Hitting 3W off the tee or from the ground

Hello, all. I've been having real difficulty with this lately and wanted to see if I could get some help with this. I used to have trouble hitting irons off the tee but have gotten better at it but I find I've never been able to consistently make contact (much less good contact) with my 3W either off the tee (which I tee low to the ground) or from the fairway. I rarely hit it fat and usually top the ball when I miss hit it. The ball is in the front of my stance and lines up with the instep of my front foot. Rather than endlessly hitting balls trying to figure it out on my own I was hoping someone might be able to suggest a drill or two to help me improve with this.

Hit a bunch of balls with your easiest iron, say an 8iron, get used to the speed and tempo of using that easy club, then switch to 3w using the exact same speed! Whenever I find I'm topping or making bad contact it's usually because I'm trying to smash the life out of it!

If you don't mind buying new clubs you could always go to a golf store and try a 4w instead. I hit my 4w almost as far as I used to hit my 3w but I'm much more consistent at getting it in the air. Mine is 17* x2 hot.

Why don't you google  the problem, and read up on, and learn what causes a topped shot? Once you understand the causes, (there are a few) you will know how to prevent them, and/or fix the problem before this bad shot ruins your round. Knowing what causes various bad shots is a good way to understand one's own, correct swing. Become your own golf swing scholar.

Good idea. I use a net and mat but I don't think it will make a difference for this issue, right? [quote name="billchao" url="/t/78395/hitting-3w-off-the-tee-or-from-the-ground/0_100#post_1080425"] How's your Key #1 work going? With longer clubs, people have a tendency to move the head back more, so that could be an issue. Front instep is a bit too far forward for me. I'd rather play it off the front heel or even a hair back b of that. The 3w should be hit slightly on a descending angle, so you don't want the ball ahead of your low point. And as @boogielicious said, don't try to kill it. The club is designed to hit the ball far. Focus on a smooth swing and good contact.[/quote] I've spent a lot of time on Key #1 and think I've made some major improvements. I'll try moving the ball a bit more back in my stance. [quote name="Hardballs" url="/t/78395/hitting-3w-off-the-tee-or-from-the-ground/0_100#post_1080440"]Hit a bunch of balls with your easiest iron, say an 8iron, get used to the speed and tempo of using that easy club, then switch to 3w using the exact same speed! Whenever I find I'm topping or making bad contact it's usually because I'm trying to smash the life out of it![/quote] Never thought of that. Thanks! [quote name="Jakester23" url="/t/78395/hitting-3w-off-the-tee-or-from-the-ground/0_100#post_1080452"] If you don't mind buying new clubs you could always go to a golf store and try a 4w instead. I hit my 4w almost as far as I used to hit my 3w but I'm much more consistent at getting it in the air. Mine is 17* x2 hot.[/quote] I actually have a 5W which I've always hit better than my 3W with respect to making good contact. I know the 5W is a shorter club but I don't feel it's significantly shorter to make that big of a difference. [quote name="Patch" url="/t/78395/hitting-3w-off-the-tee-or-from-the-ground/0_100#post_1080467"]Why don't you google  the problem, and read up on, and learn what causes a topped shot? Once you understand the causes, (there are a few) you will know how to prevent them, and/or fix the problem before this bad shot ruins your round. Knowing what causes various bad shots is a good way to understand one's own, correct swing. Become your own golf swing scholar. :smartass: [/quote] There's a ton of misinformation on the internet. That's not to say I haven't looked on the internet, however, I feel this community does a good job of filtering out the incorrect information and that people are very gracious in sharing their knowledge here. One could absolutely spend time reading and understanding the multiple causes so as to prevent them but figuring out the solution oneself might not be the best use of time if someone else already has the answer and is kind enough to share it. I'd rather be a stupid monkey when it comes to golf rather than a scholar of the golf swing, even if it's my own.

A few things to try until you get consistent contact with your 3w:

1. Choke up - ALOT - I"m talking an inch and a half or so ...  make it about the same length as your longest hybrid.  Gradually work your way down to the end of the grip, but for now dont be afraid to CHOKE UP until you get comfortable with the length of the club shaft.

2. Keep your eye on the ball - I"m talking really STARE It down ...  any lift at all of my head with fairway woods results in a thin shot.    This is paramount with fairway woods

3. ITs a long club - swing smooth and in good tempo (a little slower) ... can't swing it as hard as a pitching wedge.   You'll be shocked how far it goes with a less than full swing if you hit it clean.

4. Don't change your swing - I hit dramatic hooks when I try to "sweep" it.    Just hit slightly DOWN on it like you would a long iron or hybrid.

PS - not to contradict my fellow poster above, but a 4w is only about a half inch shorter than a 3w and 2 degrees of loft different  ... I found it's really not easier to hit at all.   I used a 4w for half of this year & went back to the 3 wood.     Once you get used to fairway woods, you'll look forward to hitting them - I can't wait for opportunities to pull the 3 wood off the fairway ...

How about a swing thought? Something along the lines of driver and putter being the only two clubs I have heard described as possible to hit up on? That means you may want to consider at least the impossibility of getting under a fairway or low tee ball with a 3w. Its ok to divot a fairway wood if you hit the ball first. That is in part what the extra loft compare to driver is allowing me to do anyway. Try closing the face as you practice to see the effect of a steeper swing.

This is a common problem from the fairway but not as much off the tee. Head down and still, an 80% swing and mental picture of sweeping the club head along the ground should help.

Keep the head steady. Almost everyone has commented on that already. Must be something to it :-) Also, I find when I hit the 3W thin. it's because I'm not turning my shoulders. Arms only. That's true for any time I hit it thin. I concentrate on starting my backswing by rotating my shoulders and let the arms follow. I go slow to make sure I don't try to start the downswing too early.

Posted a video in my swing thread. (http://thesandtrap.com/t/70159/my-swing-rfkfreak/72#post_1083337)

I've started working on Key #2 and hoping not to regress on Key #1 so this new swing isn't what I was doing before.

Don't know if I'm getting help from the mat or if I just got lucky and struck the ball well today but would love to hear some thoughts!