3 Wood Vs 5 Wood – Which Club To Use And When

The 3 Wood is one of the most common clubs found in any golf bag and the 5 wood is almost just as popular.

The Fairway woods are long and wieldy clubs with an oversized head, similar to a driver. They do however possess more loft and are easier to hit than a driver.

The 3 Wood has a stronger loft than the 5 wood and the 5 wood hits higher launching shots with less distance than the trusty 3 wood.

3 Wood Overview

The 3 wood is generally a club that is used off the fairway when trying to reach the green in two on a par 5 or a long par 4.

A 3 wood can also be used off the tee for short par 4’s or long par 3’s depending.

A 3 wood is also more forgiving than a driver in general terms and plenty of beginners will perform better off the tee all the time with a 3 wood.

The general loft of a 3 wood is 15 degrees and it is a treat to hit from a perfect lie on the fairway.The average golfer will hit a 3 wood around 220 yards.

It will have quite a bit more roll than a 5 wood as the loft is stronger and the flight path is flatter.

The 3 wood will have a home in almost every golfers bag.

5 Wood Overview

The 5 wood is also a very popular club in most people’s golf bag but it has been coming under increased pressure with the rise to prominence of the hybrid club in recent times.

The 5 wood typically has a loft of 18 degrees and an average golfer will hit a 5 wood about 195 yards.

If you want to go pin hunting from the fairway on a par 4 or par 5, the 5 wood is excellent when the ball is sitting up nicely.

Because the 5 wood has a higher and shorter ball flight than the 3 wood, it will stop dead more quickly without as much roll. If you are looking the keep the ball on the green it can be a better option.

Another function of the 5 wood is to plug the distance gap between the 5 wood and the first iron or the next hybrid in the list.

All in all, the 3 wood is a more useful club in anybodies bag. It can be used of the tee and off the fairway and light rough. It can be a replacement for a driver for many high handicappers.

The 5 wood is a great club when the ball is sitting nicely on the fairway or light rough and is better for targeting greens with its higher ball flight.

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

5 Wood Quick Facts

Category – Longer Club

When To Use: From Fairway, Tee Or Light Rough

Average Distance: 195

Longer Hitter: 215

Shorter Hitter: 180

Typical Loft: 18 Degrees

Club Importance: 92/100

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.

5 Wood Overview & First Impressions

The 5 wood is one of the nicest clubs to hit in the bag form the fairway, light rough and occasionally from the tee as well.

It has a large head with a manageable shaft length and a generous loft which results in a high long and straight ball flight.

When the ball sits up on the fairway is the perfect time to pull out the trusty 5 wood and it’s flight path is higher and we less roll than the club that is one up in the 5 wood.

The Average hitter will average close to 200 yards with a 5 wood so it is quite a long club in and of itself  and the next club down the line with be a 3 hybrid , 3 iron, driving iron or even a 7 wood.

Common problems when hitting the club would a hook or a fade and it can be down to a number of issues from shaft length to shaft flex or just the swing mechanics of the golfer.

A D Type 5 wood might help to straighten out a 5 wood’s flight path or else some lessons.

5 Woods have slightly become less popular in recent times due to the hybrid clubs gaining popularity and even finding their way into the professionals bags these days. Still the 5 wood is an extremely popular club in almost every bag.

One Club Up – 3 Wood

A Slightly longer and lower launching club than the 5 wood, it is a staple is every golf bag around the world. It is also quite versatile being useful from the tee, fairway or the light rough.

One Club Down – 3 Hybrid

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

5 Wood Selling Points

  • Easy & Rewarding Club To Hit
  • Long, Arching Ball Flight With Less Roll
  • Great For Long Par 4’s And Par 5’s
  • One Of The Most Popular Clubs In Many Bags
  • Higher Loft And More Forgiving.

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

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Who Are 5 Woods For?

The 5 wood is an excellent club for everyone to carry.

It is long, forgiving and easy to hit and it also covers key distances on the course.

The high arching stroke makes this club perfect for hunting the green on a long par 4 or on a par 5, it can be also be used from the tee for par 3’s or to lay up on a dog leg.

All in all the 5 wood is a key component in every bag.

Our Favorite 5 Wood – The Taylormade Sim Max

The Taylormade Sim Max range has a ton of quality features for distance, forgiveness and accuracy.

The Sim Max is not the latest model so you get it at a good price and it is competitive with any club in the game.

The sim max will ideally help high handicappers but the sim 5 wood will be perfect for intermediates.

Distance: 95/100

Accuracy: 94/100

Forgiveness: 94/100

Feel and Control: 91/100

Overall Score: 94/100

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