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Forum Thread of the Day: “I think my 3-wood needs to go…but now what?”

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Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from Little Ned who is struggling with the 3-wood he had fitted for him and is looking for suggestions on what he should do now from fellow members. Little Ned only uses his 3-wood once or twice a round and feels like he may be wasting a spot in his bag, our members dish out their best advice on how he could utilize the club more effectively, while also giving alternative options.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • golfingfanatic: “I replaced my 3-wood with a 4-wood, and the difference has been remarkable. I feel like the shorter shaft, and the additional loft helps me a lot off the deck.”
  • dubbelbogey: “A quick and easy experiment would be to see if choking up on your 3w an inch or even an inch and a half makes a difference in your reliability of getting a clean(er) strike. If so, that’ll tell you something useful. It could be as simple as cutting the shaft (and maybe adding a little lead tape, if you’re worried about swing weight – to a lot of golfers it’s a minor factor) or steer you towards another shorter club, e.g. 4/5w or 2h. I do think the relatively small clubface and relatively longer length of a typical 3w are what makes them problematic for many golfers.”
  • reider69: “I just dumped my 3-wood for a 16 degree 2H. On my best hit I may get an extra 15 yards from the 3-wood, but so far I have hit over 10 shots on course with 2H, and all of them were in play and long enough. I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner.”
  • ohioglfer: “I was inconsistent with 3-wood on fairways until I got a Ping G. Not a strong 3W at 16 degrees, but manageable off the deck most of the time. This improved even more when adjusted to 17 degrees, effectively making it a 4W. Overall, I’m pretty happy with it.”

Entire Thread: “I think my 3-wood needs to go…but now what?”

 

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. ~j~

    Apr 30, 2019 at 10:51 am

    All. I cannot state this loud enough, without using all CAPS OF COURSE.

    I’ve hated 3w’s my whole golfing life. Never had one that consistently worked well for all my funky over the years injuries and swings.

    Just after Xmas this year, picked up a Cobra F8+ model of a 4/5w, and set it at 16.5* (A typical 3w HL). I smoke this thing 80-90% of the time 250y+, whereas with my previous 3w (TM Aeroburner black, HL), I’d get what I wanted maybe 3-4 times out of 10.

    The 4/5w, F8+ is 2-3 inches shorter than a normal 3w, and has the feel and versatility of my favoriate hybrid or greenside lob wedge.

    If you generally hate 3w’s, go try this Cobra F8+ 4/5w combo.

  2. Earnie

    Apr 27, 2019 at 6:38 pm

    Tour Edge Exotics Period!

  3. Rick

    Apr 27, 2019 at 10:03 am

    I use a 4 wood with a 3 wood length shaft. When my swing is off a little, I just choke down on the shaft. Hit some good shots, get my confidence back.

  4. Mike

    Apr 27, 2019 at 7:08 am

    I have a strong 3-W in my bag. I can hit it off the deck, but since the lies on my course usually aren’t spectacular, I found that hitting my 3-H (@ 17 deg) instead gives me better overall results. I agree w/ one of the comments above in that when I do “catch” it, I am about 15 yds longer than my best 3H. But as a mid-handicapper, how often do I really “catch” it? My course does have a short par 4 & a long par 3 which is where that 3-W is my go-to club, so I do have a reason to keep it in my bag. Besides, what could I replace it with? As stated, my 3H is 17 deg & already carry a lob wedge?

  5. Q

    Apr 26, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Quit golf

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Equipment

Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.

However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.

“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”

Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.

Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.

Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.

One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play one degree upright to help dial in his desired launch.

We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!

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Whats in the Bag

Zac Blair WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Titleist TSR2 (10 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Red 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade M5 Rocket 3 (14 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 757 Evolution V1 X

Utility: Titleist U510 (3)
Shaft: Aldila Tour Blue 85 X

Irons: Ping i210 (4-6), Miura MB-001 (7-9)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 58-08M @57, 60 @61), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (52-M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 105 X

Putter: Scotty Cameron prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

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Whats in the Bag

Martin Trainer WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Wilson Staff Staff Model (6.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kai’li Blue 70 TX

3-wood: Wilson Staff WLabs Prototype (13 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 80 TX

Irons: Wilson Staff Staff Model (2, 4-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Wilson Staff Staff Model (52, 56, 60)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: Bobby Grace Greg Chalmers Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

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