Starting a new adventure . . . Minimalist Golf

[mattmatt300]

> @9woodfan said:

> I've now permanently split my bag in two...

> D, 20* FW, 25* H, 7-9-G-LW-Putter

> D, 22* H, 6-8-P-S-Putter

> I shoot about the same with either... or all together... so it just depends what I feel like doing.

> Set #1 is in my ol' faithful camo Hoofer and Set #2 is in my Jones Original (Augusta Green w/ a Masters towel)

> I also have two Ping Moonlites I love but the kids are using them now.

 

Nice! I’ve been thinking about making the clubs I’m not playing now into a separate set to leave at work. Making one set of irons into 2 is pretty convenient. My sets would be as below.

 

Home

D

3H

4-6-8

46-54-60

P

 

Work

D

2-3-5-7-9

48-56

P

 

May drop the 2 iron and add a 3 wood to the work set since I’m not super confident with the 2 anyway.

[marmaduk]

> I really don't see the point of 'minimalist golf'. Why wouldn't you carry your 14 if you can in a competition round? If you can't handle the decision, just frankly, learn to decide.

>

 

> All my complaints on this thread are regarding competition rounds and this idea that you'll score better with fewer clubs. The game is hard enough, why would you want to further limit your options and thus minimize your potential to save strokes?

>

 

I think a good metaphor for carrying 14 is like driving the speed limit. Are you the type of person who gets annoyed when someone is driving the speed limit? Or, are you the type of person to take your classic car out for a spin? 14 clubs is the maximum. It’s the speed limit. But that doesn’t mean you need to do it.

 

If there were no club limit how many would you carry before you thought you had a tool for every job? 15? 20? 37? You may need both a high and low bounce sand wedge. Or a 58,60,&64 degree lob wedge. Maybe you need a 4 iron, 4 hybrid, 9 wood, and a driving iron. You never know when one would be slightly more useful.

 

In the end maybe golf is a metaphor for life. You may not always have the answer but you still have to decide. Chose a club and commit. Also, like gay marriage, who gives a damn what other people are doing. Play your game.

 

Just my two cents.

 

 

[g-off]

just shot my career best 84 today with 10 clubs, threw an extra wedge in and never used it. I have been playing since january with 9 and will probably stick with 9, as a 16 cap this is probably where I need to be, when I start to worry about 5 yards+/- I will deal with that when it comes. Worse than all of this I'm also a single length iron guy.

[rxk9fan]

Good reading here.

I am intrigued even though I am a complete club HO and would probable carry 20 if I could.

It makes sense in a way and certainly if you walk, as long as people don't use it as an excuse not to shoot their best. I hate it when people say how far they use to hit it, how low their HC use to be, and always throw in "when I was younger".

I certainly understand all those things but I don't want to hear about it on the course.

If you enjoy 8 more than 14, I think that is kind of neat and it certainly would teach you through necessity to hit some different shots.

To be 100% transparent, I can't see how less options is a good thing if trying to go low, but going low is not the end all for many!

[Dan Drake]

I am (have been) interested in putting one of these together. I'm thinking about a theme of something like "New-ish tech that has some older style aesthetics" and preferably comes from smaller manufacturers. For starters, I have the following:

TEE e8b 12°

Nickent 3DX 20°

Nike Engage Toe Sweep 58°

Yes Sophia

I'm going to use Nippon SPB's in everything except the TEE & putter, and go with Best Grips micro perfs on everything, putter included. Some National Custom Works "1971" ferrules should top it all of nicely.

 

But, I could use some suggestions on the 3 clubs in the "middle." Ideally, 30°, 40°, & 50° and I'm more than happy to bend a 5i, 8i, & Pw weak because I want very little offset and more bounce is beneficial where I play. Those 3 clubs would be raw club in a perfect world. Nike Engage square 50° would probably be the best option there at around $50. I am also thinking about a cavity back for the 30° and a blade for the 40°, preferably with the same basic shape and topline. Bridgestone maybe? Adams? Can you rust the Cleveland gunmetal Ta series from way back? I know, I know, in a perfect world I just call up NCW and get the "business," but that isn't in the financial cards right now, so...

 

"I'm working my way back through eBay!" (sounds like a great song by the Spinners!

 

Any suggestions on irons?

[marmaduk]

I’ve played a few rounds with this setup.

I’m am really liking the minimal approach.

This old Mizuno bag is fun too. A bit heavier than I hoped though. lol

 

 

[lefty_forever]

Very cool setup...

[aiyyer]

 

> Any suggestions on irons?

Bridgestone

[g-off]

Just finished up the world am with 9 clubs shot my lowest 4 day score with the minimalist set up, got a lot of strange looks from fellow competitors, and a lot of questions about why. 3 courses I had never played before and never really felt like I was missing anything in the bag, thought about carrying a tenth club but figured I got to where I was with 9 and might as well stick with 9. My update for now.

