3wood for someone who can't hit one

[aggie182]

My Mavrik has been my easiest-to-hit 3 wood ever.  I hit it off the deck, off the tee, where ever.  Prior to that, I was in the 4 wood crowd as many have suggested above.

[SnapHooker_307]

I used to be terrified of hitting 3 woods. Switched to a Cobra F8 and took 1/2 inch off the length. It has been an absolute monster since. Won a Radspeed 3 wood this summer and have been hitting it well also even though I left it at the stock length.

[tipperi]

I think sometimes better players also “fight” cg. I bagged forgiving hybrids for years thinking I needed more help, switched to the original Apex hybrid 2 years ago and it was an eye opener. The more forward CG feels easier to control the club face and know if it’s open/neutral/close depending on the shot I’m trying to hit. 
 

This has caused me to go to an 18 degree Apex as my long club off the deck and for shorter par 4’s off the tee. So far, the results are better than they were with my 16.5 degree wood that I always felt I had to work entirely too hard to get a good result from. The Adams hybrids mentioned should be a nice change.

[Joselo]

i used to be very bad at driver, hitting around 2 to 3 degrees down

with a few tweaks in technique i have gone to 3,4 degrees up now and my game has change for the better

 

the thing is now that my 3 wood as gone to shizzle, cant hit it for the love of god, i top the ball a lot. tried the sim2  and didnt like it, i have latest the epic speed and felt a little better but i have managed to survive by using more my 3 & 5 hybrids, callaway mavrk max

 

fix one thing and another breaks!

[Drewhill44]

Give Cobra fairway woods a look.  Reputation of being easy to launch and forgiving.  Regular and Tour models to chose from with the F9-Radspeed models. 

[Lesko]

I may be the odd one in this conversation. I use a TM 300 mini driver, both off the tee (no actual driver) and it goes so well off the deck it's crazy. You'll want the 11.5 degree head if you're planning on driver replacement. I still get higher ballspeeds and better distance than my M5 and was better than sim2 when I tested it. 

 

You will want an ultra low launch/low spin shaft, I play a Tensei pro orange 60-tx but the ventus blue in a 70-x was good as well. 

 

I have an M5 5 wood and a 3wood, after seeing my numbers on GC hawk I threw the 3 wood out Now off the deck I carry the mini driver 240-250, off the tee it's 265 or so carry.

[Lesko]

2 hours ago, Joselo said:

i used to be very bad at driver, hitting around 2 to 3 degrees down

with a few tweaks in technique i have gone to 3,4 degrees up now and my game has change for the better

 

the thing is now that my 3 wood as gone to shizzle, cant hit it for the love of god, i top the ball a lot. tried the sim2  and didnt like it, i have latest the epic speed and felt a little better but i have managed to survive by using more my 3 & 5 hybrids, callaway mavrk max

 

fix one thing and another breaks!

Try addressing it a ball or so back in your stance to promote a downward/flat aoa 😁

[Long Shot]

On 1/11/2022 at 9:23 AM, spartyjeff said:

I'm about a 3 handicap and currently have a massive gap between driver and 2 driving iron. All in all I'm not a bad ball striker but I absolutely cannot hit a 3wood. Bagged the Titleist 915F for years (I know bad idea). Any suggestions on forgiving three woods? Been kicking around the idea of the Callaway Apex UW and a 2 hybrid (used to love my 2 hybrid). 

Apex UW is an option or maybe a 4-wood. And Callaway also has the Rogue ST 3 HL (16.5*).  

[Munich77]

I love my PXG 211s.  I carry both 3 and 5 woods.  They are easy to hit off the deck. 

[Hedgehog]

On 1/11/2022 at 5:32 PM, paulman21 said:

I'll echo a 4 wood. My 3 wood would hit these unplayable knuckle bullets with no spin. I now have a 5 wood turned down to a 4 wood playing at 3 wood length. The extra loft combined with the shallower face depth of the 5 wood have given me something I can actually hit really well.

 

If you go with something like that, just be conscious about managing weight (both total and swingweight)

What head do you use? 

