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Anyone dropping the driver for a 2 and 4 wood setup


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I'm really inconsistent with my driver and since I can comfortably hit my 3 wood 240 yards off the tee I usually tend to tee off with this. It's more accurate and with that kind of average distance I can usually hit the green with my second shot as long as I have a good lie.

I'm looking at updating my driver and 3 wood for next season. With that in mind I had the possible idea of dropping the driver and replacing it with a 13.5 degree 3 wood (basically a 2 wood). Something like the Callaway X Hot 3 Deep or Titleist 913F.d maybe. Then I could add a 16/17 degree 4 wood which would be easier to hit from the turf so I'd be move inclined to use it than a traditional 3 wood from the fairway.

Has anyone gone down this route themselves with success or failure?

What's people's opinion on 13.5 degree 3 woods?

Any other related thoughts.

Driver - 10.5° Callaway RAZR Fit 

3 Wood - 15° Callaway Diablo Octane

Hybrid - 18.25° & 21° Titleist 913H 

Irons 5-PW - Cleveland CG16 Satin Chrome

Gap Wedge - 50° MD Golf NV Drew Standard Bounce 

Sand Wedge - 56° Cleveland 588 RTX 

Lob Wedge - 60° Cleveland 588 RTX 

Putter - Cleveland Classic Black Platinum 6

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I only carry two woods in my bag: a driver and a 4 wood. When my driving is bad, I use the 4 wood off the tee. Sometimes I even leave the driver at home and just take the 4 wood to the course to force myself to master it. I can hit it almost as far as the driver.

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I do the same thing, I carry a driver and 4w but I have the loft on my 4w set up to 17.75 so it is almost a 5w since the club it replaced was a ping 5w at 19 degrees. On a well struck 4w off the tee, I can carry it around 225-230 which is about 25 yards shorter than the driver and because of the increased loft and spin, it doesn't carry as far. That being said, on most holes, being in play at 215-225 off the tee is enough to have a shot at the green in 2. In most cases, I find myself preferring 225 and on or very close to the fairway instead of 260 and behind trees or in a lateral hazard. The other side of the equation is that the driver is my biggest nemesis, so I find that I will grab that club because I am bound to prove that I can beat it. I would suggest a few things with the driver, choke up on it. Alot of people have posted recently that having drivers shortened to 44.5 or even 44" gives them much more reliable results. Compared to the results and see if the driver's shaft length is causing you problems. Finally, and this was highly personal to me, but on the driver, I need to take a wider stance than I think feels comfortable. But because I tend to swing harder, having the narrow stance that I take with clubs off of the deck leads me to be imbalanced and over the top of the ball at impact instead of behind it. My golf instructor had me widen my stance a little bit, and it helped me stay behind the ball and attack it from the inside. Lastly, get fit for the driver. I read an article recently, and it said that getting fit for a driver has led to most people finding approx. 15 yards and a dispersion that was measurably better. If possible, consider a fitter who is going to charge a fair price for the fitting and not just give you every club on the rack at the store and measure them to see which one you hit the straightest.
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In my bag:

some golf clubs

a few golf balls

a bag of tee's some already broken the rest soon to be

a snickers wrapper (if you have seen me play, you would know you are not going anywhere for a while)

and an empty bottle of water

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I'm gonna try that wider stance. Thanks clear water.

:tmade: SLDRs 14* driver, 17* fairway, 19* and 22* hybrids | :odyssey: Versa White #1 putter

:nike: XR Pro 24*, 27*, 31*, 35.5*, 40*, 45*, 50* irons | :vokey: SM4 54*, 58* wedges

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I hit my 3W very well both off the tee and on the fairway. I do struggle with my driver and it has gotten me into trouble lately. I'm thinking of leaving it in the bag for a while and see what my scores do. I'm betting they will go down.

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I play the course, carry a driver(2.0 9.5) , 3 wood (rapture14), 2 hybrid(super s 17), whatever the course asks, I answer with what has the best "feel". I would keep your driver, just use it when it feels good
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Sounds like a very good option.

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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After a slice-filled range session a couple of days ago it suddenly occurred to me what I had been doing wrong 5 balls. After hitting the range again today I'm pleased to be hitting my shots nice a straight again (mostly).

I must say it is exciting to see my average drive (excluding worst 5%) rolling out to 265 yards with a few of my shots hitting the back fence of the range at 280 yards. Although the range is marginally downhill it was still using Top-Flite range balls so I reckon those distances are pretty accurate.

Still I do wonder if I wasn't influenced by the knowledge that the standard set-up was Driver & 3 Wood, what would I (or most people who hit the same distance) be better off with. Once you take into account dog-legs, water hazards, fairway bunkers and par 3s there's quite a lot of holes in my club's 18 holes where a driver is either the wrong option or no real benefit.

If I went without any bias, how would I score with a 13.5 degree and 16 degree set-up compare to if I went round without with the normal Driver & 3 wood combo.

Just have to see how the traditional set-up works this year and then next year, when I plan on getting fit for a new 3 wood, I can see whether it's the right option.

