Loft of a 3 Wood: How It Ranges & Which Loft You Should Use

It would make golf much easier if every club had a particular loft that remained consistent. This is unfortunately not the case. The 3 wood in your bag may have an entirely different loft than the 3 wood in your friend’s golf bag.

Fairway woods adjustability can make the loft of a 3 Wood even more variable. It is important to understand the loft standard for a 3-wood and how it compares with what you play.

Think again if you think a 3-wood can only be 15 degrees.

 

What is The Loft of a 3 Wood Wood?

A 3 wood has a standard loft of 15 degrees. However, some golfers will play a 3 Wood as low as 13. Others may choose to play a 16- or 17-degree 3 Wood. When the loft gets higher, you will see more 4 woods than 3 woods.

The 3 Wood is designed to bridge the gap in loft between the driver and all other fairway golfers in the bag. A 5 wood with a 19 degree angle is best. A 3 wood should be around 15 degrees.

This loft gap is the best and most efficient way to get the performance you need when you need it most.

 

How the Loft Difference Changes Your Shot

A few things will be affected by the loft of your 3 Wood. These things include total range, forgiveness, and ball flow.

Total Distance

The loft of your 3 Wood determines how far you can hit the ball. The loft of your golf club will affect the total distance. The 13 degree 3 wood is the best choice for players who want to hit the furthest.

As the loft of a club drops, you’ll notice additional problems with forgiveness and spin.

Forgiveness

The loft of fairway woods is a measure of how forgiving they are. The 3 wood loft is better for those with higher handicaps who want more forgiveness.

The 3 wood is not an easy club to hit, especially if you are looking from the fairway. It is possible for even better players to have slightly higher lofts in their 3 wood.

The 3 wood’s shaft lengths are longer than a 5-wood, 7-wood, or 7-wood. This is another problem. You need to ensure your swing speed is able to handle the length of the club while still being able to make straight and accurate shots.

Ball Flight

The loft of your club will also have an important impact on your selection. Higher lofted 3woods will often produce a higher trajectory. A loft angle lower than a lofted 3wood will result in a lower trajectory and sometimes more roll.

Overall, the ball flight of a 3-wood is lower than other woods in your bag. With this club, you won’t have to worry about keeping the flight down.

 

How to Decide Which Loft You Should Use for Your 3 Wood

There are a few factors that determine the loft of your 3 wood. Golfers need to be careful about the loft gapping of their golf clubs. You will see large distance gaps in your game if your golf clubs aren’t properly loft-gapped. Here’s how I would determine which 3 wood is best for you.

Handicap

Golfers with lower handicaps tend to be more adept at hitting a 3wood well. A 3 wood requires a bit more precision and swing speed, so for some players it is a good idea to leave the 3 wood in the bag.

Put in a 5 Wood and take the club out. If you hit it better, it’s not worth forcing the 3 wood to work.

Lower handicap players can choose the lower lofted 3 Woods and use them to get a great distance off of the tee. Higher handicappers will require something with a higher loft to ensure it rises off the ground.

Lofts at Other Golf Clubs

When choosing a loft to fit your 3 wood, it is important to consider the lofts for all your other golf clubs. Consider what your current 5 wood is, for example. Most golfers have either a 19 or 18 degree 5 wood. Others may have a 17 or even an 18.

If your 5 wood is already 18 degree, you might consider choosing the 14-degree 3 wood to keep the gap between them larger.

Loft gapping is becoming an even more important issue in the golfer’s bag because the clubs continue to get lower and lower to give golfers more distance.

The Bag contains a number of woods

Some players will only have one fairway wooden, while others may have two or three. It may be a good idea to have a loft of four woods if you only have one fairway wood.

This could be as high as 17 degrees. It will bridge the gap between your driver’s driver and the long irons or hybrids in the bag.

If you have several woods in your bag, it makes sense to have a 15, 19, or even 22-degree wood. You can have some variation in performance by keeping the loft at 4 degrees between the woods.

Attention Required in One Area of The Game

All golfers have certain areas that require attention. Distance can be a problem for some golfers, while others have trouble with ball flight and loft angle. These 3 wood lofts are based on your golf game.

Alternatives to The Tee Box

A lower lofted 3 Wood is an option to a driver. If you’re one of those golfers who can hit it 30 feet left and 30 feet right, a 14-degree 3 wood is the best choice. You’ll likely get a bit more accuracy.

Launch Angle is a Concern

The launch angle of the 3 wood is important because of how precisely the ball must be hit to get it up in air. To get more carry distance, most golfers believe a higher launch angle is better for the 3wood.

To give your golf ball more flight, you can use the 16 degree 3 Wood if you have trouble getting it up in the air.

Golfers Who Need More Distance 

Some players are concerned about ball speed. If you don’t have enough speed, your 3 wood and 5wood may fly the same distance.

To improve accuracy and speed, slower golfers may want to add a wedge or hybrid to the bag. Distance will max out with certain swing speeds, and it’s not worth pushing it.

You want to improve your swing speed and increase your distance, so choose the lowest lofted 3-wood you can launch. Clubs that can be adjusted may offer some flexibility in terms of distance and forgiveness.