Do you really need a 3 wood?

[PEI_Golfer]

Usual course I would say easily 4-6 times depending on wind.  When I play other courses I could hit it at least 8 times, more if I don't know the course and just need to hit a number.

[mantan]

11 hours ago, mackepa said:

I know a lot of players that absolutely hit a 5 wood farther and more consistent due to better launch conditions. Heck, some players will hit a 7 wood better. 
 

 

 

I totally agree. With shorter shafts and higher lofts, 5-woods are MUCH easier to hit off the deck for a lot of golfers. And with the ability to adjust the loft, they can played like an old 4-wood.

 

A 3-wood used to be a 'safe' club off the driver. But I'd argue 460cc drivers have closed the forgiveness gap between 3 woods off the tee.  Most of the time when I need a 'layup' club, my 5-wood is plenty. I may be 15 yards shorter than a 3 wood, but is that extra distance worth $300+?  (The increase in price of FW woods has made me more reluctant to toss it in the bag if it doesn't fill a need.)

 

And very few of the golfers I've played with are consistent with a 3 wood off the deck. For the occasional bombed second shot on a par 5 that sails high and lands soft, it seems more are hit thin, offline, topped etc.

 

My pet peeve is that most FW reviews are on 3-woods.  I think more golfers would benefit from 5-wood reviews instead.

Edited July 7, 2021 by mantan

[hagimihale]

3W rarely gets any play, to the point where I replace it with a 16.5* Mizuno Fli-Hi 2-iron during the winter when fairways get dry here in FL.

 

I only use the 3W off the tee.  5W or hybrid are used for going after par-5s in 2.  And if I'm not hitting driver off the tee, its probably b/c I want to stay under 250, so the 3W may run into trouble where the 5W or hybrid will stay short of it.

 

 

[samwm]

I am in the no 3-wood camp but it's a product of the two courses I play. One is just north of 6500 from the tips and is very tight. So 5 iron or 3h generally leaves me more room for error than a 3 wood.

 

The other is 7100 and if you can't hit a driver, you're either on the green or on a par 3. 

 

In general, I do question how much more accuracy the average low-mid handicapper gains with a 3 wood vs. a driver.  Whether results line up with expectations, if that margin of error is consistently capitalized on, etc. But that's a discussion for another day.

[mukster]

Replaced mine with a 5 wood, 18 degree, turned down to 16 degrees. So I guess it’s a 4 wood now. 
 

Great off the tee on short par 4s. I may need to hit it 2 or 3 times off the deck during a round. 

[1Mordrid1]

To me it's not a question of whether you need one or not. It is a question of can you hit one well with any kind of consistency. If someone shanks/tops/duffs and hits more 3 woods out of play than they hit solid shots with it, then they do not "need" a 3 wood.

 

Now I know there are some weekend hackers that this could be said about every club in their bag, those are not the people I am referencing. 

 

 

[GolfTurkey]

This part of the bag is getting my attention. I tried D, 7W, DI and that didn't work at all.

 

Tossed the DI and depending on whether I get along with mini driver and can hit it off the deck, and whether I can find a 3W that I can elevate or a hot 5W, I can see myself ending up with any two out of MD/3W, 5W and 7W.

[dubbelbogey]

It's my least needed club. 

 

I never use it off the tee. I'd much rather chip a driver on a narrow fairway. But, I actually practice this shot so I'm comfortable with it.

 

This leaves my 3w as pretty much exclusively used for 2nd shots on par 5s. So three times a round on average, 4, tops.

 

I've been going back and forth between a 3w and a 5w, with the latter having a bit more versatility from different lies and turf conditions. The 3w pretty much demands a perfect lie for me to even consider it, but I do have enough swing speed for it to be a bit longer than the 5w.

 

I cringe when I see my mid-handicap buddies pull 3w for tee shots. They spray the 3w just as badly as the driver, sometimes worse because they clip the edge of the smaller clubface. With an offline driver, in comparison, they're at least farther down the fairway.

