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Left driver in the bag and hit 3W all day ... much better round. Ideas on 3W?

BuckeyeMark

BuckeyeMark

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Like the title said - gave up my ego and left the driver in the bag. Buddies hitting driver a long ways ... and often into the woods and/or next fairway. Several times their driver wasn't that much further than my 3W. I'm kinda thinking this driver thing has been scamming me - I don't hit it that great and yet I feel compelled to whale one off most tee boxes. That's a recipe for fail-age. I'm a HH that is (cough, cough) older than I want to admit (cough, 50, cough) and I don't hit anything far anyway. But I hit that 3W straight 95% of the time. My driver percentage is prolly more like 25% of the time (prolly not that good).

By the end of the day I'd had a much better round and I discovered how much fun golf can be when you're not in trouble off the tee constantly.

So now I'm all about the 3W. Tips on hitting a 3 wood off the tee? I'm teeing it pretty low - seems like if I tee it as high as a driver it pops up. Maybe I should hit my 3Hybrid - would that be better? How about a better 3W? My 3W is a Lynx (I think!) that has a pretty small head. Do they make a monster 3W like they do drivers or would that just get me back into the "I can't hit my 3W now either because it's a clone of my driver" thing?

Gotta admit - on those long par 5s it was so tempting to "just try it once." NOPE. Left her in the bag all day. Glad I did.
 
Golf can definitely be fun when you aren't searching for your ball constantly in the rough haha!

With regards to your equipment decision, I would look into Callaways line of "Deep" fairway woods - they have a deeper face so you might be able to tee the ball up a little higher and possibly get more carry. I just checked on Callaway Preowned and they have them on there ranging from $90 for "Average" to $122 for "Like New"

Good luck!
 
BuckeyeMark said:
Like the title said - gave up my ego and left the driver in the bag. Buddies hitting driver a long ways ... and often into the woods and/or next fairway. Several times their driver wasn't that much further than my 3W. I'm kinda thinking this driver thing has been scamming me - I don't hit it that great and yet I feel compelled to whale one off most tee boxes. That's a recipe for fail-age. I'm a HH that is (cough, cough) older than I want to admit (cough, 50, cough) and I don't hit anything far anyway. But I hit that 3W straight 95% of the time. My driver percentage is prolly more like 25% of the time (prolly not that good).

By the end of the day I'd had a much better round and I discovered how much fun golf can be when you're not in trouble off the tee constantly.

So now I'm all about the 3W. Tips on hitting a 3 wood off the tee? I'm teeing it pretty low - seems like if I tee it as high as a driver it pops up. Maybe I should hit my 3Hybrid - would that be better? How about a better 3W? My 3W is a Lynx (I think!) that has a pretty small head. Do they make a monster 3W like they do drivers or would that just get me back into the "I can't hit my 3W now either because it's a clone of my driver" thing?

Gotta admit - on those long par 5s it was so tempting to "just try it once." NOPE. Left her in the bag all day. Glad I did.
Click to expand...

Why not keep your current setup and demo something like a mini driver or 2 deep to see if it could replace your driver full time?
 
I had the same results on Monday when I played 27. First 20 played with a driver and couldn't find a fairway. Finally put it away and drove with my 4 wood for the last 7 holes and finished those 7 with 3 pars and four bogeys. Previous 20 holes I had 6 bogeys and the rest were others.

I hit a 4 wood a lot better then a 3 wood so maybe try out a 4 wood and see how that is. I tee it up to where the top of the ball is just a little bit above the top of the face. A guy I play with uses a taylormade mini driver so I would look into a mini driver of some sort. I think multiple companies make one
 
BuckeyeMark said:
Like the title said - gave up my ego and left the driver in the bag. Buddies hitting driver a long ways ... and often into the woods and/or next fairway. Several times their driver wasn't that much further than my 3W. I'm kinda thinking this driver thing has been scamming me - I don't hit it that great and yet I feel compelled to whale one off most tee boxes. That's a recipe for fail-age. I'm a HH that is (cough, cough) older than I want to admit (cough, 50, cough) and I don't hit anything far anyway. But I hit that 3W straight 95% of the time. My driver percentage is prolly more like 25% of the time (prolly not that good).

