Do I buy a 3wood?

[blueyedspeedemon]

UPDATE: Bought driver, see posts #29 and #31

Hey everyone,

I started getting into golf several months ago after a weak attempt at starting the sport about 10 years ago. I'm 23, male, and finished a lesson package recently. As of now, I only have a set of irons. I planned on soon grabbing a used nickent 3dx 3iw hybrid. From there I was thinking a 3wood, and then eventually a driver once I feel ready for it. As I understood it, since the driver is the hardest to hit of the woods, the idea was that you start with the 3wood until you can control it well. But now I see in other threads people talking about the issue of whether the 3wood is becoming obsolete, with drivers getting easier to hit and the hybrids getting better, thus closing the gap between the hybrid and driver. Should I still buy a 3wood, or should I instead go with a 4wood or even a low lofted hybrid, such as a 2iw as a 3wood replacement?

 

Thanks for any suggestions!

Austin

[Tupperwolf]

Austin, your life story sounds a lot like mine. I played a very small amount of golf when I was about 14 and just picked up the game again now at 23 (24 now). I started with a full set of cheap clubs which included driver, 3-wood, 3 and 4 hybrid, and 5-PW irons, so I started out by trying to hit all my clubs.

 

It will take a while before you start hitting any of your long clubs well.

 

I am in the market for a new fairway wood as well, because I have outgrown mine, which is offset and draw-biased. It was great for when I sliced, but now I have a really hard time stopping it from hooking. I am seriously considering going to a 4 wood instead, because the extra loft makes it easy to get up in the air. I have been reading frequently that most people hit a 4 wood as long as a 3 wood off the fairway because the 3 wood can be much harder to elevate.

 

I have hit some low lofted hybrids that are monsters. I know Adams makes a 2i hybrid that is nearly as long as a 3 wood and possibly easier to hit, so that could be a good option.

 

I wouldn't give up on the driver, though. You won't hurt yourself by learning with a driver as soon as you can, although taking the clubs you hit best out on the course is the smart play.

[TM golf guy]

Hi Austin,

 

I would recommend a 3 wood. Currently, I have dropped my driver all together and exclusively hit my 3 wood off the tee. I can hit it plenty far off of the tee, and it is much more accurate than my driver was. I am trying to iron out some kinks in my swing for now. The only thing I really give up anything on is par 5's. I can still reach most even without the driver. Gripping up my new driver tomorrow to try again though, but if it fails I will be back to the 3 wood only.

 

You will probably see lots of opinions, but in the end the best thing to do will be to hit both.

 

Good luck.

[502 to Right]

If money allows, I certainly would get a 3 wood and a driver as well. I also would highly recommend having your 3 and 4 iron be hybrids and probably your 5 iron as well.

 

The way to learn how to hit a driver is to hit it. I see no value in not having one. You don't have to use it during actual rounds of golf but you should at least have one to practice on the range.

 

You can get a first rate driver and 3 wood on ebay for a fraction of the price new if you are fine with getting a model that is a year or more old.

[theironhorse]

i would skip the 3 wood and go driver right away. don't believe all the ink you see in golf digest and what not telling you to use a 3 wood, because they assume you are a skilled player and can control the 3 wood better than the driver. it is not going to be the case for someone in your position. i started 3 years ago and still do not carry a 3 wood, or 4 wood for that matter. the distance you give up is probably not going to be worth any extra control you get, simply because you won't get it, imo.

 

just my 2 cents, but i don't see guys at 15+ being able to control a 3 wood any better than a decent lofted (10.5 or so) driver. maybe if all they want to do lay up their 3 wood at 200-225 or so, but otherwise skip it and grab a forgiving driver. there are plenty out there.

[JGriffinRN]

I would suggest going ahead and getting a driver as well. The swing for the driver is a bit different than the 3 wood as you don't ever hit it off the turf and tee the ball higher. I wouldn't scrap the idea of a 3 wood though; if I were you I might just get a 5 wood instead because it will be easier for you to get it off the turf. Being new to the game right now you're drives aren't going to be spectacularly long so you will want another club that can get you some distance from the fairway on par 5's and long par 4's. I don't think a 2 hybrid for that purpose would be a great choice for you because the smaller head on those can be pretty intimidating to new players, especially when you're looking at trying to smack some distance out of it. It's a long shafted club with a smaller head than a fairway wood, you still have to have a good swing plane and make decent contact, hybrids aren't miracle clubs, they won't help if you at least don't make decent contact.

