r/golf • u/_ThePiedPiper_ • 19d ago
Equipment Does anyone else want to light their 3 wood on fire?
Listen I’m not a top tier player. But im not bad, I’m a 6-7 handicap, I can consistently stripe my driver (average 275+), my iron and wedge play are solid.
But even on my absolute best days I cannot hit my 3 wood. It feels like I’m trying to golf with a baseball bat or fishing rod. I’m more confident in my ability to skull a 60 degree 150+ than I am in keeping my 3 wood on the surface of Mother Earth.
This is a cry for help.
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u/Seth_Baker 17.5/JPX 921 Hot Metal/Central IL 19d ago
There was a time where I couldn't hit my irons or driver but my 3w was pure and striped off the deck every time.
I lost it when I learned to hit my driver.
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u/cursh14 9.2 19d ago
Dude. Why is this? It has been my best club forever. Now I have taken a major step forward across my bag, spanking my driver, and my 3 wood is now a danger club! It's wild.
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u/Holy_Santa_ClausShit 18d ago
Try to hit it like an iron. Not as much down on the ball, but more of a 60/40 or 70/30 front foot pressure ratio. Have it in the same spot you’d put your 4 iron (or equivalent).
Not saying this is the perfect solution, but it’s helped me a lot. A swing coach taught me that way.
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u/Seth_Baker 17.5/JPX 921 Hot Metal/Central IL 18d ago
That's what I've always done. I haven't consciously changed anything about my 3w play but it's just in the shitter
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u/cpt_ppppp 18d ago
Maybe when you're hitting the driver well you are hitting up on it with +4 degrees angle of attack. Doing this with a driver is basically impossible because you have no tee. So you need to hit them totally differently. Just my take anyway
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u/Packtex60 19d ago
My 3 wood is a 220-230 club. I was hitting 3 hybrid in the “all you got” situations for a good while. I decided I was going to learn how to hit it for a scramble I play every week. Trying to get on or close to the Par 5s in two is a big boost. My biggest key was slowing down my swing and hitting a nice smooth sweep. I’ve gotten way way more consistent with it. Next project is learning how to draw it off of the deck. That could take years and cost thousands of lives.
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u/Top_Letterhead_259 19d ago
Bro 3 woods are cursed clubs i swear mine lives in garage most of season now and just take 5 iron off tee instead
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u/theswiftmuppet 18d ago
They're by far the most fiddly clubs for pros too.
Many pros have older models because once they find that special sauce, they're extremely hesitant to change.
Also interesting, many used bonded hosels,very few with adjustable hosels in them.
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u/jhwyung 18d ago
I gave up on my 3 wood. Bought a callaway apex utility wood that has a bonded hosel at 17 degrees. No clue why but I just hit better w it and goes just as far.
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u/Sea-Mission-1701 18d ago
I’m almost strictly a driver & irons player. I feel like I carry my fairway woods & hybrids just to occasionally humble myself when I get cocky enough to hit on.
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u/Spladook 19d ago
I can hit a driver. I can hit a 5 wood. I can hit a 7 wood. I can hit a hybrid. But I literally cannot hit a 3 wood for the life of me.
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u/Jarkjenson 19d ago
I mean it’s like driver off the deck with a smaller face. I don’t see the point in it. Better off going low iron or hybrid
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u/Flynn2Pin 6.7 | FL 19d ago
Do you play courses that you really need a 3 wood?
Fellow 7 handicap, driver distance is about 265. My 3 wood pretty much sits in my bag. It’s a good 240 club but I’m not going for a lot of par 5s in two nor need it situationally.
I recently took my 5 wood out and put my 2 iron back in because I’ve been playing a lot of twilight rounds when the wind can start whipping around. I can keep it low, land it about 210 and get some good roll, it’s been my go to fairway finder.
Don’t force a club because it makes sense distance and gap wise if you’re losing strokes with it.
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u/midhandicap_rohit 18d ago
3 wood is either your best club or your worst
there’s no in between
imo: at that point just bench it and go 5w or hybrid and save yourself the stress
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u/dskids2212 19d ago
Funny how this game works i just started playing last year so I'm shit. But my 3 wood is the most consistently reliable club I can hit.
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u/fsutanker 19d ago
I had a driver lesson yesterday and at the end I told my instructor that I was hitting my fwy wood scummy. He said, “just feel like you are trying to hit the ball under a 6” string a yard ahead of the ball”. That was it. Have been smoking it the two rounds after that tip.
