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Bag Setup Thread: Reasons and Thoughts

SuperStroke
My current bag setup. The distances are best guesses, as I haven't had a ton of time with my clubs.

Driver playing at ~10 degrees (Bertha is 10.5, Srixon is set at 10) - This can take me anywhere from 50 to ~240 yards :alien:

3 wood playing at 4w length and loft (17 degrees). Maybe 220 or so, going by numbers with my old 4w.

20.5* hybrid - Probably my favorite single club from the MC. Good for 200 yards, give or take.

Mizuno "DLR" at 22* - I've become a big fan of the "iron style" hybrid (my original bag setup at the MC had an altitude in there). Steel shafted, gaps nicely with my iron set, and good for about 180.

5i-PW - Covers gaps from 170-115 yards or so.

49, 53, 57 degree wedges - The first two I'll use on both full swings and finesse shots, while the 57 is only used around the green. The 49 gaps in just about perfect with the iron set.

Putter - currently an open competition in my bag.

There are a couple of things I'm thinking of tweaking - I might see if I can pick up a 588 4h on the cheap and replace the 3 and 4h in there now with that and sort of split the distance difference there, and go back to playing a 3 wood at standard loft and the 588 5w (18 degrees), because it's probably the easiest fairway I've hit off the deck. I was thinking of swapping the XP105 shaft in the Fli Hi for a KBS tour to match my irons, then realized I had entered into some serious overthinking it territory.
 
I will be gaming the majority of my Morgan Cup bag for the forseeable future.

Driver: J40 430 8.5* ahina 80 shaft

My fitter had to talk me into going with the 8.5 430 head with an 80 gram shaft. I was willing to try a heavier shaft but was thinking either in a 9.5 or 10.5. So far the results are pretty good. The driver has been my biggest weakness (excluding the putter), but I've been getting along pretty well with this combo. The driver is the only club I will miss big with right now and it's always to the right. I think with some minor adjustments, I'll be good to go. I am still hitting either my 3 or 5w off the tee on most holes.

3w--J40 3+ ahina 80 shaft

It took me a few rounds to get comfortable with the J40 3w, but now I can't miss with it off the tee. It has replaced my XCG Beta 13*, which I didn't think would happen. I'm still figuring out hitting it off the deck (not a shot that comes up often), but it's my go-to option from the tee. Maybe not as long as the XCG, but I will take a little less distance for the confidence I have with it.


5w-Callaway XHot Pro ahina 70 shaft

A great option off the deck going into par 5s and off the tee as well. Just a fun club to hit.

Iron--3-PW J40 combo set

My fitter wanted me to go with the cavity backs 3-PW, but I opted to with the combo set for the added forgiveness in the longer irons. Paired with KBS Tours, I am really liking what I am seeing from these. Easy to control the flight and distance with.

Wedges J40 52 and 58.

I thought for a long while about dropping my 3 iron to add another wedge to my bag, but with the J40s having more traditional lofts, there wasn't as big of a gap between the PW and 52. Distance-wise the gap is sizable, but it's easier for me to control my wedges when I club down and swing easy, so the setup works well.

Putter--Going back and forth between my Seemore and True Balance TD--03. I am experimenting with a larger grip on the True Balance.
 
Driver - Titleist 913 D2 9.5 (set to 10.25) paired w/ a Graphite Design AD-DI 6s

  • Hit this the best when demoing everything under the sun in Early 2013. Will game till next release season and see if there is anything I may want to switch to. Too expensive to tinker w/ the driver.

3W - Adams Speedline 12 15*

  • Just hit this well, haven't had any reason to try and change. Off the tee, off the deck, just overall a club I can rely on.

3h - Wilson Fybrid

  • My first hybrid, initially bought because it was cheaper than the rest but this thing is a performer. It is a bit too offset for me and I tend to hook it some when I put a poor swing on it.

4-LW - Ping i25

  • 2014 provided me some serious irons to tinker w/. Thanks to THP, I was able to participate in the i25 iron testing. First set of Ping's I have ever played and they are phenomenal.
  • Set wedges are awesome, 50* U, 54* SW & 58* L. Best wedge play I have ever had has been w/ these i25 wedges.