 

I have an issue with the forgiveness of the 5 wood as an 3 wood replacement.. A modern 5 woods is usually very small compared to the 3/4 wood. Here for example the Stealth 3hl demo next to the Stealth+ 5 wood, there is a pretty massive dip in forgiveness between these 2. I have not gotten along with previous 3hl heads since they sit so closed and upright, last 3hl head that worked great for me was the 2017 M2 3hl. 

 

[Pastit]

1 hour ago, Hedgehog said:

What head do you use? 

 

I have an issue with the forgiveness of the 5 wood as an 3 wood replacement.. A modern 5 woods is usually very small compared to the 3/4 wood. Here for example the Stealth 3hl demo next to the Stealth+ 5 wood, there is a pretty massive dip in forgiveness between these 2. I have not gotten along with previous 3hl heads since they sit so closed and upright, last 3hl head that worked great for me was the 2017 M2 3hl. 

 

Probably an 18/19 D rescue might be better. I’m sure those with teaching experience on here can help further. The pic below is a 5W shaft I use in deep winter when the grass is dormant and lies are tight ( Proforce V2 HL ). I stick to TM metals and found the R11 titanium version was a good lifter and may well have a bigger club face because of the lower relative density of titanium over steel. The SIM 2 MAX had a larger face than the Ti version. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Pastit

[paulman21]

1 hour ago, Hedgehog said:

What head do you use? 

 

I have an issue with the forgiveness of the 5 wood as an 3 wood replacement.. A modern 5 woods is usually very small compared to the 3/4 wood. Here for example the Stealth 3hl demo next to the Stealth+ 5 wood, there is a pretty massive dip in forgiveness between these 2. I have not gotten along with previous 3hl heads since they sit so closed and upright, last 3hl head that worked great for me was the 2017 M2 3hl. 

 

I have the original Sim Ti 5 wood. Yeah it's definitely smaller than a 3 but I prefer the slightly smaller profile; especially with the shallower face depth compared to a 3 wood. I needed the adjuatable hosel so that limited me to Sim Ti (no HL version there) with TM.

 

Head size can have a lot to do with forgiveness but it isn't always the full picture too. So in the Stealth case, do you want the HL for the head size or the Stealth+ 5 turned down to a similar loft that has the deeper, lower CG? Forgiveness may actually be similar. If you don't like the 3HL, turn down the 5 and give it a shot. The open face may give you more confidence where you don't even notice the smaller head.

 

But in reference to OP, I've seen a higher-lofted wood do wonders for people. Whether that's through a 3HL or a 5 wood will be a personal/fitting question

[phil75070]

I was that way with the 3-wood. I couldn't hit one off the deck to save my life! Give me a 5-wood and it was a whole different story. That was until I got a Callaway Mavrik Max. Even without any kind of adjustability, I have a greater percentage of success with that club than any other 3-wood I've ever tried. 

[Milfordlefty]

On 1/12/2022 at 9:37 AM, ewaldbeukes said:

14-16 Degree Hybrid with a slightly longer shaft ie 41-42 inches.

 

I struggled with the same thing and have often though of doing the above. Eventually put a shorter, heavier shaft in my Cobra 14.5 degree and its done the trick (42.5" shaft)... but could definitely game a strong lofted Hybrid / Iron with a longer shaft as a replacement. 

Usually the issue with a 3 wood is shaft length for hitting off the deck. A 4 wood is not just a higher loft at same 3 wood length, it is usually a bit shorter, an then a 5 wood even shorter. I like your Cobra build. If you think about it, a lower lofted hybrid will have a heavier shaft compared to a similar lofted fairway wood.

[TitleistCirca62]

A 4 wood (16.5*) with a 42" shaft should be much easier to hit while still maintaining most of the distance you'd expect from a standard 3 wood.

[Golfingfanatic]

Ping Anser 17° hybrid

[dmeeksDC]

I’ll say it but you probably won’t do it because it is supposedly aimed at higher handicaps, but the Callaway B21 is the easiest to launch 3 wood I have ever hit. Get a shaft with a slightly softer tip. It launches so easy. Has the Flash Face. It is fast with high flight, long carry. It complements my driver: I carry a driver set up for a slight fade and a draw-biased 3 wood. I have a good tee club for any hole. 
 

And you do need to hit slightly down on fairway woods. Easy with the shallow face. 
 

