Before I was sidelined with my eye surgery I had been tinkering with the clubs I carry in my bag. Some of the courses we’ve played lately have definitely been carry courses so I’ve looked to chop out a few clubs to save weight. But is weight a reason to play fewer clubs alone?
How many clubs on average do you play during a round, what clubs are you using the most often? Do you have a full 14 in your bag? It really has got me thinking what would happen if I took out my 3 wood and 4 iron, would I actually miss them. The reality is if I’m not hitting driver off the tee then I’m unlikely to be hitting my 3 wood so I just make do with my utility club which has 18 degrees of loft and can carry 210-220. But what about between 175 – 210 is this where I start to rethink my game?
Into the irons and I think it’s down to distances and gapping. At the minute I’m 5 through to PW then 54 & 60-degree wedges but could I trim it back and take out my 6 and 8 iron, can I take enough off my 7 iron for those 145-yard shots? Can I play with a 25 – 30 yard variance in my bag, I probably can.
So as I write this I’m thinking does playing with fewer clubs actually make you a better golfer? You’re forced to play lots of different shots, you are taking a more realistic approach to the shots you can actually hit, you’re not going for that ‘its right on my limit to reach’ shots – it’s intriguing.
One account I follow on Instagram is @lessthan14 (go check them out) their tagline is simple “for those who don’t need 14 clubs to enjoy golf”. I completely agree with this sentiment and with so many new players to the game due to the COVID pandemic one we should all embrace.
I’m also seeing more and more people sharing pictures of them and their friends out on the links with stylish pencil bags and I must admit I’m pretty hooked on the idea of getting one of these for myself. Jones Sports or MacKenzie Golf Bags are two outstanding brands, stripping back the bare essentials of the golf bag and if I’m only playing with around 8 clubs then this makes total sense. After all, being strapped for time I need to maximise the enjoyment I get from it if I fancy a quick nine.
So plenty to ponder, I guess the game always keeps you thinking.
What do you play, are you a full 14 or a stripped back 7 type of player?
Jeremy
Nine Hole Golf 