13 Clubs - What should I add to my bag?

[Gdane]

I've been playing with 13 clubs for quite a few years now, and this season I'm going to make it a full 14. I currently play: D, 5W, 3,4,5,6,7,8,9, PW,52,56, and Putter.

 

The strongest clubs I have in the bag are my 3 iron and my 52. The only club I don't feel overly confident with is my 5W, and that also happens to be the newest club in my bag.

 

With all that being said, I am leaning towards buying a 2 iron as I'm pretty strong with my long irons and I think it would be a great weapon to add to my bag. I've started to look for Ping I3 2 irons on the market to match my current set, although I could probably be talked into a 60.

 

Food for thought: I play to about a 12 handicap.

 

Any suggestions?

[HoosierHacker89]

3 wood is obvious choice here. As a 12 a 2 iron probably nit easy to hit

[mantan]

I guess it depends on what gap you're trying to fill in your distances/game. It seems like the potential gap is between the 5W and driver...especially since you don't sound in love with your 5W. Since you feel good with your 3-iron, maybe a driving iron. Or maybe a FW that you felt as comfortable with as your 3-iron. As comfortable as you are with a 3-iron, it seems there would be a 4W/5W that would be a lot easier to hit than a 2-iron or driving iron.

I'm in the camp that you play as many clubs as you want. I've played 13 clubs for years. (D, 4W, 23* hybrid, 5-UW, 54*, 58*). The 'hole' in my bag is ~210-220 yards. But with my game that's either going to be an EXTREMELY long par 3 or a shot where getting it within 10 yards of that distance isn't going to hurt me. I tried to cram a 21& hybrid into that slot...and realized I over thought shots at that distance. I took it out of the bag, got really comfortable with the 23* hybrid and didn't look back.

[Rhythm&TempoRenzo]

I used to game a 5 Wood myself back about maybe 8 or 9 years ago. I moved to the Driver, 3 Wood, 2 Iron combination and haven't looked back. So, since your not in love with you're 5 Wood anyway, maybe that combo could work for you too. Good luck...

[Bunkersarebigcups]

Maybe your 5 wood just needs some more time getting used to? If not, the following clubs, in no particular order, could be worth a try.



If you struggle with the 5W off the tee only, you might add a driving iron. If you struggle off the turf only, something really shallow like a Tight Lies could help

Another wedge(Lobwedge or a different sole/bounce) wont hurt as well, but the question is if you would use it. If your short game is fine, one more club could confuse you

A 2nd driver(short, higher loft) or a strong, deep-faced 3wood for narrow fairways, doglegs where your driver is too long

Dump the 5W, get a 4W or even 3W and put in a 2iron or a 2 Hybrid or a 2 Driving iron

If you have a certain weekness try to buy a specialty club (e.g. bunker play: Get something like a Vokey K-Grind)

Hope that helps.

Another possibility is to play with only 13 clubs until you notice that you dont have a club for a certain situation/shot

[MelloYello]

[quote name='Rhythm&TempoRenzo' timestamp='1425304114' post='11059771']
I used to game a 5 Wood myself back about maybe 8 or 9 years ago. I moved to the Driver, 3 Wood, 2 Iron combination and haven't looked back. So, since your not in love with you're 5 Wood anyway, maybe that combo could work for you too. Good luck...
[/quote]

I also support that idea and have moved in that direction. With all the options out there these days (2w, 3w, 4w, 5w, 2h, 3h, 2i, 3i, Di, etc.) it seems that you have to leave something on the table. For me, the driver can be the distance club and the 2i can be the control club. Whatever fairway metal sits in between can fill a special role: shaping tee shots, elevated approaches into long holes, etc.

@ the OP:

The obvious missing piece to me would be a 60*. That said, you may not feel like you need it and if that's the case, don't carry it. Keep things as simple as possible.

There are plenty of people who prefer to pair their driver with just a single fairway metal, and many of those find 4w/5w to be a great choice. I'm surprised to hear that you don't like your 5w though. What gives you trouble? If you can't hit a 5w reliably, then going with a 3w with its longer shaft and stronger loft may provide even worse results. Or maybe you hit it fine but don't like the high ball-flight? Can you provide more info for us please?

Also, be careful about adding a 2i if the 3i you have is already doing an adequate job. You can always bend it a degree or two strong if you want a slightly lower flight and a few extra yards. While I support the idea of carrying a long iron for control off the tee, I don't think that the average players needs an excessive number of clubs. If you add a 2i, you might want to pull the 3i out so you don't waste a space. I really doubt that you need all four clubs going: 2i, 3i, 4i, 5i.

[Tex1986]

Hit the 5 wood more. If you aren't comfy with a 5 wood at 18-19* presumably, then a 3 wood wouldn't be a good add.

What's the gap between your driver and 5 wood anyway? 15-20 yards isn't a "gap" at that end of the bag in my opinion. I say keep the gaps tighter at the bottom where it matters.

[matchavez]

What shot do you wish you had?

To me, the "missing" club would be a 48º wedge, depending of course on what your PW is. (It assumes a 45º or lower PW)

[3sip]

I used to play Dr 3w 5w, 3~pw 52 56. I would swap out a 7w for the 3I depending on the course. However I got a 4w to replace 3w and 5w and added a 60 4w is easier to hit than a 3w and goes farther than my 5w and gave me a spot to add a 60.

