The "this is how my bag has to be" thread.

[stimpmeterp]

Take a f-ing lesson you hard headed gear nerd.  There's a reason the guys who leave their 10 year old clubs in the trunk and can't name them by make/model beat you when it counts.

[Kai Slater]

47 minutes ago, stimpmeterp said:

Take a f-ing lesson you hard headed gear nerd.  There's a reason the guys who leave their 10 year old clubs in the trunk and can't name them by make/model beat you when it counts.

This happened to me the other day, when I played one afternoon.  This "older" man (no dissing, since I'm 50 myself) joins us with his old beat to crap "top-flight" golf clubs and filthy, ripped/torn Tennessee Vols golf bag.  Seriously, these clubs looked like they had been dragged behind a car on the street.  Anyway, my friend and I with our fancy Callaway gear.  This old guy beat our a** that day, hitting bullets down every fairway and absolutely nailing his yardages on the approach shots, usually hitting short and gently bouncing/rolling up to pin high.  He didn't act like he cared at all about golf;

[HoosierHacker89]

I haven't turned my bag over in several years now. I buy about 1 new club per season anymore. I pretty much do

 

Driver

4/5 wood

21-24* hybrid 

Irons with set gap wedge

56-58

Putter

[Chunkitgood]

Every minute (and dollar) a golfer spends worrying about his equipment is one he failed to use to improve his swing.

 

Maybe that’s a good thing.

[meh]

6 hours ago, stimpmeterp said:

Take a f-ing lesson you hard headed gear nerd.  There's a reason the guys who leave their 10 year old clubs in the trunk and can't name them by make/model beat you when it counts.

Is this directed at me? Given your set up, I see why you're bitter that 10 year old clubs guy beats you handily...

[renobleiii]

I don’t need 14 clubs. Take out the ones you can’t hit and don’t put a new one in just because there’s a “gap.” 

[PARETO]

My gear rules……

Stop thinking you need a 3wood. You don’t. 
Just stock up on ProV’s and forget “ball testing”. 
Never part with your ISI BeNi irons. Never. Play them often. 
You love fresh mid sized grips. 
Your driver must always play shorter than 45”. Centre of the face is better than a couple miles per hour more head speed off the toe. 
You like to short side yourself. Leave that 60 in the bag. 
 

[gibbyfan]

I feel the shakes as I begin to type this, but it is cathartic knowing that it is time to come to reality about certain equipment aspects. 

Driver: The more loft the better. The driver you have is pretty good. Just keep it. 

FW: Ugh! I loathe this slot in my bag. Stick with the 3 wood, because every 5 wd you hook off the planet

2 Hybrid: Keep it. It has been the stalwart of your entire set for the better part of the 7 years. Yes, it is perfectly reasonable to just keep the GCQuad fitting stickers on it. 

Irons: Playable comfortable 4-7 irons. 8-W Play whatever you like. Yes, if that means blades, fine. You know you can hit them well. 

Irons shafts: Ohh... This is where the temptation is. The allure of the might steel rod. But realize you can't spin them enough. In this case it is perfectly acceptable to have a soft shaft. 

Wedges: Play with plenty of bounce. It protects you from yourself. Yes, and S200 irons shafts are perfectly fine. Move along. 

Putter: Who are you kidding? You have sucked at putting your entire life. Just stick with the Tank. It is the only putter you have actually liked. 

 

 

 

[PixlPutterman]

"chicks dig the long ball"

"chicks dig the long ball"

"chicks dig the long ball"

[nosedive32]

Driver - Have to find the right balance between forgiveness and keeping spin down. I need help in the distance department but I can't sacrifice help in the forgiveness department. This is what led me into the 9 degree 430 LST.

 

3 Wood - I have to have a Taylormade mini driver in the bag. It's been the case for the majority of the time since the SLDR S came out. I get more distance and I'm more consistent with the larger head and it works as a backup off the that doesn't sacrifice much.

 

Next part of the bag has to have a lot of extra headcovers. I used to prefer more forgiving utility irons and in the bridge section and I would play 4-5 iron after that. Those days are done. My iron game isn't good and getting higher lofted fairways and hybrids is a need. Currently going 18 degree 5W (Stealth 2 Plus) then 21 and 24 degree TSR2 hybrids. 

 

Irons need to be fast and forgiving but cant be massive. Particular cannot have an SGI sized sole. Early returns with the T350 are nice. My ball striking is worse with anything larger and I don't have enough speed to handle anything smaller right now. 

 

Wedges - Ever since the original PM grind came out I have to play high toe wedges. To most people they look alien. To me a regular sand or lob wedge looks alien now.

