Lowest Loft 3 Wood?

[JapanDave]

Hey all, I am looking for a low loft 3 wood. Preferably 9 or 10 degree is what I am wanting, however the lowest I have seen is the Exotics XCG5 3 wood @ 11.5 degrees. Anything lower than that on the market?

[SavvySwede]

9 or 10 degrees isn't really a 3 wood, but you can get a smaller headed driver to hit off the deck. Many woods today only list the loft so you could call it anything you want if you were so inclined.

[VOX]

Hey all, I am looking for a low loft 3 wood. Preferably 9 or 10 degree is what I am wanting, however the lowest I have seen is the Exotics XCG5 3 wood @ 11.5 degrees. Anything lower than that on the market?

Taylormade SLDR mini driver

[JapanDave]

Thanks everyone, as I suspected, not much around.

Cheers

[SavvySwede]

Thanks everyone, as I suspected, not much around. Cheers

Not sure sure why a guy with your swing speed would need a strong 3 wood for anyway. Were you planning on using it as a driver replacement?

[JapanDave]

Not sure sure why a guy with your swing speed would need a strong 3 wood for anyway. Were you planning on using it as a driver replacement?

Yes, I was hoping to use it as a driver replacement. I am swinging about the same mph with my current 3 wood with a 43 1/2 inch shaft and my accuracy with the 3 wood is much, much better. The problem is that the 13 degree loft sends it into the stratosphere. I can consistently get over 300 yards with the 3 wood and stay on the fairway with reasonable consistency with my current club, but wind really does come into play when it goes so high.

I experimented the other day by just using my irons and I was able to shoot a 76 (I did have a really good round though). The main difference was that I had no OB's at all, but on the longer par 5's I was struggling to hit 3 iron/3 iron to make it on the green in two. I would hit about 265 +/- 10 yards with the 3 iron and then usually end up just short of the green. If I can get a low loft 3 wood and hit it on the fairway and leave me a 5 or 6 iron for a 2 on, I have the opportunity to even lower my score again.

Anyway, that is what I was hoping to do.

[SavvySwede]

[QUOTE name="SavvySwede" url="/t/84588/lowest-loft-3-wood#post_1204504"] Not sure sure why a guy with your swing speed would need a strong 3 wood for anyway. Were you planning on using it as a driver replacement?[/QUOTE] Yes, I was hoping to use it as a driver replacement. I am swinging about the same mph with my current 3 wood with a 43 1/2 inch shaft and my accuracy with the 3 wood is much, much better. The problem is that the 13 degree loft sends it into the stratosphere. I can consistently get over 300 yards with the 3 wood and stay on the fairway with reasonable consistency with my current club, but wind really does come into play when it goes so high.  I experimented the other day by just using my irons and I was able to shoot a 76 (I did have a really good round though). The main difference was that I had no OB's at all, but on the longer par 5's I was struggling to hit 3 iron/3 iron to make it on the green in two. I would hit about 265 +/- 10 yards with the 3 iron and then usually end up just short of the green. If I can get a low loft 3 wood and hit it on the fairway and leave me a 5 or 6 iron for a 2 on, I have the opportunity to even lower my score again.  Anyway, that is what I was hoping to do.

You could scoop up one of the original big bertha drivers online for next to nothing. Small enough head to hit off the deck and the stock length is probably 43 and 1/2 inches already so you wouldn't need to cut it down and reweight it. Get one in a steel shaft if you really want to keep the flight down.

[Righty to Lefty]

The new Big Bertha Mini 1.5 can be adjusted down to 11 degree if you buy the 12 degree version.  It is bigger than a typical 3 wood so it will be more forgiving than a three wood and almost as long as a driver so that might be your best bet.  The aero burner mini and the sldr mini were much more difficult to hit off the deck but would be good options if you only want to hit if off a tee.

Here's a vid of a higher swing speed player hitting the Bertha Mini 1.5 in all the different lofts:

[JapanDave]

You could scoop up one of the original big bertha drivers online for next to nothing. Small enough head to hit off the deck and the stock length is probably 43 and 1/2 inches already so you wouldn't need to cut it down and reweight it. Get one in a steel shaft if you really want to keep the flight down.

The new Big Bertha Mini 1.5 can be adjusted down to 11 degree if you buy the 12 degree version.  It is bigger than a typical 3 wood so it will be more forgiving than a three wood and almost as long as a driver so that might be your best bet.  The aero burner mini and the sldr mini were much more difficult to hit off the deck but would be good options if you only want to hit if off a tee.

Here's a vid of a higher swing speed player hitting the Bertha Mini 1.5 in all the different lofts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udSfcydXzEk

That mini 1.5 may just be what I am looking for.  I am swinging about 135mph for a 43 1/5 length 3 wood so going off that vid I should be able to consistently get over the 300 mark reasonably accurately.

[Righty to Lefty]

That mini 1.5 may just be what I am looking for.  I am swinging about 135mph for a 43 1/5 length 3 wood so going off that vid I should be able to consistently get over the 300 mark reasonably accurately.

Damn.....well I hit at 13 degree X Hot 3 Deep 3 wood 289 total and I think my driver swing speed is around 115-120 mph so you will surely destroy a 11 degree Bertha Mini. I'd love to see a video of it !! In that video Rick hit one 295 off of a 116 mph swing so you are going to be 20-25 yards past that! I'm just waiting for the price to come down and I'm gonna pick one up myself.

[JapanDave]

Damn.....well I hit at 13 degree X Hot 3 Deep 3 wood 289 total and I think my driver swing speed is around 115-120 mph so you will surely destroy a 11 degree Bertha Mini. I'd love to see a video of it !! In that video Rick hit one 295 off of a 116 mph swing so you are going to be 20-25 yards past that! I'm just waiting for the price to come down and I'm gonna pick one up myself.

I will post a vid up ASAP. I just ordered it from Dicks Sporting goods.

[JapanDave]

I just got back from the range and the Mini 1.5 is it. It was such a good club to hit. I am very impressed. This will be replacing my driver for sure.

Here is a vid. The back net is 250 yards, some of these shots were over the net. Also I found the launch angle quite low for such a high lofted club. Swing speed with Doppler radar was between 132mph-135mph with a 44" shaft. (A few miss shots were under 130mph BTW)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbMV6aqOQF8

[Mike Boatright]

Glad it works for you! You should check out some of the instruction on this site your swing it a little flimsy and could use some balance.

[JapanDave]

Glad it works for you! You should check out some of the instruction on this site your swing it a little flimsy and could use some balance.

Not sure what you mean by "flimsy", but I am always open for advice.

Cheers

[Mike Boatright]

Lacking lower body balance and some upperbody torque overall. Good hands though I'm glad you like the driver.

[JapanDave]

Thanks. I will work on that a more.

[DWNance]

The TaylorMade Sim Rocket 3 wood is 14 degrees and you can adjust it down or up by as much as 2 degrees. I use mine at 12 degrees with a 45” shaft and move the ball back a little and hit down on it a few degrees to get it to about 10 degrees. I prefer it because drivers these days feel like big balloons.