Equipment
What GolfWRXers are saying about dropping a middle club from their bag
In our forums, our members have been discussing the validity of dropping a middle club from their bag. WRXer ‘joostin’ is considering leaving his 5-iron out of his bag in favor of adding an extra wedge or long club, and our members have been having their say on the strategy in our forums.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- Christen_The_Sloop: “It makes more sense to take one from one of the ends as they are more “extreme.” It really depends on the course, if you are a better player, which I am not these days. It doesn’t matter which 14 I take out I wish I had to two different or vice versa.”
- Rapidcat: “I don’t play a 5 iron, my gapping between 5 and 6 is only 8 yards in carry. I lengthened my 6 iron by half inch and as such gapping is workable between 7 to 6 to 4. May choose to weaken my 4 iron by a degree but need to do some testing post-Covid.”
- hagimihale: “I took my 5i out of the bag. Choke down on a 4 where needed (and I don’t miss the 5). Gives me an extra spot to use depending on the course I’m playing. Currently go back and forth between a 3rd wedge, or a DI for windy days when I want a low-running shot off the tee.”
- MelloYellow: “There is something that feels distinctly temporary about removing an iron, like even if it works it’s not destined to last very long. I can’t say there’s anything wrong with it given that my 4i and 5i are far and away my least-used clubs. But I still don’t think I would ever permanently remove one. Again, I think this only makes sense if you (1) play the same course all the time and (2) never seem to hit it off the tee or on approach shots. If that’s the case, it’s hard to believe a soft 4 or a firm 6 could suffice as said above.”
- LCP: “Technically, I jump from a “strong” 5 iron to a 2 iron (G410 5 iron at 22º with an X100 shaft to a U85 2 iron at 18º with a Modus 105X shaft). That’s with 4 wedges at the short end, and a strong 5 wood, strong 3 wood and driver at the long end. I feel there’s a bit of a gap there, but it’s really due to the low launch of the 2 iron making its distance inconsistent because of launch angle and rollout varying so much. But it’s the club I want off the tee on tighter par 4’s that aren’t too long. With X-flex swing speed, you really have to make some compromises on gaps if you’re not playing 15-16 clubs.”
Entire Thread: “Dropping a middle club from the bag”
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Whats in the Bag
Xander Schauffele WITB 2024 (May)
- Xander Schauffele what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees @10.1)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 70 TX (45.5 inches)
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 80 TX
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Mizuno MP-20 (3), Callaway Apex TCB ’24 (4-10)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid X100 (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-10)
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10S), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-10S @57), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-K @61)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Putter: Odyssey Toulon Design Las Vegas Prototype 7CH
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Align
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
Check out more in-hand photos of Xander Schauffele’s clubs in the forums.
More Xander Schauffele WITBs
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2023 (August)
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2022 (July)
- Xander Schauffele’s winning WITB: 2022 Scottish Open
- Xander Schauffele’s winning WITB: 2022 Travelers Championship
- Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele’s winning WITBs: 2022 Zurich Classic
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2022 (January)
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2021 (October)
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2021 (September)
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2021 (May)
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2021 Masters
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2020 (October)
- Xander Schauffele WITB: 2020 Tour Championship
- Xander Schauffele’s winning WITB: 2020 Olympics
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2020
- Xander Schauffele WITB: 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions
- Xander Schauffele’s winning WITB: Sentry Tournament of Champions
- Xander Schauffele’s winning WITB: 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2018
- Xander Schauffele’s winning WITB: 2017 Tour Championship
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2017
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Whats in the Bag
Cam Smith WITB 2024 (May)
- Cam Smith what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: Ping Max G430 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Red 7 X
7-wood: Titleist TS2 (21 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: UST Mamiya Elements Proto 8F5
Irons: Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi (2, 3), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X Custom Series
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46-10F, 52-08F, 56-08M, 60-04T)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130X (46, 52, 56, 60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Tack
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos of Cam Smith’s gear here.
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Whats in the Bag
Patrick Reed WITB 2024 (May)
- Patrick Reed what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G400 (8.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70 Tour X
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125MSI 80 Tour X
Hybrid: Callaway Apex Pro (18 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila RIP Phenom Hybrid 100 TX
Irons: Titleist 716 TMB (2), Grindworks PR-202 (4), Grindworks PR-101A (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50-10 Mid), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-08M @55), SM10 (60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot RX Pt Customs No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
More photos of Patrick Reed’s WITB in the forums.
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T.Bob
May 19, 2020 at 2:09 am
Still have the 5 iron in my bag but it’s probably the club I use the least.
Set up is:
Driver
Hybrid 2, loft 16 (hit it about as long as my previous 15.5 degree spoon, but is much easier to hit and more versatile)
Hybrid 4, loft 22,
5 iron-PW
4 wedges (48, 52, 56 and 60 degrees)
Putter
I think a lot of golfers would benefit from throwing out one of their woods (need for 3W and 5W?) and replace them with a long hybrid instead.
Bob Jones
May 17, 2020 at 11:36 am
Driver, 16.5* and 20.5* fairway woods, 4-9i, PGSL wedges, putter. If you want four wedges, there they are, and there are no gaps in the set.
NormW
May 15, 2020 at 10:35 am
Honest question: In your reaction poll: what does IDHT mean?
ChipNRun
May 13, 2020 at 6:35 pm
When lots of people went to four wedges, here’s how people got space: They went to Driver, 3W, 5W, 3i, 5i-PW, GSL, putter.
Basically, people dropped the 4i, strengthened 5i loft, and kept the 3i as a driving iron/rough exit tool.
Likewise, the early circa-2016 “Hogan resurrection option:” 22*, 27*, 32* and four-degree loft increments up through the wedges. With 5-degree loft gaps in the longer irons, easy to squeeze out a club.
But, Hogan eventually went to 4* loft increments up and down the line.
If you really want to see some customized iron-set surgery, go to Pelz: The Short Game Bible, Chap. 10, Section 1: Generic set make-up (and how to tweak it).