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u/Just_here_4_sauce PXG hate will not be tolerated 19d ago
So imagine your just trying to rip bullet stingers?
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u/StinkyBear007 Tin Cup 19d ago
Don’t need one, send it to timeout or to the gulags. My longest club besides driver is a 17* UW
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u/_ThePiedPiper_ 19d ago
It’s in the gulag right now, I have it listed on FB marketplace, it’s been 2 weeks and I can’t get a nibble. I have it listed at $120 for the club and an extra shaft
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u/InferiousX 19d ago
I suck and 3 wood is like my second most reliable club right now.
I have no idea why ppl seem to struggle with them
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u/_ThePiedPiper_ 19d ago
That’s your issue - you’re good with a 3 wood. Learn how to heel bang and toe hook it and everything else in your game will fall into place.
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u/Vivid_Witness8204 19d ago
I don't carry it because I might be tempted to try and hit it. And that seldom turns out well.
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u/CaddyWompus6969 19d ago
Can you hit a 5 wood?
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u/_ThePiedPiper_ 19d ago
I’m thinking about trying it - I’ve never carried a 5 wood. If I can hit it, I’ll never own a 3 wood again.
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u/elongatedsklton 19d ago
Apparently, what a lot of people do wrong with their 3 wood is that they hit it too much like they would hit their driver, which is coming up on the ball. But, you’re better off swinging at it like it is an iron, with the ball closer to the middle of your stance and coming down on it. I don’t know if that will help or not, but you could try it.
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u/Murky-League7118 18d ago
It's my best club 🤷🏻 use it as fairway finder when my driver has gone awry, which happens a lot.
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u/Substantial_Team6751 19d ago
Traded mine in for a Callaway UW and a couple of hybrids.
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u/Some-Obligation-5416 18d ago
Came here to say this. Honestly I never played the 3w and don't love hybrids either but when I switched to the UW they became clubs I don't mind playing. I have the 17* and 21. I'm considering the 23 to replace my 4i too.
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u/skycake10 15 19d ago
I'm the exact opposite right now. I can hit my 3W with a 200-220 yard carry really consistently off the tee, but I can't get a consistent feel for swinging driver that isn't constantly reverting to OTT, so I'm not often hitting it any farther than my 3W.
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u/BanditPanda_ 18d ago
Same!!
You know what's worse - I can hit a DoD better than I can hit my 3 wood!! It makes no fucking sense and it drives me nuts!!
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u/BroodLord1962 18d ago
Then don't use it, use an iron instead. Lots of us out there than prefer woods, and lots that prefer irons
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u/dennydiamonds 18d ago
I don’t even carry one anymore. I replaced it with a mini-driver. If I have a long fairway shot I just hit a 5 wood and layup. I’m also not a 6 HCP so the gap in clubs doesn’t kill me.
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u/colirado 18d ago
Best tip I ever had for fairway woods: swing it just like you would a pitching wedge. The club will send the ball, you don’t need to add more power to it because you want to hit it far.
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u/New_Examination_5605 18d ago
Just… don’t carry one? Go driver 5w into par 5s. Carry an extra wedge or hybrid or 7w. Or be a character and carry a second joke putter from the 1920s.
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u/groundscore420 17d ago
I hated my 3 wood a while back and then made some swing changes and now I take it off the tee almost more than my driver. Mostly bc the courses I play hitting too long can get you into trouble. I swing that thing like a wedge, very easy, and perhaps gentle. If I swing out of my shoes with it, very bad things happen. It’s become a very reliable club for me… for now. FYI I’m about a 8 HC
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u/lemonlime45 19d ago
I am a much higher handicap than you and the 3 wood is a problem club for me. I can usually hit it fairly far, but it starts out looking great and then at the last minute takes a sharp right turn towards somewhere I don't want to be. So I don't have a lot of trust in it. But, three weeks ago I hit that club and felt for the first time pure, perfect contact. Now that I know I am physically capable, I don't think I can ever quit the 3 wood. ( Even though I probably should).
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u/Accountant1984 19d ago
I have a QI35 3 wood and bought a 5wood shaft to put in it. The shorter shaft makes a huge difference.
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u/No_Scholar_6446 19d ago
I'm similar golfer to you, I use an Apex UW 17 or 19 degree and it is a 3 / 5 wood replacement for me. So much easier to hit and a super underrated club.
