What’s your fairway finder 3w? I need inspiration.

[oskaru]

Titleist 906F4 15.5 degree for me. It's got a great face height and sole design that works both from tee and fairway. 

[opensupoverthere27]

Ping G425 4w (5w head turned down to 16.5 with a 3w length shaft) 

[B_of_H]

tee it low and hit a cut with driver, choke up about an inch.  launch is about 6 and spin about 3k.  its more accurate than my 3w and goes about 10-15y farther. 

[RoyalMustang]

Dang-that spot in the bag just sucks. I've tried at least 15: nothing is really bulletproof. 

 

I have a Mizuno ST200 w/Fuji 7X shaft that works well for what it is. I can usually find the fairway. Not always. Usually it'll roll out to 270-280.

 

What is accurate is me choking down several inches on my driver and making a smooth swing. Doing this, I could prett much hit a driver through a football goalpost 100 yards out. Trouble is; I'll still square it occasionally and run it past my 280 cutoff. Turns out hitting the face centered makes more of a difference than having a super long club-who knew! I have 3 holes on my home course where I need 270-285, no more. Trying to take something off with an easy swing and still hitting a 300 yard drive on rollout is penalty, so I've got to deal with the finicky 3 wood.  Choking down flights the ball lower, which adds to runout on our hard dry winter/summer fairways, therefore not reducing the drive distance much. 

 

Maybe a mini-driver? I don't know why a 3W is so much harder to hit than driver; shouldn't the tech be the same? I just want the ball to fly 15% shorter. 

[RoyalMustang]

26 minutes ago, B_of_H said:

tee it low and hit a cut with driver, choke up about an inch.  launch is about 6 and spin about 3k.  its more accurate than my 3w and goes about 10-15y farther. 

 

I'll choke it up 2-3" and do exactly that. Trouble is with a lower launch it sometimes runs just as far as a regular driver, with our hard fairways. I'll see it land at 265 instead of 290 and think "great" but then watch it run an additional 50 yards into the water hazard I was choking down to avoid. 

[mgoblue83]

Modern 3w's are basically redundant and don't serve any purpose for most players.

 

Majority of amateurs hit driver straighter and more consistently than 3w so it shouldn't be used on tight holes...

 

Majority of amateurs hit 3w almost as far as driver so it shouldn't be used on short holes....

 

 

I've swapped to a 5w turned down to 16 degrees but I still will almost always choose 3i off the tee on short par 4s anyway.

[Mike_C]

Mine has been LST models from Ping.  I had a 410LST that I loved, beat it to crap hitting a lot of range balls, got a 425 LST to replace it as I thought the face would soon crack like a 410 5W I had.   I just have a tendency to hook almost every 3 wood made, no matter how I have it set up or what shaft I put in it, but far less so with the LST models. I can get in a grove with it and hit a nice straight-to-slight draw with it most of the time, and hit a fade when its called for. I would like to try a 430LST, but I am not spending $600 for a 3 wood....

[Glock917]

TM BRNR mini 13.5*

 

I was never a 3 metal kind of person to find the fairway but gaming this for the past year since release really added a dimension into my game where I would just default hitting a driver no matter what. 

 

I know there are pundits that argue that a 3w off the tee does no better than driver in terms of strokes gained or dispersion. I totally agree with that if its just looking at stats only. A more committed shot is going to be best club imo and there are some holes that I am more comfortable hitting my BRNR than driver on some holes which lead to better shots regardless of equal dispersion between the two. 

[PARETO]

9 hours ago, mgoblue83 said:

Modern 3w's are basically redundant and don't serve any purpose for most players.

 

Majority of amateurs hit driver straighter and more consistently than 3w so it shouldn't be used on tight holes...

 

Majority of amateurs hit 3w almost as far as driver so it shouldn't be used on short holes....

 

 

I've swapped to a 5w turned down to 16 degrees but I still will almost always choose 3i off the tee on short par 4s anyway.

Leaning that way. Some kind of higher lofted FW/UW and a 22*driving iron before I get to 5i. 

