Thinking about cutting my 3 wood to hybrid length ...

I carry only a 3 fairway wood.  I might use it once in every 5 rounds of golf.  Its kind of useless to me since I can't really hit it off the fairway.  I do use it off the tee once in a bluemoon but my driver is just as accurate and much longer. 

I've never thought about cutting the shaft and would probably not do that.  It just makes your 3 wood a shorter shaft and probably no easier to hit off the ground.  I carry a 3 hybrid if I need distance off the fairway.

Interesting concept.  let us know how it works if you try it. 

I just wonder if taking over an inch off would mess with the balance of the club (weight, etc.).  I thought the general rule of thumb was not to take more off than an inch without re-weighting the club.

I picked up a 3 wood on ebay with a shorter steel shaft (Titleist 975f 14.5) that I hit much more consistently than a longer graphite shafted 3 wood (R5 - 15).  I think it absolutely is the length.  The steel shafted 3 wood is much closer to my steel shafted hybrids and maybe that's why.  With the shorter shaft I have tons more confidence, especially off the turf.

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthehole 

This is exactly what I'm thinking ... I think shortening the shaft is worth a try from purely a confidence level.

You are going to throw off the weighting of the club a lot by cutting that much. Why not buy a lower lofted hybrid or a 5 wood?

Try using a 17* hybrid if you have trouble hitting a 3w of the turf. 

You also might try out a 4W. A Golf Digest study found that a 4W easier to hit for average golfer than a 3W, and you don't lost that much distance.

I haven't considered cutting my 3w down to hybrid length but have been considering maybe replacing my 3w with a 1h (Only 1 to 2 degrees of difference albeit a shorter shaft).  

Have you tried choking down a couple of inches and if so what happens when you do that?  I would think that would be an indication of what to expect.

Are you talking about literally cutting off your existing shaft, or replacing it with a shorter shaft? If you replace the shaft, you might be able to select a weight that will offset some of the balance change.

I like the idea of a 16-17 degree hybrid for you if you like hybrids.  Probably a 39.5-40 inch shaft vs the 42.5-43 you might have in your 3 wood. You didn't mention the loft of your 3 wood, but if it is around 15*, you should be able to hit the hybrid within 6-8 yds of the 3 wood.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WUTiger 

You also might try out a 4W. A Golf Digest study found that a 4W easier to hit for average golfer than a 3W, and you don't lost that much distance.

+1 on this, I am using a 16.5* 4W and the shaft length and loft helps me hit it more consistently. Try a Ping G10, or G15 17*4W you'll get the almost the same distance as your 3W IMHO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthehole 

Thanks - didn't even know they made a 1H ... this may be worth a look see.

Try the Adams "super hybrid" virtually a small 3 wood head on a hybrid shaft...

As you cut down the length the club lie gets flatter.  If that is wrong someone please correct me.  If I am right, you will want to take that into consideration.

I don't see that as correct.  If the club head is laying flat on the ground and you cut the shaft shorter, the lie of the club head is still flat on the ground and has the same clubhead/shaft angle at the hosel, therefore the lie angle has not changed, just the length of the shaft.  Now the "effective" lie MAY change due to a shorter shaft, depending on how the player sets up to the shorter shaft, but the "actual" lie angle remains the same.

yes? no?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeLowry5 

As you cut down the length the club lie gets flatter.  If that is wrong someone please correct me.  If I am right, you will want to take that into consideration.

Actually it tends to make the lie more upright when he addresses the ball, meaning that the toe will be lower than the heel.  That or he will have to bend over a lot more to keep the sole flat on the ground.  If you take that much off the shaft of a club which already lies correctly, then you have to do something to compensate.  It will also change the swingweight of the club considerably.

I don't think that cutting 3½" off the 3W will make it any easier to hit.  If you are having trouble getting the ball airborne, a shorter shaft won't make a bit of difference... maybe the opposite as it will reduce clubhead speed, thus reducing the backspin that you need to make use of the aerodynamics which are built into the design of the ball.  I'd say that you would benefit much more from a 4W or 5W and don't mess with the shaft length.