Death of the 3-wood for club golfers?

Question: who still carries a 3-wood? If so, what loft? Use it off the tee, only, or off the deck as well?

Background: Vital stats - driver ss ~100 mph and typically crank a drive out to ~250-260 yards if struck well. I used to hit a 3-wood off the deck very well - by "used to", I mean going back a few years now, probably to early 2000s. Now, I don't hit them so good, especially off the deck, although not so bad off the tee. When I say "don't hit them so good", what I really mean is I'm finding it a weird struggle to obtain good launch characteristics, even if pretty much flushed. My current 3-wood is a Ping G400 14.5° set to 15.5° and housing an Aldila NVS 75S shaft (supposedly a higher launching shaft) at standard length.

I've done the usual thing of trying a number of other 3-wood options and shafts. No great difference. This got me to thinking about the modern ball, especially the so-called 'Tour level' balls that everyone is so fond of using.
The top level balls have this lovely spin separation where wedges spin a bucket load, but the straight faced clubs, not so much. This latter is great for distance (if launch characteristics are optimal) and helps us choppers keep it a little straighter. However, if we don't have the ball on a tee, is a low spin outcome any good? Everyone bangs on about low spin this, and low spin that (re. distance), but I think too many have forgotten that backspin equates to lift and is essential for optimal flight characteristics. If one can't generate a launch angle that's high enough, low spin is a killer. Pity they don't advertise that when the OEMs bang about distance - wonder why that is? On top of this, noticed the other day that a lot of the pros are carrying higher lofted fairway woods, even up at the 7-wood level - if that's what they're doing, why am I carrying a 3-wood?

Anyway, as a punt, picked up a Ping G400 SFT 19° 5-wood the other week. Good grief. Chalk and cheese cf. the 3-wood and the simple fact that the ball gets up in the air properly has made a hell of a difference to both distance and confidence in actual ball striking on longer fairway shots. Should have thought this through before I guess....

Anyway, who carries a 3-wood and, if not, what option(s) do you carry between driver and the first of your genuine irons?

I carry a 3 wood. 15 degrees.

Don't use it off the deck all that often but love it as back up from the tee. Especially on short par 4's where I will be hitting wedge whether I take driver or 3 wood. Just seems like I am more likely to guarantee having an easier shot in through keeping out of trouble.

I could probably change to carrying a 5 wood and use it in the same situations with much the same effects. Although I guess a 5 wood might be more useful for hitting from the deck on long par 5's. But they are not a common hole in and around Edinburgh. I tend to carry a 3 hybrid for the longer approach shots.

Can't comment on what the spin is doing when I hit it but I like a pro v so use them when I can.

I still have a 3 wood in my back, Taylor Made Rocket Ballz, 14.5 loft with a stiff shaft. I used to hit 3 wood off the tee on par 4's quite regularly but now hardly ever do, and I think it's because modern drivers are so much easier to hit straight so I don't often feel the need to hit a 3-wood "for safety". I don't hit it as well off the deck as I used to, partly because I don't use it as much and also perhaps because, as you say, the modern day ball isn't designed to make hitting a 3-wood off the deck easy.

I also have a 19 degree TM hybrid which is much easier to hit up in the air off the deck and when I next change my non-irons I will probably go for about a 17 degree fairway wood then something about 23 degrees, especially as the longest iron I carry is a 5 iron.

Ralph/Navy

The ease of hitting hybrids has sort of removed the idea of hitting woods off the deck for me in most instances. My hybrid can carry over 200 if struck well and with roll you could be looking at 230+. Any further out than that and I probably shouldn't be going for the green anyway. I haven't kept stats but I get the feeling that on par 5's laying up and pitching on would yield better results over the long term than having a go at getting there with a 3 wood. Nothing more annoying than having to chip out sideways after a wayward second on a par 5.

This summer the courses were baked hard and you could get a hybrid to roll out to 270 down wind off the tee. Those things are hot these days.

Although I have notice the driving iron style 2 iron has come back into fashion over the last year or so. Anyone using one of those? For me the hybrid was always an easier club to hit than them but I haven't tried one of the new utility/driving iron 2 irons.

I should probably re-consider hybrids/utility irons. Have some older Adams Pro DHy clubs sitting around and use the 21° now in the gap between fairway wood and 4i. TBH, it doesn't fill the gap that well as it's pretty brutal when hit well and it's relatively easy to strike it fairly flush.

I've got a 3 wood but I don't use it often, I much prefer the recovery wood off the deck.

Must admit, 3 wood is probably the least used club in my bag, the 2 main reasons for that being 1) confidence in getting a good strike and the potential consequences of a Poopie strike. 2) The performance and consistency of my hybrid.

