Mainly woods in the bag

[Paddy_2_Iron]

I have a friend who recently removed almost all of his irons and bought the ping 410's, 7 and two 9 woods. Turning one all the way up and one all the way back. Essentially giving him a 8 and 10 wood....... His handicap over the course of a year has gone from a 17 to a 11.

 

Has anyone seen this type of change made with these results? It's crazy, 165 - 175 par 3's he's on the green over half the time now. The confidence it brought my friend is truly remarkable. I'm the complete opposite, I hit irons only except for the driver. In fact my advancement club is a 2 iron crossover 410.

 

Anyway just wanted to get the forums view.....

 

One other thing. My dad said when he used to play a lot of club golf the best golfer at the club used a full set of woods, even the PW. I think it was from Louisville and he would rarely get bested straight up. Played collegiate golf at one time and carried a 0 HDCP for over 20 years......

 

Just found that interesting....

[Tree Levino]

Basically, if you need height and lack speed or just feel more comfortable with a wood - sure. I could maybe adapt if those were the only clubs that existed but otherwise I have absolutely no desire to play high lofted woods. I hit a really high ball as it is. I would get eaten up in the wind.

[Bubbtubbs]

It depends on your ball flight, really. I have high launch and struggle to keep even bladed clubs on a lower, boring trajectory so I can't say is be in love with the idea of a wood higher than a 5 in all but the calmest conditions.

[Lancj1]

I believe this would help my game tok and have thought about it. With the use of hybrids too you could get the lofts down to 31.5 degrees, which would get you down to 7 Iron ? I suppose you could play a lot of bump and runs / half shots with your hybrids too. It won't look like tour golf but every year I get beaten by senior (more senior than me...) golfers who can't hit the ball high or far but who keep the same ball for a dozen rounds. I get many of us would score better just using a 7 iron tee to green. Depends wether thats golf in your mind

[BIG STU]

This is a crazy subjective game. I have always stressed play what works for you whether it be brand name or vintage or type. Seems like your friend got his act together with his club selection. There is no one correct way etched in stone to play this game. Back when I was a kid at the course my old man ran there was this one gambler that played all woods except the putter. He held his own. I have one older gentleman at my current club that plays all hybrids except for 3 clubs which are the driver 56* SW and putter. He is in his late 70s and shoots his age a lot of days from the senior tees. We have a fellow WRXer named Obee who is legitimate scratch or better that plays all hybrids. Thinking back to the old hustler his woods were real laminate woods of course and were made by Northwestern Golf Company. Heck if you read around on WRX there are several WRX members that shoot par golf with only 5 or 7 clubs. Yep there is more than one way to skin a cat in this game---- Yeah I say go for it and experiment with what may help your game and above all help you enjoy it more

[NHemming11]

Play what works, I play hybrids 3,4,5,6,7. Too easy not to game ?

[Paddy_2_Iron]

Kick ass post Stu! Props!

[Moo]

Yep. One guy. A really big guy that simply could not play irons. He is a buddy and several years ago he had me find him woods to replace ALL his irons except the wedges. I built him a set to his specs and he played better. There is no question that all woods was the solution for him, bizarre as it appears to the rest of us that love our irons.

[phil6380]

Whatever works. I stopped trying to hit a 4 iron and put a Cobra F9 7 wood in the bag and it's been a wonderful addition. I go back and forth between a 5 hybrid and a 5 iron. When I'm playing a lot I can use either, although they have different flights. Guy I game with all the time has woods and hybrids all the way up to 7 (switches to irons at 8 iron). No detriment to his game! He usually beats all of us.

[ChipNRun]

I don't generate nearly the foot-pounds of pressure as d-b, but even for me there are limits to how much wood loft I can handle. I'm fine with 4W + 7W, and a 4H. But, above that the ball goes too high, and I don't have the crisp contact I get with 5i on up.

The crisp contact comes in part from using proper iron shaft. In 2015 I shifted away from 115-gram PX 5.0 shafts to lighter offerings. With more helpful shafts, my distance and launch consistency both improved.

In the seniors group I played with, you had a couple of players using 15-year-old irons with DG S300 shafts shafts, wondering why their iron distance kept falling.

Swing flaws can also contribute. For example, over-the-top variations can sometimes generate pulls which masquerade as a low-launch equipment problem.

