Should I Bother Buying a Wood?

[dgny06]

So this year I spent some money and redid my set. I am now playing the Callaway Diablo Edge irons (w/3 and 4 hybrid) as well as the Diablo Edge 9 degree driver. I am about a 20 handicap.
I hit the ball longer with these clubs and hit my driver about 250, my 3 hybrid about 210-220 and my 4 hybrid about 180-210. I am trying to decide if I want to add a 3 or 5 wood to my bag. With the distance that I hit my driver, and that fact that my hybrids are not too far away.....does it make sense? Is there a big difference in accuracy from wood to driver? Is it that much better on tighter fairways where I would normally hit my hybrid?

Thanks in advance for your input!

[vmsea]

i actually just went through this..
driver = 250-260
added a 4H = 200-210

i dont' have a 3H, but got a 5W that goes 220-230..
in your case.. a wood that goes 220-230, with MORE CONTROL, and less risk than a driver would make sense?

[scgolf]

Looks like you have a distance gap between 250 and 210-220 yards, you can fill in a fairway wood that will get you 230 yards. It's allowed to carry 14 clubs in your bag, so i guess you will have some space to add a club or two.

[Gerald]

  scgolf said:

Looks like you have a distance gap between 250 and 210-220 yards, you can fill in a fairway wood that will get you 230 yards. It's allowed to carry 14 clubs in your bag, so i guess you will have some space to add a club or two.

It makes no sense .... 30 yds at 200+ is not really a gap !

[Brendon]

  scgolf said:

Looks like you have a distance gap between 250 and 210-220 yards, you can fill in a fairway wood that will get you 230 yards. It's allowed to carry 14 clubs in your bag, so i guess you will have some space to add a club or two.

I would recommend probably a 3 or 5 wood at that distance.

[zeg]

  Gerald said:

It makes no sense .... 30 yds at 200+ is not really a gap !

Unless you play 200+ yard par 3s, I tend to agree. This is especially true for second shots where your driver is really out of the picture. In that case, it's not a gap, it's just your longest option. If you're able to hit a 3W consistently, though, having the option to go 30 extra yards on your second shot could be helpful.

[Brendon]

  zeg said:

Unless you play 200+ yard par 3s, I tend to agree. This is especially true for second shots where your driver is really out of the picture. In that case, it's not a gap, it's just your longest option. If you're able to hit a 3W consistently, though, having the option to go 30 extra yards on your second shot could be helpful.

I don't think that buying another club would be necessary for only 30 yards though.

[scgolf]

  Gerald said:

It makes no sense .... 30 yds at 200+ is not really a gap !

Why it makes no sense??

It makes all sense to fill 14 clubs you are allowed to and when it comes with a 235 yards par 3 or 236 yards to reach the green on a par 5 hole, what are you going to hit, that driver to go over the green or that 3 hybrid which can only reach 220 yards the max?

[pavespawn]

I wanted to go with just one wood so I bought a 4 wood. Works great for me but I haven't got my distances down on it yet.

[zeg]

  Brendon said:

I don't think that buying another club would be necessary for only 30 yards though.

Well, if you can control it, those 30 yards could be the difference between a 4 iron and a 7 iron approach, or between a 7 iron and a pitching wedge. That could pretty easily shave a stroke or more off your score... Is it *necessary*? No, certainly not until you find yourself noticing the missed shots.

[Gerald]

  scgolf said:

Why it makes no sense??

No one is hitting 250 yds with their driver, there will be a margin and I can imagine at handicap 25.0 his best drives will be about 250 yds (longer seldom/shorter lots of times) ..... and can we expect a highcapper to hit a 5W or even 3W solid...... I don't think so.

Looking at his bag, no SW and also no LW...... first thought would be that a highcapper needs to worry on his scoring game and he also can make a 4 or 5 at that 236 yds par 3 and leave from there with a smile from his left till his right ear heaving won the hole on the nett score. Of course it makes sense to fill the 14 clubs, but will a highcapper benefit from a 15 yds extra club in his bag .... I doubt it.

[WUTiger]

  pavespawn said:

I wanted to go with just one wood so I bought a 4 wood. Works great for me but I haven't got my distances down on it yet.

Test-hit a 3W and a 4W. Some people find the 4W easier to hit than a 3W.

[andef]

A 3 wood COULD be a good addition to your bag. If you want a 230 club that you can use as a backup for your driver, the three wood could help as it's a very accurate club. It would also give you a chance to fire at some long par 5s. It's really up to you. Try out some different ones to see if you like the club or not.

[pavespawn]

  WUTiger said:

Test-hit a 3W and a 4W. Some people find the 4W easier to hit than a 3W.

It is a half in shorter and 2* different from the 3 wood but I hit it a lot better. The only bad thing is with the FCT on it I am constanly trying to change around the settings!

[scgolf]

  Gerald said:

No one is hitting 250 yds with their driver, there will be a margin and I can imagine at handicap 25.0 his best drives will be about 250 yds (longer seldom/shorter lots of times) ..... and can we expect a highcapper to hit a 5W or even 3W solid...... I don't think so.

He surely needs a 3 or 5 fairway wood on top of the wedges, he will be still fine within 14 clubs in the bag. Play to the maximum of adavantage that rule permits, if you think a high handicapper should only carry 12 or 13 clubs that's fine.

[scgolf]

  andef said:

A 3 wood COULD be a good addition to your bag. If you want a 230 club that you can use as a backup for your driver, the three wood could help as it's a very accurate club. It would also give you a chance to fire at some long par 5s. It's really up to you. Try out some different ones to see if you like the club or not.

Agreed, a 3 or 4 wood could help him in these 230-240 yards shot.

[kpaulhus]

Im sorry to sound judgmental.......but a 25 handicap would do better to get a Sandwedge and work on that, vs a club needed for 230 yards......really, if he is a 25, 200+ yards is the last of his worries.