Will 15 clubs or more help you lower your score?

[theothertwo]

Ever wonder how they came up with the 14 club rule? Will they ever change that to 15 or more and will it help us golfers shoot lower scores? Having said that, I have been using only 13 clubs for years.

[puttingmatt]

Most golfers would lower their score if they only learned how to play with fewer clubs, not more.

[Justsomeguy]

I like to play 15 wedges. 49-64*. Really covers the gaps when I need to hit the ball 82 yards instead of 83. I can just use my standard 3/8 swing instead of having to resort to a 5/16.

[Kingcat990]

No. Have a hard time justifying 14. Could probably get along with 10 really.

[Tommy56]

I'm in the "less is more" camp.

[monkeyboy]

Played with my son last week, we each took 6 clubs - we scored about the same

[Titleist_PT23]

It could help a very skilled golfer (that has time to practice all of the different shots with different clubs) when they are playing a course that happens to have a need for various things 1 time a round. Think Phil carrying around 20 clubs for every imaginable situation.

 

For most, it won't change much on average...

[SNIPERBBB]

From PW down id be tempted to have degree or 2 degree gaps down to 64* wedge...

[Celeras]

It's not about adding extra lofts to the bag like most hackers instantly think. It's about doubling up on your existing gaps with customizations. Multiple drivers custom fit for certain shot shapes, different shafts if the wind picks up, a lefty for emergency recovery shots, etc.

 

Of course it would make you better. The rule exists for a reason.

[Titleist_PT23]

> @Celeras said:

> It's not about adding extra lofts to the bag like most hackers instantly think. It's about doubling up on your existing gaps with customizations. Multiple drivers custom fit for certain shot shapes, different shafts if the wind picks up, a lefty for emergency recovery shots, etc.

>

> Of course it would make you better. The rule exists for a reason.

Yes wand and no. Right now, the course I play most I can get away with driver and a 5 wood off the tee. Others, I would like a 3 wood or a second driver.

 

For your typical golfer, they can hit the green with the combo of clubs they currently have if they make a good swing. The issues is they make a bad swing more often than not. I'm not sure customization fixes the bad swing. It definitely doesn't fix it directly so you need to think a different club would give them more confidence to hit the shot. I'm not sure it matters that much.

[RogerinNewZealand]

Dozen.

Thats usually enough and then 2 spares for evaluation test ho sell compare yardage etc.

Basic Bag is now strong says i after 7ish years here.Who'd a guessed mp52s 7rs ago move to mp63s... 200 Vokeys to slightly newer Vokeys blade Yes to Scotty Newport....cheers

[pt73]

I doubt it, years ago my club had a 6 club event after our greens had been renovated (cored) so were covered in sand and I shot one the best rounds of the year.

 

It really made you think and create shots.

 

[phatchrisrules]

I am in the camp that yes, you could score better with more clubs in the bag. However, I do understand the minimalist approach. I played a 3-club event back at my old job about 4 years ago and I used hybrid, 7i, GW. I figured I had my 100y, 155y, and 210y club; putted with the GW bellied. If memory serves me the score was fine, but I'm not exactly stacking birdies one on top of each other either. I'd be 38-41 on 9 holes, which is what we played. It was fun hitting the trick shots (i.e. trying to hit a super easy 7i 125y or trying to rip a GW 115), but not something I would want a steady diet of. IMO, the best set-up (for me) would be something like this:

 

Driver (8*)

mini-driver/2-wood (around 12*)

4w (16*)

heavenwood thing (20*)

hybrid (22*)

Driving iron (24/5*)

Irons 6-PW (end at 45*)

Wedges 50, 55, 60

Putter

 

I am pretty consistent with the driver most days, usually my best club, but there are certain holes (I can think of 3/4 holes on my main course and a handful of others at courses in the area) where a 2 wood would really come in handy where a 4w would still leave me a pretty long approach in but the driver is a bit of a gamble, not because of the distance it goes but because the spin axis on a driver is a smaller success window than a 2 wood would be most often. Now having said all of this, I think for a higher handicap player (someone who regularly shoots in the 90s+), a less-is-more approach is necessary, where it would look like:

 

Driver (10.5-12*)

4 wood (17*)

22* hybrid

6-AW in the same set

56* wedge with mid bounce

Putter

 

And unless they are playing a crazy hard course or severely improper tees they wouldn't score much worse at all, and probably better. The amount of people that come through my shop saying they've noticed when they put the driver away how many more fairways they hit is staggering.

[tocino]

I have yet to play a round where I’ve used all 14 clubs in my bag. I have a general idea of where I need to hit stuff to on the courses I’m familiar with. Maybe if I traveled more I’d have to use different clubs but even in those times, I still doubt I’d use all 14 for a single round

[North Butte]

I'd add a 13th and 14th tomorrow if I thought it would help my score. If I can't hit good shots with a 19-degree hybrid I don't know that the situation would be improved by also having an 18-degree fairway wood. Or getting a 64-degree wedge, when I never even open up the face on my 60-degree.

