14 Club Rule

[Jesh]

Well, I have a dilemma. I know there's a 14 club rule, and I have 16 clubs I plan on buying to use, but some are interchangeable like a 2H and a 5W, but that still leaves 15 clubs. So what 14 clubs do you guys carry normally? I'm thinking on the shorter courses, some are like 500 as their longest holes around here, I'll put up the 3 wood, and take 4 wedges (PW, GW, SW, LW) and for the longer courses, like the one I had a tournament on recently, there was a 600 yarder, I'll definitely need the 3 wood, but I was thinking of dropping the PW, since I hit that the same about of the 9i.

So what do you guys usually do?

[wrx_junki]

How good are you with the 60º? I don't carry a 60º because I can do the same shots with my 56º but if you hit your PW the same your 9-iron then drop one of the two. You hit your 12.5º 3-wood consistently well? Unless you hit your drive 300+ and your strong 3-wood 250+, you won't reach that green. So you don't "need" the 3 wood.

If I were in your shoes, I'd remove the strong 3-wood and drop the lob wedge/9-iron/pitching wedge.

[Zeph]

3-PW
52º
58º
5-wood
Driver
Putter
19º or 22º hybrid, rarely use them though

Longest course I regularly play is 6600 yards, longest hole a 600 yard one. No problem getting inside 150 yards with a 250-270 drive and 200+ 5-wood. Never needed a 3-wood actually. Don't carry different clubs for same uses either. If I have to go long, I'll use 3-wood, excellent off the fairway, other than that I never have an approach shot where I need more club than a 4i.

[Ed_Bighead]

4-9
PW
SW
LW
3w Fairway wood (19*)
Driver
Putter

12 clubs is really all I need, though I could probably use something in between my 4i and 3w (if I had money to spend).

[PiKapp23]

I think the easiest is to pull the 60*. For most players it's either the least used or the most overused club in the bag. Another option might be to go with a 4W instead of a 3+ and 5W. It tends to be easier to hit off fairway than 3 wood (especially a strong 3) but with similar distance. Larger gaps at the long end of your bag are not a big deal. With irons you typically only want 10-12 yard gaps, but with longer clubs 15+ yard gaps are not a big deal (especially for higher handicap players who tend to be more inconsistent with these clubs anyway).

Another less common possibility is to have pull the GW and have the PW weakened (especially since you say you hit it and the 9i about the same distance anyway. If you had it weakened to around 49-50* or so, then next club could be SW and you could keep the lob wedge if you really think you need it.

I think it's a good idea in most cases to carry the same 14 (or less) clubs the vast majority of the time as this helps lead to consistency. If you were a 5 handicap then you can change clubs based on the course setup, etc., but as a higher handicap your just asking for inconsistent play. I used to be the same way, but have kept the same club setup for a couple years now and have become much more consistent because of it.

[BirdIsTheWord]

I'd much rather have more choices around the green than off the tee, look through my bag if you want....

[David in FL]

IMHO the 60* will hurt a high handicapper much more than it will help.

[lumpuckeroo]

IMHO the 60* will hurt a high handicapper much more than it will help.

I agree, I don't carry a 60, I don't feel the courses I play demand or require the use of one.

[umpiremark]

... ... I'll definitely need the 3 wood, but I was thinking of

First , I'd get my 9-iron and PW checked for loft. With a plus/minus tolerance of up to 1-degree at the manufacturer, it sounds like you 9-iron is -1 degree and PW + 1 degree, making them a 2-degree gap rather than four. IMHO ... Again, this thread is on here a number of times, all the same answers - keep the scoring clubs: PW, AW, SW. Most 60-degree shots are "help me - oh crap" shots and you'd "NEED" that club maybe once or twice in 18 holes. I'd lose the 60-degree. Maybe replace the 60 degree with another SW with less bounce for better fairway shots from 75 yards?

[gmanuel25]

I would never drop my 3w regardless of the type/length of course that I play. I use it off the tee as much as my driver, and on those days that I'm spraying the driver all over, the 3w becomes that much more important to me. It is definitely my 'go to' club when I need a good tee shot.

[Zeph]

Maybe replace the 60 degree with another SW with less bounce for better fairway shots from 75 yards?

I agree there. A sandwedge at 56/58º with 10-14 bounce is useful. It's no problem hitting it off the fairway either. The loft gives you a high trajectory without opening anything. At any normal lie from fairway or rough you can also easily pitch it high.

[Thaddy]

I'm only carrying 13 clubs. I dropped my 3w and only carry a 5w and 3 hybrid. Along with that, I'm only carrying 52 and 58 degree wedges. I found the 60 degree hurt more than helped.

[enis750]

drop your strong 3, 4i and lob wedge
i am willing to bet to havent hit your 4i in weeks..and if you did, it wasnt pretty

learn to use your 56* wedge better and hone in your 9i and PW better
they should not be the same distance

see sig for what i play..it's only 12 clubs...might add a 3 or 5w, but i get along fine w what i have

[opie]

If you're a 25HC why not drop the Driver?? Probably hit the 3W straighter and just as long

[tricky]

16 clubs, and worried about dropping two? Good job you aren't me. I currently have 26 clubs to choose from:

Titelist 975D Drivers: 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5[/ent]° (3 clubs)
Titelist 975F woods: 12.5°, 14.5°, 16.5°, 18.5°, 20.5° (5 clubs)
Benross V6 Escape Hybrids: E2/17°, E3/20° (2 clubs)
Ping S58 Irons: 3-PW (8 Clubs)
Ping Tour-W wedges: 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58°, 60° (6 clubs)
Rife Putters: Antigua, Two bar Hybrid (2 Clubs)

What do I play? What I think I need, and feel like, on any given day. It's fun to have different options, and to try to learn new clubs and explore different options. I either won or bought second hand all bar the putters, one wedge and the E3 Hybrid - and all of those I got in sales at substantially reduced prices. It was part of a definite plan to put together a consistent, but wide, range of clubs that I could enjoy learning to play. It didn't cost me very much (less than a new set of irons and a new driver and three wood), and the condition is good. All of the clubs are fitted to me. This was part of a plan for this season - to get clubs that suited me, and to play more. I'm enjoying it more as a result and get out more because i want to.

One day I might carry:

12.5° Wood
16.5 ° Wood
E3 Hybrid
4-PW
50°, 56°, 60° Wedges
Rife Antigua

Another day:

10.5° Driver
14.5° Wood
E2 Hybrid
3-PW
52°, 58° Wedges
Rife Two bar

It will depend on the course, the conditions, how I feel, and what I want to try. It doesn't bother me to pick up different clubs, in fact I rather enjoy trying different things.

[Jesh]

I won't take away my driver, I can't. It's actually my best hitting club, which I know is backwards from most high handicappers. But I usually get it pretty close to the fairway. Normally, when I have trouble it's the mid irons that screw with me, 5, 6, and 7 are my worst irons. I normally top them.

[madcityscott]

IMHO the 60* will hurt a high handicapper much more than it will help.

Mind explaining that?

[Jesh]

My 60 degree helps me, mostly with confidence, I hit it better with a full swing from like 60 yards, then I do with like a 3/4s SW swing. That's just me though.