Practice rounds with every other club in the bag.

[xxsoultonesxx]

I've been playing a couple practice rounds and for the heck of it I've been pulling driver, 4,6,8 irons, and my 52/60 out of the bag. It lightens up the bag significantly, and I'm learning lots of new shots. Also, it really doesn't negatively affect my score. So does anyone else play variations of a slimmed down bag for practice purposes? Are there any particular drills you work on when playing a round like this? I'm thinking about taking it a step further and pulling the 3 wood and another wedge out.

[Gerald]

Yep it is true ...... lesser choices doesn't mean higher scores, I sometimes leave out certain clubs to force me to be creative with the others and it has worked out very well in many cases. All you really need is a distance club, about 4 irons, 1 wedge and a putter.

A few weeks ago I shot a 36 (+1) at the front nine of my home course only carrying a 5W, 4i, 6i, 7i, 9i, 58*, putter, but I must admit I choose the clubs with my home course's front nine layout in mind, and about had to plan about any shot ...... (2 Bogeys, 6 Pars, 1 Birdie).

I think most low handicappers will be able to shoot near their index with such a minimalist set, but mid or high handicappers still working to make a decent contact on normal shots will suffer from technique blocking creativeness.......

[Chubbs]

While it's fun to take clubs out and it makes it more of a challenge, if I'm walking I always like to play with a full bag (even if i never touch half the clubs) and a bag weight that is normal, so that when I play a real round, I don't get tired on hole 13 bc I'm not used to carrying that much weight... therefore affecting my swing.

[xxsoultonesxx]

I guess this is just another phase in my quest for the golf swing...I started out hitting full shots so I could have an idea of how far I can hit each club. Now I'm seeing what more comfortable ranges I can play clubs, which has tripled the amount of different shots in the bag.

[sean_miller]

While it's fun to take clubs out and it makes it more of a challenge, if I'm walking I always like to play with a full bag (even if i never touch half the clubs) and a bag weight that is normal, so that when I play a real round, I don't get tired on hole 13 bc I'm not used to carrying that much weight... therefore affecting my swing.

6.0? Really? Weren't you about a 47 index last year? How'd you do it?

[Gerald]

6.0? Really? Weren't you about a 47 index last year? How'd you do it?

You didn't ask me ..... but I started the year at hc 45.0 ...... now at 4.9 and I have had front nines and back nines of +1, never at the same day sofar ....... It isn't totally fair ..... I played from 5.6 in 1994, had a 15+ years lay off, started again end last year and started getting a hc in April this year.

Within a few weeks .... I went down to 23.0 and from there I played about 3-4 times a week, practiced a lot on the other days, got a LOT of tips from this forum, practiced, practiced, practiced, etc..... started S&T;, quit S&T; (just not for me), but kept some things I liked, any way dropped a lot of shots ...... to my current 4.9 hc...... goal for 2011 is 0.0 !!! How I will reach Scratch ...... it is 50% a mental thing and I will be going to work very hard in the winter ....... now it only takes making GIR more....... Maybe I will switch back to a more forgiving iron like the Wilson Staff Ci-9 or similar, bc even at 4.9 I have some poor contacts and every poor contact I loose some. It can be so frustrating, most days I am playing most holes in par, but it is just so easy to make a bogey. It really feels good, when you hit a MP iron pure, but if you don't you loose .......

[sean_miller]

You didn't ask me ..... ...

That's right. You had a layoff - you're not a beginner - so that learning curve is neither typical nor unusual.

[CrazyXGolfer]

Nope have never done this, could not see a reason to.
I can use different clubs in my bag to do the same shot. I no how to do this, ive worked on the range with my golf coach doing so. I have no problems doing this on course also.

I have around 9 different shots I can hit no problems, then there are a few others im still working on.

I don't see how this would actully help anyone, it would just make your more confused when you atully get out on the course and try to shoot low.

Just my opinion.

[ohiolefty]

I played golf until I was 14 with a set that had no 'even' numbered clubs. They were all blades of odd numbers...1/3/5/7/9...then I had a P.O.S. wedge that I got a garage sale.

I had a hard time when I got a full set of irons. I was so used to 'feeling' the yardage gaps.

Right now, I have a severe yardage gap between my PW and my SW...and, not so coincidentally, I hit my PW better than anything in the bag.

I think this is a good thing. I might try it again

[Chubbs]

6.0? Really? Weren't you about a 47 index last year? How'd you do it?

Heh, you must have me confused for someone else?

[mihi4]

Our course is a short 9-hole one, with only 2 Par4s.
From time to time I play a practice round only with my i8 and my 4 wedges (I carry the whole bag, though).
On the long Par3s (160yds, 165yds, and 2 about 180yds) I can't reach the green with the 8 and our greens are very small and undulated.
So it's a great drill to get up&down; with the wedges (or at least keep it at bogey from within wedge distance).

greetings
michi

[sean_miller]

Heh, you must have me confused for someone else?

I think it's the avatar - sorry.

[B-Con]

I played for two years without any even numbered irons and with no driver, the rational being that the fewer clubs I had to learn the better, and I wasn't consistent enough to need the granular level of distance control irons are supposed to offer. Only this year have I started to play with a driver and even irons, and I definitely prefer having them. Although if someone told me to take the even irons back out of my bag, I guess that I'd shoot more than a couple strokes higher at worst.