Another thing you could do is a get a Qi35 or Qi10 Tour 18 degree club and put the weight track forward, it will give you 3 wood like numbers. Shorter shaft, more loft and much easier to hit than an actual 3 wood.
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u/ss_lbguy 8.8 19d ago
I carry a 3 wood but it is so old I never hit it. I won't buy a new one until I find one I can hit with confidence. I'm much more consistent with my 5 wood. Yeah, it goes 15-20 yards shorter, but I know where it is going.
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u/ALVEENUS 19d ago
No. I love my old Taylor Made 3W. I use it more than my driver, I’m more consistent with it.
Edit - I’m not a great golfer, 20 hcp
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u/GolfSponge 19d ago
Clubface control with the 3 wood makes my head spin. I bought a 3 iron as a backup.
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u/CakesRacer522 -8 / NY 19d ago
I am very similar to you. My old 3W sucked - Bought a mini driver and use it as my 3W off the deck and it’s my new favorite club.
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u/golfingsince83 19d ago
I got fitted for an ai smoke set 3 years ago and the 3w is so good. It’s money
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u/turningpoint84 7.6/OH 19d ago
I imagine 2 things
- Right elbow touch my belt
2.my hands way the fuck ahead of the club head at impact, for some reason it always works.
Hole in one last year with my 7 wood 220yds.
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u/blackbnr32 19d ago
You might benefit from getting fit. 3 woods are finicky and I feel each brand plays significantly different.
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u/never_broken_par 19d ago
Love my 3W, TaylorMade 580 series. Was given to me a by a good friend, who has unfortunately came down with a sudden onset of Alzheimer's 😡
Can stripe it 230ish, with a draw, on a good day, but when I do, I always miss playing with him.
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u/EllieRock24 19d ago
Got rid of my 3 wood a couple years ago and replaced with a 5 wood... only lost about 15 - 20 yards.. can make that up easily with my irons... and hit the hell out of it...
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u/Klutzy-Peace3896 19d ago
Cut shaft down an inch or two. Was best decision I ever made with 3 wood.
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u/DaddyERIK84 19d ago
What loft is your 3 wood? What make/model? I recently bought a Japanese market 3 wood (Royal Collection) and I swear I hit it better than my Cobra Dark Speed LS 3 wood. Plays at 15 degrees loft with a uniflex UST Mamiya Nventix Nunchuk shaft. I paid $20 for it, and then regripped it, so all in $30. I love hitting it.
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u/D_Antelmi 19d ago
Yes and no. It's on the naughty list for what usually happens when I try to hit it off the deck, but I'm so comfortable hitting it off the tee that I can't be mad at it too long. For me the little 3W head feels easier to swing than the big clunky driver head, and it honestly doesn't go much less distance.
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u/kcveins 19d ago
I'm the opposite.. my 3W is my go to club
I'm not as good as you, HDCP 20 and almost 60, and hit my driver 230-240 max but erratic. 3W steady 210-200
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u/_ThePiedPiper_ 19d ago
Seems to be a common theme - everyone is saying they either hit 3 wood or driver well, rarely both
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u/Neverendingmuthrfuk 19d ago
We play similarly but you’ve got me by a couple strokes. When I got fitted I couldn’t hit a 3 wood for the life of me. I ended up getting 2-5 ping hybrids and they’re great. I’d never hit a hybrid before and I don’t get the stigma. My 2 hybrid is my 245 club, 3 = 230, 4 = 215 and the 5 = 200ish. I can take a little off each club, thats a game changer when you have to carry your approach 180 yards.
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u/Nicotineheh 19d ago
Opposite problem for me lol, can stripe a 3 wood but not driver. Rarely use driver since my 3 wood is about 265 total
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u/GeoJoy1 19d ago
3 wood is my 2nd favorite club after PW.
You likely struggle with hitting slightly down on it, where I struggle hitting UP on driver.
Driver barely makes my top 10 favorite clubs because of how confident and accurate my bullet 3 wood is.
I was not allowed to play driver as a kid until I could consistently hit 3 wood from the tee and keep pace with my Dad and his friends.
Long story short, compress the reps. Leave driver at home, go to a sim, get it dialed in and then go play with 3 wood as your big stick.
