Starting a new adventure . . . Minimalist Golf

[WipeyFade]

1 hour ago, chrisosborne said:

Do you have a working link?, I cant seem to find him anywhere

It would help if I could spell it correctly, lol. 

https://www.instagram.com/drakeydistiller?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MWwyYTg2M2l4NDJnZg==
 

Try this. You’ll have to go back some, he doesn’t post as much about golf as he used to. 

Edited July 8 by WipeyFade

[9ClubberLang]

My 8 club set-up experiment continues. If I'm boring anyone with this please let me know! I try not to post too often but I've now completed rounds with all three set-ups. There's not sufficient data to draw anything too conclusive but I've certainly got my own biases and preferences here.

 

8 Club Set-up 1

 

As the 7 wood is so versatile I think this papers over the cracks that missing one club at the top end of the bag provides. Looking at other peoples comments around course length, I do want my 8 club bag to be able to travel to any course, and as long as I'm playing sensible tees then the bag should work. To this end I do feel there is a lot to be said for carrying the longest club we can hit off the deck. For me this is a 5W so I would tend to think I should scrap set-up 1 for omitting this club.

 

8 Club Set-up 2

 

I like the look of this on paper very much. In practice though I have felt limited for the first time with a minimalist bag, and although this may be course specific I'm really missing my 6 iron. I like having a fairway wood, a hybrid and a 6 iron in the bag. This set up does allow me to play a 5w and the 50 degree wedge. My chipping hasn't been good enough though for the 50 degree to make a difference to my scores. I find the SW hardly gets used. In an 8 club bag surely every club should be a useful tool? It doesn't seem right to have a club that only really gets used out of a bunker.

 

8 Club Set-up 3

 

This is what I played last year and if I had to pick one of the set-up's now then I think I would go with this. It optimises the top of the bag, and let's me play three irons instead of two, which does provide a lot of options. For this to start to translate into better scoring I need to become an expert with a single sand wedge. The 50 degree would go and I would play either a 54 or 56 here. If I could get good with that club then I would really start to see an improvement. My short pitch, chipping and up and down stats are woeful and this is easily the biggest area of improvement in my game that I need to make.

 

I think I'll play with set-up 3 for a while and see if I can find a magical sand wedge to use. I have a 54 degree Ping Glide and a Mizuno T22 I can pick from. One is 12 degrees of bounce and the other 8. Conditions would probably dictate which I used.

[Tommy56]

@9ClubberLang  Thanks for keeping us informed on your ongoing thought process.  I, along with many other minimalists, appreciate the many considerations for how to set up our bags to fit various situations.  It gives us all some good things to think about.  Keep us posted on your journey. 
 

[stratgolf]

1 hour ago, 9ClubberLang said:

My 8 club set-up experiment continues. If I'm boring anyone with this please let me know! I try not to post too often but I've now completed rounds with all three set-ups. There's not sufficient data to draw anything too conclusive but I've certainly got my own biases and preferences here.

 

8 Club Set-up 1

 

As the 7 wood is so versatile I think this papers over the cracks that missing one club at the top end of the bag provides. Looking at other peoples comments around course length, I do want my 8 club bag to be able to travel to any course, and as long as I'm playing sensible tees then the bag should work. To this end I do feel there is a lot to be said for carrying the longest club we can hit off the deck. For me this is a 5W so I would tend to think I should scrap set-up 1 for omitting this club.

 

8 Club Set-up 2

 

I like the look of this on paper very much. In practice though I have felt limited for the first time with a minimalist bag, and although this may be course specific I'm really missing my 6 iron. I like having a fairway wood, a hybrid and a 6 iron in the bag. This set up does allow me to play a 5w and the 50 degree wedge. My chipping hasn't been good enough though for the 50 degree to make a difference to my scores. I find the SW hardly gets used. In an 8 club bag surely every club should be a useful tool? It doesn't seem right to have a club that only really gets used out of a bunker.

 

8 Club Set-up 3

 

This is what I played last year and if I had to pick one of the set-up's now then I think I would go with this. It optimises the top of the bag, and let's me play three irons instead of two, which does provide a lot of options. For this to start to translate into better scoring I need to become an expert with a single sand wedge. The 50 degree would go and I would play either a 54 or 56 here. If I could get good with that club then I would really start to see an improvement. My short pitch, chipping and up and down stats are woeful and this is easily the biggest area of improvement in my game that I need to make.

