Odd situation

**Lemonhead** · 10-17-2006

Thought I would post this and get some opinions....

I hit my driver and all of my irons well. The problem is the 3w, and to a smaller extent, the 5w. I still slice or push both. More so on the 3w.

I have had some good days at the range where I start getting in the groove, but it's nowhere near consistent enough. I don't even pull the club out on the course because I can't trust it. On par 5's, I'll simply eat the fact that I'm not going to get on in 2 even if I hit everything perfect. That's been okay for me. I just can't seem to figure out what's going on with the 3w. I would love to be able to make use of it, but until I get consistent with it, it makes better sense to hit 4i or 3i from the fairway.

I've been working on it and it has improved. It seems that when I try and hit it more like a driver, it pushes. When I hit it more like an iron it slices (although many time it starts left and then slices back ending up where I wanted but short). Somewhere there's a happy medium.

Thoughts/opinions/flames????

Lemonhead

**theidioticbizarre** · 10-17-2006

sorry buddy but i'm stumped. i think a few hours at the range just working on those 2 clubs will help. is it only fairway shots or is it off the tee aswell?

I've been working on it and it has improved

more work will heed better results.

**HappyW@*!** · 10-17-2006

yeah I agree.

**andrew7** · 10-17-2006

Originally Posted by Lemonhead

Thought I would post this and get some opinions....

I hit my driver and all of my irons well. The problem is the 3w, and to a smaller extent, the 5w. I still slice or push both. More so on the 3w.

I have had some good days at the range where I start getting in the groove, but it's nowhere near consistent enough. I don't even pull the club out on the course because I can't trust it. On par 5's, I'll simply eat the fact that I'm not going to get on in 2 even if I hit everything perfect. That's been okay for me. I just can't seem to figure out what's going on with the 3w. I would love to be able to make use of it, but until I get consistent with it, it makes better sense to hit 4i or 3i from the fairway.

I've been working on it and it has improved. It seems that when I try and hit it more like a driver, it pushes. When I hit it more like an iron it slices (although many time it starts left and then slices back ending up where I wanted but short). Somewhere there's a happy medium.

Thoughts/opinions/flames????

Lemonhead

Lemon, try this:
I'm asuming you are talking about when you hit it off the deck, right?...

If that is the case try setting up with the ball slightly further back than you would normally, but standing slightly further away from it than you normally would, not a lot, just enough so you have to reach for it a LITTLE bit.
Having the ball back means you have set up with the clubface slightly more closed than normal and should ensure that your approach path is in-to-out with a square clubface.
By reaching for the ball a little it should prevent any out-to-in action on your downswing.
The combination of both should ensure a square impact or even a slight draw.
You may find you hit the first couple off the toe because you are standing further away, but perservere, your body will adjust....

**scrapper8816** · 10-17-2006

I have the same problem, with me it seems like going from my 460cc driver to a 3 or 5 wood visually throws me off. For some reason I hit my 3, 4 irons a lot more consistent than 3 or 5 wood on the fairway. Sometimes I just try to convince myself that I'm hitting an iron and I'll hit a good shot, but this is one of the areas that I'm really working on to improve consistency. I usually hook the 3 and 5 woods.

**golfaholic** · 10-17-2006

I had the same problem, then I found the solution. Stop carying woods. My bad goes SW,SW-3 driver, putter.

**Boomhauer** · 10-17-2006

What worked for me was to address the ball alittle more out towards the toe of the club, and slow my swing down a little, but make a similar swing as my irons and hybrids. The 3wood has become the more relied upon club in my bag since I stopped carrying a driver - odd considering I suffered from the same affliction you're describing just last year.

Another thing to consider, but not to blame, is that some model 3 woods are a bit tougher to hit off the turf - deeper faced clubs tend to have a slightly higher center of gravity, and well as sweet spot that is located higher on the face. These factors combine to increase the difficulty of making solid shots from the fairway.

**fred3** · 10-18-2006

Originally Posted by Lemonhead

Thought I would post this and get some opinions....

I hit my driver and all of my irons well. The problem is the 3w, and to a smaller extent, the 5w. I still slice or push both. More so on the 3w.

I have had some good days at the range where I start getting in the groove, but it's nowhere near consistent enough. I don't even pull the club out on the course because I can't trust it. On par 5's, I'll simply eat the fact that I'm not going to get on in 2 even if I hit everything perfect. That's been okay for me. I just can't seem to figure out what's going on with the 3w. I would love to be able to make use of it, but until I get consistent with it, it makes better sense to hit 4i or 3i from the fairway.