By the end of the day I'd had a much better round and I discovered how much fun golf can be when you're not in trouble off the tee constantly.

So now I'm all about the 3W. Tips on hitting a 3 wood off the tee? I'm teeing it pretty low - seems like if I tee it as high as a driver it pops up. Maybe I should hit my 3Hybrid - would that be better? How about a better 3W? My 3W is a Lynx (I think!) that has a pretty small head. Do they make a monster 3W like they do drivers or would that just get me back into the "I can't hit my 3W now either because it's a clone of my driver" thing?

Gotta admit - on those long par 5s it was so tempting to "just try it once." NOPE. Left her in the bag all day. Glad I did.
Click to expand...


Check out the Aeroburner 3-wood and the Aeroburner mini is coming out soon as well. It might be longer for you.
 
If I'm hitting my 3W, I tee it up and hit it just like an iron off the tee--the club is designed to hit off the deck, so I use the tee to make a "perfect lie" on the ground.

If I'm hitting my SLDR Mini Driver, I tee it up like my driver (top edge of the club lying on the ground is at the middle of the ball) and hit like my driver, but with the ball just a little further back in my stance than with a driver to compensate for the 14* loft on the Mini.

I definitely recommend giving a mini driver a shot. The SLDR one is on deep discount right now. I'd buy that over the Aeroburner just for price alone. I don't think the Aeroburner is going to be $200 better.
 
Why not keep your current setup and demo something like a mini driver or 2 deep to see if it could replace your driver full time?

um, this is a great question which I would have a great answer to if (1) knew what a mini driver or 2 deep was. MORE INFO PLEASE! what are these things known as MINI drivers?

and please tell me I can buy these and my game will magically improve. we all know we're just one purchase away from breaking par! HA!
 
I've gone through some good stretches of golf playing with just the FW off the tee. The problem becomes if you miss with that FW -- say top it and only hit it 100 yards. It really puts pressure on the rest of the game.

I think the solution (for me) is to try and learn to hit the driver better. It "has" to be more forgiving due to the larger face.
 
BuckeyeMark said:
Why not keep your current setup and demo something like a mini driver or 2 deep to see if it could replace your driver full time?

um, this is a great question which I would have a great answer to if (1) knew what a mini driver or 2 deep was. MORE INFO PLEASE! what are these things known as MINI drivers?

and please tell me I can buy these and my game will magically improve. we all know we're just one purchase away from breaking par! HA!
Click to expand...

Here is some info directly from Callaway Preowned about their "Deep" line:
[h=3]Product Overview[/h]When we brought the X Hot 3Deep to the Tour last year, it changed players’ games and won major championships. Now for the X2 Hot Deep, we’re raising the performance bar on the deeper face and Tour inspired shape, and we’ve extended our lineup to provide even more options with more distance from everywhere. And our Staff Pros can attest to this: they’re a lot of fun to hit.

  • [h=5]Deeper Face and Tour Inspired Shape[/h]
  • After all the incredible success that X Hot 3Deep had in 2013 ( remember Phil’s major win?), we had to go, well, even deeper this time around. That means a deeper face that Tour players prefer to create penetrating flight for more distance. That’s why it’s such a go to club for our Staff Pros.[h=5]Hyper Speed Face Cup[/h]
  • We made it thinner, lighter and more robust. It’s how the Hyper Speed Face Cup delivers faster ball speeds with more distance to make these clubs even longer. Yes, you read that correctly. Longer.[h=5]Improved Internal Standing Wave[/h]
  • The CG is precisely located, and because of that you’ll get more consistent launch and spin across the entire face. That leads to longer shots more frequently, which leads to you having more fun, which then leads to you playing more golf. You like more golf. We like more golf.[h=5]Improved Modern Warbird Sole Design[/h]
  • This is our best and most versatile sole design and it makes the X2 Hot Deep Fairway easier to hit from every lie. And isn’t that what a great fairway wood should do? We think so.
 
