Do I really Need a 3 wood?

**BogeyGolfer** · August 29, 2006

I have recently been thinking about buying a 3 wood. The only problem is I don't know if I really need one! I currently own a 10* Callaway X460 and a Callaway 17* Hybrid that equals a 2 iron / 4 wood. I am pretty decent with the driver and I am surgical with the Heavenwood off a the tee. I never use the heavenwood other than off the tee. So I was just looking for some opinions as to wethre or not I actually needed the 3 wood? Any help you give would be great!

**Everardo** · August 30, 2006

I'm a big fan of using what works, if by not having a 3 wood, you are using better course management then by all means keep sticking to what you have.

Personally I think the 3 wood is the hardest club to hit for most people because compared to a driver, the 3 wood is still a long club, has a smaller head and you have to hit it off the deck. With the driver sure it's longer but you have the advantage of a much larger head and you get to hit it off a tee

Just my thoughts.

SCMike · August 30, 2006

I agree with Everardo. I would have suggested a four wood, but since you already have a hybrid that you hit well equal to a four wood, then there is no reason to get a another club that's harder to hit. Good luck

**allin** · August 30, 2006

I don't need a 4 wood most of the time. There is one course I play which is sort of the plains equivalent of a links course, tight firm, lots of mounds. I do swap out the 4wd for 3 and five and drop the gap wedge for it. Downwind it goes farther than my driver in firm conditions.

**shortgame85** · August 30, 2006

As a result of my attempt at better course management, I am choosing to hit my 5 wood or even 7 wood off the fairway more often than my three wood because I hit those clubs better more often than I do my 3 wood. I agree with Everardo that you should go with what works. If you are swinging that Heavenwood well, stick with it and use it to put you in scoring position. Good luck.

RickRevue · August 30, 2006

Isn't it really about distances not clubs?

I didn't hear you say how far you hit your driver and your hybrid, but if you're like me, your driver goes a lot farther than your hybrid. There's maybe 40-50 yards difference for me. How do you fill that distance gap?

Say you're on a medium length sharp dogleg par 4, maybe 380 to 400 yards. Your driver would go too far and put you past the corner and in the rough, but your hybrid would not go far enough to get you around the corner so you could see the green. What club would you use then?

**SuaSponteMn** · August 30, 2006

I think your set should be made up of the clubs you are most effective with. If you can't hit a 3 wood, at all , then there's no value to you carrying one.

The being said, I would try to find one you're comfortable with. I was like you with no 3 wood in the bag, until recently. Now I can't imagine playing with out it. Weird how that works eh?

**iammike** · August 30, 2006

I'd say if you're thinking of a 3 wood, because yoiu notice you've been playing courses where you get in situations where you can't use the driver but the heavenwood hybrid is too short, get the 3 wood. If you never realize this situation then don't worry about it.

I've been pondering the opposite of yoru problem lately. I've been thinking of getting a hybrid to replace my 5 wood, to be able to hit out of more lies with similar distance. I find I don't use my 3wood all that often, but when i do, it comes through for me. (ie getting to the green on a par 5. Or hitting to the right part of a dogleg off the tee, when i don't want to drive too far).

**SuaSponteMn** · August 30, 2006

I've been pondering the opposite of yoru problem lately. I've been thinking of getting a hybrid to replace my 5 wood, to be able to hit out of more lies with similar distance.

When I got rid of my Nike T40 3 & 5 woods, I bought a Cleveland Halo 2i hyrbid in an attempt to replace both. Obviously it isn't as long as a 3 wood but I couldn't hit that particular 3 wood to save my life. What I did find is that I hit it further and straighter than the 5 wood out of just about every lie; seemed like trajectory was similar. I would highly recommend what you're looking at doing, one of the better moves I've made in equipment purchases.

**iammike** · August 30, 2006

When I got rid of my Nike T40 3 & 5 woods, I bought a Cleveland Halo 2i hyrbid in an attempt to replace both. Obviously it isn't as long as a 3 wood but I couldn't hit that particular 3 wood to save my life. What I did find is that I hit it further and straighter than the 5 wood out of just about every lie; seemed like trajectory was similar. I would highly recommend what you're looking at doing, one of the better moves I've made in equipment purchases.

graphite or steel shaft? is the 2i a 19degree?

**SuaSponteMn** · August 30, 2006

graphite or steel shaft? is the 2i a 19degree?

It's a graphite shaft in stiff, and the 2i is 19 degrees. I particularly liked the Halo because of the weight of the clubhead, some of the hybrids felt too light to me...

**wachesawgolfer** · August 30, 2006

I would get a five wood, 17 to 19, its easier to hit than a three wood and goes almost as far but more usable on bad and thin lies. Just a thought.

**NM Golf** · August 30, 2006

Do you have 14 clubs right now? Do you use them all? Can you hit them all fairly consistantly? If you have 14 clubs already what are you going to pull out to put in a 3 wood?
You have to ask yourself those questions before you can decide whether to buy one. I personally carry one but use it almost exclusively off the tee. Especially at my home course which at 6900 yrds long leaves little need for it anywhere else. But I don't have another club that I would use more often so it stays. So basically if you have a happy 14 leave your set alone, if you have the room then heck why not, add a 3 wood.

**670forged** · August 31, 2006

For me the 3 wood has to be in the bag if I hope to reach par 5's in 2. As far as using the 3 wood to tee off on long par 4's, I went with an old 975D 10.5* loft driver cut down to 43" and swingweighted at D-4. My 905R driver is only used for reachable par4"s and all par 5"s. If you just can't hit a 3 wood then either take a lesson to help you learn how or use a hybrid. Most important is to find 14 clubs that are going to help you score and use course managment. Nothing wrong at all laying up to a yardage on par 5's that will get you close. Good luck in your quest.

Mike

**PutterHead** · December 10, 2006

I have a driver, 3 wood & a 5 wood. I'm thinking of taking my Ping G2 3HL out and geting a hybrid 21°. My 3 iron is the thick soled high launch, so i'm going to see if the hybrid is easier to hit. I use my 3 wood quite often, both off the tee & on the fairway.

**golfchief** · December 11, 2006

Do you really need a 3wood on your regular course? will the hybred work better? can you hit the driver better than a 3wood more often? what club do carry in the bag that you never pull out. 14 is the limit so it would be wise to be able to hit whatever 14 you carry.

**RX Phoenix** · January 14, 2007

I took the 3W out of my bag last year because it is very difficult to hit off of uneven lies, very easy to hook it and I can hit my hybrid 17* almost as far with much less directional problem.

Now the question as to how to fill the gap between the driver and the hybrid, that's the big issue and I am presently working on using two swing speeds with the driver, by leaving out the wrist cock I take 10mpg off my driver speed so:

So with this I've got the distances covered.

Driver Full: 250-65
Driver No Wrist Cock: 235-240
Hybrid 17*: 210-225
Hybrid 20*: 190-200
Hybrid 23*: 170-180
4 Iron: 160-170
5 Iron: 150-160
6 Iron: 140-150
7 Iron: 130-140
8 Iron: 120-130
9 Iron: 110-120
PW: 100-110
52* W: 90-100
56*SW: 80-90

I've noticed that the pros do use the 3 wood, why, because they hit it 280 dead straight. For me that's the most impressive aspect of pros, how they hit the 3wood onto the greens on par 5's like they are hitting a five iron, that separates the men from the boys right there.

**cantputt** · January 14, 2007

just out of curiosity why hit a driver with no wrist cock?

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Do I really Need a 3 wood?

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