Who Has Dropped Their 3 Wood? What are you playing instead?

[LeicaRedDot]

Hi all,

 

I have a love hate with my 3 wood. Sometimes its an absolute laser, the next day it will be snap hooking into the trees destroying a decent round. Thinking about completely dropping it out of the bag and playing something else. I have a 2 iron which on firm conditions goes almost as far. 3 hybrid at 19* is pretty useful, but not sure what the long term solution should be. I only use 3 wood off the tee, never off the deck into par 5's.

 

So over to you... if you have dropped your 3 wood, what have you put in play as an alternative? What works for you? Any advice?

[DJDJ]

i can't really elevate a 3 wood enough so have gone to a 16.5 4 wood.  I hit it great, maybe get about 210-220 carry with it and decent roll.  It's definitely not for flying onto greens but can get me on or close to par 5's.

 

 

[altess27]

I swapped my 3 wood out for a 5 wood awhile back and have no intentions of going back. I find that I don't lose too much distance between the two and it's far easier to hit off the turf into a par 5 when needed. 

[azgreg]

Even though I've been a big TM V-Steel guy on here currently I'm playing D, 2h, then 4h.

 

[Tyrus Webb]

🖐️

 

11.5* BRNR 

 

250 off the tee, 235 off the deck.  Doesn't go high but more reliable than any three wood I've ever owned.

[joshm500]

Went 9* driver, 12.5* mini driver and then 5 wood for the top end of my bag

[Cliffy2020]

4W is the new 3W.

 

Currently testing the new Cobra 3HF 16.5* and their new adapter allows +/-2* of loft and +/-2* of lie independent of each other.  So it’s basically a 3,4 & 5 wood in one club 

[ScooterMcTavish]

I had been trying to find a lower launching club off of fairways vs my 4W, so tried a strong 3W last year as well as a 2h.  Neither was good.

 

Put a 3W back in the bag for the first time in years in the offseason (actually rebuilt the top end of the bag and dropped a wedge), and results on the LM have been fantastic.  Possibly issue isn't playing a 15* 3W - it may be the 3W you're playing no longer suits your swing.

 

When I hear that the snap hook sneaks in, it makes we wonder if there's a shaft issue that shows up when you're "in the zone" and swinging well.  Possibly the butt or tip is too soft when you're lacing into the ball.  Or potentially you're not being consistent with your setup?

 

When you do "hit lasers" with it, I'd suggest investing time in understanding what is happening when you're not.  Otherwise, you'll just be replacing an inconsistent club with a different inconsistent club.

[pseudoswede]

I can't hit a 3-wood to save my life, so I swapped it out with a 2-hybrid, which I also can't hit to save my life. So I just use a 3-iron off the tee when necessary.

[bcflyguy1]

10.5 Elyte TD driver
13.5 Bertha Mini 

18* Elyte TD 5 wood or 19* UW

That said, got a 15* Elyte Ti 3 wood that will get a chance to bump the 13.5 Mini out. Tall task, but it will get a chance.

[onthebogeytrain]

Been using a 5w turned down to 16* for years now, with a driving 3 iron. Considering adding a 13.5 mini driver, putting the 5w up to 18.5 and ditching the 3 iron. 

[b.helts]

I dumped my 3 wood. I go Driver, 17° Callaway UW. I don’t miss the 3 wood and the utility wood is a wonderous club.

 

it has been a positive change in my bag. 

[Ben B]

This is the year I become a great fairway wood player. I was playing driver, mini, 19° UW (at utility iron length). Basically no fairway woods. I have recently added a 16.5° HL 3 wood (4 wood), and a 21° 7 wood. I haven't made it to the course yet, but in the SIM I am seeing really positive stuff. Time to stop making excuses and put in some serious work on my fairway wood game. 

[b.helts]

2 minutes ago, Ben B said:

This is the year I become a great fairway wood player. I was playing driver, mini, 19° UW (at utility iron length). Basically no fairway woods. I have recently added a 16.5° HL 3 wood (4 wood), and a 21° 7 wood. I haven't made it to the course yet, but in the SIM I am seeing really positive stuff. Time to stop making excuses and put in some serious work on my fairway wood game. 

