What's with all of the 5 Woods??

[dmeeksDC]

4 wood, 7 wood, life is good. 

[PEI_Golfer]

Gapping purposes likely.  Not everyone wants really low spin 3 woods as it can make them unplayable from off the deck into greens.  A 5wd is also likely more predictable in carry and total distance.

[Flip4000]

11 hours ago, BigMack said:

It seems that a lot of the pros are carrying 5-woods in the bag instead of 3-woods. I am seriously considering replacing my Cobra F9 3-wood with a 5-wood. I am looking to get into a slightly smaller head as I find the 3-wood to be cumbersome when hitting off of the deck. Has anyone dropped down to a hot 5-wood at 16.5 or 17 degrees? Are your distances similar to your outgoing 3-wood or is there still quite a gap? Currently looking at pxg for the ultimate in low spin 5-wood to maintain distance.

 

So I am someone who dropped the 3 wood for a 5wood. I dropped my ping g410 3w after it cracked for a callaway epic flash sz 5 wood.

 

I have played with a 3 wood most of my life and as someone who has struggled with the driver I have used it a ton off the tee. The biggest issue I have had with 3 woods is I could never consistently get enough launch off the deck or out of the rough. I have good swing speed and even though I got good launch off the tee, couldn't get consistent playable launch off the deck and would hit alot of low hooks and slices. I also never felt like I could control it. I was mostly swinging and praying. 

 

Let me tell you, it's been a game changer using a 5 wood.

 

It's much easier to hit from every lie, off the deck, off the tee, rough, the ball just wants to pop out. Additionally I have more options. Due to the extra launch, I can choke down and swing easy to take some distance off or I can bear down and smash it.  The first time I tried it out, I had 245 into a green on a par 5, and I hit a gorgeous high shot into the green that actually 1 hopped, stopped, and trickled out about 10ft. Any time I had hit a quality 3 wood, it would always come in too hot and end up at the back of the green. Knowing I could go after greens on par  5s and actually hold them was huge for confidence. 

 

As far as distance, I found I hit my 5 wood maybe 10-15 yards shorter than a 3 wood 260 carry vs 245-250 carry. This made very little difference to my game as with the 3 wood, I would typically hit poor shots, being able to consistently produce solid contact and playable loved shots was worth giving up 10-15 yards.

 

Overall it's just been more playable for me and more versatile. 3 wood was more a tee club I could bash up by the green occasionally and the 5 wood allows me to actually attack the green on par 5s and still hit solid shots off the tee on par 4s. 

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Flip4000

[Josh L.]

5 woods are so last year, we've moved on to 7 and 11 woods for 2021!

[Red4282]

I was on this trend but have recently picked up about 20 yards with the driver so my 3 wood that goes 280 now has its purpose back.

[phizzy30]

Most guys on tour play with open faced woods.  It makes sense to go to 5 metal and crank that face open 1+ degrees.  I still like the traditional 3 metal, but mine is cranked open 2 degrees with a mid launch shaft.  I play 2 different shots with it.  One is stock and more shallow and the other is more steep, think Sergio/Tiger, where I hit down on it slightly and create a tiny divot to create more backspin on greens that require all carry and drop and stop.    

[joostin]

9 hours ago, dmeeksDC said:

4 wood, 7 wood, life is good. 

IMO, though I don't play it, 4W 7W 4H may be the most versatile, easiest to hit, best gapping top setup.

 

I split the difference right now with a 5W (and 4H) that's not going anywhere because of versatility.  It can adjust to 4W or 7W loft territory.  Easy to get up, long enough off tee or different lies, easy to work high, low, left, right, whatever.  3W is like a 2nd driver for me, so I'm just trying a 2nd driver - D1, D2, 5W.

 

To the OP distance question:  I don't need a FW off the turf all that often, but even swinging my 13.5° 3W at 110 mph off the turf is hit or miss for me, and only farther than my 5W on the best of strikes.  Off the tee that 3W is great, off the turf 5W is just better for me.

Edited April 17, 2021 by joostin

[SwingMan]

Depends on the course - I prefer using a 5 wd off the deck. Bagging a Mizuno STX 5 wd in the Motore F3 60. Impressive club

 

Ordered a 3 wood at 42.5 inches (don't like 43 inches for consistency off the deck).

 

Will use one or both depending on the course and conditions. 5 wd will always make the bag. Can bring it down to 17 to act like a 4 wd.

 

Will play with lofts when 3 wd arrives.

