3 Wood Suggestions

[Ammers2021]

Hi guys,i am a high handicap golfer looking at purchasing a reliable 3 wood for my bag to eek out a bit more distance if possible from fairway and as a tee option.

I have tried a few other 3 woods and dont have that consistency with them which i am looking for. I feel i can swing fast enough to launch a 3 wood,i have been trying the adams xtd ti set at 13.5 and can hit that 220 on a very good strike that goes straight...but mostly lose it right which is not ideal

I currently have a draw biased 5 wood 20* cobra f max as my go to fairway wood which is my 190-200 yard club on a nice strike.this club suits me being draw biased as it goes straight 90% of the time.i really like low profile heads due to ease of launch.

Because of this i was thinking of going with the 16* fmax 3 wood version in hope that it may perform the same for me gaining a few extra yards.

The other option is the ping g sf tec 3 wood at 16*.......looks to be similar to the cobra in terms of design...which should i get?

Any opinions are very welcome.

[Vinsk]

38 minutes ago, Ammers2021 said:

Hi guys,i am a high handicap golfer looking at purchasing a reliable 3 wood for my bag to eek out a bit more distance if possible from fairway and as a tee option.

I have tried a few other 3 woods and dont have that consistency with them which i am looking for. I feel i can swing fast enough to launch a 3 wood,i have been trying the adams xtd ti set at 13.5 and can hit that 220 on a very good strike that goes straight...but mostly lose it right which is not ideal

I currently have a draw biased 5 wood 20* cobra f max as my go to fairway wood which is my 190-200 yard club on a nice strike.this club suits me being draw biased as it goes straight 90% of the time.i really like low profile heads due to ease of launch.

Because of this i was thinking of going with the 16* fmax 3 wood version in hope that it may perform the same for me gaining a few extra yards.

The other option is the ping g sf tec 3 wood at 16*.......looks to be similar to the cobra in terms of design...which should i get?

Any opinions are very welcome.

If you’re wanting a 3 wood there’s really no way anyone can tell you which to get without you trying them yourself. Many high handicap golfers are doing away with 3 woods these days as they are harder to hit from the fairways or especially reasonable rough compared to hybrids. 
But you stated you’re hitting the Adams XTD  TI 220yds? If you’re mis hit is right, that’s a swing issue and probably not going to be fixed by a new 3W. 
Bottom line is to grab some 3Ws and give them a go. See what numbers you get.

[Ammers2021]

Thanks for the reply. I guess everyone is after the 3 wood they can rely on! I'm a recreational golfer but do like to tinker with my clubs- expensive hobby i know.

I just dont think im consistent enough to get properly fitted for one just yet.

I agree its definitely a swing issue on my part,was just wondering if  draw biased versions have really helped people that much.

My f max 5 wood is straight as can be most of the time, so was hoping a 3 wood version of this model would be the best place to start looking and be just as straight but longer.

Then i saw the ping g sf tec at similar pricepoint 2nd hand and wondered if there was a direct comparison between them from people who know alot more about the game than a novice like me!

 

[Denny Bang Bang]

I had a 2007 Callaway Big Bertha that was great.  Should have kept it (replaced it with a Ping G30, which is good but liked the bertha better).  I’m not sure if the newer versions are as good, but worth a try.  Could also pick up the 2007 for pretty cheap I’m guessing.

That said, I generally don’t have a 3W in the bag.  The 5W is in the bag more often.

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, Ammers2021 said:

I just dont think im consistent enough to get properly fitted for one just yet.

You are. Your swing is most likely quite consistent. It’s a common misconception that one has to be ‘good enough’ to be fitted. Many things fitters look at have nothing to do with whether you’re swing is mechanically sound or not. They’ll try different heads and shafts and come to a conclusion to what fits you best. 

[ChetlovesMer]

1 hour ago, Ammers2021 said:

Thanks for the reply. I guess everyone is after the 3 wood they can rely on! I'm a recreational golfer but do like to tinker with my clubs- expensive hobby i know.

I just dont think im consistent enough to get properly fitted for one just yet.

I agree its definitely a swing issue on my part,was just wondering if  draw biased versions have really helped people that much.

My f max 5 wood is straight as can be most of the time, so was hoping a 3 wood version of this model would be the best place to start looking and be just as straight but longer.

Then i saw the ping g sf tec at similar pricepoint 2nd hand and wondered if there was a direct comparison between them from people who know alot more about the game than a novice like me!

 

As @Vinsk said this question is impossible to answer with anything more than a stab at it. 
But, here's a stab for you. I got a pal who carries a Cobra F8 3-wood. I've hit it a few times and to me it seems excessively draw biased. (Do not get the F8+) But the ball does seem to jump off the face. 

