Skill Level should Determine the Clubs You Carry
Which clubs should you be
choosing to carry in your bag? Well, that depends on your BUDGET and your SKILL level!
Obviously, a better golfer (Low handicap) has different needs then the average
weekend warrior. Some clubs are easy to control for all players, some should only be
used by very good golfers. Plus, the Rules of Golf allow you to carry a maximum of 14
clubs in your bag. But, unless you’re in a tournament, we at breaking110 don’t really
care about that particular rule. However, we will use it as a guideline….
I’ve got some ideas, and they are general in nature when choosing the right golf clubs.
If you have a favorite club
that is NOT listed, KEEP IT!! Results count!!!
The High Handicapper’s Bag – 3-wood – 5-wood, 7-wood – 5-iron through 9-iron –
Pitching wedge – Putter
Most high handicappers cannot hit a driver, no matter how badly they want to.
Drivers are especially dangerous in the hands of high-handicappers because many view
distance as the quality they most want to have off the tee. So they spend several
hundred dollars on an oversized titanium driver that most of the time will only put
them farther off the fairway, not farther down the fairway.
You need to own a driver – just practice with it on the driving range, and leave it
at home when you hit the course.
The Mid-Handicapper’s Bag – Driver – 3-wood, 5-wood, 7-wood – 4-iron through 9-iron
– Pitching wedge – Sand wedge – Putter
Intermediate players may also be better off hitting 3-wood off the tee rather than
driver, but certainly have a better shot at controlling the driver than high
handicappers.
Mid-handicappers who are strong in their short game might consider adding a lob
wedge or gap wedge to this assortment, but most will probably be better off with the
lofted fairway woods rather than long irons.
The Low Handicapper’s Bag – Driver – 3-wood – 2-iron through 9-iron – Pitching wedge
– Lob wedge – Sand wedge – Putter
Scratch golfers will carry the same bag with one exception:
Substituting a gap wedge for the 2-iron.
The better you are, the more specialized your game becomes. And that specialization
for the best players leads to a concentration on the short game. Most top players hit
the ball far enough that they rarely use a long iron, hence the ability to bypass
1-irons and 2-irons in favor of adding more wedges.
The lob wedge and gap wedge simply increase a great player’s options around the
green.
Remember: No matter what your skill level, hit clubs you are comfortable with. If
you are a high handicapper but you can keep your driver in the fairway, then by all
means carry a driver. If a 1-iron is a club that you have mastered, carry a 1-iron.
Know How Far you Can Hit Each Club in Your Bag.
The first time I every played 5 rounds in 5 days, something very interesting
happened. It was an accident. I hadn’t read it anywhere. But suddenly when I was
100 yards from the pin, I knew that I could hit a 9 iron that distance every time.
Suddenly, after 5 days I wasn’t surprised at being over the green or embarrassingly
short.
It occurred to me that this information was handy so I starting making some notes.
How far could I hit a 3 iron, a 3 wood, a 9 iron, a 7 iron? Then every time I was
standing on a par three 150 yards from the pin or on an approach shot 150 yards out,
I knew what club to hit–without worrying.
Learn YOUR distance. This chart is typical. Adapt it to your game. The right golf clubs are the clubs that work FOR YOU!
Pitching Wedge 70 yards
9 iron 100 yards
8 iron 120 yards
7 iron 140 yards
6 iron 150 yards
5 iron 160 yards
4 iron 170 yards
3 iron 180 yards
3 wood 203 yards
driver 225 yards
Know your distance, use the same tempo on each swing, let the club do the work and
your rounds will be more consistent.
If you hit a 5 wood and a 3 iron the same distance, consider using the 5 wood more
often on the fairway.
Soon you will have an easier time on long par 4s.
