Fairway Wood Choice

[No Gimmie]

I'm getting back into the wonderful game again.  I'm 73, male, averaging a 22+- handicap forever.  Left the game 3 years ago after playing over 30 years.  Here's my question:. I am beginning the process of buying used clubs (budget minded) and will start with a 3 wood purchase. Will likely NOT be using a driver based on experience.  What do you folks think of Adams Tight Lies or Tour Edge Exotics XCG3?  Both senior flex graphite.  Sorry to be so wordy..Budget for this purchase is less than $100.

[Rip62]

Tight lies are solid but if your on a budget try the Adams Speedline Super S from a couple of years ago. Really easy to get up in the air and long. I picked up a 3 and 5 brand new last year for around a hundred. They are even cheaper now. 

[9wood]

6 hours ago, No Gimmie said:

I'm getting back into the wonderful game again.  I'm 73, male, averaging a 22+- handicap forever.  Left the game 3 years ago after playing over 30 years.  Here's my question:. I am beginning the process of buying used clubs (budget minded) and will start with a 3 wood purchase. Will likely NOT be using a driver based on experience.  What do you folks think of Adams Tight Lies or Tour Edge Exotics XCG3?  Both senior flex graphite.  Sorry to be so wordy..Budget for this purchase is less than $100.

I own the Adams Speedline Super S. I bought my 3 FW for $43. Awesome club at a decent price. I love it. You can pick one up for around $40 - $50

I just looked it up on ebay. They have a new one for $39.99 + $5.99 shipping

Edited January 18, 2016 by 9wood

[No Mulligans]

An instructor of mine recommended that high handicappers (like me) don't carry a 3w in their bag as that can be a hard club to hit.  Think 4w or 5w.

I already had my clubs which included a 3w and 5w, as he predicted I don't hit the 3w so well but the 5w is my favorite club.

[No Gimmie]

2 hours ago, Rip62 said:

Tight lies are solid but if your on a budget try the Adams Speedline Super S from a couple of years ago. Really easy to get up in the air and long. I picked up a 3 and 5 brand new last year for around a hundred. They are even cheaper now. 

 

Hey thanks for the suggestion.  Seems most here recommend the Speedline and I will do some research. 

[No Gimmie]

I like the idea of considering a 4 or 5 wood too.  But my past experience with the 3 has been good.  I had a 5 which I really liked but not for distance.  I'm really looking to replace the need for a driver. 

[Traveller]

2 hours ago, No Mulligans said:

An instructor of mine recommended that high handicappers (like me) don't carry a 3w in their bag as that can be a hard club to hit.  Think 4w or 5w.

I already had my clubs which included a 3w and 5w, as he predicted I don't hit the 3w so well but the 5w is my favorite club.

Right there with you on the 5 wood, I can hit this RBZ club from the tee or off the fairway good every time. I sometimes go out just with the 5 and two hybrids.  I took the 5 and driver to the range yesterday and hit them both the same distance, can't see the point of a driver when the 5 is such a sweetie of a club.  In my bag today is a my main tee club, a Cleveland 3HT (17*) and 5 wood (19*) and I can do everything with these two.

[alleztom]

I carry a 4 wood (16.5*) - and couldn't be happier. It also means I can carry one more wedge (not that I do yet - I have 13 clubs) as I go Driver, 4W, 3H, 4H, 5i down to PW.

[pganapathy]

Modern day high-lofted drivers are so much easier to hit than before.  Unless distance off the tee is immaterial on the courses you play, get yourself a driver and then do a 4W or 5W. 

[SavvySwede]

59 minutes ago, pganapathy said:

Modern day high-lofted drivers are so much easier to hit than before.  Unless distance off the tee is immaterial on the courses you play, get yourself a driver and then do a 4W or 5W. 

Second this^. Drivers with 12-14 degrees of loft are a lot more plentiful than in past years. Maximize your distance and forgiveness off the tee, then get a more lofted wood to play from the fairway.

[WUTiger]

I have been playing a 4W + 7W for four years right now, and the little extra loft really helps out.

Also, all 3Ws are not created equal. A few years back Ping came out with the K15, a low-profile 16* 3W that really launched nice.

If you had FWs several years old when you stepped away, they probably had shafts heavier than some of today's superlight shafts.  Make sure you don't have shafts that are too light - this can cause control problems.

