Need Help/Tips for hitting 3 wood

[Golfnut]

Just can't seem to get this club to work for me at all....starting to ask whether I'd actually miss it if it weren't in the bag as I hardly ever use it (mainly cause I know it will get me in all sorts of trouble).

Took me a few range sessions to finally start hitting my 3 hybrid/rescue effectively and now i'm starting to love it....most hits average about 165m, feels really nice with excellent ball flight.

Soooo, why can't I hit this bloody 3 wood?
Anyone got any tips or tricks......I've read a few articles that say you need to swing with a more sweeping motion but I'm not sure how to achieve this.

Do I really need it in my bag as I've played plenty of rounds with 480m+ par 5's and have never needed it.....although there is the odd occasion where I may stuff the drive up or hitting into the wind and leave quite a distance still to go......this is the main reason i'm persisting with it.

When I play with my brother, he hits his 3 wood beautifully which makes it a real weapon on Par 5's.

Feedback appreciated.

[adlo]

Easy solution around here. Buy a new one :lol:

I dont agree with the sweeping motion, from what I have read, the advice I have been given, and what works for me. I play the ball off the inside of my front foot and hit down rather than sweep.

Oh, and sign up for the WA Matchplay.

[razaar]

Without any info about your swing its difficult to say what your problem is, so I'm guessing here. It may be in your setup...fairway woods are not played like an iron shot where you move on to it to squeeze it away...with woods you have a feeling of swinging past yourself.
The setup with the 3-wood for normal fairway lies is to have the clubhead flat on the ground with the clubshaft pointing to your belly button rather than towards your left shoulder. There should always be a couple of practice swings to feel the contact of the sole bouncing on the ground, like striking a match. The feeling is one of slapping the sole plate down and up, which is hard to do if your swing has too much lateral movement. Stay back behind the ball (left side of the face behind the ball) and get the feeling of hitting past yourself.

[Golfnut]

Ah huh!....i'm sure there's some gold in there raz.....your right about my setup, I have been setting up like you do with the driver ie. hands in front of the ball, shaft pointing towards the left shoulder. I shall give those tips a try.

[oncewasagolfer]

after not using a 3 wood myself for a number of years and now struggling with it I can simpathise with your current prediciment. I have thought about leaving it out of the bag again as I was having trouble getting it airbourne off of the fairway as I was like raz said swinging it like an iron with my hands forward at address. When I moved my hands back towards my belly button the other day gee it made an instant difference and I was able to get the club into the ball at a better position and pick it off of the turf. I still need a lot of practice at hitting if off of not so good a lies but at least it has given me hope so I would suggest sticking with it and have a go at what mentioned.

[Golfnut]

Good to hear it worked for you OWG.....couldn't get any ball flight at all during yesterday's session leaving me quite frustrated....but there seems to be hope!!!

Thing is, will the 3 wood get me more distance than my 3 hybrid currently does??? Or is it meant more for a different ball flight rather than more distance.
Only hitting my driver about 200-220m.

[razaar]

Your 3 wood should be no more than 15 metres behind your driver distance. The standard shaft length for a 3-wood is 43 inches. The shafts in hydrids are usually 1/2 inch longer than their iron equivalent much shorter than wood shafts. It all relates to head weight, the lighter the head the longer the shaft.

[Minor_Threat]

Your 3 wood should be no more than 15 metres behind your driver distance. The standard shaft length for a 3-wood is 43 inches. The shafts in hydrids are usually 1/2 inch longer than their iron equivalent much shorter than wood shafts. It all relates to head weight, the lighter the head the longer the shaft.
I don't agree with the 15 metres bit mate.. The ~5º difference in loft generates a much larger gap than that. I would say there is approx 15% loss of distance between driver and 3 wood. So if you hit your Driver 200m, 3W = 170m.

[markTHEblake]

Grant, I was unable to hit a 3wood in 1983 and I havent had the problem since, with one easy simple step.

Dont use it anymore.

[Golfnut]

I don't agree with the 15 metres bit mate.. The ~5º difference in loft generates a much larger gap than that. I would say there is approx 15% loss of distance between driver and 3 wood. So if you hit your Driver 200m, 3W = 170m.

Which is how far i'm hitting my 3 hybrid :?.....why even have a 3 wood or am i missing something :?

[Golfnut]

Grant, I was unable to hit a 3wood in 1983 and I havent had the problem since, with one easy simple step.

Dont use it anymore.

I hear ya loud and clear there mate.....i'm determined to get this thing to work but if Minor_Threat is right, is there any point?

Might give it til the end of summer otherwise there will be a 9.5/10 Burner 3 wood for sale.

