Mid/ High handicaps: any particular club that dropped your handicap?

[chafita]

Simple question for y'all in my handicap range: Has there been any club/ clubs that have helped you drop strokes off your game?

I'm not looking a magic club by any means, I'm more asking out of curiosity. I know golf is mostly a mental game and equipment is marketed as THE MOST important part of the game. That being said the effect that gear has on people is undeniable. What's your "magic" club/clubs?

 

[mantan]

G400 Max driver.

Having confidence off the tee and being able to drive the ball consistently (for me) was a game changer. Shot my personal best, dropped my handicap over the course of the year and played the best golf of my life last year.

So of course in WRX fashion, I just ordered a Cobra SZ Extreme.

[4x4GGG]

Bettinardi BB1f putter. Yesterday I sank everything inside of 7 feet and didn't feel comfortable over any shot. They all just magically went in.

[cbbaron]

G 400 Max for me also

[Titleist_PT23]

Dropping long irons. Fairways or hybrids as the replacement. Just don't have the swing speed or strike consistency to hit something with less loft that my 5-iron.

[BKN1964]

Replaced my 3h, 4h, and 5i with a 7w and 9w. My index dropped from 18 to 16 in one week.

[theothertwo]

Several clubs. Adding 2 hybrids 22 and 25 and took out 3, 4 and 5 irons...Replaced 3 and 5 woods with a 17* 4 wood. Bought two wedges 52 and 58 that I really like and spent a lot of time practicing my short game.

[HOPSECUTIONERx]

Added a Mavrik max 4H and a Mizuno st190 3W to replace my old 3W/5W/3 iron and I went from 18 to 13 handicap almost overnight. Ive seen a huge improvement on par 5s and short par 4s.

[jpdx]

I dropped 4.7 and, although this will be controversial in a way, it was when (perhaps mentally) I switched to modern blades (vapor pros) from the vapor fly pros (is players game improvement clubs a thing?), I suppose technically a gi set of irons but shades of players club.

nothing has impacted my hdcp more drastically. Shot my best round with them on a course that is typically longer and harder than my usual track

ymmv.

[IamMarkMac]

I'm actually the reverse of what I've read. I dropped my 3h and 4h and went back to a 3i and 4i. I managed to teach myself to hit long irons smoother instead of harder and I find them easier to make contact with than a hybrid or fairway wood. Once I got the easy long iron swing down, long irons became straighter and more consistent for me than hybrids.

I will say though that something that may have affected that was that I moved from steel shafts in the 100-115g range to 80g graphite. I'm guessing the lighter shafts make hitting the long irons easier.

[Titleist_PT23]

Just curious, how far do you carry the 3-iron / 4-iron? I get that practice / mental confidence is a big thing. At one point I struggled with my 5-iron (25 degrees) for many of the same reasons - trying to hit it harder/higher vs. swinging it the same as any other iron. I too like the irons and think they are easier to control. But at some point I think swing speed is really a limitation on getting enough gapping between clubs and the desired peak height to hold greens well.

[mjbfyb]

The SM7 56° and the Newport 2 I used on the practice green for many hours.

[BiggErn]

I’m a mid single but I can tell you what will drop it. Get in play off the tee whether it’s with driver or an iron. That doesn’t mean bisecting the fairway just not taking penalty strokes. Take your medicine on the 1 out of 10000 shot instead of trying the hero shot. Don’t pi$$ shots away around the green. From the sand just get it on. The rest eliminate or greatly reduce the skulls and duffs. Lastly minimize the 3 putts.

[Boricua Golf]

Not any specific club for me, just lots of  practice with every club, knowing my distances with each and what are my misses with each. But to be more specific, I would say wedges and putter is where my scores lowered.

[IamMarkMac]

The 4i is about a 180y carry and the 3i is about 195y. Again, I don't really understand the physics of it but I know I have to fight that urge to kill the ball on a shot. This, even though I know full well that a smooth swing will go the distance I want it to go. Kind of makes me understand now why golfers cheat with beta blockers. Smooth just flat out wins.

 

[Thinnedit]

Highest: 32.6

Lowest: 24.8 (current)

2 clubs for me. Driver: starting golf I never used to be able to hit driver but hit a 3 wood well (or at least what I considered well) which saw me around 220-240y down the hole leaving me 6-7 irons into greens, causing me to miss them and resulting in high scores. Once I started hitting driver again I saw a drop in scoring as I was closer to the hole leaving a shorter iron in. Suddenly I was hitting greens and making par and bogey vs. Doubles/picking it up. Much like the "bomb and gouge" theory: closer to the hole made it easier to score. As confidence builds the short iron from the rough will be a wedge from the fairway.Wedges: got fit for wedges and was able to dial in distances from 120y in which shaved strokes like nothing else. I suggest to anyone looking to get fit for anything in their bag to work from the green backwards. Putter>wedges>irons>fairways & driver.

