Breaking 100-3 clubs

[Brakkus]

So now I come to the point where I'm not bad any part of the game but I don't excel in any part,meaning I usually come home with great memories of brilliant shots but know that it was those heavy contacts,pitches that left me with long shots and putts that shaved the hole and a few holes where I had to play from under trees.

Now I have just read some advice on using only 3 clubs for most holes except short holes usually par 3's.
In other words hit a club that you hit well off the tee,one off the fairway and a favourite wedge.Just rinse and repeat 18 times.Anyone try this approach because I seriously want to try it so I'm thinking of taking some clubs out of the bag to take away temptation.
I want the same confidence during a round as I do practice.It maybe boring golf but I want that double-digit score on a regular basis,i'm determined not to be the 90% that don't score under 100 regulary.

[mirv]

i've heard of such routines. there was a rumor that john daly, who was acquaintances/semi-friends with a guy who owns/runs a par 67 public course around central arkansas here, would go to said course with nothing more than a 5-iron, pitching wedge, and a putter.

i'd think for a beginner trying to improve his game via that route, i'd suggest a 3-wood, 7-iron, and pitching wedge. and putter, of course.

[glebert]

Last winter because the courses were so wet here that I went to a setup of driver, 5w, 7w, 11w, SW, and putter (the FWs were better in the muck than irons). I had some of my best rounds ever with that bag. I think if you only have 3 clubs you might have trouble with longer par 4's because your approach shot will be longer than your wedge but shorter than your fairway club. I did find that I could take a little off the FWs to get the in between distances. I was a little sad that the courses stayed dry this winter and I didn't get forced to try that experiment again.

[IcemanYVR]

Playing a round with 3 clubs and a putter is a great way to learn the feel of your clubs, and to learn some different shots. It also takes away the majority of indecision. You are seldom out there going "hmmmm.... 5 iron or PW". Knock-downs, half swings... you're forced to learn them, and they are great shots to have in your bag. I've done it before a couple of times with my 2 and 7 irons, PW, and putter.

The rounds are far from boring, in fact, they can be quite interesting. You might also find you spend more time in the middle of the fairway.

[Mr3Putt]

Every year, between the first and second halves in my league. We have a "Two clubs and a putter" round.

Believe it or not, most guys are within 5 shots of their normal scores. One year one of our A flighters shot 2 over with a driver and a wedge.

Last time we had it, I used a 7 wood and a gap wedge (90 yard club). The only hole that I was screwed on was the 135 yard par 3 over the lake. I choked down, then 1/2 swung the 7 wood and shanked it into the lake.

I shot 85 and won a skin.

The year before, I used a 3 wood and an 8 iron. That round was pretty bad if I recall. (except for the 135 yard par 3, go figure)

It's a fun tournament and it really forces you to think about the shot, and also makes you get creative with your shotmaking skills!

I think if everyone would stick to the 4 or 5 clubs they hit the best, most folks would score better.

[TinCupTampa]

I happen to know the world record holder for lowest round with 1 club... he shot 2 under with just a 6 iron.

[flopdarock]

reminds me of sunday bagging it... enough clubs to get you by for a quick 9 on an exec course

[Andro26]

You could pull a Tin Cup and just take a 7i and a putter for the round but you are leaving yourself at a disadvantage. Most courses are set up so that you have to use a number of clubs with the correct loft and length to obtain a satisfactory score.

I would recommend two different approaches

First would be some range time. Find out your distance for each club in your bag. Then don't practice with every club just grab one short iron, a mid iron, a long iron, a fairwaywood/ hybrid and a driver. Concentrate on making the correct swing for each sub set of clubs. Once you have you swing grooved in it won't matter if it is an 8i or a 7i just select the correct club for the distance and swing. Good things will happen.

Second if you are going to take clubs out of the bag to take away the temptaion to use them take out the driver, 2i/3i, Lob and sandwedges. It is my experience that these clubs, while not impossible to master, cause the majority of high scores. The set up and swing for my driver differs more for than the rest of my clubs (also only club with a graphite shaft) it goes the farthest and is the easiest to lose control of and spray people in the other fairway. Use a FWwood or hybrid off the tee and just keep it in the short grass

The Sand and Lob wedges and specialty clubs that better players can use to hit specailty shots. Some even make these there go to short game clubs but for the majority of 3 digit golfers they are going to cause trouble you don't need yet. The standard PW that came with your set is enough to get you to the low 90's. Then you can add these clubs back when the main part of your game is solid.

Hope that helps because I went through the same thing. The instant I took out my driver and wedges my scores improved. I am just now adding back in my Driver and a SW with the hopes I can keep it together. If not back in the closet they will go.

[extremeld]

i play golf with

driver
7 iron
pw
lw
putter


From time to time there is no driver due to them breaking fairly often.

i havent owned a full set of irons for ages and can get round in under 80 without lugging a bunch of clubs - i dont play often and no longer maintain a handicap, playing golf on public courses usually.