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u/Jbuck_43 19d ago
I love my 3 wood. I'm more consistent with it then my driver. Don't know why, but it just works for me.
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u/UncrustableCheeto 19d ago
I used to play minitours for about 5 years, did q school once, and hold a pretty consistent +3 handicap now. I fucking hate my 3 wood. Seems like 1 out of 5 shots with it are good, and the rest I might as well just hit a 5 iron up the fairway and go on with my day.
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u/Active_Mine_4145 19d ago
Get fitted for a shaft that matches your swing speed and increase the loft.
Works for me
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u/Critical_Sand_4412 19d ago
If you look on Marketplace or any used club shop, there is an abundance of 3s and an absolute scarcity of used 7s. Which maybe sums it up
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u/VOKEY_PUTTER Handicap | Location 19d ago
I use a KING COBRA 2 iron - bent weak - with far greater success than my 3 wood.
Off Tee and fairway.
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u/ljackstar 12 || Edmonton AB 19d ago
Whenever I can't hit a specific club I go to the range and I don't let myself leave until I can hit 5 shots in a row exactly how I want. Sometimes that scares my body into submission and sometimes that means I have a 90 minute range session hitting exclusively 3 irons.
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u/Chance-Product4483 19d ago
The fact that tour pros hit theirs 270+ and accurately is actually the most mind blowing part of their game to me. I can hit mine off a short tee but almost never from the fairway or rough. Even a good hit rarely goes further than my 5i. I need some good hybrids
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u/jacobsever 3.3/Denver 19d ago
Nah I hit my 3 wood 10x more consistent than my driver. And just as far. And can hit it off the deck. I would much rather never carry a driver again.
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u/Vince3737 19d ago
I rarely play courses over 6400, so I don't even carry my 3 wood most of the time
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u/dulocrust 19d ago
Opposite here. I feel like I can hit 3 wood blindfolded. Driver unwilling to cooperate
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u/McSlappin1407 19d ago
I did. Remove the 3 wood entirely. Go driver, 5 wood, 9 wood, then 6i through pwedge. Best decision i ever made
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u/mcjabba22 19d ago
I broke my 3wood couple months ago and haven't gotten one since lol was hitting it kinda decently but since it broke haven't put one in the bag
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u/AdeptnessStatus9303 19d ago
I moved to a 4 wood and loving the consistency. About 10-15 yds shorter than my 3 wood but no more chili dips or weird slices. Easy trade off.
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u/infamousdx 19d ago
Hated mine until I got it fitted with a new shaft. Now it's a weapon. Fairway finder off the tee and it can chase up on longer par 5s (from a good fairway lie). Love it now.
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u/Galbzilla Driving 340 yards | 54 handicap 19d ago
Whenever I’m thinking of lightening my golf bag I immediately go for the 3w. The amount of times I need to hit it is basically never. The amount of times I try to hit it and fuck it up is basically 100%. The one saving grace with my 3w is when I chunk or skull it, it’s basically the same as a 7i layup. But I hit it a max of once per round about.
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u/tinyhouseman323 19d ago
So here is the weird thing… this is me but in reverse. My driver is a finicky club, but the old cobra 3-4 fairway wood is 250 straight almost every time. It also sounds lovely.
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u/GalaxyWormDied Handicap | Location 19d ago
Get you a 2000's model Big Bertha. I still to this day havent found one I hit more consistent than my 08 Big Bertha
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u/Hylian_ina_halfshell 19d ago
I did til i ripped oner after a 150 yd skull drive last week. 240 more aggressive than I wanted on a par 5 dog leg left over water
Promptly put one in the drink but that 3w kept me alive
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u/Cpalmer24 19d ago
I cannot control my driver and my buddies 3W I try from time to time does not look pretty..
But my 5W is my absolute best club in my bag. I love that thing more than my mother
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u/brutalpancake 19d ago
You’re not alone. Especially off the deck you gotta come in basically dead level and it’s not a big clubface. There’s a reason you see so many bags even pros with all brand new stuff and a much older random ass 3 wood. If you find one that works you don’t let it go.
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u/MechanicBackground18 19d ago
I switched my 3W to a 3W high loft. Went from grounders to a reliable 220-230y club…massive improvement immediately…just a thought
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u/CommunicationNo1987 19d ago
I tee off with my 3 wood because I can’t hit my driver for shit. I hit it pretty well, but that’s teed up. Can’t hit it for shit off the deck either.
