still tweaking with my set, need to pull one more club.... or not

["Richard"]

13*
17*
21*
hybrid (24*)
5
6
7
8
9
pw
gw
sw
lw
putter
-------

Now thats 14 clubs but some have suggested pulling the GAP wedge for a driver... and then switching from a 56 and 60 to a 54 58

Any thoughts? i still suck but I find this more fun than playing.. alot less frustating

[challengegolf]

It's just my opinion but I would remove the LW and put a driver in the bag. When do you use a LW, it is a very hard club to master and if you only use it around the greens then a 56* opened up would do the same thing. Personaly I use a 52* around the green and had a 60*but never used it so I got ride of it and now my set-up is as follow:
Driver
4 wood
4-5 hybrid
5-6-7-8-9-pw-52* and 56*and putter.
So I still have room for another club which might be a 4 Hybrid

["Richard"]

maybe you should get a club between your driver and your 4w? a strong 3 perhaps. I do use my lob wedge but only on green side bunkers, but i guess I could use a Sw for that... but if I'm going to pull a wedge wouldn't it make sense to just sell the three I have and get a 54 and a 58? or shoudl i keep the 52 56

[1972Apex]

You think too much thotho...

["Richard"]

when you suck..you think

[1972Apex]

As Kevin Costner said in Bull Durham "Don't think... it can only hurt the ball club."
Or in your case your golf game.
Let me do some thinking for you. Mediocre golfers for some reason always seem to fall in love with their lob wedges. They actually think the can hit them even though everyone who plays with them knows they can't. Lose it and put in a driver.

["Richard"]

Done, Lob gone and driver in. That was soooo simple. Now here is part two of the problem. What driver should I get? Money is no object as i just got the biggest tax I've ever gotten. Should I go out and buy an r7? how about the g2?

[1972Apex]

G2. Get a nice 10* with a ProLaunch shaft in your proper flex.

["Richard"]

I can' buy it from golftown with that shaft? or do i have to pull the old one, get that new one and so on?

[1972Apex]

ProLaunch is one of the stock shafts available from Ping. Golftown should be able to order it. Or you could go with the NV-65 which is just as good (in fact, it's what I have in my G2).

[challengegolf]

I don't know for you but for me a 52* and 56* works great as I don't like using full swing with my wedges and from 100 yds in, I use a half PW and at 30 yds in a half 52*. I did not want to get a strong 3 and got ride of my 3 wood as I found them hard to hit from the fairway. With my cleveland launcher 17* (4 wood) I find it easy to hit off the fairway and from the rough. The 4 gives me enough distance and on most par 5 I hit driver and 4 wood and I am left with a half PW or 52* so don't really need more distance. Yes I would get more out of a strong 3 wood but the rare good hit does not balance out the more then often bad hits which would require me to get in with 5-6 irons on long par 5. I hit driver's on almost all par 4 and 5 as I hit my new driver straight or when required a small fade, so I only use my fairway wood on par 5 and that is good enough for me.
Hope it helps
Claude

["Richard"]

ProLaunch is one of the stock shafts available from Ping. Golftown should be able to order it. Or you could go with the NV-65 which is just as good (in fact, it's what I have in my G2).

So what are the pros and cons of each ?

["Richard"]

I guess that is what the simulator at golftown is for

[1972Apex]

Now you're on the right track. If you want to see the different characteristics of the shafts you can go to the manufacturer sites as well.

["Richard"]

But still, the g2 over the r7? What didn't you like about the r7 that makes you pick the g2 over it?

[davevandyk]

if i can add my two cents. I love the R7!! Its the best driver i have ever owned and personally didn't like the G2 based on my print out on the launch monitor. To each his own, but i would strongly consider the R7!

[flagolfnut]

13*
17*
21*
hybrid (24*)
5
6
7
8
9
pw
gw
sw
lw
putter
----- Now thats 14 clubs but some have suggested pulling the GAP wedge for a driver... and then switching from a 56 and 60 to a 54 58

Any thoughts? i still suck but I find this more fun than playing.. alot less frustating

ThoTho I don't know you but you do think too much! I used to be really concerned about what clubs I had in my bag and then I just said f**k it, and decided on the clubs and stuck with them. I know it's hard deciding but if you stick with the basics then you won't have to woory too much, I suggest going with
1. Driver
2. 3 Wood 15 deg
3. 5 Wood 18 deg
4. 3 iron or hybrid if you prefer w/same loft as a 3 iron
5. 4 irn or hybrid w/same loft
6 5-pw
7. Gap wedge 52 or 53 deg
9. Sand wedge 56 deg
10. Putter





That's 14 clubs, I also used to have a lob wedge and never used it, I traded it in for my gap wedge and as far as clubs go it was the best move I made. Keep the driver, you might not be hitting it well right now but it will come. I use my sand wedge around the greens, if I want it lofted I just open the face. Don't stress yourself out over your clubs, but you will know when you have the right set. Good luck

["Richard"]

thanks guys I am done. Going to golftown tomorrow to trade in the lob for something or maybe for some lessons

["Richard"]

last question, read on another thread that a higher loft on a driver will allow me to be more accurate with my driver. If that is the case, would I not be better off with an 11* g2 instead of a 10?

