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I use a Driver with a 45" shaft, and a knockoff Cobra head. Occasionally my drives are straight, but more often it's a fade. I picked up a 3Wood recently, and hit all my drives straight. Not as far, but straight. It has a 43" shaft. Might the reason be the difference in shaft length? Or weight of the club head? I thought the shaft flex might be a cause, but I'll have to drive 100 miles to Vegas to get the flex checked.
Any ideas?

shaft flex might be a cause...length probably would not, but could be.

This may be as simple as the difference in loft between your driver and your #3 wood.

"Choke down" a bit on your driver's grip and see if it makes a difference in the shape of your shot.

Also, are we talking about a fade here, or a slice? A fade isn't such a bad shot to have off the tee if you can depend on it.

A 3 wood will probably impart less side spin on the ball than a driver because it has a higher loft. Like leaguegolf mentioned, that is probably the reason why your hits go more straight with the 3 wood than a driver. The same goes for your irons. You'll probably hit a pitching wedge straighter than a 4 iron.

true Val, My father always told me, a hook can get you into trouble but a fade can be played anytime, anywhere as long as its consistant and shallow.

meaning if you play a true fade, not a slice, you can hit it anywhere. you may have a longer shot on a dogleg left than your partner, but at least you will not be in trouble.

the loft may be the thing also, I hit a long ball off the tee, I used to hit an 7.5 or 8 deg years ago and could stick it out there 300 yds most days, but i had no idea if the last 25-30 yards would be right, way right, or do you think i hit the Lexus or the Hummer?

I now hit a 9.5 deg stiff and i'm pretty straight to sometimes a slight draw, I live sea level and still hit the fairways at about 280 to 290. I'll take picking what side of the fairway i want to hit to, over "God i hope we have enough gas to get to where that came down" any day.

the definition of "fade" versus "slice" is pretty subjective, to a point.
My definition of a slice is a ball that veers more than 45 degrees from the target line.
Once in awhile, when I "quit" on the swing, it'll do that, but when I follow through correctly, I'll still have that less-than-45deg. fade.
I have tried choking up on the Driver, but then I end up pulling the ball to the left, (right-handed).
I can feel a significant difference in club weight in the address and swing, and I think that might have something to do with it. maybe it's a mental thing.
Thanks for your responses. Going up to Vegas today; maybe I'll carry my clubs, and get a reading on the difference in shaft flex.
Mike Hayes
Kingman, Az.

That's pretty generous Kingmancruiser, but I like it. Most of my misses off of the tee are to the right. Now I can attribute all of those shots to my monster power fade.

Leaguegolf and VICTORY are 100% correct. The 3 wood is higher lofted, therefore it will impart more back spin to the ball rather than side spin. Side spin will cause the ball to veer left or right depending on how it leaves the club face. A ball can not spin in two directions at once. So with the higher back spin rate the ball tends to climb and go straight. That is why you can go to an 11 or 12 degree driver and find you hit the ball straighter and with much more control than with the lower lofted driver. A lot of the pros will pull out a 3 wood on really narrow fairways and know they will get the ball into play even tho they may not hit it as far. An accurate ball in play that's shorter sure beats a longer ball lost in the woods. I use a higher lofted driver myself and it sure has helped me keep my drives down the straight and narrow. I can still slice, but not nearly as bad as with a lower lofted driver. The higher loft will keep the ball more in a backspin than in a side spin even if you hit a slice. I'm not going to hit the darned thing 300 yards anyway, so I don't worry about losing a bit of yardage. The older you get, the more you begin to appreciate a bit higher lofted driver. I think it is alot more fun to put the ball where I want it than to just be able to hit it a mile. A rifle is much more accurate than a sawed off shotgun. You can pray and spray, or put the ball where you want it. I get a lot more satisfaction in making the ball go where I want it. Of course if you are good enough to hit long and accurate, more power to you. But the higher lofted driver is a good accuracy tool I have found.

too cold here to even think about a kilt!
Great idea - about a 12deg Driver! My 3Wood's 16deg and Driver 9.5, so I'll surf for that more lofted club. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Thanks.

I am not a long ball hitter any more. After years with a failing heart, then a successful heart transplant almost 3 years ago, I am doing a lot of catching up on my golf now. I have always loved the feel and sound of real persimmon, so I bought myself a MODERN designed persimmon driver from Louisville Golf. I have the Fairway Finder 2 in a 12 1/2 degree loft (left handed, too). They also make the same club with a bit less loft for a faster swing speed, plus several other models, all of which have compared VERY favorably in tests against the titanium and steel drivers. The persimmon club has a great gear effect, which will cause the ball the come back into the fairway even on mishits. It is breathtaking to sail a ball way off to one side on a mishit and watch the darned thing magically curve back into the fairway. I have metal "woods" also, but really perfer the sound and feel of the real persimmon. I also use 3, 5, and 7 Persimmon Niblick fairway woods made by Louisville Golf. These are the best hitting fairway woods I have used in 40 years of swatting golf balls. And the clubs are the most beautiful to look at set of honest-to-goodness "woods" I have ever seen. Check out their website. I think you will be surprised at what you can learn. Contrary to to what the mass produced, forced obselecense, gimmick crowd that wants to sell you $500 drivers that are "outdated next year", wants you to believe, the people at Louisville Golf handmake a beautiful golf club that performs as well as it looks. In my opinion, nothing, but nothing, feels and sounds like a fine persimmon wood striking a golf ball. If you have never had the experience, you owe it to yourself to try one. It is the sweetest sound and feel in all of golf. Think about the shiver that a major league baseball player makes go up and down your spine at the "CRACK" of a homerun hit with a real hickory baseball bat. Compare that to the dead sound of the "clank" that a metal bat makes in a college game. There is something about that "thwack" sound and feel in a real persimmmon wood. I love it. But that is only my opinion and everyone has one of his own.....

Methinks that the gist of your post is that one should not be so concerned with the ultimate distance of their swing as they are with their enjoyment of it.

A number of people have mentioned the increased loft of a 3 wood being able to correct a 'strong fade'.

I'm not sure about the original poster, but I am going to start using only my 3 wood for my drives. I am more accurate with it. The distance is probably within 20 yards of my driver.

I'll work on my driver on the range. Some day, a later time than now, I will bring it to the course.

A fade is not such a bad shot, I've always hit the ball slightly left to right and I manage to play off 4 with it. I probably move the ball 10 yards left to right through the air with a driver. Both assistant pro's at my course have said they'd love to swap they're unpredictable draw for my dependable fade.

Yep. The fade can be placed in the fairway much easier than the draw. The draw will run through the fairway sometimes.

Wasn't it Trevino who said "you can talk to a fade but a hook won't listen."

Nothing sweeter then hitting it on the screws with a real wood!