Do you hit a lot of fairway woods in a round of golf? I don’t which is why I finally stopped fighting with mine. 
 

if you do, I get it. If you don’t, don’t bother lol. 

[XHoop24]

So I've somewhat stumbled into my replacement for a three wood. I put together a 9 club bag for winter golf in the mid-atlantic and decided that as my one club between driver and five iron a five wood fit best. So I went out and procured a G430 Max 5 wood. This has been the best club I've put in the bag in 10+ years and over the course of the last 3 months solidified its place in the bag. 

[redshirtgolfer]

I ditched 3w/5w from my old set for a 3HL 16.5*. Considered I only play it 4-5 times per round (2nd shot par 5), I‘ll go with a regular 3W again. If I pull it out, I want max distance. 
 

Never liked the 3HL of the tee. There‘s a par 3 with a loooong green on my local which I couldn’t really reach with the 4h (especially with the flag in the back), but 3h should give me the extra 10-15 yards I need there. 

[sifijg]

I struggle with this a lot too but I think there's an element of GAS, perfectionism and over-thinking, for me at least.

 

Sold my BRNR Mini, will definitely get a GT280 to test, and just ordered a 17* G440 4 wood since my G430 5 wood was being out-performed by my UW 19*!

 

I have a 2 iron for peak summer but it only sees August play here in the UK if it gets really dry.

 

I think this top of the bag thing is a real expensive mess for a lot of us. For me as long as my non-driver gets out there more than 220yds and is reliable, it gets really easy to over-think the gapping. 

 

The rest of spring I'm taking driver and the UW 19*, and then a ZXiU 4 iron. I can't really think of many scenarios where this won't work out, but let's see. 

 

A lot of us will want the GT280 to be the unicorn we hope it is, but I'm wary. 

[Ben B]

18 minutes ago, b.helts said:

Do you hit a lot of fairway woods in a round of golf? I don’t which is why I finally stopped fighting with mine. 
 

if you do, I get it. If you don’t, don’t bother lol. 

Being able to attack longer par 5s would be something I would like to be able to do. Based on my par 5 stats last year, I just didn't make enough birdies. And there was plenty of times if I had a 3 wood, and I was good with it, I believe it would have been beneficial. 3 wood off the tee is nice to have too. 

[Trippels]

If you hit it a long way, you should probably replace it with a mini-driver.

If you don't hit it a long way, you should probably replace it with a 4 wood.

If you're cool, you've already replaced it with a strong 2 iron.

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

1 hour ago, ScooterMcTavish said:

...When you do "hit lasers" with it, I'd suggest investing time in understanding what is happening when you're not.  Otherwise, you'll just be replacing an inconsistent club with a different inconsistent club.

Posting to quote the above.  It's great advice. 

 

In addition, really trying to observe everything (or as much as you can) that happens when you do well, immediately after you do it, is a great way to help your brain realize what good performance feels like so you can replicate that process again.  Contrast with the suboptimal process, then concentrate only on doing it right, not thinking about not doing it badly.  See the difference?

 

(As for the topic, I'm keeping my 3-wood.  I'll switch my driver before I get rid of this club.)

[goudok]

2 minutes ago, Jayjay_theweim_guy said:

Posting to quote the above.  It's great advice. 

 

In addition, really trying to observe everything (or as much as you can) that happens when you do well, immediately after you do it, is a great way to help your brain realize what good performance feels like so you can replicate that process again.  Contrast with the suboptimal process, then concentrate only on doing it right, not thinking about not doing it badly.  See the difference?

 

(As for the topic, I'm keeping my 3-wood.  I'll switch my driver before I get rid of this club.)

This with the above quote is what made learn how to hit a 3 wood and what clubs help me and what clubs hurt me.  I tend to stand up with longer clubs especially off the turf, so that causes me hit them lower on the blade and toe side.  3 woods with large smiley faces are a no go for me for that reason.  Yes when I flush it, it doesn't matter, but when I hit thinner toe side it's a low laser.  So I switched to a more shallow 3 wood, with less of a smiley face.  Centered strikes are not really affected, but now the low toe is MUCH better.  So knowing I do that, A) I remind myself not to B) knowing I have a club that will help me gives me great confidence standing on 230-250 shot with my 3 wood.  And once you know how to hit it straight it becomes a weapon.

