I COULDN'T Hit My 3 Wood Correctly Until I knew This

For years I couldn't hit my 3 wood correctly until I knew this. The concept of sweeping the ball away with my fairway woods ruined my ball striking but this minor tweak fixed it all.
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Welcome to AliTaylorGolf. Ali’s channel is designed to help you improve your golf with tips, drills and online coaching as well as reviews of the newest golf clubs and golf equipment. New videos will drop twice per week.
Starting at an early age, Ali began playing golf when he was just 13 years old. Having played many sports throughout his younger years, he has always had a fascination with improvement. This progressed into his coaching where he feels the most accurate feedback allows the quickest changes to improve the golfer. Since beginning the Ali Taylor Golf KZbin channel, Ali has become extremely active over the various social media platforms that Ali posts updates onto. You’ll find regular tips for your game as well as reviews on the latest products from the biggest brands in Golf, including TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway, Scotty Cameron, Ping and Cobra. Stay connected with Ali by following his Facebook and Instagram pages and of course don’t forget to subscribe to the ever growing KZbin channel with over 98,000 subscribers!
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[@johnk.atchley5079]

Very useful. I see that you are making a swing pretty much the same as a correct swing with the irons, with bracing the trail leg on the backswing to avoid swaying and turning the shoulders with your head staying over the ball, then shifting your weight on to the left leg just BEFORE completing the backswing so that you can rotate and bring the bottom of the swing to just in front of the ball. I am 82, have played for over 60 years, but making a correct weight shift and rotation has been a problem for me for years and years. The good thing about golf is you can learn to improve all your life. And videos on KZbin like yours and those from a dozen other excellent coaches have been immensely instructive and helpful. I have been working hard on making a correct and correctly timed weight shift at my local PGA Superstore practice bays with their Foresight GC Hawk launch monitors so I can get actual data. My iron play is definitely improving. But as I began to strike my irons better, it seemed like I have been having trouble with the fairway woods. Over the past months I added a 21 degree 7 wood and 24 degree 9 wood to my driver, 15 degree 3 wood and 18 degree 5 wood. The high lofted woods replace my 2, 3 and 4 irons and even make the 5 iron an option. When hit correctly, the fly really high, like giant 8 or 9 irons, which is what you want so that the ball will reach the green and stop. However, I recently began been hitting the 7 and 9 woods poorly, thin, lower than should be. So I began to wonder if there were differences between the correct swing for mid and short irons and for fairway woods. However, after viewing this video plus one or two others it looks like the correct swing is basically the same, so my problem must be something else. perhaps the tendency to sway that you noted, and possibly something related to the longer shafts. But thanks a lot for this very helpful video, it gives me something to work hard on.

[@seenful9926]

Dude thank you for the comic relief. That first swing you took had me rolling!! That described way too many shots I’ve been taking with my 3 lately. I used to hit it really well but for some reason I got away from that swing. I’ll give it a go next outing and swing at it more like an iron. That was when I had the most success with it

[@ArtJorgensen]

We've got snow right now so no golf. For the last several days I've been examining how to hit the 3 wood higher on the golf ball and not hitting the ground until after the ball. I think most of my life I've been eyeing hitting the ground and the ball at the same time--and I've never been good with the 3 wood--it's the worst club in my bag. And then I ran across this video! It fits right in with my concept of how I can fix my 3 wood. Can't wait to get on the course to try it out. Thank you!

[@stephensmith60]

My 3 Wood has been my best and my worst club in my bag. When I'm on, I'm on; when I'm off, I'm off. It's Winter here in centraL U.S., but I can't wait to get out to try these tips. Thanks!

[@yadthink]

Really good lesson. I think this is another instance where launch monitors have changed the way golf is taught, because when I started out in golf, I was told to sweep the 3-wood. Another benefit of launch monitors is they've shown that most golfers will hit a 4-wood farther than a 3-wood (when you include mishits).

[@mikerodrick2430]

Hi Ali; in addition to the other points you've made, we swing faster & try to hit it too hard because of the distance we need rather than swinging slower & with control & let the club do the work. The same as other shots but even more extreme.