 

I had a TEE 4 and 5 wd combo that worked well - TEE 4 wd  (or now they label it as 3 wd at 16.5) is easy to elevate with the right shaft. But at 42.5 inches

[BigMack]

Yeah, 7-wood is all the rage it seems. I have that covered with my 2 hybrid from Cleveland. The old AMP Cell that I hit incredibly well. So I would be looking at a strong 5 wood, 2 hybrid and 4 hybrid then into my 5-iron.

[dmeeksDC]

4 minutes ago, SwingMan said:

Depends on the course - I prefer using a 5 wd off the deck. Bagging a Mizuno STX 5 wd in the Motore F3 60. Impressive club

 

Ordered a 3 wood at 42.5 inches (don't like 43 inches for consistency off the deck).

 

Will use one or both depending on the course and conditions. 5 wd will always make the bag. Can bring it down to 17 to act like a 4 wd.

 

Will play with lofts when 3 wd arrives.

 

I had a TEE 4 and 5 wd combo that worked well - TEE 4 wd  (or now they label it as 3 wd at 16.5) is easy to elevate with the right shaft. But at 42.5 inches

That new Mizuno 5 wood is a nice fairway metal. I like the look of it. And with 4 degrees of loft adjustability you can make it into a 4 wood or a 6 wood if you want.

 

I’m finally updating from my Cobra F8 7 wood, but not going to mess with it too much — I find the rails quite helpful for consistency so the Rad Speed 7 wood is the new one. Can hit those Cobra 7 woods off any lie, excellent out of the rough or even off hardpan, which I seem to encounter regularly!

[nitram]

Loft creep, like everything else in modern golf. I took a little time this morning to measure my old Wilson Staff fairway woods from the late 70's. The lofts and lengths are as follows:

 

2 wood:     Loft-14.2*    Length-42"

3wood       Loft-16.8*    Length-41.5"

4wood       Loft-19.0*    Length-41"

5wood       Loft-20.8*    Length-40"

[prouse25]

To add another version - I have an epic 5 wood set to add 2 deg of loft (effectively a 6 or 7 wood). However, I use a 3 wood length shaft. For me, this offsets the added loft to give me 5 wood distance with a higher trajectory. I love the thing. 

[RolandofGilead]

It came down to gapping for me. I was hitting my previous 3W about 265 off the tee and wanted a smaller head for better results off the deck. I hit a modern 3W, Cobra F9 Tour, and it was going 280 at 15* loft. I didn’t want a 40 yard gap between fairway wood and hybrid, and I also didn’t want to reconfigure my long iron and hybrid setup, so I went with the 4/5W at 16* and it’s perfect. I also play it shorter than modern standards, slightly below 42”.

Edited April 17, 2021 by RolandofGilead

[theothertwo]

I dropped the 3 and 5 woods years ago and replaced them with a 17* degree adjustable to 16 and 18 at 42.5" (aka 4 wood, strong 5 wood or a high launch 3 wood depending on the brand).  With the added loft and shorter shaft, it is more forgiving and launches higher producing better and consistent distance. 

[SwingMan]

1 hour ago, nitram said:

Loft creep, like everything else in modern golf. I took a little time this morning to measure my old Wilson Staff fairway woods from the late 70's. The lofts and lengths are as follows:

 

2 wood:     Loft-14.2*    Length-42"

3wood       Loft-16.8*    Length-41.5"

4wood       Loft-19.0*    Length-41"

5wood       Loft-20.8*    Length-40"

 

So today, we may have more forgiving woods but the shaft lengths are a heckuva lot longer 

 

3 wd 41.5 to 43, even 43.25

5 wd 40  to 42.5 

[iNeedMoreGolf]

I hit 3 wood and i like hitting it. Im pretty good at it but i do miss hit it sometimes. Maybe 2 out of 10 kinda ratio. Just apart of golf to miss. Can someone explain heavenwood to me though? I was allways intrested but dont understand.

[ChipNRun]

17 hours ago, Golfdoctor said:

Also I have a three wood shaft in the 5 wood

 

So does the pro who works on my golf clubs. That's his solo FW.

[Texas Golfer]

Seems like trends come full circle eventually.  Tiger used to refer to the 5 wood as a “senior’s club”.  I don’t know if a 1 iron will ever return to use though.

[sdiver68]

20 hours ago, ChipNRun said:

The Ping G4xx-series 5Ws come in at 17.5* as stock loft. These loft down nicely a degree to 4W.

 

And, let's shift from pros to average golfers. Several studies reveal that the average golfer can hit a 4W more reliably - and sometimes longer - than a 3W. The extra loft helps launch, and gives a bit more spin, which improves the carry distance of the average golfer. Those FWs that deliver the lower, boring distance shot of the ads only work for golfers with high clubhead speed.