[harlequine]

> @g-off said:

> Just finished up the world am with 9 clubs shot my lowest 4 day score with the minimalist set up, got a lot of strange looks from fellow competitors, and a lot of questions about why. 3 courses I had never played before and never really felt like I was missing anything in the bag, thought about carrying a tenth club but figured I got to where I was with 9 and might as well stick with 9. My update for now.

 

???

[scruffynick]

> @marmaduk said:

> > I really don't see the point of 'minimalist golf'. Why wouldn't you carry your 14 if you can in a competition round? If you can't handle the decision, just frankly, learn to decide.

> >

>

> > All my complaints on this thread are regarding competition rounds and this idea that you'll score better with fewer clubs. The game is hard enough, why would you want to further limit your options and thus minimize your potential to save strokes?

> >

>

> I think a good metaphor for carrying 14 is like driving the speed limit. Are you the type of person who gets annoyed when someone is driving the speed limit? Or, are you the type of person to take your classic car out for a spin? 14 clubs is the maximum. It’s the speed limit. But that doesn’t mean you need to do it.

>

> If there were no club limit how many would you carry before you thought you had a tool for every job? 15? 20? 37? You may need both a high and low bounce sand wedge. Or a 58,60,&64 degree lob wedge. Maybe you need a 4 iron, 4 hybrid, 9 wood, and a driving iron. You never know when one would be slightly more useful.

>

> In the end maybe golf is a metaphor for life. You may not always have the answer but you still have to decide. Chose a club and commit. Also, like gay marriage, who gives a **** what other people are doing. Play your game.

>

> Just my two cents.

>

>

 

Brilliant! Perfectly put sir

[azgreg]

I recently built a short set using my backups. By bending a few of the irons 1° one way or the other I was able to build a set that goes from 2h to lw in 6° increments (10 clubs total).

driver

2 hybrid (18°)

4 hybrid (24°)

irons (30°, 36°, 42°, and 48°)

wedges (54° and 60°)

putter

Working well so far.

[OldCuss]

Most likely have bought the last full set of clubs that I will ever own, either due to my increasing preference for minimalist golf or, well, time is growing shorter. Been working on various combinations of clubs and have settled on a 7-club bag: 3m, 4, 6, 8, P, S, and putter. There is not that much difference in my driver and 3m, and given I can hit the 3m off the deck, too, I ditched the driver, which means my beloved wife may love me a little longer if meeting my medal needs means less capital outlay.

 

Have a nice, lightweight Maxfli stand bag for carrying, among others not so light and with varying degrees of niceness, but all the talk about Jones and Mackenzie commenced me to a bit of pondering. I did not ponder too long about MacKenzie, even if I was completly awash in coveting my club's potential ass while pursuing the MacKenzie website. I resolved to linger a bit longer with the Jones bag, given its place among my gear is much more likely to secure my place in the evening than a MacKenzie would. The Jones is a really nice-looking bag. But my wife is prettier, notwithstanding her 39+ years.

 

Perhaps for Christmas; I hope so. Thus and if so, thanks, fellas, what could be more appropriate than keeping up with the Jones' than with a Jones?

 

Old Cuss

[Bogeygolfer55]

I think that is great,I'm playing a 4 club bag it gets me around my course a 3w 6 iron pw and putter in ping moon bag

[OldCuss]

> @Bogeygolfer55 said:

> ... I'm playing a 4 club bag it gets me around my course a 3w 6 iron pw and putter in ping moon bag.

 

Bogeygolfer55,

 

This could be doable for me, too, given if pressed could remove the 4 and 8 - missing the 8 more than the 4 - but would need to improve ability in sand and short-stops with PW. For four clubs, the Ping Moonbag is especially an excellent choice.

 

Old Cuss

[9woodfan]

Shot a tidy front nine 38 last night using D, 4hy, 6-8-P-S-L-putter. I could leave the LW at home but my SW isn't the best for the sand.

I put everything in my Jones Original, ran music all night from the bluetooth, and had the one of the most enjoyable walks in recent memory.

I'm missing nothing leaving the other clubs at home... I love this golf.

[golfkrzy10]

> @9woodfan said:

> Shot a tidy front nine 38 last night using D, 4hy, 6-8-P-S-L-putter. I could leave the LW at home but my SW isn't the best for the sand.

> I put everything in my Jones Original, ran music all night from the bluetooth, and had the one of the most enjoyable walks in recent memory.

> I'm missing nothing leaving the other clubs at home... I love this golf.

 

Welcome to the movement/ club!!

[Hertsjoatmon]

Further update to my minimalist set up based on putting all my spare clubs up for sale and making do with the remaining.