[medic170979]

Tour Edge C722 set to 16 degrees has been the right mix of launch and low spin for me.  I have a Tensei Blue in mine. 

[dekez]

Found my Aeroburner in the used rack for $40. None of the newer stuff can beat it (for me).

[uglande]

I'm liking the TSR2+ 14.5. But I also love a good mini driver. Favorite was the TM 300 (better than the Brnr, IMO), but right now I'm sticking with my TSR unless Titleist releases their mocked-up 2-wood. Then I'll reconsider. 

[Thrummyfox]

On 3/18/2024 at 10:22 PM, gripandrip said:

I have two, One in the main bag and one in my backup. Main 3 wood is a Taylormade R9. My other is a Callaway XR I was given after the head snapped off the shaft. I bought a no name stiff shaft, (Just to get a cheap 3 wood for my backup bag) and proceeded by accident, to cut the shaft 3/8 inch too short. Not sure what there is about that club, I don't use it a lot, but can't seem to mishit it. May be the fact that it is a bit short.

I meant my original Rbz to my son and it came back battered but had such a good time (long and straight) with it I’ve recently picked up the Rbz Tour at 14.5 and looking forward to using it though I only ever liked it off the tee, really like Ping from the fairway, much more shallow. So unless it’s really sitting up Rbz will

be only second tee club 

[driveandputtmachine]

My 3 wood is a 300 mini 13.5.  That being said it is only slightly more accurate than driver, and not just for me, for pretty much everyone as someone has posted data earlier.

 

"Learn" a knock down shot with your driver and 3 wood.  This is something I worked on because my home course is super tight, however on the straight holes there isn't a ton of reason to hit 3 wood over driver.  I only use 3 wood and normal or knock down when the distance requires not hitting driver.

[uglande]

4 minutes ago, driveandputtmachine said:

"Learn" a knock down shot with your driver and 3 wood.

I second this. I have gotten off the utility iron carousel by learning to hit 3/4 stingers with my 3 wood. Much easier than swinging out of my shoes with a 2 iron. 

[mgoblue83]

11 hours ago, PARETO said:

Leaning that way. Some kind of higher lofted FW/UW and a 22*driving iron before I get to 5i. 

 

3w's are still useful for pros and extremely good amateur players because they are more accurate and play courses long enough to require 3w off the tee or into par 5s.

 

Just isn't the case for the rest of us. 

[blades_are_life]

On 3/18/2024 at 3:23 AM, PARETO said:

The #2 spot in my bag lately has been a mystery…… which is troublesome because I need a fairway finder. Season is coming quick up here so I need to fill the fairway finder spot. Short par4 or tight Par5 tee. What you pulling? 

2H

[Mike_C]

1 hour ago, driveandputtmachine said:

"Learn" a knock down shot with your driver and 3 wood.  This is something I worked on because my home course is super tight, however on the straight holes there isn't a ton of reason to hit 3 wood over driver.  I only use 3 wood and normal or knock down when the distance requires not hitting driver.

I will second that.  I toyed around with this last year.  I played in a state event last spring, it was very windy, sort of tight course, and the ground was very, very hard.   I went to the range before the round and started teeing the ball really low with my driver, and sort of taking a slow smooth swing and closing the face.  I got where I could hit low flying,  low spinning knucleballs with some control.  I hit one on one hole, 450 into the wind, it flew about 200 yards and rolled out another 100+, the ground was so hard......😁

 

I play with a guy who hits this shot quite a bit, decently long hitter, but will hit the low teed, low runner on a tight hole with his driver instead of a 3 wood or hybrid, goes just as far but much, much lower.....

Edited March 20 by Mike_C

[geauxt]

You can pry my TSi3 out of my cold dead hands. Turned it up to 16.5* and it’s a been quite the performer for me. That said, off the tee, I only usually take it instead of driver based on distance to trouble rather than left/right dispersion. If I’m taking something specifically to find the fairway, it’s going to be the Fli-Hi.