The others I would mention are the standard Mavrik, PXG Gen 2, Ping g425, Srixon ZX and any standard Cobra head. I would say any decent golfer can launch one of the 3 woods on this list off turf. 

[Pastit]

31 minutes ago, dmeeksDC said:

I’ll say it but you probably won’t do it because it is supposedly aimed at higher handicaps, but the Callaway B21 is the easiest to launch 3 wood I have ever hit. Get a shaft with a slightly softer tip. It launches so easy. Has the Flash Face. It is fast with high flight, long carry. It complements my driver: I carry a driver set up for a slight fade and a draw-biased 3 wood. I have a good tee club for any hole. 
 

And you do need to hit slightly down on fairway woods. Easy with the shallow face. 
 

The others I would mention are the standard Mavrik, PXG Gen 2, Ping g425, Srixon ZX and any standard Cobra head. I would say any decent golfer can launch one of the 3 woods on this list off turf. 

Seems an area of conflict. I wouldn’t dream of hitting down on a 3-wood nor recommend it for those with issues here. 
 

“ Noted swing coach Butch Harmon says that even some players who hit 5-woods or 7-woods well will struggle with the less-lofted 3-wood. Using the correct alignment, however, and practicing proper swing mechanics can help you improve your 3-wood game. Despite the name, modern fairway woods are all made with metal club heads.

Step 1

Play the ball forward in your stance, but not as far forward as you would play it with a driver. Harmon recommends playing the ball a few inches inside of your front heel. Teaching pro Conan Elliott suggests aligning the ball one ball-length inside of your typical driving position.

Step 2

Take a comfortable stance by bending forward comfortably from your hips. Begin the backswing by turning your shoulders.

Step 3

Take an easy swing. Teaching pro Scott Sackett suggests swinging about 80 percent as hard as your most aggressive swing to increase the likelihood that you’ll make solid contact.

Step 4

Sweep the ball off the ground. Don’t hit down on the ball, as you would with an iron: Elliott says you shouldn’t take a divot with a fairway wood. At the same time, don’t try to lift the ball into the air.

Raising the club at impact or playing the ball too far forward in your stance will only result in a thin or topped shot, Harmon warns.

The 3-wood doesn’t have much loft, but if you hit the ball square the club head, will lift it sufficiently. Sackett says the club head should be “level to the ground” just before and just after the moment of impact.”

[dmeeksDC]

5 hours ago, Pastit said:

Seems an area of conflict. I wouldn’t dream of hitting down on a 3-wood nor recommend it for those with issues here. 
 

“ Noted swing coach Butch Harmon says that even some players who hit 5-woods or 7-woods well will struggle with the less-lofted 3-wood. Using the correct alignment, however, and practicing proper swing mechanics can help you improve your 3-wood game. Despite the name, modern fairway woods are all made with metal club heads.

Step 1

Play the ball forward in your stance, but not as far forward as you would play it with a driver. Harmon recommends playing the ball a few inches inside of your front heel. Teaching pro Conan Elliott suggests aligning the ball one ball-length inside of your typical driving position.

Step 2

Take a comfortable stance by bending forward comfortably from your hips. Begin the backswing by turning your shoulders.

Step 3

Take an easy swing. Teaching pro Scott Sackett suggests swinging about 80 percent as hard as your most aggressive swing to increase the likelihood that you’ll make solid contact.

Step 4

Sweep the ball off the ground. Don’t hit down on the ball, as you would with an iron: Elliott says you shouldn’t take a divot with a fairway wood. At the same time, don’t try to lift the ball into the air.

Raising the club at impact or playing the ball too far forward in your stance will only result in a thin or topped shot, Harmon warns.

The 3-wood doesn’t have much loft, but if you hit the ball square the club head, will lift it sufficiently. Sackett says the club head should be “level to the ground” just before and just after the moment of impact.”

Whatever works for you. Guess I won’t be taking lessons from Butch Harmon. I think what that passage describes is harder to execute consistently well, a 4-step path to trouble IMO. Not everyone agrees with Butch. It’s a longer, sweeping type swing with a downward strike. It takes about 15 seconds to find videos that are contrary to the old “line it up inside the lead heel and sweep it” suggestion. 
 

