Should You Carry a 5-Wood? Here's How to Figure it Out

A 5 wood falls just behind the 3 wood in a golf bag makeup, and ahead of either a 7 wood, 3 hybrid, or your longest iron. We'll dive deeper into the specs of a typical 5 wood, how it compares to a 3 wood and a 3 hybrid, along with our 5 wood recommendations for every golfer soon, but first, let’s help you figure out if you really need a 5 wood in your bag.

There are plenty of good reasons to consider a 5 wood. Because a 5 wood has more loft and a shorter shaft than a 3 wood (more on that coming up), it is easier to hit a great shot with the 5 wood than a 3 wood. Hitting the sweet spot has the biggest influence on distance of any variable, so if you’re sacrificing distance because you hit your 3 wood inconsistently, replacing it with a 5 wood could actually improve your average distance.

In addition to more consistent distances, an easy-to-hit 5 wood also improves your accuracy over a sporadic 3 wood. Every golfer needs a fairway-finder they can hit off the tee when driver isn’t an option, or isn’t behaving. If you can’t trust your current 3 wood to find a tight fairway, a 5 wood is great alternative.

If any of the following apply to you, your golf game could benefit from having a 5 wood in the bag.

• You lack confidence in your 3 wood and need a fairway-finder as a driver alternative
• There is a significant yardage gap (25 yards or more) between your 3 wood and next longest club (likely a 3 hybrid, 7 wood or driving iron)
• The distance gap between your 3 wood and driver is too small (20 yards or fewer)
• Your 3 wood launches too low
• You are currently considering revamping your entire wood lineup

If you already have a 3 wood that you hit well, can put in the fairway when you need to, and have good distance gapping between your driver, 3 wood, and your next longest club (3 hybrid, for example), it doesn’t make sense to throw a 5 wood into the mix.

A typical 5 wood has 18 degrees of loft. That makes it easier to launch than a typical 15-degree 3 wood. The shaft in a 5 wood is also usually one inch shorter than a 3 wood. That gives the player more control, which leads to more consistent contact around the sweet spot. However, that shorter shaft combined with more loft and a club head around 10-15 cubic centimeters (cc) smaller than a 3 wood means less distance (given equal quality of strike) with the 5 wood than the 3 wood.

A 5 wood is the third-longest club in a typical set makeup, behind the driver and 3 wood, with exceptions like mini drivers, and 4 woods – which are uncommon but available – notwithstanding.

According to data from Trackman, LPGA Tour players swing 5 wood an average 88 mph, which produces an average carry distance of 185 yards. Meanwhile, players on the PGA Tour swing 5 wood an average of 103 mph, resulting in 230 yards of carry distance.

The distance you hit your 5 wood depends on your swing speed, your ability to hit the sweet spot, and the model of 5 wood you use, but these average distances are a great illustration of how far you could expect to hit a 5 wood with a good strike.

Here’s a quick table to give you a more detailed idea of 5 wood distances for each swing speed. Keep in mind that these are carry distances, and they're estimates. Total distance depends on how much roll out you get, the quality of strike, and the specific equipment you use.

As you move down the bag from a 5 wood, a 3 hybrid is next most-popular club. A 3 hybrid has about one degree more loft than a 5 wood. However, a 3 hybrid has about a two-inch shorter shaft and a significantly smaller head than a 5 wood, and therefore produces less clubhead speed, higher launch, and slightly less distance.

Many players debate between carrying a 5 wood or a 3 hybrid, and there are some good reasons for that. First, some players might not have enough of a distance gap between the two clubs to justify carrying both. For example, PGA Tour players only average a five-yard difference in carry between a 3 hybrid and a 5 wood, according to those Trackman statistics. If you experience similar results, you probably don’t need both clubs.

Another reason for this debate is that since you’re limited to 14 clubs in your bag, most recreational players are better served by having more inside-100-yard clubs than more 200-plus-yard clubs.

However, it’s not hard to configure a set-up that has both a 5 wood and a 3 hybrid with optimal distance gapping. Any club-fitter can help you put together an optimal setup for that part of your bag, or you can use the loft, length, and current yardage of your existing 5 wood or 3 hybrid to find a partner that it will pair nicely with.

Going the other direction from the 3 hybrid, a 3 wood is one club longer than a 5 wood.

Some players use both a 3 wood and a 5 wood, while others choose one or the other. Your decision should come down to a couple of factors. Can you hit both clubs consistently, and do they each give you a different yardage option that you need in your game?

If you answered yes to both questions, you probably benefit from carrying both clubs. If not, you’re probably better off choosing whichever club you tend to find the sweet spot with more often.

Head-to-head, a 3 wood has a longer shaft, less loft and a larger head than a 5 wood. It launches in a lower window, and carries farther. Here’s how the two clubs compare.

Having the best set makeup for your game, and the courses you play, helps you shoot lower scores. If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to take a hard look at the top of your bag.