Question on use of 3/5 wood for the better golfer

[very handicap]

Since i started golfing 3 years ago, i have never been good with woods.  Be it 3 or 5 wood, tee up or off the deck.  As a result, they are always in my store room and i only carry irons (S to 4i) and driver in my bag.

As i have been playing white tee, it has never been an issue.  My driver gets me around 240 yards, and i can get on green in 2 with a mid iron for most of the par 4.  As for par 5, i was never ambitious and always target to reach in 3.

As my game get better, and so are most of my buddies, we are starting to play blue tee more and more.  This is where the struggle comes in.  Most of the time, after my driver, my most used club is 4i.  Even then, i'm still not able to get GIR.  Most of the time will be about 10-40 yards short.

I have since added a 3 hybrid.  However, I still feel inadequate. A 3 hybrid only gets me to 185 yards.  Even a 2 hybrid at best is equivalent to a 5 wood.

Is it a must as one progress to be a better golffer, he needs to master the use of wood, particularly 3 wood on the deck?

I seem to have a problem of hooking my 3/5 wood most of the time.  It could be a swing problem.  i tried very hard but still could not fix it.  Should i get a 3 wood that has open club face instead?  or should i stick to a 2 hybrid (which i believe i can help pretty well).?

[foxhole88]

I don't think you need to master the 3 wood off the fairway yet.  You can start with a 5wood.  It should be easier to hit and control and give you enough yardage.  You do need a club that you can hit 200+ from the fairway when playing longer courses.

[dbuck]

I don't think I qualify as a "better golfer", but I have had reasonable success with fairway woods for most of the last 30 years or so. If you can hit a modern 4 iron, you should be able to hit a fairway wood, the approach is not very different. Try having the ball about a ball width more or less forward in your stance from where you hit your 4 iron(closer to your left foot if you are right handed, and assuming you play your 4 iron slightly forward of center). Your stance should be a little wider than for a mid iron but not quite as wide as for a driver. Choose a 3 wood of around 15-16 degrees and a 5 wood around 20-22 and this should give you good coverage of your yardages.  I am not a fan of grossly closed or open faces ie more than a degree or so; if you are consistenly hooking consult a professional. Plus if you get an overly closed or open face, you will be handicapped when your swing is fixed.

Again, if you can hit a 4 iron, you can hit a 3 wood of the proper loft. Get some instruction, practice to develop the confidence, and just hit it! Or better said, just swing it.

It is not a must to master the 3 wood off the deck with the variety of modern clubs, but it is a skill that adds to your arsenal as you attack the course.

[airic31]

i bought my first 5 wood this year.  like you i had never been good at hitting it from the fairway.however i simply could not reach our par 5 on the front without it.  it was a severe disadvantage to pitch from 30 yards, vs chipping from say 5 or even being on the green.  i bit the bullet, bought one, and took it to the range until i found a swing that worked for it.  i'd say get one and practice until you can hit it with confidence. good luck

[xxsoultonesxx]

I'm a pretty mediocre golfer, and I love my 3-wood. Hitting it 220+ off the deck is one of the greatest feelings in golf. Spend a little time with one and find the head shape/size that works for you.

When I'm hitting a wood off the deck I always try to keep my shoulders nearly level and I make a little dip move in my downswing that helps me get solid contact. The biggest problem people have with the woods off the deck is topping them, and emphasizing the "sweeping swing". I'm much more successful when I'm a little bit more aggressive with the swing.

[WUTiger]

Evidently you can hit a driver and your irons fairly well. You might take a lesson on fairway woods to see if there's something in your set-up or swing that's causing you to hook the ball.

If it's not your swing per se, it might have something to do with the shaft you have in your woods. A good pro could give you advice on this too.

[SVTGolfer]

  WUTiger said:

Originally Posted by WUTiger

Evidently you can hit a driver and your irons fairly well. You might take a lesson on fairway woods to see if there's something in your set-up or swing that's causing you to hook the ball.

