Instruction
Is your 3 wood really more accurate than your driver off the tee?
When I’m struggling with my driver, I’ll switch to a 3 wood off the tee for more control. Along with many others, I first learned this strategy from Jack Nicklaus in his prime.
During a lesson the other day, I suggested that a student try the same thing. He countered by saying that hitting a 3 wood off the tee does not work in today’s game, because the courses have become too long. In fact, he went on to say that most people don’t hit their 3 wood as accurately as they think and it’s not worth losing the “30 to 40 yards” when hitting 3 wood.
I stepped back for a second and thought, “Does he have a point? Is my information outdated?”
Later on, I decided to grab my Trackman 4 and a few random players and had them hit shots to see what really happened when they hit their driver and 3 wood off the tee. Below is the data I captured from two different players who hit their driver against their three wood.
Player 1: Driver
- The driver carried an average of 238.9 yards.
- It rolled out to a distance of 258.8 yards, on average.
- The average miss was 24.0 feet to the right.
Player 1: 3 Wood
- His three wood carried an average of 230.0 yards.
- It rolled out to 246.5 yards, on average.
- The misses averaged out to 10.2 feet left.
Player 1: Driver vs. 3 Wood
This player tends to miss his driver to the right, while he tends to hit the three wood in both directions, but generally closer to the target than the driver.
There wasn’t much difference between the two clubs on the carry side, only 8.9 yards, which tells me that the driver isn’t fit correctly for this student because his carry is too short for his club head speed of 102-104 mph.
Giving up yardage could mean too long of an approach shot into the green for this player, and for that reason he will likely be better off hitting driver off the tee — especially if trouble looms on the left. His misses also went consistently farther with the driver, thanks to its more forgiving, 460-cubic-centimeter head. Even the largest fairway woods are usually less than half that size, and for that reason they’re less-forgiving clubs.
Conclusion for Player 1
There is no doubt that Player 1’s 3 wood shots were indeed the better when it comes to accuracy, since this player’s miss average was 10.2 feet left. His biggest miss with the three wood was only 44.9 feet left versus 61.4 feet right with the driver. His lack of distance, however, makes driver a better choice in most cases, and his driving would likely be improved by custom fitting.
Player 2: Driver
- Carry distance of the driver was 261.7 yards and the overall total was 285 yards.
- This player has a big miss left with his driver.
- The average miss was 66.7 feet left with the three biggest misses being 151.2 feet, 156.4 feet, and 172.4 feet to the left.
Player 2: 3 Wood
- The average carry was 245.8 yards with a difference of 20 yards (235.5 to 253.5 yards) between the longest and shortest shots.
- The ball rolled out to an average of 263.2 yards with the three wood.
- The three wood had an average miss of only 35.5 feet left.
Player 2: Driver vs. 3 Wood
- Player 2 carried the ball an average of 15.9 yards longer with his driver, and the clubs had similar roll-out distances.
- The biggest miss with his driver was 172.4 feet left, while the biggest miss with the three wood was 69.0 feet left
Conclusion for Player 2
There is NO doubt that Player 2 should hit 3 wood whenever he gets under pressure or must hit the fairway due to the huge miss potential with his driver. And as far as this player hits the ball, he should still be able to hit comfortable approach shots into most par 4’s without his driver.
Final Thoughts
For shorter hitters such as Player 1, it can be true that a 3 wood off the tee is usually not the best option, despite small gains in accuracy that can be possible. For longer hitters — especially those like Player 2 who struggle with driver accuracy — 3 wood can still be a prudent play.
The takeaway is that it’s important for golfers to never blindly choose a strategy based on what’s trendy, but to instead do their own testing. It’s those findings that are truly important. My years on the lesson tee and this test prove to me that it’s still ok to hit a 3 wood when you need to get your tee shot in play.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Srksi
May 21, 2019 at 7:04 am
Premise: “Struggling with driver” 260 y and 24 f right?! LOL
Struggling with driver is 240 y and 40 yards right!
Bobby
Nov 22, 2015 at 2:00 pm
I am going to let you guys in on a little secret. Go to Hirekogolf and get a Thriver, 14 degree loft like a 3 wood and 460cc head like a driver. I have a callaway drive I also use. Not scared of the driver, sometimes I need accuracy, and sometimes I need to let the big dogs eat. I can hit the ball pretty far so when I miss a certain degree left or right it goes way out. A push or a pull not a hook or slice can be OB… I don’t sacrifice to much distance with the Thriver. Hitting a driver long is a blessing and a curse… miss hit and just wave good bye and tee up your third shot!
http://www.hirekogolf.com/golf-clubs/custom-golf-clubs/golf-drivers/acer-xf-titanium-thriver-custom-assembled.html
Mat
Nov 12, 2015 at 10:52 pm
This more or less contradicts the book Every Shot Counts. In short, if you set accuracy to equal, the driver is worth it every time. There’s no question, because the extra 20-40 yards gives an easier second shot even with a not-great lie. No doubt I’d rather be 125 in the first cut than 165 in the fairway.
