How to Hit Your 3 Wood Consistently and Cleanly from the Fairway

The 3 wood has the potential to be one of the most versatile clubs in your bag. It can handle tee shots, of course, but it can also be used from the fairway – and you can even play bump-and-run shots with it around the greens.

You only get to carry 14 clubs with you for a round of golf, so it’s important to get as much use as possible out of each of them.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the 3 wood, many players are afraid to use theirs from the fairway. Even if they hit it nicely off the tee most of the time, there is something about hitting it directly off the deck that’s a bit scary.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The tips below should help you get over that fear and start striking your 3 wood beautifully from the short grass.

You’ll Need to Be Balanced

There’s really no way around it – if you want to strike solid 3 wood shots from the fairway, you need to focus on balance. Of course, balance is something that’s always important in golf, but it takes on an added value when trying to pick the ball cleanly off a tight lie with a long club.

Balance is important on these shots because you need to control the position of the bottom of your swing arc. Simply put, the bottom of your swing needs to match up exactly with the position of the ball. If your weight is moving around during the swing unnecessarily, you’ll either hit the shot fat or thin.

One good way to improve your balance on these shots is to stop swinging so hard. Golfers often swing too hard when hitting a 3 wood from the fairway – especially if they are going for a par five in two and trying to strain to cover the distance.

Don’t get sucked into the trap of swinging so hard that you lose your balance.

Remind yourself to make a smooth, even swing each time you hit a 3 wood off the turf.

Move the Ball Back Slightly

It’s common for golfers to have the ball too far forward in their swing on these shots. If you place the ball in the same spot you would put it for a driver, you’ll be struggling to reach the ball as you swing down.

Unfortunately, poor ball position can actually contribute to the problem of poor balance that we mentioned above.

Knowing that it’s going to be hard to reach the ball at impact, you might slide your lower body to the left (for a right-handed golfer) in the downswing. That slide will throw you off balance and it’s likely that you’ll hit the shot fat.

Adam Scott – 300 Yard 3-Wood Slo-Mo (12,000 fps)

PERFECT FACE-ON VIEW

During an upcoming practice session, try moving the ball back slightly when hitting 3 wood shots off the turf. It might look a little odd at first, but you might be surprised to find how cleanly the ball can come out when you get comfortable.

Feel free to experiment a bit until you dial in a ball position that works with your swing.

Consider Choking Down on the Club

Some golfers are afraid to choke down on the club because they think they will lose distance. And yes, it’s possible that you will lose a little speed through the hitting area if you put your hands a bit farther down on the grip. But that loss of distance is likely to be minimal, and what you lose in speed you should gain in contact quality.

It’s easier to control shorter clubs, so going down an inch on your 3 wood will help you manage the club better throughout the swing.

As with all other changes to your game, it’s important to practice this technique before you put it into action on the course. The way the club feels in your hands will be different when you choke down, so try this on the range to build some trust in the shot.

Also, watch your ball flight, as it might change a little bit when you are choked down.

Picking the Right Lie

Even when you are in the fairway, you might not always have the right lie to hit your 3 wood.

Not every lie in the fairway is created equal, so sometimes the best thing you can do is take a pass on this shot and use a shorter club. The list below highlights two lies that are not conducive to hitting a 3 wood.

Ball Sitting Down

If your ball comes to rest in a slight depression in the fairway, think twice about reaching for your 3 wood. It will be hard to get the sweet spot of the club down to the middle of the ball in this situation.

You might be able to get away with a 3 wood shot that comes out low and runs up toward the target, but the safe play is to club down and lay the ball up.

Ball on a Severe Slope

This is an often-overlooked factor that you want to keep in mind. When your ball stops on a fairway slope the difficulty of hitting a 3 wood goes way up. Making such a big swing with a long club on sloped ground is a challenge even for the pros.

It’s particularly hard to hit your 3 wood if the ball is well above or below your feet. The length of the shaft means it is going to flex down a bit in the downswing – you are used to that (subconsciously) on flat ground, but it makes things very complicated on side slopes.

Unless you have no other choice in the situation, use a shorter club on this shot and keep your ball in play.

One Final Thought…

Whether you need it to reach a par four green with your second shot, or you are going for a par 5 in two, your 3 wood can be a big ally on the course. Work on improving your technique with the tips above and build confidence before your next round.