Long irons and woods are out of my bag.

[Charliemack]

This might sound crazy to most or maybe all of the members here but I removed my woods, my hybrids, and my long irons from my bag. I've been playing for close to 10 years and I have never been able to hit the above mentioned clubs with any consistency. I decided couple days ago driving home from the driving range that I would try to play a round with just the clubs I hit well (driver, 7 thru 9 irons and wedges). Today I played the best round I've ever played, 3 birdies and 5 pars the rest bogies and a couple doubles. Still that was a great round for me. Not one topped ball, not one slice which is what I do sometimes with those long clubs. I played with a total different mindset, I wasn't trying to reach par 5's in two which I never do anyway but I would always try with a wood or hybrid after a drive and usually got myself in trouble. I guess I'm wondering if this is odd. Does anyone else play this way?

[fiveover]

Its not strange. Its the score that counts, not what clubs you use to get there. I know a guy that carries all woods. There is maybe one wedge in his bag, thats it. He doesn't shoot great scores, but it works for him. Why play and get mad as hell if you can't hit certain clubs. Thats not fun. Some people might say you should learn how to hit the woods, not just discard them.

[Dave2512]

Not sure why the clubs had to be taken out. Honestly that's pretty much what I play most of the time, driver and the short end of the bad. Most par 4's don't require anything longer than 7i on an approach. The only reason I carry a fairway and hybrids is for long par 3's, 2nd shot on par 5 and the occasional tee shot on a par 4 where hitting it long would mean trouble. But I'd be trouble if I didn't have anything longer than a 7i between the driver. There would be par 3 greens I couldn't reach and I'd rather chance a missed green with a long iron than trying to get up and down from somewhere short of the green. I'd move up a set of tees before I'd empty out my bag.

[iammpspeer]

If you're happy/content with what you scored great, keep doing what you are doing. But, in my opinion, you're putting a ceiling on your game by limiting yourself to those clubs. If you are wanting to eventually shoot low, you will have to incorporate the longer clubs in to your game.

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by Charliemack

This might sound crazy to most or maybe all of the members here but I removed my woods, my hybrids, and my long irons from my bag. I've been playing for close to 10 years and I have never been able to hit the above mentioned clubs with any consistency. I decided couple days ago driving home from the driving range that I would try to play a round with just the clubs I hit well (driver, 7 thru 9 irons and wedges). Today I played the best round I've ever played, 3 birdies and 5 pars the rest bogies and a couple doubles. Still that was a great round for me. Not one topped ball, not one slice which is what I do sometimes with those long clubs. I played with a total different mindset, I wasn't trying to reach par 5's in two which I never do anyway but I would always try with a wood or hybrid after a drive and usually got myself in trouble. I guess I'm wondering if this is odd. Does anyone else play this way?

This doesn't sound crazy at all. The fact of the matter is, you probably removed the clubs that you rarely use. I have seen a lot of golfers think that they need to use a club for the simple fact that they can get away with it in combination of not having used that particular club in a while or during their entire round. Sometimes, too many options are not a good thing for us amateur golfers.

One thing to consider is the yardage of your course, the yardage/set that you are playing from (white, blue, black, red, gold, whatever) and what type of shots you are typically left with. If you are playing a course that is 5800, you will probably have very few holes that require a 3-5i if you are a relatively longer hitter. Perhaps on some longer Par 3s from the tips, a 4i or 5i may be required.

I can recall many rounds where I shot 80-82 playing predominantly Driver > 9i/PW, or Driver > 7i > Wedge, or Driver > 58° and the occasional low-mid iron on Par 3s where the remainder of my clubs never came out of the bag.

Proper course management is key in these situations. My father was a "natural" at the game and would often just show-boat taking out his 6i and go 6i > 6i > 2 putt par while laughing at me beading with sweat and doing everything I could to drive as close as possible to the hole.

The bottom line is that you need more practice with your long irons if you are feeling like you cannot hit them, or they are a waste of time. However, you should not need to remove them from your bag. If you can get away with removing them from your bag, this means they were probably not a necessary option to begin with in a particular situation where you think back and say "Damn, that was an easy layup with a 7i... why did I go for it all with a 3i".

Risk vs Reward and Course Management.

[clutchshot]

I'd prefer to keep my options open. I have days where my woods aren't doing me well so I leave them in the bag, but bottom line is if I hit a bad drive on a par 5, I don't want to have to go for it in 2 with a 7i.

[AmazingWhacker]

I carry all my clubs - but I don't use all of them a lot .. pretty much the same thing.  I was playing yesterday with 2 co-workers and we were hitting our second shots on a par 5.  None of us had a chance to make the green yet they both pulled 3w.  I pulled a 5 iron hoping it would leave me a nice 100 yard shot for my 3rd.

There seems to be this mentality among a lot of golfers that, if they can't reach the green, then they need to get as close as possible.  Pretty much regardless of what distance the next shot will be or from what kind of lie, etc.  Also not considering the current lie -  I've seen guys pull 3w when they had lies that were basically impossible to hit with a 3w . .just because they were far from the green.

One of my co-workers ended up hitting a nice 3w and landed about 40 yards short, the other topped his 3w and ended up still about 180 out and in the rough.  I hit my 5iron not too good . .but still was about 125 out in the fairway.  I would take my approach shot over either of thiers any day.

So - I definitely agree, if you can't resist the tempation to hit it as far as possible, then it could be good to leave those clubs out.  Also . .if you never, ever hit them well . .might as well lighten the bag, lol.

[Mr. Desmond]

I once did 9 holes with a 6i to show something to my son, and didn't score over a bogey. Your idea works. It may not make the game easier over the long term on longer courses.

Having said that, I took out 3 wood, then 4 wd, and go Driver, 5 wood, etc.

I would suggest going with your plan but working with the hybrids on the range/finding one that works for you. As you find something that works, either swing and/or club, add them...

[Mr Smell Good]

Since you've included your driver in your list of clubs that you can hit I don't see the problem. Seems like a smart choice to me.  The worst case scenario is you hit a drive and have to hit your 7 iron twice to reach the green. Personally I understand how you feel about fairway woods. I have a new Taylormade 3 wood that I am capable of hitting great and getting 240 yards out of if I hit it right but I'm also not consistent enough to use it anywhere except off the tee for long par 3s or for dogleg holes

[clutchshot]

If the 3 wood is 50/50 and you have it hit it twice to get it to work, you pretty much could have used any club in your bag and got the same distance.

[Zachari208]

Your right about the 50/50, sometimes it's worth those odds if its a clutch shot.

[Jakester23]

I don't play any courses where you can hit 7iron to all 4 par 3's. I totally get the idea a few years ago I could not hit anything above 6 iron but have worked hard to get comfortable with long irons. I must say hitting a perfect 4 iron feels so good.