Minimalist Thread ... Bag Set up Theory

[acemandrake]

For me it feels like golf in its purest form: Playing by feel not numbers.

 

Hitting partial shots is a blast! It also tightens up your short game.

 

Heavenwood

5H

8, PW, 56, Putter

 

 

 

UPDATE: I've tweaked my bag after some experience...

 

Driver (12 degree loft for accuracy)

4 hybrid

8, PW, 56, Putter

 

Will sometimes add a 6 iron

[9woodfan]

I've been building this bag in the off-season and taking it (in pieces) into the simulator.

 

Driver - Wishon 919 THI 11* 42 1/2" D5

Fairway - Maltby KE4 21* 41" D3.5

 

Those clubs have been amazing so far with the heavier head weight and shorter shafts. Waiting on the left handed Wishon Sterlings for a 5H,7,9,G along with my Ping Glide ES wedge. I feel I'm covered off really well.... and easy to carry in my Jones original!

[tucsonsean]

One mental benefit is that a minimalist approach makes me more conscious of my game. For example, in an earlier post my longest club was a Callaway Mini 1.5 14*. Well, I discovered that, in official club events where I have to tee off another tee back, the Mini was leaving me too far back for my approach. So now, the Mini is in the bag for rec rounds with my wife from the gold tees, and the driver comes along in competition. I don't just grab the same bag I threw in the closet a few days or a week before. Another example: If my ball-striking isn't what I would like it to be lately, I'll change the bag up. If the problem is direction, I'll probably opt for higher lofts; if it's distance, probably stronger lofts. Would it be easier to just have all the options with me all the time? Yes, but it's more fun for me this way, and my scores are actually better.

[Sir Slicealot]

I will try 1i, 7i, 52°, putter and see just how far I get. Should be light and fun.

[Need2golfalot]

 

Driver

5 wood

4i

6i

8i

PW

SW

Putter

 

[golfjoe]

playing around a 5 and want to play the whole season 2017 with a minimalist bag. Driver/3H/4i/6i/8i/pw/sw/putter. going to be interesting...

[justinguy15]

I've started practicing with 9 clubs. I am looking forward to playing rounds with it

 

Driver

5w

3-4 hybrid

5

7

9

50

58

Putter

[BearQ]

For my evening 9 holes I always mix it up 6-8 clubs. My personal fav is:

 

3W

2i or 3i or 5W

6i

8i

48

58

Putter

 

On my home club of 6200-6500 I can score nearly identical to a full bag - the putting is the only game changer for scoring

[p3ga]

Still rockin' the following set up from last year:

 

Driver - 3h - 6 - 8 - P - 50 - 56 - P

[Greenstealth]

Driver, 7iron, pw, putter.. I've done it...probably could use a 3hy

[rwc356]

8 clubs:

 

Brassie (2w)

Cleek (4w)

Mid Iron (3i)

Iron (5i)

Mashie (7i)

Mashie Niblick (9i)

Maxwell Flanged Niblick (SW)

Putter

 

The clubs are all hickories as well - helps enhance the minimalist approach :golfer:

[acemandrake]

Today (6/2/17): 9 holes, 1 club (6 iron)

 

Got my exercise and some full swing practice.

[tomc262]

Just to keep it simple, I carry 2 clubs that go over 180+ yards, 3 clubs that go between 160 and 120, and 2 wedges for everything around 100 and less.

[g-off]

bringing this thread back, have any of you gone as far as to change your iron length back to the normal 1/2" progression? Just had a couple of my irons tweaked to go with a 9 club set up. Also any type of normal loft gaps? I went with 7 degree, 28,35,42,49,56 Now I just have to decide how much I want to drop on a new bag, really liking the jones bags.....

[Jackrwesty]

I don't see the point of the driver... You could just stick with a 3-5 wood and him down from there . That's what i would do but I m the one lugging around 14 clubs !!

[p3ga]

bringing this thread back, have any of you gone as far as to change your iron length back to the normal 1/2" progression? Just had a couple of my irons tweaked to go with a 9 club set up. Also any type of normal loft gaps? I went with 7 degree, 28,35,42,49,56 Now I just have to decide how much I want to drop on a new bag, really liking the jones bags.....

 

Standard length progression here; gaps vary a few degrees, but nothing of consequence - hybrid @ 21; 6 iron @ 30; 8 iron @ 38; pw @ 45; gap @ 50; sw @ 56.

 

The Jones' bags are nice; there's some nice options out there from Elliott, Mackenzie, & others. Another inmate recently reviewed a Belding bag which looks tasty too. If this foray into minimalism facilitates more walking and fewer cart fees, look at paring down what you might need to navigate around the course.

 

Have fun!

[p3ga]

I don't see the point of the driver... You could just stick with a 3-5 wood and him down from there . That's what i would do but I m the one lugging around 14 clubs !!