I picked up an A-flex hybrid at end of summer that has a 70-gram shaft; it drops into the slot much better than my old 60-gram R-flex shafted hybrid.

Hopefully, @Mr. Desmond can give you some advice on this.

[Mr. Desmond]

3 hours ago, WUTiger said:

 

Hopefully, @Mr. Desmond can give you some advice on this.

Since I was mentioned, http://www.callawaygolfpreowned.com has lower prices on its fairways.

I think Callaway's use of facecup technology in fairways offers overall greater consistency and forgiveness, and they are on a roll in terms of offering the regular Joe golfer outstanding clubs. And the price is right. I would try the XR and V Series Fairways since the OP is looking at fairways. As to drivers, that's a tossup. I think Callaway does a great job with the senior or speed challenged golfer with very light heads and shafts in the XR and V Series. Whether they work for you or not is up to a demo.

I prefer the heads with adjustable weights with more weight. But an older golfer may enjoy the the potential faster speeds of 45g shafts and light heads. Good luck.

[cooke119]

For a driver have you looked into a mini drive? A mini has a head size between a 3W and a Driver but the shaft of a 3W. Some say you can hit it off the fairway but I have never been able to do that with any consistency.  TaylorMade makes a great mini driver and I hit it almost as far as my Cobra S3 driver but more precise.

[NDavis]

6 hours ago, cooke119 said:

For a driver have you looked into a mini drive? A mini has a head size between a 3W and a Driver but the shaft of a 3W. Some say you can hit it off the fairway but I have never been able to do that with any consistency.  TaylorMade makes a great mini driver and I hit it almost as far as my Cobra S3 driver but more precise.

I also have a mini driver - taylormade do a 12 & 14 degree version. I got the 12 and can hit off the fairway if a good lie.  Calloway do one with an adjustable hosle but a lot more expensive.  I have now (mainly) ditched the 3 wood and carry the mini a 5 wood and a 7 wood (love the 7 btw). 

[vangator]

If the driver is out of the equation, then I recommend a 3W that has a taller face.  I currently carry two 3Ws.  One is the Ping K15 mentioned above.  Great off the turf, but the face profile is too low.  I've had problems popping it up.  My other 3W is an old Goldwin (stainless head) which has a tall face.  Can't hit it off the turf well, but it is money off the tee.  I bet I could hit 14/14 FIR with that, but I only hit it about 240 off the tee.  So, I still bag a driver.

Look at the specs on whatever club you decide on.  The face profile is a big issue for me.

[9wood]

43 minutes ago, vangator said:

.  My other 3W is an old Goldwin (stainless head) which has a tall face. , but I only hit it about 240 off the tee. 

I'm sure the majority of golfers, including myself really feel sorry for people that can ONLY hit a 3W 240 yds.

Edited January 20, 2016 by 9wood

[dkolo]

3 hours ago, 9wood said:

I'm sure the majority of golfers, including myself really feel sorry for people that can ONLY hit a 3W 240 yds.

I mean, that only puts your driver at 250 / 260. It's not THAT great. I'm nearly a 20 handicap and I do that.

[vangator]

1 hour ago, dkolo said:

I mean, that only puts your driver at 250 / 260. It's not THAT great. I'm nearly a 20 handicap and I do that.

My driver is between 250 -275, sometimes a little longer but the accuracy is lacking.  But I'm working on it.  For wide open fairways, I swing hard and get it out there to 300+ on occasion.  Probably like most single digit golfers.  I used to be really long back in the day.  I hear that from my wife too.

4 hours ago, 9wood said:

I'm sure the majority of golfers, including myself really feel sorry for people that can ONLY hit a 3W 240 yds.

I have thought many times that I may score better with a 3W, but I hate giving up that extra yardage I get from my driver,  I broke my driver shaft (actually my dog did) right before I had to play in a tourney at the Innisbrook Copperhead course.  We played the blue tees, so 240 off the tee made for some really long approaches on par 4s.  It was a small 16 man tourney, but I still won because I kept my ball in the fairway.  The Copperhead course is a really tough course.  Site of the Valspar PGA tourney won by Speith last year.

BTW, the sweet thing about that 3W is that I ALWAYS hit a draw / hook.  Sometimes a big hook.  But I can't recall ever hitting a fade with it.  Ever.  That is a big plus.  I think I mentioned that in the "Shot Shape" thread.