[@firstname2072]

For some people. If I really go at it I hit it better, I try and work it and swing slow and easy I mess it up

[@corky5928]

This is a better tip than all that gibberish he said.

[@CB-rv2lj]

@@firstname2072 my friend says that and yet he doesn't improve. You need to learn how. Because most people that say that have the worst misses on the golf course.

[@firstname2072]

@@CB-rv2lj I play off 6, it’s different for everyone, there is no blanket rule

[@jmm1817]

That's an excellent point exactly what I do when I have longer shots and use longer clubs thanks for reminding that

[@canuck_gamer3359]

Although that is a nice, effective demonstration, I think it would be much more effective if you had an actual amateur who can't hit their 3 wood and have he or she demonstrate that technique and see how well it works. I struggle mightily with my 3 wood and even when I hit it as well as I can, it still can't get up in the air as far as it should. I've watched dozens of videos and had multiple people tell me how to do it and yet here I am. Show us an average, high handicap golfer learning how to hit the 3 wood and that would be VERY helpful and effective.

[@IverKnackerov]

Why put all that effort into showing how it shouldn’t be done 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@robertkopishke3426]

OK, I'll put my two cents worth in. He's absolutely right about where you want to contact the ground. I'm a 7 handicap and play with people of all abilities. For most amateurs, what I see is that they are not only not making good contact with the ground with anything they're not hitting off a tee, but they aren't controlling where their arc is either. They move left or right or up and down or some combination there of. Here's a drill for you. Take your favorite iron, put a ball on the ground, and with your feet together, get in a good, athletic posture, and make a few practice swings, bruising the ground in front of the ball. If you're not maintaining your posture and your arc around your spine, you're going to feel like you're falling off forward or backward, left or right. After you feel that you're maintaining your balance and making contact with the ground in front of the ball, hit a few away, making easy swings and keep your feet together. Repeat the process with your feet a club head and 1/2 to two clubheads apart. Finally, repeat the process with your feet ankles under your armpits apart. That's a wide enough stance for most amateurs and works with any club in the bag when taking a full swing, other than driver. I've used this drill with my usual playing partner on the range, and he's gone not being able to break 120 to a 15 handicap over two seasons. I hope this helps!

[@Dieselrun4460]

Most of us can’t hit a 3 wood off the turf

[@kentbrown3736]

Loved your video mate. It was clear, concise and direct. Would like to have seen ball flight/tracer as an after shot. Here in Australia, fairways are built from some of the toughest subsoils on the planet and then baked in dry hot conditions. If you're gonna hit a fairway wood well, you're gonna have to not take a divot. You need to cut the grass to the top of the roots and avoid the sub soil. Cheers.

[@kennethhardin3790]

It's exactly what I do!! Thank you for the tips, I'll give them a try!

[@martyngiles5163]

Yes, that my shot, not the pure struck one but the topped one. That's for the tips Ali 😁👍

[@martyngiles5163]

Ali as per your recent iron tip with the shaft lean and a square club face already preset, can you do that with a 3 wood? Thanks

[@jjinmisang]

0:21 The shot is very familiar to me 🤣

[@johnhall6318]

Hi Danny I can sometimes get far to wooden with Driver great video lesson thank you as a senior golfer it’s good to see your Dad taking part!

[@AliTaylorGolf]

Thanks John, I presume this comment is for Danny Maude. I'll pass it on. 😂

[@christophersoltis]

How did you PERFECTLY emulate my “round killing 3’ 3 wood topper”??? I may have to have a friend film me and overlay it to see if these are in fact identical!!! Great teaching mate - my 3 wood May never forgive you for the punishment about to rain down like hell🔥

[@creamabdul-jabbar6722]

I play with people do some wonky thinking. 560 yard par 5 hit a 250 yard driver pull a 3 wood and think they’re getting the green even have heard them say I’ve reached in 2 before stop thinking you’re reaching in 2 if you’re not covering 60 percent of the distance off the tee. I call the 3 wood what it stands for for most of us. Means if I hit this thing odds are it’s going in the woods 3 times

[@Cats3141]

Brilliant teaching.