 

Can't speak for all, but some of us older guys have lost swing speed & need the extra distance the driver provides ove a 3 or 5w. I know on my home couse, there's some forced carries off the tee that I'd rathet not sweat over.

[slide13]

Yeah, if you really want to get club count down driver is an easy one to ditch, but I've been carrying mine with my 9 club setup and it's working great. I can get it down to 7 easy without much effort by dropping the driver and the lob wedge, but I like the 9 club setup and it's been plenty light for me to carry. I'm also more consistent with my driver off the tee these days so it's nice to have and helps feel like you're not missing any firepower on those long par 5s.

[Double Dutch]

Driver

Hybrid

Four irons, either 468P or 579G

Sand or lob wedge

Putter.

[Double Dutch]

I think leaving out the driver is a bad idea, unless you hardly use a driver when you play with a full bag.

[g-off]

First round with the 9 club set up will be tomorrow, I'll post my results later

[NYCGolfNut]

If you hit your driver noticeably longer than your 3W then keepin it makes a lot of sense. The other side of the coin is that a 3W can work off the tee and deck (on long par 5s) so more utility per club.

 

Have started walking each round and I go: 3W / 23 deg Hybrid / 7 / 8 / 9 / PW / SW / P in a sun mountain 2.5+ bag. Gives plenty of options on approach shots which is critical where I play if you want to make par.

 

Strict control on what I carry, not exhausted after 18 and playing great!

 

 

[g-off]

first round with 9 clubs, not a great outing a couple strokes higher than normal. Got in trouble with poor shots rather than not having the right club, I really like the idea of not having too many options and just hit the shot you need to hit. Now to either go with mini driver or 3 off the tee.....

[hdgolf44]

I remember the days of the good'ol 7-piece set (my first golf clubs were one of these such sets - Spalding Celebrity's (DR/3W wooden heads! 3i/5i/7i/9i/putter)

 

The course where I joined up this year has 36 holes, with a shorter course (5,700 yards - par 70) that is generally less busy at times. Will head out there and play a quick round occasionally, sometimes with a full set, sometimes with a minimalist set. My setup for this particular track is 8 clubs:

 

Driver - for tee shots on the Par 5's and a couple longer Par 4's

5W or Hybrid club (18*, 19* or 21*) - tee shots on shorter Par 4's and one of the long Par 3 holes

5-iron

7-iron

9-iron

52* wedge

60* wedge

Putter

 

For other tracks, I'd have to consider the setup before picking and and choosing. The Driver, 60* wedge, & putter would always remain no matter what, pther clubs would be up for debate, emphasis on the approach shots and par 3's.

[sdandrea]

Lately I've been using driver, 9w, 7-UW,SW, putter without any gaps. 9 clubs works for me on many courses.

[Pilgrim]

I have been using recently for playing after work.

 

Driver

5 wood

5 iron

7 iron

9 iron

56 sand wedge

Putter

 

 

 

[stryper]

I think leaving out the driver is a bad idea, unless you hardly use a driver when you play with a full bag.

 

I think leaving out the driver is a bad idea, unless you hardly use a driver when you play with a full bag.

 

Been thinking about this for awhile now, the whole minimalist thing, as well as what to do about the driver.

 

Played my first seven club round last week and shot even par for nine holes, which is low for me. The setup was driver, 4i, 6i, 8i, PW, SW, and putter.

 

Now I’m contemplating taking it down to four or five. Something like 3w, 7i, GW, and putter. Or, 3w, 6i, 9i, SW, and putter. On paper, the five club set looks more playable, but in the spirit of true minimalism, I think with four clubs I can even do away with the bag. A divot tool and maybe three balls in my pocket should be all I really need.

 

Which ever way I go, I can’t see a place for my driver, even though it’s probably the most consistent club in my bag. A 3w is fine on a tee or off the deck, but a driver is too much of a one trick pony.

[Green Valley]

Erik Lang a YouTube golfer as well as a podcaster just golfed with John Ashworth. Former owner or Ashworth clothing line as well as current owner of Links Soul and owns Goat Hill golf course.

 

Anywyas, Erik taking the golf Industry by storm plays maybe 10-12 clubs in his Seamus golf bag.

 

Erik did a golf blog with John Ashworth that he posted on his YouTube channel and took it down shortly after. I was able to watch it.

 

Ashworth showed off his color coded irons they were actually Miura irons and pretty much said something along the lines of Miura is trying to take the golf Industry in a different direction.

 

I believe it's taking the game to more of a minimalist type. 8-12 clubs in the bag and walking the course. Playing nine holes or even playing shorter courses.

 

I posted this about a week ago on the WRX on a different section.

 

Seeing that this is about being a minimalist I thought it fit.

 

Look for Miura to release something soon.

 

[Tommy56]

As a dedicated minimalist, I’d love to see this concept gain more traction.