I'm thinking of looking into maybe possibly not sure I'm confused in buying a 3 or 5 wood.
I have an old 3 wood in my bag, but I never use it. I'm shocking with my woods, my driving is terrible and I hate using woods of almost any kind (except for rescues of low powered, 1m above the ground 50-70m shots out of trees) on the course.
Distance is not impressive in the slightest, and I have a terrible slice.
Out of 10 shots with my driver, 6 will slice, 2 will hook, and 2 will be straight(ish).

But, sooner or later I think I'm going to have to learn to use my driver at the bare minimum.
So this begs the question of whether I should atleast look into purchasing a 3 or 5 wood. Have some lessons on my swing with a wood, and then look into whether I would like to buy a wood, or instead buy a 2 iron for fairway use instead.

A. Have a lesson(s), get fitted, buy wood.
B. Get fitted, have lesson, buy wood.
C. Get fitted, buy wood, have lesson down the line if chosen to do so.
D. Screw the wood (calm down ladies) and buy a 2 iron.
I also have a self pride issue on the line of being self taught. (Probably explains my incompetence with woods )

I feel I maybe selling myself short (both puns intended ) if I choose not to invest in a fairway wood.

Any suggestions would be wonderful.

Woods are easier to hit than 2 irons.
Just remember to hit down and out with every club, even woods. You should still take a slight divot with your woods (except driver) so don't chicken out and make sure you're hitting down with them.

My 5 wood is the most reliable club in my bag, can get the ball up into the air no problems even off hard dirt! And i'm not even a good golfer.

So keep working on your swing and go with a 5 wood.

My 2 cents.

My suggestion is, however much you have budgeted for a new 3 and 5 wood should be spent on lessons. Find yourself a decent local PGA teaching pro, try your local golf course first.

It is very important to remember when taking lessons that 99% of what you are told to work on will feel uncomfortable/foreign/stupid to you at first, but stick with it and practice as much as you can. It is a very good idea to ask your teaching pro exactly WHAT you should be practicing too. When you are making swing changes or even just learning to play, it's a one step forward and two steps backwards kind of deal.

Some good advice from Chingali re lessons. Another option in the short term however may be to invest in some hybrid clubs which I find to be very versatile.

I currently don't carry a 3 wood in my bag and instead use a 17 degree hybrid club (Genex 3DX) which I use off the tee on short par 4's where position is important. Another added advantage is that the hybrid is also easier to hit off the fairway or from the rough than a standard 3 wood.

My thoughts anyway

I have a mate who has completely dumped his three and five woods in replace for the Cleveland Golf Halo Hybrids 1i and 3i. His game has already improved because of this, maybe the hybrid is the way to go.

Good questions, I'm okay with my 3 wood off the tee but I just can't use my driver, which leads me to ask what is the minimum "cc" for as driver is it around 360? or smaller?

I was thinking of getting something bigger than my 3 wood to tee off with, but the big drivers I find too hard to swing and control.

Any recommendations??

Get a lesson. It will do more for your game as opposed to buying a new club.

QUOTE: cotto370 @ May 3 2006, 10:55 PM

Woods are easier to hit than 2 irons.

I should be honest and tell you that I've never hit a 2 iron. But I find long irons (3-4) far easier to hit than a wood.

QUOTE: chingali @ May 3 2006, 11:32 PM

My suggestion is, however much you have budgeted for a new 3 and 5 wood should be spent on lessons. Find yourself a decent local PGA teaching pro, try your local golf course first.

I think I will finally get myself a few lessons. Are there any lists/threads/testimonials on suggested teachers for the Melbourne area?

Get lessons. You won't improve much without them.

I suggest that in the short term you look at getting some hybrids. Hit them like an iron and they go as far as a 5 wood in the right loft. Very easy to hit and much better than a wood out of the rough.

QUOTE: myshouldershurt @ May 3 2006, 10:19 PM

I'm thinking of looking into maybe possibly not sure I'm confused in buying a 3 or 5 wood.