[ShortGolfer]

At my swing speed I needed the loft of a 3W and the big head of a driver, so I bought a used 12 degree Epic Flash that goes up 14 degrees!  No need for a 15 degree 3W!

6H or 7W for the 2nd shot when I need distance with my 2nd shot.

 

My Flash driver is cut down to 42.5 inches and my old 13 degree driver is at 41.75 inches so they are both easy to use. 

I can now blow grips on and off with my air compressor and shorten clubs easily with a chop saw.

A short driver now makes more sense in my bag than a 3W, though it didn't when I bought the used 3W.

But having a 3W was useful for getting launch monitor data that shows I don't need it in my bag.

Edited July 7, 2021 by ShortGolfer

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

3 hours ago, Jeff58 said:

One of the better questions on the board as of late. Really 3 questions - Do you, why do you, and should you.

 

I dropped the 3 wood two years ago and went Driver-5 wood. This year I have a 4 wood with the height and spin of a 5 wood. The reason is that I know where they’re going to stop.

 

IMO the main reason people carry a 3 wood is that they can’t or won’t trust their driver. The 3 wood and driver share a unique characteristic, which is that you normally hit them in situations with the expectation of infinite distance. You don’t expect it, or want it to stop. To me, that makes a 3 wood redundant, and a dedicated sand wedge a better asset.

 

Interesting perspective. For me, the difference between the driver and the 3w is that the former I hit wanting it to go as far as possible, whereas the latter I know it will only go so far.

 

In fact, I carry a 4w, not a 3w but I am debating swapping the 4w out for a 3w as I have been only using the 4w of the tee of late. I know the 4w will go 250y max, usually a bit less, and occasionally a little more, but it will NOT vary as much as my driver distance. Whether I end up bagging a 3w or 4w, I want it to stop at a certain distance, give or take 10 yards.

[D0ch0l1d4y]

Played the KS am qualifier today. 6,800+ yards with 73.3 rating. Not super difficult, but hit 3w off every tee except the 580y par 5...which I did not hit well.

 

Basically, I use it on the tee for any par 4 that's 380-460y. Off the deck is almost as good. It's arguably the most valuable club in my bag next to the putter.

[philly2kuk]

I was playing a 3HL for the last year, but switched back to my 5 wood lofted down to the same loft (16.5). I use it on tight/short holes or where there’s a ditch at my driving distance, plus off the fairway on longer holes, so probably use it 6 times a round on average. Enough for it to stick around.

[rooski]

I don't use one. I can step on the 2i and have it fill the gap if needed, but generally am going to lay up if something is 250-275 in the first place. 2i utility goes 260-275 off the tee which is perfect for shorter or tighter holes. I can't find a reason to put a 3w in the bag but for some reason I like the idea of buying one to match the driver anyways, that however is a different (mental) problem

Edited July 7, 2021 by rooski

[DaveMc82]

No 3 wood. Use a 17.5 degree hybrid turned down a degree instead between driver - 20 degree hybrid and then 4 iron down. Put a Hzrdus Black 85 6.5 into a Titleist 915hd to lower the flight further from the Irod F5 105 that was in there before. 
 

Longer hybrid carries 230-240 all day running out to 260-270 in dry conditions and is mega reliable vs a 3 wood for me. It gets hit 6 times at least off the tee including 2/3 par 5s. Driver is too long and brings bunkers or dogleg runout into play.
 

It also gets used for 2nd shot into the 2 par 5s a lot and I’m generally on in 2.  

[iNeedMoreGolf]

Im gonna be honest.. sometimes i might only use it 1 or 2 times a round... sometimes i dont at all... but i wouldnt dream of not having it.. when i need it i need it and it works very well. Im blessed to have 2 i love lol.

[vietnameeh]

I probably could use a 4 wood instead 

 

if I’m not hitting driver well…. I am most likely not going to hit 3 wood well either 

[Hunteruu]

I didn't have one for the last 5 years or so. Usually didn't play course that really needed it, so I got rid of it. Finally put on back in the bag, and it's been an adjustment for sure. Maybe with a little more time I'll get back into using it though. 

