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3 wood -> driver difference

David Hillman

Well-Known Member
Apr 15, 2008
836
0
This is starting to get frustrating. I've been carrying these two clubs now about a year and a half, and one, I keep getting better with, and the other, continually worse. I don't know why.

My 3 wood is a stock 15* TaylorMade Burner with the 50g regular flex "Superfast" shaft. I kill it. Not necessarily huge distance, up to 250y and usually 230, but almost always straight and where I was aiming. Off the tee, off the deck, I even hit it from a good lie in a fairway trap on a par 5, and put it green-side. I'm actually hitting fewer 1 irons, which is amazing to me, because that has been my favorite club for years. On the other hand, is my driver. It's a stock 10.5* 425cc TaylorMade R7, also with a stock shaft, a 65g regular flex. I have gone through brief, as in a round or two, periods of success with it, but basically, I always hit slices. I can sometimes predict/control/limit them to useful fades, but it gets worse everytime out lately. I realize a growing part of the problem is mental, as I no longer even expect to hit the driver well. Distance/direction/consistency are all heading in opposite directions with each club.

I've experimented lately with the stiff-shafted drivers, and hit them much better than mine. I don't understand why the regular flex doesn't seem to effect my 3 wood, though? Do you all play the same shaft? There shouldn't, IMO, be that much difference between a 3 wood and a medium-sized driver, such that I can hit one, and not the other. Suggestions, explanations, commiserations... all welcome. ( "eBay the R7 and hit 3w off every tee" has already occurred to me, though. )
 

Eracer

No more triple bogies!!
Oct 31, 2005
12,405
8
You "kill" your 3-wood, and like most of us, you sub-consciously want to "kill" your driver. Try a range session where the goal is to roll your drives to 200 yards using the driver. You will not find it easy.

Also, big driver heads are tougher to rotate through impact. Try setting up for a deliberate draw. Hit the inner quadrant of the ball, and try to send it to towards right field. You'll be surprised at how hard it is to hit the ball to the right when you actually try to hit the ball to the right.
 
OP
David Hillman

David Hillman

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Apr 15, 2008
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You "kill" your 3-wood, and like most of us, you sub-consciously want to "kill" your driver. Try a range session where the goal is to roll your drives to 200 yards using the driver. You will not find it easy.

Also, big driver heads are tougher to rotate through impact. Try setting up for a deliberate draw. Hit the inner quadrant of the ball, and try to send it to towards right field. You'll be surprised at how hard it is to hit the ball to the right when you actually try to hit the ball to the right.

That was a bad choice of words, on my part. If anything I have the opposite problem ( with all my clubs ). I struggle with easy swings, and do much better when I swing hard. That is, at least, part of the problem here, though. I know I'm trying to aim the driver, instead of swinging it. It gets worse when I play alone, because I try to "just get it in the fairway", versus, for example, when I play with my big-hitting brother-in-law and am 'forced' to take a rip even if it winds up in the next fairway.

By "kill", I meant 'hit really solid'.
 

Eracer

No more triple bogies!!
Oct 31, 2005
12,405
8
That was a bad choice of words, on my part. If anything I have the opposite problem ( with all my clubs ). I struggle with easy swings, and do much better when I swing hard. That is, at least, part of the problem here, though. I know I'm trying to aim the driver, instead of swinging it. It gets worse when I play alone, because I try to "just get it in the fairway", versus, for example, when I play with my big-hitting brother-in-law and am 'forced' to take a rip even if it winds up in the next fairway.

By "kill", I meant 'hit really solid'.
Gotcha'....
 

mddubya

Hybrid convert
Nov 6, 2007
6,029
2
Have you tried strengthening your grip on your driver? By that I mean rotating you left hand to the right, that is if your right handed. I went through a spell where I had to use a VERY strong grip on the driver, but not the rest of the clubs in my bag.

As Eracer said, the Driver is harder to rotate, work on making sure you are finishing your swing with your forearms crossed. That's what finally worked for me any way. Just my .02 worth.
 
OP
David Hillman

David Hillman

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Apr 15, 2008
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Have you tried strengthening your grip on your driver? By that I mean rotating you left hand to the right, that is if your right handed. I went through a spell where I had to use a VERY strong grip on the driver, but not the rest of the clubs in my bag.

As Eracer said, the Driver is harder to rotate, work on making sure you are finishing your swing with your forearms crossed. That's what finally worked for me any way. Just my .02 worth.

I've tried almost everything. Weak grip, strong grip, baseball grip, closed stance, open stance, shorter backswing, longer backswing, less turn, more turn... you name it. Some things work for a while, but nothing sticks. Baseball grip was great for a while, and even mid-length par 5s were in serious jeopardy last fall after I went to it, but it's faded away, no pun intended. A guy I played with last spring had me try an open stance, which seemed counter-intuitive to me, but worked... for a while. I tried by brother-in-law's Nickent 3DX last month, and smoked it, but then I tried another at Golf Galaxy, and it didn't hit much better than mine.
 
