No 3's in your bag unless you're good?

[design]

I prefer hitting my 3i over any fairway wood or hybrid I've ever hit. I wish mizuno made a 2i in the mp57s.

[jime]

At age 62 I am now down to a 7-iron being my longest iron, and a 5-wood being my longest wood. But the 5-wood is on a 44 1/2 inch (driver) shaft and I can hit it about 230 off the fairway, and I have replaced my irons with 25, 30 and 35 degree hybirds. My single digit index indicates how well my unusual approach is working for me.

Your clubs should be determined by what you works for you. Be creative, and don't limit yourself just to what you find on the pro-shop shelf.

[msd3075]

I haven't read through the thread to see if ithis has been addressed so sorry if I'm repeating anything.

To me, having "No 3's in you bag" all depends on if you have neough clubhead speed to get the ball up off the ground. It has nothign to do with handicap or scoring ability and everythnig to do with your strength and power. I've always had a 3 iron and will never be without it, but I also carried it back when I was a 12-15 handicap because I had no trouble getting the ball up in the air consistently. Hell, there are scratch golfers that would be better suited to hybrids in place of thier 4 and 5 iron, and there are 20 handicappers that can hit their 3 iron just as well as their 7 iron.

At the end of the day, it all has to do with how the clubs fit your game and only your game.

[Hitman]

I guess that I do not carry any 3's in the bag, I carry a 13 degree 2 wood, 17 degree 4 wood, and a 19 degree 2 hybrid, and never play a # 3 ball as they always seem to find the water....mind thing, but no 3's in my bag so I must be bad, or maybe better than I thought because I play that 2 wood off the deck and get about 230-240 with it

[alf174]

A couple of weeks ago I was struggling with my 3w in the fairway so I exchanged it for my dormant 5w and glad that I did. I've gotten more efficient with it and quite often hit it 200+ yards off the deck. I'm sure the added loft has helped and now that my confidence is back up, I'm ready to reintroduce my 3w.

[max power]

Blanket statements like this clearly won't apply to every golfer-but the vast majority of beginners/high 'cappers would benefit from a 4 or 5 wood in place of a 3 wood, and no irons above a 4 iron. Obviously, once the individual golfer is competent with a 3 iron or 3 wood then by all means throw them in the bag.

[og512]

My handicap came down tremendously after I added a 3 wood and 3 hybrid to my bag... the 3 wood allows me to be more accurate on narrow fairways and my 3 hybrid is a wonderful rescue club for me. And I hit my 3 iron much more consistently than my 5 wood.

My club selection varies based on the course Im going too...

[fairmorn308]

I go from my driver then next is my 3 iron. I have tryed 3 woods / 5 woods and hybrids and i just cant get hitting them consistant enough to keep in the bag :( think am going to try work over the winter and see if can carry a 4 wood loft club as am joining a longer club next year which i think would come into more play then.

[WUTiger]

3W good off fairway as long as grass is cut. Useful off tee on the funnel holes we have around here - shorter par 4s where the fairway narrows to nothing about 220 yards from tee.

3i is used primarily as a driving iron, gives a low draw on tight/windy holes. One course I play I use it for three tee shots (one a par 3 into wind). Also useful to punch out from under trees - I'm really pretty good at this shot.

I have a week here or there when 3W or 3i just isn't working - I just leave them in bag if they cause trouble during warm-up.

[sean_miller]

  msd3075 said:

. . . there are 20 handicappers that can hit their 3 iron just as well as their 7 iron.

Because they can't hit either one?

[max power]

  sean_miller said:

Because they can't hit either one?

Zing!

[CPT]

I'm guessing that the quote-starter was talking about a 3-iron.

3-woods nowadays are so user-friendly and they are very forgiving. I would throw my driver away first before my 3-wood.

[Fourputt]

  Hitman said:

I guess that I do not carry any 3's in the bag, I carry a 13 degree 2 wood, 17 degree 4 wood, and a 19 degree 2 hybrid, and never play a # 3 ball as they always seem to find the water....mind thing, but no 3's in my bag so I must be bad, or maybe better than I thought because I play that 2 wood off the deck and get about 230-240 with it

In most wood sets I've seen 13° IS a 3W. I know that Mizuno makes both a strong 3W at 13° and a weak one at 15°. I have the 15° version. But both are marked as 3 woods. The F-60 4W is 16.5°

[Fat Slice]

I sometimes hit a 3 hybrid off the tee - it's much straighter than the driver, and on short par 4 or par 5 holes...why not?

[msd3075]

  sean_miller said:

Because they can't hit either one?

Yes. Exactly.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I was screwing around with the 3iron from my set, yesterday. There are certain situations where a 3i might be useful for me, but man, im glad i don't use that thing anymore..lol.