To Tee or Not to Tee (3wood)

I'm a 3 1/2 year beginner of golf. I'm still struggling with something my instructor once said about using my driver. He said that in a normal round I may only really need my driver to tee off about 4+- times. He said I should really be using my 3 wood. I understand the idea now that I've played for awhile.
However, I'm having some confusion on when to use either (driver or 3 wood). As I come up to a tee box, I'm lookin out onto the fairway where several things come to mind.

1. "My buddies are using their drivers so should I?" I'm sure this is something I'm thinking about because my ego is setting in. Its one of those worries "If I use a different club will I still be repected?" I know I should play my own game but sometimes it's hard.

2. When viewing the fairway, it always looks wide enough that if I slice (right handed) I'll still be in play. I'm still working on turnover and follow through so my slice is still present with my driver.

3. I've chosen a target, but can I get the ball in that vicinity with my driver or my 3 wood?

So my question is this. What are the determining factors, when looking down a fairway from the tee box, to best choose whether I use a driver or a fairway.


Thanks for any help.

hi rgrchico
the best advice i can give you is to play your own game
hit the club that is more reliable!
check out the "how to shoot in the low 80's" thread on this site.
i use 3wood more often than not and drive longer and straighter than playing partners who are using drivers

Hello rgr,

For most par 4's, play the hole backwards. 350 yards? OK. Lets assume you take a 7 iron from 150. So, to get there, you'd have to hit something 200 yards. So, assuming 10 yard gaps and a conventional D 3w 5w 3i-PW setup, that'd be a 5 wood off the tee. Or even a 3 wood (that way if you mis hit it, you're taking a 5 or 6 iron, if you hit it well, now you take a 9 or PW). Your shot shape defines where you aim (hit a fade or slice? Aim left!) But the idea of hanging it out over trouble and hoping it comes back is one I shy away from. That's when I hit the majority of my straight balls

__________________
True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

Thanks lowpost42 and Slater170 those are great tips.

What I think I was eluding to was this.

• When I'm standing on the Tee box and I look down the fairway at the hazards around, are there really a set of detemining factors other then yardage that I should take into consideration? For instance, to me most of the fairways look wide enough to use a driver.
• Should I be viewing the actual short cutting of the fairway up to the second cut to determine what is considered wide and what isn't wide?
• Is there a fairway factor that is the green light for use of a driver?

Thanks Again.
You have some great knowledge.

hi rgr
if you hit a consistent slice then aim left of your intended target but once again i reiterate that its better to play the percentages and hit the 3 wood.
great advice from lp42 play the hole in reverse.
my favorite shot is a 100 yd 3/4 pw shot so i try to play the hole so that im left with that approach shot.
im using driver at the moment because its long and straight as soon as it isnt its going straight in the bag and ill use 3wood or whatever for the rest of the round.
in summary
1. ignore what your partners are doing!
2. ignore your ego!
3.play the hole backwards.
4. get rid of the slice
good luck and have fun

__________________
cheers slats
"Golf can best be defined as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle"

Hi rgr,

its not all about the driver! You have to develop a strategy as to how you are going to make par on every hole. I know this isnt possible, but by thinking this way, you will create good habits and improve your game. Look at tiger woods in the british open, irons all the way through three rounds. Thats strategy. I am sure if it was blowing a gale into his face the driver would have been out. So be sensible and enjoy

Got it. I'll beat this game.

Thanks to All who replied.

Personally, I'm not the one broken but all the golf courses are. No one asked them to put hazards in front of my slice.

I just have to play around the course faults.


I promise to Enjoy myself.
Rgrchico

How well do you hit your driver and how well do you hit your 3 wood?

Because a slice driver may not go any further and is often shorter then a good 3 wood and will usually have a worse lie and a worse angle to the green.

How comfortable are you with each one?

The other thing is that there is a diference between saying you may only "need" to hit dirver 4 times v. you should only hit the driver 4 times a round on this course.

I know on my course (6400 yds) I really "need" to pull the driver out on 3 par 5's (if I want to make a run at being on in 2) and 2 long par 4's or 5 times (if I am going to be on in regulation). The other 2 par 5's are too long for me to reach in 2 and will be a 3 shot hole regardless, the rest of the par 4's distance is not the issue. Now right or wrong I still hit driver on average of 10 holes v. 3 3 woods. Though if my driver is struggling that changes to about 8 or goes up to 12 if I have a lot of confidence in it.

I also play with a guy who only hits his driver on only 2 holes the long par 4's and he usually shoots 75's and he does not hit the ball that far just very accurate. I can say I do not have any less respect for him and if anything it is more agravating to see him make par after par with his 3 wood

One thing that might help in the future is to take your several rounds and go in with a plan to hit 3 wood on certain holes and see what happens or play the whole round which just the 3 wood. I think such a strategy does help one acquire a understanding of course management.

Bob

Thanks Bob.
Good advice.

Rgrchico

I hang around with a guy who can't understand why golf courses are built so poorly. If they have enough money to level the land, why don't they have enough to completely sod it? Why not take some of the dirt that makes greens all humpy and bumpy, and use it to fill in those sandy areas. Flatten those greens out! And while they're at it, buy some lawn mowers! Or spend some money on gas, and finish the job!

Now, back to your revised question.

As a fellow slicer, I only play driver or 3 wood (which I slice both of) if I'm sure that they won't bend off the hole. Otherwise, I think about 5 iron.

Of course, it would be so much easier if I could be hitting 9 iron from 150, and 5 iron from 200.

__________________
True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

You have been given some great advice here.

Just a few additional things:

If you tend to slice then the 3 wood will be better as it imparts more backspin that reduces some of the side spin in the slice

When teeing the ball consider hitting from the sides of the tee box so you have the full width of the fairway to work with.

Pick out an exact spot as a target not a general direction. Stand behind the ball and imagine the exact ball flight you want to reach your target, this will assist you in club selection.

Play cautiously for the first few holes, when you get a feel for how you are playing on the day you can consider whether it is the right decision to take on the hazard or lay the ball up.

Finally, enjoy your golf and work on losing that slice.

__________________
Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

Before I have confidence with my driver I would use a 3 iron off the tee. I then purchased a 1 iron hybrid club or as they used to be called a driving iron. I can hit this club just as far as I would hit my 3 wood, but not these days, I now know how to swing both my 3 wood and driver on plane and have just as much confidence of hitting the fairway as I do using a 5 or 6 iron. So I use driver whereever it is possible.