2024 What is safe in your bag? What's on the chopping block?

[Brycwade]

For me, the irons (Mizuno 921 Hot Metal Pro) are very safe. I  tried a number irons until I landed on these and they are a difference maker for me. 

Driver is another story. I have had my Sim now for over two years. It has been incredibly reliable and given me a ton of confidence off the tee. I have struggled in the past off the tee, leading to stretches where I didn't even carry a driver in the bag. If I can find something to replace the Sim that gives me the same confidence, I would make that change this year. 

 

Putter may not be safe either. I have had the opportunity recently to try a number of putters and I am realizing a toe hang blade is not the best situation for me. I have found myself gravitating to center shafted mallets. Something about the set up and take away just feels natural. 

[berkeleybob]

29 minutes ago, Brycwade said:

Putter may not be safe either. I have had the opportunity recently to try a number of putters and I am realizing a toe hang blade is not the best situation for me. I have found myself gravitating to center shafted mallets. Something about the set up and take away just feels natural. 

There are big fans of LAB putters here.

[BreakfastBall15]

I would say only thing on the chopping block are my irons. I love the heads but hate the shafts and it doesn't seem very cost effective to reshaft. 

[Rob Person]

Driver is definitely on the chopping block. It has to go!!!

Next are pw, sw, and possibly 60⁰

Would love to replace with 46/48⁰, and 58⁰ (already have a 52⁰ gw)

Just have to squirrel away some extra here and there to avoid the lady boss' wrath.

[AverageSizedDog]

On 5/24/2023 at 8:36 AM, GPS111 said:

I thought everything was safe but got a deal I could not refuse.  Ended up replacing a TaylorMade M1 440cc driver with a Tour Edge C722 (445cc).  Took 13 holes to get it dialed in (yes, pressed into service the day after I got it) but once it was the first drive after adjustment was a laser that went 280 yds, easily a 60 yd improvement for me.  Not bad for a 70 year old but who said leveraging new technology is a bad thing.  Now that drive for me was obscene and it has since settled down to a pedestrian 240-250 but the opportunity for longer always teases because lightning struck once!  Regardless, a quantum leap distance and accuracy improvement to my game made by a decision I didn't see coming.  So I guess in the end, nothing is really ever safe in the bag.  There will always be a GAS attack (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).

Dude the GAS is strong in me haha. It drives my wife nuts. Their is always something on marketplace that peaks my interest. Lately it has been drivers from about 5 years ago for about $260-$280ish. I also found ping iron set from 17 years ago for a solid price too. Now that Vice has released clubs, nothing in my bag (or bank account)  is safe. For reference I am playing clubs from 2004. 

[MissionMan]

My 3W is probably at risk of being cut for a Mini Driver. I don't use it much. I have a 2 iron that is long enough for shorter holes (I hit it around 235) and I am comfortable hitting driver off the deck so if I have a really long fairway shot, I'm typically okay pulling out the driver. I prefer the lack of loft with a long fairway shot as it seems to be straighter for me.

[Indy_Oz]

I *think* the contents of the bag are pretty set for this year. But I do need to sell all the clubs I replaced in the last 12 months... ha ha.

Putter may need lie adjustment- it's a little flat and I think I might benefit from it being a couple of degrees more upright. It's flatter than my old putters. I could be tempted to try another putter this year if this one just doesn't click with longer putt feel. Less than 8ft, it's a big improvement on my old putter, so I'm putting better. It's just the longer putts I need more time with it.

The wedges may not survive the year, but that would be more due to use/ wear. In particular the 56* SW. That's my go to wedge for the vast majority of short approach shots.

The bag itself may be changed. I like the idea of the BagBoy hybrid chiller bag, largely due to the secure connection system with the BagBoy push cart I use. I'm paying attention to the testers' experience to inform that decision! My Taylormade stand bag works fine, but it does rotate through the round and that bugs me a little. lol

[cksurfdude]

Think my 5W that doesn't get much action may be replaced by a King Tec 3H .. TBD...

