Plus caps only please: what set(s)do you use and why

[extrastiff]

-one set, or multiple sets? Witb(s)?

-multiple iron sets? or whole sets (woods, putters)

- all in the same place, or at different properties?

-prefer one set over the rest? Score better with one? Travel with your set?

Thanks!

 

[cugolf14]

One set and I change very rarely. I change irons when the grooves go. Wedges are the same. 3 wood is an original M2 and it’ll be in the bag for a long time because it does exactly what I need it to do. Still using a Scotty from years and years ago. Driver I update every 3 years or so. I’m not an equipment junkie, I find what works and stick with it. Changing equipment requires a lot of time to make sure things are right and, unfortunately, I just don’t have that much time.

[cugolf14]

Sorry, WITB:

TS2 driver, Fuji Precursor X shaft

M2 3 wood, TP7HDe X shaft

TS3 5 wood Diamana D+ 80 X White Board

Adams Pro Gold 20* Hybrid, Project X Graphite 6.0 tipped

4 iron: Titleist 718 TMB, DG Tour Issue X100

5-PW: 718 AP2, DG Tour Issue X100

54 and 60 Degree Vokey SM7

Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Newport

 

 

 

[Floris]

The best two players I play with (+2.6 and +3.2) have one set. Not even interchangeable hybrid/driving iron/woods, not different sets of wedges. Just one set.

One of the two does love to tinker, but big changes are only made when something breaks or in the off-season. The other just changed his whole bag apart from the putter after 6 years of no changes.

At my course we don’t have that many sub hcp5 players, maybe 12 or so. Most of them tinker A LOT. Have different sets of wedges, 3&5 wood, hybrids, driving irons and sometimes even multiple sets of irons and multiple drivers. For a couple of them to be honest, the tinkering makes them never get used to the bag, second guessing themselves instead of getting in the zone with what they have. I feel that at least two or three should be a plus handicap but are keeping themselves back.

 

The fiend I play with most is a tinkerer. Changing grips, changing wedges, changing putters (he has about 7 or so he constantly seems to rotate). He’s 69 and a 6 handicap, he plays for fun and he still kicks my *ss sometimes as long as he can play a tee shorter.

[MountainKing]

Most of the better golfers I know, single digits and lower, use 1 set and don't change often other than wedges and the occasional putter. None of them utilize a backup bag.

I'm not a + myself, but a low single digit and do the same. If I had a backup bag, it would be a carbon copy to my everyday bag. I know what these clubs do, not a chance I'd be rotating things in and out.

[PowderedToastMan]

I tinker non-stop, but the make-up of my bag stays essentially the same. After every round, I’m usually adjusting weights, re-aligning grips after changing loft sleeves, etc. Right now I’m shaving my woods down millimetre by millimetre after rounds, as I’m having success going shorter and heavier.

I like to travel with my clubs, because I always want to play with my gamers, and there’s no way I’m going to buy two of every club purchase I ever make. Here’s my current WITB:

Driver: G400 @ 8 -Aldila NV 75 X 43.875”

Fairways: M3 3 and 5 Tensei Orange 75 (3 wood 42.5”, 5 wood 41.75”)

Hybrid: G25 23 degree TFC Tour Stiff 1/2” short

Irons: iBlade 5-PW S300

Wedges: Tour Gorge 52, Milled Grind Bronze 56, Glide 2.0 TS 60. S300 and AWT 2.0 in Glide 2.0

Putter: Spider Tour Black 33” 2x12 gram weights

This post took forever to write and I’m never doing this again.

[granata10]

One set for me. I do like to tinker and try new clubs but my set makeup stays the same. When I try something new I normally know right away if it’s going to work. Here are the clubs and stories behind them, if you want to know

ping G400 LST 10.5 set at 9.5 with Rogue silver stiff shaft. I have used a Ping driver for the last 15 years. I have tried others but nothing has made the bag.

TaylorMade SIM 3 & 5 wood with stock Diamana shaft. This is new this year, I wanted more height from my hybrid so I went to a 5 wood and reall like it. End of last year my 3 wood broke so it was time to replace it.

Callaway Apex 23* hybrid with steelfiber i95 stiff shaft. This has been in the bag since they originally came out, 2016 I think.

Wilson Staff Model 5-PW with dynamic gold s300, 2* flat. These are also new this year, I tried going more forgiving with i210s and lighter shafts but just didn’t have the control I wanted.

Wilson Staff Model 50* wedge with DGS300 2* flat. This is to match the set above and brand new

Ping Glide 3.0 54*SS and 58*TS. While they are the newer model I have had this setup for a long time. Since the Ping Tour S wedges. It just works for my game. I have tried other wedges but these are so reliable it would be really hard to switch.

Ping Nome TR putter. 34” orange dot. This has been in the bag since 2013 and is not going anywhere. I may die with this putter. I have so much confidence with this putter. The last tine I tried something else I had a 4’ for par looked down at my putter and the first thing I thought of was where is my Ping!

[joj]

1 set. Any new club means the old club is given to a buddy or family member.