You can pick them up super cheap on ebay.... literally like 70-125 bucks. So, you could get one, give it a go and if it doesn't work out, you could sell it for the same amount you paid for it. 

Because it's a Cobra, you may even get lucky and find the same shaft as what's in your F-max. ... But I'm not sure because F-max might be super light weight.

Just a thought. 

8 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

You are. Your swing is most likely quite consistent. It’s a common misconception that one has to be ‘good enough’ to be fitted. Many things fitters look at have nothing to do with whether you’re swing is mechanically sound or not. They’ll try different heads and shafts and come to a conclusion to what fits you best. 

To @Vinsk's point; any club you are going to buy new, you should get fit for it, if possible. Normally, it's free if you are planning on buying a club. So, there's no reason not to. Having said that, a lot of folks like to hunt the second hand (or even third or fourth hand) market for a club. In that case you obviously may have to go through more trial and error. 

[DCCarpenter]

I asked a similar question here a few months ago and got some good feedback, which was basically that a newer 3 wood wouldn't be a magic bullet. I play an older 2004 Wilson Deep Red 15 degree 3 wood and I was thinking of trying something new in the hopes of some more distance / reliability. My miss is to the right like yours.

I ended up not replacing it and I've seen enough good 230-240 yard shots out of it that based on my swing speed I just don't think a new club would get me anything more. Mostly I just need to get better, the club is fine.

I bought a Ping G425 5 wood and I was never able to consistently get along with the shallow face, I had days I hit it just as far as the 3 wood. There was one afternoon I smoked it 240 straight down the fairway on a 390 yard uphill par 4. I had the draw biased one and it still all came down to my swing, I don't think the draw bias kept it left. One other thing I didn't like about it was it had a very high trajectory compared to other fairway woods I tried, I could launch it with ease off the fairway but the distance often wasn't there or was inconsistent for me. I traded it to someone for a Titleist ts2 4 wood (16.5 loft), I haven't tried it out yet but I can update this thread when I do if you were considering that one.

[Piz]

@Ammers2021.  Getting fitted works for everything else...why not golf?  Please do not be worried that a fitter will  put you onto a club that, somehow, makes up for your less than perfect golf swing.  We all have those and, believe me, there are no magic golf clubs.  What a fitter can do is get you in the ball park vis-a-vis length, flex profile, etc...and it is kind of fun to do.

Whatever you decide to do...Bon Chance.

[Zippo]

8 hours ago, Ammers2021 said:

Hi guys,i am a high handicap golfer looking at purchasing a reliable 3 wood for my bag to eek out a bit more distance if possible from fairway and as a tee option.

I have tried a few other 3 woods and dont have that consistency with them which i am looking for. I feel i can swing fast enough to launch a 3 wood,i have been trying the adams xtd ti set at 13.5 and can hit that 220 on a very good strike that goes straight...but mostly lose it right which is not ideal

I currently have a draw biased 5 wood 20* cobra f max as my go to fairway wood which is my 190-200 yard club on a nice strike.this club suits me being draw biased as it goes straight 90% of the time.i really like low profile heads due to ease of launch.

Because of this i was thinking of going with the 16* fmax 3 wood version in hope that it may perform the same for me gaining a few extra yards.

The other option is the ping g sf tec 3 wood at 16*.......looks to be similar to the cobra in terms of design...which should i get?

Any opinions are very welcome.

You say you can hit the 3 wood 220 yards but you lose it to the right? No offense intended but, have you tried just aiming a bit more to the left?

[Ammers2021]

3 hours ago, Zippo said:

You say you can hit the 3 wood 220 yards but you lose it to the right? No offense intended but, have you tried just aiming a bit more to the left?

Yes i do have to start it left.My sunday best if i manage little or no shot shape would get me 220-225 yards. If my normal shot shape takes place though (a  moderate fade, i normally get 200 yards which is the same as my 5 wood distance.

So my thoughts were,if i tried a 3 wood that helps out a little with draw bias and offset like my 5 wood seems to,hopefully i'd get less shape and a  it more distance on a regular basis.🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

But i know golf isnt that simple.

I have had a tour edge ecotics cb1 15* in the bag which is a beauty off the tee (230 yards for me on a good one,just what i need), but i cant seems to launch that one well of the deck which is frustrating as it has plenty of power.

[pganapathy]

15 hours ago, Ammers2021 said:

Hi guys,i am a high handicap golfer looking at purchasing a reliable 3 wood for my bag to eek out a bit more distance if possible from fairway and as a tee option.

