Set make-up help... I mean HELP!

[onthehunt526]

Update: especially for @WUTiger, when I played on Tuesday, I didn't have any 4-iron or 4-hybrid shots into any of the holes... I did hit a nice 205 yard 3h lay-up at 9 out of the rough and a decent one for my tee shot on 8. So the 3h is staying for now, the vote is not in on my 4h/4i or 3w/4w/5w I tried a friends 5w on the range and hit the hell out of it... Same distance as my 3w... (It was an XCG6, if you hit that good, it jumps off the face like a rocket)... I'm going to pick up at least 2 TGS wedges (54° and 58°) possibly the 50° wedge as well... I don't know whether to give my 3w a chance or pick up a 4 or 5w... So I think I now have 13 of the 14 clubs figured out... D, 3h, 4h or 4i (depending on conditions), 5i-PW, 50°, 54°, 58°, Putter... Should I keep the 3w in the bag, or grab a slightly more lofted FW (4 or 5, that's easier to hit), and continue to work out the kinks with a 3w?

[Tat14]

I've carried less than 14 clubs for most of my playing history. Having said that, I care much less about the long end of the bag then I do about scoring clubs.

Currently, Driver and 5W then 6I on down. The 5W gives me a shorter alternative for the tee box as well as a club I can hit from 200+

Inside 150 my attitude is less cavalier.

So, if you are struggling with the longer clubs, why carry a lot of them? There's gotta be an option among FW, Hybrids, and long irons for that missing piece you're looking for. Sounds like the 3H today...

Hard to weigh in on this because the golf bag is quite personal. You seem to have the same Virgo-esque OCD that I do.

[WUTiger]

... Should I keep the 3w in the bag, or grab a slightly more lofted FW (4 or 5, that's easier to hit), and continue to work out the kinks with a 3w?

I would do a side-by-side with 3W and 4W and see which works best. How do they stack up on distance vs. reliability.

I say this because of what a Tour Edge rep showed the crowd two years ago at a major demo day.

He had the newest Exotics 3W and 4W in R and S-flex shafts, and had each of us hit the two in our flex range.

It turned out that several of the big hitters - 260+ yards carry with a driver - could hit a 4W longer than a 3W.  It depends in part on how you, as an individual, come into the ball.

Your mission - should you accept it - is to find a level range, use the following matrix, and report back to us on the results:

Club	#Shots	Yardage
7 iron	5	Who cares?
3W	3	230, k, 220
4W	3	220, 215, 220
3W	3	"
4W	3	"
3W	3	"
4W	3	"

Throwing out klunkers, total up the distances

of the shots and see which club has the higher

average.

Also, which club has fewest klunkers?

Use this info to make your choice (distance vs. reliability tradeoff, if any).

[onthehunt526]

I would do a side-by-side with 3W and 4W and see which works best. How do they stack up on distance vs. reliability. I say this because of what a Tour Edge rep showed the crowd two years ago at a major demo day. He had the newest Exotics 3W and 4W in R and S-flex shafts, and had each of us hit the two in our flex range. It turned out that several of the big hitters - 260+ yards carry with a driver - could hit a 4W longer than a 3W.  It depends in part on how you, as an individual, come into the ball. Your mission - should you accept it - is to find a level range, use the following matrix, and report back to us on the results: [TR] [TD]Club[/TD] [TD]#Shots[/TD] [TD] Yardage[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] 7 iron[/TD] [TD] 5[/TD] [TD] Who cares?[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] 3W[/TD] [TD] 3[/TD] [TD] 230, k, 220[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] 4W[/TD] [TD] 3[/TD] [TD] 220, 215, 220[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] 3W[/TD] [TD] 3[/TD] [CENTER] [TD]"[/TD][/CENTER] [/TR] [TR] [TD] 4W[/TD] [TD] 3[/TD] [CENTER] [TD]"[/TD][/CENTER] [/TR] [TR] [TD] 3W[/TD] [TD] 3[/TD] [CENTER] [TD]"[/TD][/CENTER] [/TR] [TR] [TD] 4W[/TD] [TD] 3[/TD] [CENTER] [TD]"[/TD][/CENTER] [/TR] Throwing out klunkers, total up the distances of the shots and see which club has the higher average. Also, which club has fewest klunkers? Use this info to make your choice (distance vs. reliability tradeoff, if any).

