3 Wood the Hardest Club to Find?

[Bucki1968]

I’m curious if anyone else has experienced my particular club selection problem. I don’t think I have ever really found a three wood I really like. I recently got a new one (callaway) and will now see if it works any better than the various ones I have tried in the past and disguarded as junk. I used to go through sand wedges but I think I have solved that problem. Hopefully this will be my last three wood for awhile! Probably not☹️.

[scotth]

I had that problem years ago and tried every left handed 3 wood I could find.  Finally in their heyday tried an Orlimar Trimetal "strong 3" and have used it ever since.  It's about 20 years old and I still hit it from the fairway, and lately have been teeing off with it.  Besides my putter, it is probably my favorite club in my bag.

My greatest golf fear is that it's so old something is going to happen to it, and my golf game will be totally screwed.

Good luck!

[Patch]

My guess is the hardest club to find is the one that has the correct shaft, that is properly fitted to the golfer's swing. The club head might have a little bit to do with it, but the shaft, in my ooinion, is more important. 

On another note, we sometimes fly to Salt Lake City to visit my nephew. I keep a bag with 4 Olimar metal woods at his house. He has used those clubs a few times, and folks have offered him some sizeable coin for them. 

[Shindig]

I had that trouble with 3-wood when I was starting.  Problem wasn't the clubs, it was that I didn't know how to swing a club really, so of course I was having trouble hitting the lowest lofted wood off the deck.  And off the tee when I went there.  I think I used Roger Dunn's too-generous return policy through six three woods at one point before finding one I like (Cobra F-Speed).  And looking at it now, I wonder how I ever hit that thing off the deck.

Now, OP, you're a better player than I am, so I assume a 3-wood would go some good distance for you.  I had a recent fitting with Titleist for woods and was hitting their 4-wood past the 3-wood, even when accounting for shafts.  I ended up buying the 4-wood.  Granted, with the specs I end up with it will have something like 15.75 degrees of loft, so basically a three-minus wood.

Previous woods for me:  Cobra F-speed (3,5,3H);  Nike SQ (4-wood, 3H, 4H), Nike MachSpeed (3H), Maltby (various 3W,5W,hybrids). 

Woods are definitely the hardest for me to find that I like.  Or were.  I hope I like my new Titleist when it comes in.

Easiest for me was driver.  I've had four that I like (Cobra F-Speed, Mizuno something or another, Nike Dymo Square, Titleist 915D2). 

[dbuck]

My current 3 wood is the best I have ever had.

Callaway Rogue

[RayG]

On 7/9/2018 at 7:40 AM, scotth said:

I had that problem years ago and tried every left handed 3 wood I could find.  Finally in their heyday tried an Orlimar Trimetal "strong 3" and have used it ever since.  It's about 20 years old and I still hit it from the fairway, and lately have been teeing off with it.  Besides my putter, it is probably my favorite club in my bag.

My greatest golf fear is that it's so old something is going to happen to it, and my golf game will be totally screwed.

Good luck!

Yes- I still have my Orlimar TriMetal in rotation when I think about it. I will sometimes bag it if I know I'm playing a course that has a lot of wind. I can sting it off the tee and gets lots of roll.

[Piz]

The hardest club for me to find, to date, was a TaylorMade rac HT 7 iron with the red band steel shaft.  I had the whole set except for that one and it took forever.  Second was a Callaway S2H2 sand wedge to complete my out of town guest bag...that no one has ever played with except me.  3 wood wise...I have a dozen or so and finally bailed in favor of a 5 wood.

[1badbadger]

There is no question that a 3-wood is the hardest club in the bag to find.  Putters come-and-go, drivers can be replaced without too much of a problem, there are many good wedges on the market...but for some reason a good, reliable 3-wood is not easy to come by.  When you get a good one, play it until it's worn out!  My current 3-wood has been in the bag for around 19 years, and the one before that I played for about 6 or 7.  So in something like 26 years I have used two 3-woods.  I couldn't begin to count the number of putters I have used in that same time, or how many drivers I have been through, but I have never even thought of trying another 3-wood.

