Few notes, from a guy who's been playing even longer than you've been alive (I'm 86, with 75 years playing experience). First, most average golfers carry WAY too many clubs. You don't need 14 cubs to play effectively; I'm a 6 handicap from the middle tees and I carry 8 clubs - driver/7wd/4-6-8-P-S irons/putter. One of the best things an average golfer can learn is how to hit some half and 3/4 shots; develop some FEEL!! Second, ALWAYS walk the course. Either carry the bag (much easier with fewer clubs) or use a pull/push cart, but never ride. Walking stretches the big muscles you use to hit golf balls, so it's not only good for you, it's good for your game. Third, THINK!! Admit that you are not always going to hit a perfect shot, and place yourself so that your misses are less painful. Fourth, learn to love your sand wedge. Study how to hit from bunkers with different types of sand, and learn how to use it from the rough. This club is designed to get you out of trouble, so learn how to use it! Last, spend just as much time on the practice green as you do on the range, and spend that time on 4-10 footers, not 30-foot snakes (you're not going to make many of those, no matter how much you practice). When you start making more of those 4-10 footers, your score will drop nicely...and you'll start to get into your playing partners' pockets!
@@Speedslays Well, sh*t...at least I can claim to have learned a bit over 7 decades!! When I was a junior, I had a sort-of mentor who once asked me what I'd shoot at the new course where he'd just been hired as assistant pro, if we went out and dropped a ball in the middle of the fairway 250 yards out on the par 4s and 5s. My reply was, "Dick, I dunno, I am always well beyond that, but seldom in the middle..." Dick looked me in the eye and gave me the simplest golf lesson I've ever heard, "Golf's a lot easier and more fun from the middle of the fairway." Pity I didn't listen; I might even have been able to make a living at it (which was my goal at that time, when I was about 14). But I was young and very strong (3 sport varsity athelte in both high school and college) and I LOVED bombing tee shots, even when it meant fighting the grasshoppers to find the ball afterwards. I'll admit I probably don't have as much fun as I did when I was young. Maybe youth isn't ALWAYS wasted on the young!
I am a 60+ yr old golfer. (Started playing after nearly 12 yrs away from the game about 3 yrs ago) I use to be a solid 8 handicap before my extended break. On my 1st year back I struggled to a 12 handicap. So I made the decision to toss my ego the window and play what gives me THE best chance to play golf. So away went my blade irons. Reducing DISPERSION was the goal (both in side to side & long to short). I picked a 44" driver (260yd carry) that wasn't the longest - but was more giving on misses left the right. I tossed my 3-wood for a 5 wood (235yd carry) that I can adjust to a 4 wood loft but was more useful from the fairways. Added a 7 (210yd - 220yd carry) wood & an occasional 9 wood (190yd-200yd carry) . Narrowed my irons from PW to 5 iron and selected a really consistent players distance iron (Mizuno 245) (130yds to 180yds carry). The MOST important change was to select MUCH more forgiving wedges - because they are called "scoring irons" for a reason. I chose wedges that on mishit shot reduced my distance dispersion - this enables me to carry my shots over bunkers, water, and hit more "pin high" on the greens. My choice were the Edison Wedges (my Backup are the Cleveland CBX wedges) 49 degree, 53 degree, 57 degree. Putter I selected based on how I was able to align my eyes to the intended target line. Since I made these changes my handicap in now hovering around 1.8 and trending downward. I no longer play from the championship tees - but I do play from the "blue tees". My quest is to be a scratch golfer by the end of 2025 at the ripe old age of 62.
Love my 58 degree. 60-75 yards deadly with it. Hate hybrids. Love my 7 wood. Putters are definitely an individual thing. Switched from mallet to blade and dropped from 33 putts a round to 27.
I hit the 3 wood very well off the fairway or on short par 4s the most lofted club in my bag is a 52 degree as far as putters go it's a lot about feel just like a lot of the rest of the game if you are playing well enough don't listen to all the hype they just want your money I have been playing for 58 years
@@ReedMinor putters are not just about feel….if you have a straight back stroke certain heads and shafts are better if you have a arc stroke there are heads and shafts for that……. And the only wedge you have is 52 degrees? What do you hit out of green side bunkers? You are the last guy who should be giving advice……Oh yea this is social media everybody is an expert about everything on here…..You been playing for 58 years( idk why you felt the need to tell us that) and you probably barely break 80….below average golf might be ok for you but I play to get better
Good advice! Rather than dump shaft, choke down 1”. Big CBX fan, 3 in bag. Keep 58 blade in bag, Left blade putter 20 years ago. On 3rd Rossie. Love my 3W, never tee off with it, second shot on par 5’s. Almost 10 years ago ditched 5w, added 3U, lately though put 20 yr old Adams back in play. Changed golf apps because FMB was harder to access.
A 60 lob wedge does one special trick - if you are hitting in to the 18th green with the clubhouse just behind the green, hitting it thin will put it right through the clubhouse window.
This is an amazing video coach! I’m going to cutdown driber to 44” Thank you for all your content. I just hope you know how many of us average golfers appreciate and love you . Extremely grateful. God Bless
Will change the stiffness of the shaft and massively alter the swing weight. If you shorten the shaft you will need to get it done by a competent club fitter. Try gripping down first and see if this makes any difference.
I agree with al of them. Love how he isn't selling you on a brand. I love the last one. I use both but focus more on my phone app to know where the front, middle and back is. I live in Vancouver Canada so we have many mountain courses, so the range finder comes in handy as the distance changes with the elevations.
Another way to improve the Driver and the 3 wood is gripping them short a.l.a. Lydia Ko. When my game is really off, I even grip them almost to the shaft and hit them like hybrids, and the accuracy improves greatly w/o losing too much distance. Thinner grip seems to help with the release too, and doing it that way is free!!!
@@Giz-7531 It didn't for me. I don't see why it would cause the ball to slice. As matter of fact, when I tried it the very first time with a driver, the ball went dead straight, I was surprised that it worked so well.
@@madaxeman9386 Every swing is different, but by gripping down with a full swing, you change the point at which the clubhead fully recovers from being flexed. This can be altered by swing speed, shaft alterations, or any of the other hundreds of adjustments, but pound-for-pound, if you swing the same club, the same speed, the same way but have gripped it down, the face will be open. Physics.
Played 1 round w a caddy in Manchester. Only time i’ve ever had a caddy. He said Pace referring to slower backswing. My control got 50% better. Shortened my driver 2” with great results. Fairway % doubled easily. Now I’m dumping clubs like 3W 60 wedge. Only 10 clubs in my bag. Switched to mallet a year age after using a rental set on vacation. Dropped 10 strokes in the last 12 months (was 28 handicap) using less clubs less swing speed but accuracy massively improved. More fairways = more on the green in 2 shots on par 4 & some 5’s. 5 Wood is my money club for distance w accuracy. Thank you for sharing this video it confirms what I’ve been experiencing lately. Since I started 5 years ago I struggled and wanted to quit golf. Now I use swing Pace and less clubs to enjoy golf. It’s very humbling coming from a confident baseball player for 40 years.
Why not just play with 4 clubs? Think about it. Carry only the clubs that you would use if you were a scratch golfer. Driver, putter, a wedge and a couple of midrange irons. Or even just a 6 iron. I'd say a 7 and a 4 iron would work as a pair. See how your score improves then. I carry a PW, 60 (probably a bit much), 2-9, a 15 deg "3-wood" and a driver. The 2 and the 60 I rarely use. Everything else I hit at least once during a round. But then I always play from the back tees. But that all depends on the course as well as your game. I've gotten to the point where I simply don't like to swing hard because that pulls me out of position and maximizes the odds that I'm going to hit a bad shot.Swinging hard is self-defeating. The whole point of carrying a lot of clubs is to avoid doing that and as well to be forced to play touch-shots instead of taking a comfortable swing. I could easily survive without the 2 and the 60 as I almost never play them that would leave 7 irons plus a PW and then putter and driver. But the same goes for the 3 wood vs the 3 and 4-irons. You'd have to hit almost perfect long irons to match the range of a 3-wood. So the 225-250 yard shot is played with a 3-wood, a 3-iron will get me out to about 215-225, 4-iron out to 200 and from there 5 down to 9 is pretty normal from say 75 yds out to 175 yds depending on how warm it is. That's still 10 clubs. If you're not playing enough clubs, then you have to do exactly what you shouldn't be doing to get good with the remaining clubs: stretching and shortening the club to fill the gaps between clubs.
@@larryfine6865 I’m 6’6 1/2” my Paradym is 45.75” and I’m thinking of taking .75”-1” off of my driver shaft. I have enough distance so I can stand to lose a few yards if need be.
I appreciate the video. Anecdotally, the only 2 real differences between when I played to a 4 handicap and now is 1) age (51 now) and 2) practice time. When I was “at the peak”, I would hit a bucket of balls singly only wedges. Wedge from 120, wedge from 100, wedge from 80, wedge from 60 and then go hit the practice bunker and chipping green. Today, I play a round or two a week. I can still break 80 (shot 79 today) but I find my way up the fairway good enough. It’s those wedge shots that are so much more inconsistent. Yeah, maybe a 44” driver shaft might help a little. But honestly, no amount of $$$ that I spend can make up for knowing how far a 3/4 swing with a 56* will go and being able to consistently put it within 1 putt distance.
Think you made his point. Lost balls off the tee are detrimental to a guy like me trying to break 80. I am much more consistent with my shorter shaft driver, than that long whip that is the standard. I also have 4 wedges but I only need 2 or maybe 3 to cover 115 to green side shots……think I’m gonna leave out or replace that blade wedge too
@@bfriendly100 Hey, don’t disagree that lost balls hurt the score card. Hit whatever keeps you in play. Some of my lowest rounds have come with the driver left in the bag. So I get it. Just a thought though… If you are consistently in the 80’s, my guess is that you are either missing a fair number of GIRs or when you do hit a GIR, you are far outside the hole more often than not. Probably hitting more than the average golfer as you can play, just not enough to score low. Meaning instead of 1 putt max 2 putt distance, you are nearly automatic 2 putt possibly 3 putt when you hit the green. Or 1 chip 1-2 putts if you miss the GIR. If you are objective about it, I think you’d find a lot more strokes if you could find a way to nearly automatically get close from a set distance (eg. From 120 in). Play to that set distance off the tee and break that 80. Anyways, good luck and cheers,
@@McLovin1759 my short game usually keeps me in the low 80s, but my tee shots have been inconsistent lately so that penalty stroke or 3 each round AND a bit of what you mentioned (like putting) keeps me from breaking the 80 mark. FWIW-I’ve switched my traditional style to Saguto taught S&T. I’ve gotten back into golf after an 18 year hiatus……raising a son who is now my golfing buddy!. Like so many others doing it, my wedges through long irons are money! I’m taking nice dollar bill divots again, but my woods are not there yet……..got that big hook or blocking it out. You are spot on though in most instances no doubt, mine included! I really like what you said about hitting to a certain specific distance out. I’ll stay back to 80 or 100 vs a 40 yard pitch over a hazard, but will think about that instead of just how close I can get……thanks a bunch!
@@realSS00 thanks man I did move the weight a little face bias and it made a difference. If I make a decent swing, it goes right where it’s supposed to….lol
Wow, at 62, I am already doing what u just said in the video. I just cut my driver shaft down by an inch; in my bag I have a 9 wood, 5 wood, 3 wood and a hybrid. I got rid of the 4 and 5 irons; so i have 6,7,8,9 irons and wedges ; You just assured me I made the right decision with my woods instead of irons.
I'm 73 and my clubs are all old now. But despite what I see from advertisement they still work. All have Senior or Ladies flex in them except for the wedges. Used to be a 12, but now with age and injuries if I break 100 it's a good day. Driver: Cobra FlyZ. Callaway Fairways: X2Hot4 (17º), X2Hot7 (21º), X2Hot11 (25º). Taylor Made Aero Burner Hybrid: 28º. Callaway Big Bertha Hybrid: 32º. Cleveland 588 Altitude Irons: 8 (35º), 9 (39º), P (44º), Callaway Wedges: MD3 Milled, 46º, 50º, 54º, Mack Daddy, 58º. Putter: Taylor Made Daddy Long Legs, Left Handed. Yes, I play right but putt left. I was born a lefty but we lived with my grandmother for a while when I was young and she believed that left handednass was the debil. Have a cousin that's the same as she was also born a lefty and forced to change.
