The three Wooden and 5 Wooden golf golf equipment are two of the most typical fairway woods.
However does the common golfer want each of those golf equipment of their luggage to achieve success? When is the perfect time to make use of every membership?
Let’s dive into how they’re totally different and when to make use of every…
Desk of Contents
- The Fundamental Variations Between a 3 and 5 Wooden
- When Golfers Usually Use Every Wooden
- Which Wooden is Simpler to Hit for The Common Golfer
- Do You Actually Want Each of These Woods in Your Bag?
- What Sort of Shaft Ought to You Select on Your Fairway Woods?
The Fundamental Variations Between a 3 and 5 Wooden
Although there are plenty of similarities between the three Wooden and the 5 Wooden, these fairway woods do differ in quite a lot of methods.
Let’s check out a few of these variations:
1. Loft
One key distinction between the 3-wood and the 5-wood is the loft of every membership.
Most 3 woods have 15 levels of loft whereas most 5 woods have 18 levels of loft. This may occasionally not sound like that huge of a distinction, but it surely has a profound impact on the kind of shot a golfer can hit.
Why is loft vital? As a result of it determines how excessive a golfer can launch the golf ball. Extra levels of loft are wanted when a golfer must hit a larger trajectory shot.
2. Distance
Distance is one other space the place the three Wooden and the 5 Wooden differ. The common male golfer hits a 3 Wooden round 215 yards. He hits a 5 Wooden about 195 yards.
The common distance distinction isn’t practically as distinguished in girls golfers. The common girl hits the three Wooden about 150 yards. She hits the 5 Wooden about 135 yards.
So, it’s secure to imagine that almost all golfers will hit their 3-wood wherever from 10 to twenty yards additional than their 5-wood. That is due to the longer shaft size and decrease loft of the 3-wood.
Bear in mind although, that the added distance doesn’t imply that the 3-wood is your best option for all golfers. Being correct together with your fairway wooden photographs is commonly extra vital than sheer distance. What good is extra distance in case your golf ball finally ends up out of bounds?
3. Shaft Size
One other space that 3 Woods and 5 woods differ is shaft size.
Although each of those fairway woods have what is taken into account an extended shaft, a 3 wooden is often an inch longer than a 5 wooden. Most golf gear producers make 3-woods between 42 and 43 inches lengthy and 5-woods between 41 and 42 inches lengthy.
Shaft size impacts each distance and management. An extended shaft provides the golfer the flexibility to hit the ball additional. Nonetheless, golf equipment with shorter shafts often give the golfer higher management and extra accuracy.
4. Ball Place Throughout Setup
One other approach that these fairway woods differ is the ball positions that they require throughout setup.
For a 3 Wooden shot, you wish to play the golf ball about two inches away from the heel of your entrance foot. That is just like how you’ll hit your driver off the tee (besides that with the driving force, you place the ball instantly off the entrance heel).
For a 5 Wooden shot, you wish to play the golf ball about one inch nearer to the center of your stance than the three Wooden. This may assist compensate for the 5-wood’s barely shorter shaft and can let you make stable contact with the ball.
Regardless of which fairway wooden you select to make use of, be sure you are positioning the ball accurately in your stance.
When Golfers Usually Use Every Wooden
Finest Instances to Use a 3-Wooden
1. Off The Tee
For those who’re struggling to seek out the golf green together with your driver off the tee, the 3-wood will be the answer you’re on the lookout for.
For the reason that 3-wood has a better loft angle than the driving force, it’ll offer you a better launch off the tee and sometimes a straighter shot. PGA Tour professional Henrik Stenson refers to his 3-wood as “the golf green finder” off the tee.
The shorter shaft of the three Wooden may also offer you extra management over the clubhead. Numerous excessive handicappers discover that their slice isn’t practically as pronounced once they use a 3 wooden off the tee as a substitute of a driver.
This additional quantity of accuracy is useful particularly when you find yourself enjoying on tight holes with not plenty of room for error.
2. When You’re within the Fairway on a Reachable Par 5
The three wooden is the hardest membership to hit off the deck, even when you may have a pleasant lie within the fairway. Nonetheless, a good time to make use of the 3-wood is once you’re attempting to achieve the inexperienced in two photographs on a Par 5 gap. (Solely do that shot should you really feel comfy together with your 3-wood)
The additional size {that a} 3-wood gives offers you a greater probability of getting dwelling in two photographs. This offers you a uncommon alternative for an eagle putt. Who doesn’t love extra eagles on their scorecard?
3. When You Want a Decrease Ball Flight Because of the Wind
When enjoying golf, you must be ready to take care of a variety of climate situations. One in every of which is these annoyingly windy days on the course.
