How to decide what stays in the top of the bag

[mxskier]

In usual WRX fashion, I've been tinkering with the makeup of the top of my bag.

 

Currently have D-3W-3H with PW + 3 wedges at the bottom

 

I've been toying with swapping out the 3H for a 5W. Or a 3i. Or both the 5W and the 3i and then take the PW + 2 wedges.

 

In a world in which you own all of the above clubs (its a fictional world that will probably become reality soon...) how do you decide what to keep in the top of the bag? Do you just stick with one? Or swap per course? And if its a new course, how do you decide?

 

FWIW, I have a 109-110mph driver speed (163 ball speed), play off a 8 that continues to drop. Hybrids have been love/hate. Fairway wood can be tricky if timing is off, but generally feel good standing over it. I don't mind long irons since I feel comfortable that the left-right dispersion will be narrower.

[Dan Drake]

This isn't an easy, one-size-fits-all answer, but I'll do my best:

 

Track your usage of that club or spot (approx. 230yd shots) in the bag. Then take a look at the "mix" of those shots and decide which club is going to be the most useful most often. For instance, in my own game, I have been tracking all of my shots for the last 3+ years. I know that I hit the 3rd club in my bag (also my ~230yd club) 4 times more often off the tee than off the turf!!! This is due to the different number of courses and tee boxes that I play from. So, for me, the 2i/Driving iron is in the bag. I am more confident with that club off the tee than a 5w or 2/3h. So, for the few times that I do hit that club off the turf (about 1x every other round), I just aim a bit more conservatively to mitigate what might be a less than perfect strike or face/path ratio. If I played only from the tips, and almost only at my own course, I would almost certainly rework the top of my bag to include the 5w and, most likely, the 3h as well. In that scenario, I would be using those clubs less often, but the "mix" would skew exactly opposite of what it currently is. Those clubs would be used for approach shots far more often than tee shot clubs. Also, I would be much more comfortable dropping a wedge in that scenario because I'm not long enough to have many wedge shots into greens if I was playing all my rounds from the tips.

 

So, it really is golfer dependent, but, you can get a great start on the decision making process by tracking your shots!

 

 

[Jack Pearsall]

JP mixes stuff up a lot Round to round. Loyalty is for dogs and sports fans.

He plays about the same regardless. So he doesn’t fret about it.

 

One of The most fascinating things in golf for Jack Pearsall are the mental machinations that cloud the mind from round to round.

[CanadaCal]

I’d keep whatever hits the fairway on the most regular basis. Kind of a general statement but if I’m not confident in a club that it will be straight (if in fact it will be longer) I normally go cautiously and hit a 3 or 5iron, as I hit those straighter then my 3wood.

 

Solution. New 3 wood :blush:

[JAMH03]

@mxskier

 

With @"Dan Drake" @"Jack Pearsall" @CanadaCal yours truly you have the cool guys here.

 

I'm going to say the same thing but in a different way.

 

Concerning the top end of your bag.

 

w/o measuring I'd say. You don't need the 3 hy

 

The 5wood or an additional 20-21º wood is a great idea! Because they work

 

I'd cut an inch off of the 3wood a 1/2 to an 1" off of the 5wood use the other fairway wood to beat my playing partners into submission. This is the RARE post when I advocate adding an additional club get a 4hybrid and shaft it the same length as the iron and you ought to be Guchi!

 

* Driver enjoy

* 3wood shorten and hit it better

* 5wood shorten and hit it better

* 3hybrid adios

* 4hybrid add

 

and have at it.

 

You'll hit them straighter, just as far, hold more greens, your longest approaches will be better than your peers, you will keep improving and you will leave your playing partners AMAZED.

 

 

 

[Joelsim]

Sounds like you need a Ping 3 Crossover type club.

[mxskier]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Very honored to get some of the cool guys like @"Jack Pearsall" involved ( B) )

 

I'm thinking I'm going to get a 5W and cut it down to 42" and try that out. The 3W is staying for now, but being in Colorado its a club that I only really need off the tee, so could easily see dropping it in favor of a 3i and dropping the loft of the 5W down as a course demands it. Either way, seems like an interesting thing to do.