Opinion on top of bag -- 3 slots for 5 club options (D/2W/4W/UDI/2i)

[mryank]

[Sorry for long post in advance. Appreciate anyone that actually reads it.]

 

1.8 index here.  Best to worst parts of game: Ball-striking/shot-shaping with irons > short game >>> long game.  When I hit fairways, I go low 70s.  When not, I go high 70s/low 80s.  

 

Depending on factors (e.g. course length, par 5 lengths, par 3 lengths, etc...), I change up my bag.  But have been considering making a more permanent set-up just for practical practice purposes.

 

Clubs I keep in my bag no matter what -- 3-PW, 56, 60.  3i = 225 carry, PW = 145 carry.

 

5 clubs I alternate for 3 slots, with their carry + pros/cons:

1. D = 8* Mavrik SZ Driver = 290+ carry
   • Pros: long; driver tech knocks out one side of course for me (see: only fades)
   • Cons: very difficult to shape draws; 40-50% FIR accuracy as the average; very bad miss is the push fade that goes OB
2. 2W = 12* SIM Ti (14* knocked down 2*) = 275 carry
   • Pros: basically a driver, with carry+total regularly going 285-295; ability to shot-shape and hit draws; can take off the deck with comfort
   • Cons: off deck goes almost *too long* without much grab for approach shots; is it actually prudent to go for 270+ 2nd shots on Par 5 anyways?
3. 4W = 17* SIM2 Ti (19* knocked down 2*) = 250 carry
   • Pros: high ball flight lands on a cloud; can control left/right shot-shape; easy to get out of rough
   • Cons: not a lot of confidence in high wind; seems like a one-trick pony (used for only 250-260 2nd shots on Par 5s)
4. UDI = 14* Tour Preferred UDI (16* knocked down 2*) = 245 carry
   • Pros: super confident sitting behind the ball; no real bad misses; can shot shape left/right; shines on links style courses + <6500 yd courses as my primary option off-the-tee
   • Cons: not great out of rough; does not hold fast greens at all; bad miss is not hitting sweet spot, 20-30 yds less.
5. 2i = 17* set iron = 235 carry
   • Pros: super confident sitting behind the ball; no real bad misses; can shot shape left/right; can hit high cut to hold greens; great for getting out trees
   • Cons: is a 235 club really necessary, when I have a stock 225 3i (e.g .even on 230+ par 3s, just using 3i off tee and then relying on scrambling)?

 

I've toyed around with the following combinations (and ensuing course strategies)

1. D/2W/4W
   • Strategy: designed for max flexibility/aggressiveness to score on par 5s of any length; feast/famine approach
   • Cons: 3i to 4W gap of 225 - 250 could be problematic for 230-245 par 3s; tight fairways means I could really only get 230-235 max from a 3i tee shot
2. D/2W/2i
   • Strategy: 2 drivers for shaping any tee shot + a safety 2-iron for tight fairways; max out par 5 approaches at 240, and occasionally go for 270+ shots when lie/green approach warrants.
3. D/4W/2i
   • Strategy: accept 260-265 tee-shot from 4W on holes requiring draw shaping + safety 2-iron for tight fairways; max out Par 5 approaches at 250
4. D/UDI/2i
   • Strategy: maximum aggressive/conservative approach -- UDI gives you a 250 tee-shot when D not feeling good or need a draw shape.
5. 2W/4W/2i
   • Strategy: treat 2W as de facto driver and shape shots left and right with it (accepting 300+ drives as net-net not being worth it to score)
6. 2W/UDI/2i
   • Strategy: same as #5, except that you have a confidence UDI for super tight fairways

 

Thanks for reading and appreciate any opinions on which combination you think is best.

[bnperrone]

2,3,5 based on your descriptions.

 

maybe sub 4 in for windy days, and frankly it sounds like you’d be better off reverting club 4 to stock loft. It may return the versatility.

