Getting older, one fairway wood?

[jasona93]

95-100 driver speed, turned 50. I’m steep and am not going to find maxed launch angles without a lot of work. Have always been a better fairway wood player than driver. But now finding the long end of the bag all just about goes the same distance plus or minus a few. I carry driver, 4w, 7w. Bought a 3h for course specific/take out the 7w. 
 

Considering leaving the 3h in all the time, and taking out the 4 and 7w, put in a 5 with a 4w shaft, like a heavenwood concept. If I need 230, use all the grip. Choke down an inch if I need 215. Anyone try this with any level of success? Or is the answer get properly fit for a 4w?

[gvogel]

3 hours ago, jasona93 said:

95-100 driver speed, turned 50. I’m steep and am not going to find maxed launch angles without a lot of work. Have always been a better fairway wood player than driver. But now finding the long end of the bag all just about goes the same distance plus or minus a few. I carry driver, 4w, 7w. Bought a 3h for course specific/take out the 7w. 
 

Considering leaving the 3h in all the time, and taking out the 4 and 7w, put in a 5 with a 4w shaft, like a heavenwood concept. If I need 230, use all the grip. Choke down an inch if I need 215. Anyone try this with any level of success? Or is the answer get properly fit for a 4w?

AT your swing speed, you might find that a 4-wood goes farther than a 5-wood, so you might keep a 4-wood, 7-wood set up if that works for you.  At my swing speed, all I use is a 5-wood.

[NCDuffer]

5MPH lower speed...Driver, 4W, 3H.  I do choke up at times for distance or if my swing isn't the best.  I have a 5W, but the distance was essentially my 3H as the 5W launch is so high.  There are some courses that I'll pull the 4W and use the 5W though.  My 3H usually goes in the direction I want it to go.

[azgreg]

Getting ready to turn 60 and the top of my bag is currently D, 5w, 4h, and 5i.

 

[goaliedad30]

I'm 61, and still carry 3w, 5w, 7w, which then jumps to a 5h. For me, they fill specific roles:

• 3w is an off the tee club when driver is too long, or the shot MUST turn right to left. Usually gets 225-230 off the tee. 240 if it's firm, and I really turned it over ... 🙂
• 5w is my par-5 second shot club. It will go anywhere from 205-225 depending on contact and launch, and usually moves right to left as well
• 7w is my reliable 190-205 club that launches high. I hit it as an approach into some long par 3 and par 4 holes. It lands softly, and I can move it left to right if needed.
• 5h is 175-185, launches crazy high, and I can move it 30 yards right to left if needed (like around a tree!)

If I had to drop one, I'd probably get rid of the 5w, and maybe see if I could construct a "4 wood" that was long enough off the tee, moved right to left, and I could hit off of fairway lies.

[jasona93]

Great answers, thanks everyone, loads of options! Of course yesterday I played on vacation and the top of the bag was very good despite some rust. May however start another thread, ‘could a face balanced putter help me’.

 

Going to the superstore today to have some fun, hope to encounter an employee that will be patient with my gear nerdiness. Going to try to find a unicorn among Qi and TSr 4 woods, and ST-G 3 and 5 woods.

[goaliedad30]

4 hours ago, jasona93 said:

May however start another thread, ‘could a face balanced putter help me’.

[kamaaina1]

16 hours ago, azgreg said:

Getting ready to turn 60 and the top of my bag is currently D, 5w, 4h, and 5i.

 

Same here, but I'm 62 😉 I keep the 4 iron in the bag just in case I really need to dig a shot out of the deep stuff.     

Edited March 6 by kamaaina1
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[Pepperturbo]

Oh, you youngsters... LOL 😎 I am past 70, using 10° Driver, 15° wd, 17° 2i, and new T100 3i-PW, etc.  Every now and again, depending on the course, I switch out 15° 3 wood for 16.5° 4 wood. 

 

Now, it's all about shooting my age. 😜

 

[MisterT]

19 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

Oh, you youngsters... LOL 😎 I am past 70, using 10° Driver, 15° wd, 17° 2i, and new T100 3i-PW, etc.  Every now and again, depending on the course, I switch out 15° 3 wood for 16.5° 4 wood. 

 

Now, it's all about shooting my age. 😜

 

The top end of my bag is similar. I am 63 and it's also about trying to shoot your age! 😉

[Nickb333]

Pretty sure my 7w and 4h @24* are not coming out of my bag.
 

Today I hit a 3w @ 17* mounted on a 42.25” 5w shaft. Felt good. Should fit well between my driver and 7w.

[jasona93]

Update: tried some things in the store. I don’t think I can make a 5w replace a 4w and 7w. In a half set, sure, but I’d probably just take the 4w out in that scenario. Plan for now is 7w or 3h comes out, course/conditions dependent. 

[Tinkerer]

56, swing speed a little lower than yours. Also steep, hit irons better so using a 3UI after my 3HL @ 16.5°.  That FW was fitted with a slightly shorter shaft at 42.75”. Works well. 

