To many clubs in my bag to much choice?

[bignev]

Ive been stuck on 26 hcp for 2 years now. I strike the ball fairly well and my putting is above average Im told, but when it comes to the short game Im to be honest pants. I carry a full set of clubs including 4 wedges and find myself stood over a shot totally confused about which one to use. I supose my question do I need all these clubs as a high hcp and what would I be better carrying?

 

[bobmac]

Hi Nev,
Sounds to me like you've got too much choice.
If you just use a PW and SW and learn how to use them by maybe having a lesson, I feel that will help to reduce the confusion.
Then as you improve, you can add the GW and LW as needed.

HTH

 

[Imurg]

That's the way I see it. I carry 4 wedges but I'm confident enough to be able to choose thr right club for a given situation (mostly!) but the less confident you are the less choice you should give yourself.

 

[brendy]

26 handicapper, lose two wedges as Bob rightfully said first.
Learn the basics of how to hit a repeatable swing.
chipping and putting is where it is at really. Don't spend much time on lobs etc as they get you in trouble, learn to take your medicine and find the easiest ways into the green and flag,when close enough to be more accurate.

 

[Alex1975]

Yep, I have always used just a sand and pitch for wedges but also use my 8 iron alot for chipping. A few weeks ago I borrowed a set of wedges from a buddy. GW, SW, LW and used them in a comp, on one hole I played my 60* LW 7 times ending up with a 10, my worst hole in a year and something that still makes me cry myself to sleep at night. When I told of this here on the forum they guys laughed and told me it was the "blob wedge". I learned that I needed to use it only for specialist shots, green side bunkers where the pin is tight, behind trees when the green is close and I need to flow. I am mostly back to my 8, PW, SW.

 

[The_LHC]

Yep, I have always used just a sand and pitch for wedges but also use my 8 iron alot for chipping. A few weeks ago I borrowed a set of wedges from a buddy. GW, SW, LW and used them in a comp, on one hole I played my 60* LW 7 times ending up with a 10,

I don't mean to be rude but after at most the 3rd or 4th attempt I'd have given up and tried something else.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I was told that whatever club I choose it should just carry onto the green and then run up to the hole.
Thus, I should use a mid-iron for alot of chips & only bother with the wedges if I need to carry over something.

Of course I often use my lob wedge because it's more fun

 

[RGDave]

I was told that whatever club I choose it should just carry onto the green and then run up to the hole.
Thus, I should use a mid-iron for alot of chips & only bother with the wedges if I need to carry over something.

I used to play some good golf only ever chipping with either an 8 iron or a SW.
Good enough to get close to gross par on a few occasions with 6 or more chip and putts.

All my wedges seem to react differently. My PW runs out a fair bit, whereas my GW stops depressingly short too often.

In fact I would go so far as to say I had a better short game back in the day with no extra wedges and spin-milled faces etc.

 

[CrapHacker]

If you hit the ball reasonably well I'd be happy with you having a pw, gw, and sw, just dump the lw.

For the longer clubs you want your driver, and a 'go to' safety tee shot club, be it fairway wood or hybrid. Then you need a long shot fairway club, and the clubs you can hit fairly straight from 160 / 140 / 120 yards ish. Lets say thems your 5I / 7I / 9I. Leave the others out of the bag for the time being.

So including a putter that'll mean carrying 9 or 10 clubs

Practise a smooth 3/4 swing shot with the wedges, and work out roughly how far they go - say something like 80 / 90 / 100 yards respectively.

Then, on all the par 4s and 5s work on reaching either the 150 marker, or 90 yards out, depending on the length of the hole.

IE assume you're playing a 400 yard par 4. You drive 210 leaving 190. Off 26 you can hit your hybrid, probably into trouble, chip out, chip on, so you've hit the green in 4.

Or you might want to hit your 'go to' hybrid off the tee, which happens to go 180, leaving 220. You then hit your 7I well, leaving 80 yards to go - your 3/4 sw swing. Saving one shot straight away.

On a long par 4 of 450 yards, try hybrid, 7I, 7I for a similar effect.

Using a half(ish) set simplifies club selection ( I'd also play some rounds using the 4I 6I 8I so you feel equally confident using them as well ). Not trying to get as close to the green as possible all the time means you wont get those 50 yard half shots, or the 30 yard pitch over a bunker kind of shot. If you have a 90 yard shot to the middle of the green, the bunkers become redundant.

Overall the round becomes simpler. Less doubts means better ball striking. Better ball striking means fewer shots.

Simples.

 

[Smiffy]

If you just use a PW and SW and learn how to use them.
Then as you improve, you can add the GW and LW as needed.

HTH

Perfect answer from Bob.

 

[CrapHacker]

If you just use a PW and SW and learn how to use them.
Then as you improve, you can add the GW and LW as needed.

HTH

Perfect answer from Bob.

How come you carry a GW then, Rob ?

 

[Smiffy]

If you just use a PW and SW and learn how to use them.
Then as you improve, you can add the GW and LW as needed.

HTH

Perfect answer from Bob.

How come you carry a GW then, Rob ?

Because as Bob points out above, I learnt how to play with my SW and PW

 

[bignev]

Thanks for that everyone it just confirms my thoughts get rid of confusion by reducing wedges and more practice with the 2 I carry. As per RGDAVE I use my 8 iron when on good surface its those fluffy lies that always get me.

 

[grumpyjock]

As Bob said learn to use the clubs, I go out with 3 or 4 clubs and use them all.
the more clubs the more choice and the more indecision.
the best club is the 7 iron, form 140 yds down to a simple chip and run from the fringe. You can also use it from the bunkers.
When we played Goswick I only used the minimum 5,7,9, and PW. Sw only twice. LW was a nono and used the 5 iron for chip and run from off the green.