 

 

On the other hand, for average golfers the Ping G4xx series 3 wood SFT starts @ 16 degrees with +1.5 available.  The Ping 425 MAX starts @ 14.5/+1.5 up to 16 degrees which closes the face a bit to help with the "average" fade/slice.

 

I'm a mid-HCP who chose 3W 425 MAX/+1.5 and hit my 410 Hybrid 19 instead of a 5W with it being more versatile from rough and for me at least easier to hit.

Edited April 17, 2021 by sdiver68

[SwingMan]

5 hours ago, iNeedMoreGolf said:

I hit 3 wood and i like hitting it. Im pretty good at it but i do miss hit it sometimes. Maybe 2 out of 10 kinda ratio. Just apart of golf to miss. Can someone explain heavenwood to me though? I was allways intrested but dont understand.

 

I don't get it either - big headed 20 degree lofted head at 43 inches. 5 wood is a better bargain with yourself.

 

I tried a Heavenwood when they first made another debut about 5 yr ago at 43.25 inches - I returned it. Shaft is too light and too long. Some like it - I don't. Just get a 5 wd.

[BigMack]

This is quite the popular topic! So today, despite me talking all about 5 Woods I picked up a small headed adjustable 3-wood. For me, I can dial it down or loft it up when needed and the smaller face is more confidence inspiring than the jumbo 3-wood I used to have. I've paired it with the Hazardous smoke blue in stiff and it is a total bomber for me. Epic Flash can be had for a steal now.

[abenjami]

Do you guys really hit a 19* 5 wood that much further than a 19* rescue/hybrid?

 

I used to carry a 5 wood.  As soon as I got a 19* rescue the 5 wood no longer served a purpose in my bag. 

[GatorNate11]

I ditched my 3w and cranked my 5w down to 16.5° and called it a day. My guess is, given that they're tremendously better than me, they probably hit a strong 5w as far as they need to and just don't have a need for both of them. 

[LeoLeo99]

If you need to boot a club in order to add a lob wedge or something and if have ample chs, the 3w is an easy choice..

[MPAndreassi]

22 hours ago, dmeeksDC said:

4 wood, 7 wood, life is good. 

 

Yup, it is. Rotating in a hybrid with the 7 wood depending on course and conditions. 

[JJgolfwrx]

4 wood 7 wood are killer combo 

 

5 wood 4 hybrid is another 

 

[lil'mike]

I can hit a 3wd okay but carry a 4wd at 16 degrees instead with not much difference in distance!  Prior to that I carried a 5wd.  I like them both and started the 4wd so I didn't have to carry a 3wd and 5wd both, now it's 4wd or 5wd.

 

 

[cmatthews77]

Tour pros use a 3w mostly for a club off the tee that they can more easily hit a draw with. 
 

if you have swing speed say under 105mph with driver then you likely hit 3W or 5W close to the same distance off the deck so it’s all about what you want the club for. Do you use it more off the tee or off the deck. 
 

After years of going back and forth between 3W/5W, mini drivers, strong 3W... I’ve landed on Driver, 3W lifted up to 16 (4 wood- 5W lofted down 1 would also work) and then 3hy (20 degree) and 4hy (24 degree). Perfect setup. 

[ChipNRun]

7 hours ago, sdiver68 said:

On the other hand, for average golfers the Ping G4xx series 3 wood SFT starts @ 16 degrees with +1.5 available.  The Ping 425 MAX starts @ 14.5/ +1.5 up to 16 degrees which closes the face a bit to help with the "average" fade/slice.

 

This all depends on an individual's swing. I'm an average golfer, but the SFT delivers hook after hook for me. Also, lofting up tends to help close the clubface, which is the last thing I need.

 

If I play my draw with slightly open clubface, it stays a slight draw. If I try to loft up, too much left.

 

Quite a few "average" golfers fight a slice, but not all of us.

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by ChipNRun
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[Chief Penguin]

Well 3 & 5 woods answer fundamentally different questions for shorter and longer hitters, don’t they? For someone that rarely or never encounters a hole where the green can’t, in theory, be reached in two, a 3 wood is for tee shots where driver is too much, and for the very longest of par 5s.  The five wood is probably more for long shots out of the rough and approach shots where the 3/4 iron isn’t quite enough, or very very long par 3s.

 

For a shorter hitter, often times the three wood is for advancing the ball as far down the fairway on par fives as they can, and they probably aren’t needing to worry about trouble short of the green. 5 wood fills a gap that’s probably a common shot, even on longer par 3s.