I went to a L.A.B mallet putter and it is like having a cheat code. I am not a good putter and since I got it everything is either going in or just barely missing. Best thing I ever did. I amazed.
Great video for us average golfers. I agree with all of your suggestions. And after over 50 years of golf, I have figured out all of these suggestions for myself, and am already doing them. There is one thing though, I still keep my 4 iron. sometimes under a tree, you just need a low shot.
I agree. My 4 iron is my best low puncher when it's necessary to get out of the wood even if it's just 100-150yds to go. And still use it for fairway or T shots between 190-200yds. I also have an hybrid 4 which it is kind of equivalent on distance but my iron tends to fade and my hybrid tends to draw, so it depends on what shape I hope to get.
This video is spot on! I only started playing golf 6 years ago at a late age and stopped for two years during Covid. Now in my mid 50’s I’m back. I couldn’t hit a driver to save my life, but I killed it for my limited experience with irons and wedges. When I got back into golf, I got a shorter shaft driver and now I’m no longer embarrassing myself! I’ve improved with the shorter shaft driver, literally like a light switch came on! I wish I received this advice from the video 6 years ago! It’s like night and day instantly with the shorter shaft driver, as stated in the video! Props!!! Point #2: Spot on about ditching the 4,3 irons and replacing with a hybrid. I hit my #4 hybrid so much better than my 4 iron, Point #3: Spot on home run with ditching the laser range finder and going with a GPS. Golf Logix app is superior than a range finder!
All of the advice you've given is great advice, except perhaps about the putter. Find what works and gives you confidence regarding a putter. ie. I just switched back to an Acushnet Bullseye putter that I used as a teenager. One other piece of advice I'd add is check grips and regrip when necessary. Many an amateur has never cleaned grips, let alone changed them.
This was nice to watch,. I watched Rory at times go down the grip of his driver. I was struggling with my driver at the time, so I tried it and it made a difference in being more in play and hit well. So I got the shaft cut down and now it is much better. I consider myself a good putter so do not struggle with that and I use a blade putter which I love, so wont change that. I invested in 7 wood and now a hibred 5 which has added value to my game. So I do not use the 4 iron any more. When it comes to the range finder it is a valuable tool that helps a lot and I also have a gps watch. For me I would use both together as it helps. Keep up the good work. Have a good day.
I’m 70 and my driver is 45 1/2” and is my favorite club in the bag. Not changing it. I have got rid of a lot of irons. I have 4-7 hybrids and love them. Wedges I have pw a 52 and 58 degree. Putting has been a problem my entire life. I have mallet and blade putters. I suck with them all.
IF you struggle with the putter , pace out your putts so you get a number in your head of how far the putt is... inside 10ft you do t need to really do this , but when you have a 25-40ft putt, pace it out. How far is the hole? = 380yards How far was your 2nd shot? 145yards.. How far was that pitch shot after you missed the green? ... 30 yards. So you know every distance you just hit but you don't have a clue how far that putt was after you got onto the green. Get a number in your head , it will help. Then practice 10 & 30 foot putts on the practice green.
100% agree with each suggestion. Since switching to a 44.5in driver, I’m 10-15 yards longer and more often in the fairway. My triple track 10 mallet has shaved off 5 putts per round. My 5w goes just as far as a 3w I used to carry. And I don’t carry a lob wedge. Two other suggestions: 1. the Ping ChipR wedge is a stress-saver (no more chip yips) and very versatile from 50yds and in. 2. Although I do not play one length clubs anymore, I kept the one length 4hybrid in the bag because it allows you to escape from under the trees or hit punch shots into the green from anywhere… you can even chip with it. As a 15 handicap golfer who can only play once per week on weekends, the ChipR and One Length hybrid has made golf way more fun for me. Thanks for all of the great videos!
I played with a mallet putter for the last decade or so...decided to try out a blade putter last year. I'll stick with the blade, much happier with the results. But I got rid of my long irons in favor of hybrids years ago, and just a couple of years ago, I found a 4 wood (or what would be a 4 wood...17deg of loft instead of the standard 15deg of a 3 wood). Night-and-day difference for a second shot on a par 5, and I hit it a good 10-15 yards or more longer than my 5 wood.
Funny thing about the 3-wood for me; It is a love/hate-relationship. At the moment it is absolutely my best friend from both the tee and on the fairway. I've absolutely smashed it from the fairway the last many rounds and it has _saved_ me !
How I went from averaging 95 to low 80s in a season: 1: swapped a Dunlop blade putter for a Lazrus Mallet 2: swapped my 3 and 4 irons for used hybrids 3: aimed for the safer miss (better over the green than short in a deep bunker, etc) Andy, you nailed it!
"aimed for the safer miss (better over the green than short in a deep bunker, etc)" True but if you're going to avoid hitting at the green, you're conceding an inability to handle the stress of hitting at the green. The only time there is no stress in a greenside recovery is when you're not keeping score. And it is not always true, not by far, that it's better to hit over a green than short in a deep bunker. Either way the real problem is that you can't hit and hold greens and you can't play deep bunker shots. There's very little that is different from playing a deep bunker shot instead of a shallow bunker shot. You need to know how to get the ball up on a consistent basis but not fly it back behind the green. There are holes out there just waiting for you to do that. There are holes out there where if you play shots behind the green, it's gone. Period. Unless you want to go hiking 50 yards down into a canyon or go snorkeling in a lake. If you keep taking low-stress shots instead of stressful shots, you'll never be able to handle stress and you will inevitably run into holes where there is no real safe option short of hitting the ball on the green and holding it there. Find a good middle-ground between stupid shots and stressful shots.
I have done all those things you suggest in the video. Started playing regularly again after taking early retirement at 60. I now use cobra trail irons 7-pw cavity back wide sole wedges my driver I had cut down from 45.75 to 45 made huge difference. Agree 100% about 3 wood recently picked up proper old school Taylor Made 3 Rescue Fairway. It’s 17 degrees and is like a 5 wood and strong 3 hybrid cross which I can shape
Andy, the very best video you have ever posted. And I have to say I have all five suggestions in my bag arrived at after years of trial and error. I’m an amateur club fitter and your comments and suggestions are fully supported by me 👍
I am 78 years old and drive with my 3 wood and it goes as far as my driver did, but a lot straighter. I also crush it off the fairway. Love my 7 wood also.
Good video as always. My set up is traditional Driver, 3 wood and 5 wood. Next club is a 5 hybrid. Contemplating taking 3 wood out and adding a 7 wood. Im not a big hitter Driver and Fairways woods are Cobra Air X range so light and high lofted.
Absolutely right Andy I recently took my 3 wood out and put in a 5 wood, I’ve taken out a 5 iron and put in a 7 wood. What a revelation my scores have dropped along with my handicap. They have only been in my bag for 5 weeks and I’ve dropped a shot.
agree 100%!!! Id add: 1. toss S/XS shafts (get fit & swallow ego). 2. Putt more chips. 3. ditch 3/4 hybrids for 7 woods. 4. consider mini driver off tee for shorter tee shots rather than long hybrids/narrow woods. 5. $350 custom shafts wont help as much as the cost. Cheers f 110* AZ!
I am 55yrs. 4 HCP (from 5900 yards). I took my Driver shaft (46'') and exchanged it for my 3w shaft (44.5'') and saw an immediate improvement to 245 yard drive (previously 230). The 44.5'' shaft was a massive improvement. I then took my 5w shaft and placed my 3w head on it (200 yards), and took my driver shaft and placed the 5w (210-220 yards off the tee, only). Callaway with removable heads gave me this flexibility. Playing the correct yardage is key. I would suggest playing the Reds (most forward tees) and learn how to score, then move back slowly and break par at the next tees. Playing the shorter courses exposes weakness in the game, but improvement makes playing so much fun. I have broken par (-1) from 4800 yards, 5400 yards, and 5900 yards.
I am 53 and an 11 index. So are you saying even if I have been playing for several years, I should go to the forward tees and try to break par and then move back one? Or are you recomending for beginners or those who are recently learning the game? I have thought about if it would make sense doing that but was not sure if it would be worth paying to play a course and not playing the tee box distance that is considered fair for my lenght, which is between 6000 and 6200.
@@darthvader1402 I'm not convinced that will improve your overall game but definitely improve your fun and proudness. I can score near par on 18 holes at 4800-5000 yds or so but barely break 90 on regular tee on a 6200yds. That's certainly because of my lack of consistency on longer shots and a shorter course will give me more reasonable distance on my 2nd shots after a miss.
Kind of agree with the 3 wood point - only use it as an alternative to the driver when I need a little less distance. You gotta be confident hitting them off the fairway.
I have a low-bounce 60 degree lob wedge which I canot hit initially. But after lots of practice and improved understanding of how the wedge work now I can use it effectively.
I’ve just gone to senior flex woods and been fitted for senior flex irons. All are graphite. At 72 this has added back yards to my game and better dispersion.
Lab putters are the greatest. I played with scotty camerons fir 2+ decades and recently bought a custom df2.1 and after 2 months after using it, i will always use a lab putter.
Ditched my 3 and 4 irons for a 3 Hybrid a while back and it was a game changer, still a 22 handicap but I lose way less strokes from 200 yards now it was a great decision! Also, mallet putters are good but if you play heads up putting like I do the blade putters allow your arms to correct the face of the putting stroke a lot more subtly
My 58 and 60 Degree wedges are always in use and I love them. Yes sometimes I hit fat or thin but from last year to this year those misses have greatly gone down and I continue to improve with them and from 100 yards in those are my two go-to clubs. Paired that with a Vice pro plus ball and I can actually produce some back spin and hold the greens. I want to dump my 5 iron and for a 7wood but still looking for a decent used one I can try before I commit to a pricier option.
Totally agree with all but one. I switched my driver a couple of months ago to a 44.75" shaft from a 46" and made a HUGE difference in center ball strikes. I also ditched my **cough** 62* wedge (I didn't understand wedges at the time I bought it!!) so now carry a iron set PW and AW and then a SM9 54* and 58*. Subbed the 5i for a 9W. Golfers - MAKE THAT SWITCH. I have the Ai Smoke 9W and it's literally a cheat code. It only knows how to go high and straight. Blades work better for me than mallets but that's just personal preference. BUT I do think 3W is good to have. I almost exclusively use it off the tee. Wide fairway? Driver. Narrow fairway (or course management)? 3 Wood. Otherwise, totally agree 5W off the deck is a much safer option than 3W for sure! great video!
This was a well timed video for me. I was just adjusting the clubs in my bag. I will take out the 4 iron I just put in, and put in a 4h. I use my 60*, so I will test my 54* by opening the face. I may remove the 60*, I will see how it goes. I need my 5i as I need a low shot from time to time, but I may be adding my 5h. Thank for helping me think through my bad.
Taylor Made Mini-Driver, 7 wood, 4 Hybrid added to the top of the bag. Cleveland Smart Sole S wedge, Ping Chpr and a Scotty Phantom 9 putter at the bottom. 5 wood and Cobra One-length PW-4i fill out the bag. Use the Chpr for 90% of my shots inside 80Y the Mini-Driver or 5 wood for most tee shots and the 7 wood and hybrid for long lay ups. Scores dropped from 100 to mid-80's within 10 rounds. I now leave the Driver, 3 wood, long irons and gap wedge at home.
Good tips on replacing irons with hybrids. I do keep a 4 iron for punching out as it is much less loft and hits out of rough better than a hybrid. I disagree on the 3 wood. I get an extra 25 to 30 yards over my 5 wood and use it often. What clubs you hit best depends on the individual. I would always recommend getting fitted. I have a blade style putter I've used for many years. Maybe I would try switching to a mallet style. Thank you for making the video.
