Leaving A Club Out

[Region3]

I have a gap in the long end of my bag that I'm not comfortable with, but don't want to lose any clubs I use at the short end.
I own enough clubs to have perfect yardage gaps all the way through, but the bods at the R&A aren't likely to let me carry them all any time soon so I'm seriously considering losing one from the middle. 6 iron is favourite at the moment.

Has anyone else ever done this, and if so, which club did you lose and did it instantly become the most wanted on your next round?

 

[duncan mackie]

there are definitely clubs that only rarely get used in my bag; but judging the conditions to leave them out before playing is tough!

SW is the least used (I use LW from our bunkers and GW as my utility wedge) but then again I rarely find I'm trully missing anything at the long end - it's both easier to just grip down and swing full to take off 10 yards (or just miss hit it a bit ) and less likely that the club selection will be the actual issue in performance over 190 yds!

 

[fundy]

Yeah Ive left the 5 or 6 iron out on occasions, not a case of keep needing it but felt wrong creating a big gap in the middle of the bag. Currently the LW is the one missing out though expect the 3 iron will make way now that softer ground is here

 

[Lump]

I'm in the same predicament, need to fill a gap with a hybrid so instead of losing a scoring club I'm dropping the 4 iron. The way I look at it if I need to hit a 4 iron, I can hit a hard 5 or more then likely a smooth 3.

 

[CMAC]

I'm in the same predicament, need to fill a gap with a hybrid so instead of losing a scoring club I'm dropping the 4 iron. The way I look at it if I need to hit a 4 iron, I can hit a hard 5 or more then likely a smooth 3.

gripping down an inch and normal swing would be best.

 

[Lump]

gripping down an inch and normal swing would be best.

Or just hitting it smooth..

 

[hines57]

i finally took the 3 iron out of the bag a couple of seasons ago. Rarely was used and the hybrid I put in allows good flexibility. Grip down on it and it goes the same distance as the 3 iron did, but is easier to play. Much less to think about than would be the case if the 5 or 6 iron were missing.

 

[SAPCOR1]

What are your clubs and what are their lofts and average distance you hit them?

 

[ScienceBoy]

I would favour dropping a distance club, so a 5 iron and above instead.

 

[cookelad]

i finally took the 3 iron out of the bag a couple of seasons ago. Rarely was used and the hybrid I put in allows good flexibility. Grip down on it and it goes the same distance as the 3 iron did, but is easier to play. Much less to think about than would be the case if the 5 or 6 iron were missing.

Similar here, when I bought the MP4s and they didn't come with a 3 iron I was determined to find one to go with the set, Don't even miss it now I've got my 22* fairway wood which is brilliant (except I can't the flight down easily), plus I now have 4 wedges in the bag which is ideal for playing a shorter course like ours!

 

[SGC001]

I have a gap in the long end of my bag that I'm not comfortable with, but don't want to lose any clubs I use at the short end.
I own enough clubs to have perfect yardage gaps all the way through, but the bods at the R&A aren't likely to let me carry them all any time soon so I'm seriously considering losing one from the middle. 6 iron is favourite at the moment.

Has anyone else ever done this, and if so, which club did you lose and did it instantly become the most wanted on your next round?

Faldo is reported to have done this many years at wentworth to allow him to carry 2 drivers and he worked out he wouldn't need a 6 iron that day.

If you're wanting to leave the wedges alone 1 option is to tinker with your longer irons by either strengthening lofts or even slight adjustments in length.

So for example you may strengthen the 6 iron by a degree, the 5 iron by 2 degrees and maybe lengthen a 1/4 - 1/2 inch, then you could drop the 4 and weaken the 3 by a couple of degrees or strengthen / lengthen the 4. This would then give you space for another club if this is where the gap you don't like is.

Depends how attached you are to the perfect yardages you describe or if you are willing to tweak them a little and what your current bag set up is.

I tend to go 2, 4 iron but now buy a 3 iron so tha I could go 3, 5 iron and tweak too if I wanted too. Getting comforatable with gripping down, swinging smoother, knocking the ball down, shaping the ball both ways can also help to cover gaps. If you can do this with your driver too it can allow you to with less fairway woods or soften their lofts should you choose to and as it's pegged up it's not that difficult to do this with the driver.

