So you have 15 Clubs... How do you decide what to play?

[mxskier]

Title says it all.

I can't hit hybrids. It's a mental block thing. Not sure if I'm supposed to swing them like an iron or like a fairway wood, so I do a fun combination of both with usually results in just terrible-ness.

So I go to the course and have my F8+ 5W and my Epic Forged 4i that acts as a driving iron/esque with more forgiveness. Now I have 15 clubs.

How do I decide what to play? Really, for those of you in the same situation, how do you decide which to play on a given day and which stays in the trunk?

[puttingmatt]

I let the weather conditions decide,

[rondre3000]

Do you play multiple courses that dictate shots with a lot of different yardages and shapes?

I am finding that as I play a rotation of roughly 2-4 different courses I can generally make my way around with 9 clubs. My full bag has 13 clubs in it that I could really break down to 12 if I wanted to only carry 3 wedges. My advice is carry the clubs that are going to help you score, PERIOD. That could be 14, but if it's actually less there's no shame in carrying a lighter bag.

Right now, my Sunday bag consists of 3w (or driver, depending on the day), 25* hybrid, 7iron-PW, 52* wedge, 58* wedge and putter. With the full bag I carry D, 3w, 22* hybrid, 25* hybrid, 6i - GW, 55* wedge, 60* wedge and putter.

[Myherobobhope]

If you aren’t carrying hybrids, I’m confused as to what other clubs you have... I’m on mobile so maybe I am missing your signature.

as a guess, you have driver, three wood, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, pw, two more wedges and a putter. That’s 11 clubs. Gap wedge, 5 wood, driving four iron makes 14... so I guess you are carrying a second 4 iron?

seems like the best thing to is figure out how to cover the shots you want to hit with 5 iron, 4 iron, driving iron and 5 wood and how you can do it with three clubs... maybe bend the 5 iron strong two degrees and drop the regular four iron?

[mxskier]

I don’t belong to a club, and I’ll routinely go to anywhere between 5-12 courses. Just where ever I can get a tee time.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Make a decision and take note how often you get in trouble because of it. Takes a couple weeks but after that, you have much more confidence in your bag composition. That’s how I settled on my current bag, only clubs in rotation are driving irons vs. woods and that’s a weather dependent decision.

I would also be interested in your bag makeup. Care to elaborate?

[lefty1978]

The only decision I make is between my 5 wood and 3 iron. It depends on the course and how I'm hitting them. 5 wood has been getting the nod on my weekend money matches lately.

[mxskier]

@LukeDonaldsTiger haha happy to, what do you wanna know?

[Roberto32323]

Whether you need something coming in higher/softer in greens, or whether it’s wet/windy you want something flighted low with roll

[Myherobobhope]

What are the other 13 clubs in your bag. What distances are you covering with the five wood and four iron. What clubs are adjacent to those distances?

[ChipNRun]

First of all, hybrids work best if you hit them like an iron. But wait, there's more!

Do you have traditional hybrids (yes, we're there now) or iron-replacement hybrids? Traditional hybrids have shaft lengths between FWs and long irons, and are generally free-standing clubs that you work in for yardage gapping. Iron-replacement (IR) hybrids generally match one or more iron sets a company makes (think Mizuno FLI-HI), and have shaft lengths and lofts matching the set irons they would replace.

Basically, the IR hybrids have shorter shafts and might be somewhat easier to control, but might not fly quite as far as the traditionals.

One thing you might do is get a tune-up lesson on hybrids (assuming a COVID break). A few years ago I got a 5-minute H checkover during a regular golf lesson. The pro gave me a set-up tip that really helped.As for your 15 clubs... why the two four-irons? Keep the one that flies farthest - I'm assuming it's the Epic Forged. If you end up with a 16-yard gap at the long end of your bag, don't worry about it.

I have something similar. I refit my 4i with a hybrid shaft, so it's now a driving iron that launches well enough to hit off the fairway.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

What @Myherobobhope said. We‘d like to give suggestions, but you have to help us with some more details.