I’ve always used standard wedge and 56 sand wedge. The best part of my game has been my short game. I have now got a set of Cobra irons with strong lofts so I needed a gap wedge rather than choking down on the standard. I now have all Cobra clubs, 50, 54, and 58. I am learning to love them. The weight of them feels great. Snakebites. I’m starting to hit 80, 81 consistently, still throwing in the doubles, the odd wayward drive does that! Turning 71 soon. Not playing off the back tees yet, I’m not that good 😂
This is generally good advice, I replaced my 5 iron with a 5 hybrid and it’s been a god send. Also ditching super high lofted wedges is a really good shout, I generally chip now with a 54 at the max, and a 56 at a push. The piece you mention about driver shaft length is probably the most relevant thing ever. Being a shorter golfer I actually play all my drivers at minimum driver length and it has helped tremendously. We aren’t all 6foot+ giants that need the length and I’m sure even some of those fellows would benefit. Another thing I’ll mention, that a mini driver off the deck as a replacement 3 wood has been a real highlight for me this year. They are awesome if your main driver isn’t working that day, and also great for a second shot on a par 5. The Callaway ai smoke is particularly forgiving as well. Cheers for the video!!
I'm not sure what this part is supposed to mean, especially given the nonsense that so many golfers talk to cover-up their insecurities. "The piece you mention about driver shaft length is probably the most relevant thing ever. Being a shorter golfer I actually play all my drivers at minimum driver length and it has helped tremendously. We aren’t all 6foot+ giants that need the length and I’m sure even some of those fellows would benefit." Look...it's not about how tall you have to be to need something. It's about your ability to play what you have. If you are one of the people who think that changing your gear (or "fitting") is the way to better golf, fine. Keep replacing all of your gear until you play well. I'll be happy for you. There will be a lot more used golf gear available at reasonable prices that people who can and do tune their game to their gear will be happy to buy and use to play well. Just save the snark where the problem is that you think that your previous gear...which you chose to buy...is not a good fit for you. That's all I ask. Because the process of becoming a better player is a mix of learning how to play well with the gear that you have combined with learning what gear you play well with. The length of your driver shaft is an abstract number. What matters is how well you play with it when you mount a clubhead on it, tee a ball up in front of you and swing it. Don't bring your height issues into this.
@@touristguy87 Listen dude you don’t know me from a hole in the wall, I don’t buy a tonne of clubs to “cover my insecurities” and you’ve never golfed with me before. There is absolute value to fitting process….do you run with shoes that are 2 sizes to big for you? Because hockey players don’t adjust their stick lengths?? Come on man, of course it matters one size does not fit all. I will agree that we do have to get better at using what we have definitely, the technology has changed though to help the golfer. Embrace it friend.
I switched my 3i-4i to a 3-4Hyb and my game improved immensely. I can still hit my 3W decently, so not switching that just yet. I only use two wedges 54 & 48 degrees. Haven't found a situation where one of these two couldn't get me close to the pin.
Have you been stalking me on the course Andy?😂 I put a shorter shafted driver in the bag last month. My go to wedge is a PXG 0211Z with plenty of bounce like the Cleveland you used in the video. My highest iron is a 6i. I use a 25 degree hybrid and a 5 wood. And after 3-putting several holes in the last two weeks I was looking at a mallet putter just this morning!
Edit. I forgot to mention that I have a ranger finder that never gets used because I can't hold it steady enough onto a target so I just use an app on my phone.
I play with a driver, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 irons, approach wedge, regular wedge and a putter(the same one you recommended...and I love it). I can't hit with hybrids/woods. My game is improving all the time.
Old club tech (build, repair, fitting), speaking here. On hybrids and fairway woods. It's not the extra bulk and mass that makes them easier to hit up to fly. The heads actually aren't any heavier. In fact, since most hybrids and high lofted woods are longer than their equivalent irons, noticeably so with the woods, the heads are lighter to keep the swingweight under control. What is different is HOW they are weighted, and how people react to them. First of all, they are hollow bodied, and therefore perimeter weighted. They tend to have more head MOI (moment of inertia), and therefore more resistance to twisting on off centre hits. More so even than game improvement irons. So they don't lose as much distance. Secondly, they are more low and back weighted than irons. That lower and further back centre of gravity helps launch the ball higher, which helps out average golfers enormously. It also magnifies the head MOI, adding to the forgiveness. Finally, most people seem to feel more confidence with that more substantial clubhead sitting behind the ball. So they hit it better, and get it up in the air more. Without a doubt they work better for most people than long irons. That's why.
In short bulk and mass reflect size of head and there was no mention of weight. It is the bulk and mass (size of the head) that allows weight to be distributed and impact on MOI and lower CG helps with launch 👍
@@TheAverageGolfer Ah, I see what you mean. Bulk, yes, absolutely. Weight and mass are two different concepts in physics, but in standard earth gravity, they are identical in measurement. Mass and weight have a 1:1 ratio in Earth gravity. Or so my physics teacher taught me. So what counts in this case is how that lesser mass is distributed, utilizing the greater bulk, the greater head area. I guess I'm getting pedantic. Picky about wording. But I get your point, and I agree with it. Thanks for the clarification.
Thanks for the video, excellent advice. I'm 71 now and as a 'senior' i think it is high time that I made the game a little easier for myself. I think i need to try some hybrid/rescue clubs do you (or anyone else) have any specific favourite brands please? Keep up the good work cheers Andy
So glad I came across this video. I just removed my 3 wood from the bag. It was 30 years old and I never use it (never learned how). My wedges have a nice fat sole are nice and fat. I don't have no wedges flatter than a 56, my driver shaft is only 44 inches and I have a mallet putter. I use a Garmin watch and take the distances with a grain of salt but I will now look at the back of the green number as I tend to come up short rather than go long. There. I'm all set. Now my bad results are up to my lack of talent.
Carry a driver 5,7,9 woods but have a 69 degree wedge at 64 years old. Just won our club championship by 8 shots. Got the same putter as Scotty sheffler that I am deadly with. The irons are cobra 1 length.
@@sandersson2813Full swing, 50 to sixty yards to pin. Not sure where you get a 69 degree wedge but I got a 70 degree Mutsumi Honma. Bent it his self maybe.
@@fredfish4316 You should never use such a high loft for full swings. It's ridiculous to send a ball that high up in the air, when you could simply pitch it . By hitting a ball so high, you're just doubling the length of the shot and increasing your margin for error. That is the shot of a high handicapper with zero course management and little intelligence.
I never use my driver as the course I play on is all par 3 holes. I have only used it on the driving range and it always felt to long for me. Iam going to shorten it by 1.5 inches. I have a set of wedges that feel great but have very sharp edges, I have big trouble trying to control my shots with these. Like you suggested I stick to my pitching and gap wedge from my game improvement irons. I have a five wood, really hated that club, but now I can hit it fairly well. Great tips! I just started playing golf a out five months ago, I'm 63 years old and getting better.
Great video with superb tips. I use a mallet putter, game improvement irons and I use hybrids instead of long irons. The only one I haven't used is the shorter shaft on the driver, which might solve the problems I'm having lately off the tee. I agree with the 3 wood (which is fairly redundant in my bag) and have invested in a 5 wood which has become my favourite club this year.
Can confirm my game has taken off since I dropped my 3 wood for a 5, and replaced long irons with a hybrid. I also just played a round with a mallet putter for the first time and really liked it so that's probably my next change.
I have an Adams tight lies low profile 4 wood that gives me the distance of a 3 wood with the flight of a 5 wood. I don't carry a 3 wood in my bag anymore. Generally play driver and PW through 6 Iron depending on the hole. I use my Adams 4 wood for long par 3s, second shots on long 4s and second shots on long 5s. Generally hit my PW through 6 Iron on approach depending. Lob wedge is an important weapon inside 50 yards. Easier for me to hit a full lob wedge for 40 or 50 yards than to hit half a PW. Also have a Sandy Andy in the bag that is money coming out of sand traps. Agree with everything except ditching the lob wedge.
I think it’s good advise. I choke down to the bottom of the grip on the driver on a lot of shots and it goes almost as far but straight most of the time.
Driver shaft - choke up. Wedges - highly personal but yeah try a few things. Putter - totally personal, one can putt with anything. Long irons - yes, for 90% of golfers drop them. 3wood - yes, same as the long irons.
Solid advice. What you’ve said applies to most recreational golfers. The only deviation should be if and when a golfer has a natural aptitude for any of the clubs you mentioned dropping. For example I stink with a 3 Wood and haven’t carried one for over 20 years, so that fits with your advice. But I’m a good wedge player and make great use of a 60 degree with high bounce. However, also to your point, I have a Vokey 64 degree and it’s the devil to hit cleanly, so it resides in my closet. I carry a standard driver and hit it when the fairway is wide and favors a good run-out, but also have a mini driver for tight fairways and situations where run-out with a tee shot is not desired (like on a dog leg for example). I’ve liked and subscribed; look forward to more of you useful content. Cheers from Savannah, Georgia. John W.
Thank you for logical feedback and you have nailed it, horses for courses as I like say, its not a rule book but maybe some value if anyone is struggling
I feel like a 58 or 60 degree wedge are both great especially inside that 60-80 yard range. I use a RTX 6 and it is my favourite and most accurate club!
My 58 is one of my favorite clubs. It's also a Callaway Jaws so I feel a little judged by the video but I totally understand what he means. I really love the bounce ony 58 though. I'll still usey trusty rusty, but that iron is basically an extension of my arm at this point.
As long as you're not hitting that thing full. I don't think a 56 or 60 should ever be hit full. Know your 50% and 75% distances for those clubs. That's all you need.
Excellent video everything he suggested was spot on I have tried all of this and he is just replaced my blade putter with a mallet with a stroke lab shaft the shaft really works and added to hybrids only difference is I choke down on my driver I like it better than a shorter driver length
I had the pro shop cut two inches off my driver when they regripped it YEARS AGO because I knew that I had more control with a shorter club. The change in flex is not noticeable. No need to get a whole new shaft.
How was the swingweight? Two inches is a ton of swingweight. I went down that path with an R5. 44.5. Then 44. Then 43.5 and I lost all consistency. A clubfitter measured it and the SW and it was like C4 or something.
@@edr4973 I have no idea. Maybe I just adjusted the swing. But all the tinkering is just a racket to sell more equipment. My first set of clubs in the 80s was a persimmon wood driver with a little divot on the face. I learned how to avoid the divot. I was a much better golfer then. I have a buddy who upgrades his clubs every year. Probably costs him $2,000/year. His game never changes, but what a customer for the pro!
I have a three wood and I agree, they're a nightmare off the fairway. I got mine altered to nearer a 4 wood and it was a game-changer - particularly off the tee.
I see so many of these online golf gurus telling people to put away the 3w. This is a great club that can provide versatility in your game. Off the tee, in the fairway and even around the greens (with a modified putting stroke). Spending an hour at the range with this club will add so much to your game.
agreed, I love my Sim 2 Max 3W, both from the fairway and the tee...I also carry an adjustable 5w, but don't get the distance I can with the Taylormade.
Congrats you can hit your 3w, 98% of amateurs can not. Has nothing to do with being a guru, it’s back up by stats. Most people hit 5w with more control than their 3w. Sorry you got so offended by that.
@@seadonkey6913 I much prefer the 5 wood as you confirm, as it does give a more assured contact in most conditions and useful distance, as well as a forgiving flight path. The 3 is great where the lie is good and the fairway wide.
@@Afficionadoh I agree, the 3-wood for me is great in limited situations. Has to be a nice level propped up lie in the fairway with a wide target area. I hit my 3- hybrid much more consistently and is much more versatile and would probably be the same with a 5 -wood
When i had my woods fitting my fitter suggested dropping 3 wood and replacing with a 5 wood as it was only 5 yards shorter, went driver, 5 & 7 wood and they''ve been brilliant. At the other end ive ditched my Kirkland wedges an replaced them with Cleveland smartsole 50 degree and 54 & 58 CBX's wedge game has improved significantly as for putter i have my trusty Odyssey mini jailbird i wont even pick up another putter in case i upset it 😊
@@cavitedasma8261 Ummm okay, I do it pretty routinely but I have nothing to prove, played two par threes last week 160 yards hit 9 irons, but hey I know my yardages so that's all that matters, I could care less you believe it or not bud haha.
@@cavitedasma8261 Ummm okay in my dreams I guess haha. My SW is 120, GW 130, PW 140 on up to 4i at 200, but okay it's in my dreams, but I only do it every time I play haha. Do I care if you believe it or not, not at all nope.