[Piz]

More evidence, I'm think, that all the necessary tools have already been manufactured.  The alchemical conundrum is locating, and identifying, the exact formula/combination of ingredients.

[cooke119]

I have a fairly old Cobra S3 3W which is my favorite club in the bag. I just hope it never breaks, I actually thought of searching Ebay for one just in case. I also have the S3 5W which I hit just as good. I can hit the Cobras off the fairway, tee, up hill lies, down hill lies, you name it. I remember years ago the guy at Golfsmith recommending them, I hit them at the store and fell in love.

[scotth]

On ‎7‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 8:17 PM, cooke119 said:

I have a fairly old Cobra S3 3W which is my favorite club in the bag. I just hope it never breaks, I actually thought of searching Ebay for one just in case.

That's a good idea!  Think I might start checking eBay as well.

[easyjay39402]

My 3 wood is also a reliable old friend. It is part of a 2005 Callaway X-Hot set, all of them (3-5-7) still in the bag most of the time.

As for the hardest to replace, for me it is an ancient TaylorMade 58 degree wedge that I once used for everything around the green. Lost it and have not been able to replicate it. Currently trying a Vokey SM6 58/12 with zero luck. Just doesn’t feel “right”.

[Bucki1968]

After two weeks with my new three wood....I’m cautiously optimistic. It’s a GBB fusion with a rogue shaft. Am currently looking for that shaft for M1 driver. I’m stunned how far I hit this three wood.

[Patch]

Another option is to just be fitted, and have one made to specs. Might be a little more costly than just paying for a ready made one, but the problem is solved. 

I was in Texas, and needed a driver. Went to some place, and had them build me one from scratch. Cost me $79 total. 

Edited July 17, 2018 by Patch

[billchao]

I play a strong 4w. I don't hit it as well as I should and I tend to use it in spots that I shouldn't, but when I catch it clean, it goes.

I'm open to replacing it but not actively looking.

[Valleygolfer]

I played and loved G10 fairways for quite some time. I had the 13.5°, 15.5° & 17° clubs. I switched them out depending on what course or tees I was playing. I got tired of forgetting to switch and haul all the clubs around so I decided to replace them all with one. I tried a mizzy adjustable 3 wood and loved it from the get go. I also got a cobra f7 seven wood and love that club too but I didn't even try it before purchasing. Honestly I think fairway woods are easy to hit, it's just that people try to "kill" the ball using them. 

[MGN]

On 7/9/2018 at 5:46 AM, Bucki1968 said:

I’m curious if anyone else has experienced my particular club selection problem. I don’t think I have ever really found a three wood I really like. I recently got a new one (callaway) and will now see if it works any better than the various ones I have tried in the past and disguarded as junk. I used to go through sand wedges but I think I have solved that problem. Hopefully this will be my last three wood for awhile! Probably not☹️.

I experienced the same challenge.  Finally realized I was more comfortable with a smaller head 3-wood and landed on Tour Edge exotics CB2 (15deg) with a Fujikura shaft about 8 years ago; love it and haven't looked back since.  A smaller head 3-wood makes it more comfortable for me to hit off the deck on par-5s and the ball goes a ton long.  I can work it both ways off the tee.  I play to a 8-9 HI; so in your case (playing to a 2.5) this 3-wood should not be a problem.  Best.

[cooke119]

On ‎7‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 6:09 AM, Bucki1968 said:

After two weeks with my new three wood....I’m cautiously optimistic. It’s a GBB fusion with a rogue shaft. Am currently looking for that shaft for M1 driver. I’m stunned how far I hit this three wood.

I hit my three wood as far as I hit my driver and with more accuracy. Now I know it is me not the clubs but still, I play full rounds just using my three wood. And by the way I hit it as far as the guys I play with who use a driver, (and they are all over the place).