This limited sample size just lends itself to equipment misfittings for both players… player one misses driver right, 3w left. Huh? Both teed? Player two has a poor driver. Whatever p2 has for a 3w is the magic sauce, but that just leads to the conclusion that p2 should NEVER hit driver if driver is only marginally better but way, way less accurate. Even with that dispersion, this is a player that should be expecting another 10-25 yards on drives. With a 3w dispersion like that, there is clearly an issue with driver for any number of reasons.
rockflightxl1000
Nov 12, 2015 at 11:51 am
I tend to be a little steeper so swinging my 3 wood w/ a little less descending angle of attack than my irons doesn’t feel like such a big departure in my swing. My driver swing often doesn’t get the face and path synced up which often gives me control issues. That being said I’d rather be able to draw my 3 wood, which is shorter in length and allows me to be steeper, than fade/pull hook a drive. I wish I could play enough to be a good driver but the constant day to day/ swing to swing change is a lot to manage when all I’m trying to do is put together a good score. In summary I like swinging 3 wood b/c it doesn’t feel like such a big departure from my irons and thus lets me think about scoring. I would admit though that going driver wedge on a par 4 or on in 2 on a par five are worth while goals to strive for but not at the expense of O.B. or punching out from the forest.
Frozengolfer
Nov 11, 2015 at 8:59 pm
It certainly varies from one golfer to the next…and where their swing is at. There’s more room to miss on the face of a driver but for me, a three wood still probably hits more fairways.
In the end, a good swing is a good swing and a bad swing with any club gives you a bad result.
Steve
Nov 11, 2015 at 7:26 pm
When I first back into golf a few years ago after a long hiatus I rarely touched my driver. My friends always ripped on me for pulling my 3 wood every time but my accuracy is so much better with my wood its uncanny. Now that I’ve been back into things for awhile my driver is much better than it was, but I am never afraid to use my 3 wood and short game skills to outscore my friends even if they drive 20-30 yds further than me off the tee.
Scott
Nov 11, 2015 at 4:03 pm
I have been playing a short tree-lined country club course (est. 1950’s) for several years. Fairway accuracy is of the utmost importance. I pull 3W on 6 holes. I do think it comes down to personal preference. However, I would be interested to know the correlation between clubhead size and accuracy.
Mark
Nov 11, 2015 at 2:30 pm
Was it the same for the other players you tested? You said you tested a few players but then only gave results for two.
Confirmation bias?
Bryan
Nov 11, 2015 at 2:26 pm
I think this article leaves a lot to be desired. First, you really can’t draw any conclusions from a sample size of 2. Second, as others have pointed out, using average distance offline is problematic. Player 1 clearly has a smaller dispersion with the driver and a one way miss. Third, we really wouldn’t know what the better play is without knowing about the rest of the player’s game, the hole, and the situation. I realize that the question was simply which club is more accurate, but what good is being a little more accurate if it doesn’t help your score?
The reality is that for some players, the three wood is going to be the best option on all but the most open holes and for some players three wood is almost never the best option.
The author certainly agrees with that in his takeaway, but doesn’t provide as much guidance as he could.
Matto
Nov 11, 2015 at 1:56 am
I play a G30 11.5 and a SLDR Mini Driver 14.
The mini driver has been a revelation when I’m not driving well with the Ping….& actually WAY more accurate than I could ever hit my former 3 wood, almost to the point where I’m considering selling the G30.
billm311
Nov 10, 2015 at 8:36 pm
I am one of those players that much more confidence in my driver than my 3 wood. Both were “custom fit” and have similar shafts (same model in different weight and length, cut to match flex closely). Despite them being very similar, I get more consistent results from my driver. The problem I run in to, is on medium length holes where a driver doesn’t make sense, and an iron off the tee leaves a second shot that is just too long. In my last 5 rounds, I lost strokes on every hole that I had to use my 3 wood due to errant tee shots. Last year, it was probably the other way around.
Maybe it’s time for a new wood. Really, it comes down to practice.
Ryan
Nov 10, 2015 at 8:33 pm
Player 1 seems to have a better dispersion with the driver. Not the 3 wood.