I've been working on it and it has improved. It seems that when I try and hit it more like a driver, it pushes. When I hit it more like an iron it slices (although many time it starts left and then slices back ending up where I wanted but short). Somewhere there's a happy medium.

Thoughts/opinions/flames????

Lemonhead

a person's level of expertise must be taken into account if any helpful answer is to be provided. After reading your account your biggest problem is that you aren't being honest with yourself as to the level you are playing overall. At a 23 you aren't hitting your irons and driver well and just a few clubs poorly. I can have a day like that and shoot 2 or 3 over par for 18. So until you can evaluate the state of your game with brutal honesty you'll never end up working on that which needs the most work. The fact is if you have a good swing it works well with all the full swing clubs equally.

I apologize if this seems too blunt, but the majority of golfers who profess to want to improve see themselves as only a club or two, a swing or two away from doing great. Most of the time that just isn't true. They'll be plenty of trolls and flamers who don't like this sort of honesty, but it took me many years of study to face my own inability to self analyze. I didn't go to a teaching professional till I was in my late 30's and started when I was around 11. I got down to a 7 without real help, but only after playing against players who had a real idea of how to play. So if you really want to improve and dazzle the bejesus out of your opponents and partners alike then get serious about your game. Lets face it fixing your ability to hit those clubs you can't hit won't make much difference overall, but having the ability to put a good swing using any club will.

**Lemonhead** · 10-18-2006

Fred,

Sorry for the misunderstanding. That handicap was back when I started posting. I now shoot consistently in the mid 80's. Not great, but not a 23. No offense taken.

If I can figure out what it screwing with me with my 3w then the long par 4's wouldn't need to be an up-and-down to make par. As it stands now, I usually end up hitting my 4i on my 2nd shot and end up being a bit short. It has gotten my short game stronger simply out of necessity.

I'm pretty sure that the problem is mental. I've lost confidence in the club that I'm expecting disaster. Like I used to tell my friends' wives and girlfriends when I taught them whitewater kayaking: "If you want to hit the rock or hole, look at it and you will absolutely go there. Look where you want your boat to go, not where you don't want the boat to go". (wives and girlfriends never listen to their husbands/boyfriends on the river, but will listen to someone else). So, now I'm looking at the rock.

Lemonhead

**fred3** · 10-18-2006

Confidence is surely a great swing killer in golf so my suggestion is to concentrate on making that grooved swing with a club you have confidence in by making some shots on the range with it and then immediately pick up the offending club and trying to duplicate the same attitude and swing with it. If it doesn't carry over then start again. I find when my long irons aren't going particularly well and my driver is it's because I'm not releasing through impact (hence my tendency for misses going right-I'm right handed). So I hit a few drivers paying particular attention to releasing the club. Then I pick up the long iron and immediately try to duplicate that swing with it. More often than not if my timing and rhythm are good it transfers over with little or no fuss.

When a swing is properly grooved and a particular club just doesn't want to cooperate it's generally because you adopt a different mental attitude as soon as the offending club is griped. The attitude should be focusing on the swing, not the club. Hard to do, but once it's conquered you may truly end up with a grooved and repeating swing.

Going from a 23 to mid-eighties is one heck of an improvement. Congratulations! Practice that short game. Seve Ballesteros made a great living missing fairways and greens. :-)

**Lemonhead** · 10-19-2006

Well, it seems that I am coming over the top with my 3w. I went to the range yesterday and found that with that club I am picking it up. So, that's the cause of the slice. I think I'm rushing my backswing with it - probably because I've got it in my head to expect trouble.

Back for more work to get it right. Thanks everyone.

Lemonhead

**Macgregor** · 10-19-2006

Go on the course and COMMIT to every shot,then evaluate the round.Do not include any swings that you weren't fully committed to.

If you had a fair shar of pushes,pull etc,then you are playing as you would expect I suppose for your handicap,but if on fully committed shots you definately have a push,then go to a pro.there are mnay common causes and can be fixed on sight ie strong right hand grip,wrost set laid off etc etc

committ to every shot

**jimlaw341** · 10-25-2006

I am a 3 handicap and have always had a difficult time with fairway woods. I switched my 3&5 woods out last year for 16 & 19 degree hybrids(TM Rescue Dual 16 & TM Rescue Mid 19) and now there is rarely a par 5 that I can't reach in two. The Hybrids swing more like irons than woods.