 

[ManinBlack]

I have seriously thought about taking an iron out & having all the lofts adjusted so they give equal steps from 3 to wedge in 7 equal steps instead of 8, or having the 4 iron adjusted to that of a 3 and all the other lofts slightly flattened. A semi permanent solution but I don't think you'd notice rh difference from one club to the next.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

No way I'd leave a mid iron out and wouldn't worry too much at the top end. I'd be more concerned at the bottom end (scoring clubs) and the mid irons for hitting into greens

 

[Region3]

there are definitely clubs that only rarely get used in my bag; but judging the conditions to leave them out before playing is tough!

SW is the least used (I use LW from our bunkers and GW as my utility wedge) but then again I rarely find I'm trully missing anything at the long end - it's both easier to just grip down and swing full to take off 10 yards (or just miss hit it a bit ) and less likely that the club selection will be the actual issue in performance over 190 yds!

It's no doubt all in my head, but I still always feel like I've got too much club when I grip down on a wood/hybrid and end up swinging too easy. I know you're right, I just struggle to do it.

 

[Region3]

Yeah Ive left the 5 or 6 iron out on occasions, not a case of keep needing it but felt wrong creating a big gap in the middle of the bag. Currently the LW is the one missing out though expect the 3 iron will make way now that softer ground is here

Weird isn't it how stuff plays with your head like that!

LW is the obvious one, but there are shots that only the LW will do for me as I don't feel confident opening up a SW with double digit bounce.

My thinking is that I'd be happier hitting 6 iron distance with a 5 iron than 3 iron distance with a 5 wood.

 

[JT77]

I dropped the 4 at the start of the year as the 3 I like off the tee and wanted the extra wedge. Now I have 13 clubs in the bag and can't find anything to fill. Unless I add a 50 or go 52/56/60.
Personally I'd rather drop 4 or 5 than 6.

 

[Region3]

What are your clubs and what are their lofts and average distance you hit them?

I'm not falling for that lol. :rofl:
It could spawn another half a dozen how far do you hit your...... threads!!

At the moment (apart from driver and putter) I take 3w, 5w, 4h, 5-PW, 52, 56 & 60. The gap I don't like is 5w > 4h.

I also have available a 4w, 3h and 4i.

 

[Region3]

Faldo is reported to have done this many years at wentworth to allow him to carry 2 drivers and he worked out he wouldn't need a 6 iron that day.

If you're wanting to leave the wedges alone 1 option is to tinker with your longer irons by either strengthening lofts or even slight adjustments in length.

So for example you may strengthen the 6 iron by a degree, the 5 iron by 2 degrees and maybe lengthen a 1/4 - 1/2 inch, then you could drop the 4 and weaken the 3 by a couple of degrees or strengthen / lengthen the 4. This would then give you space for another club if this is where the gap you don't like is.

Depends how attached you are to the perfect yardages you describe or if you are willing to tweak them a little and what your current bag set up is.

I tend to go 2, 4 iron but now buy a 3 iron so tha I could go 3, 5 iron and tweak too if I wanted too. Getting comforatable with gripping down, swinging smoother, knocking the ball down, shaping the ball both ways can also help to cover gaps. If you can do this with your driver too it can allow you to with less fairway woods or soften their lofts should you choose to and as it's pegged up it's not that difficult to do this with the driver.

Interesting idea with the lengths and lofts. I'd also love a 2 iron but I'd guess it'd go around the same distance as a 5 wood, just with a different flight.

 

[garyinderry]

Ive dropped my gap wedge about 6 weeks ago. Don't really miss it tbh.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm not falling for that lol. :rofl:
It could spawn another half a dozen how far do you hit your...... threads!!

At the moment (apart from driver and putter) I take 3w, 5w, 4h, 5-PW, 52, 56 & 60. The gap I don't like is 5w > 4h.

I also have available a 4w, 3h and 4i.

Why not go 4W and 3H and drop 3W and 5W