[Sparky14]

Yes. It would mean I could carry 4 putters instead of 3. Then maybe I could find one that would actually make a putt.

[gvogel]

> @theothertwo said:

> Ever wonder how they came up with the 14 club rule? Will they ever change that to 15 or more and will it help us golfers shoot lower scores? Having said that, I have been using only 13 clubs for years.

 

I can't tell you if more clubs would help you score lower, but I can relate the story that I read about how we ended up with a 14 club limit.

 

In 1936 the Walker Cup was played at Pine Valley. In the 1930's some of the players were using an awful lot of clubs. I think that Lawson Little had 34 in his bag (a bunch being left handed, just in care). Bobby Jones was talking to an old Walker Cup competitor in the parking lot, and they got on the discussion of the number of clubs. Jones mentioned that he used 16, and his friend said that he used 12. They pitched the idea of 14 clubs to the USGA and R&A, and the rest is history.

[buckeyevalley]

Anyone know how 14 club limit was determined.

[BlkNGld]

I don't think it would help the vast majority as far as gapping, etc are concerned.

 

Where I think more _might_ be useful is clubs that have different trajectories. Instead of a hybrid, someone might choose a 7w and a 3i for example. Or Phil with his draw/fade drivers (not that he can keep either in the short grass :-) ).

 

For me, it wouldn't help. Just more chance to pick the wrong club.

[dlygrisse]

The rule was created because people were carrying huge amounts of clubs, including 1/2 lofts. 4 iron, 4 1/2 iron etc. So since the newly introduced matched sets were logically built in the following way it made total sense.

1,2,3,4 wood.

1-9 iron

putter

That equals 14 clubs, makes sense right?

 

that was before jacked lofts. The 9 iron was basically a 52-54-ish degree club on the first matched sets, and was the highest lofted club people carried.

The 4 wood was probably more comparable to a 4 hybrid of today.

The fact that modern iron sets start at 5 iron is sorta silly right? Shouldn't they always start counting with 1? Why is there no 2 wood now? They exist they are just called strong 3 woods. it's all marketing really.

 

You could rename todays clubs and essentially end up with the same set, it's just that you would have to call your 5 iron a 1 iron, and your 3 hybrid would be a 3 wood. Your LW would be a 9 iron.

[dlygrisse]

> @gvogel said:

> > @theothertwo said:

> > Ever wonder how they came up with the 14 club rule? Will they ever change that to 15 or more and will it help us golfers shoot lower scores? Having said that, I have been using only 13 clubs for years.

>

> I can't tell you if more clubs would help you score lower, but I can relate the story that I read about how we ended up with a 14 club limit.

>

> In 1936 the Walker Cup was played at Pine Valley. In the 1930's some of the players were using an awful lot of clubs. I think that Lawson Little had 34 in his bag (a bunch being left handed, just in care). Bobby Jones was talking to an old Walker Cup competitor in the parking lot, and they got on the discussion of the number of clubs. Jones mentioned that he used 16, and his friend said that he used 12. They pitched the idea of 14 clubs to the USGA and R&A, and the rest is history.

 

I think for awhile the USGA allowed 16 clubs, but the PGA only allowed 14. Or vice versa. So playing the US Open or the US Am you could carry 16, but for normal tour events 14.

 

Personally I think they should reduce it to 12 just to watch everyones head spin, there would be like 3,000 loft gapping threads on this site alone. I'm guessing if they did no ones handicap would change much.

[rondre3000]

Not for a hack like me. I'd probably score better carrying 12, but that 64* wedge just keeps tempting me so I leave it in the bag for "emergencies".

[Edaw68]

I'm also in the little to no effect camp. It's so rare that I have a shot where I think "I wish I had a different club for this" that I can't imagine it having a significant long term score change. The only extra club I think I'd add would be a lefty short iron for trouble shots, but that's also pretty rare. I can only think of one time this year where it would have come in handy, and then it would have only saved 1 stroke, and no guarantee of that stroke either.

 

If the limit was cut down to 12 I don't think it would be much difference either. There's a couple clubs that are used rarely enough I probably wouldn't miss them.

[North Butte]

> @Edaw68 said:

> I'm also in the little to no effect camp. It's so rare that I have a shot where I think "I wish I had a different club for this" that I can't imagine it having a significant long term score change. The only extra club I think I'd add would be a lefty short iron for trouble shots, but that's also pretty rare. I can only think of one time this year where it would have come in handy, and then it would have only saved 1 stroke, and no guarantee of that stroke either.

