3 wood from the tee

Hi. I'm new enough here and have read many posts. I have a problem which I see as more mental than physical.

I am starting to get low 90's consistently on my local course which is a par 66. I'm able to dip under 100 on par 70/71 courses on my day.

What is holding me back from really scoring well is my tee shot on Par 4's and Par 5's. I am happy with every other aspect of my game.
I can consistently hit my 6i 155yrds and my pw 105 yrds (and all clubs in between). Any longer and I'm generally reaching for an easy 7 wood - instead of 5i or 4i.

Anyway - I am not using a driver off the tee yet - I just want to master the 3 wood first then I'll progress to the driver.
My problem is that I don't hit poor or weak 3 woods from the tee. I either hit 210yrds to 230yrds or I fluff it 30 to 50 yrds. Which can end up in trees or bush or deep-deep rough.

A good example is yesterday
3rd hole Par 4 (400 yrds) - fluffed, went left 50yrds under a tree. Still managed a 6 on the hole
4th hole (380 yrds) - fluffed again and into a drain - 3rd shot from tee, right and short into rough - managed a 7
5th hole (370yrds) - fluffed 70 yrds into rough. Still manged a 6.
6th hole (375 yrds) index 1 (great 30 foot mound for the green with a water hazard in front of the green). Tee shot topped, but went 170 yrds, managed a 5.
7th hole (330 yrds) - Short left into trees. had to take third from tee - same again. Fifth from tee - went right but playable managed a nine (that was a five without the brutal tee shots).

From that point on I said f**k it and just said I'm not worrying about it - I didn't hit a single bad tee shot with my 3 wood after that. I managed a 6 on a 480yrd par 5 after I landed on the green in three and it roled back into a greenside bunker. So 1 inch of luck and I was looking at a 4 foot putt for a birdie on that hole.

The sins of the front nine (a 54) couldn't be undone by the back nine of 42. I had no birdie and only one par on the back and had a few 3 putts - I just didn't leave myself impossible situations from the tee on the back nine.

I know I have the ability to hit the 3 wood sweet 8 times out of ten, but I just can't relax. I'm adjusting my grip - checking my stance, trying to keep the swing slow and relaxed, but it all ends up winding me up.

My teaching pro is happy with my swing - I was developing an out to in path, but she set that right straight away. I am very consistent at my lessons, so she is not seeing my "bad swing on the tee".

Basically what I need is advice on how to relax and focus on my 3 wood from the tee. I'm not looking for extra distance or better short game, just to hit a relaxed 3 wood off the tee that will go an easy 200 to 220 yrds...

Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated....

right first of all, i would go to teh driving range with the 3 wood tee it up and hit a full basket of balls with it. after that go out to the course and play a round. do this for a while and you will see much better results. this is the best way to practice.

couple things


go get a driver with 14 degree loft.....check your loft on your 3 wood make sure it isnt a lower degreed 3 wood.....try out 7 woods
ed

do not get a 14 degree driver. i will be not use to you in teh future, if u are getting a driver i recomend a 10.5 degree

I like my 3-wood, it is 15 degree and my driver is a 10.5 degree (not that I really use it yet).

k i advise you to ditch teh 3 wood because your course is really really short and you might not even need to use it (compared to mine) and get used to the driver

I'm not really sure where our advice is coming from Mizuno 1. My course is short - but I don't intend only playing there all the time anyway. Also, I want to have a good consistent 3 wood from the before I progress to the driver - there is no point running before you can walk...

k here. go to teh range with your 3 wood. hit a lot of golf balls. go straight to the practice tee and play a round. do this untill u start to hit the 3 wood very consistant and then when u have mastered it do the same as ur driver then you. the best part of my game is the driver. i take it to the range all the time and now i am averaging around 310 yards.

mizuno1

first of all...their is nothing wrong with getting a 14 degree wood. Most amatuers should hit a 14 degree driver. you may outgrow it...you may not. DOnt ditch the three wood. mizuno I respectively say that you are offering advice with little or no information. Go see a club fitter and get measured. Depending on a number of conditons they will get you a driver that will best suit your needs. Maybe even get a 3 wood with a little more loft. It is all about getting the ball in the air. From there you can work on shaping the shot.
any of the pro's here agree or disagree with me?
ed

atta boy del boy

You posted before I could
ed

k what i was trying to say was that why spend money on a golf club that you already have (3 wood) / paying pros to make u 1, when you have a golf club on you now and all u have to do is take it to the range and hit shot after shot untill u hit it perfect

as is stated before...most amatuers have a driver that's degree is too low.
secondly, you dont take a guy who wants to be an indycar driver and just throw him into an indy car. he works up from karts, to modifieds, to indy lights....etc.....but you and i couldnt tell him what is really best for him..that is why they have professionals
ed

I am no expert but I think you answered your own question when you wrote.

This is like when you are driving you car and have something weighing heavily on your mind. You can think about that for 10 minutes and suddenly realize that you have not paid much attention to driving, but you can remember changing lanes and most importantly not crashing. You can do this because the mind is incredible.

A sport psycologist has applied this to golf called "Clear Keys", and came up with the "32-ball Drill". 32 balls broken up into 8 sets of 4 balls. The first set of 4 - you concentrate on your technique with two practice swings then hit for each ball. The second set of 4 - you try to clear your mind (either using a key word & song, but it can't be about golf) and hit the ball without any practice swings. Repeat with odd sets like the first and even sets like the second set. (I am sure there are others on this forum that could provide more insight on this subject.) This is not just a one time drill but a drill that needs to be repeated over and over until it becomes second nature to clear your mind as you address the ball.

Versions of this technique have been used to centuries on other activities - "A Book of Five Rings" about sword fighting the chapter on the "Void" is like "clear Keys".

I've heard of the driving a car analogy - it's a good way of illustrating what I need to do. I am aware that is my problem. But, on the first Par 4 with a three wood in my hand it's a bit like saying don't look down when your on the ledge of a really high building!!!

Don't think about the swing - all I can bloody think about is the swing...

I'm looking forward to trying the 32 ball drill. Now to come up with a nice relaxing song - something from Damien Rice or possible an easy going U2 song...

Thanks for the mental drill - I appreciate it, it's just the type of thing I'm looking for.

I havent used my driver in about 4 rounds now, and I'm putting my 3wood about 265ish consistently, and on a great drive with decent roll up to around 290. I'm loving it, not sure that I'm even gonna put the driver back in the bag.