[skinny99]

I say you get a driver and a three wood both. If you really want to get better at this game you have to be able to drive the ball solidly.You should be able to pick up a nice used driver very cheaply now.Some suggestions Ping G2 and G5,Taylormade r5,r7 460,07 Burner, and most of the older Adams stuff is very forgiving. As for three woods try and find a Taylormade V-steel or the older Callaway Big Bertha fairway woods they are cheap,plentiful and very forgiving. How far do you hit your 7 iron when you hit it solid? If it is over about 155-160 yds then buy stiff shafts if it it less than start out with regular. Buy them and go hit'em! IMO Todd

[TheIronChef]

If you are tight on budget, I would suggest that you get either a 3w or 5w first. Hitting a 3w off the turf will shape your swing better than a driver in my opinion.

[eggs]

I'd also go for the driver and leave the 3w (or 4w) for later as I think they are the most difficult club in the back to use consistently for beginners or mid to high handicappers.

Lots of choice for easy to use drivers around as well - try plenty and be objective about which one you hit more solidly and consistently;

brand, loft and shaft flex don't mean much relative to the one that you hit the best so try plenty of options.

 

For your next lowest lofted club, try some hybrids against a 5w (around 18-19 degrees of loft) and again be objective about which you prefer and can hit more consistently and solidly.

 

You should also try some 3w's as you may well get on well with them but, as someone has posted above, many mid+ handicappers would not see a great deal of difference between a 5w and 3w, on average, but using the 3w does arguably carry a little more risk.

 

Have fun trialling.

[HackerD]

i would skip the 3 wood and go driver right away. don't believe all the ink you see in golf digest and what not telling you to use a 3 wood, because they assume you are a skilled player and can control the 3 wood better than the driver. it is not going to be the case for someone in your position. i started 3 years ago and still do not carry a 3 wood, or 4 wood for that matter. the distance you give up is probably not going to be worth any extra control you get, simply because you won't get it, imo.

 

just my 2 cents, but i don't see guys at 15+ being able to control a 3 wood any better than a decent lofted (10.5 or so) driver. maybe if all they want to do lay up their 3 wood at 200-225 or so, but otherwise skip it and grab a forgiving driver. there are plenty out there.

 

Totally agree. Off the tee you will hit a driver at least as consistently as a 3-wood, probably more consistently. And you will hit the driver at least as far, probably farther. Off the deck, your typical 3-wood (15* loft) is difficult to control and elevate. For fairway wood go higher loft, say a 5-wood.

 

But get the driver and start hitting it. A well struck driver is one of the truly sublime experiences of golf and you are missing out.

[ezra76]

I'd say get both if you can. I certainly don't feel a 3W is obsolete. It's one of the the most important clubs in my bag. I play a 13* 3W for accuracy off the tee. Anyone who says a driver is easier than a 3W has a pretty flawed swing. What do pro's hit on a tight hole where they still need decent yardage? Not a driver.

 

IMO, get one and get good with it. I have a high enough SS that I outdrive a lot of guys with the 3W vs. thier driver. It's almost like cheating on a lot of holes. They have to risk the driver on a 410yd. par 4 while I'm hitting over 70% fairways with the 3W at 240-250.

 

Another thing I do... I never, ever hit my 3W off a tee at the range. I use a very small tee, like iron tee up, on the course. It becomes a real weapon to be able to hit a club 230-240 off the deck. Makes even the longest par 5's an up and down game with a wedge in hand.

 

Oh and another thing. It really seems to me that most guys are either going to like fairway woods, or hybrids, one or the other. Personally, I can hit a 460cc driver off the deck a lot better than an 18* or less hybrid. Just they way it is. If you hit one better than the other, so be it. The most important thing is being able to take the cover off and have confidence you can get the job done with this club. If any club gives me a second thought, it has to go.

[shygolfer]

I would say get a high lofted driver no less than 10* and a 5 wood to start off with.

[atlanta golfer]

There is no reason that you need to purchase 14 clubs right now. Get a driver and learn to hit it. Get a 4-iron replacement hybrid and learn to hit it also. Get irons 5 through gap wedge, a sand wedge, and a putter. This leaves you three clubs to add later, as you play more and then you can decide on exact makeup and style of those clubs.

 

I watch people who are pretty good with irons hit wild driver shots all the time, and I just don't get it. The modern driver should be one of the easier clubs to hit in the bag, but for most people it is not. I just do not know why - probably over swinging is the main problem I am guessing.