[ConstantineJr79]

Dropped driver and 3 wood and replaced it with 11.5 mini turned down. Then go into a 17* hybrid and 21* utility. 

[Glock917]

41 minutes ago, sifijg said:

A lot of us will want the GT280 to be the unicorn we hope it is, but I'm wary. 

 

Yeah I am very skeptical about it as well. Feel like it has the DNA of a big FW than a mini driver after seeing it has the shorter FW adapter. 

 

With only tour players having to try it and not the general mass does not help.

 

Yeah of course it looks good when Cam Young is smoking it haha 

[Scottbox]

I'm TM Brnr mini-driver, GT2 4w, GT2 7w and TSR2 24 set to 25. Works for my courses' setup.

[JohnKHawk]

Dropped 3 wood several years ago. For me the 5 wood goes about the same distance with better launch & is more accurate.

[driveandputtmachine]

I have had a 300 Mini in the bag since it came out.  I tried the BRNR(No better), tried the AI Smoke MIni(worse) and a few other bigger clubs in that spot and keep going back to a 300 mini.  I CAN hit it off the deck if I ever needed to, have done it a few times on courses with super long par 5's but in general it is a straight to draw shot, and my driver is straight to cut.

 

Then I go 4 wood and then 7 wood that I shortened by 1/2" for gapping. 5-PW, GW, SW, LW.  This mini is such a good club for me and I use it so often at a lot of tracks with doglegs, or run offs where driver might go that it has helped my scoring quite a bit.

[east_coast_anser]

Ditched the traditional 3 wood a few years ago as I very hot or cold with it off the tee. BRNR is so much more consistent for me as a secondary tee option. 

 

Driver GT2 11* turned down to 10.25* 285-290 yards
BRNR Mini 13.5* turned down to 12.5* 250-270 yards off the tee
G440 7 Wood turned down to 20* 220-245 yards off the deck (250 hit I step on it) 

4 Iron 210 yards

 

I have had the mini in the bag for almost 3 seasons now and I am not going back. Gives me a perfect extra tee club while the 7 wood fills the gap pretty nicely between mini and 4 iron. I had a TSr 3 5 wood but found it was too long. Recently was fitted for 7 wood and hopefully it should gap better. 

[YAMS49]

5W at 16.5 here. Shorter shaft than 3W which gives far more confidence. Use off the tee & for long second shots into par 5's. 

[adamwon84]

Been on the mini driver train for awhile now, recently I swapped from the TM Mini to the PXG Secret Weapon because of the adjustable weights. The PXG lets me hit a straighter shot with a very slight cut at the end and overall easier to hit compared to my TM. 
 

Bag Setup atm:
Driver: Cobra Max K (10.5)
Mini Driver: PXG Secret Weapon (13) 

5 Wood/7Wood: Swap between these depending on the course and conditions (19 and 23)

[EKB]

1 hour ago, sifijg said:

I struggle with this a lot too but I think there's an element of GAS, perfectionism and over-thinking, for me at least.

 

Sold my BRNR Mini, will definitely get a GT280 to test, and just ordered a 17* G440 4 wood since my G430 5 wood was being out-performed by my UW 19*!

 

I have a 2 iron for peak summer but it only sees August play here in the UK if it gets really dry.

 

I think this top of the bag thing is a real expensive mess for a lot of us. For me as long as my non-driver gets out there more than 220yds and is reliable, it gets really easy to over-think the gapping. 

 

The rest of spring I'm taking driver and the UW 19*, and then a ZXiU 4 iron. I can't really think of many scenarios where this won't work out, but let's see. 

 

A lot of us will want the GT280 to be the unicorn we hope it is, but I'm wary. 

“I think this top end of the bag thing is a real expensive mess for a lot of us.”  Amen.