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Playing without a 3 Wood

• Timbo1984 818 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 1:12 AM

  So I played with a chap not long ago who was also a Tour Master and didnt carry a 3 Wood. Instead he had an extra wedge in his bag.

  With free rentals this weekend it's given me the chance to fiddle with this idea and try combinations of wedges and leave a 3 Wood out of my bag.

  I've only been playing St Andrews with this combination and found having an extra inbetween wedge helped massively. I have 5 wedges at my disposal. 50 yd 65 yd 85 yd 105 yd and my 115 yd PW. It effectively gives me a wedge for anything under say 120 yards, with very little adaptation required from my stroke setup and approach.

  However, I know I will be found needing a 3 Wood on some of the sites longer par 5 and even par 4 holes. Also when I eventually get to Legend Tier Im pretty sure I will have problems getting to some greens without a 3 Wood.

  But I want to know if it would be worth falling short on the odd green because I dont have a 3 Wood, but I will be sacrificing that, for greater accuracy on most of the other approach shots where I am under 120 yards.

  Im actually more leading towards the setup with a 3 Wood and just figuring out the math for the approach shots that fall inbetween my wedges. But this new wedge approach has proved fruitful so far. Still not 100% convinced about it though.

  And...Can you get away with this 3 Wood-less setup on Legend tee's?

• Yoda79 697 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 1:32 AM

  Hi there Timbo! I am currently a legend. But 'm a new legend. Just made it a few days ago. But when I was a Tour Master I went with the 4 wedge set up. And it worked beautifully! Yeah you gave up some yardage on some of the holes. But with a wind you CAN reach most of those greens in two shots. Of course this all depends on your irons. Now I saw you had the G10's and I can't remember having the 4 wedge set up with those irons. I currently play with the Burners (trying out the R11's for this weekend) and having 4 wedges I gotta say I didn't really miss my 3wood. The longest Burner iron goes 220yds. Plenty of distance with a bit of wind to your back. The only time I missed having a 3wood was when I had a wind in my face of around 5mph-10mph. In those conditions I would imagine a 3wood would go around 230 some yards. Well I'm talking the R11 that goes 240yds that is. Anything stronger than that wind I don't think it's going to matter what you have, your not making the green in two. If the wind was at your back at say, 10mph or so, then the 220 Burner iron should get ya there. So in summary, YES! 4 wedges is the way forward. Yo'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner! 

  Now that's off Tour Master tee's. I'm currently on Legend tee's. And I will say that the 4 wedge set up will work, ON SOME COURSES. NOT ALL. I'm not positive which exactly so I'm not even going to attempt to try to tell ya. However, a friend of mine believes he found a set up that would work for legends coming off those tee's. The new R11 irons, combined with the Cleveland wedges. Now, me personally, I'm not sold on the Cleveland's. I'm currently playing with them for this rental period and I gotta say I'm not impressed. I can do the same things with my Z Satins as I have been doing with the Cleveland's. Now maybe I haven't give them enough time. I don't know. I'm getting side tracked here. Sorry. lol. Anyways, I do think it's possible from legends tee's, and if your as stubborn as me, then you will find a set up that works for you. I'm thinking, MY perfect set-up is R11 Irons, with the Z Satin wedges of 110, 98, 77, 50yds. 

  Now maybe someone who has been on legends tee's longer than me can give better advice. 4 wedges on Tour Master tee's = YES! 4 wedges on Legend tee's = PROBABLY Hope this helps ya. Take care.

                                                                                                                 Master Yoda

• AceSinbad 54 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 1:33 AM

  I've been thinking about this very thing myself and my advice would be to buy the extra wedge, but also keep your 3 wood! Wedges are pretty cheap unless they are the high level callaways. And based on the course you are about to play, I would either substitute the extra wedge in or keep the 3 wood in play! Now, I'm not sure which course I would employ witch strategy on yet, but I do know that even with a 3 wood on some par 5's you still can't reach the green! And even if you do reach the green on the par 5's normally you are not left with a putt that is necessarily makeable for eagle.  

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 7:06 AM

  I never even owned a 3W until I got to Legend and that was before the CG wedges. Satin 110, 90, 77 and 60 wedges with a bomber driver and a 3i that went long enough to make up for the no 3W. It might cost you an occasional eagle try but you use the wedge many times more in each round.

  I'm now experimenting with how 4 wedges works from the Legend tees because of the CGs and the R11 3i that goes 225. So far, so good.   :-)

• PRIESTESS 10,721 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 7:15 AM

  I think you need that 3 w on Congressional Jim,Numbers 2 11 and 18 and are key holes,But i like that set up for anywhere else,:)

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 7:38 AM

  Funny you mention that, Tess-you're exactly right. Heh-I've been living on borrowed time with no 3W because I haven't seen the bad winds in your face on any of those yet.  I did get to play off p's drive on 14 into an 18 wind and couldn't get near the fairway or rough by the bunker.

  I would not recommend this in serious competition.  :-)

• devonnnnn 1,085 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 1:14 PM

  YankeeJim:

  Funny you mention that, Tess-you're exactly right. Heh-I've been living on borrowed time with no 3W because I haven't seen the bad winds in your face on any of those yet.  I did get to play off p's drive on 14 into an 18 wind and couldn't get near the fairway or rough by the bunker.

  I would not recommend this in serious competition.  :-)

  I tried only going two wedges before and I can't do it. I like the hybrid but from legend's it's just no good to me. I need my 50 Zwedge and my 75 and 100 CG wedge..I find that combo very easy to work with

• shortstroke25 116 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 2:09 PM

  Hi,my 2 cents I carry 4 wedges (115,100,80,50) gave up on the hybrid  about a month ago 3I carry's same yrds as hybrid did so no need of it . It all comes down to course management high winds make it tuff but not unplayable, 400+ games as a legend and still swinging (lol).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Fairways&Greens                                  

• jwhistler31 357 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 5:17 PM

  I carry the extra wedge, and dropped the 3w long time ago.  By the time you add the extra wedge, then the punch shot with them you are almost never in between clubs.  I would rather come up short on 1 hole per 9, and have the appropriate yard wedge for the majority of holes.  For the guy that commented about the Clevelands.  I've been playing the Z's all this time.  Used the upper level Clevelands this weekend, and will definitely go to them.  The difference is this- with the Clevelands I can go back to the 3w in the bag.  The reason is when you hit them if the club is little long with backspin off those clubs you can back the ball up 6 to 10 yrds.  Also with the punch shot on the the ball still stops dead, with the z's it rolls 4 or more yards.... 

• Hewsey 1,957 Posts

  Sat, Nov 26 2011 6:24 PM

  I have gone 4 wedges lots even with guys laughing, but some of the longer courses need the 3W.  Also I'm not sure you can go that route w/o the burners & their 220 3 iron