[NakMan]

[sup]Remove the 5w and add a 17* Ping G30 2h. Very easy to hit and long. Almost as long as my i25 3w. Now you've replaced a club you don't get along with as well as put something in to cover your desire for a 2i. From there, add another wedge or maybe another hybrid that gives you a different flight/option than your other irons. [/sup]

[coloradogolfer632]

would look into a driving iron.

[GolfGuy508]

how long is your 3i, and are you able to lob it high and soft with the 56?? like others have said if you can take your long irons to 230+ then i'd say go for the 60, if not... a 3w or a 2i may be the answer... but again like others have said.... just determine what shot you dont have that you'd like... not what club you dont have that you think will be a nice addition

[juststeve]

Ball retriever. Not only will it help you get balls out of the water, you can use it as an alignment rod as well.

Steve

[bigharge]

Id look for a different fairway wood if you don't feel confident with the 5 wood, replace it with a 16 or 17 degree hybrid or 3/4 wood, then add a 60 degree wedge.

[userpick21]

The question is definitely about yardage gap in my mind, but it's probably either 3 wood or maybe a lob wedge depending on comfort level and needs. I definitely echo the thought mentioned earlier, "what shot are you missing?" and/or "what shot would help you score better?"

[C_rad]

My 0.02: it look like you dont really need 14 clubs your game. Why complicate things? You look comfortable at 13. Me, i play D,5w, 4h, 5-pw, 52,58 and putter.

[DaveyGolf]

Do you lose more shots inside 150 yards, or outside?

[Gdane]

Honestly I've never felt a strong need to add to my bag until last year when I really got a lot more time to play. On short/tight par 4s and (second shot on) longer par 5s I usually will go to my 3 iron, and I almost never get in trouble with it. I can usually play my 3 iron to about 210, and if I can be just as effective with a 2 iron and add 10-15 yards I think at would be a great advantage.

Truth be told I'm not too confident with my 5 wood bc I haven't taken the time to practice with it. It may just take some time if I'm going to stick with it (Taylormade Rocketballz Stage2).

As some have suggested, the move for me is probably to look into both a 2 iron and a 3/4+ Wood.

[Santiago Golf]

Driver
4 wood
2-PW
54
58
Putter

Thats your bag

[baloo]

I would go get a gap test and see how everything lines up. 3w or 60* seem like obvious candidates.
I would only be weary about 2 iron because long irons often don't have good gaps. 2-5 is four clubs that don't cover a ton of ground. Most people would struggle to have more than 30 yard carry distance difference between a 2 iron and five iron. But like I said I would recommend figuring out all of your current distances to see what you need most.

[craniac76]

I have only Driver, 2-PW, SW and a Putter. 12 clubs and I don't need to add anything!

[bullsfan]

Why break what's not broken? If you're playing well and not experiencing issues, work on the 5w a bit more and stay with that configuration.

[richard t]

Lots of very sound advice here. I'd also consider the following:
Where do you play the most golf? For me I belong to a club with 27 different, distinct holes. I carry, 90% of the time, 12 clubs. Just do not need more than what I carry.
Do you walk? Really, why carry 14 to meet the rule if you do not need the club (s).
Is another club necessary because traditionally it is part of the usual makeup? Do YOU need a 3 wood or 60* wedge because that is standard fare?
I know plenty of very good golfers who have/could carry and play 14 clubs. They just do not need them and carry 11, 12, 13 clubs.
Try out a few options this spring and see if you have a gap or missing distance. If you do then there you are. If not, don't worry and play what you need/have.

[richard t]

Sorry, one more thing.DO NOT let folks put you off to carrying a 2 iron. If it works for you then ditch the 5 wood and 'let'er rip' FWIW.

[sjklug13]

Dump the 5w and get a 2 hybrid 17 degree and 4 hybrid to fit the gap

[Nine Miler]

Personally, I would swap the 5 wood for a 4 wood, and add a 60 degree. Learning when not to use the 60 is the most important part. Learn how to play all sorts of shots with it, get really good with it, and then learn to only use it when absolutely necessary- tight front pins, short sided, tight bunker shots, that's about it.

[flintof1]

There is only one true answer here and that's a chipper.

[Dustdevil]

It really does depend on what your game needs. If you need help at the low end and don't hit half wedges well, add a 60. If you find yourself facing long par 3's a lot or tight short driving holes then a good tee 3 or 4w would work well. You might try an iron type hybrid instead of that 5w if you hit your long irons well. With today's lofts, a 2i is pretty low.

[Fede1501]

I would add a 3w and change 5w with an hybrid, so you wouldn't have anymore a big gap between driver and 5w

[Aren]

[quote name='NakMan' timestamp='1425318396' post='11061585'][sup]Remove the 5w and add a 17* Ping G30 2h. Very easy to hit and long. Almost as long as my i25 3w. Now you've replaced a club you don't get along with as well as put something in to cover your desire for a 2i. From there, add another wedge or maybe another hybrid that gives you a different flight/option than your other irons. [/sup][/quote]
I've taken my G30 3 wood out and replaced it with a G30 2h. Seems to work for me since it covers the gap between my driver and G30 3h better than the 3 wood. May I add that I also carry 18* DHy for low shots