3 wood or 5 wood?

I'm a beginner on a slight budget, so I am deciding between the 3 and 5 wood:

http://shop.taylormadegolf.com/products/N10296

The 3 wood is 200cc and 15 degrees, while the 5 wood is 175cc and 18 degrees.

I am just starting out playing; so I'm not even considering a driver.  The 3 or 5 wood will be used for tee shots only until I learn how to hit it off of the fairway.

So between the 3 and 5 wood, for off the tee purposes, which should I get?  Mainly, how much distance, if any, will I be sacrificing by getting the 5 wood vs. the 3 wood?  If it's like 10 yards or something short, I'd kind of rather stick with the 5; easier to hit, easier to get up off the ground, etc.  Though if it's going to be more like 40-50 yards, I'll go with the 3.  I just want to be able to get the ball up in the air nicely and have it carry a good bit.  The last few times I played, I used a 5 wood for tee shots, and hit it really well, but I didn't try a 3 wood.  Do they feel similar?  If it means anything, I tried clubs on one of those screen things, and my 7 iron average stats were:

Total distance (carry plus roll): 145

Launch angle: 21 degrees

Ball Speed: 105 mph

Again, I am just starting out (I've played occasionally for several years, but now I'm really getting into it).  Thanks for your help.

Do you have any hybrids?  A lot of golfers are ditching their 5W in favor of hybrids and thus only carry a 3W.  I think a 3W is more useful overall.  While I stopped carrying a 5W in my bag, I cannot remember the last time I actually needed/wanted a 5W over a 19-21* hybrid.

3 wood could be used in place of your driver and still would have a place in your bag if you purchased a driver.  Most people are using hybrids in place of 5 wood.  Another option is to go with an adjustable 4w from TM or Titleist.  I'd go hit some woods and hybrids and see which clubs you're most comfortable with.

Hurry down to you're local Dick's sporting goods.  They are dumping Cobra S2 fairways for peanuts.  79$ less 25% gives you about 59$ out the door.  I bought the 5 wood.  Have a nike 3 wood.  May go back and get a offset 3 wood.  Best of luck, BTW this is the best deal going .  Oh yea they give you a head cover too.  And look at the Top Flight D2 Feels.  10$ for 15 decent 2 piece balls.

Mark Shuman

Crap, forgot to mention they have 3 and 5 woods.  Both for about 110$.

Mark Shuman

I agree with pretty much what everyone has said here. If you can afford a 3 wood and hybrid you will be better off than just getting that TM 5 wood. On the Dick's website, they have a TM Burner HT fairway wood for $80 and a TM Burner HT hybrid for $60...which is less than buying the Superfast you posted in the link. The thing to remember when buying clubs is, it's not how new your sticks are...it's how well you hit the one's you can afford. IMO, getting a 3 wood and Hybrid would serve you better than buying one new 3 or 5 wood.

I'm about to head down to Dick's right now and give the Cobra a swing...keep your fingers crossed that I don't buy another club...not sure how I can explain it to my wife this time...lol.

Just went and hit the Cobra S2 3 wood with a stiff flex shaft....it felt like crap...but that's just my opinion.

3 wood without question.     My 5 wood ballooned off the tee, 3 wood had a much better ball flight.     don't miss the 5 wood a bit - the more I hit the 3 wood from the tee, the more I like it...

S'ok, at the price if you liked them they would have been  a deal for you. Doesn't hurt to try.   I hit so poorly it doesn't matter.  They'll do fine for me for a year or so till I get better.

Mark Shuman

After reading the above posts I ended up buying one of those S2 Fairways....

I am playing Driver- 5W-4H at the top of my bag and it is working out OK so far. I am a higher handicapper obviously and 5W seems like a smarter play for me than a 2-3H. The 5W is giving me about 215 off the tee and about 205 off the deck on my solid shots and flies a bit higher and softer than the hybrids I have tried. I'm not tempted to do anything from a less than ideal lie by bagging the wood in lieu of the hybrid which can help avoid some brainfart shots on the course.

As you don't want to get a driver as yet it makes it a bit trickier IMO. The 5W probably won't give you enough distance on a lot of par 4 and 5's and leave you longer than ideal second shots. It will most likely be a heck of a lot easier to hit off the turf than a 3W. If it is one or the other I would probably have to go with 3W and look at a ~20* hybrid purely on the distance factor off the tee coming into play more often than needing to hit a ~200 approach shot.

Consider going with a 4W. With an extra 2* loft over a 3W, many people find it easier to hit. And, often you can hit a 4W out of the first cut of rough if it's not too shaggy and thick.

If you have a 3W and a 5W of the same model, the distance difference for the average golfer would be about 15 to 25 yards.

Being you're a beginner, it would be nice if you could test hit the different woods and see which one worked out best. I have stayed with fairway woods over hybrids because I hit the FW as well or better... plus the FWs have longer shafts and I get more distance.

Also: Consider putting a "What's in my Bag" section in your Sig line or Lists. That way, we can see what clubs you already have, and maybe give you better advice on which way to go on club choices.

Did you decide on anything?

I was bagging a ping k15 w wood earlier this year.  I made much better contact with it over the 3wood without a major loss of distance.  Maybe 10 yards tops.

I recently traded it in to get an r11 3w and I regret it big time.

Stupid trade in promo got the best of me.

I could hit the k15 from the fairway with ease.  I have yet to make a nice shot off the fw with the r11.

If you plan to use this off the tee, then a 3w might be the better option, but I am sure you will game a driver soon, so the 5 wood might be

For a high handicapper, newbie to golf I would suggest something with a draw bias.  Fairway woods are probably the hardest club in the bag to hit.  Might as well use the game improvement technology.