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14th Club in the bag? What to add.

InTheRough

InTheRough

Course Botanist
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GHIN 16.2
I had a golf lesson yesterday for my driver and bunker shots. My F9 One Lengths are back at Cobra getting a lie adjustment from 2 degree upright to standard. The set is 5i - SW. Here's what I had in the bag:

Callaway BB Epic Driver - carry 220 - 225 yds - he got me swinging the club better with a tiny tweak.
Cobra Bio Cell 4H (20.5 degree) - carry 205 - 210
Cobra Bio Cell 5H (22.5 degree) - carry ~ 190
Cobra F9 One Length 6i (25.5 degrees) - SW (54 degrees) - I have to redo my carry distances when these are returned. I've dropped the 5i in favor of my old 5H.
Cleveland Smart Sole S (58 degrees) - 72 yds max.
Cleveland Smart Sole C (44 degrees)
Cobra Fly Z Lob Wedge (60 degrees)
Odyssey Tank Versa 2 ball putter 40"

This came out to 14 clubs. The pro pulled my Fly Z Lob Wedge and gave me the bunker lesson with the Smart Sole S. So this dropped me to 13 clubs.

I have one of 3 clubs I can add to the bag.

Cobra Bio Cell 5W (18.5 degree) - carry ?
Callaway BB Epic 3W+ (13.5 - 15.5) - carry 210 - 215 - problem with this one is that at 13.5 I tend to spray it all over the place off the tee and I hit the 4H further off the deck even at 15.5 setting. So this would be tee shots only. 15.5 setting is a nice fade off the tee.
Callaway MackDaddy Phil Mickelson 64 Wedge - for flop shots.

Which one would be more useful?
 
I would think another tee club would benefit you. A 64 degree wedge is pretty extreme and you already have a 60. Probably a 3 wood at 14.5.
 
A bottle of Canadian Club.
 
Process of elimination here:
- I was 1st thinking the 5W but you looked to be well covered on the top end given you carry your longest hybrid about 15 yards less than driver.
- I agree with Danimal in that the 64 would be such a specialty option that I'd pass too. You're already bagging a LW (58* SS) and already have a 60 if you think you need to go higher, so why waste $$ or bag space on that 64*?
- What I'd do, honestly, is to wait until you get your iron set back and assess your new carry yardages after the lies were altered. There might well be a gap to plug between that 6 iron and your highest lofted hybrid. If so, it would be at a distance you'd likely see more frequently than a 5W or 64* shot. I'm putting myself in your shoes because our distances are similar. I carry my driver just a few yards past you and I'm just a few yards shorter than you with a similarly lofted hybrid. My iron heads are similar to your F9 (Cobra F6 for me) although I'm not one length. My 6 iron only carries 165-170, so if yours is similar that might be too far beneath the 190 you carry your 5H.
 
A fairway wood in the 16 - 17 degree range would be my suggestion. The higher loft should be easier to hit off the deck.
 
Daddio;n8873854 said:
Process of elimination here:
- I was 1st thinking the 5W but you looked to be well covered on the top end given you carry your longest hybrid about 15 yards less than driver.
- I agree with Danimal in that the 64 would be such a specialty option that I'd pass too. You're already bagging a LW (58* SS) and already have a 60 if you think you need to go higher, so why waste $$ or bag space on that 64*?
- What I'd do, honestly, is to wait until you get your iron set back and assess your new carry yardages after the lies were altered. There might well be a gap to plug between that 6 iron and your highest lofted hybrid. If so, it would be at a distance you'd likely see more frequently than a 5W or 64* shot. I'm putting myself in your shoes because our distances are similar. I carry my driver just a few yards past you and I'm just a few yards shorter than you with a similarly lofted hybrid. My iron heads are similar to your F9 (Cobra F6 for me) although I'm not one length. My 6 iron only carries 165-170, so if yours is similar that might be too far beneath the 190 you carry your 5H.
Click to expand...

With the 2 degree upright lie I was getting 175 carry with my 6 iron, 160 with my 7 iron, 145 with my 8 iron - and so on. The strong lofts these days. I also have +1" length with graphite shafts so that gives me a little extra club head speed. With a standard lie the club face will be a little more open so I don't know if it will be the same.

I have a 5 iron in the set which is 22.5 degrees - the same as the hybrid. The hybrid that comes with the one length set is a 24 degree so the 5 iron might only go 10 yds more than the 6 iron. I didn't notice that much difference in performance between the 5 iron and 6 iron on the course which is why I dropped the 5 iron and put my Bio Cell 5H back in.
 
I think I'll go with 13 clubs, then.
 
I only have 13 right now. Ditched my 4 iron.
 
formula8;n8874122 said:
You don't HAVE to put 14 clubs in the bag. If you have 13 that you are comfortable with and no large yardage gaps, then just play as is.
Click to expand...

Great point. Sometimes additional choices lead to indecision. Looks like the 4H is filling the gap between driver so this is a viable solution.
 
Some ideas:

2nd driver that is setup for the opposite shot shape of current driver. Your 3+ could possible do this.

Left handed club for some escape situations. Find something cheap.

I would strongly recommend against the 64*. Flops are fun but do they actually lower your score. Since you actually know your carry distances something tells me you care about score more than trying to hit obnoxious shots on the course.
 
I’d add the 3+ at a low loft for another tee option. It might prove easier to hit on the tee and could make the game easier.
 
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