 

Putter - Hit a rough patch and needed a change so I'm experimenting with a midlock. Early feeling is it might become a permanent change.  

[rsballer10]

Club building & tinkering is my hobby, it doesn't make me any better at golf. I'm OK with that.

[tipperi]

On 9/18/2023 at 1:17 PM, OnTheBag said:

This is funny but real for 99.9% of golfers.  There is a point of diminishing returns, once you "figure it all out."  At some point, it boils down to God Given Talent vs a very hard game.

 

Example....my neighbor's son is a solid golfer.  He'll shoot 78-84 pretty much every time out but continues to spend a small fortune on the next best thing, looking for those last few strokes on the card.  The reality is that he's playing above his skillset because otherwise, he's an awkward, uncoordinated kid.

 

I call him a kid....he's probably 35 years old.  But you get the point. 

.....Mr Williams? Is that you?

[TiScape]

On 9/18/2023 at 9:05 AM, jholz said:

And somehow I always manage to shoot 82...

Here is another way to look at it.  
Im gonna shoot 82 anyway, so might as well get some shiny new toys! 😁

[DaveMc82]

Driver - don’t try and find something more forgiving. You’ll hook it off the planet or do weird stuff as it’ll feel like a mailbox attached to the end of a shaft. Keep with the Mavrik Sub Zero until you stop finding better shafts for it. 
 

3 wood - Srixon Z-F85 is as good as you’ll hit one ever so it’s staying. 
 

2 iron UDI - the TM Gapr Lo with Thump shaft may look like an inbred’s daughter but it works. 
 

Hybrids - the Adam’s Pro or 9031 cannot be beaten so don’t waste your money. 
 

Irons - stop experimenting with anything more GI than player’s cavities or mb/cb combo sets. Your brain sees anything with a thicker topline than an AP2 and panics that you can’t get them through the turf. Cue flipping and picking rather than proper strikes. You do need to find a lighter 105 ish gram shaft in the right profile due to your injuries. 
 

Wedges - play lofts as required in any head you like with S200 shafts.
 

Putter - you hate mallets and any cumbersome looking head despite how much the MOI may help. Get a milled face Anser style putter with a mid-slim grip and use it until you’ve worn a dent into the face. 

[Kai Slater]

15 hours ago, PARETO said:

My gear rules……

Stop thinking you need a 3wood. You don’t. 
Just stock up on ProV’s and forget “ball testing”. 
Never part with your ISI BeNi irons. Never. Play them often. 
You love fresh mid sized grips. 
Your driver must always play shorter than 45”. Centre of the face is better than a couple miles per hour more head speed off the toe. 
You like to short side yourself. Leave that 60 in the bag. 
 

Wow, I can relate to these points; with the exception of your irons, all other points could be written by me as well.

[_chris]

20 hours ago, renobleiii said:

I don’t need 14 clubs. Take out the ones you can’t hit and don’t put a new one in just because there’s a “gap.” 

This is an interesting take. Only because when I've asked various people better than me, they always tell me to keep 14 clubs so you always have the option. But I agree with you. 

[renobleiii]

2 hours ago, _chris said:

This is an interesting take. Only because when I've asked various people better than me, they always tell me to keep 14 clubs so you always have the option. But I agree with you. 

All im saying is if you can’t hit a 5 iron, take it out of the bag. Same for a 60 degree, 3W, whatever. You’ll be tempted to use it and your odds of success will be lower. 

[Puttersaurus Rex]

1 hour ago, renobleiii said:

All im saying is if you can’t hit a 5 iron, take it out of the bag. Same for a 60 degree, 3W, whatever. You’ll be tempted to use it and your odds of success will be lower. 

I agree.  I have some overlaps, but 14 clubs that I can have decent swings with.  Good bye clubs that are struggle busses.

Edited September 22, 2023 by Puttersaurus Rex

[Tiptx1122]

I like SteelFiber shafts in my irons, i80 in my 5-PW and i95 in my wedges. I rotate from using a mallet putter to a blade as everyone needs a back up putter. I'm now hooked on using BGT Stability shafts in my putter. Thats the club you use the most so why not as it has knocked 2-3 strokes of my score.  I like my woods to match except my Driver can be from a different brand. I like to play premium shafts in my driver and 3W as they can really make a lasting impression when fitted for the right premium shaft. My grips have to match as well and I like it when I have a bag that matches my irons. I also like what Kai Slater said is that I too have to have a set that I fully like the weight, the feel, and the look of.  I no longer try to force myself into a particular club just because "I want to like it" or because of this is what most of the Pro's play or what someone on these forums says without trying them for myself. I would have saved thousands of dollars if I would have went by this concept years ago. Lol!