[blueyedspeedemon]

Thanks for the replies guys. I figured I probably would end up getting both but wasn't sure whether a 3wood is better off for starting. Skinny99 (Todd), I can hit my 7 iron about 150-155 yards on a solid hit, but I actually don't think I'm ready for a stiff shafted driver or wood. With a modern driver, the head is so big I feel like I'm swinging around a milk carton tied to the end of a fishing pole. I spent some time with my instructor's hibore xls, and I liked it, but I needed to slow down my tempo in order to get clean hits with it, because the length and headsize feels somewhat unwieldy. By slowing down the temp, I think my range ended up being less than what I can do with a 3dx 3ironwood. Grant it, that was the only time I got to spend some serious time with a modern driver, so I suppose I'd just need some more practice to get used to the size. Interestingly, the replies in this thread are pretty split in opinion of which to start with. Since I can hit a hybrid well, I thought the 3wood would be the better choice for now. Also, I can't afford both a 3wood and driver right now, so while I appreciate the opinions suggesting to get both, I'm really just trying to decide which one to get first. Thanks again for the replies!

 

Austin

[alfie]

The decision depends on alot of factors...

If u're planning to use the "desired" wood to tee it up on par 4, 5's & also use it on the fairway, I say it's best to go with a 4 or 5 wood. These are soooo much easier to hit off the deck than a 3 wood, as many forum members will be able to tell you.

If u're on a budget, then see above (to just get a 4 or 5 wood).

If money is not that bad of a problem/issue, then demo/try out some drivers and 4/5 woods at your local golf store & get the ones u like on e-bay.

In my opinion, I don't recommend u get a 3 wood, 'cause u'll basically be limited to just using it on the tee box, as, already explained, not many people can handle such a low lofted wood off the fairway, rough or wherever u might end up after the 1st shot.

Best of luck with your decision & let us know what was the final choice(s)!

[JGriffinRN]

If you can't afford both then i suggest you get a 5 wood and call it a day. The five wood will be good for you learning to hit a wood off the tee and you will still have a club that will help you learn how to hit off the deck with a longer club. I wouldn't suggest the driver over this because when you are 240 out on a long par 5.....even if you're in the middle of the fairway with only irons to hit from there you're SOL. The 5W should have enough loft to help you get out of most short rough as well if you still have some distance to go.

 

Some good selections that are rockin forgiving and long...

 

Adams Insight BUL ........ not the BTY.

Taylor Made V-Steel

Adams RPM low profile (remember there are draw and neutral bias selections for this so buy the right one)

 

All of these can be had for well under $100 on ebay.

[theironhorse]

if he is 240 out on a par 5 simply hit to the desired yardage he wants his 3rd shot. no reason for a brand new golfer to be forced to overswing from 240 out and spray it out of bounds. maybe i am not the "typical" golfer, but i just do not see that much difference between my driver and 3 wood accuracy. i would try find a used driver and a used 4 wood. no reason to spend a ton of money anyway. if you are new to the game, the odds you'll keep this equipment over any extended period of time is nil. wait until a bargain pops up on eBay.

[JGriffinRN]

Well, he's a new golfer so his 3i and 4i are probably not manageable or completely inconsistent. So without a wood he'd be looking at a 5i from 240 which would put him 170 or maybe even 160's for a new golfer which leaves him 80 yards to go and he'd probably be forcing the iron just because he was looking at 240 with a 5i; feels like an intimidating shot. Or he could hit an easy 5 wood without forcing it and end up 40 yards away for an easy pitch shot. That's the rationale I was looking at. He said he can't afford both right now though so ultimately the question he's got to answer is whether or not he wants a tee club he can hit off the turf or if he wants a tee dedicated club and an iron from the turf; whatever fits his game is what he should take.

[theironhorse]

ok, i was using my own game as a guideline, sorry. i was thinking more along the lines of 240, 9 iron gets him inside 100, where he is probably ok. but he says his 7 iron is 150 or so, so it would be more like 7 iron/pw? still would take that over being 200+ out on a 420 yard par 4 if he only has a 3 wood to hit from the tee.

without a driver wouldn't any par 4 >400 yards be almost unreachable in 2 for him?

[blueyedspeedemon]

Well, he's a new golfer so his 3i and 4i are probably not manageable or completely inconsistent. So without a wood he'd be looking at a 5i from 240 which would put him 170 or maybe even 160's for a new golfer which leaves him 80 yards to go and he'd probably be forcing the iron just because he was looking at 240 with a 5i; feels like an intimidating shot. Or he could hit an easy 5 wood without forcing it and end up 40 yards away for an easy pitch shot. That's the rationale I was looking at. He said he can't afford both right now though so ultimately the question he's got to answer is whether or not he wants a tee club he can hit off the turf or if he wants a tee dedicated club and an iron from the turf; whatever fits his game is what he should take.