[Myherobobhope]

@LukeDonaldsTiger I finally opened a laptop... his bag is as follows:
Ping G400 LST Tour 65
Cobra F8+ 3W VA Slay 75
Callaway Epic Forged 4i Aerotech Steelfiber FC90
PXG 0311T Gen3 4-PW Oban CT 115
Vokey SM7 50/54/60 Oban CT 115
TaylorMade Spider X
So he's carrying three wedges and 2 four irons...
So the options are as follows, as far as I'm concerned... Drop a 4 iron... this seems like the easiest route. Find one you can hit off the tee and off the ground and call it a day. Unless it's covering two different distances, I don't really see the point in carrying one (though, I currently don't carry a 5 iron, so I'm biased). Depending on the use of the 3w and 5w, a 4 wood could be a compromise... Could also drop out a wedge, move to a 52/58 setup and continue to carry 2 four irons. Really, just need to figure out what shots you are hitting and what you can do without. Consolidate woods, consolidate 4 irons or consolidate wedges... I guess you could also bend some irons between 4-PW and eliminate a middle iron, but that's probably crazy and also is basically just getting rid of the 4 iron by bending 5 iron down strong 2 degrees.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Thanks. Yeah, I’m on mobile so no profile visible. @mxskier this is obviously very personal, but I’d also suggest losing a 4i. I’d ditch the Epic Forged and turn the 3W into a 4W to cover the bigger gap.
With your PW at 46*, you’ll need to learn partial shots with your wedges if you plan to lose one. Probably better to have some gaps at the top of your bag.
The question still lingers, how far do you hit your 3W in comparison to Driver and 4i? Might even be an option to make the 4i a little stronger?

[mxskier]

@LukeDonaldsTiger @Myherobobhope Sorry, was at work.
Live in Denver, currently 4.5 but with some big variability (can shoot even par to low 70s, then the next day mid 80s). 108SS, so up here with 160mph driver speed carry 280 on the regular with easy roll to 310-320. Score is dependent on 1) making par on Par 3s, 2) minimizing the big number on Par 4s (good rounds Par 4 average of PXG 4i at 22.5* off the deck is 220-225 carry if struck well, but due to altitude only gets about 40* of land angle. Usually will use off the tee for very short ( 3W off the tee mostly, will be the club if I want my drive to go out around 275-280 total, for position. Not the most consistent with the 3W off the tee. Also used as a fairly reliable advance really far club on the occasional 600 yard par 5s. Similar problem with the 22.5* 4i is the land angle into the green, though if I'm 275 out from the green, realistically I'm looking to probably roll it up if I have a lot of space or just 2 shot in with a short wedge.
Hole to fill here is the 250 out to carry some hazard (uncommon) but more commonly off the tee for 350-400 par 4s. Driver can go to far, leaving 1/2 wedge shots in, which is fine if there is no trouble. but on those holes generally there's something at 300 so you can't bomb it. Or if it gets tight.
So we come to the 19* 5W or the 18* Epic 4i (which is 4.5* stronger than my set 4i and would leave enormous gaps). I have considered just turning down the 5W to a 4W at 17.5, but its playing at 42" so I worry that I may lose too much distance. As it is, both of these clubs generate about 145mph ball speed when struck well. Obviously the 5W is more consistent on distance due to the lower CG, but less reliable for direction. Vice versa for the iron.
That's my game.

[Myherobobhope]

I feel like you are putting in a ton of effort to fill out odd distances... I’d say you need a club you are confident with that goes 250 and need to learn to pay off driver and hit a 270 yard shot after roll... just a safe driver swing that you know will put you in bounds. The bigger head will add more forgiveness, just need to learn the swing (it’s the swing i use to practice my path). The go four or five wood. Something you have confidence in and can hit 250 in the air.

then 4 utility.

at your altitude back spin is your friend. It’s almost impossible to hit moon balls, so embrace a high spin fairway wood. It will hit and stop... then just use the four utility when the wind is in your face.

i spent a season playing in Idaho, so I have experience with high altitude golf. (Shout out to my gym, high altitude fitness). It does create some interesting distance gaps... but if you aren’t confident with the three wood, replace it and don’t worry about hitting the 270 yard shot... it’s not like that’s a common shot people have in their bag.

