Ditching 3w for 5w

[Davie81]

Always struggled with my 3 wood off the deck and tee and today was the final straw.

 

Is there any benefit of switching it for a 5w and will this be easier to hit?

[Kloeshuman]

It's a higher loft so it may be easier to get in the air, I love my 5 

[David in FL]

A lot of amateurs find that not only is a 5-wood easier to hit, they hit it as far, or even farther than a 3-wood that the struggle with.

Give it a try!  

[tristanhilton85]

@Bechambo carries a 5 wood in place of his 3 wood (although I believe he has hit set to more of a 4 wood loft). Maybe he can comment as to why.

[Shindig]

Yeah, I've been tempted at times.  If I'm swinging anything less than well, my 3-wood is often the first to go south.  I'm sometimes tempted to put my old 4-wood back into play too.

OP, what's the top of your bag like, both in terms of composition and distance?

[Piz]

My 5 wood is much more reliable, off the deck, than my 3 wood.  The only time I'll play a 3 wood second is after a poor drive, on a long par 5, when I'm fortunate enough to catch a near perfect lie.  That circumstance is rare to the point of being non-existent.  

[Grizvok]

Hmm this thread has me wanting to purchase a 5w to add to my bag. I only have 13 clubs right now and my thought prior to reading this was to go for a 60* wedge since my highest lofted club right now is a 56*. I think at this point I probably have more to gain from something like a 5w.

[Buckeyebowman]

3 hours ago, Shindig said:

Yeah, I've been tempted at times.  If I'm swinging anything less than well, my 3-wood is often the first to go south.  I'm sometimes tempted to put my old 4-wood back into play t

OP, what's the top of your bag like, both in terms of composition and distance?

Damn Shindig! You actually remember 4 woods? You must be an old crap like me!

I don't want to get rid of my 3 wood, I hit it rather well! I want to get rid of my 1 hybrid. When I hit it right it's amazing, but that doesn't happen often enough to keep me happy! I figure a 5 wood might be the ticket.

[arturo28mx]

Yes. 3 wood is not an easy club to hit. 5 wood is great club. When you totally master the 5 wood then maybe go back to 3 wood. 

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by arturo28mx

[Jack Watson]

3 wood off the deck.

I overswing so badly that I had to remove it from my bag.  

My playing partners told me my swing with three wood looks like crap off the deck.  Way quick.  Better for me to just get over that club.

[saevel25]

A good number of golfers need more loft anyways with their drivers and woods. They just don't produce the ball speed to keep the ball in the air long enough to max out their yardages. 

I easily see a 5 wood being more versatile and better for a lot of golfers. 

[Hardspoon]

I've used a 4w as my only fairway wood for the last five seasons or so. I definitely hit it better than the 3w I had before.

[David in FL]

1 hour ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Damn Shindig! You actually remember 4 woods? You must be an old crap like me!

I don't want to get rid of my 3 wood, I hit it rather well! I want to get rid of my 1 hybrid. When I hit it right it's amazing, but that doesn't happen often enough to keep me happy! I figure a 5 wood might be the ticket.

4-wood?  Meh....

I had a 2-wood waaaay back in the day.  

[Shindig]

2 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Damn Shindig! You actually remember 4 woods? You must be an old crap like me!

I'm old!  I'm like the cryptkeeper.  

I'm out of town for a few days for an extended weekend but I'll post some pictures of my 4-wood at some point if you'd like.  

[MarvChamp]

Shot a 92 teeing off with a 5-wood as a test. (My goal in 2017 is to break 90 on a regular basis so 92 is pretty good.) It was long enough and in the center of the fairway all day.  I also used the 5FW for several 2nd shots. My 3FW is iffy off the tee and off the fairway.

I WOULD like to find and try a 4FW, though. Once had a 5/4 persimmon which was a 4FW head and loft on a 5FW length shaft, and I just wore it out. -Marv

[Shindig]

16 hours ago, MarvChamp said:

I WOULD like to find and try a 4FW, though. Once had a 5/4 persimmon which was a 4FW head and loft on a 5FW length shaft, and I just wore it out. -Marv

Ping G400 Fairway 5 is 17.5 degrees;  that's closer to the loft of my 4-wood (17) than my or your 5-wood (19).

[mcanadiens]

This thread is personally ironic. Now that my club championship is in the rear view, I'm going to try to get accustomed to hitting my newly added 3W in situations where i currently hit my old 5W. So far it appears the 3W is potentially worth 20 more yards with about 2x the dispersal. If the longer club can become nearly as reliable, that would be worth something.

 

[Cards Fan]

Quote

Like many high handicappers I find the 5w easier to hit and control than my 3w. I carry a Cleveland  588 3w but mainly to hit off the tee on tight par 4s. My go-to 5w is an old TM burner with the stock Reax shaft in regular flex (very forgiving with a shallow face). I'm a senior who can't reach par 5s in two so I most often hit my 5w or Cleveland 588 hybrid for my second shot  , hopefully  leaving a short iron or wedge into the green. The guys I play with seem to be split 50-50 on the 5w vs 3w question.