Bag set up

[pheel88]

Hi Guys,
I am looking at upgrading what is in my bag. When I started a bought a starter set and have been upgrading this as I went along and now have:

Driver-Yonex 12 degree, 400cc, regular flex shaft

3 Wood- Callaway Big bertha Steelhead-10degree

3-SW-Original ones but the shafts are starting to bend I
think because they are cheap.

Howson Chipper

Cheap Putter


People have mentioned on another thread that I should drop my 3i and get a hybrid and possibly my 4i as well. I am going to do this but just wanted to know what I ought to look for in a hybrid.

I am also looking at getting rid of my SW as I am really inconsistant with it and have heard people say you can use a LW or a GW instead. What are the things I should look for in these or should I just persist with my SW??

Thanks in advance.

 

[viscount17]

why are you inconsistent with the SW?
remember a GW should sit between your PW and SW in loft and a LW will have more loft than the SW, typically 60 deg.
a LW is regarded as being harder to master than a SW.

looking at your set up I'm guessing you only use the chipper off the green and only use the SW in bunkers. the SW has more uses than that.

sounds like you ought to invest in lessons before changing clubs.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think Steve is right. Get a bunker and short game lesson and learn to love your sand wedge. Most sets have strong lofts and so the PW will be 45-46 degrees and most SW are 56. This is a huge gap hence the need for a GW usually around the 52-54 mark. Others then carry an extra wedge for around the greens

I normally have a PW, 52 degree wedge and my SW is a 58 degree wedge but at the moment because of the thicker rough I'm using the PW, 52 and have gone back to a conventional 56 degree SW and added a 60 degree LW.

I think you really need to dump the chipper and learn how to chip with anything from a 7 iron to a SW

 

[HRC99]

If the shafts are bent with your irons, then you need to change them asap.

If not, I'd probably do as Homer says, dump the chipper (may cost you shots initially, but better for you in the loing run) and invest in lessons. It will be money well spent. When you're starting out, getting the fundamentals right - grip, posture, alignment - will serve you well for many years to come.

 

[CrapHacker]

3 Wood- Callaway Big bertha Steelhead-10degree

10* ?? The Devil's club - burn it !!

 

[pheel88]

Thanks for all the advice on this one guys. I am looking at changing my irons in the next month or so. After being told to man-up and stop slacking off using a chipper I played 18 holes tonight and used my sand wedge on as many as I could. I didn't mishit any, I misjudged distance on a few because I wasn't used to using it but I was connecting consistently and when I got the right distance left me in better positions than the chipper.

Think I will get rid of the chipper now just to avoid temptation.

 

[RGDave]

Thanks for all the advice on this one guys. I am looking at changing my irons in the next month or so. After being told to man-up and stop slacking off using a chipper I played 18 holes tonight and used my sand wedge on as many as I could. I didn't mishit any, I misjudged distance on a few because I wasn't used to using it but I was connecting consistently and when I got the right distance left me in better positions than the chipper.

Think I will get rid of the chipper now just to avoid temptation.

You could always get into bumping a 7 or 8 iron along the ground. To me, an 8 iron IS a chipper!! Play it with a putter-style stroke and learn to love it.

 

[pheel88]

One of the lads I play with occasionaly told me to do that but he hit 56 around a 9 hole that was only 1650yrds so I disregarded the advice. That will teach me.

The only slight problem is I am a bit of a muppet and play right handed for all my shots apart from putting where I put my left hand at the bottom. a la padraig harrington, I find it gives me better control. So if I use an 8i with a putter grip which one would you suggest?

I know the easy answer is to stop being a muppet and use the same grip for everything.

 

[RGDave]

The only slight problem is I am a bit of a muppet and play right handed for all my shots apart from putting where I put my left hand at the bottom. a la padraig harrington, I find it gives me better control. So if I use an 8i with a putter grip which one would you suggest?

Nothing wrong with that. I sometime swap to cack-handed halfway round if I fancy a change. Left below right is a commonly used putting technique and for a very justifiable reason.

I haven't tried chipping with it, but it might be OK....

I'll give it a try.

t.b.h. I find "irons" much more reliable than "wedges" around the greens, not least because a SW (in particular) has bounce on it, which stops it from digging in the sand but can also bounce off hard ground leading to a thin if your timing/stroke is out.

 

[pheel88]

I did a few of those this evening when I played. I hit a couple of SW from a distance and they came up short where I wasn't used to it but got a much better loft than chipper and if i had got them on the green would ahve been good.

Then I tried some closer SW and they hit the green thought they would be perfect looked back and they were right on the back edge. Annoying but progress overall I think.

I am playing on friday evening before my 18 on sunday so I will experiment with chipping with some 7-9's and see how I get on. Will try with each grip as well and let you know how I get on.

 

[viscount17]

The only slight problem is I am a bit of a muppet and play right handed for all my shots apart from putting where I put my left hand at the bottom. a la padraig harrington, I find it gives me better control. So if I use an 8i with a putter grip which one would you suggest?

I've always done this, never even considered trying to use the irons this way. You'll see a lot of pro's do it too, not that I'm in any way . . . .

I use everything up to a 5-i for chip and runs. used this way the 5-i is great for getting out from under trees.