BuckeyeMark said:
Why not keep your current setup and demo something like a mini driver or 2 deep to see if it could replace your driver full time?

um, this is a great question which I would have a great answer to if (1) knew what a mini driver or 2 deep was. MORE INFO PLEASE! what are these things known as MINI drivers?

and please tell me I can buy these and my game will magically improve. we all know we're just one purchase away from breaking par! HA!
Click to expand...
A mini driver is essentially a 3W with a stronger loft and as larger face...to put it simply
 
BuckeyeMark said:
Why not keep your current setup and demo something like a mini driver or 2 deep to see if it could replace your driver full time?

um, this is a great question which I would have a great answer to if (1) knew what a mini driver or 2 deep was. MORE INFO PLEASE! what are these things known as MINI drivers?

and please tell me I can buy these and my game will magically improve. we all know we're just one purchase away from breaking par! HA!
Click to expand...
Taylormade SLDR S Mini Driver TP: http://www.golfsmith.com/product/30141294/taylormade-sldr-s-tp-mini-driver

Heck, we can meet up somewhere and you can hit mine if you want, I'm in south Arlington.
 
I don't know what loft your driver has, but have you thought about going to a 12° driver or higher? I know shaft plays into it too, but you gotta start somewhere. What if you kept everything the same with your current driver but just increased the loft?
 
I have a 13* strong 3 wood that has a smaller head than my driver. It is also about 25 -30 yards shorter ( than a good straight shot) with the driver.

The 3 wood is accurate 80% of the time. The driver only 60% of the time.

My new strategy is :

If a hole is wide open and forgiving, I hit driver.

If danger on either side 3 wood.

Also, the 3 wood is smaller and make me take more careful aim.

The driver is so big it is too easy to think " This thing is a tennis racket. I can't miss".

You can't miss, but you can miss-hit.

Try some of the new smaller drivers, and depending on the loft, you might do good with a 2 wood or 3 wood.

Jack
 
I played a 12 degree Amp Cell driver with a 43" fairway shaft last year. Felt like I hit every fairway last year with that thing. Best of both worlds, driver head at 3-wood length.
 
You may want to try choking up on your driver and see if you can't get the best of both worlds. A larger forgiving club head with a shorter, easier to control shaft. Just something to consider before dropping extra coin on a club you might not need.
 
rbarthle17 said:
You may want to try choking up on your driver and see if you can't get the best of both worlds. A larger forgiving club head with a shorter, easier to control shaft. Just something to consider before dropping extra coin on a club you might not need.
Click to expand...

and my wife thanks you...
 
BuckeyeMark said:
Like the title said - gave up my ego and left the driver in the bag. Buddies hitting driver a long ways ... and often into the woods and/or next fairway. Several times their driver wasn't that much further than my 3W. I'm kinda thinking this driver thing has been scamming me - I don't hit it that great and yet I feel compelled to whale one off most tee boxes. That's a recipe for fail-age. I'm a HH that is (cough, cough) older than I want to admit (cough, 50, cough) and I don't hit anything far anyway. But I hit that 3W straight 95% of the time. My driver percentage is prolly more like 25% of the time (prolly not that good).
By the end of the day I'd had a much better round and I discovered how much fun golf can be when you're not in trouble off the tee constantly.

So now I'm all about the 3W. Tips on hitting a 3 wood off the tee? I'm teeing it pretty low - seems like if I tee it as high as a driver it pops up. Maybe I should hit my 3Hybrid - would that be better? How about a better 3W? My 3W is a Lynx (I think!) that has a pretty small head. Do they make a monster 3W like they do drivers or would that just get me back into the "I can't hit my 3W now either because it's a clone of my driver" thing?