Putter: Coin Flip between Tank Cruiser #1 wide & Nike Method 002
  • The club I tinker w/ the most. Have Seemore's, Scotty's, and the two mentioned above. Last two weeks were the first time gaming a standard 35" putter in over 3 years. Made some putts and think I will play it for the time being. The Tank Cruiser is the CB model, along w/ my two Seemore's. Scotty is a belly putter and would go back to that in a heart beat if the ban wouldn't be coming down.
 
Only 12 clubs for me at the moment.. I figured I dont hit consitantly enough to really worry about yardage gaps for the most part. Only club I would really like to add right now is a Tight Lies 5 wood.. That line is just money for me out of any lie.

Driver
Fairway 16°
4H 21°
5i-PW
52°, 56° wedges
Putter
 
Same setup I've played in a similar form for quite a while, give or take a club. Morgan Cup prep changed it a bit too I guess, but I went back to comfort as quickly as I could.

Driver
Easy to hit fairway wood
Hybrid I can control and fits the middle between the fairway wood and 5 iron.
Irons
Lots of wedges


That's the setup that seems to do the best for my style of play. I have no use for a bunch of long clubs because it's not as if I have superb distance control or accuarcy from 200 yards. Just looking to get the ball in the general area of my target at that range. I can control distance with the wedges though, and I miss a lot of greens, so they pick up that slack.
 
My bag/philosophy as it stands...

*Driver - Low launching shaft + low spin head has me lofting up and loving it. Currently set at 11.5° but with the face adjusted shut it's playing closer to 12°. By far the club I'm most confident with and control the most off the tee (irons excluded). Depending on the strike, it can get me out there anywhere from 225-280yds, but usually on the lower end of that. Miss is a slight push-fade. After cutting down to 44.75", has become the most comfortable driver I've hit.

*4 wood - changed to a 4w from a 3w to take advantage of the extra loft. I have no hard distance numbers on this one, as I rarely ever hit it. In the 8 or so rounds I've played with it, I may have hit it twice and neither strike was anything to write home about. I've been laying up a lot more lately and always do so in situations that would require this club. As I practice with it and get more comfortable, I'd like to see it extend my reach off the deck out to 210-215yds. On the range however, I have found this to be far easier to hit than my previous 3w. Just cut down from 42.5" to 42", hoping that it will be easier to learn how to make consistent contact.

*20° hybrid - Goes about 190-200yds for me, but hardly the most consistent club in my bag. I don't find myself going for many greens from this distance, so I'll take it out and give it a whack on some par 5's, as I'm more comfortable with this than my 4w. Hybrid is the no brain-er for me right now in this slot. Not comfortable with fairway woods given my limited reps with them and not in a place where I'll hit a 3 iron with any sort of consistency.

*23° hybrid - 180-190yd club here and the longest club which I feel very confident hitting off the deck (not including tee shots). Can hit it about 200yds off the tee into long par 3's/shorter par 4's with consistency. One of my favorite clubs in the bag. Same reasoning applies as to the choice for hybrid in this slot as the 20° hybrid.

*Irons/set wedges -
5i - 175-185yds
6i - 165-175yds
7i - 155-165yds
8i - 145-155yds
9i - 135-145yds
Pw (44°) - 125-135yds
Aw (48°) - 115-125yds

*Wedges
56° - Bent to 54° to help close gap. I only hit this about 90-100yds on a full swing, so it leaves a 15yd gap around 100 for me. I think that would be because my irons and set wedges are GI/graphite shafts and wedges are a blade style. Might serve me well to pick up the set Sw for my irons (also 54°), but this has quickly become my favorite weapon around the greens.
60° - Really starting to like this club a lot. Never use it for full swings unless I'm trying a flop shot, but works great for short sided hole locations when I'm within 50yds of the green. Still don't trust it out of the sand though.

*Putter - Method 5i - Mid-Mallet style. Great putter for me - minimizes 3 putts big time. Also thinking about messing around with a blade style putter for fun. Just cleaned up and re-gripped an old Anser putter that I'm excited to try.
 
I'm fairly conventional, but I've got a few weird little things in here that have worked out pretty much purely by chance. See sig for specific club models.

