Golf Club Essentials: Everything You Need in Your Golf Bag

How often do you lift your golf bag in and out of your car and think to yourself that your golf bag has gotten considerably heavier than the last time you carried out the same exercise?

Our golf bags can very quickly become the receptacle for empty sweetie wrappers, juice bottles, or worse, juice bottles half-full of a drink long past its sell-by date.

We can also find ourselves rummaging around in our golf bags trying to find a usable tee when all we can find is broken tees or looking for a pristine Titleist Pro V ball in a pocket full of scuffed or found golf balls (still always useful for the really hard holes; there’s no point in losing a brand new Pro V or TP5 if it can be helped).

At times, we can berate the lack of spin on what we think is a great-looking wedge shot only to find that the face and grooves haven’t been cleaned since Jack Nicklaus reigned supreme in the golf world.

Worse still, on closer inspection, we find that we have more than the allotted fourteen clubs in our bag and face a looming penalty for our indiscretion.

If you think nobody would fall foul of the fourteen-club rule anymore, ask PGA Tour player Joel Dehman, who was penalised four shots for playing two holes with fifteen golf clubs in his bag at a recent tour event.

Taking all this on board, our guide today will help you:

• Build Your Set of Clubs Correctly
• Golf Bag Essentials
• Extras That Will Help Your Game

Build Your Set of Golf Clubs Correctly

Today, we have more choices than ever regarding the golf clubs we can put in our golf bags.

We know that the makeup of our golf bag includes some non-negotiables. The driver and putter spring to mind in this instance.

If we drive the golf ball well, we can make even the hardest holes on the course a little easier. If we putt well, we can convert birdie chances and create or maintain momentum in our round by holing crucial putts.

Being able to drive the ball well comes down to two critical factors: distance and accuracy.

However, the furthest and straightest we can hit a golf ball with our driver means different things to different players.

For example, a plus-three handicap golfer is likely to be looking to reduce spin from their drives to help optimise their carry distances. This can lead them to low-spin drivers like the TaylorMade Qi10 LS or Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Triple Diamond models.

Those players who also want the ability to shape their drives might also prefer a smaller-headed driver model, like the Titleist GT4.

A low-handicap golfer will also generate good clubhead speed, so when it comes to shaft selection, they might benefit from a model like the Fujikura Ventus Black Golf Wood Shaft, which provides maximum stability to help those players with faster clubhead speeds or more aggressive transitions to deliver the clubface more consistently square.

A twenty-handicap golfer will look for something different in their driver. They might need help generating the maximum clubhead speed while retaining control over the direction of their tee shot.

A model like the Cobra Darkspeed Max is designed for maximum aerodynamic efficiency, helping generate more clubhead speed. TaylorMade Qi10 Max and Titleist GT2 models use carbon fibre and proprietary materials to lighten the head, making it easier to swing faster.

Internal weighting is also optimised to make these drivers extremely stable on off-centre hits or have a slight draw bias to improve the chances of keeping the ball on the fairway.

Golf shafts also play a role for high-handicap golfers. Models like the new Mitsubishi Chemicals Diamana Blue Board help golfers with smoother swings generate additional clubhead speed and improve spin and launch figures for maximum distance.

Golf Three Woods

We know how important the golf driver is for starting a hole well, but having a good, reliable three-wood is a welcome addition to any golfer’s bag.

The three-wood is a versatile option for any golfer. It can be useful off the tee if you are facing a tight tee shot where the fairway has to be hit or for the longest approach shots into par fives or par fours.

The cutting-edge technology and materials used in drivers filter into three woods, ensuring that the current crop of three woods available packs some punch.

Two things to be mindful of when selecting the correct three wood.

You should look for consistency in ball flight, whether using a three-wood off the tee or the ground. An example might be selecting a deep-faced three-wood, which might be great off the tee, but it's not fulfilling its purpose if you struggle to get the ball airborne off the deck.