[Rusty]

what Blakey said - use whichever wood you can get up off the deck. try 4 woood, if not 5 wood.

[3oneday]

Just can't seem to get this club to work for me at all....


Easy solution around here. Buy a new one :lol:
Better one, don't use it. ;)

[adlo]

Better one, don't use it. ;)

OK, fair enough. Here is a better option though. Buy a 5 wood :D

[shazza_rs]

What loft is on the 3 wood?? EDIT: Just read your signature, its 15*..... Maybe increase the loft on the 3 wood and you might be able to get it in the air easier.

[Jarro]

Somebody once told me that moving the ball further forward in your stance was a good help for hitting fairway woods off the deck.

Pity i never remember this when i'm attempting the shot :roll:

[sms316]

Advice from jarro on golf is about as relative as advice from myself on triathlon.

***

Putting the ball back in the stance changes your angle of attack, which will get the ball in the air all right - straight in the air, with a heap of backspin. It will go nowhere.

[Jarro]

So, playing it a little further forward is a good thing then ?

[sms316]

So, playing it a little further forward is a good thing then ?
No. Playing it from the correct spot in the first place is a good thing.

[Jarro]

No. Playing it from the correct spot in the first place is a good thing.

Ok.

So how many pie-wrappers forward of center are we talking here ?

[sms316]

Even with the inside of one's front heel.

Of course the number of pie wrappers would be dependant on the width of the person's stance, which would equate to roughly half of the length of a piece of string.

[oncewasagolfer]

Good to hear it worked for you OWG

got some bad news, played in an ambrose yesterday and tried hitting the 3 wood off of the deck on two par 5's and topped both shots so dont take any notice of me:cry: I hit everything pretty shitty apart from holeing 4 monster putts I was no use to the team at all:smt093

[Golfnut]

got some bad news, played in an ambrose yesterday and tried hitting the 3 wood off of the deck on two par 5's and topped both shots so dont take any notice of me:cry: I hit everything pretty shitty apart from holeing 4 monster putts I was no use to the team at all:smt093

:( All hope is dashed now mate :(
I was sure your tip was the winner

[andylo]

I got this tip from veoh.com... or youtube.... one of those video website. I couldn't find it again for you :( I hope someone here saw it and able to pass it to you.

Assume you are a righty, put a 5c coin between your right hand thrumb (lower part) and left palm when gripping a 3 wood. Now swing the 3 wood but concerate on NOT letting the coin drop all the way thru.

If you keep your spine angle consistent (which allows your the bring the club head back to the ball) you should able to hit it pretty sweet.

Let me know if it works for you. Good luck

[chappy1970]

I had been hitting my 3 wd awful for quite some time, I did a swapsy with oncewasagolfer and traded my Sonartec for his Adams.

I have to say after a little tinkering I have never had so much confidence with the 3 dog.

Contrary to some of the previous posts, I play my 3wd a little back in the stance, about where I would play a 5 iron for example. Rather than a sweeping motion I am pinching the ball into the turf a little and I am getting great flight, distance and accuracy.

I can hit it with confidence about 230 mtrs, really have to go at it to get it any further and I don't see the value in muscling it, because other problems start to creep into my game then.

[razaar]

Not many handicap golfers can use a Sonatec 3-wood. They are considered a "blade" wood and were designed for the advanced golfer. The Sonatec woods came to Queensland in 2001/2002, the Aussie distributor was located at Carrara (his name escapes me); the Sonatec SS-03 retailed @ $600.00+, the driver for $700.oo+. If you tried to trade one of these clubs in now at a major golf outlet they would laugh at you. When I was at the 2003 US Open, every third bag had a Sonatec 3-wood, Jim Furyk won the Open with one of these clubs. My point is... just because the pros endorse a club and have success with it doesn't mean that a club is suited to all golfers. The 3-wood can be a difficult club to use off the deck for most golfers because it has to be caught just right. Almost all wooden headed drivers had a 43 inch shaft...so the modern 3-wood with its 43 inch shaft is really a metal headed driver up to the early 90s with a few degrees extra loft. So don't feel too bad if you are having trouble with the 3-wood off the deck, many low markers have similar problems.

[peter_rs]

I play my 3wd a little back in the stance, about where I would play a 5 iron for example.

I agree.

[chappy1970]

When I initially purchased the Sonartec, I must say that it wasn't that far behind the driver. I could hit it a mile and straight. I wouldn't say that it was any more difficult to hit than any other 3wd I've owned, my golf scheduled decreased significantly and I lost some muscle memory of the swing and lost confidence it my ability to hit it.