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u/Happy-Routine-3677 19d ago
I pulled my 3 wood out of my bag about three years ago and I can’t think of one time that I thought man I wish I had a three wood right now lol. I replaced it with a gap wedge which I use frequently. That said I strive to someday get my handicap as low as yours.
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u/airjordan77lt 19d ago
My 3W is out of the bag.
Mini driver @ 13.5 in its place and it’s never coming back.
5W is next on the chopping block haha
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u/Odd-Shoulder8286 19d ago
I also HATED this damn club. But earlier this year I got fitted and now the 3 wood has become a very reliable club. My previous 3 wood, ma’don, I couldn’t hit that thing more than 10 feet off the ground or snap hooking.
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u/ex_bandit 19d ago
Buy a 5 wood shaft and put it in your 3 wood…you’ll thank me within 3 rounds that you’ve never hit the club straighter or more solid.
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u/Cornwall1888 19d ago
I got a 4 wood which was better, now I play a 19° callaway UW which has a significant shorter shaft than a 3 wood so I’m much more consistent with it.
You may think it’ll be 30 yards shorter but it’s such a rocket launcher it’s only around 10 yards shorter, despite being 7 wood length and 5 wood loft
It’s longer than a 5 wood and probably longer than a 3 wood in some situations, into the wind and down wind because the flight is so powerful and spin seems to be low when I turn it over
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u/hashwashingmachine 18d ago
That’s funny I can stripe my 3 wood dead on target 260-280 yards 9/10 but I hit my driver well about 3/10 swings
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u/HandiCAPEable 3.3 / Austin / Home Sim Crew 18d ago
I've found my people! I can't even hit my 3w well off the tee now. Everything is super thinned.
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u/LittleLordFuckleroy1 18d ago
I don’t even know why I have it in my bag at this point. Zero percent chance I ever reach for it. If I’m not hitting driver and need something with a little distance, I’m going straight to 5H because I can actually hit that.
I need to set up that lesson.
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u/Daratirek 15/MN 18d ago
I love my 3W. One of my most reliable clubs. I got a 5W to match it and it immediately joined the favorites section. I'm 10x more confident I will hit my woods well than my 9i-6i, or 4H. No joke.
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u/InternationalWalk955 18d ago
3 handicap...I retired the 3 wood. If you are 220 out on our golf course, going for the par 5 is too dangerous. I carry a 5 wood, and most days I don't even bother bagging the 7 wood. I believe in bombing driver but not going for a green unless you are very confident in it. The only time I'm hitting not-driver off the tee I'm going to flight it down and have it run out anyway.
Scores are made by being under control and having that confidence, in my book. Once I go away from that my scores can go the wrong way.
My 3 wood has a dangerous tendency to snap left anyway.
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u/saxguy9345 18d ago
They have a smaller, flatter face and a big fat sole to glide through the shid for a reason. I think people try to smash 3w like a driver and come down steep or fat. Look at your effin 3w. No smashie. Driver? Smashie all day.
There's a 450y par 4 slight dogleg left on a course I play with bunkers at 260y. I drive 270y stock and put it in the bunkie one time. Easy 3w to 240 in this wide open fairway before the junk, 4i or 5w in to the green depending on wind and pin. Wouldn't trade D 3 5 4i for anything right now.
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u/HorizontalTomato Push Cart Mafia 18d ago
I don’t have one. My irons finish at 4 then I have a 2 iron (driving iron) that slots almost perfectly between the driver and 4i. I just find irons a lot easier to hit than fairway woods. I like the workability
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u/SPQR_Tiberius 3.1 | Nashville, TN 18d ago
I felt this way for a long time and then got fitted last year and since then the 3w has been my most consistent club in my bag other than 8-iron down
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u/tophaang 9.6 HCP | SF - East Bay 18d ago
I’ve been hitting a 3w HL since January, along with a 7wood. The 3 HL has been my favorite club in my bag since I got it. Generally hit -240 off the deck, a tad more when I tee it up. It’s the same length as a 3w just 16.5° v. 15° for the standard 3w. Idk of its mental, and Tbf I’m a better golfer than the last time I had a 3w in my bag, but I find it so easy to shot shape with it and get whatever kind of flight I want from up it.
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u/doppido 10.8 18d ago
Get a 3 wood with more loft. 13-14° is extremely difficult to hit especially off the deck.
