Time For a Change

By March 13, 2020Tips & Tutorials

What should a modern golf set look like? I was asked this question a couple a few weeks ago.

Conducting the lesson I asked both the students which clubs did they use most often, and the reply was expected. “We use the driver, the 3 wood, hyrbids 7, 8, 9, PW, GW and SW oh and obviously the putter” I checked their bags and noticed that they was a 4, 5 and 6 iron in each bag, all with little or no signs of usage at all.

I had to question this, and the response brings to light an issue with the modern day club set up and complete package sets. They no longer follow the trend of the modern day golfer, especially the higher handicappers.

We discussed each of the sets and the reasons behind not using the previously mentioned irons and the reality is that longer irons are just simply not as easy to hit as hybrids. So why do golfers continue to carry them in the bag. It makes no sense. Especially as we have a limit to the number of clubs we can carry.

Remove the unused, unloved clubs and replace them with at least another hybrid, that will bridge the gap between your hyrbid 3 and your 7 iron, I mean we are talking about 40 metres difference. That is huge and will cost you at least 2 shots per round.

To my mind the perfect set up for the average amateur golfer in the modern game would be the following:

Driver 11º mínimum

3 wood 16º

5 wood  21º

Hybrid 4 iron

Hybrid 5 iron

7 iron to Pitching wedge

Gap wedge

Sand wedge

And of course a putter.

In total this is 12 clubs, leaving an additional two for another wedge and perhaps another fairway wood or hybrid that sits in the middle, giving a superb range of distance and short game options.

For those of you that are more advanced golfers, you should seriously consider getting a mixed set of irons, which offer easier, more forgiving long and mid-irons whilst offering optimal control with bladed short irons and wedges.

But the most important aspect when building your set of clubs is to have clubs that you are confident in using, there is absolutely no reason why you should be carrying around one or two clubs that you are simply never going to use. It is a waste of time and energy. Check your bag and discard any of the clubs you don´t use and replace them with ones you will.