Callaway Apex UW 17 vs Fairway Woods

[CozBMB]

Has anyone used an Apex UW 17 degree as a 3 wood replacement?  My longest iron is a 4 iron at 23.5 degrees.  I have a few clubs i interchange between the 4 iron and driver.  15 and 19 degree hybrids, Titleist 917 5 wood and 7 wood, and then finally a Titleist U505 "1 Iron" and Apex UW 17 degree.  I know it depends on the course conditions, but my plan is to use the 7 wood and UW between the 4 iron and driver.  Part of me wants to buy a 15 degree 3 wood but i'd like to hear of your experience using the UW 17 degree as a 3 wood replacement.

[QuigleyDU]

I know a few people who have. For them it is about control over max distance and they are getting what they want out of it. 

[NicholasP]

I have, and it worked, but I wound up with a better option.....for me, your mileage may vary.  Long story short, never been overly comfortable with 3 wood so went 17 and 21 in the UW.  Was hitting the 17 off the tee about 235-240, solid strike vs a typical 3 wood I would get 250-255 out of.  These UWs are very low spin, at least with the stock RDX 80 stiffs, and I found the 17 to be a little to low spin for me. 

 

Then I tried my buddy's G425 Max 3 would out.  Thing is incredibly easy to hit and I love it.  So I ended up going 13.5 G425 at 250 and UW 21 goes 225, then 4 iron at 205.  

 

If you're the kind of player who just carries a 3 wood and rarely hits it, 17 degree is a great option, just be aware you may need more of a mid launch/spin shaft if planning on using it is a par 5 club

[EaglesGolf99]

The 17° UW is definitely a modern day 3 wood. No questions asked. 

 

My interest is, how does the 17° UW compare to the 19° UW?

 

I'm working on obtaining a 19° UW Head now for comparison. 

[BostonWRX]

1 hour ago, CozBMB said:

Has anyone used an Apex UW 17 degree as a 3 wood replacement?  My longest iron is a 4 iron at 23.5 degrees.  I have a few clubs i interchange between the 4 iron and driver.  15 and 19 degree hybrids, Titleist 917 5 wood and 7 wood, and then finally a Titleist U505 "1 Iron" and Apex UW 17 degree.  I know it depends on the course conditions, but my plan is to use the 7 wood and UW between the 4 iron and driver.  Part of me wants to buy a 15 degree 3 wood but i'd like to hear of your experience using the UW 17 degree as a 3 wood replacement.

I went from a TSI3 15 to UW 17. Both smoke black rdx 70g 6.0. On the screws TSI3 is a little longer maybe 6-8 yards or so but I would say if I hit 10 shots with each UW may have a longer average then the tsi3 bc I hit it much more consistent. Accuracy wise it’s not even close. 

[CozBMB]

Thanks guys!  This sort of confirms what I thought.  I bought the UW 17 for more consistency and it sounds like that’s been the experience with players that own them.  I rarely will need that extra 10-20 yards that a well struck 15 degree 3 wood will give me.  I rarely go for a par 5 in two if it’s over 250 anyway, but quite often use it off the tee.  In that scenario I’m looking for accuracy with the shorter shaft and lower flight of the UW.  
 

[EaglesGolf99]

1 hour ago, CozBMB said:

Thanks guys!  This sort of confirms what I thought.  I bought the UW 17 for more consistency and it sounds like that’s been the experience with players that own them.  I rarely will need that extra 10-20 yards that a well struck 15 degree 3 wood will give me.  I rarely go for a par 5 in two if it’s over 250 anyway, but quite often use it off the tee.  In that scenario I’m looking for accuracy with the shorter shaft and lower flight of the UW.  
 

I'd say it is a good, solid, 10 yards....

 

But, not more than 15.

 

 

[Rbsiedsc]

Does anyone have a side by side with the UW and the OG callaway super hybrid? Curious how the head looks compare

[third-times-a-charm]

27 minutes ago, Rbsiedsc said:

Does anyone have a side by side with the UW and the OG callaway super hybrid? Curious how the head looks compare

Not very similar besides being a 'hywood' concept that is smallish. The OG SH is more like the new Epic SH they released. This Apex UW is a more refined version that is more like a traditional wood in shaping - where as the 'supers' are more like giant hybrids.