[@scottyboy8800]

Magic ali great demonstration and so simplified if I can hit my 3 wood consistently it would reduce my score so much cheers 👍🏻

[@barkermotorsports7101]

I do that topped shot everytime! Especially if I hit a good drive

[@karnubawax]

HAHA Yes, I do that. It's the only time I've ever hit a ball and it went DOWN... I was playing on a muddy course. Had to dig the ball out of the mud. The only club I hit worse is the driver. Funny enough, I have much fewer problems with the 5. Would be great to learn how to hit this club. Let's watch the rest of the video... THANKS!

[@alanjones1704]

Thanks Ali Great coaching tips

[@philfoggs5357]

Thanks Ali, I'm going to apply these pointers to my next training session.

[@amitray8589]

Brilliant Ali❤You are spot on as usual. Highly appreciate

[@Golf_Quest]

Do you have any data about what your fairway wood weight distribution is using Salted Insoles? It would be interesting to see your 3w vs your 3i weight distribution during each swing. I will definitely be trying to take a shallow divot in front of the ball with my fairway woods in the future!

[@2010LeeG]

I have a Sime 2 Max 3 wood, I have given up on it after 10 to 20 attempts and not hitting a single one well. It's in the bag as an ornament. I have always been told to treat it more like a driver. I will give it another go after this, cheers Ali

[@ht6501]

I've got one as well and I love it now I've learned how to use it. Keep going with it. 👍🏻

[@2010LeeG]

@@ht6501 was it a similar change for yourself. Love to be able to hit it. I've resorted to hybrid as having a nightmare with driver as well. I won't give up

[@ht6501]

@@2010LeeG get yourself a 7 wood mate. You'll never look back. If they're good enough for DJ.......😁👍🏻

[@2010LeeG]

@ht6501 I'm just thinking of gapping. I get 190 ish with hybrid, 260 ish with driver, need somewhere in the middle ideally.

[@lkae4]

@@ht6501 Great idea. Maybe even a 9 wood. Not many around but I have a Tour Edge E series 9 wood with a bit of offset and I've hit some towering beauties.

[@CB-rv2lj]

As someone whos getting to low 80's and now breaking 80's here and there. The biggest thing to hitting a good score is not flubbing shots like this. The biggest thing you need to do at a MINIMUM is make contact. You do NOT need to pure the shot. If you move the ball 200 yards and its a dribbler who cares? The key is getting some sort of contact on the ball. Your goal should be a mediocre shot. You'll end up hitting it alot better than you intended rather than trying to bash it 250 to the green.

[@Bigflopper99]

I usually start hitting my 3 wood bad when I start to think of it as a 3 wood, but when I think of it as the same as a wedge swing with a longer arch I hit it pretty good. Just mental for me. Only thing is I got to force myself to stay down more and finish high or else I hit it low almost every time and I smother it

[@joeward117]

Superb. I tend to hit it fat but I’ll try this today when I play.

[@jamessharier7529]

You nailed my 3 wood issue-problem with this video. I sweep too and sometimes top it, great video

[@sscully67]

Bravo! Best explanation I’ve heard for hitting fairway woods! 👍

[@markdavies3489]

Perhaps if one has a good eye,you could actually swing the club so that you are aiming to make contact with the ground just in front of where the golf ball lies.The only reason I mention this because an instructor like yourself demonstrated that no matter where the ball is lying (close,further away,forward,back) they could still make good contact and hit it flush.So it's the aim point.As we have always been told ball should hit club before ground.So surely develop a good eye and aim for the point just in front of the ball ,not as many golfers do, immediately behind the golf ball.Same with every club except driver.I think this is why many good players do not tee the ball very high if they use a tee at all with their tee shots.Effectively all shots apart from driver from tee to green should have the aim point just slightly in front of the ball.I realised this with my short game to great advantage hardly now ever fatting or thinning a shot.Same with lob shots,where the nearside leading edge is aimed just in front of the golf ball.If a person can consistently hit a nail with a hammer,or a tree with an axe or a slow moving tennis ball with a racket then surely they can aim to have a golf club make flush contact with the ground to where they are looking.