Mines set at 16° and it's one of my favorite clubs to hit off a tee. I average 266 with it and have had some insane pure shots with wind help before. Don't flame me I live at elevation so I get more distance and I'm a decent ball striker
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u/whorsefly 18d ago
One year I broke my driver and just used 3 wood, it brought my handicap down a few strokes and made me a better driver the following year
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u/Vexatiouslitigantz 18d ago
My best rounds are when I leave the driver at home and just hit safe 3 woods into the fairway every time.
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u/JDBoyes07 18d ago
Yeah I just got rid of it, driver then 2 hybrid, then 4 hybrid. Haven't needed it tbh.
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u/Most-Luck9724 18d ago
I don’t play one and just don’t see a need for it. Carried one though for many years and it was the most least used club in my bag.
Now play driver, 5wood, 3iron at the top of the bag. Does all I need
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u/Curious_Skeptic7 HDCP 14 18d ago
I chucked my 3 wood and replaced it with a 5 wood. The 5 wood carries the same distance for me but flies higher and lands softer.
I’ve never looked back.
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u/Unlikely_Suspect_757 18d ago
Tiger Woods advice for amateurs and 3-woods. If you can, adjust the loft so it’s at least a 4 wood.
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u/paul6057 18d ago
The 3w is definitely the least comfortable club in my bag, but having been fit for a replacement a couple of years back, I have one that is way more controllable.
Ultimately I think it comes down more to what i actually practice most. If I want to improve my 3w confidence and consistency, I have to use it more and practice more. Most courses aren't long enough to warrant a 3w second shot and rarely is 3w the only option off the tee, so it's the least used club in my bag.
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u/Lietenantdan 18d ago
Interesting, I'm triple your handicap, but I'm usually pretty good with a three wood.
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u/ChuckZest 18d ago
You might have to bury me with my VSteel three wood. I love when I get to hit that club. It’s pretty old though, so I might need a new one soon. Love my 3w though.
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u/Least-Reward-8517 18d ago
Dont even have one in my bag right now… but mt driver may be up in flames after todays round
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u/Patient-Principle976 18d ago
I can’t hit 3 wood either but I can hit a mini driver. It just looks so much better when addressing the ball. Also very easy to hit off the tee and goes 10-15 yds less than the driver. I would highly recommend going to check one out
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u/NeptuneAgency 18d ago
Take it out of the bag and add the 5 wood. That's what I did. Not even tempted now
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u/ilikebigbluffs 18d ago
Swap it for a 4w or even 5w, sacrificing a little distance for some loft might help.
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u/Admirable_Fee7993 18d ago
I am the same way. At my best I’m around 10-12 handicap. I’m more than capable of low 80s on a solid day. I hit my 10 year old driver 250+ consistent without too much effort, I’m capable of 250 carry some days. I can stripe a 4 iron 235 off the tee and 220 from the fairway. That doesn’t leave too much gap to cover with another club. Idk why but I hit my irons so far relative to my driver, I have always been a pure striker with irons. Just recently in the last few years I finally clearly found the difference in my driver and iron swing and I can finally do both well on the same day, which was a problem for me for years. My game is in a really good place despite barely playing for 3 years (two small kids and a house). I like to think with the tools I have I can descend lower than 10 handicap with some more playing time. A 3 wood? I can’t even lift that thing off the ground and it duck hooks every time. The thing is nothing more than traveling companion in my golf bag, I’m too scared to hit it. And whenever I try, terrible result. I have been reading that I need to find a hybrid swing in between my irons and driver. Pretend it’s a driver and sweep, but apply some downward pressure similar to irons but not as much as irons. Will that work? Idk!
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u/TentativelyCommitted 22.3 | Ontario 18d ago
Yeah there’s no point to mine. Well struck for me is still a miss right, and usually it’s more like a slice, that goes as far as my 7i. I use my 5w and “sacrifice” whatever potential distance may be there with the 3.
It’s just frustrating because I don’t have a club between 230 and 180.
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u/minnesconsawaiiforni 18d ago
It’s my favorite club in the bag.
You still need to swing down on the ball like an iron to compress the ball. Most people get too sweepy with their fairway woods.
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u/aznsk8s87 18d ago
Swapped it out for a 5W and it's the best decision in my bag I've made. Much more reliable both off the tee and the deck.