 

* Update: 

Yep the 3H is in, baby, IN!!

Played 9 yesterday and hit it a few times. This thing is flat out working for me!

Edited June 8 by cksurfdude
added update

[GG194]

Not sure anything is ever safe, every time I think something is safe next thing I know it’s gone. A month ago was set for life I thought, only thing left is the putter. 

[MDGolfHacker]

Wedges for me.  Not because they don't work, but I've had them 3 or 4+ years and I'm fairly certain they are worn and not creating the spin I need.

[MissionMan]

4 minutes ago, MDGolfHacker said:

Wedges for me.  Not because they don't work, but I've had them 3 or 4+ years and I'm fairly certain they are worn and not creating the spin I need.

I have a spare set of practice wedges so I don’t wear out my game wedges, but I still replace the gamers every two years 

[MDGolfHacker]

28 minutes ago, MissionMan said:

I have a spare set of practice wedges so I don’t wear out my game wedges, but I still replace the gamers every two years 

Great idea!

[DownEast]

Not feeling any love with my Epic 10.5 driver lately. I can't turn it left to right to save my life.

Other than my wedges, no club is truly safe.

 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

On 11/29/2023 at 9:32 PM, GolfSpy_BEN said:

With the caveat, that this can change as frequently and whimsically as the wind, the current state of the bag is thus:

Driver - Paradym TD is safe and quickly becoming my favorite driver

3W - Paradym TD; see above

3h - Ping G430 is safe. Best. Hybrid. Ever.

4u - T200 is currently in the bag but i have given consideration to the ping iCrossover

5i T200 is safe

6i & 7i - T200 will most likely be swapped out for T150

8i -PW - T150 are going nowhere unless i get a wild hair and buy the Blueprint T’s

48* Vokey - Safe

54* & 58* MG3 - Safe

P - LAB Mezz1.Max - Safe as safe can be

Bag - MGS Jones Trouper - going nowhere

Ball - As i have no brand loyalty towards balls i will continue to play a rotation of balls

Fun to revisit this. Of the clubs above, only the hybrid and irons remain. Everything else, including the bag, has been replaced. A current rundown is as follows:

Driver - Ping G430 Max 10K. Safe for now

3W/MD - Taylor Made BRNR. Fun to hit, but a bit impractical, so we will see...

3h - Ping G430. Best. Hybrid. Ever.

7W - Callaway Rogue St Max

4U - Callaway Forged X UT. between the 7w and this club, the 21° slot is safe.

5i-7i - Titleist T200. Despite challanges from other irons, i keep coming back to these. So...

8i-PW - Titleist T150. So, so, good. Love these irons.

48° - Vokey SM9. 

52° - Cleveland CG12

56° & 60° - Kirkland V2. Wedges are an area that has been in constant flux this season. This grouping is by no means safe, more placeholders than anything else.

P - Evnroll ER2. A recent addition to the bag, and I like what I'm seeing but putters are never really safe in my bag, like ever.

Bag - Ghost MGS bag. In fairness to the Jones bag, I would still be using it, if the ghost opportunity hadn't come along.

Ball - No loyalty, so whatever is in there, gets played.

 

[ededmon]

Currently only items safe in the bag are my Taylormade grind 4 wedges. Putter is currently ok, but they are fickle and sometimes need to have a time out. Srixon irons are pretty safe too.

[RetiredBoomer]

Safe:  everything, finally, with the exception of putter.  

Putter is never safe
because I have an entire huge staff bag full of them,
and they're always on a short leash 
because I putt exactly the same with ALL of them.

This was a really fiscally irresponsible year putting a set together
because I made several changes with brand new equipment,
and everything I didn't keep was worth a lot less after I used it.

I would have never done that at any other point of my life,
and I'm sure that I'll never do it again.
Now, however, I seem to have it figured out.

I've had a real good year between having a couple of months playing behind me now,
getting together a bag that's working for me,
and having that bag fine tuned for one and one course only.

