How many clubs in minimum ......

[Gerald]

As most golfers look for the optimization in their sets, completing 14 clubs or rather even would be allowed to carry 15 clubs, I wonder what the minimum number of clubs would be, which would allow for still playing good scores.

In winter I play lots of times with only about 7 or 8 clubs and my scores are quite similar to those when carrying the full set.

My common winter set-up is like a Driver (distance tool), 4i, 5i, 6i, 7i, 9i, GW(52) and a putter.

The mid irons much dictate the scoring ......

What is your Minimalist set and how do your scores compare to your full set scores ?

[CassinoNorth]

Why would I intentionally leave clubs at home?

Clubs I could live without? 4i, 6i, 3hy and my AW. I'd get pretty annoyed having to swing differently because I don't have my full set though.

[Gerald]

The idea is that with such a set, you are forced to be creative, in other words .... when you face a let's imagine 150 yds to the hole, you would normally figure out based on wind, conditions, lie etc. which distance club to use, grab the right iron from the bag and hit it dead on target (at least we hope so) ...... but now you don't carry a 7i ...... Now you will have to hit a different stroke, hit harder, hit softer, hit a different iron, hit a different shot ....... being creative will force you to become a better golfer....... at least that is my opinion on this.

[Danattherock]

I read of some big time college program that made their players play a round with 3-4 clubs. They did this with some regularity as I recall. Not for me. I got a bag full of clubs, a golf cart, and at times a few cold beers to numb the pain if needed.


-Dan

[ezmorningrebel]

i play around with half sets and typically my scores don't suffer much on my home course. i enjoy being forced to hit shots that i'm not familiar with sometimes. i think it teaches you to be a little more creative. a typical set for me would be driver, 20* hybrid, 5i, 7i, 9i, 52*, 60*, putter.

[CassinoNorth]

  Gerald said:

The idea is that with such a set, you are forced to be creative, in other words .... when you face a let's imagine 150 yds to the hole, you would normally figure out based on wind, conditions, lie etc. which distance club to use, grab the right iron from the bag and hit it dead on target (at least we hope so) ...... but now you don't carry a 7i ...... Now you will have to hit a different stroke, hit harder, hit softer, hit a different iron, hit a different shot ....... being creative will force you to become a better golfer....... at least that is my opinion on this.

I can see that.

Will lead to more confidence and not ever being in between a club if you know you can pump a 8i 150 if need be. Probably won't try it, but it's a nice concept.

[Meddle]

This year I started carrying just carry a Driver, 20* hybrid, 5, 7 and 9 iron, 56* wedge and putter on the course for practice, and it's been the best thing I've done for my game since I started playing.

The biggest thing for me was learning not to swing as hard as I can every time, since you have in-between distances much of the time, which improved my consistency. I also started to get a feel for the different trajectories created by hitting different irons the same distance, which was cool. Since I don't have a bunch of wedges in the bag to loft the ball in the air, I learned to bump and run shots into the green from longer distances. Basically, it has taught me how to hit a bunch of shots that I never would have hit before, and now those shots are in my arsenal if I need them.

[sean_miller]

I could get around 25 yard gaps, so 9 clubs would "git 'er done".

[allin]

I guess it would depend on your strengths. As a short hitter I could drop my GW, maybe my 6I, maybe both without it being to big a deal. I would guess a longer hitter might be able to drop a longer club like a fairway wood since they might not hit it except on short par 4s or as a second shot on par 5s. Frank inventor of the Frog putter, former USGA employee, has pushed the idea that tour pros should be made to play with fewer clubs to bring shotmaking back into the pro game.

[ohiolefty]

I learned how to play with the following configuration...

-Driver, 1W
-Fairway, 3W
-3 iron
-5 iron
-7 iron
-9 iron
-Some odd wedge (I don't even know the loft, I guess it was 56, though...I didn't even use it most of the time anyway...I just hit shots with my 'neener' [9 iron])
-Putter that looked like it was stolen from a putt-putt bin

I think, to this day, that playing only with odd-numbered irons until I was like 13 is the reason that, even as my full swing comes and goes, I always have great feel and touch with my irons, particularly inside of 150 yards. I had to learn to cut it, take some off, etc. and now that I have good equipment and the modern golf ball, I feel pretty confident when it's time to get that money inside of 150. There's the famous story about Gary Player at the masters playing a practice round, upset that his caddy automatically pulled a 7 from 150 and proceeding to drop balls and hit all his irons to the same pin. That's golf to me.

[WUTiger]

For a par 3 course, I could get by with 5-7-9 and my wedges and putter. I would probably bring a 3 wood just so I had a long club in the bag to use as a lever to shift weight on my shoulders.

[gilbo]

u should try playing a round just a for kicks and only carrying 3 clubs in your bag, u will b surprised your score probably will b within 6-7 strokes of what u normally shoot

[enis750]

  ohiolefty said:

I learned how to play with the following configuration...

that about sums it up for me too

today i still only carry 13 clubs

[Zach Attack]

  gilbo said:

u should try playing a round just a for kicks and only carrying 3 clubs in your bag, u will b surprised your score probably will b within 6-7 strokes of what u normally shoot

3 wood, 7i, and a putter for me

[gilbo]

  Zach Attack said:

3 wood, 7i, and a putter for me

that would b my choice as well

[wrx_junki]

  Zach Attack said:

3 wood, 7i, and a putter for me

That's all you need for a "good score"? Good luck with those 3 clubs when you are in the green side bunker.

I think I can slim it down to 9 or 10 clubs without hurting my scores much. The make up of the bag would have a lot to do with the course so won't bother listing it. Length of course and the clubs I would need for par 3's will be couple of the prime concerns.

[ohiolefty]

  wrx_junki said:

That's all you need for a "good score"? Good luck with those 3 clubs when you are in the green side bunker.

You can hit any iron out of a bunker, dude...and hit it pretty well with practice. Not something I'd recommend without practicing first, though. You don't ever hit bunker shots with anything besides a sand iron?

[Thwak-Thwak-Ting]

  ohiolefty said:

You can hit any iron out of a bunker, dude...and hit it pretty well with practice. Not something I'd recommend without practicing first, though. You don't ever hit bunker shots with anything besides a sand iron?

The set I learnt to play with was from KMart. The brand was Emrik, which is a tennis raquet brand.

It contained a 3 Wood, 3i, 5i, 7i and putter. I played with that for a couple of years, then bought a 9i and a 5w, which I played for about another 3/4 years before getting a full set. Having learnt to hit out of sand with those clubs, I can't remember the last time I misshit out of a bunker and I have a pretty good memory.