Driver - 10.5* (230-270yd depending on strike quality). I play Bertha when I want to maximize carry - set N/+1, with slider in full fade to try and mitigate my hook miss. XCG6 comes out for max roll scenarios, in neutral setting.
4w - 17* (220-240yd). I set up the hosel for some added fade for the same reason as above. Stiffer, heavier shaft probably shouldn't work on paper, but I've been hitting it really well.
2h - 18* (200-220yd). Small loft gap to 4w, but the shaft is well shorter (being a hybrid), so the gapping seems to work out. For the ~200yd distance, I choke up a half inch or so and take a full swing.
3h - 21* (180-200yd). Same as above - choke up and take full swing for the 180 yd distance.
Irons, 5i-GW, 26*-49* (100-180yd). At 100 yards I tend to take GW and choke up rather than try to muscle a 54* wedge. The trouble distance right now is 175-180 - I have to flush the 5 iron to get it there, but the 3h is a little too much club even when I choke up.
Wedges - 54* (80-100yd) and 58* (less than 80yd). I have JumboMax grips on these, because it limits my tendency to wrist flip and chunk it. The trade off is that I sometimes blade it, which is disastrous. Thinking about going back to regular grips because of this, and because the big grips make sand play a little more difficult.
Flatstick - gonna be trying out a plumbers neck mallet soon. Thinking it may help me limit my pull on short putts, which is my most frustrating miss with my #9.

Most of it is pretty set, with the exception of possible grip changes in the wedges, and I may toy with putting the CB3 4 iron in to close up the gap between 5 iron and 3 hybrid. But I'm not sure what I'd take out at this point. Suggestions appreciated.
 
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Driver - SLDR at 9.5º Still putting it through its paces but this is the setting that is working best for me so far. Still need to get some more time with this.

3W - 15º and great off the tee. It is rare that I find myself needing to hit it off the deck, but when I have it hasn't been an issue

3h + 4h - I was at the range last week working on long irons and decided it might be time to give a 4h a try. I hit my 4 iron pretty well, but I hit my 3 hybrid better. It just works so well for me. Stands to reason that I might hit the 4 hybrid better as well. I may loft up the 4h to dial the distance back to hit the same gap my 4iron was in, I expect it will be a touch longer

4i-AW - 4i is up in the air, but I am really happy with my irons. Have had 4-5 months with them now and have the distances dialed in.

Wedges - Use the set AW, and then have a 54 and ad 60. I use the AW for distances from 110-90 adjusting the backswing and gripping down, and then use it for most of my chipping. I use the 54 for shots between 70-85 and out of the sand. The 60º I will use for 3/4 shots from about 60 yards, and like it greenside for when I need to get height and have the ball stop in a hurry. It is perfect for an elevated green which my home course has plenty of.

Putter - I like the blade style putters. My distance control is excellent but I need to be a lot better about reading breaks.
 
I have been pondering dropping my 4i for a little while now as it just sits in my bag or used to punch out. Lately I havent had anything longer than a 7i in my had from the fairway thanks to a small swing change and new found distance and confidence.

Driver: SLDR at 12* ~250-280ish
Woods: SLDR 3W at 15* ~240-260ish off tee hard time off the deck
SLDR 5W at 19* ~230-240ish off tee ~220ish off deck
Irons: i20's
4i -6i ~210 - ~190 I really am having a hard time with the long irons, I dont know what it is but I am thinking of dropping them for something else
7i -PW ~185 - ~135 This is where I am really confidant in my bag, I know I will hit my number each time I pull them
Wedges: Hopkins 51* 120 all day everyday
Hopkins 56* 110 all day and all bunker shots
Hopkins 61* 85 and in, most anything around the green

I never go for it anymore on the par 5's for the simple fact that I like to putt my 4th shot instead of chipping it so I live in the bottom of my bag. Since doing that my average on the 5's has almost dropped to even in the last two months and I can finally say that I am happy. I dont know if there are anyother wrenches that I would put in the bag if I pulled the 4i and 5i but I am open to the suggestions.
 
Good thread, I have unintentionally copied Jman pretty dang close on my set up:

Driver (11.5) 4W (16.5 currently)
22* & 25* hybrid
5-SW (all set)
58* LW (blade style)
Putter


I used to have the blade SW, but I used it for full swings and decided I need the forgiveness that the set wedge gave me. Now I just need to get my swing figured out since I have my bag right.
 
Driver: Callaway FT-IZ 13* 240
5W: Cobra F Rail 18* 210
Adams Pro Mini 23* hybrid 185
Bridgestone J40DPC5-PW 175-115
J40 52* 100
J40 58* bunker and chip shots
 
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I'll go from the hole out because that's my priorities.