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David Hillman

David Hillman

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Apr 15, 2008
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Out of curiosity, what's the smallest current driver? My 425 R7 isn't big, but going with the "large head tough to rotate" theory, can I get a 9/10* club with a head like my Burner 3 wood? That isn't 15 years old?
 

ezra76

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2006
12,412
16
I do the same thing. 13* 3W is as long as any player with a swing up to about 105mph with a driver. My driver is 25yds. longer but only when flushed. A mishit drive is actually only as long as a pure 3W. For me the issue is squaring the face. It's in the swing. A handsy release or save to square the face will show it's full colors with a driver. A 3W is just small enough with the loft based forgiveness to get away with a lot more often. Plus, if you are like most guys, me included, you hit like 13 drivers and 1 3W a round off the tee. If you hit 13 3W's and 1 good drive, you'd probably be wondering why your 3W sucks so much.
icon10.gif
 
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David Hillman

David Hillman

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Apr 15, 2008
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I think Nakashima makes one in the 385 cc range? Maybe even smaller than that?

Here you go, it's 380cc.

http://www.nakashimagolf.com/drivers_np1_380.php

Ooo, I like that. ;) There's even an 8.5*.

Ezra, I haven't had enough confidence in the driver to hit it that often in a long time. Basically, I only hit it know if a) the hole calls for a 50y "fade" ;) b) the fairway is so huge that even a bad shot will be okay or c) I'm not worrying about the score too much, and trying to fix things. Of those, c happens the most often, but no more than once or twice per round. I played 14 holes last night, and pulled driver exactly once ( and that was a bad decision ). On the other hand, I hit 3w twice on each of the 3 par 5s I played ( 6 total ), plus off the tee on 4 par 4s. Only one was 'bad', a sloppy fade into an adjacent fairway, which actually played okay, because I was able to play down that hole, cutover with a 7i, and make par.

I'm sorely tempted to leave the driver home these days, because it only adds to my score, and makes the bag heavier ;) I played without any woods at all for a couple seasons, and my 'cap was lower then than it is now. Too stubborn, so far.
 

Wi-Golfer

Golfer on hiatus.
Supporting Member
Jul 25, 2007
8,147
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Madison, Wi
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Have experienced almost the exact same deal at times. Sounds like we have the same 3w with the same shaft & for me it's my stone cold lock club. Seems like I can't miss with it & every shot is straight. Then swing the driver & almost dread where it's going to end up. But then I started experimenting with a few different shafts & let me tell you it's amazing what a difference one regular flex shaft can be from another.

Stock 50-60gm TM shafts can become slice machines in a driver, switch to an Adilia Proto or a ProLaunch Red shaft & it's a whole different game.
 

mwgolf

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2008
46
0
I've tried almost everything. Weak grip, strong grip, baseball grip, closed stance, open stance, shorter backswing, longer backswing, less turn, more turn...

Wow with some of those you should be hitting a fifty yard hook. If you honestly strengthen your grip and close your stance and still hit a fade, you got problems. Give that one more shot along with tee it up more on the toe. Thats what works for me and now i super kill it. good luck!!!!
 
OP
David Hillman

David Hillman

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Apr 15, 2008
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Wow with some of those you should be hitting a fifty yard hook. If you honestly strengthen your grip and close your stance and still hit a fade, you got problems. Give that one more shot along with tee it up more on the toe. Thats what works for me and now i super kill it. good luck!!!!

I also always thought a closed stance would inhibit a slice/fade... until it was suggested to me that the opposite effect results from being unable to clear your hips and turn through. I don't know which way it works, and maybe it is different for everyone, but all I get from closing my stance is a push-slice, versus a slice.

Hmmmm... $400 for a Nakashima NP-1, or for 1/10th of the money from (Shot Talk sponsor) Global Golf...

Taylor Made R540 Driver 8.5 Degree Used Golf Club at GlobalGolf.com

Since it is merely an experiment, $40 investment is a lot more attractive.

EDIT: More clubhead size comments...

Just thinking out loud... the Nickent 3DX that I hit straight as an arrow was a 460cc. For the record, the head on a TM Burner 3 wood is a mere 181cc.
 

mddubya

Hybrid convert
Nov 6, 2007
6,029
2
I also always thought a closed stance would inhibit a slice/fade... until it was suggested to me that the opposite effect results from being unable to clear your hips and turn through. I don't know which way it works, and maybe it is different for everyone, but all I get from closing my stance is a push-slice, versus a slice.

Hmmmm... $400 for a Nakashima NP-1, or for 1/10th of the money from (Shot Talk sponsor) Global Golf...

Taylor Made R540 Driver 8.5 Degree Used Golf Club at GlobalGolf.com

Since it is merely an experiment, $40 investment is a lot more attractive.

EDIT: More clubhead size comments...

Just thinking out loud... the Nickent 3DX that I hit straight as an arrow was a 460cc. For the record, the head on a TM Burner 3 wood is a mere 181cc.

:emot-ange I never said it was going to be cheap, just smaller. :laugh:

Actually, I'm glad nobody near me carries them or I'd probably have already ho'ed one myself. :idhitit:

It is a sweet looking head IMHO!
 

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