@@cavitedasma8261 Played two par threes last week that were at 160 yards, hit center of the greens with 9i. I have no idea why people cant hit these distances, seems like it should be more normal than not, but if youre not fit and flexible and lean, then it could be your guys issue, not sure.
I bought a range finder and I like it, I also have a watch, and you're right the front to back distance is more important overall. But the more info you have the more confident you can be, in my case when I duff it 10 yards.... But at least I know exactly what I wanted to do!!!
Everyone has their own story and needs but this worked for me so it might help someone else. I realized many years ago that around 45 inches was the absolute max length I was capable of using off the tee but 44" was even better so being a better than average club tinkerer I started modifying drivers until I found the right combo because simply making a driver shorter without a change of loft, swing weight, etc doesn't yield the best results. For me a 75 gram shaft worked better for my quick tempo and adding a degree of loft to 10.5 as well bring the swingweight ack to D2 was a magic combo regardless of the brand of head. After that I ditched 3 wood and standard length 5 wood because when hitting off the ground I found even 5 wood length too long. So I shortened that as well until Callaway came out with their UW at 17 degrees and 41.5" which just work for me better than my modded 5wd. I've never had trouble with irons even when everything else would fall apart but as I lost speed over the years I found that 24 degrees even in the new magic irons was about the consistent low end loft limit. So I built my set from there up to a 58 degree wedge because I found myself getting too steep and short with a 60 degree. I fill the 17 to 24 degree gap wit either a 21 degree hybrid or a shortened 7 wood. The 21 Callaway uw just doesn't get the height that a 7 wood does and I'm usually using it on a course I need to hit over things on or that have par threes or approach shots in the 205- 215 yard range. Easy 7wd goes about 210 and stops right where it hits. I also do not play game improvement style irons. Not dues to ego but because I hit every darn thing on the market and found the best feel and cosistency with Titleist T-150 with a T-200 5 iron at that 24 degree mark. I think too many people get caught up in handicap versus iron style and miss out on what will work best for them. Obviously, a pure blade versus a super game improvement iron will be a stark contrast but as we drift away from those extremes the so called forgiveness factor isn't that great. Your mileage may vary but doing these things enabled me to remain a solid high 70's to mid 80's player (I don't keep a handicap) even with decreased playing time. And, by the way, ego usually gets us in trouble when trying to take shots we know we shouldn't rather than using a set of clubs that might cost us a shot per round versus another set.
Nice video. I like the idea of game improvement wedge to replace my Callaway Jaws 58 degree wedge. I love my 3 wood and I’ve gotten rid of my 3 & 4 iron for hybrids. Now I need to figure out what to replace my 5 iron with.
I tried a 44.5" driver shaft with a heavier head weight. It was a disaster. I left the head weight in, swapped back my old 45.5" shaft and choke up a bit. It's now a beast. I recommend 9w instead of 4hy or 4 iron. Get the 9w a bit short at an extra heavy swing weight to offset the lighter shaft and you'll be good to go.
well,a year ago i suffered a stroke. now i'm carrying my driver 200. was 240 pre stroke. heres what i did ...look up scott keenlyside, great teaching pro ...i went to a 44 inch senior flex shaft stealth 2 ...i chucked all my mid low irons and use a 3 5 and 7 hybrid...picked up a ping 5 wood ...lastly,if i find myself chunking i quickly get out of it by choking up half an inch. i also thickened my grips thanks for your vid !
Reducing the length of the driver is good advice. Objectively, this shortens the length of drives. But contextually, it increases them because a shorter shaft like much more likely to lead to solid hits. Seriously consider a mini driver like that offered by TaylorMade. More loft, shorter shaft, and a head size big enough to still deliver forgiveness. At least consider using a shorter shaft for your driver and increasing the loft of your driver. (Watch the swing weight--it will go down with a shorter shaft.) I disagree regarding the lob wedge. I think its evil is in its misuse. Players using it to chip, for example, when a lower-lofted club would be much better suited. But the LW is terrific out of most bunkers because you don't have to open the clubface. Just square up to the ball like you normally do and hit behind it. Also, because I use single-length clubs, my LW is the same length, weight, etc. as the rest of my set, so it's fantastic from the fairway. With a putter, get as much MOI as possible. I use a Bloodline because I love standing it up behind the ball and looking down the line to aim effectively. Look at the new PXG putter--it's amazing. Get away from long irons. Substitute for hybrids instead. If you're not at scratch, stop playing any iron above the 5. (And seriously, are you even hitting that one well?) Dump the 3-wood. HYBRIDS! If you want the 3-wood off the tee, use a mini-driver instead. (And you can hit it off the deck.) Back in the day I used to hit a 7-wood (Heavenwood from Callaway.) But now hybrids play that role. Play to the middle of the green. But I love a rangefinder because I can find the distance to any target, hazard, or marker. My rangefinder has GPS in it, so I get both functions in the same eyepiece. I almost exclusively rely on the rangefinder. But I often aim to the center of the green, especially when faced with a flag in the front. Safety margin and all that.
I switched to a 5 wood off the tee, it's a big improvement, the head is smaller than my driver, but I am far more consistent with the 5, I put it down to the shorter shaft.
am 63 yo. last time i had strong 3 wood in bag was as a sub for driver in bag about 10yrs ago. now i use 14 degree halo hybrid now. planning on retiring 3, 4 irons for 18 degree hybid.
I started with the CBX wedge and it tremendously helped out my short game. Now that my game has improved I been able to look at traditional wedges with different grind options, and now I have more control on the greens. GI wedges really did help me improve
Very constructive advice. I have found your comments to ring quite true. My bag is full of hybrids and woods. I have found the 5 & 7 Woods far more effective than a 3 wood. Playing with a near 46 inch length driver is total nonsense for most. 44 or 44.5 inches is sound . Good video my friend. You are right on
Same around Here ... Drop my 3 W and 4-5I for 5W , 4-5H... Irons starts a 6I trough 9I, A-P-52-56-60..Mallet Putter of course !!! i do like to use my 60 in specific condition , not specifically tight lies...and i do control it pretty well...Score is going down , as i do break 90 regularly this year, thanks to a lot of putting and chipping Drills... Keep the good work..
Hi Andy, I’ve changed to a centre shafted mallet putter , really helps. Struggle out of bunkers so probably need to move away from a vokey, to something more forgiving. Play off 11, seen recent wedge videos makes sense to me👍
Re. driver length, why can't you just grip down like Lydia Ko does on virtually all her shots - and maybe the extra length acts like a counterbalance? (some clubs have little weights at top of grip anyway). Just asking, I'm a newbie to golf...😂
My 3W is adjusted 1.5 degrees and it's been one of my best clubs. Added a 7w this year and has been game changer. Even being the same loft as hybrid I hit them different distances. Haven't found a mallet I like yet so still sticking with the blade. Maybe they'll make the right one for me sometime.
Really great advice - thanks! I've used a mallet putter for ages, and it just seems so much easier to hit the longer putters. I'm also a fan of the larger soles for wedges. I'll have to investigate the shortening of the Driver.
As a female golfer, the 3 Wood is an essential club if you want to have any hope at all in being on in regulation for most holes. Golf is a completely different game for amateur women than it is for amateur men.
I'm an amateur woman and I have never had success with a 3 wood. I have had much better results with a 4 wood. It gives me good loft and carry without sacrificing distance.
I’m a high handicapper male, and I play with a Women’s cobra F max 3 wood with a swapped out shaft. It has the head size of a 3 wood but the loft of a 5 wood at 19*, as well as a shorter 41” shaft. Works like magic and is the easiest club in my bag to hit. I did this actually because I just couldn’t get any distance out of regular 3 woods and a regular men’s 5 wood was too inconsistent and shorter distance on average mostly due to hooking the ball too much.
Totally agree with looking at what you use and don't' use in your bag. I got rid of my fairway wood and 2 hybrids and opted of for a P790 4-iron (2019 version) and I use that as my DI. I also got 2 more wedges, 58 and 64 (soon to be 62), since I can still hit over 300 off the tee...need more wedges. I play blades, MP-69's but soon to be the 2024 Wilson Staff blades, and have more confidence with looking down at basically nothing with minimal offset than I do looking down at a chunky wood or hybrid. I do love me a mallet putter though. I game the Tyne C 2021 now but ordered a Jailbird Mini based on how well it rolled for me. Great video...appreciate your ideas and suggestions.
That's super 👌 I do not mean to sound like Captain Obvious but he was not talking about your percentage of golfers. Thank you for your time. Good day, sir.
@@ChildoftheMostHigh1 I know but I still agreed with him on some of his suggestions. Mallet putter for sure and just looking at what's in your bag and taking a look at what you don't use or rarely use. Thanks for your time as well....good day to you as well.
Couldn't disagree more with your opinion on wedges!!! I love all my wedges, 52, 56, and 60. My 60 has saved me countless times and I would never leave it out of my bag!
Great advice Andy, worth mentioning though that cutting down driver will make it feel lighter in the head as swingweight is reduced. This can affect timing for some. A good local pro or fitter can add a bit of weight to equalise.
Hello, I am very interested. As you know, there are tons of investments out there and without solid knowledge, I can't decide what is best. Can you explain further how you invest and earn?
Same, I operate a wide- range of Investments with help from My Financial Adviser. My advice is to get a professional who will help you, plan and enhance your management skills. For the record, working with Sonia Duke, has been an amazing experience.
I tried mallets but hated them expecially from longer distances. Went back to my trusted blade putter and felt comfortable right away. Agree with the rest while still using a 60deg wedge😅 just a fun club to play around with.
Informative video. I've dropped the 3 wood, 2-5 Irons and added 3-5 hybrid plus a 5 wood. I love my Calloway Rogue driver and it's the club I hit the straightest most of the time. I can't explain it but I feel every time I can hit it down the middle of the fairway.
Rarely use my 60 degree so I’m with you there, but I’m not playing a cavity backed wedge. I think many people should play them, but “blade” wedges are all I know, and I like the versatility.
Few notes, from a guy who's been playing even longer than you've been alive (I'm 86, with 75 years playing experience). First, most average golfers carry WAY too many clubs. You don't need 14 cubs to play effectively; I'm a 6 handicap from the middle tees and I carry 8 clubs - driver/7wd/4-6-8-P-S irons/putter. One of the best things an average golfer can learn is how to hit some half and 3/4 shots; develop some FEEL!! Second, ALWAYS walk the course. Either carry the bag (much easier with fewer clubs) or use a pull/push cart, but never ride. Walking stretches the big muscles you use to hit golf balls, so it's not only good for you, it's good for your game. Third, THINK!! Admit that you are not always going to hit a perfect shot, and place yourself so that your misses are less painful. Fourth, learn to love your sand wedge. Study how to hit from bunkers with different types of sand, and learn how to use it from the rough. This club is designed to get you out of trouble, so learn how to use it! Last, spend just as much time on the practice green as you do on the range, and spend that time on 4-10 footers, not 30-foot snakes (you're not going to make many of those, no matter how much you practice). When you start making more of those 4-10 footers, your score will drop nicely...and you'll start to get into your playing partners' pockets!
80 yrs old and agree totally I walk 9 holes almost every day. I need more practice w/ sand wedge , putter.
@@RavenThom Keep at it, brother...
Best golf comment I've read ever. You're absolutely right about everything you've mentioned. Cheers
@@Speedslays Well, sh*t...at least I can claim to have learned a bit over 7 decades!! When I was a junior, I had a sort-of mentor who once asked me what I'd shoot at the new course where he'd just been hired as assistant pro, if we went out and dropped a ball in the middle of the fairway 250 yards out on the par 4s and 5s. My reply was, "Dick, I dunno, I am always well beyond that, but seldom in the middle..." Dick looked me in the eye and gave me the simplest golf lesson I've ever heard, "Golf's a lot easier and more fun from the middle of the fairway." Pity I didn't listen; I might even have been able to make a living at it (which was my goal at that time, when I was about 14). But I was young and very strong (3 sport varsity athelte in both high school and college) and I LOVED bombing tee shots, even when it meant fighting the grasshoppers to find the ball afterwards. I'll admit I probably don't have as much fun as I did when I was young. Maybe youth isn't ALWAYS wasted on the young!
For me PW instead of SW
After years of struggling on the golf course, I have decided to go a step further and dump all my clubs and the bag too.
