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3w vs 3hyb hell

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NullNomad

NullNomad

Golf Course Miscreant
Joined
Oct 21, 2014
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San Antonio, Texas
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Let me start by saying I feel as though the 3 wood and 3 hybrid are the two hardest clubs to fit. At least for me, it has been a battle for a long time finding one or the other that I am comfortable with and can hit well. Sadly, I am still on that mission. I have hit as many different brands, makes, models that I can get my hands on and still have come up empty. Golf is all about feel and I'm just not feeling it. This being said, I am curious to know if this is something I am alone in trying to get nailed down or if others have had the same problem with either of these two clubs. I would love to hear how everyone has addressed this, the process, and even what made you chose what is in your bag now.
 
Why do you have to carry a 3w? I hate 3w's and try to avoid them altogether. No reason to have a club that only works in theory.

More loft and a shorter shaft - that's what I'd recommend.
 
Have you considered a utility iron? I have always dismissed them, but both the Wilson Staff V4 and Callaway Apex utility irons are great.
 
Hawk said:
Why do you have to carry a 3w? I hate 3w's and try to avoid them altogether. No reason to have a club that only works in theory.

More loft and a shorter shaft - that's what I'd recommend.
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No particular reason on the 3w other than reach. I am not a long hitter and find myself in situations where I'm too long off the tee with the driver, or too short off the turf with any of my other clubs. The 3hyb I have how gets me in more trouble than it is worth and anything else in my bag keeps me playing catch up. Right now, I don't want to rule out any options.

Erky said:
Have you considered a utility iron? I have always dismissed them, but both the Wilson Staff V4 and Callaway Apex utility irons are great.
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I have not, I will certainly add that to my list as I try to solve this problem.
 
Have you tried the Cleveland 588 FW and hybrids. They are two of the best performing and easiest to hit fairways and hybrids I have ever hit. The x2-hot and G30 hybrids are very good as well. The 588 fairways are so good I would suggest you try the 7-wood in place of a 3 hybrid unless you just have to have a hybrid and this is coming from someone who didn't carry a FW until recently.
 
majBC said:
Have you tried the Cleveland 588 FW and hybrids. They are two of the best performing and easiest to hit fairways and hybrids I have ever hit. The x2-hot and G30 hybrids are very good as well. The 588 fairways are so good I would suggest you try the 7-wood in place of a 3 hybrid unless you just have to have a hybrid and this is coming from someone who didn't carry a FW until recently.
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I am swinging the 588 and the Classic XL this afternoon, so they are on my radar. I'll let you know how that goes. I always keep Callaway on the list, but none of their clubs have ever felt right for me. I'm not giving up on them, but the last time I had the x2 in my hands it just didn't match up. The G30 so far is on my short list as it has been the most consistent for me thus far.
 
I gave up the 3W a long time ago, not saying this is the way you should go, but I have gone 4W/7W then 4Hybo.

Easier to hit off the deck, and give me some options off the tee when needed.
 
NullNomad said:
I am swinging the 588 and the Classic XL this afternoon, so they are on my radar. I'll let you know how that goes. I always keep Callaway on the list, but none of their clubs have ever felt right for me. I'm not giving up on them, but the last time I had the x2 in my hands it just didn't match up. The G30 so far is on my short list as it has been the most consistent for me thus far.
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I actually hit the x-hot fairways better than the x2-hot fairways. Ping G30 is a solid fairway wood. I do think the 588 is an all around easier club to hit though. Tour Edge makes very good fairway woods but I haven't hit any since the xcg-5 came out a few years ago. You should be able to get some good discounts on the older clubs like the 588 model.
 
I learned that if I stop trying to murder the ball, I can actually hit these clubs well.
 
I have given up on 3W's and 3H's as well. I roll with a 5W and it seems to do me pretty well. I'm not a long hitter, so unless the fairway is very narrow, I'll usually hit driver ... and if it's too narrow I'll play to a number and grab an iron. The 5W is for those par 5's that I really feel I can score on, so want that extra bit of distance on my 2nd shot. I'm really trying, when I have a bad miss, to not compound the issue and pull a club that could get me into deeper trouble ... so if I flub off the tee, I grab my 7i and try to get myself at least 140-150 yards closer to the pin, get one good shot in and then see how I stand after that.
 
i remember reading one of the swing guru contributors to golf digest (maybe butch?) several years ago saying that very few amateurs swing fast enough with the proper angle-of-attack to maximize the benefit of a 3w, so we should consider a 4w or 5w, or maybe these new-fangled hybrids (the article was many years ago!).

i absolutely love my adams tight lies 3w. the loft is actually more like a strong 4w than true 3w, so it has a little more loft. it doesn't have a great feeling at impact, but it launches easily and i really like the lower profile.

as far as a 3h, i too have struggled with that club, and went with a titanium-face 4h instead because that would be a little hotter.
 
Why not split the difference and grab a 4W. Easier to hit and long enough to be a good replacement for the 3W. hoke down and you have a 3 hybo replacement. Just a thought
 
Tadashi70 said:
Why not split the difference and grab a 4W. Easier to hit and long enough to be a good replacement for the 3W. hoke down and you have a 3 hybo replacement. Just a thought
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^^This^^
I love my 4w - It does what a 3w does, just not quite as far, and does more than a 3h does!
I will say, tho, that (as with driver) if you can find a good shaft, that makes a HUGE difference in performance of both 3W and 3h. Moreso than the heads, IMHO.
 
