Opinion & Analysis
The Wedge Guy: Building your “team” – Part 1
Golf is a funny game, especially when it comes to the way most golfers buy equipment and put their sets together. It’s fun to review and explore the constant stream of new technologies offered by the club companies, as we are all constantly searching for that new ‘secret weapon’ that will make the difference in our scoring. Somewhere behind each purchase you make – whether it be a new driver, fairway, hybrid, irons, wedges, putter, balls, etc. – you have hope that this is another piece of the puzzle that will help lower your handicap.
But as you evaluate any new individual bits of technology, it is a great idea to pause and look at the entire arsenal of clubs you carry to assess them as your “team”. Each club in your bag is used one-at-a-time for the shot at hand, but collectively our clubs represent the “players” we’ve assembled to go into battle with the golf course, right?
As we approach the finale of the NCAA football championship game, think of your set make-up like a football team. Great coaches look for chemistry and compatibility, for sure, but they also must make sure they have balance. To have a bunch of big men and no speed doesn’t work. Nor can you have a bunch of defensive specialists and no offensive firepower. Almost every year, the team that wins the Championship has balance. Certainly, there are always areas that are stronger than others, but championship teams typically have no real weaknesses.
I’ve come to believe your “team” in your golf bag should follow the same strategy of balance . . . but in my observation, very few golfers approach it this way.
The most common set make-up I see includes a driver, a couple of fairways, 2-3 hybrids, and irons from 4 or 5 through P. Some golfers still carry a 3-iron, and some extend hybrids all the way to the 5 or 6; that’s a personal thing for your ‘team’. I think it fair to say that nearly all golfers have gained distance with the new club technologies, but in my observation, this too often results in a team that is unbalanced. Let me explain.
Let’s take a “typical” male golfer who hits his 5-iron 165-170 yards and shoots 85. Some of you are longer, some of you shorter, and some of you score better or worse than that, but please follow along with me here. That golfer probably hits a driver somewhere around 235-250, and 9-iron 120-125 or so. Let’s say he carries a 3- and 5-wood, a couple of hybrids, 5-PW and two more wedges. Adding the driver and putter, that gives him 14. With this set make-up, therefore, he has five clubs for all his shots that are 165-170 or longer (not counting the driver), and another 4-5 clubs for all his shots from 120-125 and in (not counting the putter).
If this golfer is a typical 85-shooter, he’s hitting driver 12-14 times and averaging +/- 32 putts; that means he has 12 clubs for the other 40 or so shots. If he’s playing the right tees for his skill level, he shouldn’t have more than 8-10 of those that are outside 5-iron range, so nearly half of his “team” is allocated for what likely amounts to about 25% of these non-drive/non-putt shots.
That same golfer will have as many as 15-20 shots from inside 9-iron range, including short-range approaches and recovery shots. That means he has five clubs for what amounts to as much as 50% of his non-drive/non-putt shots.
Please think about this line of logic, because I’m going to continue this discussion on Tuesday. If you would like to offer your thoughts and suggestions for that follow-up, please add your comments below and I’ll build them in to “Building Your Team – Part 2” next week.
- LIKE54
- LEGIT15
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT2
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK6
Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
- LIKE17
- LEGIT5
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT2
- FLOP2
- OB1
- SHANK1
Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
- LIKE30
- LEGIT5
- WOW2
- LOL1
- IDHT1
- FLOP2
- OB0
- SHANK2
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
Scottie Scheffler WITB 2024 (March)
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Paulina Gretzky opens up on receiving death threats following DJ’s move to LIV Golf
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here. Driver: TaylorMade...
WITB Time Machine: Jordan Spieth’s winning WITB, 2022 RBC Heritage
At the 2022 RBC Heritage Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay on the first playoff hole after nearly holing his greenside...
Jason Day WITB 2024 (April)
Jason Day what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @10) Shaft: TPT...
Ludvig Åberg WITB 2024 (April)
Ludvig Åberg what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)...
-
19th Hole1 week agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoThings got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole1 week agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole5 days agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole4 days agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole3 days agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoAddiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty
ChipNRun
Jan 2, 2020 at 11:10 pm
My set-up includes…
Driver
4W + 7W (going into 9th season with this mix)
4H
4i-9i (4i refitted with hybrid shaft)
Wedges 48* / 54* / 58* (58* replaces 60*)
Putter
Two seasons ago I had 46-50-54-58, but found the 46 and 50 duplicated each other on shorter shots. And, three wedges easier to manage (9i also part of wedge matrix)… only a couple of gaps in 3x matrix
I can hit 4W longer than 3W (extra loft helps) and the 7W is really versatile: blows ball out of rough with distance, easy hit around 200 yds., and good on longish par 3 holes.
4H more versatile, 4i more accurate (tight line for fairway on evil short Par 4s)… if I add fourth wedge one of these would stay home.
May need to reshaft my irons as lighter from KBS Tour 90 to Recoil… something (maybe either Recoil 95 or ES780 in F3 flex). With old irons, dumped PX 5.0 in 2014. Need graphite so my my elbows don’t ache after consecutive golf days.
