How many clubs would a Tour player carry if there were no 14 club rule?

[SavvySwede]

The guys on the PGA Tour have a lot of money on the line every week and having more than 14 clubs would be an advantage, but where do you think they might draw the line? Guys like Phil Mickelson tinker a lot with set make up, others not so much. I could imagine Phil gaming 5-6 wedges and just as many woods. Irons sets could double with 2 degree gaps etc. Club manufactures would just love that. Eventually though there would be a point of diminishing returns and the caddy has to be able to lug them all around. What do you think? I'm figureing 21-23 because I think the extra distance control might start to top off at that range.

[Tat14]

They have their games tailored to a 14-club bag. I voted as such.

I doubt there is that much clamoring for the missing 226yd stick that would fit in between the 220 and 230yd options. Does anyone carry a 3W, 4W, and 5W?

[David in FL]

No idea. I imagine it would vary by course and weather conditions. Much as it does now.

[Lihu]

I voted for 30+, because they don't have to carry them.

If I were a caddy I would vote 10 clubs maximum and a 10 pound payload limit for other items including the bag weight.

[jsgolfer]

I think some would carry more clubs, maybe two drivers, one they hit with a fade and one the hit with a draw, maybe a second putter and an additional wedge.  However, that would suck for the caddy if they could carry as many as they want.

Prior to 1939, you could have as many clubs as you wanted.  Lawson Little won  the British AM with 31 clubs.  In fact before 1939, many pro's carried up to two sets of clubs.

[Fourputt]

Back in the 1930's when steel shafts made clubs cheaper and allowed them to be more easily matched, players were cramming more than 30 in their bags.  I figure that if it was allowed, the pros would be doing the same today.  Why not?  Learn one swing and just change clubs for almost every shot he'd face.

[David in FL]

I'll add that I imagine just about everyone would include at least one opposite-handed club.....

[Tat14]

Nice historical notes folks, never knew that about pre-1939.

I just don't get why having that many more options would be a plus; like to keep things as simple as possible. Rarely carry the full 14, usually 10 for most courses.

One day, I'll go 10* D, 20* H, 30 and 40* irons, 50 and 60* wedges, and a putter. Nothing but full shots or stingers. I'll wear a kilt and have a theme-music band following me around.

[SavvySwede]

Hypothetical Bag

1. Max distance driver draw bias

2. Control driver fade bias

3-6. 2 wood - 5 wood may seem excessive but the par 5 opportunities are there and a lot of pros have 25+ yard gaps between woods so they rarely have a stock shot going for the green in 2

7. 3 hybrid for approaches

8-15. 3-pw

16-19. 52*,56*,60*,64*

20. putter

21-22. Lefty 5 iron and 56* just in case

[SavvySwede]

They have their games tailored to a 14-club bag. I voted as such.

I doubt there is that much clamoring for the missing 226yd stick that would fit in between the 220 and 230yd options. Does anyone carry a 3W, 4W, and 5W?

look at the gaps in Jonas Blixt bag, what if he has 240 in on a par 5? Tough to take 15 yards off a 3 wood. A 2 wood would also increase the number of par 5s he could potentially reach.

[Golfingdad]

look at the gaps in Jonas Blixt bag, what if he has 240 in on a par 5? Tough to take 15 yards off a 3 wood. A 2 wood would also increase the number of par 5s he could potentially reach.

He could just choke down an inch. ;)

I suppose one of those "tinkerer" types (like Phil) might find it handy to have 10 yd gaps from top to bottom (well, from the 3 wood down, at least)  Using Blixts numbers as a base, if he tweaked the 3W to get it to fly 260, and tweaked the LW to get it to fly 80, then that would leave room for 17 clubs in between, plus the putter and the driver, and now your poor caddy is hauling around 21 clubs.

I could also see an awful lot of guys sticking with the 14 they are allowed now.  Heck, I played for a long time with only 13 and it never hurt me.

[SavvySwede]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SavvySwede

look at the gaps in Jonas Blixt bag, what if he has 240 in on a par 5? Tough to take 15 yards off a 3 wood. A 2 wood would also increase the number of par 5s he could potentially reach.

He could just choke down an inch. ;)

I suppose one of those "tinkerer" types (like Phil) might find it handy to have 10 yd gaps from top to bottom (well, from the 3 wood down, at least)  Using Blixts numbers as a base, if he tweaked the 3W to get it to fly 260, and tweaked the LW to get it to fly 80, then that would leave room for 17 clubs in between, plus the putter and the driver, and now your poor caddy is hauling around 21 clubs.

I could also see an awful lot of guys sticking with the 14 they are allowed now.  Heck, I played for a long time with only 13 and it never hurt me.

I think a lot of pros would stick close to 14 at first. But I think eventually the stats would show that having an extra 7-9 clubs would save a pro at a least 1 stroke over the course of a tournament.

1 stroke per week is a lot of money on the PGA Tour.

[GolfLug]

I believe realistically a caddie limited 18-20 clubs. I would think pro's would find use for the extra clubs. Some would be possibly just repeats with a variance in setup (as someone mentioned two different drivers). I think large number of wedges.

[David in FL]

He could just choke down an inch. ;)

Exactly right. These guys can hit almost any club, any distance they want.

[Tat14]

Exactly right. These guys can hit almost any club, any distance they want.

I concur.

As far as the Blixt scenario above, I submit his 230yd carry hybrid would be chosen for that 240 remaining yards - rollout.

If I had nine wedges to decide from, I would "grey-out" and fall down in the fairway.

[Golfingdad]

If I had nine wedges to decide from, I would "grey-out" and fall down in the fairway.

Totally. My head would explode.

[billchao]

Zero. Okay, one. ;-) But seriously, I can see tour players carrying more clubs just because they can. They'd probably be specialized clubs that they just add instead of substituting like they do now, like driving irons, a second driver that's set up different, high lofted wedges, or maybe even a chipper.

[Fourputt]

Zero. Okay, one.

But seriously, I can see tour players carrying more clubs just because they can. They'd probably be specialized clubs that they just add instead of substituting like they do now, like driving irons, a second driver that's set up different, high lofted wedges, or maybe even a chipper.

Or they go to 5 yard gaps on the mid to short irons, and maybe even tighter on wedges.  Their swings are consistent enough and they practice enough to be able to be effective with it.