[BIG STU]

Trust me my friend I had to learn about the stiff shaft thing as I got older. I will truthfully admit I had a problem at first coping with a fact of life that my swing speed had slowed and was shorter. I went to regular shafts in the driver and metal woods at first. My first iron switch from stiff ( X-100 S-300) was a set of High Launch R-300s in a set of Mac VIPs. Yep makes all the difference in the world

[CDLgolf]

I think hybrids are easier than long irons, i play driver, 5 wood, 3, 4, 5, hybrid. Thinking of adding a 6 hybrid.

I have a friend who plays 1, 4, 7, 9, 11 wood.

He's a better golfer than I am. Both in our mid 50's hes about a 5 hdcp I'm about an 8.

Play what works best for you.

[Paddy_2_Iron]

@CDLgolf
He's down here in Jacksonville over the break and man was he puring the 7 and 9 woods. Good Lord, you should of seen some of these par 3 approaches. 175 out and puts it 6 feet from the pin. Another was ~160 and he hits the "10 wood" inches from the hole. It's really a thing of beauty with a dash of freak show TBH

[Sean2]

I have a 16º/20º/24º woods. I have never had much success with hybrids, and with todays irons having such strong lofts., e.g., some 5-irons are 21º, I find a 9-wood, for example, much easier to hit than today's 4-iron.

Regardless, it is all about what works for the individual. One of my regular playing partners has a driver, 3-wood, 2-iron to LW, putter. That set-up works for him.

[CDLgolf]

Paddy

My friend absolutely loves his fairway woods, says he has as much confidence in them as his wedges. He said if Callaway would make a 13 wood he'd get one.

Both of us agree that for us woods or hybrids are better than long irons.

[ian-500]

I'm tempted to go back this 16/20/24 wood set up.

[platgof]

I am playing F9 5 and 7 wood, Callaway OS 5,6, and 7 hybrids, F9 7-pw irons. I bought the OS 7 hybrid before getting the F9 irons, so I use both as the F9 irons are very good, and not much behind the hybrid. The 6 hybrid is the best club in the bag for me. I trust this club for just about anything, and that mainly is for water carries.

[Paddy_2_Iron]

@CDLgolf
I can't believe these companies don't make a 11, 13 etc.... My buddy keeps mentioning if they would make one he would get them both.... He is resistant to Thomas (wood makers who build all sorts of lofts in woods). I did find a 46 degree used Thomas (Nearly impossible to do) for 50 dollars. We both took some whacks with it and it was just as accurate as my 46 Mizuno or his 46 Ping Glide.

[ghoul31]

I use a 27 degree cobra max offset #7 wood as my 13 wood

[WristySwing]

While they aren't current, look for the older model Callaway stuff. They made a 13 wood, I had one for a hot minute. I was dumb and thought it would be a 4i replacement but was more like a 6, and looking at the loft that makes the most sense.

Here is the one I had. It's not ideal beause he'd probably have to reshaft it but it's still cheaper than a brand new Epic/Rogue and is exactly what he wantshttps://www.ebay.ca/itm/CALLAWAY-BIG-BERTHA-2004-FAIRWAY-13-WOOD-GOLF-CLUB-REGULAR-GRAPHITE-GOOD-GRIP-RH/283715396191?hash=item420ec1625f:g:KJoAAOSwUQBd-sPk

[sdandrea]

Callaway made the Steelhead XR line at least up to the 9w. They're only a few years back if you care about "modern-ness".

[BKN1964]

Take a look at Hireko. They make woods down to 37* (15w!), and hybrids down to 55*, for around $60 each. I have the 7w and 9w and have no plans at the moment of kicking them out of my bag. So easy to hit. Acer XDS Fairway Wood - Custom Assembled - Hireko Custom Golf Clubs and Components

[CDLgolf]

All good ideas, I'll have to let him know.

I think all his woods are xr or xr16 series from callaway.

I think the hardest part of finding higher lofted woods is you have to reshaft. Most come in Sr flex

[Sean2]

Check Callaway Pre-Owned. I found my 7 and 9 woods there around this time last year at a great price and in great condition...a variety of flexes too.

[Paddy_2_Iron]

This actually looks totally awesome. I just passed this along, that is an interesting set up. Most golfer I play with can't hit irons off the fairway, only out of the rough. However, they can hit wood off the deck.

[phil59]

ok

i have a wood 15 XDS 37° , good quality , easy to hit , launch very high