Srixon Z785 Driver

3 wood Sim

20 degree Ping Anser Hybrid

4-PW Srixon 965

50 and 56 SM7

64 TM High Toe

Ping ZB3

I play with +golfers all the time. Some change clubs every month. Some change clubs every decade. Both work. Both win money. I lost money last weekend to Ping I20 woods and rocketbladez.

[PokerDlr]

If you saw my bag, you would never think that I play to a +1. I don’t change anything except for putter rotation periodically and wedges when worn out. In fact, I just switched out my CG15 Wedges last year, lol.

Driver 10.5 G400 (set to 9.6) with Ping Tour 65S

3Wood G410 14.5 (not flat setting) with Ping Tour 75S

5Wood Cobra F7 (set to 18.5) with Stock Fuji 65S, lol

23* Hybrid Ping Anser with stock TFC whatever in Stiff

5-UW Ping I20 (yellow dot) with CFS stiff (hardstepped 1x)

54* MD4 S grind with S200

58* 2019 PM grind with S200

Odyssey Rossie II 34”

[extrastiff]

 

Awesome! yea pretty in depth questions and answers thanks for taking the time to answer. figured it would trend towards one set

follow up:

-do you actually have one set and absolutely no other clubs in the house? loaners? Spare heads?

-is your set based purely on what works Consistently the best, a little bit based on aesthetics/wants, or some other reason (injury, lack of time to sharpen game, etc)

[getitdaily]

1 set.

Sim driver - 125msi rogue silver

17m2 3wood - speeder 757 evo2

TM rbz tour 3 hybrid - rogue silver hybrid but changing this shaft soon to a vts silver

Hmb 4i bent 1 strong - $taper 120s

5-pw - jpx900tour - $taper 120s

Callaway md4 50-10

Vokey sm7 54-10 and 60-10

TM spider tour, blue head, no sightline, flatcat std grip

I travel with my sticks. I'm tinkering with a hmb 3i that will have a 100g vts silver hybrid shaft. Hoping it allows me to interchange my hybrid with it depending on course/conditions.

[Yuck]

When I was a Plus, I played the same set for more than a decade. Wilson FG17 tour blades, Macgregor Eye-o- Magic Driver and 3 Wood. bullseye 35 Standard putter. Once I started switching clubs I got worse, or I got worse and started switching clubs. ( I also started having kids).

[granata10]

For me I have one set only, if i am getting a new club i normally sell / trade in the old one. The only other club I have around the house is the Ping Anser I used before I got the Nome.

my set is based on what works otherwise it wouldn’t be in the bag. I will admit if it looks good, I am more likely to try it, but looks are not a prerequisite. I do like how my bag looks right now.

Can I ask why are you interested in our bags?

[mbbrewer]

I’m currently at a +2 and don’t tinker with anything once I get it dialed in. I’ll try out the latest drivers when they come out and sometimes will fiddle with different putters in my collection. If I’m traveling I’ll take my clubs .

Driver- 9* Sim Max turned down 2* Raijin Black X

3w- 15* maverick sub zero graphite design tour ad XC x

3h- Titleist 818h2 Accra TZ5 X

4-9 Srixon Z785 KBS Tour V tour spec 130X

46/50 Vokey SM7 tour chrome

54/58 Vokey SM8 raw

Putter- Cameron X5 dual balance 38”

 

[extrastiff]

i just recently had a golf “growth spurt” and I’m better than I ever expected to be. Consequently, I no longer really enjoy practicing, practice rounds, and tinkering. I’m happy I know how to do those things, as changes are sometimes necessary.

so now I’m Kinda just polling other plus caps to see how they practice, how they play, and now, how they compose their gaming set(s) to see if anything sounds relatable.

playing with one set, and traveling with them, and selling/giving away all this other stuff- that’s sounding pretty relatable.

i am curious if you all have extra wedge/heads laying around, or do you buy when needed. I have found I go thru them fairly quick, but spin foes not suffer significantly so maybe I should play them longer? Those are the 3 or 4 clubs I could see keeping a backup/competition set.

[granata10]

I don’t have extra wedges but I always buy the newest pings with the same grind, a standard sole 54* and a thin sole 58*. My wedges usually last me about a year and a half to 2 years in Michigan. I don’t play in tournaments as much as I used to but if I was going to have a backup of anything it would be driver, 58* wedge and putter.

[cugolf14]

Yes, one set for me. I do have other putters laying around, but they don't make it in the bag much at all. At most, a round or two a year typically. But no spares for me.

In regards to the setup, it's a combination of consistency and aesthetics/wants. The club has to look good to your eye, it's got to be desirable to hit, but it has to work and work consistently. If I want a given clubhead, I can typically find a way to get that club to work, at least for the most part. Obviously some high spinning iron built for higher handicaps won't fit the bill, but you get my point. I can't force a shaft into a club though. That's one thing that you can't ever dictate.

Hope that helps!

