I only need 13 clubs... is that weird?

[tatertot]

I play best with 12 ... Simplified by wedge game ... my "gap" is a 48, and the only other wedge I carry is a 56. The gap is basically an 11 iron, and I play all my wedge shots with the 56. It's a Ping with the Eye sole, so it's versatile and I feel good opening it up. On the other end, I couldn't see a big enough distance difference between my 3 and 4, so I dumped the 4.

[foamhead]

I'm using 12 and playing the best golf ive ever played. driver, 5 wood (17*), 4-pw, 52, 58, putter. 

[BallerNate]

12 minutes ago, kiwihacker said:

Good luck. Yeah something must be off. It seems weird that you can hit all those other lofts fine but not the 50°. Hopefully you can get it sorted. 

 

I had a bit of an 'Aha' moment with my 52° the other day. I think when I look down at a specialty wedge I swing differently. I pick the club up too quickly and come into the ball far too steeply leading to erratic, inconsistent strikes and huge, deep divots. The other day I just told myself "Swing like it's your 9 iron" and got a much better result. Still took a huge divot but the strike was good and I got the distance and ball flight I expected.  

For sure... it’s the most logical explanation and I’ve heard similar stories on the Srixon threads about people getting their irons and wedges with errors. Can’t hit the 50* properly at all and has totally different feel from my other Zipcores.

 

Interesting observations on your 52*. So much of the game is mental and the slightest variations make huge differences for sure.

[RobotDoctor]

On 1/18/2018 at 4:30 PM, supashu said:

For quite a while now I've been content with just 13 club in the bag. I am happy with just the 52, 58 wedge setup and I hit my 4 iron long enough that I don't have a huge gap after my hybrid. But I feel like I'm missing out on something. Surely there is a place for another club in the bag. Maybe a 62 degree wedge for that once every 10 rounds shot to a super tucked pin? Or maybe a 2 or 3 iron that I could use to hit stingers and punch shots on windy days and maybe off the tee on short par 4's? Anybody else happy with just 13 clubs? Any ideas? Which end of the bag is worth having the extra club I basically never use?

I don't think this is weird.  I'm contemplating taking out a wedge and go back to my normal gapping for PW, GW and LW.  That would be 13 clubs to me due to not carrying a 3 iron.  

[philleeeeep]

Not at all. One less thing to think about. 

[Titleist_PT23]

I have 13 clubs and if I put the newer set of irons in the bag I can play with 12.

 

I have a 20+ yard gap between a 7-wood (21 degrees) and my longest iron (25 degrees).  I would probably add another club if Titleist would make a 24 degree fairway.  The other option is to add a wedge beyond 57, 58, or 60 (whichever LW happens to be in the bag) but I've found this to be more hassle than it's worth.

 

I also believe I could play with 8 clubs and my scores won't change by more than a shot over the long-run.  Sometimes you will be in tough spots but swing and strike consistency trump all.

[evoviiiyou]

I played 13 including putter for years. Just never got on with a 3 wood off the deck. Put some time in this early season and learned the swing and now it’s a weapon and on to 14 total clubs. 
 

I have always believed come to a round with as many clubs as you know how to get the best return for the required shot out of. If a club is causing not only extra shots the misses can kill the timing and tempo for other clubs and that’s just going in the wrong direction. 13 clubs dialed is better than 100 that don’t work 

[sbjinx]

Dropped the extra wedge years ago and been playing 13 clubs since. Once in a while I wish I had an extra club but I do just fine 

[North Butte]

My bag today had 12 clubs: Driver, seven irons 5-AW, three wedge Gap, Sand, Lob and Putter

 

I left out the 5-wood as I'm working on a swing change and didn't want yet another kind of club (woods) to worry about.

 

So naturally I catch one of the Par 5's downwind, firm fairways and absolutely nail my tee shot. I've never reached that green in two but today I had only 204 yards to the flag and 195 front of green. If I'd had the 5-wood it would easily have run up on the green.

 

D'Oh! 

 

I made par (5-iron, chip shot, two putts) but next time I play I'm carrying the 5-wood just in case. Of course you never know, I might have sliced the 5-wood into the woods or something.

[WilCox]

I've been carrying 12 for years.  Any club that I can't hit well at least 8 out of every 10 times or doesn't fit my game doesn't go in the bag.  Simple is good.

[NRJyzr]

I see this as individualized, based on one's game and the course(s) being played.

 

For me currently, with the course I play primarily, I need all 14 clubs.  All irons find some use thanks to the par 3 lengths on the back nine, and the Druid aspects of my tee game.

 

I've played some courses of similar length where I could drop a club, maybe two.

 

It can be as much a fitting thing as selecting shaft flex.  <shruf>