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I dont understand......

jimsonjcat

jimsonjcat

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Why can I hit my 3 wood 235 yards from off the fairway, but can only hit my driver 210 yards off the tee. I hate how truly difficult this game is.
 
Maybe its the driver? Have you tried others?
 
A driver that just flat out doesn't work for you seems the most obvious reason. Whether it's the flex, loft or maybe just your swing with the driver there has to be a reason.
 
I dont understand......

I don't believe it's about clubs, loft...maybe right loft would help, but I'd say that with the 3 wood you are able to put more pressure on the ball and you get better launch. With the driver you could hit it too high or too low and just not get the distance.
 
can you hit the 3W 235 off the tee too?
 
jimsonjcat said:
Why can I hit my 3 wood 235 yards from off the fairway, but can only hit my driver 210 yards off the tee. I hate how truly difficult this game is.
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What loft is your driver? What is the shaft length of your driver? Connect the dots between the two. Hook up with a PGA Teaching Pro.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
What loft is your driver? What is the shaft length of your driver? Connect the dots between the two. Hook up with a PGA Teaching Pro.
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This answer probably hits the nail on the head, a teacher or a fitter would be the best bet to get that driver in line. If it is simply the driver does not fit it is a quick fix, if it is the way you swing the driver a few lessons will fix that too. Go for it.
 
I'd get the two clubs on a launch monitor. I venture to guess that your driver is generating way too much spin.
Could be head, could be shaft, could be combination of both.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
What loft is your driver? What is the shaft length of your driver? Connect the dots between the two. Hook up with a PGA Teaching Pro.
Click to expand...


Think this is the answer to go with. Have someone who can fit the club as well as look at the swing. I had a similar problem, but not to that extent. Ended up being too steep with the driver and generated a lot of spin. Had a pro fit me and during the fitting he changed a couple of things about my driver setup and swing. Ended up being just what I needed.

I would try and point it to just the club or just the swing at this point though without having a teaching pro's opinion.
 
Same thing happened to me and it came from backspin. I went from a 10.5 to a 9.5 and my distance increased.
 
Deni said:
Same thing happened to me and it came from backspin. I went from a 10.5 to a 9.5 and my distance increased.
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Glad that work for you, but I am struggling to understand ...

Wouldn't the 3 wood have more loft, and thus more backspin?
 
iSukGolf said:
Glad that work for you, but I am struggling to understand ...

Wouldn't the 3 wood have more loft, and thus more backspin?
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Loft does not equal spin...sure it's a major factor, but there's so many factors that define the trajectory, spin and speed that it is fully possible to hit a 3-wood longer than a driver if the swing performed isn't working together with the club.
 
It's probably a combination of a poorly fitting driver and a swing issue
 
I agree with getting some pro advice, either a lesson or fitting.
That's not as unusual as you think btw, the driver is still the longest club, with the least loft, and will still amplify mistakes regardless. A buddy from work that I play with sometimes hits his 3w OK, but a huge slice with the driver, the net result being that he might just as well have hit his 3w.
 
I guess it could be a number of reasons as mentioned . It would seem obvious to me that you simply hit far more sweat spot with the 3w vs the driver and could be due to a number of reasons. May be too long, try choking up an inch or so. May be your simply trying too hard to kill the driver. Many times "less is more" in golf lol. Could be something as easy and simple as that.
 
I was the same way until I switched to a 44" driver. Made a huge, huge difference in how well I was hitting the ball off the tee. I'll still hit one 40 yards off to the right probably once a round, but that's because I'm usually trying to hit it 300 yards, when I'm only capable of 230-240.
 
Its all about the attack angle. Go and hit on a launch monitor. I can guarentee that u hit it on the way down(negative) if u learn to hit your driver on the way up (positive attack angle) you will add around 20-70 yards depending on swingspeed and attack angle



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My guess would be that you are making better contact with shorter shaft


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Had a similar issue this season and tried many drivers to fix it. Turns out that I was (am) hitting down the ball but still managing 17-19 degree launch angle. I moved the ball up in my stance about one ball and backed her down to 9.5 degrees and I'm back to my 240 yd driving avg and obviously a major carry improvement with more rollout.


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I really am grateful for all the replies. When I head back to the range I am going to try choking up on the driver some and seeing if that helps. I have never been fitted. One time I went to a place to try and they put the impact tape on the bottom sole of the club and i hit the center of it with my iron and they said well you're good. I knew that wasn't nearly what all a real fitting entailed, but since they werent interested in earning the money I would have paid, I didnt take it any further.
 
I went to my PGA Pro years ago and said here is the story. I have a 9.5 degree driver at 45 inches. I often would loose my natural fade as a slice right. I also carried a 15 degree 3 wood at 43 inches, which I hit dead straight off the tee.

The connection for me then, from my Pro, with no way to have a proper fitting was to simply connect the dots so to speak. Shorter shaft and more loft = Good. So, I switched to a 12.5 degree driver at 44 inches with no swing changes and it was like night and day.

Since then I have been through a couple of good fittings, and it is fact that 13 degrees and 44.50 inches is optimal for me. Everyone forever thought only old men and the ladies used higher lofted drivers. At my current 13.5 degrees, I'm much longer (and a lot straighter) than I ever was with a 9.5 degree.
 
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