[ThinnersRWinners]

My Golf Bag includes Vokey SM8 Wedges 48 degree 10 Bounce F grind, 52 Vokey SM8 12 bounce F grind and 58 degree Vokey SM8 12 bounce D Grind with Newport Slant 2 Putter

Irons are T100S 5i to PW 44 degree with KBS shafts reg and Cobra Hybrid 24 degree week 4i. Carry 3 Woods TSi2 9 degree driver with Tensi Blue shaft 65 and 15 degree TS2 Wood 75 with Tensi Blue and 21 degree 5 wood TS2 Tensi Blue 75. 

Edited January 16, 2022 by ThinnersRWinners

[Bye]

I have been where you are now and tried most of the options.

 

3 iron was my favourite club but it’s been sacrificed for the greater good.

 

Diver - I have now accepted that hitting a consistent draw is too difficult (a draw is my natural shape) and my miss is also the same, right going right. So I now just aim down the left and release it and accept it’s going to fade a bit. Max distance is still possible, going to a 2 wood must sacrifice some distance.

 

My bag is kind of like your option 3, but rather than having a 4 wood, it’s a higher spinning 3 wood (in the 3500 region). It goes 250-260 (carry) and now is used from the tee for when a draw is needed. 

 

I have had the hot 3 woods, many 4 woods and cranked 5 woods. The hot 3 woods are pointless for nearly everyone IMO, 4 wood didn’t really work for me as it’s often windy where I play.

 

My hybrid goes about 230 through the air, it might be swapped for a hollow iron at some point, but that will need to fit that yardage gap and be versatile.

 

Try as many options as you can and see which gives you the most versatility.

 

 

 

[dbelles1]

There’s a lot going on here and it’s actually pretty good that you provided  a lot of info. 

 

1. With your goal of having a more permanent bag, I think you need to have driver. So, making sure you can hit your draw with driver should be the first thing you do (mess with loft, lie, length, shaft, or try a different club head). 

 

2. With your 2W, how often are you 270+ out? If it’s almost every round keep it, if not you could bring the loft back to 14+° and still have a viable off the tee option with more versatility on long approach shots.

 

3. That would be 13 clubs that are always in your bag (with irons, wedges, putter). Then you can rotate your sim2 ti, udi, and 2 iron in and out depending on the course.

 

 hope this helps in some way, shape, or form

[av1084]

#3 for me. Best mix of versatility and purpose IMO. 

[tannyhoban]

In your shoes I’d go #1 and set the 17 back to 19.

[Dan Drake]

I go D, DI, 2.5i with a similar game to you.  But, for you I’d suggest D, 2w, UDI, & 3i.  
 

Why, you ask? You answered your own question in the OP:

 

”When I hit fairways, I go low 70s.”

 

So choose the option that accomplishes that goal most often while leaving the shortest possible approach shot.  

[DaveMc82]

Combination you didn’t suggest was D/4w/UDI. 

 

This with a less fade biased driver has to be a viable option. Whether that be different head or settings/shaft to allow you to play a draw. 
 

I tried the Mavrik SZ head and loved it bar it being so fade biased. Got hold of an Epic Speed Max LS with the same shaft and dispersion came in miles.
 

You said yourself fairways are key for you. The SZ head is perfect if you fight the lefts but if your bad shot is right going right I’d be trying to get something more neutral. 

[NZ315]

Is it worth putting a club between a 7wood and a 4 iron? You think the gap is not worth filling? Say 7wood is 230 and the 4iron is 205ish

[Vater]

Listening to the words you yourself have used, I’d go with option 4, which I think is in the minority here. 
 

You need a driver. 
 

After that, just go to an all iron look. Sounds like you don’t need hybrids or fairways for that matter. Kinda unique. Kinda cool. 

[Bdck]

Set your fairway woods back to standard loft and you're set.  Swap udi and 5w as needed

[suuch]

Because you refuse to drop the 3i, I would build your bag from the 3i up. Which is not something I would do, so, I’ll disregard most of the options you laid out l o l.

 

3i goes 225-235

 

5-7w go 255~
 

3-4w go 275~
 

forgiving driver that goes 300

 

UDI is just a way to try and look cool 😉 . One trick pony off tee...