[jasona93]

Long update but could use some gearhead advice…went to DSG yesterday to try some more fairways, one stuck out, but I’m shocked and need to know from some people smarter than me if it makes any sense.

 

WITB, the top at least:

BRNR 13.5, AD-DI 6s - mid, slight fade, 240 avg 

TS2 16.3, Motore X3 6s - inconsistent, 225 average

TS2 21, AD-DI 6s - high, 215 avg but when hit really well makes the 4w redundant

STZ 230 19, Lin-Q Blue 6s - oddly, this often goes longer than all of them but driver, but bought for low runners/Scotland trip.

Radspeed 24, Recoil ESX 460, 195 avg

JPX 923 Tour, Recoil 95 F4, 175-180

 

As mentioned before, I’m steep, fighting over the top, maybe 100 mph with driver, low ball hitter. Launch everything at 9° basically. It’s weird but I’m not trying to fix that now, it’s fine. Pretty straight, miss is fat or weak fade.

 

Went to the store yesterday trying some used and demo 5w, but all in Regular shafts, just for the heck of it. Tried Qi with stock Ventus and immediately put it down. One stuck out and saw shocking numbers compared to the others and everything in my bag:

 

Paradym Triple Diamond 18, Hzrdus Gen 4 Black 70 5.5. Despite Low/Low shaft with low spin head, launch was 12°, speed was up, DREW everything, and averaged the distance I was looking for in a single fairway, 225 and spin 4000. Some approached driver distance, there were a good number of 240’s off the deck in there. Didn’t buy, but had them save it and going back to verify today. Can also get it much cheaper on CPO in better condition, but may just negotiate with them on price.

 

After reading all that:

- does dropping a ‘flex’ generally increase launch?

- even though it’s slightly heavier?

- I’m fine/thrilled having a draw biased tee option, but in mid season and I’m a bit faster, does that draw turn into an unpredictable hook?

- I know, everything is 6s, I just self fit and tried a bunch of stuff and got good enough consistent results, though probably not optimized.

- Am I now a regular flex guy? Not looking to redo everything and I know what my equipment does and I can play with it.  I’m not too proud to play something with an R on the shaft, no one cares and it’s all relative especially in stock options.

 

TL,DR: why would a Low Low shaft in a half or full lighter flex fit someone like me?

 

 

Edited April 6 by jasona93

[JohnBrew]

On 3/5/2024 at 8:47 PM, goaliedad30 said:

I'm 61, and still carry 3w, 5w, 7w, which then jumps to a 5h. For me, they fill specific roles:

• 3w is an off the tee club when driver is too long, or the shot MUST turn right to left. Usually gets 225-230 off the tee. 240 if it's firm, and I really turned it over ... 🙂
• 5w is my par-5 second shot club. It will go anywhere from 205-225 depending on contact and launch, and usually moves right to left as well
• 7w is my reliable 190-205 club that launches high. I hit it as an approach into some long par 3 and par 4 holes. It lands softly, and I can move it left to right if needed.
• 5h is 175-185, launches crazy high, and I can move it 30 yards right to left if needed (like around a tree!)

If I had to drop one, I'd probably get rid of the 5w, and maybe see if I could construct a "4 wood" that was long enough off the tee, moved right to left, and I could hit off of fairway lies.

My exact setup. But since I'm 75 deduct quite a few yards from your distances! I use every one of my woods most rounds. Real problems using long irons so my longest is a six. I still have an old set of irons with which I was able to hit as low as a four, but the other day I was comparing lofts between those and my current gamers so now I know why. Massive difference.

[gvogel]

71 here.  Probably going driver, 5-wood, 7-wood, 5-hybrid, 6-hybrid, 7-iron.  I do have a 7-hybrid which has been fun to fool around with, but according to trackman, my T350 7-iron is longer.  We'll see.

[596]

68 with a high 80 swing speed. 9* driver, 14* 3 wood, 19* 5 wood, 22* 7 wood, 25* 5h.  Gapping is 10 to 15 yards between clubs.  

[URStillAway]

I’m 64.    I’ve given up on 3W.   Too inconsistent.    I’m better off hitting 4W or 5W.  I bet if i hit 20 3w’s and 20 5w’s my average distance would be longer with the 5 because of all the awful shots I hit with the 3.   
 

  I usually just carry the 4W for the long par 3’s on the courses I play.  I can’t go for the par 5’s in two anymore so I lay up with the 3 hybrid which I find easier to hit than any fairway wood.  
 

One FW (either 4W or 5W) in the bag is enough for me.  

[Flyers99]

Basically the same age and SS as you and I got rid of the multiple fairway woods a few years ago.  I currently game Driver-4W (3HL)- 3H.  I find the 16.5 3HL is great off the tee and deck.  My 3H is probably my favorite club in my bag.  I get good gapping with this setup.