Jump to content
Check out the Spin Axis Podcast! ×
IGNORED

Forget the driver, I'm using my 3W off the tee!


Note: This thread is 5019 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

0  

  1. 1. What club would you tee off with (hole is straight, no trouble, 350+ yards)?

    • Driver, of course! I can hit it really well!
      17
    • 3W, still working on the driver.
      9
    • Depends on the day, but typically my driver...
      10
    • Depends on the day, but typically my 3W...
      8


Recommended Posts

  • Moderator
Posted

It depends on the hole. I can't vote here because there's not really an option that fits my style.  350-390: I tee off with 4-iron; 390-430: I tee off with 3-wood; 430+: I'll use driver.  But, it also depends greatly on the layout of the hole.  Where the trouble is, if the hole is shorter, can I drive the green or get close if there's not much trouble, should I instead use a mid-iron...etc.  I have hit my 3-wood and driver equally well lately, so I don't really favor one over the other.

Philip Kohnken, PGA
Director of Instruction, Lake Padden GC, Bellingham, WA

Srixon/Cleveland Club Fitter; PGA Modern Coach; Certified in Dr Kwon’s Golf Biomechanics Levels 1 & 2; Certified in SAM Putting; Certified in TPI
 
Team :srixon:!

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

I'm pretty comfy with my driver. Only time I take 3W is when there is trouble 260+

2013 Goal:

 

Single digit handicap


Posted
Originally Posted by njcl13

If i can hit my 5w or 3w good then i can hit my driver good,if i'm hitting my 5w and 3w bad then i'll hit the driver bad - 3W and driver,there is nothing between them other than the driver has less loft and a longer shaft,assuming your woods are all the same make,same shaft and flex then being good with the 3W but bad with driver then that can only be due to two things,loft or length of shaft,a flatter degree on the face,or the longer shaft which may indicate the degree of the driver is too much for you,so buy a higher lofted driver {assuming you dont already use the highest degree lofted driver already},or cut the shaft down an inch so it matches up with your 3w

That is the extent of my basic understanding of the problem....

The driver should typically be played more forward in your stance, the shaft is longer, and the idea is to not use a decending blow when you hit the driver.

The 3 wood is played slightly forward in your stance, the shaft is shorter, the loft is higher, and the swing is similar to a hybrid in terms of sweeping it of the tee that is barely off the ground.

The 3 wood is for accuracy and the driver is for distance when it is needed.  Watch pros on the weekends and see which holes they pull the driver out vs 3 wood.  Shorter holes that are narrow = 3 wood/hybrid/long iron.  Long wide par 4's and wide par 5's = driver the majority of the time


Note: This thread is 5019 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    Carl's Place
    PlayBetter
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FitForGolf
    FlightScope Mevo

    Coupon Codes (save 10-20%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack/FitForGolf, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope. 15% off TourStriker (no code).
  • Posts

    • I work with a lot of golfers who want more shaft lean at impact, who currently have AoAs that range from +2° to -2°, and who love to see the handle lower and more "in front of their trail thigh" from face-on at P6. And a lot of these golfers try to solve the issue by working on the downswing. They do something to drag the handle forward. Or they just leave their right thigh farther back so the same handle location "looks" farther forward. Or they move the ball back in their stance. Or they push themselves down into the ground to get the handle lower and increase (decrease?) their AoA (to be more negative). The real fix is often to get wider in the backswing. To do LESS in the backswing. To hinge less, fold the trail arm less, abduct the trail arm less. I had a case of this over the weekend. Before, the player had 110° of trail elbow bend, "lifted" his trail humerus only a few degrees, etc. The club traveled quite a bit around him, and he tended to "pick" the ball from the fairways. In the "after" swings below (which are mild exaggerations — this golfer does not need to end up at < 70° of elbow bend. These were slower backswings with "hit it as hard as you normally would" intent downswings), you can see that he bent his elbow about 70° instead of 110° and lifted his right arm an extra ~15° or more. You can't see how much less this moved his hands across his chest (right arm abduction), but it was also decreased. His hands stayed more "in front of" his right shoulder rather than traveling "beside" them so much. The two swings look like this: The change at P6, without talking about the downswing one little bit (outside of him telling me that he tends to pick the ball), is remarkable: Without 110° of elbow bend to get out (which he gets to 80°, a loss of 30°), the golfer actually loses slightly less elbow bend (70 - 50 = 20), but delivers 30° less elbow bend, lowering the handle and letting the elbow get "in front of" the rib cage… because it never got "behind" or "beside" the rib cage. If you look at this video showing the before/afters of P6, you'll note the handle location (both vertically and horizontally) and the shoulders (the ball is in the same place in these frames). This golfer's path was largely unaffected (still pretty straight into the ball, < 3° path and often < 1.5°), but his AoA jumped to -5° ± 2°. I've always said, and in talking with other instructors they agree and feel similarly, that we spend a lot of time working on the backswing. This is another example of why.
    • We had a member of our senior club who developed a mental block on pulling the trigger. I played with him to see what the membership was talking about. I timed him a few times when he would get over the ball. 45 seconds. He knew he had a mental block and would chide himself, “Just hit it!” Once on the green he was okay and chipping was a bit better. It was painful to watch him struggle. Our “bandaid” was to put him in the last tournament  tee time with two understanding players. We should have suggested to him to take a break from our tournaments. I agree with the idea that when a player realizes they have a problem, the answer is to go fix it and not return until they are able to play at an acceptable pace.
    • Day 56 (4 May 26) - Worked on some ball-then-ground drills - going from P3 thru impact - with a slowed tempo, working to keep all parts in sync.   
    • Wordle 1,780 3/6 🟩⬜🟨🟨🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
    • Wordle 1,780 4/6 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜ 🟩🟨🟩🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.