In golf we have all sorts of types of golfers. We have the smasher, the technician, and the swinger, just to name a few. Each golfer has their strengths and weaknesses. It is very rare to find two golfers who are exactly the same, therefore we have to treat each golfer differently when teaching them new skills and providing them with equipment.
Typically, it is stereotyped that the golfer who hits it very long has a poor short game and the golfer who has a great short game does not have the length they would desire.
When looking at the US PGA Tour statistics, you will find that the longest player on tour is not the straightest golfer. This is mainly due to the incredible speed the player processes in their swing which gives the player a small opportunity of getting their timing correct to give them a straight shot. The player who has a slightly slower swing speed has more time to get their timing and body movement correct to hit an accurate shot.
When I found myself playing golf full-time, I had to adjust my club selection in my golf bag to suit the course I was playing on. When playing a longer course, I would load my bag top heavy and when I played a shorter course I made adjustments to have more options in the short iron area.
The length the player hits the ball is a factor that can determine the combination of clubs a player has in their bag. A golfer who hits it a long way may only have two woods in the bag and more shorter irons, where a golfer who does not have much distance off the tee may have more woods and hybrids in their set of clubs to help them take advantage of the golf course.
What combination do you have in your bag? Why have you chosen this combination? Does this combination suit the strengths in your game and protect your weaknesses?
For example, in my bag I have a driver, 3 wood, 1 iron, 3 iron to PW, and then I have a gap wedge (52 degrees), and a SW (56 degrees) The reason for this is because I like to have options when teeing off rather than just hitting driver everywhere. I only have three wedges, my PW, Gap Wedge, and SW. I have learnt to create different shots with my short irons, therefore, I do not require a “Lob Wedge”.
A typical combination that most club golfers have is, Driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, 3 hybrid, 4 hybrid, 5 iron to PW, SW. This is mainly due to golfers trying to add my distance to their combination due to a lack of distance along with a lack of confidence to play with long irons.
Having Hybrids in your bag can be quite useful, but do you have the correct lofts in your hybrids to suit what you want in your game? I have found that it is common that golfers have hybrids which are an exact match for irons and woods they already have in their bags. This needs to be corrected.
Think about your strength and weaknesses and look into your bag. Do you have the correct combination?