First off, the cut and paste doesn’t actually dispute what I said. Even your guy Sackett says “the club head should be “level to the ground” just before and just after the moment of impact.” That would seem to indicate he knows it is not quite level between those two points. It says don’t hit down on it, “like an iron.” Also correct. Never said it is like an iron. But it’s not a level sweep. 
 

To me trying to keep the club level is a recipe for thin strikes or hitting it fat off the bottom of the club. And the ball is sitting on the ground, sometimes in a depression. I am going to sweep that and hit it well without a downward strike? No thanks on trying that. That method requires a great lie or it takes the fairway wood out as an option. I want fairway woods that I can hit from various lies. 
 

I was taught golf by a man named Ben Davis, a club pro in Detroit, who preached forward shaft lean, weight toward target, with low point on fairway woods right at the ball or slightly ahead. He did not want the clubhead passing my hands before impact or me trying to sweep the ball off the ground. The way he taught it, there’s plenty of loft, don’t be afraid to get your low point forward, let it release. I actually do not think about hitting down on it or sweeping it — I don’t want to think too much at all. I get the low point where I want it, make sure my lower body leads, get the club swinging through and collect the ball. It is not necessarily positioned off my left heel either, it’s positioned based on the low point. The forward shaft lean takes care of producing a slight downward strike. 
 

As for the claim that you’re not supposed to take a divot with a fairway wood, I would say that depends on the lie. Have they seen the PGA TOUR? Lots of great players take divots after the ball with fairway woods. 

Edited January 15, 2022 by dmeeksDC

[Pastit]

19 minutes ago, dmeeksDC said:

Whatever works for you. Guess I won’t be taking lessons from Butch Harmon. I think what that passage describes is harder to execute consistently well, a 4-step path to trouble IMO. Not everyone agrees with Butch. It’s a longer, sweeping type swing with a downward strike. It takes about 15 seconds to find videos that are contrary to the old “line it up inside the lead heel and sweep it” suggestion. 
 

First off, the cut and paste doesn’t actually dispute what I said. Even your guy Sackett says “the club head should be “level to the ground” just before and just after the moment of impact.” That would seem to indicate he knows it is not quite level between those two points. It says don’t hit down on it, “like an iron.” Also correct. Never said it is like an iron. But it’s not a level sweep. 
 

To me trying to keep the club level is a recipe for thin strikes or hitting it fat off the bottom of the club. And the ball is sitting on the ground, sometimes in a depression. I am going to sweep that and hit it well without a downward strike? No thanks on trying that. That method requires a great lie or it takes the fairway wood out as an option. I want fairway woods that I can hit from various lies. 
 

I was taught golf by a man named Ben Davis, a club pro in Detroit, who preached forward shaft lean, weight toward target, with low point on fairway woods right at the ball or slightly ahead. He did not want the clubhead passing my hands before impact or me trying to sweep the ball off the ground. The way he taught it, there’s plenty of loft, don’t be afraid to get your low point forward, let it release. I actually do not think about hitting down on it or sweeping it — I don’t want to think too much at all. I get the low point where I want it, make sure my lower body leads, get the club swinging through and collect the ball. It is not necessarily positioned off my left heel either, it’s positioned based on the low point. The forward shaft lean takes care of producing a slight downward strike. 
 

As for the claim that you’re not supposed to take a divot with a fairway wood, I would say that depends on the lie. Have they seen the PGA TOUR? Lots of great players take divots after the ball with fairway woods. 

Thanks but I think we’re looking at 2 classes of striker poles apart in ability and clubhead speed in particular. Perhaps Sergio being the ultimate fairway-down-hitter. But he gets a very low ball-flight. It’s just “ horses for courses “. More than one way to play our game and Butch agrees with you for the elite I believe. Thanks again. 

[A.Princey]

Get a shallow faced 4w, shorten it slightly, make it heavier overall, and play it like a long iron. Do not set up like driver, it’s a recipe for skull city. 
 

Most importantly, hit it a lot. I never gave much faith in my fw game as I never really needed it a much. I just wasn’t confident. Since getting my simulator, I play courses so long that I need to hit it on some par 4’s to reach in 2, needless to say, I use it a lot now. My ability has risen proportionally with the confidence factor and proportionally with the amount of times I’ve hit the club.