 

Right, I don't feel consistent with the 3i and 4i as of now. I do feel pretty good with the 3i hybrid though, which as I said I'll be buying. When considering getting the 3w for now without the driver, I was thinking of it being a tee only club. If I needed a longer range club from the fairway I thought I could just use the 3i hybrid. So the final club setup I was originally thinking of was something like:

driver, 3wood, 3i hybrid, 4i-9i, etc.

 

Right now I have the irons, and I'll be getting the hybrid soon, so we can assume I have that already. I would then get the 3wood (leaning towards a used g10) this christmas. Then in spring I'd grab a used driver (was thinking a used hibore xl or used g10). At least that's what my plan was before posting this thread.

[JGriffinRN]

without a driver wouldn't any par 4 >400 yards be almost unreachable in 2 for him?

 

Probably, but I didn't realize he was already going to buy the 3 hybrid that he says he's pretty consistent with. That will probably serve him pretty well in that situation so I would say go for a driver and get a wood later. Personally I don't think you'll hit a 3W any better than a driver when you are first learning to hit woods. You can pick up an Adams Insight BUL driver on ebay for around $100 bucks; very underrated club. The reason I said 5 wood is because they are easier for learners to elevate from the turf but if it's a dedicated tee club then get a forgiving driver and start learning how to use it.

[hogan234]

Get a 3, 4 or 5 wood and play them as a driver. When I was starting out, I played a driver because I felt like I needed the distance. A couple years later, I dropped my driver and played a full year with a Callaway Warbird 3+ wood as a driver. My tee shots made me look a lot better than my scores indicated. The 3 wood was much easier to hit and easier to hit straight. The distance was often longer than my driver due to straighter ball flight and longer carry.

[502 to Right]

Anyone who says a driver is as easy to hit off the tee as a driver is either a fool or a pretty good golfer. I consider myself neither and spent a fair chunk of the 08 season using my 3 wood off every tee that I normally would have used driver. It's 2 inches shorter and has more loft - that's pretty much the recipe for easier to hit.

[LBlack14]

I don't spend all that money to play golf to hit a stinkin 3 wood. BOMBS AWAAAAY!!!

[atlanta golfer]

Well, he's a new golfer so his 3i and 4i are probably not manageable or completely inconsistent. So without a wood he'd be looking at a 5i from 240 which would put him 170 or maybe even 160's for a new golfer which leaves him 80 yards to go and he'd probably be forcing the iron just because he was looking at 240 with a 5i; feels like an intimidating shot. Or he could hit an easy 5 wood without forcing it and end up 40 yards away for an easy pitch shot. That's the rationale I was looking at. He said he can't afford both right now though so ultimately the question he's got to answer is whether or not he wants a tee club he can hit off the turf or if he wants a tee dedicated club and an iron from the turf; whatever fits his game is what he should take.

 

Right, I don't feel consistent with the 3i and 4i as of now. I do feel pretty good with the 3i hybrid though, which as I said I'll be buying. When considering getting the 3w for now without the driver, I was thinking of it being a tee only club. If I needed a longer range club from the fairway I thought I could just use the 3i hybrid. So the final club setup I was originally thinking of was something like:

driver, 3wood, 3i hybrid, 4i-9i, etc.

 

Right now I have the irons, and I'll be getting the hybrid soon, so we can assume I have that already. I would then get the 3wood (leaning towards a used g10) this christmas. Then in spring I'd grab a used driver (was thinking a used hibore xl or used g10). At least that's what my plan was before posting this thread.

 

A couple things to consider......if you are looking at the G10 3 wood, you might also consider the G10 4 wood. This is the way I went and it is much easier to hit from the fairway.........another thing to consider is I think you will end up using the hybrids much more often than any fw you get. I personally just find the hybrids much safer and more consistent in the fairway and you are only giving up maybe 20-30 yards on the fw.......lastly, you said you were considering the G10 driver - this is what I have and it is very forgiving, dependable, and face nuetral - you might consider just choking down on the grip an inch or two and taking 3/4 swings to get started. I have been hitting this shot on shorter par 4's and very tight holes and it is more dependable for me than my 4 wood off the tee.

[ingster1]

You're getting lots of good thoughts - here's my $.02: think shorter and heavier shaft and a good-sized clubhead. I would recommend buying either a higher lofted smaller headed driver with a shortened shaft (some people call this a "thriver") or a larger headed three wood. I think that a standard 460cc 46" driver would be difficult for a beginning golfer to hit solidly - the larger heads are more difficult to square up and the longer lengths lead to inconsistency and wildness. However, a standard three wood is also difficult as the heads are relatively small. Then, I would practice with this driving club a fair amount, focusing on making solid, square contact with smooth swings and not necessarily on distance. Hopefully you will get pretty comfortable with it and be able to take it to the course.