 

Great Big Bertha - 11.5*

Benross Hot Speed - 22* - Wood

Cleaveland mashie gliderail - 31*

Cobra f8 - 39*

pitching wedge required - 46* - will pick up something cheap - [edit] just picked up a Adams Idea Pro Gold forged in near perfect condition for £20 with px 5.0 shaft.

Cleveland CB RTX2.0 - 52* & 58*

 

I really like the loft gaps this gives me... 10.5 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 6. Ill sort out the shafts and swing weight to match my gamers and just leave these in the car for range sessions and those emergency rounds were I have some time spare but not my full bag.

[animalgolfs]

So I've ventured into this again since I found a SWEET Moon lite in a rare colorway. Anyways-

9* - 16* 3wd - 20.5* 7 wood

23* driving iron 6i 8i PW 54* 58*

Putter

10 clubs

[golfkrzy10]

> @animalgolfs said:

> So I've ventured into this again since I found a SWEET Moon lite in a rare colorway. Anyways-

> 9* - 16* 3wd - 20.5* 7 wood

> 23* driving iron 6i 8i PW 54* 58*

> Putter

> 10 clubs

 

Like the set-up. Pretty much the same here, hybrid instead of 7 wood and 52 instead of 54, 10 clubs and a Sunday bag it can't get any better!

[acemandrake]

Driver - 12°

Hybrid - 22°

6 iron - 28°

9 iron - 41°

SW - 56°

Putter - Newport 3

 

6 Total

 

Larger gaps become more attainable and functional as swing speed reduces due to aging.

[animalgolfs]

> @golfkrzy10 said:

> > @animalgolfs said:

> > So I've ventured into this again since I found a SWEET Moon lite in a rare colorway. Anyways-

> > 9* - 16* 3wd - 20.5* 7 wood

> > 23* driving iron 6i 8i PW 54* 58*

> > Putter

> > 10 clubs

>

> Like the set-up. Pretty much the same here, hybrid instead of 7 wood and 52 instead of 54, 10 clubs and a Sunday bag it can't get any better!

 

Actually completing the 52*

[Bunkerrat]

Man, it sounds like that old loft adjustable single iron could make a comeback.

[g-off]

learned a valuable lesson the other day, if playing minimalist be sure you don't shuffle clubs around, got to the course and realized I had swapped my 6 and 9 iron around, made for an interesting round lots of grip down shorter swings with the 9 wood......

[jt2gt]

Fall golf is a great time to go back to the minimalist set -- Ive got mine going, although a few changes. Using a Ping Stretch 3 instead of the Cally Rogue 3+. Also, went to Srixon 5,7,9 irons instead of the '18 Xforged 5,7,9. Anyone wants to try the xforged 18 irons, I may be willing to move them at a good price...all different shafts, but weight close. :)

[madchens]

Just tried this at Bandon per a suggestion from a friend who was on the trip.

 

Been rolling with putter, 50, 54, PW, 8, 6, 4, 5w, 3w. Bring the driver along occasionally. Rocking a Seamus fescue project bag.

 

I have found it enjoyable and found that I haven't "missed" a club while playing. Played 7-8 rounds so far and I'll do it again on Thursday and Sunday this week. It makes the game interesting and I am forced to try some different shots. Especially true at Bandon when we had 15-20MPH winds. Didn't always execute but when you pull off that choke down, low flighted 6iron on the par 3...it feels good. Now that is a golf shot.

[animalgolfs]

> @animalgolfs said:

> So I've ventured into this again since I found a SWEET Moon lite in a rare colorway. Anyways-

> 9* - 16* 3wd - 20.5* 7 wood

> 23* driving iron 6i 8i PW 54* 58*

> Putter

> 10 clubs

 

EDIT : I got it down to 6 but needing some tee distance. I'll probably add a strong 3wd or just put the driver in the bag

 

21* - driving iron

6i 8i PW strong lofted

54*

 

Putter

[Brons]

> @magnus7319 said:

> Man...and I thought I was really minimizing my bag pulling out my 52 and 56 and replacing with a 54...

 

I’m with you. On a casual Sunday I’ll go out with 11 or 12 clubs but still leave the garage with a bit of anxiety that I’ve forgot something very important.

[marmaduk]

P L G 975 5w D

Having troubles in this Fall weather getting anything meaningful out of the 5i so I’m switching to

P L Pi 86 4h ? D

I’m not sure whether to carry the 5w or to ditch it completely. My full set transitions from 4h directly to 5w. I enjoy my driver at the moment as it seems to be my only consistent club but I’m not sure if the 4h at around 200 yards leaves too much of a gap in distance.

[9woodfan]

Adjusting the bag for next season already... My 20* wood is giving me fits (I use to be a great FW player... no I can't hit them for @#@%)

 

Driver, 3h. 5h, 7-9-G-L and putter

 

Gives me about 230-240, 190, 170, 145, 125, 105, and 65ish

 

I find the G very versatile for partial shots and the LW does great around the green and in bunkers.