Do you find having an "unmatched" bag an issue?

[Guest]

What is standard thought and what really works when it comes to "matching" irons? Say one has a matched set (5-UW), then a couple of different long irons (perhaps driving irons or some sort of crossover hybrid iron, say 2-3 or 2-4 or 3-4), and their 55 and 60 degree wedges are a 3rd style, with different shafts? Do you find that you don't adjust well to the clubs (due to different stiffnesses and weight perhaps) or is the transition seamless?

The reason I ask is that back when I last played, all iron sets were pretty much matched: if you played Ping, you had a 2 iron through a SW or Lob in your bag. There was no distinction between groupings of irons, even though they served different purposes. Now however, we rarely see this: most people playing PING i200s would probably have a set of Crossover irons for 2 and 3, i200s for 4-AW, and Glide wedges above that. If that is the case, then why not just go with a different brand altogether? Do people prefer to treat their long irons and wedges as a different category of club, similar to how they view a driver and putter? After all, nobody would blink an eye if a player was hitting Ping irons but had a M5 driver and a Scotty putter.

 

 

[Myherobobhope]

My bag is all over the place, and it’s fine... but I adjust to clubs well. I have 6-pw and then a different five iron... three similar wedges, though my 50 degree has a different shaft.

if I had the money to do a full bag rebuild, I’d probably go - 56 and 60 identical, 52 & 48 game improvement wedges from same brand.

9-5 - matching set, shaft matching wedges but probably stiffer.

From there it would be unique clubs to fill out my distances... probably more matching shafts than I currently have.

[dubbelbogey]

Personally, I have no problem mixing up brands and clubs. To me, they're tools with different purposes, so I use what's comfortable to me for each of those different tasks.

That said, I'm not picky. In general, I've adapted to a lot of different clubs over the years without much issue. I use two Cleveland wedges mixed in with one Vokey. Most of my irons are matching Mizunos, but top out with one TM at the long end. Two different hybrids. Finally, my 3w, driver and putter don't match anything else at all, but are comfortable and reliable for me.

About the only club position that I've actually had more trial and error to find a club that I like is the 3w. I hear this is not an uncommon issue with 3w's.

 

[mootrail]

I like switching things up, so a Cally Driver, TM Mini, Mizuno hybrids, Bridgestone irons, a Bridestone AW, a Cleveland 58° and a PM 58°.

The one place where this bite's me is the variety of shafts I'm playing. I've got a 45g D shaft, a 55g Mini shaft, Modus Tour 3 105 in my 18° 4H and 75g graphite in my 5H & 6H, 75g graphite in my irons, 85g steel in my AW, unknown in my Cleveland wedge and 125g in my PM.

It's not as bad as it looks and I have no problem switching from the 105g hybrid to the 75g hybrids or with a 85g wedge shaft, they all feel fine. But if I could switch it tomorrow, it would be; 55g for the driver and a new 55g for the mini, Modus Tour 3 105 in the graphite hybrids, irons and AW and leaving the two 58s unchanged.

[Guest]

Interesting! I hit clubs today with a Recoil graphite shaft and I really liked them, although they were a bit soft. They were easy on my elbow and tendons: I have some residual discomfort from years of crimping on tiny rock climbing holds as I used to boulder pretty hard. Years of doing door-jamb pullups probably didn't help.

 

Do you find that you have to adjust to clubs, or can you pick one up and go with it w/o any mental swing adaptation?

[mootrail]

When I'm playing well, I never think about it. It's pick up and go and never a second thought. It's only when I'm sitting around reading Golf WRX that I start thinking I should change shafts.

I have Recoils and they are definitely easy on the body. So easy, that the 105s might be a pipe dream.

[MattM97]

I use what works best for me so if my woods were all different brands compared to my irons and wedges as long as it works I'm fine with that. As for flex again as long as it works example my driver is a stiff flex, my 3W is an X flex, my Hybrid is a TX flex, my irons are stiff and my wedges I believe are regular or stiff. All over the place but it works and I'm comfortable with it.

 

Now there is a player on the champions tour who's irons are all different, literally all different nothing matches and he's playing on the Champions Tour.

[setter02]

I'll play with 3-4 different sets of irons depending on how I feel that day. After hitting them enough or just putting in a bit of range time, you should be familiar enough with then to have an idea of what to expect and can pick adn choose accordingly. Not that hard a concept. Detrimental, maybe, but at this point in world history, who the hell cares anymore!

[GSDriver]

Don't know which Recoils you have, I have the 110s and they're awesome. Play very similar to my KBS Tour V2 except much easier on the old bones. I originally bought set of Apex Pros with Recoils for winter/cold weather use, but liked them so much haven't played my Tour V2 set in couple years. No adjustment necessary after about two rounds, as weight pretty much on par with the KBS

[Guest]

These clubs are the s4 85g weight. I don't like them that much but the shafts feel good! The clubs are a little dead; perhaps the recoils are contributing to it. They aren't mine though, just a loaner set

[GSDriver]

I just realized, or remembered, my Epic hybrids have 80g Recoils, they play nicely, very controllable and soft on the joints.

[DaveMc82]

Only people I see away from tv with matching bags are posers and rich 18+ handicappers. 5 different brands in my bag and they all work. Maybe I’m weird but I don’t understand people that need their bag to look good for other people to look at. Only comment I ever get is that irons look hard to hit. That and where’s my putter headcover ?

