Is the 5 wood dead?

[golfintheworld]

While I technically don't have a 5 wood in my bag, I have a 20 and 23 degree hybrid which in essence are my 5 and 7 wood  (though a rather strong 7 wood .)

[Typhoon92]

The reason the 5 wood works for me at my course is I can choke down on it, play it up in my stance...allows me 215-230.  My 4 iron tops out at 210.

Our one par 5 i can reach in 2 with it too.

[OrangeHog]

My 3 wood plays at 16 degrees so it's nearing that grey area between 3 wood and 4 wood.  From there I got into a hybrid instead of a 3-iron mostly because 1) I can't consistently hit the 3-iron as well as I do the hybrid and 2) I feel like the hybrid is more versatile for me.  Rough, fairway bunker, low punch shot...it can do a lot and is easy to hit.  I tried out a 5 wood in the past year and just didn't get along with it quite as well.  Maybe it was mental but it didn't seem to offer the same versatility that my hybrid does.  That said, I think it's a good option for some folks, depending on your needs so I don't think it's necessarily dead.  It definitely lost some market share to the uprise of hybrids, though.

Side note but I didn't carry a driver when I played in high school.  I tee'd off solely with a 5 wood with a whippy regular flex shaft and that thing was a bomber for me.  It was an old Dunlop steel head IIRC.

[Jakester23]

I used to always have a 3w and 5w when I 1st started playing back in high school so around 99. I stopped playing for quite a few years and when I got back into the game hybrids were already a thing. I upgraded my clubs and decided to go with a 3 hybrid and 4 wood instead of 3 & 5 wood. I've since changed my clubs again and decided to go 3 wood 3 hybrid. I just feel like I can do more with my 3 hybrid than a 5 wood. I'm sure the hybrid isn't as long as a 5 wood but I don't need a particular yardage on that end of my bag. Id rather have a club that's more versatile and sacrifice 10-20 yards. I can always choke up or hit and easy 3w if I need more distance than I get out of my 3 hybrid.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Jakester23

[Jack Watson]

I ditched my three wood and five wood last year.  For my home courses I use driver 17 degree hybrid then 23 degree.

The seventeen is almost never used.  Basically I need it for one specific tee shot on my home course.

I can hit a baby driver better than a three wood off the tee and I am poor at three wood off the deck.  There's a yardage gap in the top f my bag that hurts me on par fives but I have learned unless I fix my swing I am better off laying up.   I have a big mental block trying to hit high long accurate fairway woods.  Between the mental and physical it's better for me to just eliminate the club/yardage from my bag.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Jack Watson

[Jmdmbike]

I have a 5W, 18 degrees. My next club is 21 degree hybrid, so distance gap is ok. I like hitting the 5W off the tee and I do hit it from the fairway, although I usually prefer the hybrids from the fairway as I hit them more consistently. I've also play a 4W in the past, pretty much the same thing. Either way, I've preferred the 5W or 4W over 3W. 

[Pretzel]

I strongly prefer either a 3 iron or a hybrid to a 5-wood. I tend to hit irons more solidly than woods, hence my preference. I know many people find woods intimidating to hit off of the ground, so I would imagine most of the golfing public might prefer a hybrid to a 5-wood.

[Hatchman]

The 5 wood is an essential part of my bag.  Hit it almost every day tee and deck.  I just have to concentrate to keep my thumb steady or slightly turned down through the strike and not up as to flip it.

[tlazzol]

I have 5-wood (19 deg.), 3-H (21 deg.) and 4-H (24 deg.) in my bag.  The 5-wood gives me the height I need into the longest par threes that I play.  Pulled the 3-wood years ago and put in a 60 deg. wedge; that gave me more shots I could play around the greens.

[onthehunt526]

It seems to me, that those of you who still carry a 5-wood, mostly use it as their sole fairway wood. Most of us have moved on from the 5-wood as a compliment to the 3-wood. 

I don't even carry a 3-wood anymore. Well I sort of do in a way, my sole fairway wood is a 16.5° 4-wood. I just hit it better than I do a 3-wood. I thought of maybe putting an 18° 5-wood in. But decided against it. I have too many choices to make 14 as it is.

[dave s]

In the same camp as others who don't prefer low-lofted hybrids like 3- and 4-hybrids.  My bag has a 5-wood and a 7-wood, a 5-hybrid and 6-irons through wedges.