The bag can be useful for holding beers while you are on the course though... don't ruin your game...
Sometimes you need...."to now when to hold'em and when to fold'em". Try pickleball. Just kidding.
😂
Golf is fishing-time wasted.
🤣😂🤣
I am a 60+ yr old golfer. (Started playing after nearly 12 yrs away from the game about 3 yrs ago) I use to be a solid 8 handicap before my extended break. On my 1st year back I struggled to a 12 handicap. So I made the decision to toss my ego the window and play what gives me THE best chance to play golf. So away went my blade irons. Reducing DISPERSION was the goal (both in side to side & long to short). I picked a 44" driver (260yd carry) that wasn't the longest - but was more giving on misses left the right. I tossed my 3-wood for a 5 wood (235yd carry) that I can adjust to a 4 wood loft but was more useful from the fairways. Added a 7 (210yd - 220yd carry) wood & an occasional 9 wood (190yd-200yd carry) . Narrowed my irons from PW to 5 iron and selected a really consistent players distance iron (Mizuno 245) (130yds to 180yds carry). The MOST important change was to select MUCH more forgiving wedges - because they are called "scoring irons" for a reason. I chose wedges that on mishit shot reduced my distance dispersion - this enables me to carry my shots over bunkers, water, and hit more "pin high" on the greens. My choice were the Edison Wedges (my Backup are the Cleveland CBX wedges) 49 degree, 53 degree, 57 degree. Putter I selected based on how I was able to align my eyes to the intended target line. Since I made these changes my handicap in now hovering around 1.8 and trending downward. I no longer play from the championship tees - but I do play from the "blue tees". My quest is to be a scratch golfer by the end of 2025 at the ripe old age of 62.
What a target and I hope you achieve it 👍
As a previous 8 handicap, why did you ever have blade irons?
@@twostate7822 ego. He said that in his comment.
@@twostate7822 Why can't an 8 index have blades? If he was carrying his 7 iron 200 yds, blades could be the preferred iron.
Great story. A mallet putter with better alignment is half the putting battle IMO.
Love my 58 degree. 60-75 yards deadly with it. Hate hybrids. Love my 7 wood. Putters are definitely an individual thing. Switched from mallet to blade and dropped from 33 putts a round to 27.
I hit the 3 wood very well off the fairway or on short par 4s the most lofted club in my bag is a 52 degree as far as putters go it's a lot about feel just like a lot of the rest of the game if you are playing well enough don't listen to all the hype they just want your money I have been playing for 58 years
@@ReedMinor putters are not just about feel….if you have a straight back stroke certain heads and shafts are better if you have a arc stroke there are heads and shafts for that……. And the only wedge you have is 52 degrees? What do you hit out of green side bunkers? You are the last guy who should be giving advice……Oh yea this is social media everybody is an expert about everything on here…..You been playing for 58 years( idk why you felt the need to tell us that) and you probably barely break 80….below average golf might be ok for you but I play to get better
Good advice! Rather than dump shaft, choke down 1”. Big CBX fan, 3 in bag. Keep 58 blade in bag, Left blade putter 20 years ago. On 3rd Rossie. Love my 3W, never tee off with it, second shot on par 5’s. Almost 10 years ago ditched 5w, added 3U, lately though put 20 yr old Adams back in play. Changed golf apps because FMB was harder to access.
A 60 lob wedge does one special trick - if you are hitting in to the 18th green with the clubhouse just behind the green, hitting it thin will put it right through the clubhouse window.
🤣🤣🤣
and so tell us how you know this :-p
Laugh out loud funny.
Uh. Epic.
Which is why you take practice swings
@@brewtalitykmy practice swings never miss.
This is an amazing video coach! I’m going to cutdown driber to 44” Thank you for all your content. I just hope you know how many of us average golfers appreciate and love you . Extremely grateful. God Bless
That will fk the balance of course.
Will change the stiffness of the shaft and massively alter the swing weight. If you shorten the shaft you will need to get it done by a competent club fitter. Try gripping down first and see if this makes any difference.
Why not just grip lower? Lol
I agree with al of them. Love how he isn't selling you on a brand. I love the last one. I use both but focus more on my phone app to know where the front, middle and back is. I live in Vancouver Canada so we have many mountain courses, so the range finder comes in handy as the distance changes with the elevations.
Another way to improve the Driver and the 3 wood is gripping them short a.l.a. Lydia Ko. When my game is really off, I even grip them almost to the shaft and hit them like hybrids, and the accuracy improves greatly w/o losing too much distance. Thinner grip seems to help with the release too, and doing it that way is free!!!
Ngl, this is what i do too.
This surely causes you to slice the ball.
@@Giz-7531 It didn't for me. I don't see why it would cause the ball to slice. As matter of fact, when I tried it the very first time with a driver, the ball went dead straight, I was surprised that it worked so well.
@@madaxeman9386 Every swing is different, but by gripping down with a full swing, you change the point at which the clubhead fully recovers from being flexed. This can be altered by swing speed, shaft alterations, or any of the other hundreds of adjustments, but pound-for-pound, if you swing the same club, the same speed, the same way but have gripped it down, the face will be open. Physics.
@@bmc2828 Right, so I don't swing same way when I grip down as I said in my OG post.
Played 1 round w a caddy in Manchester. Only time i’ve ever had a caddy. He said Pace referring to slower backswing. My control got 50% better. Shortened my driver 2” with great results. Fairway % doubled easily. Now I’m dumping clubs like 3W 60 wedge. Only 10 clubs in my bag. Switched to mallet a year age after using a rental set on vacation. Dropped 10 strokes in the last 12 months (was 28 handicap) using less clubs less swing speed but accuracy massively improved. More fairways = more on the green in 2 shots on par 4 & some 5’s. 5 Wood is my money club for distance w accuracy. Thank you for sharing this video it confirms what I’ve been experiencing lately. Since I started 5 years ago I struggled and wanted to quit golf. Now I use swing Pace and less clubs to enjoy golf. It’s very humbling coming from a confident baseball player for 40 years.
Why not just play with 4 clubs?
Think about it. Carry only the clubs that you would use if you were a scratch golfer.
Driver, putter, a wedge and a couple of midrange irons. Or even just a 6 iron. I'd say a 7 and a 4 iron would work as a pair.
See how your score improves then.
I carry a PW, 60 (probably a bit much), 2-9, a 15 deg "3-wood" and a driver. The 2 and the 60 I rarely use. Everything else I hit at least once during a round. But then I always play from the back tees.
But that all depends on the course as well as your game. I've gotten to the point where I simply don't like to swing hard because that pulls me out of position and maximizes the odds that I'm going to hit a bad shot.Swinging hard is self-defeating. The whole point of carrying a lot of clubs is to avoid doing that and as well to be forced to play touch-shots instead of taking a comfortable swing. I could easily survive without the 2 and the 60 as I almost never play them that would leave 7 irons plus a PW and then putter and driver. But the same goes for the 3 wood vs the 3 and 4-irons. You'd have to hit almost perfect long irons to match the range of a 3-wood. So the 225-250 yard shot is played with a 3-wood, a 3-iron will get me out to about 215-225, 4-iron out to 200 and from there 5 down to 9 is pretty normal from say 75 yds out to 175 yds depending on how warm it is. That's still 10 clubs.
If you're not playing enough clubs, then you have to do exactly what you shouldn't be doing to get good with the remaining clubs: stretching and shortening the club to fill the gaps between clubs.
@@larryfine6865 I’m 6’6 1/2” my Paradym is 45.75” and I’m thinking of taking .75”-1” off of my driver shaft. I have enough distance so I can stand to lose a few yards if need be.
I appreciate the video.
Anecdotally, the only 2 real differences between when I played to a 4 handicap and now is 1) age (51 now) and 2) practice time.
When I was “at the peak”, I would hit a bucket of balls singly only wedges. Wedge from 120, wedge from 100, wedge from 80, wedge from 60 and then go hit the practice bunker and chipping green.
Today, I play a round or two a week. I can still break 80 (shot 79 today) but I find my way up the fairway good enough. It’s those wedge shots that are so much more inconsistent.
Yeah, maybe a 44” driver shaft might help a little. But honestly, no amount of $$$ that I spend can make up for knowing how far a 3/4 swing with a 56* will go and being able to consistently put it within 1 putt distance.
Think you made his point. Lost balls off the tee are detrimental to a guy like me trying to break 80. I am much more consistent with my shorter shaft driver, than that long whip that is the standard. I also have 4 wedges but I only need 2 or maybe 3 to cover 115 to green side shots……think I’m gonna leave out or replace that blade wedge too
@@bfriendly100 Hey, don’t disagree that lost balls hurt the score card. Hit whatever keeps you in play.
Some of my lowest rounds have come with the driver left in the bag. So I get it.
Just a thought though…
If you are consistently in the 80’s, my guess is that you are either missing a fair number of GIRs or when you do hit a GIR, you are far outside the hole more often than not.
Probably hitting more than the average golfer as you can play, just not enough to score low.
Meaning instead of 1 putt max 2 putt distance, you are nearly automatic 2 putt possibly 3 putt when you hit the green. Or 1 chip 1-2 putts if you miss the GIR.
If you are objective about it, I think you’d find a lot more strokes if you could find a way to nearly automatically get close from a set distance (eg. From 120 in). Play to that set distance off the tee and break that 80.
Anyways, good luck and cheers,
@@McLovin1759 my short game usually keeps me in the low 80s, but my tee shots have been inconsistent lately so that penalty stroke or 3 each round AND a bit of what you mentioned (like putting) keeps me from breaking the 80 mark. FWIW-I’ve switched my traditional style to Saguto taught S&T. I’ve gotten back into golf after an 18 year hiatus……raising a son who is now my golfing buddy!. Like so many others doing it, my wedges through long irons are money! I’m taking nice dollar bill divots again, but my woods are not there yet……..got that big hook or blocking it out. You are spot on though in most instances no doubt, mine included! I really like what you said about hitting to a certain specific distance out. I’ll stay back to 80 or 100 vs a 40 yard pitch over a hazard, but will think about that instead of just how close I can get……thanks a bunch!
@@bfriendly100many drivers are draw biased and that may be the problem. Try out a Ping driver on flat lie angle setting
@@realSS00 thanks man I did move the weight a little face bias and it made a difference. If I make a decent swing, it goes right where it’s supposed to….lol
Wow, at 62, I am already doing what u just said in the video. I just cut my driver shaft down by an inch; in my bag I have a 9 wood, 5 wood, 3 wood and a hybrid. I got rid of the 4 and 5 irons; so i have 6,7,8,9 irons and wedges ; You just assured me I made the right decision with my woods instead of irons.
I'm 73 and my clubs are all old now. But despite what I see from advertisement they still work. All have Senior or Ladies flex in them except for the wedges. Used to be a 12, but now with age and injuries if I break 100 it's a good day.
Driver: Cobra FlyZ. Callaway Fairways: X2Hot4 (17º), X2Hot7 (21º), X2Hot11 (25º). Taylor Made Aero Burner Hybrid: 28º. Callaway Big Bertha Hybrid: 32º. Cleveland 588 Altitude Irons: 8 (35º), 9 (39º), P (44º), Callaway Wedges: MD3 Milled, 46º, 50º, 54º, Mack Daddy, 58º. Putter: Taylor Made Daddy Long Legs, Left Handed. Yes, I play right but putt left. I was born a lefty but we lived with my grandmother for a while when I was young and she believed that left handednass was the debil. Have a cousin that's the same as she was also born a lefty and forced to change.
Old cluds still work good
I have three sets of 14 Clubs. Where a hybrid takes the place of a 4 iron. With all three sets. Half the fun is picking the right weapon.
I went to a L.A.B mallet putter and it is like having a cheat code. I am not a good putter and since I got it everything is either going in or just barely missing. Best thing I ever did. I amazed.
Great video for us average golfers. I agree with all of your suggestions. And after over 50 years of golf, I have figured out all of these suggestions for myself, and am already doing them. There is one thing though, I still keep my 4 iron. sometimes under a tree, you just need a low shot.
I agree. My 4 iron is my best low puncher when it's necessary to get out of the wood even if it's just 100-150yds to go. And still use it for fairway or T shots between 190-200yds. I also have an hybrid 4 which it is kind of equivalent on distance but my iron tends to fade and my hybrid tends to draw, so it depends on what shape I hope to get.