The longer average distance was the 3W, however, I had fewer klunkers with the 4W than the 3W, and no clunkers with the 5W. So after all of this overanalyzing everything, I'm just going to get new wedges.

[onthehunt526]

One more quick thing: Would a 5h be overkill on the Hybrids? I've been hitting a friends 5h and it is stupid easy to hit...

[Lihu]

One more quick thing:

Would a 5h be overkill on the Hybrids? I've been hitting a friends 5h and it is stupid easy to hit...

Only if the 4i you are replacing with the 5H is stupid easy to hit?

[onthehunt526]

Only if the 4i you are replacing with the 5H is stupid easy to hit?

I hit the 4i, well but it isn't stupid easy to hit... The 5i same deal, hell I'd carry a 6h if I didn't get a bunch of funny looks...

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Only if the 4i you are replacing with the 5H is stupid easy to hit?

I hit the 4i, well but it isn't stupid easy to hit... The 5i same deal, hell I'd carry a 6h if I didn't get a bunch of funny looks...

5H is not overkill. I would consider one if they made the same type I have now in LH.

[onthehunt526]

5H is not overkill. I would consider one if they made the same type I have now in LH.

That's right you're a lefty... Anyway I've decided on D, 3w, 3h, 4h(4i), 5i-PW, TGS 50°, 54°, and 58°, Putter (Which I kinda want to lengthen an inch or two)... I'll probably stick with what I have at the moment, and hopefully Santa will put new wedges under our Christmas tree.

[onthehunt526]

UPDATE: I picked up a set of Exotics E8 irons (4-PW, AW), I have to go out and hit them to figure out if I clog up that 4h/4i gap (the new 4i is 21°) if it does I have a new problem... I'll update you with the details over the next three or four days.

[vangator]

I used to have trouble hitting fairway woods off the deck.  Now I hit them great.  I hit the 5W up to 215 and the 3W up to 240.  The key to hitting a FW is to keep the head still and relax your wrists, arms and shoulders.  The fact you are hitting massive hooks tells me you are really tensing your muscles during your swing.  I've read where many pros actually have a gap between their hands and the grip at the top of the backswing.  Don't swing your club like you're trying to chop down a tree.  Loosen up those muscles and wrists.  You'll be surprised how easy it is to hit your fairway woods.

[onthehunt526]

I used to have trouble hitting fairway woods off the deck.  Now I hit them great.  I hit the 5W up to 215 and the 3W up to 240.  The key to hitting a FW is to keep the head still and relax your wrists, arms and shoulders.  The fact you are hitting massive hooks tells me you are really tensing your muscles during your swing.  I've read where many pros actually have a gap between their hands and the grip at the top of the backswing.  Don't swing your club like you're trying to chop down a tree.  Loosen up those muscles and wrists.  You'll be surprised how easy it is to hit your fairway woods.

Thanks for the tip it really helped... I'm only hitting my 3W about 215-220{its cold) but I'm hitting it much, much better and consistently. Hybrids too.... 

We have a new issue:

I hit my new irons, further than my CU's its cold but I'm hitting it a club longer with the E8's so resurrecting the thread... These yardage are taken at 47° F so take it at 70-72° F they will be longer.

Driver: 240 (Don't go far when it's cold)

3-wood: 215

3-hybrid: 195

4-hybrid: 185

Those 4 are the constants at this temperature:

With the irons, the left column is the CU's at 47° and the right is the E8's

4-iron:  174    190

5-iron: 167.    180

6-iron: 157.    170

7-iron: 147.    158

8-iron: 137.    148

9-iron: 127.    138

PW:     115.    125

AW:      95     105

 

Those are at the practice area, on the course I've been hitting a lot of little PW from as little as 85 yards... I'm actually starting to hit my SW much better and can actually get a solid 85 yarder with a 3/4 swing.

So the new problem is: I hit the new 4-iron farther than my 4-hybrid and almost as far as my 3-hybrid... (I hit the 4 iron good on the course too)...

I have options the way I see it...

Should I drop both Hybrids and get either a 5-wood or a 19° hybrid, and go back to 4 wedges... B) drop the 4-hybrid and add a wedge... C) drop the 4-iron and add a wedge.