[fireice]

I agree with flagolfnut pick your clubs and go for it, if your thinking too much, that's not good. Heck I only play with 12 clubs and that works for me(Putter,Driver, 3-PW, GW, SW). Good luck with the driver and stick with it.

["Richard"]

Just got back from golftown and the set is complete.

11.5* driver
17* 4 wood
21* 7 wood
24* (either 4 iron or hybrid)
5-pw
gw
sw
lw
putter

Got rid of the strong 3

Will trade it in for lessons

[fireice]

What driver did you end up going with? Just curious.

[Golfbum]

I am sure there are many posters who remember the good old days when all we carried was a PW that had 48 degrees loft. We had to use that club for sand shots, lob shots around the greens. I remember a few of us my old club used to play a little game at the practice green. There was a 20 foot tree right off the green and we used to see who get the closest to that tree and fire a ball over it with a PW. Now that made you become very creative with the PW.

This year I have actually gone back to using my pitching wedge for short approach shots, 30 yards and out. My PW is 48 degrees, the standard from years ago. (Tom Wishon 550C Forged irons). I find it easy to hit those little bump and runs etc with that wedge.
I honestly think that will all the wedge options out there now that some of us forget to be more creative with our shots. Try playing a round with just your PW in the bag and see what happens.

BTW I carry 3 wedges, a 55, 52 and the 48. I rarely use the 52 as I just don't end up with that yardage very often. I am going to build an 18 degree hybrid and might end up taking the 52 out of the bag. Time will tell.

Bottom line, use all your clubs to your advantage. That means know what you can and can not do with every iron in your bag. A wise old Pro once told me that years ago.

[1972Apex]

Sorry, I was away for a few days. If that's an 11.5* G2 you picked up you are going to have a lot of fun with it. Should be perfect.
As for the R7, it is a very nice driver. I just like the Ping better. Among the new drivers you really can't go wrong with either the G2, R7 or Cleveland Comp.

["Richard"]

Its the G2 driver 11.5 Pro launch reg flex. I am hitting it pretty well. Not scared to hit a driver off the tee anymore I love it. So right now I have

g2 11.5
17 (4 wood)
22 (TM rescue) - just have to pay for it but already picked it out of all the hybrids
4-pw
gw
sw
lw
putter

I don't ever use the lob but so Im actually at 13 clubs.

I think I'm getting a new putter as well. 44" Voodoo Daddy putter by never compromise. I really like it and I find myself swinging through the ball more and getting a better roll and best off all, I'm not moving to much through to putt so I don't miss the sweet spot as much anymore. The only problem, I'm having trouble with the distance control with it. Anyway, The putter is the last thing I have to pick now and because I use it more I want to really make sure that I get the right one.


I heard callaway way is coming out with a new club as well. Big bertha fusion or something. Its goin to be like $700 or something.

[1972Apex]

Nice set up.

[shankenstein]

Just my opinion, but I'd get rid of the gap and lob wedges.
I used to carry 4 wedges (p,s,g & l), but found that I lost alot of feel around the greens by always having a club that allowed for the given distance, rather than making speed adjustments and developing better feel.
Using a flop shot with an opened up sand wedge pretty much eliminates the need for the lob anyway.
I saw great improvement in my game when I only had the P and S to work with and it forced me to get used to one club around the green and know it's capabilities and limitations.

I had a big distance problem when I switched to the belly putter as well, but after a little practice it was an easy transition. I don't see myself going back to a conventional putter anytime soon.

["Richard"]

Hmm, if I pulled the gap and the lob I would only have 12 clubs and can't really think of anything to fill those two holes. Here is the putter I'm getting.

http://i4.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/54/05/a0_1_b.JPG

http://i10.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/59/b9/41_1_b.JPG

http://i5.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/5a/41/0c_1_b.JPG



I guess there is nothing wrong with having only 12 clubs but it just seems like you are at a bit of a disadvantage if playing someone with 14 clubs. But I guess it would make my bag lighter

["Richard"]

Is your belly putter centre shafted?

[shankenstein]

Yes, It's the Odyssey White hot 41"
I went with the center shaft cause I like being over the ball as much as I can when I stroke.
here's a link to the same model on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...sPageName=WDVW

I see your point about the 14 clubs, but it's how you use the the tools you have, not how many. If you are comfortable using the wedges, stick with them. I was only blabbing about what worked for me.

That's a pretty sweet looking putter you're getting too.