Putter - Taylormade Ghost Spider w/ Super Stroke 3.0
Picked this up last year because it rolled nicely and was cheap used. Wanted a high MOI putter with a soft feel and this does the job.

Wedges - Taylormade ATV 54* and 58*
Sole is perfect design for me as I like lower bounce and flatter soles. Great touch and feel to them. Got the 58* because I was always between the 56 and 60 in my old set. I love it and use it for everything close. Got the 54* because I needed a 100 yard club, but it seems to leave me short, so I might bend it to 53*.

Irons - Cobra Amp Cell 4i - GW
Just picked these up, but I love the sole interaction and feel to the clubs. Big improvement to my old beginner set in terms of quality. The lofts go from 49* in the GW to 21* in the 4 iron. I'm not sure yet if I'll bag the 4 iron, use a hybrid, or maybe find some kind of driving iron. Need to nail down the distances.

Hybrid - Cobra Amp Cell 3-4, but pondering
Got this a few weeks back and haven't been hitting it well. I am used to hybrids with offset and steel shafts, so I seem to be over-swinging and slicing badly. I did pick this up with a Kuro Kage 80 shaft, so that helps the weight some. But I've been thinking about either finding some kind of driving iron around 20-21 degrees since I seem to hit irons better than hybrids, or maybe an Amp Cell 5-7 fairway wood.

Fairway/Driver - Taylormade R580 10.5* and 15*, for now
Found the R580 for $10 in a used bin and hit it well enough. I can't hit either of these consistent enough to bag them. With some practice and/or lessons, I will probably upgrade to something newer, like the Amp Cells.


My end result should be:

85-: 58*
100: 54* (or 53*)

115: G (49*)
130: P (44*)
145: 9 (39*)
160: 8 (35*)
175: 7 (31*)
190: 6 (27*)
200: 5 (24*)

210-220: 4i, 3-4H, or 5-7W
230-240: 3-4W
255+: Driver
 
Loving that this one is rolling like it is, some seriously interesting reasoning and also pondering about changes.

Remember too guys, while distances are cool, this one doesn't need to be about that, just the fundamentals of the setup and what is going on in your noggin. I just don't want this turning into a distance thread, no good ever comes from that hahahaha
 
Jman said:
Loving that this one is rolling like it is, some seriously interesting reasoning and also pondering about changes.

Remember too guys, while distances are cool, this one doesn't need to be about that, just the fundamentals of the setup and what is going on in your noggin. I just don't want this turning into a distance thread, no good ever comes from that hahahaha
Click to expand...

Part if the reasons I included distances in mine was to make sure my bag actually made sense while I was writing it all out...

For some of the folks playing the hybrids in the 25-26 degree range, I noticed that some of you are carrying a 5i as well, is there overlap between those two clubs, or is the hybrid longer?
 
Jman said:
Loving that this one is rolling like it is, some seriously interesting reasoning and also pondering about changes.

Remember too guys, while distances are cool, this one doesn't need to be about that, just the fundamentals of the setup and what is going on in your noggin. I just don't want this turning into a distance thread, no good ever comes from that hahahaha
Click to expand...
Yeah, i kind of did my distances to make sure my gaps between clubs made sense. It was mostly for me. :D
 
Fun thread! Love to see what other people are doing and why

My set's a bit different from what I've been doing in the past but pretty standard by all accounts


  • Driver - gotta have one
  • 3-wood - I switched last year from my standard 3-wood to an Adams Super LS 15° hybrid. Gives me as much or more distance off the tee as my Titleist 3-wood but is much easier to hit from the grass, especially the rough. I had contemplated this idea for a couple of years and was just waiting for someone to do it right.
  • Hybrid - 18° puts me in the 230-245 range
  • Utility - 21° Callaway X-Utility which is pretty much a 3/4 iron depending on how far down I grip it and is awesome for those super low bump & runs around the greens.
  • Irons are 5-PW with lots of lead tape
  • Wedges - 50°, 56°, 60°
  • Putter (see Driver)
 
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Adding the mini driver to my setup really defined the job of each of my woods.
Driver of the tee, mini as a backup of the tee on days the driver is not cooperating and long 200+ yard par 3s. My 5 wood is my go to club when I need to advance the ball a good distance from the fairway and my 4 hybrid comes out when that shot is in the rough.
Irons are pretty standard, I currently have 5-SW and a 60* lw. I probably would have went with a set matching lw if it was offered, but I'm kind of glad it wasn't add I have really enjoyed the wedge so far.
 
mpeterson said:
Part if the reasons I included distances in mine was to make sure my bag actually made sense while I was writing it all out...