I'm with you on keeping that 4 iron!
This video is spot on! I only started playing golf 6 years ago at a late age and stopped for two years during Covid. Now in my mid 50’s I’m back. I couldn’t hit a driver to save my life, but I killed it for my limited experience with irons and wedges. When I got back into golf, I got a shorter shaft driver and now I’m no longer embarrassing myself! I’ve improved with the shorter shaft driver, literally like a light switch came on! I wish I received this advice from the video 6 years ago! It’s like night and day instantly with the shorter shaft driver, as stated in the video! Props!!!
Point #2: Spot on about ditching the 4,3 irons and replacing with a hybrid. I hit my #4 hybrid so much better than my 4 iron,
Point #3: Spot on home run with ditching the laser range finder and going with a GPS. Golf Logix app is superior than a range finder!
All of the advice you've given is great advice, except perhaps about the putter. Find what works and gives you confidence regarding a putter. ie. I just switched back to an Acushnet Bullseye putter that I used as a teenager. One other piece of advice I'd add is check grips and regrip when necessary. Many an amateur has never cleaned grips, let alone changed them.
Also clean grips regularly, hot soapy water, and rinse. They'll feel like new.
This was nice to watch,. I watched Rory at times go down the grip of his driver. I was struggling with my driver at the time, so I tried it and it made a difference in being more in play and hit well. So I got the shaft cut down and now it is much better. I consider myself a good putter so do not struggle with that and I use a blade putter which I love, so wont change that. I invested in 7 wood and now a hibred 5 which has added value to my game. So I do not use the 4 iron any more. When it comes to the range finder it is a valuable tool that helps a lot and I also have a gps watch. For me I would use both together as it helps. Keep up the good work. Have a good day.
I’m 70 and my driver is 45 1/2” and is my favorite club in the bag. Not changing it. I have got rid of a lot of irons. I have 4-7 hybrids and love them. Wedges I have pw a 52 and 58 degree. Putting has been a problem my entire life. I have mallet and blade putters. I suck with them all.
IF you struggle with the putter , pace out your putts so you get a number in your head of how far the putt is... inside 10ft you do t need to really do this , but when you have a 25-40ft putt, pace it out.
How far is the hole? = 380yards
How far was your 2nd shot? 145yards..
How far was that pitch shot after you missed the green? ... 30 yards.
So you know every distance you just hit but you don't have a clue how far that putt was after you got onto the green. Get a number in your head , it will help.
Then practice 10 & 30 foot putts on the practice green.
Try a broomstick
100% agree with each suggestion. Since switching to a 44.5in driver, I’m 10-15 yards longer and more often in the fairway. My triple track 10 mallet has shaved off 5 putts per round. My 5w goes just as far as a 3w I used to carry. And I don’t carry a lob wedge. Two other suggestions: 1. the Ping ChipR wedge is a stress-saver (no more chip yips) and very versatile from 50yds and in. 2. Although I do not play one length clubs anymore, I kept the one length 4hybrid in the bag because it allows you to escape from under the trees or hit punch shots into the green from anywhere… you can even chip with it. As a 15 handicap golfer who can only play once per week on weekends, the ChipR and One Length hybrid has made golf way more fun for me. Thanks for all of the great videos!
I played with a mallet putter for the last decade or so...decided to try out a blade putter last year. I'll stick with the blade, much happier with the results.
But I got rid of my long irons in favor of hybrids years ago, and just a couple of years ago, I found a 4 wood (or what would be a 4 wood...17deg of loft instead of the standard 15deg of a 3 wood). Night-and-day difference for a second shot on a par 5, and I hit it a good 10-15 yards or more longer than my 5 wood.
Funny thing about the 3-wood for me; It is a love/hate-relationship. At the moment it is absolutely my best friend from both the tee and on the fairway. I've absolutely smashed it from the fairway the last many rounds and it has _saved_ me !
How I went from averaging 95 to low 80s in a season:
1: swapped a Dunlop blade putter for a Lazrus Mallet
2: swapped my 3 and 4 irons for used hybrids
3: aimed for the safer miss (better over the green than short in a deep bunker, etc)
Andy, you nailed it!
Love my Lazarus mallet
except for in my case our gteens are elevated. even short it can run up. Going over rolls down into rough
"aimed for the safer miss (better over the green than short in a deep bunker, etc)"
True but if you're going to avoid hitting at the green, you're conceding an inability to handle the stress of hitting at the green. The only time there is no stress in a greenside recovery is when you're not keeping score.
And it is not always true, not by far, that it's better to hit over a green than short in a deep bunker. Either way the real problem is that you can't hit and hold greens and you can't play deep bunker shots. There's very little that is different from playing a deep bunker shot instead of a shallow bunker shot. You need to know how to get the ball up on a consistent basis but not fly it back behind the green. There are holes out there just waiting for you to do that. There are holes out there where if you play shots behind the green, it's gone. Period. Unless you want to go hiking 50 yards down into a canyon or go snorkeling in a lake.
If you keep taking low-stress shots instead of stressful shots, you'll never be able to handle stress and you will inevitably run into holes where there is no real safe option short of hitting the ball on the green and holding it there. Find a good middle-ground between stupid shots and stressful shots.
I have done all those things you suggest in the video. Started playing regularly again after taking early retirement at 60. I now use cobra trail irons 7-pw cavity back wide sole wedges my driver I had cut down from 45.75 to 45 made huge difference. Agree 100% about 3 wood recently picked up proper old school Taylor Made 3 Rescue Fairway. It’s 17 degrees and is like a 5 wood and strong 3 hybrid cross which I can shape
A 58 degree is my favorite wedge... absolutely not a waste of space.
🤣 chill out
@TheAverageGolfer not annoyed... I'm just saying. After putter, it's my most used club.
In that case it’s a keeper
He literally kept showing a 58 and 60 degree wedge, was he throwing them away, lol what was that?
Then he shows that he has a 58 degree wedge
Andy, the very best video you have ever posted. And I have to say I have all five suggestions in my bag arrived at after years of trial and error. I’m an amateur club fitter and your comments and suggestions are fully supported by me 👍
I am 78 years old and drive with my 3 wood and it goes as far as my driver did, but a lot straighter. I also crush it off the fairway. Love my 7 wood also.
Good video as always. My set up is traditional Driver, 3 wood and 5 wood. Next club is a 5 hybrid. Contemplating taking 3 wood out and adding a 7 wood. Im not a big hitter Driver and Fairways woods are Cobra Air X range so light and high lofted.
Enjoying your channe. I'm trying to get back into golf after a really long time off.
Absolutely right Andy I recently took my 3 wood out and put in a 5 wood, I’ve taken out a 5 iron and put in a 7 wood. What a revelation my scores have dropped along with my handicap. They have only been in my bag for 5 weeks and I’ve dropped a shot.
Same. 5 wood goes far enough and much easier to hit
agree 100%!!! Id add: 1. toss S/XS shafts (get fit & swallow ego). 2. Putt more chips. 3. ditch 3/4 hybrids for 7 woods. 4. consider mini driver off tee for shorter tee shots rather than long hybrids/narrow woods. 5. $350 custom shafts wont help as much as the cost. Cheers f 110* AZ!
I am 55yrs. 4 HCP (from 5900 yards). I took my Driver shaft (46'') and exchanged it for my 3w shaft (44.5'') and saw an immediate improvement to 245 yard drive (previously 230). The 44.5'' shaft was a massive improvement. I then took my 5w shaft and placed my 3w head on it (200 yards), and took my driver shaft and placed the 5w (210-220 yards off the tee, only). Callaway with removable heads gave me this flexibility.
Playing the correct yardage is key. I would suggest playing the Reds (most forward tees) and learn how to score, then move back slowly and break par at the next tees. Playing the shorter courses exposes weakness in the game, but improvement makes playing so much fun. I have broken par (-1) from 4800 yards, 5400 yards, and 5900 yards.
I am 53 and an 11 index. So are you saying even if I have been playing for several years, I should go to the forward tees and try to break par and then move back one? Or are you recomending for beginners or those who are recently learning the game? I have thought about if it would make sense doing that but was not sure if it would be worth paying to play a course and not playing the tee box distance that is considered fair for my lenght, which is between 6000 and 6200.
That’s some solid advice!
@@darthvader1402 I'm not convinced that will improve your overall game but definitely improve your fun and proudness. I can score near par on 18 holes at 4800-5000 yds or so but barely break 90 on regular tee on a 6200yds. That's certainly because of my lack of consistency on longer shots and a shorter course will give me more reasonable distance on my 2nd shots after a miss.
Kind of agree with the 3 wood point - only use it as an alternative to the driver when I need a little less distance. You gotta be confident hitting them off the fairway.
I have a low-bounce 60 degree lob wedge which I canot hit initially. But after lots of practice and improved understanding of how the wedge work now I can use it effectively.
I’ve just gone to senior flex woods and been fitted for senior flex irons. All are graphite. At 72 this has added back yards to my game and better dispersion.
Lab putters are the greatest. I played with scotty camerons fir 2+ decades and recently bought a custom df2.1 and after 2 months after using it, i will always use a lab putter.
Scotty Cameron better 👍
Ditched my 3 and 4 irons for a 3 Hybrid a while back and it was a game changer, still a 22 handicap but I lose way less strokes from 200 yards now it was a great decision! Also, mallet putters are good but if you play heads up putting like I do the blade putters allow your arms to correct the face of the putting stroke a lot more subtly
My 58 and 60 Degree wedges are always in use and I love them. Yes sometimes I hit fat or thin but from last year to this year those misses have greatly gone down and I continue to improve with them and from 100 yards in those are my two go-to clubs. Paired that with a Vice pro plus ball and I can actually produce some back spin and hold the greens. I want to dump my 5 iron and for a 7wood but still looking for a decent used one I can try before I commit to a pricier option.
Good advice. Nice to see Holywell golf club again as my dad was a member there before he died about 17 years ago.
Totally agree with all but one. I switched my driver a couple of months ago to a 44.75" shaft from a 46" and made a HUGE difference in center ball strikes. I also ditched my **cough** 62* wedge (I didn't understand wedges at the time I bought it!!) so now carry a iron set PW and AW and then a SM9 54* and 58*. Subbed the 5i for a 9W. Golfers - MAKE THAT SWITCH. I have the Ai Smoke 9W and it's literally a cheat code. It only knows how to go high and straight. Blades work better for me than mallets but that's just personal preference. BUT I do think 3W is good to have. I almost exclusively use it off the tee. Wide fairway? Driver. Narrow fairway (or course management)? 3 Wood. Otherwise, totally agree 5W off the deck is a much safer option than 3W for sure! great video!
Can't you just grip down on the driver shaft?
This was a well timed video for me. I was just adjusting the clubs in my bag. I will take out the 4 iron I just put in, and put in a 4h. I use my 60*, so I will test my 54* by opening the face. I may remove the 60*, I will see how it goes. I need my 5i as I need a low shot from time to time, but I may be adding my 5h. Thank for helping me think through my bad.
Taylor Made Mini-Driver, 7 wood, 4 Hybrid added to the top of the bag. Cleveland Smart Sole S wedge, Ping Chpr and a Scotty Phantom 9 putter at the bottom. 5 wood and Cobra One-length PW-4i fill out the bag. Use the Chpr for 90% of my shots inside 80Y the Mini-Driver or 5 wood for most tee shots and the 7 wood and hybrid for long lay ups. Scores dropped from 100 to mid-80's within 10 rounds. I now leave the Driver, 3 wood, long irons and gap wedge at home.
Good tips on replacing irons with hybrids. I do keep a 4 iron for punching out as it is much less loft and hits out of rough better than a hybrid. I disagree on the 3 wood. I get an extra 25 to 30 yards over my 5 wood and use it often. What clubs you hit best depends on the individual. I would always recommend getting fitted. I have a blade style putter I've used for many years. Maybe I would try switching to a mallet style. Thank you for making the video.
Hello. That cbx 4 what is the loft and bounce on it? When looking to buy it it also mentions a grind I have no idea what that is? Thanks.