 

I think I'll play with set-up 3 for a while and see if I can find a magical sand wedge to use. I have a 54 degree Ping Glide and a Mizuno T22 I can pick from. One is 12 degrees of bounce and the other 8. Conditions would probably dictate which I used.

 

Great data and journey, thanks for sharing mate

[MorganM]

16 hours ago, Tommy56 said:

Catching up on some great posts in this thread today.  Thought I'd chime in on some of the recent themes:

• I'd also like to see match play catch on more here in the states. I find it preferable for many reasons.
• There seems to be a fairly common view that carrying more clubs is beneficial or essential on longer courses. I haven't personally found that to be case, unless playing a course length/difficulty beyond my ability (in which case I'm not sure more clubs would really help).
• I'm also at the stage in life where the reward of quality ball-striking or executing non-stock shots as planned outweighs the score on the card. It changes the whole dynamic of the game.

Love this thread and all the different ideas and approaches to this great game.

 

 

The irritating persistence of bullet point #2 is that you can verify the fallacy of the need for a’full set’ in two minutes. On your next round when find yourself at your regular 8 iron distance, hit your shot. Then drop a ball that can distinguished from your first ball at the same spot and hit a 7 iron choked down 1/2 inch. Did it go the same distance approximately? Age & strength may cause a slight adjustment in the amount of choke you take, but it won’t be much! This isn’t opinion, it’s physics. Shorten the lever and you shorten the shot.  I know club manufacturers need to sell clubs to make money and stay in business. And they will base their marketing pitches on some questionable assumptions but we don’t have to play that game. (Phew, that feels better! 😅)

[WipeyFade]

10 minutes ago, MorganM said:

The irritating persistence of bullet point #2 is that you can verify the fallacy of the need for a’full set’ in two minutes. On your next round when find yourself at your regular 8 iron distance, hit your shot. Then drop a ball that can distinguished from your first ball at the same spot and hit a 7 iron choked down 1/2 inch. Did it go the same distance approximately? Age & strength may cause a slight adjustment in the amount of choke you take, but it won’t be much! This isn’t opinion, it’s physics. Shorten the lever and you shorten the shot.  I know club manufacturers need to sell clubs to make money and stay in business. And they will base their marketing pitches on some questionable assumptions but we don’t have to play that game. (Phew, that feels better! 😅)

What I really think is hilarious is that most people, at least the ones I play with, hit almost every shot from 100 yards and in with the same club but they “need” 8 clubs to cover 100-200 yards. I understand that a full swing is more predictable, but partial shots can be hit from anywhere. 

[notgreatnotterrible]

30 minutes ago, WipeyFade said:

What I really think is hilarious is that most people, at least the ones I play with, hit almost every shot from 100 yards and in with the same club but they “need” 8 clubs to cover 100-200 yards. I understand that a full swing is more predictable, but partial shots can be hit from anywhere. 

 

I switched out my 52, 56, and 60 degree wedges a couple years ago and replaced them with a single 54 degree wedge that I now use on every shot inside 100.  Last week, I played with a friend that only games a 4i and 7i for his irons (maybe 6-7 clubs total)...over 18 holes, I don't think I saw a single shot that was out of his comfort zone.

[LeicaRedDot]

48 minutes ago, WipeyFade said:

What I really think is hilarious is that most people, at least the ones I play with, hit almost every shot from 100 yards and in with the same club but they “need” 8 clubs to cover 100-200 yards. I understand that a full swing is more predictable, but partial shots can be hit from anywhere. 

 

These same people would have 22 clubs with 60, 64, 68, 72, 76 degree wedges if the rules allowed. One club for each distance right!?

 

[subrew]

21 minutes ago, notgreatnotterrible said:

 

I switched out my 52, 56, and 60 degree wedges a couple years ago and replaced them with a single 54 degree wedge that I now use on every shot inside 100.  Last week, I played with a friend that only games a 4i and 7i for his irons (maybe 6-7 clubs total)...over 18 holes, I don't think I saw a single shot that was out of his comfort zone.

