Do any pros use a 2 wood?
59% of the best 100 PGA Tour players use one fairway wood with 40% opting for two. Only one player – Wyndham Clark – does not play any fairway woods. 96% of this elite group play a 3-wood with 4-woods, 5-woods and 7-woods also being used in varying combinations by different players.
Although the sweet spot is smaller than with driver, the golfers tend to hit it more accurately because of the better feel and control over the club itself. One of the biggest advantages of the 2 wood is also that it can be easily hit of the fairway.
Many do use 3- and 4-irons. Tiger Woods is one of the professionals that has consistently used 2 irons throughout his career. During his amateur career, Woods actually carried a 1- and 2-iron.
31 of the top 100 PGA Tour players use driving or utility irons with 4 of those players having more than one in their bag. The most used driving iron within this elite group is a 4-iron with 15% using one. 5% carry a 2-driving iron, 13% use a 3-iron with only three players using a 5-driving iron.
It is not hard to hit a 2 wood. The design of the 2 wood with a shorter shaft length, smaller clubhead, added loft, and similar weighting to a driver makes it easier to hit both off the tee box and from the fairway.
A low-lofted hybrid (14° to 17°) is ideally suited to replace your 3-wood or your 5-wood. This club is easier to hit than a long iron off the fairway.
Top Pick | Runner Up |
---|---|
Callaway Golf 2022 Rogue ST Max D Fairway Wood | TaylorMade Golf Stealth Fairway Wood |
4.7 | 4.7 |
Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
High handicappers tend to hit 3 wood about 210 yards. There are some very fast swing speed golfers that can get the 3 wood to travel closer to 225, but the dispersion rates are probably quite high.
Lower center of gravity in a club launches the ball higher and spins the ball more, while higher center of gravity launches the ball lower and spins the ball less. A 3-wood has the deepest face of the fairway woods, hence a higher center of gravity, which again makes it difficult to get the ball in the air.
Ping Anser 2 Stainless Steel (1994 and 1995 U.S. Amateur)
Then until about 1996, he used a silver Ping Anser 2 Stainless Steel model; the one with the Pingman on the toe portion of the face and “Ping” stamped on the heel of the face. He used this Ping Anser 2 model to win the 1994 and 1995 U.S. Amateur championships.
Did Tiger Woods use Mizuno irons?
Every golfer knows that Tiger Woods has used custom Mizuno, Titleist, Nike and TaylorMade blade irons throughout his professional career. But did you know, before he switched to Mizuno irons, Woods used Daiwa Advisor DG-273 irons in 1992 and 1993 as he was dominating the junior circuit?
Long irons (2-4 iron) = 250 to 200 yards. Middle irons (5-7 iron) = 208 to 172 yards. 8 iron = 158 yards. 9 iron – 142 yards.

They can be used off the tee, from the fairway, and in the rough. You can hit a driving iron from the fairway but it's just a bit tougher.
Professional golfers generally carry a driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 4-PW, gap wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge, and a putter. Depending on the pro, these setups may change slightly, including the use of a driving iron, hybrid, or another longer club in place of one of the woods.
Period. Hell, only 20 percent of PGA Tour players carry a 3-iron that's not a utility iron. That number fades to almost nonexistent on the LPGA Tour.
Drivers. The 1-wood, or driver, is the lowest-lofted, longest, and often lightest club in a player's bag, and is meant to launch the ball the longest distance of any club.
The 3 wood is a challenging club to hit, and the low loft means that the distance disparity between golfers is very large. The average male golfer hits a 3 wood around 210 yards, while females hit it around 170 yards.
A 5-wood can go further than a 3-hybrid and depends on the loft, length, and type of club. For example, if both clubs are the same loft, the 5-wood will still probably go further as there is more mass behind the ball. You'll notice this same effect when comparing hybrid distances to iron distances.
Just like any wood vs a hybrid, expect the 3 wood to go farther than a 2 hybrid. In general, the 3 wood delivers around 20 yards more in carry distance, and even more in total. Hybrid golf clubs produce higher spin and a higher launch, which makes them great for hitting into greens, but it also makes them hit shorter.
Even though hybrids have a smaller head size than fairway woods, they're usually considered easier to hit than a fairway wood due to their shorter shafts.
What 3 wood does Tiger Woods use?
3-Wood: TaylorMade M5
The TaylorMade M5 3-wood is another key fairway wood club in Tiger Woods' bag. With a 15-degree loft and a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX shaft, this club is designed to provide control and accuracy with every shot.
Is a 2 hybrid hard to hit? No, a 2 Hybrid has an average loft of 15 degrees and this bigger loft makes it easier to hit. However, it has a shorter shaft, so it may slightly cover a lesser distance.
But ahead of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass, which was playing especially firm in 2023, Fleetwood tried something new, becoming the rare TOUR player to wield a 9-wood. “It's like hitting a wedge onto the green; it goes up and drops straight down,” Fleetwood said.
No, a 2 hybrid does not replace a 3 wood. A hybrid club is designed to replace longer irons, usually from the 4-iron to the 6-iron or even the 7-iron depending on the model.
Item | Model | Shaft |
---|---|---|
Driver | Titleist TSi3 | Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X |
3 Wood | Titleist TS2 | Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X shaft |
Hybrid | Titleist 818 H2 | Graphite Design Tour AD DI-95X |
2 Iron | Titleist T200 | Graphite Design Tour AD DI 95 X |
- Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees)
- Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD UB 6 X.
- 3-wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees)
- Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD UB8 X.
- Hybrids: Ping G430 (17, 22 and 26 degrees. Irons: Ping Blueprint Forged (6-9 iron)
McIlroy now has a Fujikura Ventus Blue TR 6 X shaft in his Stealth 2 driver. The change is intended to help him get more spin with his shortened 44-inch driver construction, he said.
Which club is easier to control, the 2 hybrid or the 5 wood? The 2 hybrid is generally easier to control than the 5 wood due to its shorter shaft length, which makes it easier to generate spin and hit accurate shots.
- Cobra Aerojet Hybrid. Our expert review: ...
- Ping G430 Hybrid. Our expert review: ...
- TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Hybrid. Our expert review: ...
- Titleist TSR2 Hybrid. Our expert review: ...
- Callaway Paradym X Hybrid. Our expert review: ...
- Wilson Dynapower Hybrid. ...
- Yonex Ezone Elite 4 Hybrid. ...
- Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Hybrid.
Even though hybrids have a smaller head size than fairway woods, they're usually considered easier to hit than a fairway wood due to their shorter shafts.
Do any tour pros use a 7 wood?
PGA Tour players' average distance with a 7 Wood is comfortably over 210 yards, but since they have just recently become part of the golf equipment scene for PGA Tour pros, we still need to get more information on the 7 Wood's full capabilities.
Five years ago only a handful of 7-woods were in play on the PGA Tour, but today about 25 percent of tour players have one in the bag.
Club | Equivalent to | Lofts RH |
---|---|---|
9 Wood | 4 Iron | 24° |
11 Wood | 5 Iron | 27° |
13 Wood | 6 Iron | 30° |
15 Wood | 7 Iron | 34° |
The 2 hybrid and 3 wood are two very versatile golf clubs that can be used in many of the same scenarios, but they also have some important differences. The 2 hybrid goes shorter but is easier to hit, while the 3 wood goes significantly farther but should ideally be hit off a tee.
You should only carry a 3 hybrid if you do not play a 5-wood or 4-iron. Otherwise, you take up space in your bag that could be used for extra wedges. In addition, a 4-hybrid is necessary if your bag lacks a 7-wood or 5-iron.
References
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