May also need to reduce my D and FW shafts to below 60 grams; falloff last year especially in FW wood distance.
I retired in May, but due to transition activities had a pretty lean golf season. Hope to have bag tweaked and ready by March.
Also getting my right hip tweaked with rehab sessions to increase strength/flexibility to counter arthritis.
freowho
Jan 1, 2020 at 4:09 am
I would add that a lot of par 3’s are 140m to 180m and this is often a poor spot for many club golfers with a big gap between a hybrid and their longest iron. You need clubs that you can hit a good three quarter shot with and this would be with a heavier shaft and a non tapered grip you can grip down on.
William Terry
Dec 31, 2019 at 9:14 pm
Ive been thinking a ton about my bag this season… I’m a decently hard swinger, driver goes 290+. I am planning on rebuilding my entire set based on the course I play most frequently.
Here is my current plan:
Driver for maximized distance on holes I can chase. That’s about eight holes. Well struck drives put me under 150 from my usual tees.
4 par fours between 150 and 180
6 holes left… 260+ three wood works on all but one. Two are par fives where driver can put me into trouble and I can still get home with three wood. One is a long par five with no upside to driver. Two are short par fours I can get inside 150 with a three wood. Last one is 350 uphill, so 250 straight is the smart play.
Low lofted hybrid for that. Club number three. Have an Adams hybrid in this slot… will hopefully replace with something built for me.
3 clubs for tee shots, add putter… I’m at 4. So let’s move to the other side.
I hit my pitching wedge 150. I carry a gap, sand and lob wedge. This is where I should be doing most of my work… I replaced my gap wedge this year with a vokey… I’m thinking about going a different route now. I use my wedges a ton and mostly on 1/2 swing shots. I’m not as good at distance control as I need to be to really score. It might make more sense to go with a glide setup for the last three… my mizuno hot metal pro pitching wedge has been good… I built it to get a feel for the mizunos but then hit a cash hiccup.
So that’s 8 clubs. Covers the majority of my round when things go right. 6 left to cover 100 yards, I can go 225 and then 200, and leave myself 4 clubs 190, 180, 170 & 160… I could bump that to 13 yards and add a fifth wedge.
With modern lofting, 46 pitching wedge, 50 gap, 54 sand, 58 lob in forgiveness and then a work horse wedge at 60 with an aggressive grind to use for tricky stuff around the greens.
I don’t know, I’ve been building and rebuilding this set for years… hopefully I’ll have the cash this year… be nice to replace my 22 year old irons!
Tom Watson
Dec 31, 2019 at 6:16 pm
I’m a low single digit hdcp but I play with quite a few 10-20hdcps. The club I usually see as a waste in their bags is the 3 wood. Short of some odd match scenario, it pretty much never makes sense for these players to try to reach par 5s in two. They simply bring too many disasters into it with their poor ballstriking.
I would say most avg male 15 hdcps should go driver (likely a 12deg) then 3/4 hybrid with hybrids down to 5 or 6 depending on swing speed.
D
3h
4h
5H
6H
7i
8i
9i
Pw 44
48
52
56
60
That is a full set with no useless clubs in theory. The 3h might actually be useless to be honest.
I’m not a fan of going to wedges more lofted than a 60. This tightly spaced set of wedges might also be tough to gap on full swings for these mid cappers.
Deacon Blues
Dec 31, 2019 at 9:34 pm
I agree completely that going for par-5 greens in two with a fairway wood is unwise for hackers like me. Over the years, it’s resulted in far more triples and quads than birdies and eagles. It’s been years since I regularly bagged a fairway wood, and I don’t miss them at all.
About a year ago I downsized my bag to 11 clubs: driver, 18 and 24 degree hybrids, 6i-PW, 52 and 58 degree wedges, putter. All clubs are reliable and forgiving, yardage gaps are manageable, and decision-making is much easier.
Chelsea’s Dad
Dec 31, 2019 at 10:30 am
Good points. I’m a single digit myself (bounces from 5 to 9) that hits ball decent length (driver 250 -260 carry, 7 iron 160-165) and I’ve realized changing the gaps at the top of my bag has helped. Go driver, 3 wood, 18 degree hybrid, 4 iron or 20 degree hybrid depending on course needs, then 5-Pw, 50, to, and 60. I found that by leaving 15 yard gaps from 3 wood-hybrid-4 iron that I can make any shot and just need to determine if I need to miss short or long. Having the extra wedge available gives me many more options on full shots and green side shots. Sometimes I can even remove a hybrid or 4/driving iron and add a 62 wedge if the course will provide opportunities.
Joel
Dec 31, 2019 at 1:39 pm
I’m similar to you, albeit not quite as good. I typically shoot about 80 on my two courses, par 68 and 70. They aren’t long either so I don’t really need too much just below the driver. Coupled with the fact that hitting the green from over 200y away is somewhat hit and miss, I much prefer having more options at the bottom end. I hit my 7I about 160y, driver 250y total unless it’s really dry.
So my set-up is usually:
Driver
3 or 5 Wood
4I
4H or 5I
6I-UW
54
58
64
Putter
Wedges are of far more use than another club at the top, a 64* is a godsend.