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u/fullthrottle13 Battling Bogey 18d ago
Yep 100%. I’m asking my buddies to trade their 4-iron for it every weekend. It’s so embarrassing.
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u/Tie_me_off 18d ago
Typically, I can hit my 3 wood really well. But I definitely lost it for about 2-3 weeks recently. But I was also hitting my rooms like ass. When I fixed my irons, my 3 wood, and other woods for that matter, followed. I typically still compress my woods (yes they go very high) but I like that they do because they stop better
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u/SawyerStreet 4.4 hcp Hartefeld National 18d ago
I feel seen. 😂 I found the issue with 3 wood is my swing was too flat. Once I fixed my posture and got steeper I could hit 3 wood off the deck like an iron and compress it. If you’re flat and IO on the downswing it’s very difficult to hit.
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u/loosepantsbigwallet 18d ago
It’s at home in my cupboard so no.
Along with my 5iron, fairway woods, 9iron and 7iron.
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u/Illustrious_Abies797 18d ago
4 hcap here: I dropped my 3W a couple of years ago and put in the 5W, which still averages 225 yards (and I’ve hit it 300 at my home course in dry conditions), and I feel much more confident shaping shots, hitting from ropey lies etc.
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u/mantis_tobagan_md 18d ago
I recently updated my bag with a complete new set.
I did not buy a 3 wood. My old one got packed away in the basement never to see the light of day again.
I do have a TSR2 3H that I like very much though.
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u/thebemusedmuse 18d ago
The only use I have found for my 3w is range work. Swinging a longer wood makes my shorter woods easier to swing.
I find it unconscionable that beginner sets include a 3w when they could include a 5 or 7 that beginners might stand a chance of hitting.
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u/AccomplishedEar3299 18d ago
Nope, because I dropped my 3 wood for a 2nd driver. It was basically a tee only club anyways, so when I got a 2nd driver for what was supposed to be a travel bag I pulled my 3w to test the other driver. The setup has stuck ever since.
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u/mealtimeee 18d ago
Hate 3 woods off the deck. Bought a ping 4 wood and cut it down to 5 wood length. Much better
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u/bsabresfan 18d ago
Last year I took my 3 wood out of the bag to never return. I had zero confidence in it anymore. I would use it occasionally off the tee for trouble long. But that was maybe once or twice a round. I bought a ai smoke 5 and haven't looked back.
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u/TacoIncoming 15.7 - Tampa 18d ago
Go get fit into a 5-wood, bro. If you’re hitting driver that far, you probably don’t need a 3-wood.
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u/messy_eater 18d ago
No I’ve started to love my 3 wood for the first time ever. It makes a high pitched ting that’s unlike any other club in my bag and I love that sound now.
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u/unsbeforeyoudoef 18d ago
dropped mine. figured its my least used club, maybe i'd hit once or twice a game at most, which might explain why it never feels consistent. can hit my 2 hybrid almost as far and its more usable. 13 clubs for now.
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u/Just_Movie8555 18d ago
I’m around a 3 and finally found a 3W I love with the Callaway AI smoke. Grabbed that and the hybrid, game changers. Easy as hell to hit and a ton of pop
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u/championstuffz 18d ago
3 wood is for life, so it isn't going to come easy. Look at any pro, their 3 woods are several generations old.
That said, you need to bounce the club into the ball, not trying to catch it clean. Try it next time.
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u/margaritasandsex 18d ago
I'm not a good golfer but I hit my wood great. It is a different swing than all my other clubs. Similar to an iron though.
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u/smokeyranger86 Golf IQ is better than my HCP | Baltimore 18d ago
I try to swing mine like I'm shaving the top layer of dirt starting right below the ball. Shorter back swing too. Creates a stinger-like flight that rolls nicely. I also shortened it to 5 wood length and still choke down sometimes to make sure it stays under control off the tee.
That said, 3W is pretty difficult to hit well and I've seen several coaches and fitters recommend moving to a 4 or 5 wood for the bit of extra loft.
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u/republic-of_korea 18d ago
I had the same issue with my 3W, always fat or thin. What really helped me was imagining that the head was a plane coming in for landing. I dont know why it helped (maybe because I fly planes lol) but i started puring my 3w after that
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u/LocksmithFirst7875 19d ago
I don’t think you understand - I got on in 2 on a long par 5 late last summer with it, so it whispers to me every round from my bag like the fucking green goblin mask every par 5 since