I have tried a few other 3 woods and dont have that consistency with them which i am looking for. I feel i can swing fast enough to launch a 3 wood,i have been trying the adams xtd ti set at 13.5 and can hit that 220 on a very good strike that goes straight...but mostly lose it right which is not ideal

I currently have a draw biased 5 wood 20* cobra f max as my go to fairway wood which is my 190-200 yard club on a nice strike.this club suits me being draw biased as it goes straight 90% of the time.i really like low profile heads due to ease of launch.

Because of this i was thinking of going with the 16* fmax 3 wood version in hope that it may perform the same for me gaining a few extra yards.

The other option is the ping g sf tec 3 wood at 16*.......looks to be similar to the cobra in terms of design...which should i get?

Any opinions are very welcome.

I would suggest you go to a big store or pro shop and hit a few clubs to test it out.  I have a 4 hybrid which I hit very well and decided to get myself a used 2 hybrid.  Was hitting my 4 hybrid 200 yards and wanted a club in between that and my driver which goes from 250 to 280 depending on contact.  Realised that I can hit my 2 hybrid 225, WHEN I get good contact.  However, it is a lot more inconsistent than my 4 hybrid.  LOFT is your friend.  Avoid getting the 3 wood unless you can hit it consistently well.  Otherwise you will find the 3 wood will only get used off the tee and the odd brilliant lie.  That is the status of my 2 hybrid now.  A half useless club used off the tee mostly and lack of practice doesn't help improve that situation.

[Esox]

I did away with the 3 wood. 62 yrs old, still swing the driver 105-108mph. Much more consistent with the 5 wood, and there are very few shots I need 3 wood distance for off the fairway. None if I am driving properly. That said my son carries a Cobra Rad Speed Big Tour, and he has to use it off the tee a lot as he can drive into trouble on a lot of holes. Kid (21) kills it off the fairway as well. May be worth a look.

[DFW75]

This is so hard to answer as everyone is different. 

What I can tell you is my story. I upgraded all my clubs from Nike this past summer. Went with Ping G425 for my driver, wood, and hybrids after hitting some for a fitting - the ping gave me less spin than others I hit. 

The guy fitted me with a R shaft for driver, but a SR for all the others. After a while I couldn't hit them consistent for anything. Hitting it left and right. Went back in and found that I needed a S for the driver, and R for the others. I cannot overstate the difference it has made. Now, I don't know if I had a slower swing speed when I first came in, or if I was fitted wrong. But the stiffer shafts have helped tremendously. My 3W (Ping G425) went from my most unreliable club to now it's the one I love to hit. I even drive with it quite often in a round given the hole. 

So not saying Ping is the best for you - but go get fitted so you know what shaft to get. Too weak, and it gets whippy and you lose consistency - too stiff and you can't get the clubface lined up at impact consistently. No matter your handicap - get a fitting. Not saying you have to get custom shafts, custom grips, cuts, etc - but at least try different brands and different shafts to find what is most consistent for YOU. 

 

[Esox]

On 2/27/2022 at 1:43 PM, Ammers2021 said:

 

I have tried a few other 3 woods and dont have that consistency with them which i am looking for. I feel i can swing fast enough to launch a 3 wood,i have been trying the adams xtd ti set at 13.5 and can hit that 220 on a very good strike that goes straight...but mostly lose it right which is not ideal

 

Any opinions are very welcome.

If you are  determined to get a 3 wood, and your good shots are 220 yds, I don't think you have the clubhead speed to need, nor want a low spin club. At slower swing speeds spin is your friend, getting the ball in the air and keeping it there. Personally, I find the TM M6's offer just the right amount of spin for me. Enough spin on a bad arthritis day to carry the ball, but not so much as to hit balloons on days I am pounding it.

[Ammers2021]

47 minutes ago, Esox said:

If you are  determined to get a 3 wood, and your good shots are 220 yds, I don't think you have the clubhead speed to need, nor want a low spin club. At slower swing speeds spin is your friend, getting the ball in the air and keeping it there. Personally, I find the TM M6's offer just the right amount of spin for me. Enough spin on a bad arthritis day to carry the ball, but not so much as to hit balloons on days I am pounding it.

This is an excellent point,the plan is to get something in the 16/16.5/17 degree range with a very shallow head like my fmax wood...so i guess we are into 4 wood territory.

Like i mentioned before i am a bit of a tinkerer and have also had the tm rbz 3hl which i like off the tee,but is not low profile enough to suit my eye off the deck.

I would say my clubhead speed is 90mph with fairway wood...would assume i fall into the regular flex range,however the adams xtd ti i have is a stiff shaft,so maybe i'll stick a regular flex shaft in that one and see how i go!

[gerald463]

I currently still possess my Taylormade RBZ 3 wood from like 2012-3. I do not think I will ever do away with that club to be honest (unless I get fitted and find something much better suited for me).