Driver - 10.5° Callaway RAZR Fit 

3 Wood - 15° Callaway Diablo Octane

Hybrid - 18.25° & 21° Titleist 913H 

Irons 5-PW - Cleveland CG16 Satin Chrome

Gap Wedge - 50° MD Golf NV Drew Standard Bounce 

Sand Wedge - 56° Cleveland 588 RTX 

Lob Wedge - 60° Cleveland 588 RTX 

Putter - Cleveland Classic Black Platinum 6

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Originally Posted by superfly777

After a slice-filled range session a couple of days ago it suddenly occurred to me what I had been doing wrong 5 balls*.

That was meant to be * "5 balls from the end."

Driver - 10.5° Callaway RAZR Fit 

3 Wood - 15° Callaway Diablo Octane

Hybrid - 18.25° & 21° Titleist 913H 

Irons 5-PW - Cleveland CG16 Satin Chrome

Gap Wedge - 50° MD Golf NV Drew Standard Bounce 

Sand Wedge - 56° Cleveland 588 RTX 

Lob Wedge - 60° Cleveland 588 RTX 

Putter - Cleveland Classic Black Platinum 6

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  • 1 month later...

Im considering dropping the driver and replacing it with a 11.5 TEE XCG6 , Cally 3Deep or RBZ 13 degree.  I currently have the 17 degree RBZ and it is only 10-15 meters behind my driver but way more accurate.  Recently ive been leaving the driver in the bag, even on par 5's and have been shooting the best scores of my life (even broken 80 a few times!!)

Only problem is which one do I get, I love the look of the TEE but think I would have more confidence in the RBZ , then there is the 3 Deep which has a slightly deeper face... hmm decisions decisions...

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  • 10 months later...
You have to find what works for you. I have resigned after many experimentations with combos of clubs that my ideal long fame set up is my tried and true Adams 10.5 non-adjustable, regular guy $40 new at WalMart four or five years ago, and Ping G20 4 wood (16.5) & the 7 wood (21) as well. I tried hybrids, and all that but this works for me. The 4 wood is straighter than any 3 wood I've ever owned and plenty long for what I need. The 7 wood is great utility and fills in great for 3/4 iron distance. What's funny is this set up is really a modernization of a former successful bag from years ago of Cleveland Quadpro Dual Rail woods 16° & 22° . All that and basically comes back full circle. :)

Driver: Adams TightLies Titanium High Launch Max COR (10.5°) R Flex Graphite SuperShaft Lightweight Mid Kickpoint, GolfPride Multicompound Grip

Fairway Wood: Ping G20 4-Wood (16.5°), R Flex Ping TFC 169F Shaft, Ping ID8 Grip | Hybrid: Ping G25 (23°), Ping TFC 189H Shaft, GolfPride Tour Velvet Grip

Irons: Cleveland TA-5 Gunmetal R Flex True Temper Sensicore Shafts, BlackWidow Widowmaker Black/Black Grips: 5-I (27°) 6-I (30°), 7-I (33.5°), 8-I (37°), 9-I (41°), PW (45°)

Wedges: Cleveland Tour Action REG 588 Gunmetal Dynamic Gold Sensicore Shafts, BlackWidow Widowmaker Black/Red Grips: 51°/6, 57°/10, LW 64°/8

Putter: Carbite Polar Balanced DC, Tiger Shark Oversized Grip 31"

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I still don't get why a driver is so much harder to hit than a 2W and 4W?

If the OP hits his 4W 240 yards then he should be able to drive 300 yards.

:ping:  :tmade:  :callaway:   :gamegolf:  :titleist:

TM White Smoke Big Fontana; Pro-V1
TM Rac 60 TT WS, MD2 56
Ping i20 irons U-4, CFS300
Callaway XR16 9 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S
Callaway XR16 3W 15 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S, X2Hot Pro 20 degrees S

"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

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I'm really inconsistent with my driver and since I can comfortably hit my 3 wood 240 yards off the tee I usually tend to tee off with this.

What is the problem with your driver? Does it have a pattern?

Since it's a RazrFit, make sure you have it tuned properly. How do you have the weights and the face set? (I also have a RazrFit driver).

Focus, connect and follow through!

  • Completed KBS Education Seminar (online, 2015)
  • GolfWorks Clubmaking AcademyFitting, Assembly & Repair School (2012)

Driver:  :touredge: EXS 10.5°, weights neutral   ||  FWs:  :callaway: Rogue 4W + 7W
Hybrid:  :callaway: Big Bertha OS 4H at 22°  ||  Irons:  :callaway: Mavrik MAX 5i-PW
Wedges:  :callaway: MD3: 48°, 54°... MD4: 58° ||  Putter:image.png.b6c3447dddf0df25e482bf21abf775ae.pngInertial NM SL-583F, 34"  
Ball:  image.png.f0ca9194546a61407ba38502672e5ecf.png QStar Tour - Divide  ||  Bag: :sunmountain: Three 5 stand bag

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Note: This thread is 3607 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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