Need a 14th club?!

[JohnTwing]

So I'm thinking about the 14th club to add:

Driver: 240y
2I: 205y
3I: 195y
4I: 185y
5I: 172y
6I: 160y
7I: 150y
8I: 140y
9I: 128y
PW: 115y
SW: 100y
60 Degree: 80y

A couple of points:

• I still am not incredibly confident with the 60 Degree from the middle of the fairway, and have a tendency to chunk it that I don't with the SW.
• Sand is a major bugaboo for me, whether with the SW or the 60 degree.
• 85 Yards is my "fear" distance, since even a 90% swing with my SW easily goes 90, and nuking the 60 doesn't work.
• It is hard for me to justify a 3W or 5W - my 2I is a really great club off the tee, and I very often don't need anything 220.

I've been thinking a bunch of stuff, mostly gimmicky clubs:

• Alien Sand Wedge for sand
• 73 Degree
• 64 Degree, no bounce
• Lefthanded club?!

Some stats about my play:
Avg Round: 91, High 102, Low 81
Putts/Round: 36, High 43, Low 28
Par 3 Avg: 4.1, High 5, Low 3.29
Par 4 Avg: 5.24, High 5.92, Low 4.64
Par 5 Avg: 5.98, High 7, Low 4.5

GIR %: 28%
Fairways: 12%
Sand Saves: 9%
2% Birdies, 25% Pars, 37% Bogeys, 33% Others

Help!

[ks8829]

I would keep stats on the following:

Fairways hit
greens on regulation
putts per round
up and downs
sand shots

After tracking along with your scores the above stats it may become clear what area in your golf game you need to work on and that might help you decide what club you really need.

In my case I need help in my up and down within 50 yards so I would add another wedge

[JohnTwing]

I would keep stats on the following:

I've added my stats, thanks

I'm presuming I need to add another wedge... but what? My 60 degree is still a club that can horribly miss (much greater margin of error than any other club).

[iQuest Golfer]

My 60 degree is still a club that can horribly miss (much greater margin of error than any other club).

That is why you add the 60* and... start using it. That is the only way you get better with any club.

I'm tyring to get rid of clubs. Did you know that Harry Varden only used 6 clubs? That many of the pros in the swashbuckling 30s used 25 on average? Hence... the 14 club rule. Nobody sez you have to carry the 14 max in the bag. Just be good with the clubs you do carry.

[ks8829]

I've added my stats, thanks

Play the 60 wedge in the back of your stance

forward press knees bent hands extended without tension slight dip of your rear shoulder pick the club right up on your backswing

[bigoak]

You need a 4 wood. You can never have enough clubs.

[golf_junkie27]

I noticed that you carry a 2I, 3I and 4I and are only hitting 12% of Fairways and 28% of greens. A humble suggestion:

Get rid of the 2I, 3I and 4I and get a 4W or 5W and two hybrids, a 22* and 25*. Based upon your distances, you won't be giving much up but the ability to make more pure contact is a no-brainer. Also, from experience, while I did not have much difficulty making good contact with my 3I and 4I, using hybrids made it much easier. It might do the same for you and improve your GIR%

I noticed that you have your SW distance at 100 yards. Is that max? If so, I would add a GW to cover that distance and dial down your SW so that you can avoid having to use the LW.

[DJYoshi]

I agree with G.J. on that. get rid of the long irons and move to hybrids for better control and the ease of striking the ball.
maybe i should listen to my own advice. i'll use the 3 iron 3 shots max on the course..but use my 2h 5 (depending on how long the course is).

the 2h is basically a 5 wood (am i mistaken?)
I'd definitely add a 3 wood if I were you.

my setup's below and for the gap b/t the pitching wedge & my sand wedge, I'll play a softer pw or muscle up a sw or deloft it 2 degrees or so to TRY to get the shot right.

I RARELY use the 60. The lie has to be awesome for that. there's just a large % to mishit it if not caught right. so it's used for those close flop shots where i have a nice little flier lie.

that's amazing that you track all of your stats. i did that for a few rounds then i got lazy.

[mruseless]

I noticed that you carry a 2I, 3I and 4I and are only hitting 12% of Fairways and 28% of greens. A humble suggestion:

What he said.

Hybrids these days are way easier to hit and can be used off a bigger variety of lies than long irons.