[setter02]

Weather, course layout and yardages, course conditions.

[Jack Pearsall]

The night before when sets up his bag, He has Already played the round in his head. He knows every shot, each club, the score he will shot.

[bombs]

Wind a primary consideration for me, course length the other.

I prefer to have four specialty wedges in my bag to hit all distances with full swings, but they aren't much use into a strong breeze.

[MountainGoat]

Play all 15 and see if anyone notices.

 

[animalgolfs]

Stop all the over guessing

 

 

Play 9 Clubs

 

It'll set free man-

[driveandputtmachine]

I used to play either a 5 wood or a 2 iron. Most of the time both stayed in the bag, because let's be honest here, I was not playing in any USGA events or even local or State am events. I can see it now here come the valid handicap haters telling me how I am doing something wrong and my handicap wasn't valid. When I played a tournament at my club I only had 14 and yes, we were checked in every event. How did I choose then? 5 wood when it was really wet and 2 iron during the summer when I could get run out.

However, I decided to try a SGI iron, it is marked as a 4 iron (Bent it to 18*) and I can hit it almost as far as the 5 wood with a high flight, and can hit the low stinger just like the 2 iron.

Now I have 14 clubs and it isn't an issue.

[jmichael204]

The selection between 5w and 4 iron just comes down to course set-up and confidence with whatever club you prefer. If you are confident with either, then I would say you have to look at course length, layout, Par 3's and conditions that day to really decide. Or you could always take a wedge out of the bag and keep both longer clubs although usually not advisable unless you can finesse a PW or SW for that in between distance the Gap used to cover.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I think your problem is that you only have 15 clubs.

 

To answer your question though, that gap is one I struggled with for a few years. I solved it by 1) finding a hybrid I could hit, 2) buying a 9w for the times when I couldn't hit the hybrid that I thought I could hit, 3) weakening my lofts in my irons, especially in the short irons, to reduce the gapping between the PW and 52*, 4) practising lots of shots with the 52* and 58* wedges, 5) dropping the putter when I realised I needed more wedges.

Okay, I made that last one up. One thing that struck me was that you don't seem to need the extra length that a 3w would provide over a 4w. A 4w is easier to hit off the deck than a 3w, and will give you that bit more height. Say you put a 4w in your bag, how would that affect the next couple of clubs down in your bag?

 

[Celebros]

I bounce between two setups depending on the course. A single fairway wood (set to 16.5*) and then a 3-iron (20*) or a 3-wood (13.5* or 14.5*) and a 5-wood (typically 19*). I generally make the choice based on the Par 5's - if most of them are relatively short, I typically go single fairway wood and a 3-iron since it is unlikely I'd need anything more than my 16.5* fairway wood to reach the green in two.

[mxskier]

I'm heading out today and will plan to turn my 19* 5W down to a 16.5* 4W, and will keep the 18* GI 4iron (think Rickie's 4 iron) in the bag too. Will see how it works out.

[mxskier]

Well, the strong Epic 4 iron was not good on the course. Turns out for me its a great range club, not so much when there's pressure. The surprise of the round was the 5W turned down to 16.5. The thing was fantastic. Given how much more comfortable I am with the fairway woods, I think that answers the question of which club setup to go with.
Or do I do what @No_Catchy_Nickname says and just add the set 3i and keep the 4W.. GAH haha

[Zen_Golfer]

Id pick the same 15 clubs and play them every round. Swapping in and out clubs all the time is never a good idea if you want to improve because you never really get a feel for what a given club will do in a given situation.

[clinkinfo]

I look at the course layout and try to figure out which yardage I think I’ll need most for that layout. Some days the 4 iron doesn’t look needed, sometimes the par 5s aren’t realistically reachable so the 3 wood might stay behind. For me it depends on the course.

[marmaduk]

I would drop 6 clubs and play with only 9 as I normally do. Easier to cary and your score will remain the same.