 

That's me too.  I never hit wedges full anyways, so it seemed weird to me to try and have perfect 12-15yd gaps in a 3 or 4 wedge setup.  I carry a 58 for my close to green stuff, because my daily course is at local muni levels in terms of upkeep, so I'm chipping off all sorts of lies, not perfect 1st cut type stuff.  And I carry a big old clunky Ping GMAX 50* U wedge for everything basically 20-100yds.  It is great off dirt, tight grass, thick grass, patchy grass, and all the stuff you get on cheaper courses.  I also tend to play boring golf, so I'm not trying to play a hero phlop shot over a bunker to a tight pin.  Nice easy 60yd pitch to the center of the green, two putt par.

 

My setup this week, playing from the front tees (so no driver):

 

Adams 16* hybrid

5/7/9 Yamaha Inpres X Tourmodel Forged

Ping GMAX 50* U Wedge

Ping Glide 58*

Bobby Mac Putter

 

 

[Tommy56]

28 minutes ago, notgreatnotterrible said:

 

I switched out my 52, 56, and 60 degree wedges a couple years ago and replaced them with a single 54 degree wedge that I now use on every shot inside 100.  Last week, I played with a friend that only games a 4i and 7i for his irons (maybe 6-7 clubs total)...over 18 holes, I don't think I saw a single shot that was out of his comfort zone.

 

Ditto, 54º wedge covers everything inside 90 for me.

[MorganM]

50 minutes ago, notgreatnotterrible said:

 

I switched out my 52, 56, and 60 degree wedges a couple years ago and replaced them with a single 54 degree wedge that I now use on every shot inside 100.  Last week, I played with a friend that only games a 4i and 7i for his irons (maybe 6-7 clubs total)...over 18 holes, I don't think I saw a single shot that was out of his comfort zone.

YES! Exactly!!!

[MorganM]

5 hours ago, 9ClubberLang said:

My 8 club set-up experiment continues. If I'm boring anyone with this please let me know! I try not to post too often but I've now completed rounds with all three set-ups. There's not sufficient data to draw anything too conclusive but I've certainly got my own biases and preferences here.

 

8 Club Set-up 1

 

As the 7 wood is so versatile I think this papers over the cracks that missing one club at the top end of the bag provides. Looking at other peoples comments around course length, I do want my 8 club bag to be able to travel to any course, and as long as I'm playing sensible tees then the bag should work. To this end I do feel there is a lot to be said for carrying the longest club we can hit off the deck. For me this is a 5W so I would tend to think I should scrap set-up 1 for omitting this club.

 

8 Club Set-up 2

 

I like the look of this on paper very much. In practice though I have felt limited for the first time with a minimalist bag, and although this may be course specific I'm really missing my 6 iron. I like having a fairway wood, a hybrid and a 6 iron in the bag. This set up does allow me to play a 5w and the 50 degree wedge. My chipping hasn't been good enough though for the 50 degree to make a difference to my scores. I find the SW hardly gets used. In an 8 club bag surely every club should be a useful tool? It doesn't seem right to have a club that only really gets used out of a bunker.

 

8 Club Set-up 3

 

This is what I played last year and if I had to pick one of the set-up's now then I think I would go with this. It optimises the top of the bag, and let's me play three irons instead of two, which does provide a lot of options. For this to start to translate into better scoring I need to become an expert with a single sand wedge. The 50 degree would go and I would play either a 54 or 56 here. If I could get good with that club then I would really start to see an improvement. My short pitch, chipping and up and down stats are woeful and this is easily the biggest area of improvement in my game that I need to make.

 

I think I'll play with set-up 3 for a while and see if I can find a magical sand wedge to use. I have a 54 degree Ping Glide and a Mizuno T22 I can pick from. One is 12 degrees of bounce and the other 8. Conditions would probably dictate which I used.

Love hearing about the journey! Just for fun, sometime when you are in the mood, go with set-up #3 and replace the 5 wood & 5 hybrid with your 7 wood and see what happens. 😉

[9ClubberLang]

38 minutes ago, MorganM said:

Love hearing about the journey! Just for fun, sometime when you are in the mood, go with set-up #3 and replace the 5 wood & 5 hybrid with your 7 wood and see what happens. 😉

Getting me down to 7 clubs before I know how best to structure 8. Very crafty!

[MorganM]

48 minutes ago, 9ClubberLang said:

Getting me down to 7 clubs before I know how best to structure 8. Very crafty!

That and…it’s been bothering me for a month when you said how much you love your 7 wood but you can’t figure a way to get it into your setup. 🤔

[9ClubberLang]

Yes it is annoying.  I play it in my "full" 10 club bag, but is probably only viable in my 8 club set-up if the course was less than 6000 yards.

