In the market for a new 3 Wood, please help me choose!

[Teklabz]

So I have some friends/coworkers/near strangers that are willing to sell me their 3 Woods, and I want some of your advice on what you have tried and think about these models. What's good, what isn't why you would or wouldn't recommend, etc. Thanks in advance for your help!

I'm looking at:
Callaway X series,
Taylormade Burner
Callaway FT-I Squareway

What do you guys think?

[ry1808]

I guess it all depends on what you want from your 3-wood and how you hit the ball normally. I see you have a draw biased driver, from looking at the Callaway FT-I Squareway (although not having hit it) that is very 'toed in' so that may suite you. But as with any club, if possible hit them first to get a feel for the shaft and ball flight. I like a 3-wood with a high ball flight so if i'm hitting into a par 5 I get some control (in-fact I will be ditching the 3-wood soon and going for a 4-wood). But you maybe looking for a club to hit off the tee when you are having an off day with the driver so a low ball flight maybe in order.

[Teklabz]

Thanks for the reply ry! I was definitely planning on hitting them first, just wanted to know what you guys think as far as overall quality, like is there some problem with the x series that I don't know about and might not find out just hitting it a few times at the range! Like I heard some driver, either the diablo or big bertha I think that the head would fly off the shaft for some people!

[Gordon McTavish]

I've owned a Callaway X series (15-degree with uniflex steel shaft) since last year. On a good day, it's a fantastic club from the tee but the face is pretty deep compared to more modern fairway metals, which (in my case) renders is almost useless from the fairway! That being said, it's not too shabby when faced with a ball that's on the light rough.

[Teklabz]

hmm good point, it is awfully deep, I can see how that makes it hard to make good contact from the fairway! Is that what is known as a tight lie? Still trying to figure out terminology as well as my swing!

[ry1808]

A tight lie isn't necessarily from a fairway. If you have nice lush thick grass then you wouldn't really have a tight lie. If you are playing links golf like we get over here in the UK on the coast (St. Andrews and the like) where the grass is almost burnt then that would be a tight lie. In the USA you can often get lies on what they may call 'hard pan' (sorry if that is wrong you guys!) which is almost a hard mud like surface. Normally with a tight lie you need a really pure contact, this can often be a problem with wedge shots when you tend to get the bounce of clubs stopping a really crisp contact. I know some pro's who will have two sets of wedges, one with high bounce for parkland courses and ones with less bounce for links courses. But yeah a tight lie really tests your ball striking skills.

[Teklabz]

In that case I'll just avoid them all together!

[Gordon McTavish]

I guess it depends on your own quality of ball striking with the longer clubs... but personally I could probably kick the ball further than play an X-wood from a hard fairway! One thing in its favour though is that impact is quite audible. More of a "ting" than a "crack," but not obnoxious in any way (unlike the dead piece of plastic that the Diablo fairway sounds like).

[Teklabz]

Yeah I can understand, I currently wield a X 460 Driver and man that thing makes a distinct sound!