[JohnTwing]

I noticed that you carry a 2I, 3I and 4I and are only hitting 12% of Fairways and 28% of greens. A humble suggestion:

The 2I and 3I are hybrids, but I very rarely use them off the tee, only when facing an extreme dogleg or a par 4 somewhere between 275-350, and blasting a driver isn't a good idea.

I just checked my stats again, and I'm at 39% of Fairways hit in the past 20 rounds... I think the 12% comes from this software giving me 0% fairways from when I wasn't tracking them as a stat. But yeah, 39% of fairways and 27% of greens. I've fixed the original post. My SW is the same club as my PW, more the "AW" that you see in the Nike sets. A nice smooth swing gets me 100 yards with that club.

[JohnTwing]

I agree with G.J. on that. get rid of the long irons and move to hybrids for better control and the ease of striking the ball.

The 2h is a pretty weird club, nice and thin, but I don't use it too much unless I really have to. I hit it nice, but my driver isn't so erratic that I'm in trouble. I'm hitting 39% of fairways (fixed that 12% stat, grr), and when I'm missing I'm usually in the first cut, so I don't really mind going driver everywhere.

That's why I'm wondering about the 3w... if it's that more accurate, I guess it's worth doing, hadn't really considered that. I'm also amazingly happy with my SW so I generally try to be about 95-100 on all my approach shots, I'm very strong with my 8i-9i-PW-SW that if I'm in that 100-140 band, I'm usually taking dead aim. And yeah, I track all tee shots (club, distance, direction), GIRs, Fairways, Sand Saves. Helps big time :)

[paulthewitt]

A couple of points:

If you have a tendency to chunk the 60* wedge then i can only imagne you would struggle more with a 73 or 64 degree wedge.

Working off average (ish) wedge angles the PW is 46* and the sandwedge is 56*, the lob obviously a 60* If you are happy with the PW, the SW and the Lob wedge but need that in between club (i.e: you often find yourself 85 yards away and pannicking cos 56* degrees goes too far....60* not enough) then get a 58* wedge. Just cos everybody else goes up in 4* lofts doesnt mean you have to....or that it isnt the perfect addition. Its your club selection....you need to be happy no matter what others say. Paul

[bruce]

Try not playing a round with the 60*,next time you go to the range take three quarter and half swings with your 56*,Do not slow your swing down,hit them at the same pace as your normal swing but with the shorter back swings
and you will be perfect,60* i hate them,trouble,i had one and took it out,could be hitting great ones all day and then one or two go awry.Think of adding a three wood.

[907golfer12]

I noticed that you carry a 2I, 3I and 4I and are only hitting 12% of Fairways and 28% of greens. A humble suggestion:

His 2i is a hybrid, a Nike Sumo2 17*

[golf_junkie27]

His 2i is a hybrid, a Nike Sumo2 17*

Read his original post. He clearly wrote "2I" and not "2H." Therefore, my response. Is this a pattern with you? To constantly "correct" people when you have not read the entire thread?

[JohnTwing]

Read his original post. He clearly wrote "2I" and not "2H." Therefore, my response. Is this a pattern with you? To constantly "correct" people when you have not read the entire thread?

I later clarified that the 2 and the 3 were hybrids.

[golf_junkie27]

I later clarified that the 2 and the 3 were hybrids.

Yes, I saw that and read where you stated you were really strong from 100-140 and were not erratic with your driver. You've also updated your stats but I have a few questions. Do you keep track of where your biggest weakness is? I realize that 85 yards is a distance you are not comfortable with. How often do you find yourself at that distance? Is there any way that you can avoid playing from that distance without sacrificing strokes? (For example, on Par 5s, laying up to a 125 yards or so)

[Stacey_E]

I think there has been some great advice given here. Some things that have stood out to me are.

1) You hit and like your SW from 100 - so find a wedge, whatever the loft that sits 15 yards behind that one. It might say 57 - 60, but whatever hits that distance.

2) You hit your LW fat a lot and shorter than you like. I think part of this is due to lack of confidence with the club. If I feel I don't have enough club I'm bound to jump all over it and hit it fat. I would suggest moving it back in your stance and hitting down harder on it. This might eliminate the fat shot and should add distance as well. And consider a LW with more bounce, maybe even one of those super wide soles by Hogan, MacGregor or Cleveland if you want to help your sandgame as well. But avoid 64 wedges until you get the 60 nailed down.

3) You could hit more fairways and stay out of that "no go" 85 yard zone by adding a 3 wood for the tee box. If you aren't going to use it off the deck, get a nice large headed one with 14-16 degrees of loft.

Good Luck!