5 Wood Vs 3 Iron – Which Club To Use And When
The 3 Iron and the 5 Wood are two of the longer clubs found in the golf bag and both are primarily used when aiming for the green on a second or third shot.
The 5 wood has a larger circular head and generous lofts allow for high launching, and long shots, especially from the fairway.
The 3 Iron is a club that has been used extensively in the past but is begin replaced by hybrids more and more. It has a smaller more compact head and better players get quite a bit of precision from the club.
3 Iron Overview
A 3 iron has a slender and compact head compared to the large circular head of the 5 wood.
The 3 Iron has 21 degrees of loft compared to the 18 Degree of the 5 wood and the 3 iron is well suited to tee shots on par 3’s and shots of the fairway and light to mid rough when hunting for the green or for an advantageous lay up.
The 3 iron can also be used as a driving iron off the tee when looking for a precise and accurate layup.
Plenty of beginners will prefer a 3 or 4 hybrid over the 3 iron but better players will still keep a 3 iron as they target the green precisely with the smaller blade and they can also work the ball in a draw or a fade.
Golfers may also prefer the 3 iron if the tend to slice or hook a 5 wood a bit too much.
The 3 Iron is a quality club for those who can use it effectively in a number of scenarios.
5 Wood Overview
The 5 wood is one of the longest clubs a golfer can carry with its oversized head and formidable 18 degree loft.
The 5 wood is an incredibly popular club because of the distance it hits and how easy it is to get ball in the air from the fairway.
A 5 wood can hit the ball around 200 yards so it is a bit longer than the 3 iron but it may be prone to a slice or a hook for some because the shaft is usually longer than a 3 iron.
A 5 wood is a very popular club when you are trying to get the ball close to the green but the 3 iron can be more effective when hunting the pin.
A 5 wood can also be used off the tee on a par 3 but also from the fairway and light rough when seeking the green on a par 4 or 5.
While the 5 wood is a quality club for almost all golfers, it will be particularly useful to the beginner who can wield it effectively for long and straight shots
The 3 iron is great for precision strikers who can get the ball very close to where they are aiming, it is also perfect for pin hunting for all players who can hit it well.
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
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 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 slightly 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.
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 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
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 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.
Our Favorite 3 Iron – Callaway Mavrik
Callaway are a mammoth when it comes to high performing golfing irons and the Mavrik is one of the more forgiving clubs they have made, available in a max forgiveness, normal and pro version to suit all players.
You are going to get tons of distance with this alongside forgiveness and you can also work the irons quite a bit.
If you are in the market for solid 3 iron as a high to mid handicapper, we recommend theMavrik.
Distance: 94/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgiveness: 93/100
Feel and Control: 92/100
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
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Aidan Lehane here, I’m a Mid-low handicap golfer who has made tremendous progress in breaking 90 in just over 1 year of playing golf seriously.
I get out to the course or range as often as possible and review all the equipment I’ve come across on this blog.