For some of the folks playing the hybrids in the 25-26 degree range, I noticed that some of you are carrying a 5i as well, is there overlap between those two clubs, or is the hybrid longer?
Click to expand...

Ballsohard said:
Yeah, i kind of did my distances to make sure my gaps between clubs made sense. It was mostly for me. :D
Click to expand...

Dudes, you guys are fine, not at all what I meant. Sometimes in threads like these its easy for some posting distances to try and show off or others to troll what the numbers they are posting, just want to avoid those situations. Your breakdowns were fun to read.
 
Parshooter36 said:
Adding the mini driver to my setup really defined the job of each of my woods.
Driver of the tee, mini as a backup of the tee on days the driver is not cooperating and long 200+ yard par 3s. My 5 wood is my go to club when I need to advance the ball a good distance from the fairway and my 4 hybrid comes out when that shot is in the rough.
Irons are pretty standard, I currently have 5-SW and a 60* lw. I probably would have went with a set matching lw if it was offered, but I'm kind of glad it wasn't add I have really enjoyed the wedge so far.
Click to expand...

Talking to you about the mini driver during Sunday singles really made me want to get one, if not just to try for a while.
 
I do have one setup ponder, potentially going mini-driver type club (3/2deep or Mini) where my 3w is and switching the 3hy for a 5w. But, I can hit my 3w well off the deck and tee now, so why mess with it?
 
Jman said:
I do have one setup ponder, potentially going mini-driver type club (3/2deep or Mini) where my 3w is and switching the 3hy for a 5w. But, I can hit my 3w well off the deck and tee now, so why mess with it?
Click to expand...

I have the same ponder regularly James and usually end up at the same conclusion. Good news is there's plenty of traditional 3Ws out there for me too.
 
JonD said:
I have the same ponder regularly James and usually end up at the same conclusion. Good news is there's plenty of traditional 3Ws out there for me too.
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Yep, and I adore the one I have now. But, I still ponder such a setup change hahaha.
 
Here's the way it stands right now

Driver
BiO Cell set at 9.5D. I've played it at 10.5 but I like the ball flight better at 9.5. No distance loss and more appealing to me. I'm seeing some amazing distances (for me) & Baldguy made the trip to my course a few weeks ago and commented on how I'm hitting it. We get along nicely.
I love this driver! :clapp:

3W right now is an Adams Tight Lies 13 degree. This club and I either get along or we don't. When I hit here well, I love it. When I don't, it's just taking up space

20* Adams Pro hybrid. This club is a monster from the tee for me and is quickly making me rethink carrying the 3w. I hit better from the deck and my course has a few holes that this is just the right play from the tee. Specifically (2) par 4's one with trouble all along the right side and one where I'm not long enough to cut the corner but driver will run through the FW into the pond. Then the par 5 with OB starting at the right side of the tee box to the green. I can take the cover off and march down to wedge range.

24* Adams XTD Ti hybrid. I can count on a slight draw and that comes in handy sometimes. I don't use her much simply because I like the 20* so much.

5-AW Nike Covert irons. My favorite club has to be either the 5 or 7 iron. For some reason I just hit them well and can count on a good result as long as I don't screw it up. I like the added forgiveness of the set PW & AW even though they rarely see full swings.

I'm carrying a 56* & 60* wedge right now. Most of the bunkers at my course leave you short sided and I can "throw" the ball on the green pretty well for my skill level with either. Plus they were cheap so if I find myself hitting from a road bed or rocks, those dings don't bother me as much.

Putter right now is the Seemore Si5. I really like the head weight & shape. My putting has improved lately and I can't help but say it's the club.
 
Jman said:
Yep, and I adore the one I have now. But, I still ponder such a setup change hahaha.
Click to expand...

Tinkering really is part of the fun.
 
Jman said:
I do have one setup ponder, potentially going mini-driver type club (3/2deep or Mini) where my 3w is and switching the 3hy for a 5w. But, I can hit my 3w well off the deck and tee now, so why mess with it?
Click to expand...

Next time you're down, I have last year's 3Deep you're welcome to hold onto for a while. If you want to see how it fits.
 
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