[oncewasagolfer]

When I initially purchased the Sonartec, I must say that it wasn't that far behind the driver. I could hit it a mile and straight. I wouldn't say that it was any more difficult to hit than any other 3wd I've owned, my golf scheduled decreased significantly and I lost some muscle memory of the swing and lost confidence it my ability to hit it.

If I'm swinging welll I can hit it great off of the tee would only be 10-20 behind my driver but off of the deck I havent had the same success not blaming the club tho.

[chappy1970]

OWAG,when I was hitting it well it was the bomb and I never hod trouble hitting off the tee or the deck. Largely due to the fact that I don't use a tee with the 3wd, so hitting off the tee or the deck for me is the same.

I

[virge666]

I play a Sonartec 3 wood and Hybrid and absolutly love them as I very rarely hook them. Sensational clubs.

Anyway back on topic . . . Why would you have a different swing for a 3 wood and a 6 iron ?

Why not use the same swing . . . ?

[Jarro]

Anyway back on topic . . . Why would you have a different swing for a 3 wood and a 6 iron ?

Why not use the same swing . . . ?

So hitting down on it and not sweeping it is the way to go 'eh Virge ?

[gazgolf1]

So hitting down on it and not sweeping it is the way to go 'eh Virge ?

Yep.....IMO. :)

[virge666]

So hitting down on it and not sweeping it is the way to go 'eh Virge ?

Well . . . I just don't understand why you would have "THIS" swing for a 3 wood and "THAT" swing for a 6 iron or anything else...

A 6 iron is under 38" long and a 3wood is around the 43" mark... so BY DESIGN it is going to be more of a sweeping action. And a 3 wood by design the ball is going to be forward in your stance more than a 6 iron, so again, shallow and more "sweeping"

So all the design aspects are helping you out . . . why add more ?

Hit it the same way as everything else if you ask me - the game is hard enough. Also check out the Divots than Pro's have with their hybrids and 3 woods.

Enjoy

[PeteyD]

I hit down with everything. Sweeping is ghey.

Get a glorified 3wood for a driver (13* Sumo!) and then a 4 wood. No 3 wood, problem solved.

[just]

I hit down with everything. Sweeping is ghey.

Get a glorified 3wood for a driver (13* Sumo!) and then a 4 wood. No 3 wood, problem solved.

What he said!

[JustSneaky]

Find one that works,I never carried one for years but kept trying different ones here'n there and found one.It nomatter now whether I sweep or hit down,great weapon imo.For tight 4's & long 5's

[andylo]

JS, what is your 3 wood and spec of it? :)

[JustSneaky]

Andy, it's a Snake Eyes Ti Viper,15*. mo (very hot face )

I believe it's the head that works for me. The shaft is out of a no name driver,and I just hacksawed it off put it in the 3wood (finished43").Originally just to see how it would go...It goes so good I dare not change. Only spec I have on the shaft is S flex Paragon,Lite Touch.

[PeteyD]

You are all class Sneaky :D Gotta love that method of shafting a 3 wood!

[JustSneaky]

I was in a hurry:oops:,but hey do you remember the first shot you seen me hit?,...that was it.

[PeteyD]

Wasn't saying it in a bad way! Whatever works. I have stuffed quite a few clubs mucking around with them.

[Golfnut]

after not using a 3 wood myself for a number of years and now struggling with it I can simpathise with your current prediciment. I have thought about leaving it out of the bag again as I was having trouble getting it airbourne off of the fairway as I was like raz said swinging it like an iron with my hands forward at address. When I moved my hands back towards my belly button the other day gee it made an instant difference and I was able to get the club into the ball at a better position and pick it off of the turf. I still need a lot of practice at hitting if off of not so good a lies but at least it has given me hope so I would suggest sticking with it and have a go at what mentioned.

Managed to squeeze in 9 holes this arvo at Fremantle public followed by a session on the range. The 9 hole course at Freo has no par5's so most holes it's driver then short/mid iron to the green (assuming all shots go to plan that is :roll:) so didn't have any need to pull out the 3 wood.

Spent a fair bit on time with the 3 wood on the range and suprisingly had some success; 3 wood off the tee: WOW this club does work, hit most dead straight with a nice mid to low ball flight, a couple went close to 200m with most around the 190m. Of the deck....hmmm slightly different story but still managed to get about 70% of the shots away to a decent distance (170m). Used the tips as per OWAG above and the other tips from razaar too....these seemed to work a treat so thanks fellas....andylo, couldn't quite visualise what you were suggesting :-s...now i've just got to transfer this to a real round but i'll be sqeezing in somemore practice before i'm brave enough to use it during a game.