[BYK]

My bag is all mixed up, from Callaway, tour exotics, titleist (irons are a mix of titleist and callaway).

works great for me. I don't think I've ever had a matching bag to be honest

[jah7838]

I have a TM driver, Adams 3 wood, 3 & 4 Adams hybrids, Hogan PTx Pro 5-P, Vokey 50*, RTX 54*, and TM HIToe 58*. Putter is a Toulon Las Vegas.

A mixed bag makes more sense to me because you can find clubs that work best for your game instead of having to have all the clubs match. If they all match and work for you, that’s great. I don’t think that’s the case for most people.

[gator022]

More than likely you’re not getting paid to have clubs match so setup the bag so it works for you. Look at Bernard Langer’s bag...

[lil'mike]

The only time I ever had a complete, non mixed bag was when I was working for a golf store. My bag is now mixed and I do mix it up at times too! I can match my driver, 5wd and irons sometimes or I can have 5-6 different brands in the bag .

 

[golfinrig24]

My bag has never had symmetry been all over the place I have been an advocate of finding the blue that work that fit the slot I'm putting them in. When replacing clubs I do tend to gravitate to the brand I am replacing as a starting point.

[ChipNRun]

Callaway and Tour Edge have dominated my bag the past decade because the clubs seem to "fit my eye." If one of their GI clubs has the right shaft, I can start getting the feel in about a dozen shots.

That said, three of last four putters have been Ping (going back to circa 2007), and FlyZ hybrids are holding their own.

Also: I used Cleveland wedges for several years, and Ping irons have been tempting in past.

For long clubs: having driver, FW and hybrids from the same model family can have payoffs in common look for set-up, similar feel... as long as they perform for you.

[SUPERG]

As long as the weight progression is good it works for me. 70 in the driver 80-90 3 wood - irons 130 - wedges about the same if not slightly heavier

[Roejye]

My bag is multiple brands. TM driver, 2 Adams hybrids, unknown brand 4 iron (punch out club), 6-Aw Cleveland 588 mts, Cleveland 588 rtx cb 2.o 56°, 56° and 60° from warrior, knight ez-roll putter. I should take out the 56 from warrior, never use it. Hell, I should replace it with a Ben Hogan 3 wood.

[grm24]

No. Always find and play what works for you. Regardless of what the clubs are. There are no absolutes when it comes to how you set your clubs up for your play. Only you will know what works for you. Random opinions from people here that know zero about your game despite how you describe it are not really beneficial. No need to over complicate it. Trust what you see and feel.

[95124hacker]

I currently play a split OEM iron set. See my signature. I don’t have a distance gap between my 6 & 7 irons.

[iNeedMoreGolf]

Why did i read the question posted in a yr 1500s england royal voice in my head?

[14max]

The bottom line should be that you play what works for you. If it matches, so be it. If not, who's to judge?

[cardoustie]

The guys that have all one brand for 14 clubs and that brand’s bag and head covers are the strange ones

[Phabs]

I get matching shafts through the set but not brands. I even struggle to reshaft wedges, they get replaced yearly so why stick 200 dollars in shafts in them. I’m partial to different brands for different spots in the bag and always have been. Love taylormade woods, would never play their irons. Love Mizuno irons but would never play their woods. The only exception to that is Cleveland. I solely play their wedges and I played a Cleveland driver through high school and loved it.

[Vater]

I play 718 AP1s all the way from 4i to the 48* wedge.

The 4i and 5i are designed differently than the other irons, so it's kind of like playing across two different sets. Thankfully for me, those two clubs flow beautifully into the 6i on through for me. I have AMTs in them with the same weight from 4i-7i and then they get heavier from 8i-W.

From an overthinking, over-analytical perspective, things get weird for me through my wedges. After my 48* wedge from the set, with a 106g shaft, I jump to a 54* Vokey with a 130g shaft, and then "come back down" to a 115g shaft in my 60* Hi-Toe wedge.

I thought things like:

"Should I ditch the Hi-Toe I love for a 60* Vokey?"

"Should I dump the 48* set wedge and go Vokey all the way through?"

"Should I put in a shaft between the 106g of my 48* and the 115g of my 60* in my 54* Vokey?"

You know what, despite all my over-analysis, everything is flowing just right.

I love that my 48* matches my irons as I use it as a full swing "11 iron" if you will.

I love the stoutness of my 54* Vokey for the shots I'm using it for.

And I've always loved the feel of the 60* with the KBS Hi-Rev in it. And I like that it's lighter/less stout than my Vokey for the shots I use it for.

...I'll let y'all know when I overthink myself into getting rid of the only non-Titleist iron/wedge in my bag.

[Guest]

I've always had a mixed bag with no issues. Right now i coincidentally have Callaway from driver to gap wedge. Then vokeys. One of these days I'll switch my gap and pitching wedges to either vokey, mack daddy, or Mizuno. I'm also considering switching out my 3 hybrid and 4 iron for something else to get better gapping. I wouldn't fuss about brands but I'd recommend getting a fitting for every club in the bag

[bombs]

Get some custom head covers for your woods and putter and your bag will look better than any wannabee pro with his staff bag full of titleist gear.

[Sean2]

I like my woods to be the same, my irons to be the same, as well as my wedges. They can all be different brands, just the same brand in each category.