Secondly, ensure consistent distance gapping. Hitting your three wood within ten yards of your driver might seem like a great idea, but if there’s a thirty-yard gap to your next golf club, your shot and club selection will be compromised.

Lofted Golf Fairway Woods

Lofted fairway woods have become more popular in recent years. Many players on the PGA Tour opt to carry a lofted fairway wood in their bag, and the current trend is stretching to nine woods in some players' bags.

Professionals opt for lofted fairway woods for the same reasons you might want to consider a lofted fairway wood.

The more lofted fairway woods get the ball airborne easily as the club's mass sits lower in the head. The additional height generated from a lofted fairway wood will get the ball to land softer on fast greens, which is a useful asset for the longer holes you face at the courses you play.

The lower centre of gravity and the wider sole of a lofted fairway wood make them easier to use out of the rough. This makes it easier to hit your target or play a good escape shot to get further up the hole.

Golf Hybrids/ Golf Driving Irons

Hybrids sit in the gap between lofted fairway woods and long irons. They feature a lower centre of gravity and shallower face but have less mass behind the face, which some players prefer the look of.

Driving irons are a great addition to the bag if you play golf courses exposed to the elements, such as links courses.

The driving iron's advantage is that it keeps the trajectory down, which can be useful if you face a difficult tee shot into the wind.

Golf driving irons lack some flexibility compared to their lofted fairway wood/hybrid counterparts. Driving irons are useful off the tee and can be hit off the deck if the conditions favour, but they can’t be used effectively from the rough.

Whatever model you choose between lofted fairway woods, hybrids, and driving irons, effective distance gapping is a critical component.

These golf clubs fill the gap between your three-wood and your longest iron, so ensuring good distance gapping makes the transition into your irons much easier.

Golf Irons

With the advent of lofted fairway woods and hybrids, the longest golf iron for some golfers is their five iron. However, hybrids can come in the equivalent loft of a six-iron. Former Masters Champion Fred Couples’ longest iron in his golf bag is his seven iron. His reasons for ditching his five and six irons are exactly the same as why you might consider hybrids for these irons.

Couples was one of the longest hitters of his generation, but age and chronic back issues decreased his swing speed, which meant he couldn’t flight his five and six irons the way he wanted.

The hybrid equivalents give Couples the trajectory he is looking for. He’s worked to ensure his distance gapping remains constant, which is also key for amateurs, and the hybrids offer him a little more forgiveness, which is also good for amateur golfers.

If one of the best players of his age isn’t ashamed to use hybrids to replace his long and mid golf irons, amateur golfers shouldn’t be afraid to do the same.

Blending Irons

If you’re not a golf hybrid fan, you could look at a blended set.

For example, blended sets will have easier-to-hit longer irons that offer more forgiveness and a higher trajectory before switching to more traditional shorter irons, where feel and workability are critical to scoring well.

Many manufacturers, such as Srixon, Mizuno, Callaway, and Titleist, create opportunities to blend different models to create the right makeup.

Custom golf club fitting lends itself to creating blended sets where distance gapping can be monitored to facilitate the transition from one set to another.

While steel has been the standard for iron sets for decades, high-quality graphite shafts from manufacturers such as Mitsubishi Chemical mean that even some better players are making the leap to graphite golf shafts if they see a suitable improvement in performance.

Golf Wedges

Golf wedges form the main element of what’s termed as our scoring golf clubs.

Creating a wedge setup that’s right for us is similar to what we see at the top end of the golf bag with the gap between three-wood and our longest iron.

Another important factor in selecting the correct golf wedges for our game is choosing the correct bounce and grind. Vokey Design, Callaway, Cleveland, and TaylorMade all provide multiple grind and bounce options to help us create the correct ball/turf interaction and allow us to execute different types of pitch and chip shots.

Golf Bag Essentials

Spending time selecting what we need in our golf bags can help us score well.

We’ll start with the obvious: having a decent number of golf balls in your bag. If you’re playing a tight course or conditions are difficult, carrying an extra couple of golf balls in the bag could be useful.