Edited January 17, 2022 by suuch

[NZ315]

41 minutes ago, suuch said:

Because you refuse to drop the 3i, I would build your bag from the 3i up. Which is not something I would do, so, I’ll disregard most of the options you laid out l o l.

 

3i goes 225-235

 

5-7w go 255~
 

3-4w go 275~
 

forgiving driver that goes 300

 

UDI is just a way to try and look cool 😉 . One trick pony off tee...

Good point with the UDI that keeps me from using that club. I have had a Srixzon UDI in the bag and used it about twice last year. It got pulled and is for sale. I absolutely love the look of the mizuno pro fliHi but it is probably just a one trick pony like the rest of the UDI out there. 

[Rosco1216]

1. Get fit for a new driver. 
2. If you have heavy steel shafts in your irons, change the 3i to a similar but maybe slightly lighter graphite and you will gain 5-8 yards on your set 3i, drop the 2i all together. 
3. Now you have a much better driver consistency and have it simplified to rotate 3 club options for 2 spots depending on course and set up.

[Jeff58]

This question comes up constantly. The causes are also consistent, and you’re making both.

 

The main reason for carrying a driver as well as a 2/3 wood is that you don’t have full confidence in your driver. Mentally, every time you pull driver in actual play, you do so knowing that you’re likely to fail. Try this on the range - warm up with 7 iron, then pull driver. Tell yourself “I don’t know if I can hit this well. Maybe a should get my 2 wood”. You’ve failed before you even swing.

 

Besides your putter, there are two types of clubs in your bag: Those with repeatable distance characteristics (your irons for example) and those with “infinite” distance potential (like your driver).

Now let’s say that instead of a 12-15 yard distance progression from the rest of the iron set, you 9, 7, and 6 irons could go an undetermined longer distance than the others. Obviously that would be catastrophic, as well as stupid on our part.

Yet at the top end, that’s exactly what many (or most) players do. We are given a choice of conventional irons, driving irons, UDI irons, hybrids, super-hybrids, FW’s, mini-drivers, etc…, and we mix them. The effect is that we are demanding confusion in actual play. And we get it. Yours is an extremely bad example. I could tell you the solution, you can hopefully figure it out for yourself.

[hitbombs2020]

While Im no expert here , I have came to a relatively simple conclusion after years of trial and error at the top of my bag. It really came down to realizing they are tools only…and you have to be real about the need vs covering every yardage/scenario exactly. 

 

Start from what shots you need off the tee to optimize 95 percent off the holes you play on. That is likely the answer, you give great detail on what you have confidence in, wouldn’t fight your instincts. If you are referring to traveling tournaments then it could be all of them haha. 

 

My journey landed below with similar but slightly shorter distances.

 

4-Gap(225-120) go a specific number.

 

Driver is a straight ball or slight cut around 300-320. I haven’t hit a draw with the 460CC low spin drivers in about 5 years. Use 4-6 times per round depending on course setup. 

I realized playing 2-3 times per month there is very rarely a time when I feel comfortable from 265-270 landing a 3 wood in a favorable spot. So the “3 wood slot” is basically a primary tee slot and driver is used when I feel confident. I use the 300 mini driver off the tee 8-10 times per round( I can fade or draw it with comfort). 

The 3rd spot I rotate based on the course. Par 5 second shot weapon or 3rd option tee club.

 - 7 wood(90 gram shaft open to 20.5) 

 -P790 3 iron 

 - Callaway super hybrid 17  degree(current).
 

My gapping is not always perfect to the number and there are times when I have the perfect yardage/opportunity  for a club sitting on the bench(no guarantee I would pull off the shot even if I had it haha). But this setup allows me to optimize where I play my second shots from on 95 percent of holes. 
 

good luck and Godspeed!!!
 

 

 

[NerdyGolfer]

10 hours ago, Bdck said:

Set your fairway woods back to standard loft and you're set.  Swap udi and 5w as needed

I agree with this as well