he is absolutely dead consistent with. He can hit a GIR with that 5-wood from 200 yards more often than I hit the GIR with a 6-iron. I try not to give "advice" to better players but I was tempted to suggest he do just what you're proposing. Drop the 3-wood and just carry Driver and 5-wood. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Inspired by this discussion, I put my trusty Mizzy JPX 850 5W in the bag again and set it back to the stock 18* setting. Had it at 16 or 17* lately and it got a little unpredictable. 

I forgot how easy this thing is to hit. Automatic off the tee and confidence-inspiring off fairway lies.

So now I’m going Driver - 2Hy (16*) - 5W (18*) - 3Hy 19* and it works astonishingly well. If I feel the need to add a wedge, I guess the 3Hy is the first healthy scratch candidate. 
 

Thanks for the inspiration!

[jah7838]

I found an old Tour Edge Exotics Combo Brazing 18* 5W at a small golf shop recently for $30.  I installed a Nunchuk shaft in it, and I'm really liking it.  It's easy to elevate and pretty long off the tee.  It seems to go the distance that I'm looking for off the deck.  I'm still going to mess around with my 15* Adams XTD Super Hybrid for the same spot.  I like the shorter shaft in it, and I can get it to elevate pretty easily, but I'm not a fan of the stock shaft in it.  The XTD Sole is a little more consistent for me off the deck than the Tour Edge, but I still like the combo that I get with the Nunchuk in there.  

[scooterhd2]

On 10/14/2020 at 3:22 PM, Flyers99 said:

Thinking that my current 3W is somewhat useless. I hit my driver more consistent and I find when I need less distance or a whole is tight I usually just choke down on my driver. Off the turf is inconsistent and I am a shorter hitter so rarely am getting looks at par 5’s in 2. I have hit 5W many years ago and wonder if I should go back. I hit them well in the past and decent off the turf.  My 3W is older and 15* so I would think a modern 17.5/18* 5W would not lose much distance. Any thoughts or experiences?

 

Switched to a 17* hybrid for 2 reasons. 

 

1. I do not see a benefit of the 3 wood off the tee. Its just as erratic as the driver. If I need to find a fairway I have more confidence in a choked up smooth swing with a 460cc driver. If I need to hit short of trouble, the 17* hybrid does just fine for distance and has more control with a shaft thats 2 inches shorter. On Arizona fairways with rollout, hardly any distance lost at all.

 

2. I have no business hitting a 3 wood off the deck. Shots go left, right, high, low. Occasional topper that rolls 50 yards at best. The 17* hybrid is much longer on average. Contact is consistent. Misses are manageable. Great club for hitting into into greens, or simply advancing the ball. 

 

I'm playing a Adams Super XTD that I plan to be buried with. But right now the Callaway Super Hybrid is a great wood replacement. Srixon H85 in a 16* degree is a beast as well and is probably really cheap right now. 

[jah7838]

48 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

 

Switched to a 17* hybrid for 2 reasons. 

 

1. I do not see a benefit of the 3 wood off the tee. Its just as erratic as the driver. If I need to find a fairway I have more confidence in a choked up smooth swing with a 460cc driver. If I need to hit short of trouble, the 17* hybrid does just fine for distance and has more control with a shaft thats 2 inches shorter. On Arizona fairways with rollout, hardly any distance lost at all.

 

2. I have no business hitting a 3 wood off the deck. Shots go left, right, high, low. Occasional topper that rolls 50 yards at best. The 17* hybrid is much longer on average. Contact is consistent. Misses are manageable. Great club for hitting into into greens, or simply advancing the ball. 

 

I'm playing a Adams Super XTD that I plan to be buried with. But right now the Callaway Super Hybrid is a great wood replacement. Srixon H85 in a 16* degree is a beast as well and is probably really cheap right now. 

I also have a 17* Super XTD to go along with my 15* and the 19*.  I just pulled the Rogue Black 80g from my 19* because I wanted to put my old VTS 100g back in my 19*. 

 

I'm thinking of tossing the Rogue in the 15* or 17* just to see how it goes.  I liked it in the 19*, but prefer the heavier shaft just because of the ball flight and consistency I get from it.  I'm not a fan of the Fubuki AX that's in the 15*.  I found that one for a steal for $20 recently, so it was worth it just for the head knowing I could reshaft it later.   

[aenemated]

Off the turf, I get pretty much the same distance with my 5W that I do with my 3W. It's reserved really just for teeing off on mid-length par 4s as off the tee as I can get about 20 yards more out of it from there. But pretty much never hit it off the deck. 

 

I could probably replace it with another wedge and not even miss it 99% of the time. 5W though is probably my favorite club in the bag. 

[MattGolfs]

I’m making this switch right now. Rarely use it from the fairway would rather use an iron off the tee if I need a fairway finder. Have a G410 5 wood on the way so the top of my bag will be Driver, 5 wood, 3 iron

[farris207]

For the exact same reason I swapped my 3 wood to a 4 wood. It is much easier to hit of the turf, and I still get plenty of distance off the tee. The extra loft has helped quite a bit when it comes to hitting off the turf.