In your post you mention a number of factors:
"I'm shocking with my woods" - woods should be among the easier clubs to hit
"my driving is terrible" - your tee shots are the clubs that set up your score
"Distance is not impressive in the slightest" - you are not getting any power in the swing
"I have a terrible slice" - your alignment is probably open and your swing plane over the top.
"Out of 10 shots with my driver, 6 will slice, 2 will hook, and 2 will be straight(ish)" - your swing is inconsistent.

Where does that point?

A. Have a lesson(s), get fitted, buy wood.

Bingo!

Get lessons. Then get more lessons. Then even more lessons! Build a repeating swing, one that is effortless power, not powerless effort.

Then maybe think of getting a 3-wood, and some hybrids to replace your longer irons.

QUOTE: myshouldershurt @ May 3 2006, 10:19 PM

A. Have a lesson(s), get fitted, buy wood.

I hate my 3 wood, can't hit it even on a tee. Have you tried any rescue fairway? The bridgestone ones are fantastic in my opinion. Tested the 15 degree hybrid wood a couple of days ago and it went past 200 dead straight.

QUOTE: publish @ May 4 2006, 09:13 PM

In your post you mention a number of factors:
"I'm shocking with my woods" - woods should be among the easier clubs to hit

I have never bothered to ask anyone this until now, why are the woods supposed to be one of the easier clubs to hit?

QUOTE: DrDrift @ May 4 2006, 10:25 PM

I hate my 3 wood, can't hit it even on a tee. Have you tried any rescue fairway? The bridgestone ones are fantastic in my opinion. Tested the 15 degree hybrid wood a couple of days ago and it went past 200 dead straight.

I have hit a hybrid, but it was quite a while ago, and I didnt like it at all. I guess I should have another hit of one to see if my opinion has changed. Either way, it seems the general consensus is get lessons, which I need, so I now have the task of finding a recommended teacher to correct my swing flaws.

If you're in melbourne then go and see David (Willow) at bembridge G.C.

He's teaching and knowledge is excellent and he'll get you on the right track in no time.

A lesson or 2 with him will save you a lot more shots than a new club!

You said you don't like hitting woods too much. How are you with hitting irons?

Have you tried hybrid irons? Like a Cleveland LDI? They look like driving irons. I hit my 3 and 5 wood well but recently changed my 3 wood to 13° (from 16°) loft, and 18° Cleveland LDI to replace my 5 wood and 21° to replace my 3 iron.

I don't have problems hitting woods off the grass but I prefer the feel of irons. I don't really like hybrid woods either.

QUOTE: sleekputt @ May 10 2006, 10:08 PM

You said you don't like hitting woods too much. How are you with hitting irons?

Have you tried hybrid irons? Like a Cleveland LDI? They look like driving irons. I hit my 3 and 5 wood well but recently changed my 3 wood to 13° (from 16°) loft, and 18° Cleveland LDI to replace my 5 wood and 21° to replace my 3 iron.

I don't have problems hitting woods off the grass but I prefer the feel of irons. I don't really like hybrid woods either.

I'm far more capable with my irons than woods. I've only hit a few hybrids but I didnt think that much of them. Although it was quite a while ago.

As I said in previous posts, lessons on how to hit these damn big headed freaks is the answer I'm willing to go with.

QUOTE: myshouldershurt @ May 10 2006, 11:07 PM

I'm far more capable with my irons than woods. I've only hit a few hybrids but I didnt think that much of them. Although it was quite a while ago.

As I said in previous posts, lessons on how to hit these damn big headed freaks is the answer I'm willing to go with.

Some Hybrids are more iron-like than others. Most seem to be more wood-like. I have one that swing just like an iron.

As to lessons, well I have seen 3 golf pros and all 3 didn't know crap. Basically, they ran me through either their own bizarre theory of the swing to crappo Golf Digest fixes. So every time I see someone suggest lessons it makes me want to hurl. 99% of golf pros will tell you to swing inside to out as their major insight.

most golfers I know goes thru a patch where they can't hit their woods at all...and have much better results with irons...
these golfers tend to be at the early stages of their "golfin-life"...
I've been there!!!

give it time and persistence...it'll come around...

understand how your swing works - how the plane of your swing works, and what you're spose to swing it like...
if 60% of your shots are slices, then u've got an out-to-in swing, and with 20% hooks, you're closing your hands over sometimes - but not all the time...