Why do I hit my 3-wood as far as my driver?

[Buckswin]

I've been playing with my Nike T40 3-wood for about 2 years now (bought at a Second Swing) and by R7 460 since the end of July last year. I've taken to only playing the driver on severe dogleg rights, as I can't figure out the push slice. If I move the weights (the 14 is on the outside now), I fight a low duck hook, which is worse to me. I average around 240 off the tee with the 3-wood and about the same with the r7, but the 3-wood is much more consistent.

The r7 has 9 degrees of loft and a XS shaft. I'm thinking that I might benefit from a session on a launch monitor or some lessons specific to hitting driver. I can't figure out why hitting driver off the tee would be so much different than hitting 3-wood, though. Interestingly, the 3-wood comes with a little bit of a pull. No hook at all, just a slight pull (maybe 10 yards left of target). It's a pretty closed face, though.

Anyone in the Cincy area know where I can get some cheap/free launch monitor time?

[iacas]

I've been playing with my Nike T40 3-wood for about 2 years now (bought at a Second Swing) and by R7 460 since the end of July last year. I've taken to only playing the driver on severe dogleg rights, as I can't figure out the push slice. If I move the weights (the 14 is on the outside now), I fight a low duck hook, which is worse to me. I average around 240 off the tee with the 3-wood and about the same with the r7, but the 3-wood is much more consistent.

Odds are you're losing a lot of distance due to two things with your driver:

a) Your slice/hook b) Un-optimized launch conditions. A lot of amateurs really should be hitting 13-degree drivers. If you hit your 3-wood that far, it's unlikely that includes you - that's usually for slower swingers. But something is up with the driver.

The r7 has 9 degrees of loft and a XS shaft.

Probably too stiff for you. The ball comes out low??

BTW, 14 in the toe should be more of a fade bias, not a hook bias.

[Buckswin]

BTW, 14 in the toe should be more of a fade bias, not a hook bias.

The 14 is in the toe now. When I move it to the heel, I get the hook. I have a push slice now, which seems to jive with what you're saying.

I play twice a week. On Sundays, it's always the same 4 guys and they all hit driver off the tee. One is a short hitter and might get 200 on a good drive. The other 2 hit their drivers about 240 average (260-270 on a great shot) and I've stuck with just the 3-wood for the last 2 months. I'm consistently in the same vicinity as them with the 3-wood, though I can't ever get the 260-270 with it. I'd love to pull out the driver and blow by them (in the fairway, of course). More than anything, I've stuck with the 3-wood for accuracy. My course management skills have improved greatly, as a result, which is a direct factor in the large reduction in my handicap index over the last year (I was at 26.4 on July 2, 2006 and am now at 18.2). Is there a primer somewhere on shaft stiffness that I could read? I assumed that I need XS because of the distance on my 3-wood.

[Silvertree]

Is there a primer somewhere on shaft stiffness that I could read? I assumed that I need XS because of the distance on my 3-wood.

Tom Wishon is one of the premiere equipment experts. His book:

http://tinyurl.com/yt287n has some good information on shaft selection.

[despereaux]

I had a similar problem, and as IACAS mentioned its almost certainly a problem with your launch conditions, which are most likely a result of an improper shaft.

You need to get to a simulator and have your launch angle, swing speed, ball velocity and ball spin rate optimized for both your 3-metal and your driver. Simply reshafting may be the least expensive option (maybe $80 per club).

I have fairly decent swing specs (100 mph swing speed, 3300 rpm spin rate, 12-13° launch angle) and really only hit my driver 10-15 yds past my 3-metal. My modest 100mph swing speed is about 10-15 mph too slow to notice any significant bene's, but I'll take +15 yds for now.

IMO the significant distance improvements will come at higher swing speeds where the benefits of proper launch conditions of the driver will start to outpace those of the 3-metal.

Good luck!

[CG031]

That's why I play a 13.5° driver...I get more carry and it goes only about 30-40 yards past my three wood but it's better then your case. 9° is really low loft IMO...Probably too low for an 18 handicap...Try going on a launch monitor...even though it sounds stupid that a more lofted club should help you seperate the two clubs distance wise, it probably will.

[Buckswin]

Well, I finally got resolution to this problem. I went to Golf Galaxy on Friday and did a full fitting on their launch monitor. I started by hitting about 7 balls with my old driver (TM r7 460 in 9.5 degrees with stiff shaft). We moved to an r7 460 in 10.5 with stiff and was experiencing more of the same issues that I was having with my old driver -- I was averaging in the 230 range, but my mishits were low, left and hooking. I hit 7 with that and then hit 7 with the Nike Sumo in 10.5 with stiff shaft and 7 with the Cleveland Hibore in 10.5 with stiff shaft. It became pretty apparent that it was going to be between the Sumo and Hibore, as I was averaging 255 - 265 yards with roll (pro said that you should add 10 yards to that because of the rubber tee??). I hit about 10 more with each and we plotted the shots on the monitor.

I had a draw with both shots, a hook on bad swings (sometimes getting up to 1000rpm of hook spin. Most of the time, I was getting 300-500 rpm of hook spin after pushing the ball 3 degrees right (yielding a nice draw back towards the middle). I had far more scores in the mid 80's with the Nike and was much more consistently in the middle of the "fairway." I wound up ditching my old r7 460 in 9.5 for the Nike Sumo in 10.5 with stiff shaft. Due to the hook spin and the really small stock grip, I went ahead and had a Crossline mid-size grip put on it.

I played with the Nike for the first time today and probably hit 6 or 7 of my longest 10 drives of the year. On almost everyone hole that I played driver, I was longer than I've ever been on the hole, including the #3 handicap hole (Mill Course), which is #7 and is a Par 4 that plays 400 yards but has a slight dogleft left that's very protected by trees. I'm typically hitting 3 wood and trying to get to the 150 birdhouse. Today, I flew right over the birdhouse and was left with 96 yards to the middle (SureShot GPS!!). Had I been able to not blade a wedge and/or hit an iron anywhere close to straight, I would have been in the low 80's today. Instead, I bladed wedges on #3 (leading to a double) and #5 (leading to a double). I completely mishit iron shots on #4 (leading to quadruple b/c it went OB), #7 (leading to double), #8 (leading to double), #9 (leading to par), #10 (leading to bogey), #11 (leading to bogey), #15 (leading to bogey), #16 (leading to double) and #18 (leading to triple). There's more, but you get the point. My drives were not an issue today, save for #12 and #18, but as an 18 handicap, I expect that I'll have a couple of bad drives in a round.

Now, I just need to figure out how to tell my wife that I got rid of the r7 because it was her anniversary gift to me last July (2006). She already got pissed when I told her that I went to the launch monitor to "think" about getting a new one :)

[Everardo]

Now, I just need to figure out how to tell my wife that I got rid of the r7 because it was her anniversary gift to me last July (2006). She already got pissed when I told her that I went to the launch monitor to "think" about getting a new one :)

Yeah I feel your pain and we're not alone

[dougj13]

get a shaft thats not as stiff with a little higher torque, and a bit softer tip. that should do the trick

[Buckswin]

get a shaft thats not as stiff with a little higher torque, and a bit softer tip. that should do the trick

As I understand it, and have experienced myself, a less stiff shaft would likely cause a more pronounced pull hook. Besides, I've already made the change and am happy (for now). We'll see if it's just the "new club effect" or if the change is a lasting improvement.