[Righty to Lefty]

For certain courses yes and for others no...it depends.  I tend to go mini driver and 3 wood on tighter courses or driver 2 hybrid so that I can still reach most par 5's in two.  

[nosedive32]

Upper 90s swing speed with driver. Typical number with a 3 wood based on GC2 numbers in testing and on course performance is 215-225 carry 230-240 total.

 

At home course:

 

Tee shot on #1 (par 4)

Tee shot on #9 (par 4)

2nd shot on #12 (par 5)

 

Potential 2nd shot on #3 (par 5)

Potential 2nd or tee shot on #4 (par 5)

Potential tee shot on #5 (long par 3 if into strong wind, or during the winter from the back tee)

Potential tee shot on #6, 7, and 8 (par 4s)

Potential tee shot on #11 and 14) par 4s

Potential tee shot on #15 if playing the back tee (par 4)

Potential tee shot on #17 (par 4)

Potential 2nd shot on #18 (par 5)

 

I hit my 3 wood at least 3 times a round at my home course. If I had an odd day where I felt off with the driver id potentially hit it a ton.

 

The only players who don't need 3 woods are players who hit the ball a long way and are accurate with driver and can club to something else if they have to lay back off a tee and would never need a 3 wood into a par 4

or shorter players who can't get optimal launch conditions from a 3 wood and do better with a 4 or 5 wood. 

Or a player in general who just can't hit any fairway wood to save their life for whatever reason

 

[Fairway14]

7 hours ago, nvr3putt said:

Serious question. How often do you use your 3 wood during a round? 

 

 

3-wood is a tee box club. Depending on the course layout I swing a 3-wood from 1 to up to 10 tee boxes per round.

[ARSM1932]

Absolutely, I generally use my 3 wood between 6 and 9 times a round off the tee plus there is a short par 4 which is often a hard 3 wood when the hole is playing slightly downwind, of the 3 courses which I play regularly I very rarely need to hit a 3 wood off the fairway unless on really long par 5s.

[steventoo]

I haven’t carried fairway woods for years. 

[phizzy30]

I would rather pull out driver even if it's a tight hole so long as it doesn't really penalize me.  I can hit my 3 metal off the planet just as much as my driver.  Rarely do I ever need to pull 3 metal out for par 5's.  Then again, I don't always play from the tips.  I probably use my 3 metal three times  on average per round. 

[Itsjustagame]

Have not carried a three wood in at least 5 years. Off the tee it wasn't significantly more accurate than my driver, and off the deck having a three wood just encouraged me to try shots that I shouldn't.

[RCGA]

To be honest, I don't know what I'm gaining by having a 3 wood in the bag. 

 

It's just a shorter, equally inaccurate, less forgiving version of my driver. 

[Sandles]

Nope. Hit 16 degree HMB 2 iron straighter, much  more consistent and just as far. 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Sandles

[bladehunter]

Considering that 85% of my birdies come from  par 5s.  Yes.   Same for hybrid.  
 

also hit it 2-5 times a round from the tee depending on the course.   

[knackers]

for the better player you would see it in their bag majority of the time. For the average high hc player maybe not, go with whatever you can hit. usually  3w alternatives 2hybrid/utility iron

[Bridges]

The Callaway Super Hybrid has banished fairway woods from my bag. I do not miss them and cannot see a scenario where I would go back to a 3 wood. Good riddance.

[joostin]

I took it out except when playing a nearby course that has a short 275 yd par 4.  Being relatively long on short courses I didn't need 3W.  I found myself hitting it because I felt like it should get some love, but I really played it as a 2nd driver that's drawable.... So I just put in a 2nd driver that's drawable!  No fairway use unless long par 5s (maybe one on the courses I play), and I'm better with 5W off the turf.  Wasn't really any more accurate off the tee than driver either for me.  Sometimes, sometimes not.

 

Posted this somewhere else, but as a tee club only, I prefer the 460cc head at 44-44.5" vs 180cc head at 43-43.5".  YMMV