[ernotte]

1 hour ago, Rbsiedsc said:

Does anyone have a side by side with the UW and the OG callaway super hybrid? Curious how the head looks compare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZkqXSBkHAQ

[Rbsiedsc]

20 minutes ago, ernotte said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZkqXSBkHAQ

dang!

[ernotte]

5 minutes ago, Rbsiedsc said:

dang!

Pretty wild difference, isn't there!

[Rbsiedsc]

6 minutes ago, ernotte said:

Pretty wild difference, isn't there!

i was shocked since my OG Super hybrid i believe is on the low spin side. Didn't realize they changed that with the Epic SH

[PureDivots]

I've been kicking this around for a while, 3 wood is something that just has never worked for me like hope it does. Seems to get me in more trouble than it helps. Considering strike is more often than not below average when I hit 3 wood, if the strike was improved with Apex UW I would wager the distance isn't far apart. 

[ernotte]

28 minutes ago, Rbsiedsc said:

i was shocked since my OG Super hybrid i believe is on the low spin side. Didn't realize they changed that with the Epic SH

I didn't realize the OG was on the low spin side.  Perhaps all part of their plan to get us to buy new equipment!

[hammergolf]

2 hours ago, Rbsiedsc said:

Does anyone have a side by side with the UW and the OG callaway super hybrid? Curious how the head looks compare

Not sure the difference between the OG Superhybrid and Epic, but I’m thinking about dropping my 3wd for a 17* UW

Edited April 15, 2022 by hammergolf

[Jut]

The 17* Apex UW has been the absolute bees knees for me.  Instead of hitting 1 of 5 fairway wood shots straight and long, I’ll gladly give up 10-15 yards while hitting the U Dub solidly on almost every strike.  And don’t even get me started on the feel and sound….
 

FWIW, my driver SS hovers around 100 (give or take a few) and I’m playing both my Apex UWs with the stock RDX, but in regular flex.  All my other shafts are stiff.  

[EaglesGolf99]

2 hours ago, PureDivots said:

I've been kicking this around for a while, 3 wood is something that just has never worked for me like hope it does. Seems to get me in more trouble than it helps. Considering strike is more often than not below average when I hit 3 wood, if the strike was improved with Apex UW I would wager the distance isn't far apart. 

Solid thinking. Agreed. What I'm chasing! 

[jah7838]

Just got my 17° UW this week and took it out for the first time to the course today. I swapped out the stock RDX for a Motore F1 7s just because I don’t get along with the Hzrdus line of shafts. 
 

After 1 round today, I don’t see myself going back to my Stealth Plus 3 wood. It’s a good club, but I’m not consistent with it at all off the deck when I need to hit it into the green. 
 

I hit the ball far enough, but on really windy days, like what I’ve been playing in recently, I’m having to hit a 3 wood or 4 wood into a green from 205 yards out. The course I played today plays very tough with the wind out of the south, and a few holes take driver out of your hand completely with doglegs and water placement.
 

On #9 today, I had 217 yards dead into a 20 mph wind with a bunker and water right. I’ve missed plenty of shots into that green right, so there’s a lot of mental blocks on that hole.  I pulled out the 17° UW to give it a shot, and hit a nice flighted draw just short of the green. Left myself a straightforward chip and a chance at par. I made bogey, but that par 4 plays a lot like a par 5 on most days. 
 

Off the tee, I really didn’t lose much distance, but I was more accurate with it. I had a few other nice shots off the deck as well that went where I was aiming. I’ll get some more range time and another round on Sunday where I’ll have some more opportunities with the UW. 

[Tblythe]

Recently purchased the 19* UW to slot in between my 3w (14.5*) and 4i (23*). Ended up taking out my 3w completely because the UW is around 240 off the deck and 250 off the tee. Only about 10-15 yards shorter than my 3w. Much easier to hit and more consistent. It’s anti-left and VERY hot. Absolutely love this club! 

[Boognish]

UW is hot but it's much less forgiving than a 3/5 wood.  Unless you're striking it out of the middle every time, or you have some hangup about fairway woods, I would not consider them interchangeable for longest non-driver club in the bag.