[ThinkingPlus]

One set. I only switch clubs if I run into a problem I can't fix with swing. For example, as the years go by I switch drivers because my swing speed has dropped and I need a lighter/softer flex shaft. I also keep a variety of wedges around with different bounce/grind options for when I play tournaments outside the hard pan belt. My WITB is in my signature.

[cugolf14]

On wedges, I don't keep extras around. I just get a new one when the current one wears out. 60's last me a year or so, maybe a little longer. 54's are a few years.

[bogeypro]

I'm a plus and play with several other plus handicaps at various clubs. They are always tinkering and tuning equipment... trying to find another stroke to shave.

[extrastiff]

A bit of tinkering in tuning I get, but I assume it’s stuff like changing out club heads, lengthening and shortening, stuff like that. But rotating multiple different sets over a longer period of time?

[extrastiff]

do any of you use aftermarket shafts in your wedges? I have been bulk buying new wedges on eBay so I can afford to “throw away“ the shaft. If so, did you find a builder that has them in stock, or do you pay extra to just throw away the shaft and build it yourself?

[stpaulslouch]

One set with the exception that i have a 3 hybrid and 52* that i swap out occasionally. 2 of my buddies are + handicaps and do the same. For me personally, there's no way I would be a consistent golfer if i was swapping out clubs regularly, not enough time in the day to get gapping figured out and also play so i just play!

[Z4Z3R]

I play off scratch and rotate sets way too often. Have about 3 sets of irons I rotate between, 2 sets of wedges (low bounce/high bounce), 3-4 putters, but don't change the top of the bag all too often. The sets are set up pretty similar for the most part and I switch usually after a couple bad ball striking round. I like to tell myself that I like to start fresh after getting some bad swing thoughts creep in. Does it probably hurt me a little? maybe. Is it fun to play new sets? yes.

 

Ultimately, I think scoring is more about playing well off the tee and making putts so I feel as long as I do those things okay, changing out my 5-pw doesn't make that big a difference. Maybe 0.5 shots/rd absolute max. I don't really want to play as a plus handicap anyways, too hard to win money that way.

[Tree Levino]

I think an interesting thing in this thread is that everyone is usually something forgiving/hybrid for 3i at least and many for 4i.

I am trying to get to the next level and down to scratch/+ but I know it's a long road. I have the potential but tinkering has affected me negatively for sure. I'm definitely noticing that even some clubs that felt initially uncomfortable became incredibly steady after a while. The switch back to a blade putter for instance was awkward for a couple of rounds despite feeling good on carpet rolls. Now that I have probably 15 rounds under my belt with it I will not change. The reason being I have never had better distance control. I can work on line and reads but that distance control has always been lacking for me. Once I get a piece in place I refuse to change it now as I know kids will come along in the next few years and I don't have long to reach my goal. The driver was the same. Thought I lost distance with the G410 LST at first now but once I got comfortable with the weighting I'm getting WAY more forgiveness and the same distance. Irons and wedge set up I'm still working on and I'm thinking of replacing my 4i with a hybrid. Once it's set I will not change.

I'm not fully sold on the fit of my irons so I will be messing with that over the next few weeks. I have some Miura CB1008 on the way and two sets of shafts to try in them. Once I get that set I'm going to run with what I've got for as long as possible!

My + cap buddy is willing to tinker with his driver but he plays Razr X MB irons with the grooves nearly worn out with PX 6.0 flighted shafts that are entirely "too soft" for his speed but it doesn't matter because he throws darts with them. He's also willing to tinker with wedge setup and putter. He is SUPER angry that he got rid of his old 913FD fairway for "newer tech". Any good golfer knows that getting rid of a fairway wood that works is a cardinal sin.

 

[dmecca2]

1 set of irons and woods, many putters.

Driver: m5 tour

3wood: M2 tour

Hybrid: Titleist 2 hybrid. I always forget this one. 915 maybe? its been in the bag a while.

Irons: Titleist 714 CBs, 3-P. I had a new set of 714 CBs/AP2 combos in 2015 and last year I switched to srixon blades. Wasn't as consistent as my old titleists, so I bought another used set of all CB's.

Wedges: Vokey SM6 52 degree and SM7 58 degree.

Putter: Currently playing a scotty cameron detour conversion I did myself. I have about 6 putters I switch in and out when I want to reset my feel or if Im not happy with how I'm putting

[juststeve]

It's hard enough to learn how to use one set, why make it harder by using 2? One set of ageing clubs.

Steve

[pingplayer]

I've played with a lot of + handicaps and most of them stick with what works. They replace the irons and wedges when they worn out with something very similar. Driver maybe once a year if they find something a little bit better.

That's what i've seen. When they find something that works, they stick with it.

[wakit300]

INTERESTING huh? Anybody see a trend here? We should all think about it and quit wasting time chasing "the perfect set".

[extrastiff]

What? Did you even read the thread? The question was if people had set in other places, etc. To see if Others trending towards traveling with them or just playing other stuff in other places. Also if they generally like messing around, which some posters do.

No one started a thread about chasing a perfect set, and if you don’t want to participate in a conversation that I feel went to a couple interesting places, feel free to step out