Gotta admit - on those long par 5s it was so tempting to "just try it once." NOPE. Left her in the bag all day. Glad I did.
Click to expand...

Shorter shaft and more loft in the 3 wood. Happens to millions of players. Go through a driver fitting and make the connection. Driver is still a must. It just has to be the right loft and the right length.
 
BuckeyeMark said:
and my wife thanks you...
Click to expand...

Heh. I had mixed success with that myself. I dropped woods altogether but I would consider going back to an x-stiff shorter shaft (or would choke up on one) because I have a quick transition. I figure a few swings with a choked up club would at least clear your mind that you tried everything with that driver.
 
I've been known to bench my driver during a round and just play 3W. As far as teeing it, I personally tee mine so about 25% of the ball is above the crown of the face. It works for my swing.

~Rock
 
There are a lot of very good things to be gleaned form your realization. First and foremost, golf is a heck of a lot more fun when you are playing from the fairway! The second is that if you are playing from the correct tees, playing fairway wood instead of driver is not a huge detriment. And lastly, play what works regardless of what others are doing.

I will have holes that I play fairway wood simply because there is trouble and I want to avoid it. I'll also realize that my driver is hurting more than helping and needs to be put on timeout. Couple weeks back my front 9 was awful with the driver so I sat it down and hit 3 or 5 wood the rest of the round, scored about 5 strokes better on the back.

Do yourself a favor and see if you can find a 3 wood or lower lofted fairway that you can hit well, if nothing else, having a fall back for a misbehaving driver is worth its weight in gold. Then when you are finally ready to tackle it, learn to hit that driver, long-term you will be better off being able to hit it, especially knowing you have a fall back if it goes sideways for a round.
 
I am a big fan of choking down on the driver, teeing the ball a little lower and taking an easy controlled swing. Its hard not to hit the center of the clubface and get decent distance. Its a good way to play early in the year or after a break and just get the ball out in the fairway.

With a 3 or 5 wood, even though the shaft is shorter, I can miss the face and mis-hit leading to shots going any which way. But a choked down driver almost always makes it 200 yards, even if hit low and with the ball tee'd low there's not much chance of a pop-up.

The easy swing takes a left or right miss out, at least one that goes OB...

I even use this method when warming up on the range. The first couple of balls with the driver will be easy swings just getting a feel for the big dog. Then as I take bigger swings I make sure the ball is drawing or fading. Once I have control of the direction with a full swing, then I let it out and try to hit to targets swinging all out.
 
This has been a super helpful thread. And I really appreciate everyone's comments. I'm going to try a bunch of this stuff - esp choking down on my driver.

But I would like to focus the thread, if I might, on hitting 3 woods and mini drivers. More on that would be a help here I think. What are mini drivers? Why better than 3w? Better 3woods that you have and think are the boss? Where do you tee your 3w? Can I get more feedback on that end of things? Thanks so much everyone. This is really encouraging to me!
 
BuckeyeMark said:
What are mini drivers? Why better than 3w? Better 3woods that you have and think are the boss? Where do you tee your 3w? Can I get more feedback on that end of things? Thanks so much everyone. This is really encouraging to me!
Click to expand...
Mini drivers are basically oversized 3 woods. Some have stronger lofts than a 3W (but not as strong as a driver), almost all have a taller face than a 3W to make the ball easier to hit off a tee.

I can't comment on better or worse 3 woods, I only own one.

I tee my 3W like an iron and hit it like I'm hitting off the deck.
 
Out of curiosity OP, do you try to carry your driver to a specific yardage, or do you try to hit it as far as possible.
 
if you can go to a golf store and hit lots of three woods. Callaway andTour Edge Exotics are my favorites right now, but there are lots of good ones out there. Like you my driver is in time out right now, so my TEE 3 wood is my doing the duty. As for how high to tee it up, you will just need to try different heights starting low and going high. I tee my 3 wood alot lower than my buddy does, but it will be different heights for different swings. Hope this helps.
 
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