Loving my 3 hybrid though, used it on a very very tight (trees on both sides & boundary fence on the left) par 4 with a small bushy tree in the middle and got this away brilliantly,low and flat....was putting for birdie but par'd the hole which i've never done before :mrgreen:

[virge666]

Of the deck....hmmm slightly different story but still managed to get about 70% of the shots away to a decent distance (170m).

You can try playing around with your ball position. The fact that you can hit it off the tee with a lowish ball flight show you are still hitting up on it.

Just play around, hitting silly shots untill you get a good feeling of really squishing that ball into the turf. See if you can take a divot with the 3 wood...

Just play around and experiment... see what happens . ..

Enjoy

[Golfnut]

You can try playing around with your ball position. The fact that you can hit it off the tee with a lowish ball flight show you are still hitting up on it.

Just play around, hitting silly shots untill you get a good feeling of really squishing that ball into the turf. See if you can take a divot with the 3 wood...

Just play around and experiment... see what happens . ..

Enjoy

Tried the 3 wood off the tee today on the same tight par 4 as yesterday but ended up topping the b@stard so it only went about 60m (straight though)....I think I should have tee'd it up a bit higher but i'm trying to get into the routine of hitting it off the deck....next shot, same club....topped it again but not as bad and got about 120m out of it.....and that was it for the day although I was tempted to try it to tee off with instead of my big dog but scores weren't looking too flash so I went back to what I know.....slicing :( ;)

[eddy]

Without any info about your swing its difficult to say what your problem is, so I'm guessing here. It may be in your setup...fairway woods are not played like an iron shot where you move on to it to squeeze it away...with woods you have a feeling of swinging past yourself.
The setup with the 3-wood for normal fairway lies is to have the clubhead flat on the ground with the clubshaft pointing to your belly button rather than towards your left shoulder. There should always be a couple of practice swings to feel the contact of the sole bouncing on the ground, like striking a match. The feeling is one of slapping the sole plate down and up, which is hard to do if your swing has too much lateral movement. Stay back behind the ball (left side of the face behind the ball) and get the feeling of hitting past yourself.

Having the butt of your 3 wood pointing at your belly button in a preferred 3 wood set-up is rather, well very odd.

[razaar]

Having the butt of your 3 wood pointing at your belly button in a preferred 3 wood set-up is rather, well very odd.

Not really, for good fairway shots the clubhead should sit flat on the ground. If you push the hands too far to the left at address, the club sits on its front edge with the back of the clubhead up, encouraging a downward strike (ball divot contact). This is the technique for hitting out of a divot or depression with a more lofted wood, but not with a 3-wood from a good lie. I would advise against using a 3-wood from a poor lie.

[TheTrueReview]

... I would advise against using a 3-wood from a poor lie.

What do you recommend Razaar; a hybrid on a poor lie?

[Golfnut]

That's what I use....good for smashing through thick rough...they also make good divots too ;)

[adlo]

What do you recommend Razaar; a hybrid on a poor lie?
Compression, compression, compression....

[razaar]

Something with loft more than 17* that will give you ball /divot contact and you are confident in hitting. Hybrids also come in low lofts; a good rule to remember is that loft reduces side spin, more loft = less side spin = less sideways movement in the air. Bad lies require recovery shots and a risk/reward assessment.

[PeteyD]

Compression, compression, compression....


What happened to Rest, Ice and Elevation?

[perci]

What happened to Rest, Ice and Elevation?

What happened to Beer more Beer and just hit the the bloody thing?

[PeteyD]

We can't all adopt the Perci rehabilitation regeme :D

[OMG]

In response to the original question, there is a very good coach down the gold coast, at the Glades unless he has moved.

[Golfnut]

Little bit too far to travel OMG....but thanks anyway.

Hitting my 3W a lot better now which is helping me tremendously on long Par 5's....GIR's are getting a bit easier to reach with less pressure on my 3rd iron shot.
The "pointing the butt towards the belly button" and "slapping the sole plate down" is what's working for me from most lies.

Thanks for the help all, i'm sure it will improve further, now I have the confidence to pull it out.....the 3 wood that is :)

[Grunt]

Another tip for hitting a good 3 wood is don't , get yourself a 4 wood.

[Webster]

and a 7 wood

[Grunt]

and a 7 wood
Could be the next club in the bag for me Jack, thing is I am hitting my 3i Hybrid ok at the moment and that is where the 7 would slip in, isn't it?

[Jarro]

I tried moving my hands back a bit at address and found instant success with hitting the 3 wood from the turf.

Thanks for the tip OzGolf 8)