50 Word or Less
A perfect club for players who prefer 3W to driver off the tee. Surprisingly good off the turf. Very low spin.
Introduction
When Callaway released their X Hot fairway woods this year, it was the necessary and obvious counter to the success TaylorMade had the year before with Rocketballz. But instead of just doing the obvious, Callaway went a step further: they released the X Hot and the X Hot 3Deep.
The 3Deep is a deep-faced (read: tall) 3 wood that is designed to be used primarily off the tee. In retrospect, it seems like the most logical thing in the world: tons of regular golfers use their 3W off the tee anyway, why not design a 3W that maximizes that shot?
Looks
For me, the 3Deep looks perfect for its job. The tall face frames the ball really well on the tee and gives me the confidence to make good hard swing. It is a little bigger from heel to toe than your average 3W, but the overall look at address is still pretty compact.
The matte grey crown is the icing on the cake. It’s a unique look that also performs: this crown kills all the glare and reflection on bright days.
Sound & Feel
The sound of the 3Deep is very muted, and solid. When you hit a shot just right, you get a touch of that high-pitched metallic clink that you’d expect from a fairway wood, but the dominant notes are low.
Though not loud at all, this is the kind of club that lets everyone know when you hit one well. There were multiple shots that I hit where the sound literally turned heads.
Performance
Let’s start with the shot that the 3Deep is built for: the tee shot. Simply put, the 3Deep is a low-spin monster. I’m a low-spin player to begin with, and the 3Deep was putting me into “that ball may never stop rolling” territory. Head to head with my driver, the 3Deep carried a little shorter but made up most of the difference on the ground. In terms of accuracy, the combination of the shorter shaft and extra loft was a winner for me. The good shots that I hit had much less curve than my drives typically do resulting in a more predictable dispersion.
The big surprise for me was how well the 3Deep performed off the deck. I don’t consider myself a particularly good fairway wood player, but I was still able to hit a number of good shots with the 3Deep off the turf. I think that anyone who is skilled with a fairway wood will find the 3Deep to be a very versatile club.
Conclusion
I came away from my testing very impressed with the 3Deep. Though it seems like a niche product at first glance, I think the 3Deep is something that makes sense for a lot of golfers. Whether you want to replace the driver or just like to have an alternative in the bag, the 3Deep is awesome off the tee. Better fairway wood players will also find that the 3Deep is surprisingly good off the turf as well.
Price and Specs
The Callaway X Hot 3Deep fairway wood retails for $179.
The 3Deep is available in lofts of 13° and 14.5°. The stock shaft is the Project X Velocity.
Watch the Video
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (1)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (2)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (3)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (5)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (6)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (7)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (8)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (9)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (10)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (11)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (12)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (15)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (16)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (17)
Callaway X Hot 3Deep (18)
3Deep LM Data
Matt Saternus
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I absolutely love mine! I went with the 14.5 model. I’m such a fan of the xhot pro line, I’m considering buying back ups for years to come.
I am 11handicap. Good off the tee with my x hot driver” but also like to use my 3wood off the tee,especially into the wind at my links course. I am quite good with my 3wood off the fairway. Do you think the 3d wood would suit me to use mainly off the tee. Do they have the club for women. I use the shaft next up from the women’s, which I find too wispy.
Absolutely. If you already like your 3W off the tee, the 3Deep is just a slightly larger version with a touch more ball speed and a deeper face.
As far as shafts, I don’t know what’s offered stock, but Callaway can install just about any shaft with a custom order.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
saw your comments about the 3deep. I am hitting the 15 degree pro wood as far as the 9,5 pro driver. The wood allways brings a smile in my face, hitting the driver is much more afford and inconsitend for the similar length. I allready cuted the shaft to nearly 44 inch to be more accurate.
Is the 3deep 13 ( or 13,5 differs) a good alternative in stead of the driver?
Torsten
Torsten,
Thanks for the question. I think that these “fairway drivers” are a great alternative to the driver for many players. The question I would be asking if I were you is, “Will the 13/13.5 go significantly farther than the 15 that I already own?” To answer that, you’d need to get on a launch monitor and look at the numbers. My gut instinct is that the difference would be marginal, but it’s worth exploring.
Best,
Matt
Can u still buy 3deep 3wood
This is an older model, so I would suggest searching on eBay.
-Matt