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3 Wood vs 5 Wood: Which Fairway Wood Belongs in Your Bag?

3 wood vs 5 wood looks like a question about distance, and for most club golfers it is really a question about launch. On paper the 3 wood goes further. In practice, off a fairway lie, many golfers hit their 5 wood just as far, straighter and higher, because they can actually get it in the air. Here is what separates the two clubs, who each one suits, and how to decide what goes in the bag.

The actual difference, in numbers

Take one current range as the example. PING's G440 MAX fairway woods are specified like this:

So the gap between a 3 wood and a 5 wood is about 4 degrees of loft and half an inch of shaft. Other makers put the 5 wood at 18 degrees rather than 19, but the pattern holds across brands. Two further points matter. Every head in that range adjusts by 1.5 degrees either way, so a 3 wood set up at 16.5 degrees and a 5 wood set down at 17.5 are only a degree apart. And the loft on the sole is the only number that counts; the "3" and "5" are labels.

Why the 5 wood often goes as far

A ball needs enough launch and spin to stay in the air. At 15 degrees, a 3 wood asks for a fast, shallow strike to get there, which is why good players hit it a long way and many club golfers hit it low and running. Off a tee that low shot still travels. Off the fairway, with the ball sitting down on a Kent winter lie, it often never gets airborne properly and the carry collapses.

The extra loft and slightly shorter shaft of the 5 wood launch the ball higher with less effort and make centred contact more likely. For a golfer whose 3 wood from the deck is a low skimmer, the 5 wood carries further. The theoretical distance advantage of the 3 wood is only real if you can deliver it.

A quick honest test: on the range or during a quiet round, hit five of each off a flat fairway lie and note the carry, not the total. If the 3 wood does not beat the 5 wood by a clear margin, you have your answer.

Who should carry which

Carry a 3 wood if

• You use it mostly off the tee, as a straighter alternative to the driver on tight par 4s.
• Your swing speed is high enough that it launches properly from the fairway.
• You regularly go for par 5s in two and need the extra length when it comes off.

Carry a 5 wood if

• You hit most of your fairway woods off the ground.
• Your 3 wood from the deck flies low or you top it more than occasionally.
• You want a club that lands softly enough to hold a green from 180 yards or more.
• You are a beginner or a high handicapper. It is simply the easier club.

Carry both if

You have the space. The rules allow fourteen clubs, and many golfers carry a driver, a 3 wood for the tee and a 5 wood for the fairway, then drop the longest iron or a wedge. Our guide to how many clubs go in a golf bag walks through the trade-off.

Where a hybrid fits in

A 5 wood at 18 or 19 degrees overlaps with a 3 hybrid of similar loft. The wood has a longer shaft and a wider, shallower head, so it goes a little further and sits better off a tee peg; the hybrid is more forgiving out of rough and easier to control. Many golfers carry a 5 wood and start their hybrids a notch below it. Our hybrid golf clubs guide sets out the loft-for-loft swaps, and the drivers guide covers the club above.

What it means at Lullingstone Park

The Castle Course plays 6,725 yards and par 72 from the white tees, with four par 5s off those tees: the 3rd at 495 yards, the 6th at 512, the 7th at 532 and the 11th, the longest on the card, at 550. For all but the longest hitters, those second shots are lay-ups, and a lay-up wants a club that flies straight and lands in a known place. That is the 5 wood's job. The 3 wood earns its place on the shorter, tree-lined par 4s where you want the ball in play off the tee. The Castle Course scorecard and hole guide has every yardage, and in winter the preferred lies rules change how often you will be playing a fairway wood off a tight lie.

For green fees and tee times, start at the Lullingstone Park Golf home page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 5 wood easier to hit than a 3 wood?

For most golfers, yes. The 5 wood has about 3 to 4 degrees more loft and a shaft around half an inch shorter, so it launches higher with less clubhead speed and makes centred contact easier, especially off the fairway.

How much further does a 3 wood go than a 5 wood?

In theory, a stock 3 wood should carry a little further than a 5 wood for a golfer who launches both properly. In practice many club golfers see little or no gap off the fairway, because a low 3 wood loses carry. Test both off the same lie and compare carry distance.

What loft is a 5 wood?

Usually 18 or 19 degrees. PING's G440 MAX 5 wood is 19 degrees, for example, and adjusts by 1.5 degrees either way. A 3 wood is normally around 15 degrees.

Should a high handicapper carry a 3 wood?

Only if they use it off the tee. Off the fairway most high handicappers are better served by a 5 wood or a 7 wood, which launch far more easily and stop quicker on the green.

Can I carry a 3 wood and a 5 wood?

Yes, as long as the bag stays within the fourteen-club limit. A common set-up is driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, then hybrids and irons, with the longest iron dropped to make room.

Sources

• PING, G440 MAX fairway woods: lofts, lengths, lie angles and adjustability for each head.
• The R&A, Rule 4: The Player's Equipment: the fourteen-club limit.