When the wind is whipping, you wish to maintain the ball flight of your photographs a lot decrease. This may maintain the wind from having such a dramatic impact on your entire photographs on the golf course. For the reason that 3-wood has a comparatively low quantity of loft, it’s an awesome selection for hitting these low stingers that may keep out of these nasty wind gusts.
Finest Instances to Use a 5 Wooden
1. Lengthy Par 3 Holes
Some golf programs have Par 3 holes which can be slightly on the lengthy aspect. A few of these holes will be wherever from 160 to 190 yards. Novices can have a tough time hitting their lengthy irons this far, so a 5 Wooden shot makes extra sense.
The additional loft of a 5 Wooden helps golfers hit excessive photographs that land softly on the inexperienced. That is excellent for a protracted Par 3. Numerous golfers additionally really feel that the massive clubface of the 5-wood makes it a lot simpler to hit than a 3-iron or 4-iron.
2. Out of the Fairway, Particularly for Novices
For the reason that 3-wood is so tough to grasp, most freshmen ought to use the 5-wood anytime they should hit a protracted shot from the golf green. The common novice golfer can get the ball within the air a lot simpler with the 5-wood. Once more, that is the place that three levels of additional loft is useful!
The upper loft and shorter shaft of the 5-wood permits golfers to hit excessive, correct strategy photographs into the inexperienced. With the ability to hit photographs like that may end in decrease scores and a way more fulfilling spherical of golf.
3. If You Must Get Over a Tree
Have you ever ever discovered your self needing to get your golf ball over a tree? It is a nice time to hit your 5-wood. On this scenario, you possibly can hit your 5-wood out of both the golf green or gentle tough.
The big face of the 5-wood will reduce by way of the sunshine tough and nonetheless depart you with the flexibility to hit a excessive sufficient shot that may clear the tree. By no means underestimate the flexibility of the 5-wood to get you out of bother on the course.
Which Wooden is Simpler to Hit for The Common Golfer
Most novice golfers battle to get the ball off the bottom with their fairway woods. By all accounts, the 5-wood is way simpler for the common golfer to hit than the 3-wood. Although each are very forgiving golf equipment due to their massive faces, the additional loft of the 5-wood makes it a lot simpler to get the ball off the bottom than the decrease lofted 3-wood.
The 5-wood can be simpler to regulate due to its shorter shaft. This leads to a decrease quantity of sidespin, which suggests golfers are much less more likely to slice or hook the ball with the 5-wood. Extra accuracy is at all times an excellent factor, particularly for mid-handicap golfers.
Do You Actually Want Each of These Woods in Your Bag?
It is a powerful query as a result of the reply depends upon the golfer’s swing velocity, talent degree, and private choice. Most PGA Tour golfers will maintain each a 3-wood and a 5-wood of their luggage throughout most tournaments. Nonetheless, most mavens will swap out their 5-wood for a 2-iron or a 3-hybrid if the course requires extra excessive trajectory photographs.
Novices and even most common golfers can be greatest suited to maintain a 5-wood and an excellent hybrid of their luggage and depart the 3-wood at dwelling. A 3-wood is an exceptional membership, but it surely’s additionally a high-risk high-reward kind of golf membership. These forms of golf equipment are greatest left for single-digit handicappers.
Each golfer is totally different, so there isn’t any proper or unsuitable reply. For those who use the 3-wood and the 5-wood for various functions and you’re comfy with each golf equipment, then by all means maintain them each in your bag.
What Sort of Shaft Ought to You Select on Your Fairway Woods?
Do you know that almost all golfers don’t put plenty of thought into what kind of shaft to decide on with their fairway woods? It is a enormous mistake as a result of shaft flex has a huge effect on each the space and accuracy of your photographs.
Mild Shaft vs Heavy Shaft
When it’s time to purchase some new fairway woods, be sure you take the time to experiment with totally different shaft weights. A lighter shaft will usually present extra ball velocity and thus extra distance. Since most freshmen and excessive handicappers have slower swing speeds, a lighter shaft could assist them hit the ball additional.
Nonetheless, a heavier shaft could give golfers extra management of their photographs. Golfers who’re low handicappers with quick swing speeds could favor a heavier shaft for the stable really feel and additional quantity of accuracy.
Graphite Shafts vs Metal Shafts
You additionally must determine what kind of shaft will work greatest for you. The vast majority of golfers select to make use of graphite shafts with their fairway woods. It is because graphite provides the shaft a lighter really feel, which is what most golfers favor as of late.
Graphite has change into so widespread that almost all golf gear producers don’t even provide metal shafts off the shelf anymore. Metal is way heavier than graphite, which often slows down a golfer’s swing velocity.
One constructive factor about metal shafts is that they’re often 20% cheaper than graphite shafts. Curiously sufficient, PGA Tour legend Tiger Woods prefers a metal shaft.