 

You cannot hit a club 2 or 3 times a month during the season and expect great results. 

[R5Two]

Cleveland Launcher, ball position a little further back than you are used to. 

 

Patient on the backswing with good turn. Promise you'll take a little divot and hit it like a pro! 

 

I do not personally hit the Cleveland launcher but a lot of higher Handicap players at my club play it and they have the financial means to play whatever they want. Something about it just works. 

[R5Two]

On 1/13/2022 at 5:47 AM, Hedgehog said:

What head do you use? 

 

I have an issue with the forgiveness of the 5 wood as an 3 wood replacement.. A modern 5 woods is usually very small compared to the 3/4 wood. Here for example the Stealth 3hl demo next to the Stealth+ 5 wood, there is a pretty massive dip in forgiveness between these 2. I have not gotten along with previous 3hl heads since they sit so closed and upright, last 3hl head that worked great for me was the 2017 M2 3hl. 

 

How you get those already? Must be niiice! I'm trying to get like you my boy! (Tik Tok reference for those uninitiated) 

[michaelskivinis]

Buy a 1 iron... I have my bag set as follows: titliest driver

            : 1, 3-LW callaway x14’s

            : ping blade putter

 

set up works a treat....

[Esox]

On 1/11/2022 at 7:10 PM, agood3putt said:

Cobra Radspeed is your answer 

I got my kid one for his birthday, he kills it off the deck or off the tee.

I dumped the 3 wood and carry 5,7,9 woods, once I found a driver I could work without easily overcooking the movement.

I'm 62, generally play around 6500 yard tees, so unless I blow a drive, there is little chance I'd need a 3 wood off the deck, and if I did, And I hit it well, the odds of hitting and holding a green are still slim.......... I'm better off with more in the short end of the bag.

[JoeFrigo]

On 1/11/2022 at 8:23 AM, spartyjeff said:

I'm about a 3 handicap and currently have a massive gap between driver and 2 driving iron. All in all I'm not a bad ball striker but I absolutely cannot hit a 3wood. Bagged the Titleist 915F for years (I know bad idea). Any suggestions on forgiving three woods? Been kicking around the idea of the Callaway Apex UW and a 2 hybrid (used to love my 2 hybrid). 

highly highly highly recommend going with the Apex UW. I found no flaws with it at all. Super easy to hit and elevate. Very fast ball speeds. It looks a lot better at address than the epic super hybrid. Very clean crown

 

Getting the right shaft is important bc the speeds are so fast and the 17* can be low spin. I decided to go another direction away from the Apex UW bc they went too far

[Esox]

5 minutes ago, JoeFrigo said:

highly highly highly recommend going with the Apex UW. I found no flaws with it at all. Super easy to hit and elevate. Very fast ball speeds. It looks a lot better at address than the epic super hybrid. Very clean crown

 

Getting the right shaft is important bc the speeds are so fast and the 17* can be low spin. I decided to go another direction away from the Apex UW bc they went too far

Apex, Shur Out, etc. I can't get used to all of the venerable Hogan club names being used by Callaway.

[Feelingofgreatness]

Go Shorter (41 to 42")

Go Loftier (16 to 17*)

Go Heavier (heavy sole plate) 

Go Shallower (face) 

 

Swing easier (75 to 80%)

[pak]

Check out a Tour Edge Exotics 3/4 wood  that is 16.5 or 17 degrees. Match up your swing speed with the suggested shaft and away you go. 
 

Best decision I made a few years ago and I’ve hit some very memorable shots with this club. It is also great off the tee when the driver is not working.

[jjfcpa]

After struggling with the 3w, I just decided to stay with what works.  And what works for me is an Epic Flash 5w.  As a senior golfer, someone said that I probably can't generate enough club head speed to justify using a 3w.  It's not that I can't hit it, it's that it doesn't go any further than my 5w, so why carry it.  

 

I've considered moving to a 4w, but honestly, this 5w seems to work just fine.  I also carry a Callaway Super hybrid #3, and at time, I can hit it almost as far as the 5w, but I've built up a lot of confidence with the 5w so I continue to rely on it when needed.