I have all winter to figure it out, if it was the CUs I'd just drop the 4i add a wedge and be done but with the E8's its not that easy.

P.S. I shot an 82 yesterday with the new irons

 

[vangator]

I would always opt for the iron over the hybrid.  A hybrid has a roll face and is really used for distance and just getting it on the green somewhere or close,  An iron, even a 4 iron, is still a scoring club in my book.  It has a straight face and is more accurate. 

The question is, which do you feel more confident with and hit the most consistently. 

Also, if you have a gap at the top end, I'd go with the 5 wood (I do).  A PW, SW and LW should cover just about anything you need.  Use less than full shots for the gaps.

[Gator Hazard]

My issue is that I can hit my 3W off the deck decently and my 19 degree 3H, but can't hit my 5W to save my life.  I always thought it would be the opposite and the 3W would be harder to hit.  I am thinking about just removing it from my bag as typically right now I can hit my 3H almost as far as I do my 5W when I catch my 5W the right way.  

@vangator that is a good tip on loosening up, I wonder if I am tensing now because I typically don't hit it well. 

[Lihu]

My issue is that I can hit my 3W off the deck decently and my 19 degree 3H, but can't hit my 5W to save my life.  I always thought it would be the opposite and the 3W would be harder to hit.  I am thinking about just removing it from my bag as typically right now I can hit my 3H almost as far as I do my 5W when I catch my 5W the right way.  

@vangator that is a good tip on loosening up, I wonder if I am tensing now because I typically don't hit it well. 

Yes, it's much more common able to hit the hybrid, but not the 3W. That's very unusual. . .

[onthehunt526]

This isn't a huge dilemma, I hit my 3-wood decent... But I do struggle with confidence with it at times... Recently its been moody (I think Ms. Piggy is a diva)... Here's some questions: 1) would a 4 or 5 wood to

REPLACE

the 3-wood

TEMPORARILY

help my confidence with the latter... 2) Am I overanalyzing my problem? I'm also trying to not make my bag so long end heavy, but I can't hit more than a ¾ swing gap wedge or a ½ swing sand wedge without either blading it or chunking it... Basically the effective set is Driver, 4-GW and putter right now... The hybrids and 3-wood are giving me issues, and I'm having trouble with my more than 1/2 swing SW. This is what is in my bag now.. Driver, 3W, 3h, 4h, 4-PW, GW, SW, Putter... I'd like to turn that 3W, 3h, 4h gap into two clubs and add a wedge... And practice my ass off until I'm confident with it... I'm struggling with consistency with anything with a headcover not named Mr. Gopher on it... How I maintain a 10 handicap with no confidence in 4 of my clubs I ain't got a clue...

 

UPDATE:

I have a new issue...I picked up a set of E8 irons, I hit my 4-iron further than my 4-hybrid and almost as far as my 3-hybrid and straighter... Time to drop the utilities and add a 5- or 7-wood?

[Lihu]

On 9/12/2015, 4:23:44, onthehunt526 said:

 

 

Could you be putting too much emphasis on your clubs? Seems like you should be able to play with any old club and still shoot within a couple strokes of your handicap? Do you have a swing thread? That might be a good place to get advice for your swing and clubs instead of having many disjointed ones?

[trombettista_vecchio]

Buy a huge, ugly, buffalo vinyl, billboard logo staff bag at a yard sale.

Fill it with at least two dozen different used clubs from ebay. High loft driver. Low loft driver. Mini-driver.  Open face. Closed face. Fairway woods all the way up to at least 25º. Hybrids. A forgiving, perimeter-weighted driving iron. High and low bounce wedges including a dedicated sand iron.  A chipper.  Both toe-hang and face-balanced putters.  Anything you can buy cheap in beat up, used condition. 

Play your casual rounds with all of the clubs in the bag, and if you can't fit them all, rotate them.  Eventually, you'll see which fourteen become your favorites.   Then buy new clubs once you know what you need.  Use the old  ones to decorate your man cave.  And don't care one bit if the resulting set configuration is nothing that you've ever seen before.

By the way, if you insist on walking, at least use a trolley.  You can't play golf from a hospital bed after back surgery.