[Tommy56]

Well... 7 wood is the longest club in my full-time 5 club kit.  Granted, 6000 yards is the most I'll play these days, but having 1 club with so much versatility is important.

[KeepCalmandCarry]

Just checking in….

 

Carrying 7 and having a blast. Play from 5800-6500+ yards, all over New England and down in FL.

 

9* driver 

22* 4i 

28* 6i 

36* 7i 

42.5* 9i 

54*
putter

 

I’ve experimented with an eighth club here and there (17* driving iron, 18* 5w…), but consistently find it superfluous—extra weight!
 

If I had to drop one…it would be the 7i—a 150-170 club. I could muscle the 9i on the short end, grip down and shorten up on the 6i on the long end; and otherwise, 155-165 isn’t a yardage I tend to have all that often….(I also tend to make way more pars purposely taking not enough club and playing short of the green, at whatever unprotected opening—and then calling on my 54* to get up and down. Short wedge work is a strength; lag putting…is being worked on! (I’m in a big more GIR/more 3-putts phase currently!))

 

Anyway, I think of it in “buckets”. So, while I know my 6i is a stock 182-185 carry…; I think of it as my 170-200 club. Need to reliably and confidently advance the ball?; make sure I have landing room in that 170-200 “bucket”. Can’t go long at 190, the safe miss is short?; two inches gripped down, same effort swing, takes a reliable 12-15 yards off, on a flatter, tighter trajectory; 185 carry becomes 170….Or, I ignore my brother lazering and announcing “one-ninety-three” to the white flag tucked behind the deep front left bunker—and instead aim at the stress-reducing unprotected opening to the front of the green, 172 to cover…207 to the back…—and quietly enjoy a well-struck GIR with a club I love; then get ready for the challenge of getting down in two! At least…it sometimes works out that way!

 

Keep sharing, all; and hit ‘em straight!

[KeepCalmandCarry]

Oh and @9ClubberLang, I agree with @MorganM and @Tommy56: Your set #3, but 7w in place of both 5w and 5hy; 7 clubs! Not only is 180 (your listed 7w yardage) a very versatile/useful yardage to have access to (see my post above!), but its being a club you yourself said you love playing; that’s gold. More: priceless.…Free your mind!
 

But…you need to do you. 
 

Enjoy!

[9ClubberLang]

The three of you have convinced me.  I'll add the seven club bag to the experiment. 

[Tommy56]

2 hours ago, 9ClubberLang said:

The three of you have convinced me.  I'll add the seven club bag to the experiment. 

Certainly an option as you’re sorting various setups.  But at the end of the day, only you can determine what works best for you.  Play well and enjoy the journey!  Keep us posted. 

[scruffynick]

15 hours ago, KeepCalmandCarry said:

Just checking in….

 

Carrying 7 and having a blast. Play from 5800-6500+ yards, all over New England and down in FL.

 

9* driver 

22* 4i 

28* 6i 

36* 7i 

42.5* 9i 

54*
putter

 

I’ve experimented with an eighth club here and there (17* driving iron, 18* 5w…), but consistently find it superfluous—extra weight!
 

If I had to drop one…it would be the 7i—a 150-170 club. I could muscle the 9i on the short end, grip down and shorten up on the 6i on the long end; and otherwise, 155-165 isn’t a yardage I tend to have all that often….(I also tend to make way more pars purposely taking not enough club and playing short of the green, at whatever unprotected opening—and then calling on my 54* to get up and down. Short wedge work is a strength; lag putting…is being worked on! (I’m in a big more GIR/more 3-putts phase currently!))

 

Anyway, I think of it in “buckets”. So, while I know my 6i is a stock 182-185 carry…; I think of it as my 170-200 club. Need to reliably and confidently advance the ball?; make sure I have landing room in that 170-200 “bucket”. Can’t go long at 190, the safe miss is short?; two inches gripped down, same effort swing, takes a reliable 12-15 yards off, on a flatter, tighter trajectory; 185 carry becomes 170….Or, I ignore my brother lazering and announcing “one-ninety-three” to the white flag tucked behind the deep front left bunker—and instead aim at the stress-reducing unprotected opening to the front of the green, 172 to cover…207 to the back…—and quietly enjoy a well-struck GIR with a club I love; then get ready for the challenge of getting down in two! At least…it sometimes works out that way!