If you are carrying golf balls that look like they belong in a museum, get them out of your bag because they will not offer you the same distance or stopping power as a new golf ball.

Carrying spare golf gloves won’t add any weight to your bag, and it’s worthwhile if you suffer from sweaty hands or are likely to be playing in changing weather conditions.

If you play a lot of golf in unpredictable weather, investing in rainproof gloves will be a smart move. If you’re a right-handed golfer, it’s a sound investment to buy a weatherproof glove for your right hand to give you extra grip when the weather is really demanding.

Continuing with the weather theme, putting a spare towel in your bag can be useful for keeping your grips, hands, and golf ball dry.

Having a good supply of tees is essential and will help prevent you from asking your playing partner or partners for a spare tee (this could be awkward if you are playing matchplay!)

It might seem like a minor detail, but understanding your personal preference for tee height can help you decide which tees to buy. If you like to tee your golf driver up high, you’re likely to opt for longer tees.

Using a pitch mark repairer will be a big favour to the green staff and your fellow golfers if you repair your pitch mark and, if you have the time, one other pitch mark. Nobody likes to putt on bumpy greens or get an unusual bounce because their ball lands on a pitch mark, so please take the time to ensure you at least repair your own.

Ball markers allow you to mark your ball with little disruption to other players on the green. Ball markers can be fairly superstitious devices for players who opt for a lucky penny or marker that they believe brings them good fortune on the greens.

If you can, find the time to check what’s in your golf bag and switch out what you don’t or add things you do need. There’s nothing worse than carrying a bag full of useless things. Likewise, not having the right gear in your golf bag can easily compromise your ability to shoot good scores, leading us to the final section.

Extras That Help

Depending on where you live, the weather can have a major impact on what you carry in your golf bag.

If you are fortunate enough to play a lot of golf in warm, sunny conditions, it is essential to pack suntan lotion.

Wet Weather

If you are less fortunate and the weather can be changeable, investing in some good lightweight waterproofs will be a must. If you have played in wet conditions, make sure there is a warm, dry place where you lay your waterproofs out to dry.

On the same subject, if you play golf predominantly in changeable weather conditions, you would want to purchase a golf bag with ample storage space for things like waterproofs and a spare towel.

Golf bags should always come with a rain hood to protect your clubs. Check that the rain hood can easily be attached to the top of the golf bag. There is nothing worse than getting caught in a deluge and struggling to get the rain hood attached to your bag while you and your clubs get soaked.

Hydration/Food

Make sure your bag has space for a water bottle and some snacks. When you finish your round, check and make sure there are no food items left in your bag, especially if you carry fruit. There’s nothing worse than finding a five-month-old banana hiding at the bottom of one of your pockets!

Rangefinders

Many golfers use rangefinders these days to help them get accurate distances. If you use a rangefinder, make sure to use the protective cover if the rangefinder comes with one.

If you don’t have a protective cover, keep the rangefinder in the pocket where you store your valuables.

Lifting a heavy golf bag in and out of the car is something no golfer wants. We are all guilty of not checking the contents of our golf bags consistently to ensure we have the things we need and doing away with the things we don’t.

If we can just create ten minutes before we head to the golf course to ensure we have enough golf balls, tees, and ball markers, that is an important start.

Knowing what the weather can do while we are on the golf course helps us pack the relevant clothing we may need for the round. It can also mean you could lighten your golf bag up if the weather is going to be great, and you don’t need any additional clothing items when you’re playing.

It is also essential to ensure your golf clubs are ready for play. Keeping grooves clean and grips in good condition will do wonders for your game. Consistent gapping with your clubs decreases your chances of compromising shots on the course.

Custom-fitted golf clubs can help you ensure you have the right makeup for your golf and the courses you play, regardless of your playing ability, so it’s worth seeking the advice of a specialist like Nine By Nine Golf to discuss your needs and book a custom-fitting session.

Creating good habits around checking your golf bag and clubs seems like a small detail, but the difference it can make in playing good, consistent golf is massive.