[Jalalski]

My UW 17* has been a game changer.  Echo every other positive sentiment in this thread — using it between the driver and a Fli Hi 3H and easily the best thing I’ve done for the top of my bag off the tee and turf.  I play it 1/2” short and it goes about 20-25 yards shorter than my driver carry.  Super comfy club and doesn’t give me the tops 😬

Edited April 16, 2022 by Jalalski

[pitchnputt]

Recent driver changes (shorter shaft, added weight) have given great results, so my 3w doesn't see any use off the tee. I hit it OK 75% of the time but those 25% mishits are not great for the score. Have a 7w (22*) that kicks a**, but it just doesn't gap well with my 4i that is one of my go-to clubs in the bag. I get almost the same carry with the 4i and can hit it from any lie as irons are my strongest part of the game right now.

 

Thinking of trying either the UW (at 19*?) or the legendary V-Steel 5w (18*) in place of both FW's. I play some pretty narrow fairways on my regular courses and choose accuracy over total distance within reason. Which one should I go with? Thanks!

[EaglesGolf99]

52 minutes ago, pitchnputt said:

Recent driver changes (shorter shaft, added weight) have given great results, so my 3w doesn't see any use off the tee. I hit it OK 75% of the time but those 25% mishits are not great for the score. Have a 7w (22*) that kicks a**, but it just doesn't gap well with my 4i that is one of my go-to clubs in the bag. I get almost the same carry with the 4i and can hit it from any lie as irons are my strongest part of the game right now.

 

Thinking of trying either the UW (at 19*?) or the legendary V-Steel 5w (18*) in place of both FW's. I play some pretty narrow fairways on my regular courses and choose accuracy over total distance within reason. Which one should I go with? Thanks!

2 completely different golf clubs. 

[pitchnputt]

35 minutes ago, EaglesGolf99 said:

2 completely different golf clubs. 

I get that. Just only ever had a crappy 5w a million years ago. I have always struggled with 3w (though that has gotten better) trying multiple clubs. The 7w has been in my bag a very long time and iron play has improved to make the 7w less useable on a normal round. My Driver distance is nothing special and I really don't care about carrying 14 clubs if 12 will do. I reckon one club that I have confidence in between the Driver and 4i without sacrificing too much distance will work great for me. I took a couple whacks on a UW at Golfmart, but my son was getting bored so I didn't get a great idea of what it is capable of and hitting off mats is not realistic anyways. 

 

Really just curious about the differences comparing the UW to fairway woods in general as a replacement. I am not a fan of hybrids. Figured some of you have tried both. Keep hearing that the UW is hot and goes for miles, which means going with one with a little extra loft should be a good strategy for me. 

 

Any thoughts are appreciated

[toolman]

It can 100% replace a 3/4 wood…

 

17 degree stock rdx black shaft

[hammergolf]

Just now, toolman said:

It can 100% replace a 3/4 wood…

 

17 degree stock rdx black shaft

Am I assuming correctly that it was 102ss and 149 ball speed with 15* launch? If so that’s what I’m looking for

[toolman]

2 minutes ago, hammergolf said:

Am I assuming correctly that it was 102ss and 149 ball speed with 15* launch? If so that’s what I’m looking for

Yup exactly that…I got the next shot to go even further. Be wary though…this club can produce extremely low spin snaps hooks…and I never ever ever ever go to the left so that’s a bit concerning. Other than that…it’s a rocket launcher.

[hammergolf]

Just now, toolman said:

Yup exactly that…I got the next shot to go even further. Be wary though…this club can produce extremely low spin snaps hooks…and I never ever ever ever go to the left so that’s a bit concerning. Other than that…it’s a rocket launcher.

I’m gonna give it a try. I struggle hitting my 3 wood thin too many times. I’m thinking with the shorter shaft I can get more steep.

[SaVo_]

For those who have owned or currently own a 4 wood. How does the 17 degree compare for you guys? I never owned either and curious how they compare. Are these just great off the tee and into par 5's? if i was to get the 17 degree do you need to get a higher launching shaft in it for par 5 shots? I currently just have a 2 iron after my 4 and Im not sure if I should go 4 wood and then maybe the 19 degree UW or go UW in my 3/4 wood spot and get maybe a 7 wood behind my 2 iron. Appreciate any feedback