13 clubs or do I really need 14th club?

I was going over my notes from my first season back after my accident... In 2011, I only carried 13 clubs in my bag... Driver, 5w, 4h, 5-PW, GW, SW, LW, Putter... My short game was horrible my first year back and was in the mid to high 80s (sometimes 90s), My long game was solid though... Four years later, my short game is a lot better, putting speed much better, I average 32 putts per round, but I've been working on my line more this winter, and marrying the line and speed and lighter grip pressure, and getting good results... I digress... Is it worthwhile for me to play the following... Driver: TEE X-Rail 10.5° FW: TEE X-Rail or Trilogy 4W H: TEE Xrail or Trilogy 4h (23°) I: TEE CU (5-PW) W: TEE Tour Proto (52, 56, 60) P: Tour Edge Bazooka Geomax 05 35" That's only 13 clubs, I already have all these clubs EXCEPT the FW and Hybrid (note I have the Exotics CU 4I I'm thinking of dumping)... So I guess my question is... Can I get away with only thirteen clubs... I haven't hit a 4-hybrid in awhile but if I remember right I hit the 4h further than my 4I, but only by like 6-8 yards... 4-wood I hit about 230 last year, Driver about 260, 4I 195 carry... So do I really need a 14th club? If you have an opinion on which one, I'd be grateful for any input... I'm only 50/50 on dumping the 4I at the moment...

Need is relative. You can play with 8 clubs pretty effectively, but why? If I were you, I'd look for either something to fill that 30+ yard gap between your 4-iron/hybrid, or add a 3-wood. Again, what's the downside to having another option, even if you don't use it very often?

Agreed with David. Get something to go between the 4H and the 4W. I'd check out 7W or a 3H, depending on which style you prefer. The extra option doesn't hurt, the marginal weight is not much, and it's far better than having to choose between going way too far and way too short on a distance in the middle. Being able to hit a 200 yard shot well is a scoring skill.

3W/5W was a thought, It all depends on what I can throw together for under $200 + I still need a new bag, and push cart, so that my $1k budget isnt busted...but I digress... I could always get the 4W +1/2" and play it like a 3W... Last year I had the XCG3 4w I hit it all of 4 times last year, I hit my 17° hybrid at the time... So D/4w/7w or D/4w/3h? I can hit the 4i pretty well BTW, I'm looking for more versatility thats all...

Check out the 7W and 3H. As you know, I carry the XRail 4W + 7W and an Adams (V4) 4H. I own a matching 3H, and put that in the bag - instead of the 7W -  from fall to early spring when the wind is higher and the rough sparser.

The 7W is deadly out of medium rough, and also can be a good "float it in" club for high, soft landings. My 4H actually launches a bit lower than the 7W, and is good in cross winds or for safety tee shot on a short, treacherous par 4.

If you get a matching 3H and 4H - and pick up the 7W - you have some options from around 200 yds.

It's demo day time - do some field tests and report back with what works best.

How does the 4W perform from various lies? If I choose X-Rail FW/Hybrid... That 7W might have a 215-yard par 3 with it's name on it... FWIW, this is the first season I've carried 4 wedges in 3 years... If the gaps between F and H/I were tighter I'd carry 5 wedges, but I'd have to get the 4 wedges in the Tour Proto Line I don't have for that to work... Don't really feel like dropping another $180 on the other four wedges... I'm thinking more on the 4W/7W line for the fairways but I may do 3/5 or 4/3h, it's not like I can get the CU 3I, which Tour Edge can get for me, but no retailer wants to do the Damn leg work...

Much of the time when I was playing my best golf, I only carried 12 clubs.  I can't get away with that now, because I'm not as long as I was then.  I've never found a need for the plethora of wedges that some players can't seem to get along without, so I've been able to go other ways and carry a lighter bag.  I only carried 2 wedges back in 1988-95, a PW and SW - in addition I had 2I-9I, driver (8.5° TM Tour Driver) and putter.

Sometimes I put my second driver (9.5° TM Burner) in for a FW wood, but mostly my 2I and 3I got me close to greens on par 5 holes, and were used as well for teeing off on holes when a layup was necessary.  I could hit the 2I off the tee about as far as I usually hit my driver now.

The 4W can be hit out of light rough or sparse rough - that's the advantage over a 3W.

As for 7W vs. 3H, it depends on which one you like best. Also, there's individual differences on swings. I hit the XRail 7W about 15 yards farther than the (Adams) 4H. The 7W and (Adams) 3H are about the same. You may end up with different distance gaps, being you want TE hybrids.

Here's the TE Dealer Locator link. http://www.touredge.com/services/dealerlocator.asp (Sorry if you're in a Tour Edge dead zone.)

If area shops won't help, call TE Pre-Owned, and see what their return policy is if you buy a hybrid and then don't like it.

( Caution : I'm biases about the 7W... it's my magic club!)

I use

Driver

3 wood

3/4 Hybrid

5-9 Irons

Pitching wedge

gap wedge

sand wedge

lob wedge

putter

I find this most desirable for me.

I really need those 4 wedges, some people don't like the lob wedge or don't see the need for it, but I find the lob wedge very helpful for short spinny chips, flop shots, and bunker shots where you need to launch it high.

I don't see the need for a 5 wood because I can hit the 3/4 hybrids almost as far if not farther than a 5 wood, and  i just personally don't see the importance of a 5 wood.

For a while i went without a 3 wood, but the 3 wood is unbelievably helpful!

Many times if I didn't need driver, I would be teeing off with a 3 hybrid, but that didn't get me enough distance. Adding this 3 wood, gives me so many more options off of the tee, and it also allows me to attack shorter par 5's more aggressively.

Just my 2 cents