At this point in my game, easier and easiest to hit consistently is the name of the game.

dave

[Hategolf]

I don't think we will see 5 woods disappear any time soon. 

A 3 wood and a 5 wood, then a 4 iron is my set up.  My 5 wood is a trusted club in my bag for a 200yrd shot.  I tried hybrids but I don't find them visually appealing at set up. 

From the rough however, hybrids seem to gain an advantage over woods. Even a 5 wood from the rough is difficult to hit. 

Like most, hitting a wood of the deck was difficult at first until, I found that a good set up,maintaining good posture and sweeping the club is key. To sweep fast I need relax arms and soft grip, that helps with the release too. I found that letting the weight of the club dictate the speed is key, you don't  want to out race it or let it fall behind, that seems to work for me.  

For conservative tee shots in par 4s or even par 5s my 3 wood seems to save me a lot of strokes. To advance second shots they are great too. I do find my 3 wood still challenging for high soft landing in to the green shots, I am pretty certain is not the arrow but rather the Indian.

[WUTiger]

22 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

I don't know what it is, but it seems every time a certain model of fairway wood goes on clearance all they have is 5 and 7 woods.

Even at Second-hand Sports, the 5W and 7W in the barrel seem to have a lot less wear - or are new - than 3Ws.

Ah, 7Ws... I remember the 2004 US Senior Open at Bellerive as the year of the 7-wood. About half the pros had one in their bags as a long-iron replacement, and it became a discussion topic in the gallery.

2004 was the recent high mark for FWs, especially  the high-lofted ones. Within a year, the hybrids really started to take off as bridge clubs.

[azgreg]

The 5W is a great club, but for me I wanted 4 wedges so I ditched the 3W and 5W for a 4W.

 

[Loose Cannon]

I still carry a 5-wood... I think.  At least that's what it says.  A couple years ago, I got entirely too hooked on the adjustability of clubs.  Being in engineering/construction my entire career, I tinker way too much.  At 70+, I also need all the help at the top of the bag as distance loss through age becomes more noticeable.  I have a Mini 1.5 14 degree.  If I am hitting the driver well and it is in the bag, I'll take the Mini up to 16 degrees and drop the 3-wood.  If the driver is a little balky and needs time out, I'll take the Mini back to 12 or 13 degrees, use it as a driver, and carry both 3 and 5.  My 3 wood and 5 wood are adjustable.  The 5 is most generally screwed up to 4-wood loft.  If the 3-wood is in the bag, I'll weaken the 5-wood loft considerably. 

Yes, I carry a 5-wood.  Love it.  Have paralysis through over-analysis with all these bolts and screws, though.

[David in FL]

44 minutes ago, Loose Cannon said:

I still carry a 5-wood... I think.  At least that's what it says.  A couple years ago, I got entirely too hooked on the adjustability of clubs.  Being in engineering/construction my entire career, I tinker way too much.  At 70+, I also need all the help at the top of the bag as distance loss through age becomes more noticeable.  I have a Mini 1.5 14 degree.  If I am hitting the driver well and it is in the bag, I'll take the Mini up to 16 degrees and drop the 3-wood.  If the driver is a little balky and needs time out, I'll take the Mini back to 12 or 13 degrees, use it as a driver, and carry both 3 and 5.  My 3 wood and 5 wood are adjustable.  The 5 is most generally screwed up to 4-wood loft.  If the 3-wood is in the bag, I'll weaken the 5-wood loft considerably. 

Yes, I carry a 5-wood.  Love it.  Have paralysis through over-analysis with all these bolts and screws, though.

Oh my....  

 

You think waaaay too hard about this game!  

[azgreg]

40 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Oh my....  

 

You think waaaay too hard about this game!  

You ain't heard nothing yet. LC can go on and on and on on any number of topics.

 

[Loose Cannon]

2 hours ago, David in FL said:

Oh my....  

 

You think waaaay too hard about this game!  

70 and retired, what else is there to think about?  Aches and pains??!!  No WAY!!!!  I'd much rather be concerned if I need to move one of the weights on my R15 1/4" more forward or deloft my 3-wood 1 degree.... even though not a single screw change will fix a self-taught swing that makes Jim Furyk's look like a ballet dancer.

2 hours ago, azgreg said:

You ain't heard nothing yet. LC can go on and on and on on any number of topics.

 

Don't you have some golf to play before Arizona becomes hotter than Satan's home turf???  IOW, I thought you always read each and every word I ever typed on ST!!!!