15 clubs in my bag

[onthehunt526]

FlightScope Mevo is an affordable way to build your wedge matrix. It's a portable launch monitor that you carry in your golf bag, and I guess there is an app... It's around $500 for a unit or a little less through Erik when he gets a batch. @Sean_D this could be a good way to get your bag figured out,

[Sean_D]

34 minutes ago, onthehunt526 said:

FlightScope Mevo is an affordable way to build your wedge matrix. It's a portable launch monitor that you carry in your golf bag, and I guess there is an app... It's around $500 for a unit or a little less through Erik when he gets a batch. @Sean_D this could be a good way to get your bag figured out,

I've been looking at portable launch monitors. It is certainly on the list of things I want to buy. Unfortunately my list currently exceeds my wallet. I am playing 18 holes tomorrow so hopefully I figure something out.

[onthehunt526]

You can probably rent some time on a launch monitor to figure it out. You should be able to find a place locally that rents LM time.

[xrayvizhen]

Unless you're a really long hitter, I see no reason to carry so many wedges. Standard loft PW & SW serve me well. There are a lot of different kinds of shots that can be pulled off with just these two clubs. Learn to manipulate the trajectory and spin of any shot by the location of the ball in the stance. Learn to hit a flop shot. Learn the distances you can hit with half, 3/4 and full swings of each club. I also agree you have duplicated distances with some of your hybrids and long irons so you're just going to have to go to the range and learn how far you hit each club, then depending on course and conditions on any given day, you can swap clubs appropriately.

Then again, if you're not playing in any tournaments, leagues or matches, no one cares how many clubs you have.

 

[Sean_D]

2 hours ago, xrayvizhen said:

Then again, if you're not playing in any tournaments, leagues or matches, no one cares how many clubs you have.

 

This is really the most honest and truest answer. When I play with my buddy today, I am taking all 16 clubs. Today will be the first time I have the opportunity to hit the hybrids on the course in genuine situations. When I went to the range last week, I was carrying the 5i and 5H similar distance. I have since made another stride in my swing, and I think I’ll be hitting the ball further with all my clubs. I feel much more powerful, faster, and in control with my latest swing adjustment. So I certainly want the full aresenal at my disposal as I continue to figure things out.

[onthehunt526]

13 minutes ago, Sean_D said:

This is really the most honest and truest answer. When I play with my buddy today, I am taking all 16 clubs. Today will be the first time I have the opportunity to hit the hybrids on the course in genuine situations. When I went to the range last week, I was carrying the 5i and 5H similar distance. I have since made another stride in my swing, and I think I’ll be hitting the ball further with all my clubs. I feel much more powerful, faster, and in control with my latest swing adjustment. So I certainly want the full aresenal at my disposal as I continue to figure things out.

I think I have the answer, Leave the 4I and 60° wedge home. Usually hybrids are longer than the iron that they're supposed to replace... So a 5H and 5I will be ok.

[Fourputt]

On 3/5/2018 at 10:39 AM, Sean_D said:

I currently have 15 clubs in my bag. Driver, 3W, 3H, 4H, 5H, 4-PW, Gap Wedge, Sand Wedge, 60* wedge, and a putter. To get down to the 14 club max, I obviously need to leave one club out. I have never hit my 60* wedge very well and have rarely used it. I also have a virtual duplication in the 4H and 4-iron, and 5H and 5-iron. I hit my 5-iron as well as any other club in the bag and I have been getting decent results with my 4 iron recently as well. 

I just purchased the three hybrids last week (Callaway X hots all three for $80) and I have yet to take them out on the course, so that will happen before I make a significant decision. What I will probably end up doing is stocking my bag for specific courses... more hybrids for longer and straighter courses, and more irons for courses with more "bendy" holes. 

The main thing I would like to read is how have you handled this situation? Do you commonly carry a 4H and a 4-iron, 5H and 5-iron? Have you left a club out of your bag because you just don't hit it well or don't have confidence in your ability to hit a particular club?

First, if you don't do well with the 60°, there's no law that says you have to carry it.  I tried to like a lob wedge for many years, starting as far back as 1990.  I tried everything from 58° to 64° at one time or another.  Despite spending a lot of time practicing with them, I ever could find any consistency.  I was a practice green champ, but it never translated to the course, so now I limit myself to a 56° SW, and even that one doesn't see much use except from greenside bunkers.  My short game workhorse is a 51° gap wedge left from my previous set of Titleist AP-2 irons.  

I also took the hybrids out of my bag a few years ago and reverted to carrying a 5W and and 7W instead.  Seems like you might be able to get along with picking only 2 of the hybrids or maybe after playing them for a while you may decide that you like all 3 of them, and then the 4 iron may become redundant.  Only you can really make that determination, and only by trying and seeing what works for you.

While there is nothing wrong with carrying an extra club or 2 when practicing, I would still advise you to work toward finding a comfortable 14 club bag.  No matter how many clubs you carry, there will always be that situation where none of them is quite right, and you will be be better served by learning to make the needed adjustments.  I get more satisfaction from making a successful shot with a club that isn't quite right than I do when everything is perfect.

Edited March 10, 2018 by Fourputt