 

I would probably wouldn't rush to fill the gap between your driving club and your 3i hybrid. The 3i hybrid should enable you to cover longer shots (185+ yds) from the rough and fairway and you can wait and see how your swing develops. Some people can't hit lower lofted hybrids very well because they have modest swing speeds and can't generate enough carry and spin; some have a shallower swing and prefer fairway woods.

 

Good luck with your bag and enjoy.

[atlanta golfer]

ingster, I am with you on most points, especially the wisdom of using a 3 (or even 4) hybrid for now off the fairway for most longer shots and some tee shots. But I think there might be some problem with your suggestion that a longer shafted 460 driver might not be a good purchase. Here is my concern with that ....... most of the newer most forgiving drivers are stock length at 45 1/2 up to 46. The Ping G10 for example is 45 3/4. I don't think a newer golfer is going to want to get something custom, and is also not going to want to pay for shaft and swingweight modifications that may or may not work for them. I am thinking the answer is simply to buy that used stock shaft Ping or Burner or Cobra, then just grip down an inch to an inch and a half. Just like Anthony Kim. This is what I do for more controlled tee shots. Yes, I know this affects the swingweight but I don't believe that will be significant when you consider this is somebody just learning to make decent contact. Then as his game improves, he can gradually inch up on the grip as he decides. Or stay with an inch grip down if it works.

[DavidR]

I played without a driver for a year before even trying to hit one. Worked for me.

[blueyedspeedemon]

Update: I bought a used ping g10 10.5* driver with a stiff 65g proforce V2 high launch shaft. Until Christmas Golf Galaxy is offering $50 off of $250. The used g10 drivers were $230 except for one which was $270 (No idea why, the condition wasn't any better. Maybe the combo of 10.5 loft and stock reg shaft is more popular.) So with a box of srixion soft's and pop up protector tape, to bring it up to $260, I get the $50 off - $210 for everything. Now, I figured I needed a 10.5 loft. The 10.5 with stock reg shaft was not only $50 more than the other drivers, but had a pretty noticeable sky mark. There were two g10's in mint condition that interested me - a 9* with an Adila NV reg shaft, and the 10.5* with the proforce v2 high launch in stiff. Great, I thought to myself, of course with my luck I'd need the loft of one with the shaft of the other. I decided I'd just try hitting both. The store was literally empty, and the store instructor came over to offer help. I first tried the 9* with the regular shaft. It felt great, shots were on center, but the trajectory was a little low. I gripped down about 2 inches as Atlanta Golfer suggested, and was intentionally granny swinging a 9-to-3 swing at about 75mph to make sure my contact was good. Given that, the trajectory was about 11-14 degrees. I then hit the 10.5 with the stiff, with the same slow swing. The trajectory was great, but there was a mild fade, which I suppose is attributed to the mild swing I was using. I figured with a full swing at full speed I could get closer to the type of swing the stiff calls for. If by the end of the coming season the stiff is still too much for me I can switch it out for a stock. I thought dealing with a shaft that's a little too stiff isn't as bad as dealing with a head loft that's too low, since the staff can just be changed. I can also just keep an eye on the used section at the store since I have 30 days to exchange it.

 

I still haven't decided on what I'm going to do in the wood space. I'm leaning towards Atlanta Golfer's suggestion (and others who have said the same on the forums) to use a 4 wood instead of a 3 wood. I'm also considering just using a low lofted hybrid to totally replace a wood altogether. I tried hitting the g10 3 wood there and I definitely found it easier to hit than my instructor's old callaway warbird 3 wood I used during my lessons. Off the tee I could hit it about as well as the driver. The instructor/salesman there pointed out that the loft on the g10 3 wood (15.5*) is actually closer to other brands' 4 wood. I don't think I'd have any difficulty teeing off with the 4 wood. I'm just not sure how well I'd do with it in the rough versus a hybrid of about the same loft.

 

Thanks again for the help guys,

Austin

[slgman]

This may be old school, but 4 wood and 7 wood are often recommended for beginners.

 

FW lofts and the corresponding number vary by manufacturer. 15* degrees is pretty typical for a 3 wood.

 

I was thinking that a 4 wood (17* or so) and a 7 wood (21* or so) would get you moving in the right direction.

 

The higher the loft, the less side spin you have. Side spin at this stage of your game is the enemy.

Good luck in your pursuit..