 

Keep sharing, all; and hit ‘em straight!

Just curious to know how far you travel for each round? I'm literally 2 miles away from my course, but I find it interesting how far people travel to get a game of golf

[KeepCalmandCarry]

1 hour ago, scruffynick said:

Just curious to know how far you travel for each round? I'm literally 2 miles away from my course, but I find it interesting how far people travel to get a game of golf

Well most of the "all over New England" are rounds while on vacation, when visting friends and family, etc. Locally, 20 minutes' journey is the norm. But traveling 45-90 minutes to meet an out-of-state buddy or relative halfway for a round, a few times a year isn't unheard of....And I do enjoy playing a variety of courses. In southern NH (where I currently live), the rides/traffic are/is so manageable (and my schedule is flexible enough), a longer ride is no biggy—and often enjoyable. But down in southwestern CT where I grew up, the traffic can be brutal (and is only getting worse). A 20 minute ride up the parkway early Saturday morning preround...can easily be a snail's-pace 50-60 minutes coming home....No fun. And like all sane mortals, I'd rather be moving forward for 45 minutes than sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for 12 minutes seconds! Better—I'd rather be on grass, surrounded trees, hitting a ball with a stick!    

 

That being said, I have a driving range/all-grass goat pasture 4 minutes from home—which is where the majority of my golfball whacking takes place!

[djrock89]

@scruffynick

1 hour ago, scruffynick said:

Just curious to know how far you travel for each round? I'm literally 2 miles away from my course, but I find it interesting how far people travel to get a game of golf

I travel between 5 mins and 1 hour depending if im playing a round alone or a society day

[azgreg]

1 hour ago, scruffynick said:

Just curious to know how far you travel for each round? I'm literally 2 miles away from my course, but I find it interesting how far people travel to get a game of golf

 

I live in North Las Vegas and have driven to Phoenix, AZ (4.5 hrs) to play with some friends.

I get other things done while I'm there, but golf is the main thing on the agenda.

 

[azgreg]

On 7/8/2025 at 3:04 AM, WipeyFade said:

It would help if I could spell it correctly, lol. 

https://www.instagram.com/drakeydistiller?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MWwyYTg2M2l4NDJnZg==
 

Try this. You’ll have to go back some, he doesn’t post as much about golf as he used to. 

 

Good stuff on that guy's feed.

Searching #minimalistgolfmovement on Instagram brings up a lot of good stuff as well.

 

[scruffynick]

1 hour ago, azgreg said:

 

I live in North Las Vegas and have driven to Phoenix, AZ (4.5 hrs) to play with some friends.

I get other things done while I'm there, but golf is the main thing on the agenda.

 

My course is very local but im in golf heaven down the road next to royal birkdale...the courses close by are stunning....but for me hard to get a game. Formby Hesketh hillside west Lancashire Southport and Ainsdale...gods country for golfers. Brilliant for the open thou when it's at birkdale 😃 even today I still can't believe where spieth hit that tee shot on 13 🤣

[djrock89]

Whats everyones opinion on the amount of degrees between clubs on a minimalist set? Mine varys between 6 degrees lowest and 11 degrees highest. I wonder if you could have say 10 degrees between all clubs in the bag would it be more beneficial 

[Tommy56]

My degree gaps vary widely, from 8 to 15.

What matters most are the distance gaps you are comfortable with, knowing that each club in a minimalist kit needs to handle a variety of shot types and distances.

[djrock89]

@Tommy56 whats ur set up mate? I tried 10 degree gaps between clubs but didnt feel right i play much better with what im using now

[Tommy56]

My current setup (for the last year) is: 7w 21°, 7i 29°, 9i 39°, 54°, P. 
 

My minimalist journey over the past 10 years has taken me through various stages from 9, 8, 7, 6 to 5 clubs. Starting out I had more consistent degree gaps as I often just went with every over club. But over the years, and with increasingly fewer clubs, I’ve become more focused on what yardage “ranges” I was trying to address with each club as there are few “stock” shots. These days I tend to think of 25-40 yardage ranges for each club. Club versatility is also a factor. Plus, you may want to prioritize long game, approach shots, or short game.

 

Hope this helps. Others may have different approaches that work for them. 
This is part of the fun of minimalist golf. 
 

Enjoy the journey!