I’ve always used standard wedge and 56 sand wedge. The best part of my game has been my short game. I have now got a set of Cobra irons with strong lofts so I needed a gap wedge rather than choking down on the standard. I now have all Cobra clubs, 50, 54, and 58. I am learning to love them. The weight of them feels great. Snakebites. I’m starting to hit 80, 81 consistently, still throwing in the doubles, the odd wayward drive does that! Turning 71 soon. Not playing off the back tees yet, I’m not that good 😂
This is generally good advice, I replaced my 5 iron with a 5 hybrid and it’s been a god send. Also ditching super high lofted wedges is a really good shout, I generally chip now with a 54 at the max, and a 56 at a push.
The piece you mention about driver shaft length is probably the most relevant thing ever. Being a shorter golfer I actually play all my drivers at minimum driver length and it has helped tremendously. We aren’t all 6foot+ giants that need the length and I’m sure even some of those fellows would benefit.
Another thing I’ll mention, that a mini driver off the deck as a replacement 3 wood has been a real highlight for me this year. They are awesome if your main driver isn’t working that day, and also great for a second shot on a par 5. The Callaway ai smoke is particularly forgiving as well.
Cheers for the video!!
I'm not sure what this part is supposed to mean, especially given the nonsense that so many golfers talk to cover-up their insecurities.
"The piece you mention about driver shaft length is probably the most relevant thing ever. Being a shorter golfer I actually play all my drivers at minimum driver length and it has helped tremendously. We aren’t all 6foot+ giants that need the length and I’m sure even some of those fellows would benefit."
Look...it's not about how tall you have to be to need something. It's about your ability to play what you have. If you are one of the people who think that changing your gear (or "fitting") is the way to better golf, fine. Keep replacing all of your gear until you play well. I'll be happy for you. There will be a lot more used golf gear available at reasonable prices that people who can and do tune their game to their gear will be happy to buy and use to play well. Just save the snark where the problem is that you think that your previous gear...which you chose to buy...is not a good fit for you. That's all I ask.
Because the process of becoming a better player is a mix of learning how to play well with the gear that you have combined with learning what gear you play well with. The length of your driver shaft is an abstract number. What matters is how well you play with it when you mount a clubhead on it, tee a ball up in front of you and swing it. Don't bring your height issues into this.
@@touristguy87
Listen dude you don’t know me from a hole in the wall, I don’t buy a tonne of clubs to “cover my insecurities” and you’ve never golfed with me before.
There is absolute value to fitting process….do you run with shoes that are 2 sizes to big for you? Because hockey players don’t adjust their stick lengths??
Come on man, of course it matters one size does not fit all. I will agree that we do have to get better at using what we have definitely, the technology has changed though to help the golfer.
Embrace it friend.
@@mikemantan "Listen dude you don’t know me from a hole in the wall, "
sure, write a 5" comment and then claim that I don't know you
@@touristguy87 cool.
I switched my 3i-4i to a 3-4Hyb and my game improved immensely. I can still hit my 3W decently, so not switching that just yet. I only use two wedges 54 & 48 degrees. Haven't found a situation where one of these two couldn't get me close to the pin.
Have you been stalking me on the course Andy?😂
I put a shorter shafted driver in the bag last month.
My go to wedge is a PXG 0211Z with plenty of bounce like the Cleveland you used in the video.
My highest iron is a 6i. I use a 25 degree hybrid and a 5 wood.
And after 3-putting several holes in the last two weeks I was looking at a mallet putter just this morning!
Edit. I forgot to mention that I have a ranger finder that never gets used because I can't hold it steady enough onto a target so I just use an app on my phone.
You are my inspiration for this video
😂😂
I play with a driver, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 irons, approach wedge, regular wedge and a putter(the same one you recommended...and I love it). I can't hit with hybrids/woods. My game is improving all the time.
Once again thank you for your effort and time spent on sharing this information.
Glad it was helpful!
I left my 52 and 56 degrees wedges home and just used my pitching wedge last weekend and played one of my best rounds ever
Old club tech (build, repair, fitting), speaking here. On hybrids and fairway woods. It's not the extra bulk and mass that makes them easier to hit up to fly. The heads actually aren't any heavier. In fact, since most hybrids and high lofted woods are longer than their equivalent irons, noticeably so with the woods, the heads are lighter to keep the swingweight under control.
What is different is HOW they are weighted, and how people react to them. First of all, they are hollow bodied, and therefore perimeter weighted. They tend to have more head MOI (moment of inertia), and therefore more resistance to twisting on off centre hits. More so even than game improvement irons. So they don't lose as much distance. Secondly, they are more low and back weighted than irons. That lower and further back centre of gravity helps launch the ball higher, which helps out average golfers enormously. It also magnifies the head MOI, adding to the forgiveness. Finally, most people seem to feel more confidence with that more substantial clubhead sitting behind the ball. So they hit it better, and get it up in the air more.
Without a doubt they work better for most people than long irons. That's why.
In short bulk and mass reflect size of head and there was no mention of weight. It is the bulk and mass (size of the head) that allows weight to be distributed and impact on MOI and lower CG helps with launch 👍
@@TheAverageGolfer Ah, I see what you mean. Bulk, yes, absolutely. Weight and mass are two different concepts in physics, but in standard earth gravity, they are identical in measurement. Mass and weight have a 1:1 ratio in Earth gravity. Or so my physics teacher taught me. So what counts in this case is how that lesser mass is distributed, utilizing the greater bulk, the greater head area. I guess I'm getting pedantic. Picky about wording. But I get your point, and I agree with it. Thanks for the clarification.
@@TheAverageGolferyeah increased mass = increased weight by definition
Thanks for the video, excellent advice.
I'm 71 now and as a 'senior' i think it is high time that I made the game a little easier for myself. I think i need to try some hybrid/rescue clubs do you (or anyone else) have any specific favourite brands please?
Keep up the good work
cheers Andy
Cut my shaft down to 44 about 2 months ago and playing with a nice fade instead of a quite bigger slice sweet
Sounds good
So glad I came across this video. I just removed my 3 wood from the bag. It was 30 years old and I never use it (never learned how). My wedges have a nice fat sole are nice and fat. I don't have no wedges flatter than a 56, my driver shaft is only 44 inches and I have a mallet putter. I use a Garmin watch and take the distances with a grain of salt but I will now look at the back of the green number as I tend to come up short rather than go long. There. I'm all set. Now my bad results are up to my lack of talent.
Carry a driver 5,7,9 woods but have a 69 degree wedge at 64 years old. Just won our club championship by 8 shots. Got the same putter as Scotty sheffler that I am deadly with. The irons are cobra 1 length.
@@cynt1111 69 Deg? Why? What possible use is there for such loft?
@@sandersson2813Full swing, 50 to sixty yards to pin. Not sure where you get a 69 degree wedge but I got a 70 degree Mutsumi Honma. Bent it his self maybe.
@@fredfish4316 You should never use such a high loft for full swings.
It's ridiculous to send a ball that high up in the air, when you could simply pitch it .
By hitting a ball so high, you're just doubling the length of the shot and increasing your margin for error.
That is the shot of a high handicapper with zero course management and little intelligence.
I never use my driver as the course I play on is all par 3 holes. I have only used it on the driving range and it always felt to long for me. Iam going to shorten it by 1.5 inches. I have a set of wedges that feel great but have very sharp edges, I have big trouble trying to control my shots with these. Like you suggested I stick to my pitching and gap wedge from my game improvement irons. I have a five wood, really hated that club, but now I can hit it fairly well. Great tips! I just started playing golf a out five months ago, I'm 63 years old and getting better.
Great video with superb tips. I use a mallet putter, game improvement irons and I use hybrids instead of long irons. The only one I haven't used is the shorter shaft on the driver, which might solve the problems I'm having lately off the tee. I agree with the 3 wood (which is fairly redundant in my bag) and have invested in a 5 wood which has become my favourite club this year.
Can confirm my game has taken off since I dropped my 3 wood for a 5, and replaced long irons with a hybrid. I also just played a round with a mallet putter for the first time and really liked it so that's probably my next change.
I have an Adams tight lies low profile 4 wood that gives me the distance of a 3 wood with the flight of a 5 wood. I don't carry a 3 wood in my bag anymore. Generally play driver and PW through 6 Iron depending on the hole. I use my Adams 4 wood for long par 3s, second shots on long 4s and second shots on long 5s. Generally hit my PW through 6 Iron on approach depending. Lob wedge is an important weapon inside 50 yards. Easier for me to hit a full lob wedge for 40 or 50 yards than to hit half a PW.
Also have a Sandy Andy in the bag that is money coming out of sand traps.
Agree with everything except ditching the lob wedge.
I think it’s good advise. I choke down to the bottom of the grip on the driver on a lot of shots and it goes almost as far but straight most of the time.
Driver shaft - choke up. Wedges - highly personal but yeah try a few things. Putter - totally personal, one can putt with anything. Long irons - yes, for 90% of golfers drop them. 3wood - yes, same as the long irons.
Solid advice. What you’ve said applies to most recreational golfers. The only deviation should be if and when a golfer has a natural aptitude for any of the clubs you mentioned dropping. For example I stink with a 3 Wood and haven’t carried one for over 20 years, so that fits with your advice. But I’m a good wedge player and make great use of a 60 degree with high bounce. However, also to your point, I have a Vokey 64 degree and it’s the devil to hit cleanly, so it resides in my closet. I carry a standard driver and hit it when the fairway is wide and favors a good run-out, but also have a mini driver for tight fairways and situations where run-out with a tee shot is not desired (like on a dog leg for example).
I’ve liked and subscribed; look forward to more of you useful content. Cheers from Savannah, Georgia. John W.
Thank you for logical feedback and you have nailed it, horses for courses as I like say, its not a rule book but maybe some value if anyone is struggling
I feel like a 58 or 60 degree wedge are both great especially inside that 60-80 yard range. I use a RTX 6 and it is my favourite and most accurate club!
My 58 is one of my favorite clubs. It's also a Callaway Jaws so I feel a little judged by the video but I totally understand what he means. I really love the bounce ony 58 though. I'll still usey trusty rusty, but that iron is basically an extension of my arm at this point.
As long as you're not hitting that thing full. I don't think a 56 or 60 should ever be hit full. Know your 50% and 75% distances for those clubs. That's all you need.
Excellent video everything he suggested was spot on I have tried all of this and he is just replaced my blade putter with a mallet with a stroke lab shaft the shaft really works and added to hybrids only difference is I choke down on my driver I like it better than a shorter driver length
I had the pro shop cut two inches off my driver when they regripped it YEARS AGO because I knew that I had more control with a shorter club. The change in flex is not noticeable. No need to get a whole new shaft.
How was the swingweight? Two inches is a ton of swingweight. I went down that path with an R5. 44.5. Then 44. Then 43.5 and I lost all consistency. A clubfitter measured it and the SW and it was like C4 or something.
@@edr4973 I have no idea. Maybe I just adjusted the swing. But all the tinkering is just a racket to sell more equipment. My first set of clubs in the 80s was a persimmon wood driver with a little divot on the face. I learned how to avoid the divot. I was a much better golfer then. I have a buddy who upgrades his clubs every year. Probably costs him $2,000/year. His game never changes, but what a customer for the pro!
I have a three wood and I agree, they're a nightmare off the fairway. I got mine altered to nearer a 4 wood and it was a game-changer - particularly off the tee.
I see so many of these online golf gurus telling people to put away the 3w. This is a great club that can provide versatility in your game. Off the tee, in the fairway and even around the greens (with a modified putting stroke). Spending an hour at the range with this club will add so much to your game.
agreed, I love my Sim 2 Max 3W, both from the fairway and the tee...I also carry an adjustable 5w, but don't get the distance I can with the Taylormade.
My go-to club for distance off the tee and the fairway.
Congrats you can hit your 3w, 98% of amateurs can not. Has nothing to do with being a guru, it’s back up by stats. Most people hit 5w with more control than their 3w. Sorry you got so offended by that.
@@seadonkey6913 I much prefer the 5 wood as you confirm, as it does give a more assured contact in most conditions and useful distance, as well as a forgiving flight path. The 3 is great where the lie is good and the fairway wide.