[@hotspurman7927]

Great lesson, thank you

[@jimwetzel1635]

Not only is that me, but I recall on occasion some years ago when I was hitting 3-wood out of rough -- ball sitting up well. I topped it so badly that the sole of the club pushed the ball straight down into the springy grass, and the ball actually went backward a couple of feet as it sprang back up. "That's not going to make this hole play any shorter."

[@AliTaylorGolf]

😂😂😂

[@dennisjack7890]

Used to be the best club I will put ball more in middle...practice swing to see visual of low point...Payne Stewart suggested that..I met him in Vancouver..showed me his seemore putter. And I watched the best chipper ever practice ! Thanks

[@eckathewrecka]

Thanks for this lesson and my main issue is that I keep topping the 3 wood. I've had the ball mainly center of my swing. I'll try it a be more forward as per your lesson

[@bbsb300]

Good advice and a great club too.

[@seanbaines]

The other thing to look at, if you are like me and your swing speed is slipping in your senior years, is loft. It may be, if your driver swing speed is now dropping down to 90 mph or below, that you need a bit more loft than that 14-15 degree 3 wood. Maybe a 16-17 degree 4 wood suits you better now. You might even want to make 5 wood your lowest loft club, if your swing speed has dropped enough. I'm going to be looking into that once a twingy right elbow feels better again, since my 4 wood seems no longer than my 7 wood these days. Worth considering if your swing speed isn't high.

[@geckosonic]

Looking forward to trying this

[@LMFNinja]

Great video Ali. Cheers mate.

[@hlubmos2chah945]

Should solve my 3 w dilemma. Need this for my upcoming tournaments. Best coach ever! Thanks.

[@billbel6573]

Always you provide great explanations…

[@Uofmdoc]

Ali, thanks

[@swiiishgin1515]

ive recently found leaning the shaft a little more towards the bottom of my pocket helps keep my weight moving forward.

[@rballersUnited]

Great vid, thanks.

[@JvoxProductions]

that 2nd-shot 3 wood is my boogieman. I hit it fan, thin, low, you name it. this concept makes sense to me and I can't wait to use it!

[@AndrewLane-pm2ro]

Even if struck properly, a lot of amateur players don't have the clubhead speed to make a 3-wood off the deck worthwhile. They'd be better off ditching their 3-wood in favour of a 5 or 7-wood.

[@iheartalea821]

Amateur here, just so happen to have a 5 and a 7 wood. Which do you recommend

[@johnfrey-ps8kn]

Absolutely have done this. Drives me crazy.

[@deanmccormick8070]

More than plenty of times! Guilty as charged, Your Lordship.

[@realfunny7]

should i do this with 3 & 4 irons or all irons too

[@mattreed4229]

I coined the phrase “controlled top layup”, typically done with 3w on par 5

[@ht6501]

What about yours shoulders? Straight or a spine tilt? Cheers. 👍🏻⛳

[@markp1956]

It's the worst club in my bag......ruins good drives.....I am heading to the range today with your lesson in mind!

[@TheCD73]

Got to get me one!! :-) Thx... Good info.

[@HaroldBella-pv9ul]

Really like your videos.and I need a new driver. Keep up the great videos.

[@christophertimmermans7788]

That second one is one of the best shots I’ve seen you hit in your videos. Smoked

[@shaunwilliams4231]

I started playing my 3 and 5 woods off of my back foot and it felt like I was really "catching" or collecting the ball with the face. The strikes were much better.

[@christiancasper44]

Would you say this would work for a 5 wood as well?

[@davidfletcher6836]

Used to try and sweep it and had not great results. Now I hit it further back in my stance and often take a tiny divot.

[@thatwilldonicely1314]

in the celebrated Hogan v Snead Shell match, Hogan thrashes a 4 wood to the green, he hits it like a five iron takes a divot ! apparently he knew a bit about striking a golf ball ! cheers

[@robinsteven3719]

Hi do most topping when using 3 woods. I'm only start my endicap.

[@GrumpyGolf4]

I've gotten so bad with my woods & hybrid, off the tees and off the fairway, that I have completely removed them from my bag and hiot Irons only. Sadly, my scores suffer for the lack of relative distance. :(

[@whitneymacdonald4396]

I'm most impressed that he could intentionally top the ball perfectly twice in a row. That is mastery.