Rolla
Nov 10, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Further analysis showing the number of shots that result in dispersion of greater than half the average fairway width would be a true test of this stategy. Put on the tee I wanna know i hit the fairway more frequently not that I’m three trees closer to somewhere I’m still chipping out from. I suspect the conclusion will be similar tho
Kevin
Nov 10, 2015 at 2:04 pm
The farther the ball travels the bigger the miss. It’s all depending on the landing spot on the fairway, pick the most generous landing spot that you are capable of carry the ball to, choose your correct club distance and bomb it down with confidence.
alexdub
Nov 10, 2015 at 12:01 pm
I think Rory is an excellent example of this. He tees off with his 3 wood 2-4 times per round regardless of the course setup. Granted, he can nail his 3 wood 300+, but I think the principle is the same. The margin of error is smaller with the wood.
Lsf_21
Nov 10, 2015 at 11:06 am
I hit both my driver and 3 wood somewhat accurate. That being said if I were told I have to hit a fairway in pulling 3 wood.
Sydney
Nov 9, 2015 at 9:10 pm
Hello Tom,
Here’s data from gamegolf for my last 20 rounds:
10* Driver –
240yds, 42%FW (33% miss right, 25% miss left)
17* Fairway –
225yds, 62%FW (20% miss right, 18% miss left)
My bad miss is a hook so I tend to aim at the right side of the fairway and many of my right misses are actually solid shots that don’t draw. I do feel more confident with the 17* and the driver is usually the second choice unless the swing feels extra good that day. So for me, 20% more fairways beats 15 yards on most holes…. Do you agree?
Charles
Nov 9, 2015 at 8:40 pm
Obviously this article mostly comes down to personal preference….I know guys that feel so comfortable with their 3w’s that they never miss fairways, and other guys that feel more comfortable with driver. I have played professionally for 5 years now, and I can tell you that other then controlling distance (laying up before a bunker or other trouble), the only reason you hit 3 wood is because the miss is more controlled. It’s all about controlling misses in golf, PARTICULARLY off the tee. I promise you 95% of golfers worst miss with a 3 wood is a thousand times better then their worst miss with a driver. Thats all it really comes down to, controlling misses.
mo
Nov 9, 2015 at 7:51 pm
IMO dump the 3 wood and go with a 14* driver. Best of both worlds and how many times does one hit 3 wood off the deck per round-especially longer hitters.
other paul
Nov 9, 2015 at 7:43 pm
I play a 3 deep and I use it all the time. I hit it stupid low, like 5-8 degrees. I love it for 300 yard par 4’s, and into the wind, and I tend to fade it versus hooking my driver. So as a lefty its a great club to avoid trouble on the right.
Taylor
Nov 9, 2015 at 7:20 pm
I would much rather hit a driver off the tee than a 3 wood. If the hole is too short for a driver, I’ll grab my next accurate club (4 iron) when I need to hit a fairway on a par 4. I’ll only grab the 3 wood when I know I have a healthy landing area. This being said…the best club you could have a is a confident 3 wood, if only I could find the swing with it.
Carlos Danger
Nov 9, 2015 at 4:58 pm
If it is…then you need to get a new driver
Progolfer
Nov 9, 2015 at 3:49 pm
When I initially saw the title of this article, I rolled my eyes because Rich Hunt wrote almost the exact same article about a year ago stating that driver was the better play; however, I was pleasantly surprised with this article! It is was well thought out, provided detailed analysis, and came to a profound conclusion– ALL GOLFERS ARE DIFFERENT.
I can’t stand it when I see golfers (or anyone, for that matter) making a decision based on what others are doing. Find what’s best for YOU, and you’ll be happier and better off for it.
Thanks for the article!
shiimmy
Nov 9, 2015 at 3:40 pm
Thanks for the article!
I wonder what the difference between a conventional 3 wood and a super high-lofted driver (13.5*+) would be? I feel like I’m more accurate with the bigger head/face, but I often wonder what AoA has to do with accuracy.
golfraven
Nov 9, 2015 at 3:11 pm
I played the 2015 season only with a 3 wood in the bag and wonder now if this was good strategy, after playing with driver in the bag this weekend in competition and hit 100% fairways when I pulled the driver. Maybe the wood helped me to hit it more accurately so maybe it was worth it. Didn’t have issues with the wood even on longer holes but now that weather is getting colder I need to hit driver to have same results.
David
Nov 9, 2015 at 2:27 pm
The driver and 3 wood pictures for Player 1 are not under the correct heading. They need to be switched.
Zak Kozuchowski
Nov 9, 2015 at 2:58 pm
Thank you for letting us know, David.