Also a tip that I've found to be very valuable: learn to love your shot shape. I hit a draw with irons and a fade with woods. Embrace what comes naturally and stop trying to force shots you aren't confident hitting.

[Mikey5e]

I carry for hybrids to eliminate the hard to hit low lofted irons. These absolutely have given me a better edge I'm scoring without doubt.

[Sean2]

I never got along with hybrids and replaced them with fairway woods as well. Much better alternative for me.

[BeanFrog]

I got fitted for a putter. Ended up with an Evnroll ER5 with Stability Shaft. I don’t think the putter itself is the key, (although I like it a lot) but rather length. I have been playing 35”, but was fitted into 33”. Made a huge difference. I’m dabbling with an armlock this season, so I’m a typical WRX’er.

Getting wedges I felt confident about was huge too. I’m playing 2019 Callaway PM Grind in 54 and 58, with a set matching P790 in 50. Much better for me than my last wedges. I guess the lesson is that the short game really does make the biggest difference.

[bogey69]

G400 Max.

[Joelsim]

The putter. Anyone can putt like a pro.

[scomac2002]

That's easy: for me it is the long putter. If you have back trouble you don't practice much. The long putter allows you to develop an address position with the putter in hand that is easy on the back thus allowing more practice. More practice leads to better putting. Better putting means less putts per round and the handicap drops accordingly.

Next would be the 5 hybrid. It's so versatile; off the tee, for lay-ups and approach shots. Gouging balls out of the rough. You can even bump and run with it from off the green. When all else is failing you, the 5 hybrid will keep the ball in play and save you strokes.

[BogeyParBogey]

Getting off the tee with playable second shots I think is the biggest scorecard improvement. If you can't get off the tee in bounds or with unobstructed shots you're in trouble.

Dave

[mootrail]

19° 4 hybrid instead of 18° 5 wood. 58° instead of 60°. Better consistency with both = lower scores.

[hagimihale]

About 10 years ago, when I added an 18* Cobra Baffler Pro to the bag. Don't know what my handicap was, but I went from occasionally breaking 90 to regularly doing so. 240+ off the tee with a baby draw (my driver and 3W began collecting dust). Hit it out of fairway bunkers, used low running draws and fades to get out of trouble, I used that club everywhere. Replaced it this year with a 818H2 but I'll never get rid of that club - I should probably frame it.

[NoTalentLefty]

When in my youthful 30s what got me to single digits from a 15 to 18 , was the short game, especially my chipping. So it was my 7-Pw whatever I needed.

[sharkiesj]

Two changes, one equipment-wise and one practice-wise (or mental), made a huge change in my game, especially in regards to going from a double digit handicap breaking thru to a single digit cap.

1. Equipment change: Original Big Bertha driver. I grew up hitting persimmon drivers and never was any good at driving the ball. The BB literally changed that overnight and made a huge difference in my confidence and game moving forward. Finding a driver nowadays is a lot easier (and more expensive!) but the analogy is still the same. Find a driver that works and you trust is paramount.

2. Changing my practice routine. Before I would hit a large bucket of balls (1-2 hours), then I’d wander over to the putting green and putt (15 min) then I’d quit putting cuz I’d be tired and bored. Never even practiced chipping. Decided to change to sharpen my short game and get better. First thing I did was when I wanted to practice I’d head to the putting green first. Your mind is sharp and eager. Spend 15-20 min getting loose then I’d pick a hole and spread 5 balls around starting at 2 feet. I have to make 25 2-footers in a row all around the hole. Miss one, would have to start over and make 25 in a row before I move back to 3 feet. Then I have to make 25 3 footers in a row before I can hit a bucket of balls. This forced me to focus on putting and take it more seriously than I ever did. Some days it took me over 3 hours before I could hit my bucket. Other days it took 20-30 min.

Sorry to be long-winded here but getting better requires equipment that suits you and making a commitment to practice. You gotta practice and put in the time. Put in the time, that’s the beauty and the reward you’ll reap in spades.

[Double Dutch]

putter without a sight line. Took the stress out of putting.

[Maroon_19]

Putter and a 52* wedge. And hours of work.

[luckypolk]

Getting wedges with the correct bounce and grind for my swing and course conditions.