Do I NEED a 14th club????

[AS86]

Hi there.

Bit of a strange question but im a relatively new golfer, been practising down the range regularly for about 6/8months, and not been out on the course yet (waiting for weather to improve). Also have a lesson every month or so.

But basically my bag is as follows
10deg Driver
15deg 3 wood
18deg Hybrid
24deg Hybrid
5-pw
52/58 wedges
putter

So 13 clubs, don't really see a need for a 14th club?? Want to try and stick with just the 2 main wedges, and at the top end of my bag there doesn't seem a big enough gap to warrant another club. Driver 220 carry, 3wd 200, 18hyb 190, 24deg hyb 175,5i 162, then pretty much 10-14yards all the way through.
These are average carrys measured using real balls and GC2.

So am i "wasting" a space by not having a 14th club?

Cheers

 

[fundy]

nope, bag looks fine, if you havent got any obvious gaps then alls good

 

[Imurg]

As Fundy says, if the gaps are ok then Happy Days.
Only thing I can see is a potential for a gap between PW and 52° - depending on the loft of the PW. Could be between 44° and 47° so a possible 7-8° gap
But, as said, if the gaps are ok .....

 

[Val]

You could always get a chipper

 

[User101]

Why wouldn't you put a 14th in the bag ? What have you got to lose ?

 

[GaryK]

how about a cheap 2nd hand leftie iron (assuming that you're right handed) - could come in handy if your ball is such that you cannot make a right handed swing at (eg, against a tree)

 

[AS86]

Why wouldn't you put a 14th in the bag ? What have you got to lose ?

But what type of club, i haven't really got anywhere to fill?

PW is 46 so 6deg gap to the next wedge, and about a 12yrd gap, so still not a gap thats worth trying to fill with another club.

I like the left handed club idea, its something which i'd never think would be useful until the first time im faced with that situation. :rofl:

 

[User101]

You seem to have it all worked out, good luck, keep us posted how it goes.

btw, I carried a 6 iron 200 yards tonight, does that mean I no longer need a 23 hybrid ?

 

[Imurg]

You seem to have it all worked out, good luck, keep us posted how it goes.

btw, I carried a 6 iron 200 yards tonight, does that mean I no longer need a 23 hybrid ?

Only if you hit your hybrid 200 as well.......

 

[AS86]

btw, I carried a 6 iron 200 yards tonight, does that mean I no longer need a 23 hybrid ?

Not at all, two completely different clubs that hit very different shots

 

[User101]

Only if you hit your hybrid 200 as well.......

I'm sure you get the irony

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I think the gap between the PW and 52 would be a bit big for me so personally I would get a 50 but then you would need a 54 and 58 but if you are happy with the gaping then that’s cool

You could add one of those hybrid irons at 2 or 3 iron loft to give you something that goes a bit lower ?

 

[User101]

I find it absolutely fascinating that someone who is new to the game, yet hasn't been on the course, genuinely doesn't think he has a need for a 14th club.

To get all your "data" for a newbie who hasn't experienced downhill lies/up hill lies/down wind/into wind/good lies/bad lies etc etc, yet still think they can easily go with a club less is just amazing to read. I've got a game tomorrow and have 15 clubs, and can't decide which one to leave out, tis a funny ole game...

 

[AS86]

I find it absolutely fascinating that someone who is new to the game, yet hasn't been on the course, genuinely doesn't think he has a need for a 14th club.

To get all your "data" for a newbie who hasn't experienced downhill lies/up hill lies/down wind/into wind/good lies/bad lies etc etc, yet still think they can easily go with a club less is just amazing to read. I've got a game tomorrow and have 15 clubs, and can't decide which one to leave out, tis a funny ole game...

I haven't once said i can easily go without a 14th club?
This thread was exactly for that question, where would YOU look to put a 14th club into my bag/numbers? Im asking for advice from people with far more experience than myself.

 

[User101]

My advice is, don't read too much in to those gc2 numbers, it's great you have these figures to hand but just remember these are your average hits, take my 6 iron tonight, it was a worldy, outrageous distance but put me 30 through the back.

I genuinely believe once you get out on to the course you'll find the gap there somewhere, most probably in your shorter irons.

 

[richart]

Option would seem to be a 21 degree hybrid or am I missing something ?

I have a 17 degree and 20 degree hybrid together with a 4 iron. If a 24 degree hybrid is like a four iron, 18 must be like a 2 iron, so something in the middle as a 3 iron ?

 

[Leftie]

IMO nobody needs 14 clubs. I've been carrying this winter and, being an old fart, I've only had 7 or 8 clubs in the bag. There's been no discernible difference to my (admittedly) rather pathetic scores. Scores in our club's "5 club" comps are usually no worse than other comps.

There again, there are people on here who know my game and will say that I would probably play better with just a putter (apparently I'm magic when I eventually get to the green) :mmm:

 

[richart]

IMO nobody needs 14 clubs. I've been carrying this winter and, being an old fart, I've only had 7 or 8 clubs in the bag. There's been no discernible difference to my (admittedly) rather pathetic scores. Scores in our club's "5 club" comps are usually no worse than other comps.

There again, there are people on here who know my game and will say that I would probably play better with just a putter (apparently I'm magic when I eventually get to the green) :mmm:

To be fair Roger there is not a lot of yardage difference between your driver and your putter. Hard to squeeze too many clubs in the gap.

 

[User101]

IMO nobody needs 14 clubs.

That is a very good point. I suspect many would score better if they left certain clubs at home, for example, I have yet to lose a ball with a 7 iron, yet I bet I could get home on all our par 5s with 3 x 7 irons.

 

[GaryK]

As the OP stated, he is relatively new to the game and has yet to play on course which would suggest that his HC is high...
I may be wrong, but at that stage of his golfing journey, gapping is going to be somewhat erratic, so the need for the full complement of 14 clubs in the bag is not necessary.

My recommendation would be to carry what you've got and figure out where you need to add/remove clubs over 12-18 months.
If there is spare capacity in the number of clubs, then why not grab a bargain 2nd hand short leftie iron just in case you find yourself in a predicament where you cannot make a right handed swing at the ball.