If it's not your swing per se, it might have something to do with the shaft you have in your woods. A good pro could give you advice on this too.

My thoughts exactly.

Try a few different types of woods. One may work better than the other. Me personally I used to have a hard time hitting the "low profile" headed woods. But once my game developed I worked into them. During my slumps I still go back to that "easy to hit" 3 wood instead of my Ping i15 3 wood which has a low pro head.

[rebby]

I've had a lot of problems w/FW woods over the years as well. I'd hit high hooks with all them, to the point that I carried a driver/2-iron combo for a great number of years. Then I made a swing change a few years ago and that was the ticket. Since then, I've been very successful with FW woods. My suggestion would be to see a good pro and see what you're doing that's causing the hook. If you're lucky, a minor tweak will be all that's needed. Once you're able to hit a FW consistently, get fit. Having the right FW wood made a pretty big difference in my long game. It was well worth the trouble I went though to be able to game one. Having another option (other than a driver and 2-iron) has proven to be a nice advantage off the tee.

[Gerald]

As it seems you don't have or use a 3i, I thinks the best option is to gor a 2 or 3 hybrid ...... there comes a time when you need a 3i or even 2i if you keep away from the Fairway woods.

My problem with the fairway woods is similar tou yours (however mine will have a slice) ...... I ended up buying a 3W (13.5 degrees) bc. I just had to be able to control the 3W at my index, and it has worked for a while, taking an easy swing at it and hit it 230 off the deck.

Recently I added a 19.5 hybrid and the big advantage of a hybrid is that you can strike like an iron (with an iron swing) ...... the 19.5 is somewhere between a 2i and 3i and a 5W ....... eith a swing like you would use with a 5i you can hit it 170-180 yds and if you really go for it with a fuller swing you can hit it like 210-230 which will about equal your theoretical 3W/5W distance based on your driver distance.

Hitting your driver 240 ...... ever considered hitting a driver off the deck, expect a low slice, but it can easely travel 200 yds ....... not the easiest shot.

If you want a 3W/5W because you feel you have to, You might consider going for a 4W (17-18*) and even most modern 5W's will be in that loft range.

There is less difference in distance between a 3W-4W-5W then you would expect, while it is way easier to hit a 5W off the deck.

[snofrog]

there are plenty of youtube video`s that can work you through any problems you may have if you are willing to invest the time and practice

[Titleism]

How far do you usually hit 4 iron?  You'd mentioned 240 driver and 185 3H I'd guess 175-180ish for 4iron.  60 yd gap can be substantial, but just play your game and things will develop the more you practice and play.

Obviously there are a lot of factors involved here...but my initial response is to ask if you're trying the FW off deck with ball more in the middle of stance and/or weaker grip?  If you do tee-up a 3 or 5 wood tee it up low like an iron, not super high like a driver.  Something to think about nonetheless, and taking a lesson or three is a great idea IMO.   Swing easy, good luck.

[zeg]

  Gerald said:

Originally Posted by Gerald

My problem with the fairway woods is similar tou yours (however mine will have a slice) ...... I ended up buying a 3W (13.5 degrees) bc. I just had to be able to control the 3W at my index, and it has worked for a while, taking an easy swing at it and hit it 230 off the deck.

That doesn't work for me---the 'easy swing,' I mean.  With my 3W, I have to be aggressive or Bad Things tend to happen.  It took me a while to realize this and have the guts to trust the swing.  I'm not talking swinging out of my shoes, but it feels a lot more forceful than even a long iron for me.  It's still a bit of a gamble, but my best 3W shots come when I just say 'heck with it' and go for it.

[Gerald]

Yep I know .... like 220 yds off the green in the right rough lying at a down slope, facing s ahot that has to go over a bunker land on the green and sit ..... What the heck, do the ball some harm and ....... Yep I know !!!