By Greg Moore

GolfWRX Staff

Do you own your set of clubs or do they own you?

If you’re a mid-to-high handicap player and you truly owned your set, then you would have taken the time to get them custom fit.

During a custom fitting session, golfers are fit for shaft material (steel or graphite, maybe both in a mixed set), shaft flex, length, lie angle, overall weight, swing weight, grip size and style. Recent technology in hybrids and long irons means that set make up is something golfers should be aware of when selecting a new set of clubs — it is where a lot of players make the decision to let their set “own” them. But some players are more worried about the price they can get when they sell or trade their new set of clubs before they even buy them.

If most mid-to-high handicap players built their set make up around their weaknesses and not their egos, they would likely have a set made up of two or three different models of irons, and as many as four wedges (48 degree, 52 degree, 56 degree and 60 degree, probably with steel shafts).  Their 8 iron and 9 iron might be a muscle back or cavity back with little to no offset and steel shafts. Their 6 iron and 7 iron (and maybe 5 iron) would then have a bit more offset and be a cavity back game-improvement model.

Next, they might have a couple of hybrids — at least 4 hybrid with a graphite shaft.

Their driver would have the correct amount of loft to allow them to maximize launch angle, as well as the correct shaft flex and length to help reduce the spin to optimize carry and roll-out.  The fairway woods that they are fit for will allow them to once again launch the ball up into the air — their 3 wood might be a 15 degree or 16 degree, possibly even higher. The set make up might also include a 5 wood and 7 wood.

Just because the USGA Rules of Golf limits you to 14 clubs in the bag at one time doesn’t mean you can’t own more than 14 clubs.  Changing out clubs, based on the course and conditions you are playing, means you might have a 5 wood in the bag one day and a hybrid the next.  Or you could have four wedges in the bag one day and four woods (for a different course).  Maybe you would include a strong lofted 3 wood (around 13 degrees) and no driver for that short, really tight golf course that eats up all your golf balls that you hit off line trying to steer your 9 degree driver, when distance isn’t the major factor in scoring.

Is this my opinion? No, professional golfers do it on tour all the time.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with set make up, but most importantly, spend the time and money to get a set that fits you.

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