@@Afficionadoh I agree, the 3-wood for me is great in limited situations. Has to be a nice level propped up lie in the fairway with a wide target area. I hit my 3- hybrid much more consistently and is much more versatile and would probably be the same with a 5 -wood
When i had my woods fitting my fitter suggested dropping 3 wood and replacing with a 5 wood as it was only 5 yards shorter, went driver, 5 & 7 wood and they''ve been brilliant. At the other end ive ditched my Kirkland wedges an replaced them with Cleveland smartsole 50 degree and 54 & 58 CBX's wedge game has improved significantly as for putter i have my trusty Odyssey mini jailbird i wont even pick up another putter in case i upset it 😊
My lob wedge is 110, I need that club and it's very useful I find.
Lob wedge 110. In your dreams. You should be on the TOUR. 😂😂😂
@@cavitedasma8261 Ummm okay, I do it pretty routinely but I have nothing to prove, played two par threes last week 160 yards hit 9 irons, but hey I know my yardages so that's all that matters, I could care less you believe it or not bud haha.
@@cavitedasma8261 Ummm okay in my dreams I guess haha. My SW is 120, GW 130, PW 140 on up to 4i at 200, but okay it's in my dreams, but I only do it every time I play haha. Do I care if you believe it or not, not at all nope.
@@cavitedasma8261 Played two par threes last week that were at 160 yards, hit center of the greens with 9i. I have no idea why people cant hit these distances, seems like it should be more normal than not, but if youre not fit and flexible and lean, then it could be your guys issue, not sure.
Totally doable....my buddy is a 2 hcp, you guys have identical club yardages.
I bought a range finder and I like it, I also have a watch, and you're right the front to back distance is more important overall. But the more info you have the more confident you can be, in my case when I duff it 10 yards.... But at least I know exactly what I wanted to do!!!
Everyone has their own story and needs but this worked for me so it might help someone else. I realized many years ago that around 45 inches was the absolute max length I was capable of using off the tee but 44" was even better so being a better than average club tinkerer I started modifying drivers until I found the right combo because simply making a driver shorter without a change of loft, swing weight, etc doesn't yield the best results. For me a 75 gram shaft worked better for my quick tempo and adding a degree of loft to 10.5 as well bring the swingweight ack to D2 was a magic combo regardless of the brand of head.
After that I ditched 3 wood and standard length 5 wood because when hitting off the ground I found even 5 wood length too long. So I shortened that as well until Callaway came out with their UW at 17 degrees and 41.5" which just work for me better than my modded 5wd. I've never had trouble with irons even when everything else would fall apart but as I lost speed over the years I found that 24 degrees even in the new magic irons was about the consistent low end loft limit. So I built my set from there up to a 58 degree wedge because I found myself getting too steep and short with a 60 degree. I fill the 17 to 24 degree gap wit either a 21 degree hybrid or a shortened 7 wood. The 21 Callaway uw just doesn't get the height that a 7 wood does and I'm usually using it on a course I need to hit over things on or that have par threes or approach shots in the 205- 215 yard range. Easy 7wd goes about 210 and stops right where it hits. I also do not play game improvement style irons. Not dues to ego but because I hit every darn thing on the market and found the best feel and cosistency with Titleist T-150 with a T-200 5 iron at that 24 degree mark. I think too many people get caught up in handicap versus iron style and miss out on what will work best for them. Obviously, a pure blade versus a super game improvement iron will be a stark contrast but as we drift away from those extremes the so called forgiveness factor isn't that great. Your mileage may vary but doing these things enabled me to remain a solid high 70's to mid 80's player (I don't keep a handicap) even with decreased playing time. And, by the way, ego usually gets us in trouble when trying to take shots we know we shouldn't rather than using a set of clubs that might cost us a shot per round versus another set.
Nice video. I like the idea of game improvement wedge to replace my Callaway Jaws 58 degree wedge. I love my 3 wood and I’ve gotten rid of my 3 & 4 iron for hybrids. Now I need to figure out what to replace my 5 iron with.
I tried a 44.5" driver shaft with a heavier head weight. It was a disaster. I left the head weight in, swapped back my old 45.5" shaft and choke up a bit. It's now a beast. I recommend 9w instead of 4hy or 4 iron. Get the 9w a bit short at an extra heavy swing weight to offset the lighter shaft and you'll be good to go.
well,a year ago i suffered a stroke. now i'm carrying my driver 200. was 240 pre stroke. heres what i did
...look up scott keenlyside, great teaching pro
...i went to a 44 inch senior flex shaft stealth 2
...i chucked all my mid low irons and use a 3 5 and 7 hybrid...picked up a ping 5 wood
...lastly,if i find myself chunking i quickly get out of it by choking up half an inch. i also thickened my grips
thanks for your vid !
I’m 70 years old, still play off 10, but after many years of using a blade putter, I may have to think about a mallet putter. Thanks you.
Great advice. Ditched the 3 and 4 irons for hybrids and the 3 wood for a 5 wood. All good decisions.
Reducing the length of the driver is good advice. Objectively, this shortens the length of drives. But contextually, it increases them because a shorter shaft like much more likely to lead to solid hits. Seriously consider a mini driver like that offered by TaylorMade. More loft, shorter shaft, and a head size big enough to still deliver forgiveness. At least consider using a shorter shaft for your driver and increasing the loft of your driver. (Watch the swing weight--it will go down with a shorter shaft.)
I disagree regarding the lob wedge. I think its evil is in its misuse. Players using it to chip, for example, when a lower-lofted club would be much better suited. But the LW is terrific out of most bunkers because you don't have to open the clubface. Just square up to the ball like you normally do and hit behind it. Also, because I use single-length clubs, my LW is the same length, weight, etc. as the rest of my set, so it's fantastic from the fairway.
With a putter, get as much MOI as possible. I use a Bloodline because I love standing it up behind the ball and looking down the line to aim effectively. Look at the new PXG putter--it's amazing.
Get away from long irons. Substitute for hybrids instead. If you're not at scratch, stop playing any iron above the 5. (And seriously, are you even hitting that one well?)
Dump the 3-wood. HYBRIDS! If you want the 3-wood off the tee, use a mini-driver instead. (And you can hit it off the deck.) Back in the day I used to hit a 7-wood (Heavenwood from Callaway.) But now hybrids play that role.
Play to the middle of the green. But I love a rangefinder because I can find the distance to any target, hazard, or marker. My rangefinder has GPS in it, so I get both functions in the same eyepiece. I almost exclusively rely on the rangefinder. But I often aim to the center of the green, especially when faced with a flag in the front. Safety margin and all that.
I switched to a 5 wood off the tee, it's a big improvement, the head is smaller than my driver, but I am far more consistent with the 5, I put it down to the shorter shaft.
am 63 yo. last time i had strong 3 wood in bag was as a sub for driver in bag about 10yrs ago. now i use 14 degree halo hybrid now. planning on retiring 3, 4 irons for 18 degree hybid.
I started with the CBX wedge and it tremendously helped out my short game. Now that my game has improved I been able to look at traditional wedges with different grind options, and now I have more control on the greens. GI wedges really did help me improve
Yes a great training aid
Very constructive advice. I have found your comments to ring quite true. My bag is full of hybrids and woods. I have found the 5 & 7 Woods far more effective than a 3 wood. Playing with a near 46 inch length driver is total nonsense for most. 44 or 44.5 inches is sound . Good video my friend. You are right on
That mallet looks magical. Only pushed right 6 inches on a 8 foot putt.
Same around Here ... Drop my 3 W and 4-5I for 5W , 4-5H... Irons starts a 6I trough 9I, A-P-52-56-60..Mallet Putter of course !!!
i do like to use my 60 in specific condition , not specifically tight lies...and i do control it pretty well...Score is going down , as i do break 90 regularly this year, thanks to a lot of putting and chipping Drills... Keep the good work..
Hi Andy, I’ve changed to a centre shafted mallet putter , really helps.
Struggle out of bunkers so probably need to move away from a vokey, to something more forgiving.
Play off 11, seen recent wedge videos makes sense to me👍
Re. driver length, why can't you just grip down like Lydia Ko does on virtually all her shots - and maybe the extra length acts like a counterbalance? (some clubs have little weights at top of grip anyway). Just asking, I'm a newbie to golf...😂
That's what I do. The "change I made was to get a grip with less taper.
Gripping down will change the swing weight and make it lighter.
My 3W is adjusted 1.5 degrees and it's been one of my best clubs. Added a 7w this year and has been game changer. Even being the same loft as hybrid I hit them different distances. Haven't found a mallet I like yet so still sticking with the blade. Maybe they'll make the right one for me sometime.
How are you measuring the driver shaft length? To the base of the shaft (about 44") or to the base of the club (which is what Google says (46"+)?
Make sure the club is flat on the ground, get an aluminum ruler or tape measure and put it at the base of the club and measure to the end of the grip.
Really great advice - thanks! I've used a mallet putter for ages, and it just seems so much easier to hit the longer putters. I'm also a fan of the larger soles for wedges. I'll have to investigate the shortening of the Driver.
As a female golfer, the 3 Wood is an essential club if you want to have any hope at all in being on in regulation for most holes. Golf is a completely different game for amateur women than it is for amateur men.
I'm an amateur woman and I have never had success with a 3 wood.
I have had much better results with a 4 wood. It gives me good loft and carry without sacrificing distance.
I’m a high handicapper male, and I play with a Women’s cobra F max 3 wood with a swapped out shaft. It has the head size of a 3 wood but the loft of a 5 wood at 19*, as well as a shorter 41” shaft. Works like magic and is the easiest club in my bag to hit.
I did this actually because I just couldn’t get any distance out of regular 3 woods and a regular men’s 5 wood was too inconsistent and shorter distance on average mostly due to hooking the ball too much.
Totally agree with looking at what you use and don't' use in your bag. I got rid of my fairway wood and 2 hybrids and opted of for a P790 4-iron (2019 version) and I use that as my DI. I also got 2 more wedges, 58 and 64 (soon to be 62), since I can still hit over 300 off the tee...need more wedges. I play blades, MP-69's but soon to be the 2024 Wilson Staff blades, and have more confidence with looking down at basically nothing with minimal offset than I do looking down at a chunky wood or hybrid. I do love me a mallet putter though. I game the Tyne C 2021 now but ordered a Jailbird Mini based on how well it rolled for me. Great video...appreciate your ideas and suggestions.
That's super 👌
I do not mean to sound like Captain Obvious but he was not talking about your percentage of golfers.
Thank you for your time. Good day, sir.
@@ChildoftheMostHigh1 I know but I still agreed with him on some of his suggestions. Mallet putter for sure and just looking at what's in your bag and taking a look at what you don't use or rarely use. Thanks for your time as well....good day to you as well.
Couldn't disagree more with your opinion on wedges!!! I love all my wedges, 52, 56, and 60. My 60 has saved me countless times and I would never leave it out of my bag!
I'm with you, 53, 58 and 64 and the 64 is the one I use the most.
Say the single digit players....
Scratch players. Average players can't hit them. Usually a disaster.
Ditto, but using them is an art the average golfer doesn't realize their tremendous value.
Great advice Andy, worth mentioning though that cutting down driver will make it feel lighter in the head as swingweight is reduced. This can affect timing for some. A good local pro or fitter can add a bit of weight to equalise.
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I tried mallets but hated them expecially from longer distances. Went back to my trusted blade putter and felt comfortable right away. Agree with the rest while still using a 60deg wedge😅 just a fun club to play around with.
Sooo...you just throw the driver out? Couldn't you just shorten the shaft?
Oh dear…comedy comment no. 1
good question!
That's exactly what he said.
You could.
I started playing 4 years ago now and I have a 6 hybride, 9 Wood, 4 hybride and love them, it’s really helped my game. Keep up the great videos 😊
Sounds good to me
Interesting comment about 3 vs 5 wood. I carry both and use them all the time. Good thoughts about more forgiving wedges.
Definitely agree with long irons. Changed out for 9W, 7W. These two are dialed in for me. Can shape my shots with as well on command.
Informative video. I've dropped the 3 wood, 2-5 Irons and added 3-5 hybrid plus a 5 wood. I love my Calloway Rogue driver and it's the club I hit the straightest most of the time. I can't explain it but I feel every time I can hit it down the middle of the fairway.
Sounds good
Rarely use my 60 degree so I’m with you there, but I’m not playing a cavity backed wedge. I think many people should play them, but “blade” wedges are all I know, and I like the versatility.