3 Wood Vs 3 Iron - The Ultimate Golfing Resource

3 Wood Vs 3 Iron – Which Club To Use And When

The 3 Wood and the 3 Iron are two of the longer clubs and in the past would have been seen in every golfers bag.

Both clubs can be hit off the tee, fairway and light rough effectively and a 3 iron is going to be more precise while a 3 wood is going to longer and more wieldy.

We don’t see 3 irons quite as much anymore, especially in beginner set’s where hybrids are begin favored more and more. The precision of a 3 iron will attract the better players still however.

3 Wood Overview

The 3 wood is the club that comes after the driver and for some golfers, it is the longest club in their bag.

A 3 Wood has a loft of about 15 degrees and it’s large sized head and sweet spot make it a great club long, high launching, arching shots with a good bit of a roll to contend with as well.

The 3 wood often acts as a replacement for a driver in many beginners and high handicappers who struggle to hit their drivers well.

The club is ideal for hitting the green in 2 on long par 4’s and par 5’s. It’s also great off the tee for long par 3’s and lay ups for doglegs.

The average golfer will hit a 3 wood about 195 yards.

3 Iron Overview

A 3 iron is a smaller and more compact headed club than a 3 wood and it has a lower flatter and shorter flight path than a 3 wood.

A 3 iron has been replaced by a hybrid in plenty of beginner sets but it is club worth carrying for anybody who can hit it effectively.

A lot of the better players will always carry a three iron because of the accuracy and precision they can get over a longer distance.

A three iron can be used effectively off the tee too to hunt a pin on a par three or get a good contact on the ball from light to mid rough.

The average player will hit a 3 iron about 180 yards which is just shy of a three hybrid.

The 3 iron is great for accuracy,distance and precision and if you can hit a 3 iron well, it can be a diamond in your bag.

The 3 wood is the more useful club these days because of the distance it hits and because of how easy it is to wield.

A 3 iron will generally suit players looking for precise distance but all players can benefit if they hit it well.

3 Wood Quick Facts

Category – Longer Club

When To Use: From Fairway, Tee Or Light Rough

Average Distance: 220

Longer Hitter: 235

Shorter Hitter: 200

Typical Loft: 15 Degrees

Club Importance: 94/100

3 Iron Quick Facts

Category – Long Iron

When To Use: From Fairway, Light-Mid Rough, Tee

Average Distance: 180

Longer Hitter: 200

Shorter Hitter: 165

Typical Loft: 21 Degrees

Club Importance: 91/100

3 Wood Overview & First Impressions

A 3 wood is one of the most versatile and useful clubs in a golfers bag. It can be used off the tee, the fairway and from the light rough effectively.

The club is like a smaller and easier to wield version of a driver with a shorter shaft, higher loft and smaller face. For this reason many beginners who can’t hit their driver properly use the 3 wood off the tee for better shots and more consistency.

If your driver is not configured correctly for your game this is an obvious conclusion and a higher loft will also suit slower swingers.

The 3 wood is ideal to hit of the fairway too and can result in long and range strokes. A 3 wood wont be able to hit it as well as a hybrid out of the rough however.

The 3 wood is a must have in nearly every golfers bag.

One Club Up – The Driver

The driver is the next club up from the 3 wood. It is the strongest lofted, biggest headed and longest hitting club in the game. It is also one of the hardest clubs to hit effectively.

One Club Down – The 5 Wood

Typically have 18 degrees of loft, the 5 wood is similar to the 3 wood in many ways, often hit from the fairway and light rough. The 5 has a higher more arching flight path with less roll.

3 Iron Overview & First Impressions

3 Irons have long slender heads and come in various styles from players irons, game improvement irons to distance irons.

A 3 iron is usually favoured by players looking for precision or else to work the ball with a draw or a fade.

It can often be used on par 3’s, shots from the fairway and light to mid rough along with shots looking for the green from a distance of about 180 yards.

Since the 3 irons flight path is low and quite far, it can be a great option in windy conditions to ensure the ball doesn’t get carried away.

The 3 iron is slighty less popular these days with many beginners and pros alike starting to favor hybrids.

A 3 iron can also be used in a driving iron format when looking for precision off the tee or in bad weather.

When the ball is sitting up perfectly in the fairway and light rough, it can be a pleasure to launch the ball towards the green with precision

One Club Up – 3 Hybrid

The three hybrid is a combination of a wood and hybrid with a thicker head and it results is a higher and slightly longer flight path too. Since it has a sharper leading edge, it can also be used very effectively from the rough.

One Club Down – 4 Iron

A common club that we see nowadays one down from the 5 is the three hybrid. Great for accuracy and distance from fairway and rough, it has a sharp leading edge for hitting from the rough, earning it’s name as the rescue club.

3 Wood – Selling Points

Versatile Club – Tee, Fairway, Light Rough
Can Be A Replacement For A Driver
Easy To Hit & Forgiving
Low And Long Flight Path
Excellent Club For Beginners

3 Iron Selling Points

Excellent Precision
Low Ball Flight, Good Distance
Great In Windy Conditions
Can Add A Draw Or A Fade
Great Off The Tee On Par’s

Who Is The 3 Wood For

The three wood has a place in every golfers bag for beginner to tour professional.

The high handicapper is likely to get the absolute most out of this club as it can be a replacement for a driver for some and can be a good to club for many who can produce their longest, straightest and most consistent shots.

A 3 wood also covers crucial distances on the course, so having your 3 wood will naturally allow all players to hit any distance within their remit by carrying a 3 wood.

Our Favorite 3 Wood – The Callaway Rogue

Their are so many quality 3 woods out their for to chose from but we really like the Callaway Rogue.

It was first released in 2018 and was upgrade in 2020 to encompass even more of Calaways top features form distance, to the stability of the club at high speeds, forgiveness and accuracy.

The rogue 3 wood has plenty to offer golfers of all levels and is available at a competitive price.

Distance: 94/100

Accuracy: 94/100

Forgiveness: 94/100

Feel And Control: 88/100

Overall Score: 94/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Who Are 3 Irons For?

Being honest, you wouldn’t be surprised to see a 3 iron in any golfers bag for it’s versatility and usefulness.

With beginners it can be a go to club or a club to use as a driving iron off the tee, while some beginners will prefer to use a 3 or 4 hybrid. It comes down to a matter of personal preference.

Better players are going to get more use out of a 3 iron as they are able to work the ball more for left to right.

They can also use a 3 iron to target precise locations on the course.

It’s long, low ball flight makes it ideal in windy conditions or as a lay up on a dog leg.

If’ you aren’t carrying a replacement hybrid, everybody should have a 3 iron in their bag.