>

> If the limit was cut down to 12 I don't think it would be much difference either. There's a couple clubs that are used rarely enough I probably wouldn't miss them.

 

I'm a lefty and I've been carrying 11 or 12 for so long it has occurred to me that grabbing an old righty 8-iron or something from the bargain bin at the local golf store might be a worthwhile use of $5. Well, plus another $5 for a grip. I'll go four or five rounds in a row without ever wishing I had that option and then, boom, it'll happen twice in four holes.

 

There have been times when I take an unplayable drop from up against a tree and have to drop still in the woods and on pine straw. But with a right-handed club I could have punching it into the fairway and advanced it 50 yards or more. That's worth practically a full shot, right there.

[Myherobobhope]

You’d think club manufacturers would be all over this... it’s one more sale!

 

Unless you are doing something wrong, your fifteenth club would be your fifteenth most useful club... I think people would remember the times they needed that last club, while ignoring the minimal change to their handicap.

 

I could drop to ten clubs with some loft changes fairly easily. I carry fourteen because it’s how my bag is setup.

[Edaw68]

> @"North Butte" said:

> > @Edaw68 said:

> > I'm also in the little to no effect camp. It's so rare that I have a shot where I think "I wish I had a different club for this" that I can't imagine it having a significant long term score change. The only extra club I think I'd add would be a lefty short iron for trouble shots, but that's also pretty rare. I can only think of one time this year where it would have come in handy, and then it would have only saved 1 stroke, and no guarantee of that stroke either.

> >

> > If the limit was cut down to 12 I don't think it would be much difference either. There's a couple clubs that are used rarely enough I probably wouldn't miss them.

>

> I'm a lefty and I've been carrying 11 or 12 for so long it has occurred to me that grabbing an old righty 8-iron or something from the bargain bin at the local golf store might be a worthwhile use of $5. Well, plus another $5 for a grip. I'll go four or five rounds in a row without ever wishing I had that option and then, boom, it'll happen twice in four holes.

>

> There have been times when I take an unplayable drop from up against a tree and have to drop still in the woods and on pine straw. But with a right-handed club I could have punching it into the fairway and advanced it 50 yards or more. That's worth practically a full shot, right there.

 

If you're already only at a dozen clubs I don't see a reason not to get the opposite side cub, just for situations like you mentioned. It's just super rare for me, and I can usually turn a club upside down and advance the ball 10 yards or so. The opposite side club might give me 50 or 60 (I'm not Rickie and Phil trading clubs for fun) and I still have to hit a good follow up shot to have a chance of saving a shot anyway.

[Mcgeeno]

I played on Wednesday with my normal SL set and shot 71 on mens day.

 

I played last night with my best buddy. We made a fun wager as I had bought a set of Northwestern Qualifier clubs at a garage sale on the weekend for nostalgia.

 

1 and 3 wood persimmons. 3-5-7-9 irons and a bullseye putter.

 

I shot 72 with that set last night and it really made me question why I spend so much money on gear hahaha.

 

More clubs might give you a bunch more options but I found I was able to think less about every shot last night. "Oh crap this is a hard 9" or "Guess I gotta go soft 7 here and try to hit it higher"

 

I shot the same scores with a half set of 30 year old clubs I hadnt even swung before.

 

[Myherobobhope]

> @Mcgeeno said:

> I played on Wednesday with my normal SL set and shot 71 on mens day.

>

> I played last night with my best buddy. We made a fun wager as I had bought a set of Northwestern Qualifier clubs at a garage sale on the weekend for nostalgia.

>

> 1 and 3 wood persimmons. 3-5-7-9 irons and a bullseye putter.

>

> I shot 72 with that set last night and it really made me question why I spend so much money on gear hahaha.

>

> More clubs might give you a bunch more options but I found I was able to think less about every shot last night. "Oh crap this is a hard 9" or "Guess I gotta go soft 7 here and try to hit it higher"

>

> I shot the same scores with a half set of 30 year old clubs I hadnt even swung before.

>

 

Another way to think about this is: If you can hit 2 different shots with every club in your bag, you effectively double the number of clubs in your bag... We'd be much better off working on hitting different shots than worrying about the exact setup of clubs in the bag. That's my quest right now as I'm trying to reclaim my game. Making my clubs work for me. I've picked up distance through better impact and then immediately traded it away for more control because going all out on a swing isn't going to be consistent.

[Joelsim]

I’d like to be able to take all my clubs, simply as I don’t like leaving them at home, think they’re going to get lonely.

[Joelsim]

> @Justsomeguy said:

> I like to play 15 wedges. 49-64*. Really covers the gaps when I need to hit the ball 82 yards instead of 83. I can just use my standard 3/8 swing instead of having to resort to a 5/16.

 

What about bounce options?