Brand New Golfer: What clubs should I add/subtract from my bag?

[Xanman]

I am very new to golf- I'm 25 but I just picked it up the game about a month ago. I had never gone before (just the driving range every so often) and my friend dragged me with him- I ended up doing surprisingly well (hit the fairway on most of my first shots, had a few holes +1 or +2) and now I am hooked! Anyway, I rented clubs the first 2 times, but realized I should buy my own used set to start off, so I got a full set and complimented it with a couple hybrids. All the clubs together cost me about $120- I figure I can replace clubs as I get better. So in the set I have: 1W, 3W, 5W 1H (15 degree), 2H (18 degree), 4H (24 degree) 3i-9i PW, SW, putter Now I realize I can only have 14 clubs, so I figure 3i and 4i are gone. I love all 3 of the hybrids and can hit them well, but I have trouble with the driver. The 3w and 5w I don't use as much, but can hit those okay. So what I'm wondering is do I have major gaps/overlaps in my set? Do I not need the 3w or 5w if I have the 1H and 2H, or do I keep them all if they work better in different situations since they are similar distance and loft? Also, is the gap from 5w to 4h too much? What other clubs would you suggest to someone who does better with the hybrids? Thanks for your help everyone.

[inthehole]

I'd drop the 5W, 1H, 3i, 4i.         The trap most beginners fall into is trying to hit too many clubs ... key in on say your 4H for all of your long shots for now.    Also, learn to hit the 5 iron - it will become your best friend.     Most established golfers can hit a 4h around 175 yds.     Once you can do that, start incorporating your more difficult to hit clubs like the 2h & 3 wood.    Eventually learn to hit the 3 wood off nice fluffy fairway lies (secret is to swing slow & choke up about an inch and a half - only the really REALLY good players can hit a 3wood off the deck consistently without choking down on it).    The gap between the 2h & 3 wood is about perfect & what many better golfers will do.

Because you can carry 14 doesn't mean you need to ... keep the long stuff to a minimum for now - work on that 4h.

[Mattplusness]

Get rid of the 1 and 2 irons.

A standard set nowadays is something like

Driver

3w

5w

3h

4h/4i

5-9i

pw

sw

putter

And the 14th club is either a lob wedge or a gap wedge.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by inthehole

I'd drop the 5W, 1H, 3i, 4i.

Because you can carry 14 doesn't mean you need to ... keep the long stuff to a minimum for now - work on that 4h.

I think this makes a lot of sense.  I would even suggest that you experiment with the 3W off the tee as well, and you might find that for now you don't even need to carry the driver.

[LarryEdwards]

I’m only been playing about 8 months. I just sold my set that I picked up at a pawnshop and got a set of Nike Vapor Speed. It has Driver. 3&5 wood. 3&4 hybrid. 5-pw. I picked up a Nike 56° SW, Nike GW, and Nike putter. 

[gbogey]

Drop the 3i and 4i and the 1H and 2H - the hybrids should be about equal distances with your 3W and 5W so they really aren't that beneficial (unless you hit the 2H better than the 5W).  Depending on the lofts of your PW and SW, you may want a gap wedge (probably  50 or 52 degrees) and a lob wedge (probably 58 or 60 degrees).  I'd probably recommend dropping the 4 clubs I suggested and playing with 12 for a few rounds before deciding what you want to do about adding wedges.

[Piz]

Less is more when you are first starting out.  Each club in your bag should be there for a reason.  What's your most reliable 200 yard club?  175?  150?  125?  100?  What suits your imagination when chipping and pitching?  These are things that everyone has to work out for themselves.  The four longest clubs in my bag are a driver, a 5 wood, a hybrid, and a 4 iron.  At the bottom end I carry a 50 and 59 degree wedge.  (Speaking of which...I should update my signature.)  Anyway...numerical gapping is not important.  Having clubs that cover the shots you encounter, on the course, is important.

[RandyBobbitt]

You've probably got quite a bit of duplication in distance with your fairway woods, hybrids, and long irons. I stopped using fairway woods a long time ago, as I did the 3- and 4-irons. Instead I carry two hybrids -- 16 and 25 degrees, which I hit 215 and 185 yards, respectively. I will hit the 16-degree off the tee on a tight driving hole, while the 25-degree is good for a long par-3 or the second shot on a long par-4. 

My longest iron is the 5. 

I carry four wedges -- PW, gap, sand, and lob. The 60-degree lob wedge is tough for a new player to hit unless you're planning to practice a lot. In your case just a PW and SW might do. 

Just my .02 worth. 

[Puttin4Dough]

On 7/13/2012 at 1:20 PM, Xanman said:

I am very new to golf- I'm 25 but I just picked it up the game about a month ago. I had never gone before (just the driving range every so often) and my friend dragged me with him- I ended up doing surprisingly well (hit the fairway on most of my first shots, had a few holes +1 or +2) and now I am hooked! Anyway, I rented clubs the first 2 times, but realized I should buy my own used set to start off, so I got a full set and complimented it with a couple hybrids. All the clubs together cost me about $120- I figure I can replace clubs as I get better. So in the set I have: 1W, 3W, 5W 1H (15 degree), 2H (18 degree), 4H (24 degree) 3i-9i PW, SW, putter Now I realize I can only have 14 clubs, so I figure 3i and 4i are gone. I love all 3 of the hybrids and can hit them well, but I have trouble with the driver. The 3w and 5w I don't use as much, but can hit those okay. So what I'm wondering is do I have major gaps/overlaps in my set? Do I not need the 3w or 5w if I have the 1H and 2H, or do I keep them all if they work better in different situations since they are similar distance and loft? Also, is the gap from 5w to 4h too much? What other clubs would you suggest to someone who does better with the hybrids? Thanks for your help everyone.

Carry as many clubs as your bag can hold...forget the 14 club rule.  Experiment with all of them.  

[LarryEdwards]

Agreed. I’m fairly new myself, but my first set I believe was 17 clubs. Now I’m at 14. 

[cooke119]

All those clubs cost you $120? I assuming they are second hand, (which is the right way to go as a beginner IMHO), what make are they? Anyway, I agree with dropping the driver for now, use your 3W until you spend a lot of time at the range. In the beginning I used a 3w, 5w, 19* & 25* hybrid, 6 to PW, 52* gap, 56* SW and a putter, I later added my driver, (which I'm still fighting). Welcome to the club and remember you'll never stop learning.

[Patch]

I carry more clubs than I normally use in a round of golf. Truth be known, I could probably get by with 8, or 9 clubs. 

I carry 14 clubs because when I go to the practice area,  I have them all to practice with. I am able to try different things, with different clubs. Plus, I have slots for 14 clubs. Empty slots bother me for some reason.

In the OP's case, I would carry all his clubs. Not so much for playing purposes, but for practice, learning  purposes. Learning what certain clubs can, and can't do, is one of the more interesting things in a golfer's journey. He can cull, and add clubs as needed as his experience grows. 

[klineka]

On 12/8/2018 at 2:07 PM, LarryEdwards said:

I’m only been playing about 8 months. I just sold my set that I picked up at a pawnshop and got a set of Nike Vapor Speed. It has Driver. 3&5 wood. 3&4 hybrid. 5-pw. I picked up a Nike 56° SW, Nike GW, and Nike putter. 

Why did you bump a thread from 2012? 

Your comment had no relevance to the topic from over 6 years ago, you simply stated what clubs you have in your bag.

The OP only has 2 posts and hasnt been online since 2012, so it's highly highly unlikely that person will even see your comment

You had to have seen a similar message at the top of the thread when you clicked on it