Some days I will use it more off the tee if my driver is misfiring, then are those occasions either on a  reachable Par 5 or on a long par 4 where I've not had the best of tee shots I might chance it depending on the topography between me and the green (and 40/50 yds either side particularly the right!!). I've typically got 15-20 yds between driver --> 3 wood --> Hybrid but such is the inconsistency the high end of my bag I'll occasionally hit a hybrid further than my expected 3 wood distance and less frequently hit my 3 wood further than my expected driver distance.

Would I consider dropping the 3 wood? Maybe, I used to carry 3 hybrids (15/18/21 deg) and no 3 wood or 4 iron. I am looking to replace driver & 3 wood this winter and it may well be that if I cant find a 3 wood that I can have confidence in that can fit into the ideal distance slot between hybrid & driver I might go for a hybrid that can.

How appropriate.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wN7qIQ74JM

To be fair, he's a hacker Ralph.

Not sure I'd say hacker, from looking at his swing and the sort of distances he hits it I'd guess he's about a 10-handicapper.

Yeh didn't think he looked that bad. Wouldn't want him hitting some of those shots if I was giving him shots in a handicap matchplay.


Something that did occur to me in the 3 wood vs hybrid for long approaches to a green is that into the wind I find the distance gap between 3 wood and hybrid to be pretty big. Doesn't take a lot of wind before my hybrid isn't carrying more than 200 while the 3 wood maintains better distance into the wind. So in calm conditions I will get away without a 3 wood but in blustery conditions that extra distance can be cashed in for shaping the ball into the wind.

super_realist wrote:To be fair, he's a hacker Ralph.

He is not. He's older (wonder what age) and he maintains a 9 hcp? Yep, a right hacker. He probably represents the typical skill set of far more players than your rarified game does and, therefore, it's probably far better for an average player like him to be commenting on clubs etc (if he's honest and knowledgable enough) than most of the other YouTube semi-pros.

It's a stupid comment for him to make. Just because he doesn't like three Woods, doesn't mean it is the same for 99% of other golfers.

Super

In fairness it is hard to think of good reasons for higher handicappers to have a 3 wood. As Ralph mentioned the easiest club to hit in the bag these days is a modern driver. It is no longer the case that taking a 3 wood from the tee provides accuracy/ease of hit benefits over woods or irons. Plus losing distance from the tee just compounds issues throughout the hole, longer club in, more likely to hit into more trouble etc.

And a higher handicapper should never be hitting a 3 wood off the deck.

McLaren wrote:And a higher handicapper should never be hitting a 3 wood off the deck.

I'll bite at that comment Mac.
Index of 17.9 here Mac and I use a 3 wood off the deck a lot. I generally don't hit the ball very far and a 3 wood goes about 180 yards for me off the deck. I need it to get to the longer par fours in two shots. I use whatever I feel comfortable with. Dumped all my long irons and use woods instead. Play much better.

I bought a 3 wood last year. It's the first time in over 20 years I'm carrying a 3 wood regularly. I bought it with prize voucher money to match my driver. I wouldn't have paid that much otherwise. (TM Sim2 D, Hzrdus black, stiff shaft)

I can hit it pretty well off good lies on the fairway or good lies in the rough. I can't hit it consistently off poor fairway lies or downslopes. If I play links courses then it's a decision before the round as to whether I take my 2 iron or the 3 wood out with me. There aren't many occasions when I hit the 3 wood off the tee because it's not significantly straighter than my driver and it's 35 yards shorter in distance (on summer fairways). If there's a pond or bunkers at c265 yards from the tee then I'll hit it instead of the driver.

But I do like hitting it, and it's brought a few par 5s back into range as I get older and shorter.

Had a wee swing at the new Ping g430 3 & 5 woods yesterday...gee whizz. The 3 wood has always been the lowest %age good strike club in my bag. This is gonna sound mad axeman like but off the deck it can go through periods of being about 30% in other words 1 in every 3 shots or less is decent. Consequently it's often a passenger in my bag and I find myself not taking on Par 5's in 2 (unless I think I can reach with my much more reliable hybrid.

Yesterday however it was up around 80% good strikes and unbelievably matching the new driver distance wise. Was sorely tempted to order it then and there but I have promised myself a 3 wood session test driving the Titleist TSR and Callaway's new offering. They'll have to go some to beat the Ping though.

Clubs that you haven't yet paid for are often like that JAS.

My 3 wood has always been a favourite of mine, especially off the tee, but I'm finding a faded driver to be better these days.

super_realist wrote:Clubs that you haven't yet paid for are often like that JAS.

My 3 wood has always been a favourite of mine, especially off the tee, but I'm finding a faded driver to be better these days.

Bit the bullet and ordered the new Ping, had another session and directly compared against Titleist, Callaway and Cobra didn’t test the Taylormade, me and them are finished. The Ping was a clear winner on the Trackman on dispersion, carry and run out in plus the ease of strike was awesome.

It’s officially out on 27th so hoping to pick it up in the next couple of weeks.