[@johnwaite1012]

This is great. I always felt that I hit fairway woods better off the front foot, meaning I conciously loaded the weight onto the front foot during the downswing. Then I got confused with driver swing and reverted back to a more neutral weight distribution with worse results. Nice to see that the mechanics line up with the feeling.

[@louminary]

I do it all the time. Tomorrow I'll try moving my rear foot back like a baseball swing. Stay tuned!

[@juve987654]

Haha, at 4:07 one of the best lines in golf. "When I've just hit one 3 yards, 240 is a big improvement".

[@CruceEntertainment]

The key is STAY DOWN through impact. If come up away from the ball at impact, you won’t be hitting the ball well.

[@Dave-wu5ug]

Loose wrists, loose arms, feel the weight of the club and just enough hand grip to hold club. Do rotating drills and forget about keeping your left arm straight

[@russwagner8805]

Quick n stable at the bottom ...

[@sylviawelsh9518]

Yessssss ,,, new sub.

[@ronaldworth4146]

All the time so frustrating

[@nycabilifeisgreat9768]

LOL! I’ve been thinking 4 sometime…. It was just me ! LOL!

[@martinduggan4077]

Yes yesterday most of the rounds

[@mannydossantos9603]

I want the 3-wood to be my friend, but it is my nemesis. Now I understand its unreliability. Thank you.

[@jamespugh9214]

At the moment it’s the hardest club to hit in my bag, but working on it! 👌🏻

[@grandpagolf]

My stroke would focus on gripping a tad lower then making sure that the line of my shoulders points down to the ball at impact. Works fine most of the time. I admit not every time 😢...

[@LaurenceRoach]

Yes

[@jsant24]

Looks like your hands are even with the ball or just slightly ahead of it at set up. I assume this is the way they’re supposed to be?

[@johngraham5948]

I "swept" the 3 wood and I hit the ball sweet and long although I started to hit the ball like he is suggesting in the video as a 26 handicap I didn't know why at the time

[@sergeantnuke]

I feel really attacked by the first 30 seconds of this video....thanks for the tips lol

[@Hp-lh3px]

Bro I hit my 3 wood once 275 yards and now I just keep cold topping it or deloft too much for compression that it hits the ball into the ground a little bit and ruins the shot 😢

[@sylviawelsh9518]

Do you want a tad of forward lean in the shaft 🤔

[@martinduggan4077]

Gave up on my 3 wood , u might have just inspired me again

[@bobisrighturwrong]

I never do that. Mine seem to go backwards somehow.

[@MyweathernetreportsBlogspot]

Topped it today from fairway

[@galaxysm1320]

My 3 wood was never in my bag for many years until a pro gave a on a slight difference in setup for 3 wood on a tee box and setup on a fairway which I thought was the same all this years.. now the club is my bag.. lol

[@brandons4301]

Yes the 3 wood I can top alot

[@Hacker-xe8yv]

My problem is I naturally sweep all my clubs or, just barely scuff the grass. Just can't get those pie plate divots like the pros. I think it's from practicing on my lawn for years and I didn't want to dig it up. The ball goes fine. Direction, distance and trajectory. Oh well.

[@larrylarry9278]

Been there done that

[@billstrrojny6515]

LOL exactly!!!

[@1tlhampton]

This is definitely me

[@johnmccreary1554]

Every time 😩

[@danamckenzie1156]

Lord help me! I had NO idea that you were filming me!

[@djmohab2]

also, for lower swing speed players, a 4 or 5-wood may be the play instead.

[@jamespichichero6025]

Almost every time

[@melvinsmith9502]

That’s what I do!

[@AliTaylorGolf]

Keep up the good work

[@laurieroth4589]

YES! I hate that wood UGH!

[@lkae4]

Gonna try a new preshot routine for my fairways in 2023: 23 practice swings. 😜

[@christopherwhitehead8946]

👍

[@Zerpersande]

I get better results if I hit it just like my 7i. Which is pretty much what you say.

[@sriddle69]

I crush the 3 wood but it trails to the right at the end.

[@damianbaugh5530]

All too often!

[@skipcampbell239]

oh my that is me