My Golf Bag - Why I Do Not Carry a 3 Wood
I won't give you a made up answer because the overwhelming reason why I don't have my 3 wood is because there is a club limit of 14 for official play. This rule is very interesting because while many of us hackers would improve our lie or write down a lower score, far less people would try to play with more than 14 clubs on purpose.
For historical purposes, I actually started with a 3 wood in my bag just like everyone else. In fact, I followed my friend's advice to use my 3 wood to tee off for almost the first 2 years of my golfing career. Sure, this advice is outdated because I found that the modern driver with the bigger club head are much easier to get decent contact and distance but the 3 wood has probably kept me playing this game early on.
In fact, it wasn't until 2 years ago that I started taking my 3 wood out of the bag because I got a lob wedge. Like most golfers (I notice the problem is worst with men than women), I like to tinker with my clubs and setup. I wanted that lob wedge and I ended up buying one. I'm no long hitter by any means, but I still found that the distances I hit my clubs are far enough for me to only have one fairway wood. Therefore, in my lob wedge and out my 3 wood.
Apart from the extra money I save because woods are generally more expensive than other clubs in the bag, I also save strokes because I probably can't hit a 3 wood consistently. I seldom need a 3 wood distance on the fairway and I'm willing to take the extra stroke for those rare occasions.
As to the times when I need a 3 wood on the tee box, all I do tee the ball lower, choke down just a tad on the grip and swing easy on my driver. I accidentally found this to be the most accurate club in the bag actually, and one where I would use if I want to hit the fairway on a tight hole.
After 2 years, I don't miss my 3 wood one bit. If you want to lower your scores, maybe you should try this too.
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I currently play off 1.9 and I highly recommend keeping the 3 wood in your bag against your recommendations. You’ll find that many people actually feel different about hitting the driver over the 3 wood when they first start playing or they are not confident with their driver. You’ll be suprised that taking that 3-wood away will not actually lower your scores. The 3-wood is indeed good for the fairways but it will benefit you on par 5’s more and you’ll find it’s the next alternative to your driver because that won’t always go good. Positioning yourself with a 3-wood is also a key essential to your game because it’s not always about getting your driver down there. Remove your 3-wood and your taking away the distance you’ll need.
As people come down they’ll realise that a 3-wood becomes much easier to shape and control with their game. They will also find that having a lob wedge is not always needed as their game with a 52 and a 56 is fine when they have the correct bounce on the wedges and they can work them the way they want.
- Carl
Carl: Thanks for the insightful comment and I appreciate this for the readers sake. I think much of the reasoning is based on the fact that you are a low handicap golfer. If you play with mid to high handicappers, their success rate with a 3 wood is just not that high. If you factor in the shots that they duff or miss hit, the benefit of not having it will increase.
I see that the 3 wood is only really missed for par 5s where I could’ve went for it in 2. Since I don’t hit it that far to begin with, I don’t really miss it at all since I rarely even think about going for it.
The extra opens in the short game and also the extra full club distance that the lob wedge wins over a 3 wood for me.
[...] My Golf Bag - Why I Do Not Carry a 3 Wood [...]
I absolutly luv my 3 metal. Most important club in Anyones bag. I use it off the tee, 2nd shots on par 5s, bump chips from fringe, tee it lower& farther back in stance against the wind, etc. My 3w. has the offset so I put distant enhancing yards down the fairway. I hit my driver real long & sometimes it gets me in trouble or it gives me a yardage too close to the green. So w/3 metal, I have perfect yardages w/my irons.
Thanks for the absorbing read! Alright playtime is over and back to school work.
I really like your post. Always been very informational. I hope you’ll keep up the good work and maintain the standard. Best of luck.