Two suggestions...make sure you are trying different shafts. I sometimes hit a regular flex but got better results with my hybo in an extra-stiff. And, as some here know, you can take shaft differences as deeply as you want. There are guys and gals that spend TONS of time and money on shaft tech much to their benefit. For me, I go by feel and generally stick to manufacturer stocks but YMMV.

Second, two words: 5-Deep. The deep lets me use it off the tee on shorter holes or heavily angled dog legs and I've been shocked how well I hit it at times off the turf. In fact, more than once, I've hit the Cally X2 Hot 5 deep further from the rough than my drive that got me there, granted only on great, sittin-on-top lies, but it has allowed me to reach the green on some shots that would clearly have been a lay up (or what I would have called a lay up but was REALLY just as far as I could hit it!).

It can work, though. My problem is the opposite of yours...I have trouble deciding between the 5 deep and my X2 Hot hybo on similar shots. Most times, it comes down to confidence and lie, although the latter informs the former. Good luck!
 
OK let me say that in my short time here at THP I have fallen in love with this place!!!!

Thank you everyone who has replied so far, I love the input. As an analyst in my day job, I am all about information. Today is now going to be much more than me hacking at balls in the simulator at the area shops with a narrow view of just 3w/hyb.
 
katman said:
5-Deep. The deep lets me use it off the tee on shorter holes or heavily angled dog legs and I've been shocked how well I hit it at times off the turf. In fact, more than once, I've hit the Cally X2 Hot 5 deep further from the rough than my drive that got me there, granted only on great, sittin-on-top lies, but it has allowed me to reach the green on some shots that would clearly have been a lay up (or what I would have called a lay up but was REALLY just as far as I could hit it!).
!
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This is the primary issue I am trying to solve. At my home course I have plenty of chances to reach on short 5's, but there are several holes where the driver never leaves my bag because of sharp turns at the 180-210 range.

katman said:
It can work, though. My problem is the opposite of yours...I have trouble deciding between the 5 deep and my X2 Hot hybo on similar shots. Most times, it comes down to confidence and lie, although the latter informs the former. Good luck!
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:) This is exactly why I pull clubs out of my bag more often than adding. I don't want to second guess what I am going to fire off with.
 
Man this thread come up at a perfect time. I am looking at 4/5w or 3h myself.
 
pumbaa said:
Man this thread come up at a perfect time. I am looking at 4/5w or 3h myself.
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I'll keep it rolling as I spend today swinging clubs all over town. Maybe something will come up that will help you out.
 
Tadashi70 said:
Why not split the difference and grab a 4W. Easier to hit and long enough to be a good replacement for the 3W. hoke down and you have a 3 hybo replacement. Just a thought
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I did exactly this recently.... got rid of my RBZ 3 & 5 woods and replaced them with a cobra bio cell 3 hybrid set at 20 degrees draw and a cobra amp cell 5 wood set at 17* like a 4 wood. I only have one round in since making the switch thanks to the weather here but every shot I had with the wood turned out great and I was 2 for 3 with the hybrid. I was afraid that I would sacrifice some distance off the tee when I typically used the 3 wood but I didn't notice any loss with the 4 wood.... and off the turf the 4 wood worked great compared to the 5 wood that I used to hit off the deck.
 
NullNomad said:
I'll keep it rolling as I spend today swinging clubs all over town. Maybe something will come up that will help you out.
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A lot already has. I may pull my 3w now and just go for a 4w.
 
pumbaa said:
A lot already has. I may pull my 3w now and just go for a 4w.
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That thought is bouncing around in my head as we speak. Or at a minimum an adjustable fairway wood that I can work with.
 
Heavenwood anyone? Super easy to hit in an easy to handle package, may even help distance! Why bag something you struggle with just for the sake of bagging it? Play something you can hit and work from there no matter what the loft or number is on the club.
 
That is exactly where I am at after these quick exchanges. As long as I can fill this 180-210 gap I have with confidence, I really don't care what it is. :act-up:
 
NullNomad said:
Let me start by saying I feel as though the 3 wood and 3 hybrid are the two hardest clubs to fit. At least for me, it has been a battle for a long time finding one or the other that I am comfortable with and can hit well. Sadly, I am still on that mission. I have hit as many different brands, makes, models that I can get my hands on and still have come up empty. Golf is all about feel and I'm just not feeling it. This being said, I am curious to know if this is something I am alone in trying to get nailed down or if others have had the same problem with either of these two clubs. I would love to hear how everyone has addressed this, the process, and even what made you chose what is in your bag now.
Click to expand...

I struggled with the 3w aspect of my bag & I know it's a mental thing, but I cannot hit once consistently to save my life. Once I took a step back I realized I needed a club in that spot for a certain yardage and not because it had to be a 3w. So I looked at the loft options and found a 16* hybrid that I am comfortable with, it was easier to hit for me & forgiving.

I would say figure out what the yardages you are trying to get from that spot and select a club that is the most forgiving and that you hit consistently well.
 
I would go with a 4 wood and either a 4 or 5 hybrid.
 
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