Dont think i will ever carry a full set again.

[bogeyhitter25]

I'd play with a:

-3w
-6i
-putter

No driver since my home course(s) are relatively short, so I could probably reach most par 4s with the 3 wood, 6 iron. And then I could hit 3 wood off the fairway as well.

[ks8829]

My son is borrowing my clubs (7 iron - Pw, 52, 56, 60 wedges and some woods and 4 hybrid) so I am going to use my first set of irons Ping Eye 2 Becu, I kept my driver, 3 wood, 60 degree wedge and putter.... but you got me thinking maybe this is an opportunity to only play with 3 clubs or just 1 club for fun.

[Brakkus]

Thanks guys what I'm thinking of doing is taking out maybe half the clubs,so I would keep two utility clubs for tee shots 16 and 20 degree,7&8 iron,52 wedge and 60 degree for any bunker shots as this is a high percentage for me.

That way I can stick to the 3 club formula but I can have another option if I need to on a given hole to make up the required distance.
These are also the best contacting clubs in my bag and the least likely to be topped or hit fat.

I can chip with my 52 because unfortunately my PW has a fatshaft and offers no feel for touch shots.The 52 gives me 100 yds from a 3/4 swing so that's the approach shot in many cases.

7&8 give the 150-170 range and the hybrids particulary the 20 degree gives me a 200 yd start all I need I think.

[I <3 Titleist]

When I first started playing and didn't have a bag full of stuff, I was regularly shooting mid 90's with a 2 hybrid, 7 iron, pw and putter.

Then I started buying stuff I thought I needed and now I shoot mid 90's with all 14

[Fourputt]

Thanks guys what I'm thinking of doing is taking out maybe half the clubs,so I would keep two utility clubs for tee shots 16 and 20 degree,7&8 iron,52 wedge and 60 degree for any bunker shots as this is a high percentage for me.

My best advice is to take 4 or 5 clubs and the putter. You don't want to short yourself too much, but you will still have to use your head and be creative, and that is guaranteed to make you a better player. I do this a few times each year about his time to exercise my golfing brain, to get my decision making in shape for the season, and to just work on adjustments to my swing.

I would take your favorite wedge because you will probably have more need for chipping and pitching than usual. Take a 3W or 5W, a 4 or 5 hybrid or equivalent, a mid iron, and a short iron along with that wedge and your putter. This accomplishes 2 things... it makes your bag lighter and makes for easier decisions because there are fewer clubs to choose from. What it does is to make you THINK. You have to think about how you need to hit that 6 iron to make it only go 140 yards. Or where you want to lay up to because you don't have the right club to just carry the greenside bunker, but you also can't risk being long because of nasties behind the green, so you HAVE to play the hole different from your usual strategy. Doing this will make you a better decision maker on the course, and that will help your all around game as well. It will also give you some of the shots you need when you are out of position and can't take your normal route on a hole.

[Brakkus]

My best advice is to take 4 or 5 clubs and the putter. You don't want to short yourself too much, but you will still have to use your head and be creative, and that is guaranteed to make you a better player. I do this a few times each year about his time to exercise my golfing brain, to get my decision making in shape for the season, and to just work on adjustments to my swing.

I suppose I could go 20 degree hybrid,6 iron,8 iron,52 wedge,60 wedge and putter.

[lumpuckeroo]

I have done something similar to this, we play a 9 hole league after work, one of the contest was to play with only 3 clubs. I chose a 5W, 8I and wedge, I hit every fairway, all but 2 greens in regulation and shot a 45. I would have easily been 7 to 9 strokes less if I could have had 4 clubs with the 4th one being my putter.

The course is not real long and I could get to all of the par 4's with 5w and an iron and the par 5's with 5w/5w/iron. After this experiment, on regular league days I only carried a 5w,4,7,8,9,PW,GW,putter and consistently broke 40.

[Clubchucker]

Years ago (when my handicap was much higher...we're talking probably 15 years) we used to have different "games" in our golf league that we'd play. They were scheduled as rain out dates, but if we didn't have any rain outs to make up, we'd play whatever hit our fancy.

One time we did do a 3 club tournament. I think I chose my 3-iron, an 8-iron and my putter. I do remember it was my best 9 all season. Pretty sure I shot a 38.

Now the reasons can be many on why you'd shoot lower. Back then the drivers weren't nearly as forgiving as todays....so I didn't lose any balls off the tee like I normally would. And having only 3 clubs made my course management a lot better; thinking about where I want to be as opposed to saying "oh I can get there with my 3-wood" when all I was doing was inviting disaster. Luck? Probably played a roll into it too.

[Jenks465]

I suppose I could go 20 degree hybrid,6 iron,8 iron,52 wedge,60 wedge and putter.

That sounds about perfect to me!