[Stoc]

Love the idea of a mini driver or larger hybrid like a UW at 17*. Just depends on the yardages you're looking to get out of this club imo

[dubbelbogey]

1 hour ago, Mike_C said:

I will second that.  I toyed around with this last year.  I played in a state event last spring, it was very windy, sort of tight course, and the ground was very, very hard.   I went to the range before the round and started teeing the ball really low with my driver, and sort of taking a slow smooth swing and closing the face.  I got where I could hit low flying,  low spinning knucleballs with some control.  I hit one on one hole, 450 into the wind, it flew about 200 yards and rolled out another 100+, the ground was so hard......😁

 

I play with a guy who hits this shot quite a bit, decently long hitter, but will hit the low teed, low runner on a tight hole with his driver instead of a 3 wood or hybrid, goes just as far but much, much lower.....

This is my preference for this type of shot, too. The large face of the driver offers so much more margin of error over a 3w that it's a shot worth cultivating. I never hit 3w off the tee.

[hartrick11]

On 3/18/2024 at 4:48 PM, A.Princey said:

I think you need to find a club that is higher spinning, for directional stability and less curvature. Something that averages at least 3500rpm bs, minimum. 
 

You’re gonna lose some distance with the increase in spin, but you’ll have a trade off to achieve a straighter flight. 

Agree 100% if you really need a fairway finder. I get this with my TSi2 / ADIZ combo, with the flat setting and +4 weight in the back. It spins a bit more than "ideal" and wouldn't win at a fitting today but I trust it more than any other club that's gone in by bag over the last 15 years, so it's not leaving any time soon.

[jjfcpa]

Callaway AI Smoke 5w Max D.

[kamaaina1]

I'll pull my 5-Wood, or Rescue

[RoyalMustang]

On 3/19/2024 at 10:51 AM, mgoblue83 said:

Modern 3w's are basically redundant and don't serve any purpose for most players.

 

Majority of amateurs hit driver straighter and more consistently than 3w so it shouldn't be used on tight holes...

 

Majority of amateurs hit 3w almost as far as driver so it shouldn't be used on short holes....

 

 

I've swapped to a 5w turned down to 16 degrees but I still will almost always choose 3i off the tee on short par 4s anyway.

 

What's the spread between a 3W and Driver for most amateurs? 

 

For me w/rollout, 30-45 yards or so. The driver has less spin for me personally and if the conditions are hard, it will roll quite a bit further. 

 

So, 5W turned down to 16. Why not 4W at 16.5? 

[TRheezy]

I'm digging my burner mini. I cut it down to have a little more control.  

[Musse]

I have had this idea that I’ve toyed with. What about having a second driver in the bag. Shorten it and have it in a higher loft, therefor making it the most forgiving head you could have. 

Edited March 20 by Musse

[JFerg253]

Migrated to the Driver then 5Wood as a secondary option this season and agree with lots that is being said here. Driver is more consistent and what I should hit in many cases, and the 5 wood is actually shorter than the Driver so I don't run into the same distance issue.

 

If we are going 5 wood off the tee, there is a reason and a commitment to the shot rather than a half-hearted agreement that I should hit 3 wood vs driver for whatever reason it was...

[phizzy30]

23 minutes ago, RoyalMustang said:

 

What's the spread between a 3W and Driver for most amateurs? 

 

For me w/rollout, 30-45 yards or so. The driver has less spin for me personally and if the conditions are hard, it will roll quite a bit further. 

 

So, 5W turned down to 16. Why not 4W at 16.5? 

Distance gap usually gets larger the faster you swing.  For me it's a 30-35 yard gap. 

Edited March 20 by phizzy30

[jholz]

These days, I don't think anyone is designing a 3 wood for accuracy. They are mini drivers. 

 

I find that my 18* hybrid is much more accurate overall. I could also see a driving iron playing the same function. 

 

At the end of the day, and generally speaking, accuracy and distance are oppositional forces. If you want more of one, you are generally giving up something on the other.