 

 

 

[MichaelG0125]

Slice another drive and it might be the driver. 

No actually I love my driver it's just my 2$ swing.

Irons will be something I would like to upgrade at some point. Currently playing Cobra FLY-Z 3H, 5H, and 6-GW. Got a good deal on the whole set.

[Tyler Pisiak]

My iron set is on the way out for sure. I’ve been rolling with the TM m4’s 5-A. Recently put a tm P770 2 iron in the bag but nothing is safe with the exception of my driver and probably 3 wood. Putter is  another upgrade to be made but only have so much money to spend. My wedges are playing very well right now (56,60) both vokeys but they are getting pretty worn and will probably be a next year upgrade. 

[ZJeb67]

My 5 iron works great on the range.  Massive stage fright on the course.
I've got a used 9 wood arriving tomorrow for an audition.

[kam89]

My mizuno mp64s are safe I love them my rivl 60 degree is locked in. I don't carry a driver and my m6 5 wood is replaceable if I found something with a stiff shaft. My vrs 52,56 I want to replace with rivl wedges and my srixzon zx7 4h is a solid maybe.

[kam89]

On 2/29/2024 at 7:23 PM, Rob Person said:

Driver is definitely on the chopping block. It has to go!!!

Next are pw, sw, and possibly 60⁰

Would love to replace with 46/48⁰, and 58⁰ (already have a 52⁰ gw)

Just have to squirrel away some extra here and there to avoid the lady boss' wrath.

Def need to get you a 60

[KC Golf]

38 minutes ago, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Fun to revisit this. Of the clubs above, only the hybrid and irons remain. Everything else, including the bag, has been replaced. A current rundown is as follows:

Driver - Ping G430 Max 10K. Safe for now

3W/MD - Taylor Made BRNR. Fun to hit, but a bit impractical, so we will see...

3h - Ping G430. Best. Hybrid. Ever.

7W - Callaway Rogue St Max

4U - Callaway Forged X UT. between the 7w and this club, the 21° slot is safe.

5i-7i - Titleist T200. Despite challanges from other irons, i keep coming back to these. So...

8i-PW - Titleist T150. So, so, good. Love these irons.

48° - Vokey SM9. 

52° - Cleveland CG12

56° & 60° - Kirkland V2. Wedges are an area that has been in constant flux this season. This grouping is by no means safe, more placeholders than anything else.

P - Evnroll ER2. A recent addition to the bag, and I like what I'm seeing but putters are never really safe in my bag, like ever.

Bag - Ghost MGS bag. In fairness to the Jones bag, I would still be using it, if the ghost opportunity hadn't come along.

Ball - No loyalty, so whatever is in there, gets played.

 

This is a great bag!  Love how it compares to your previous 2023,bag.

Your Costco wedges are a real outlier.  I bet they are gone in a matter of weeks.

That’s a lot of different looks at address given all the different OEM implements.

I'm still trying to figure out the 3W to 4 iron area of my bag.  That area is definitely not safe.  The Ping icrossover is great in normal conditions, but is a bit problematic for me in firm fairways and does not seem to go high enough to stop on fast greens.  I need a better and option than my TS hybrid.  Testing different stuff.

[JoshsGolfQuest]

My 5 Wood is safe. It's one of the few clubs I trust off of the tee box, but that 4 hybrid which is supposed to be easy to hit is getting the side-eye from me right now.  She ain't loyal!

[kam89]

7 minutes ago, JoshsGolfQuest said:

My 5 Wood is safe. It's one of the few clubs I trust off of the tee box, but that 4 hybrid which is supposed to be easy to hit is getting the side-eye from me right now.  She ain't loyal!

What 4h are you hitting?

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Fun to revisit this. Of the clubs above, only the hybrid and irons remain.

Looking at my bag, it is all pretty safe except the driver.   Happy with all the clubs in the bag and the only reason I would change the driver is if I find something better.   I am thinking a little more loft might be helpful but I still hit the g400 max well so I am not searching very hard 

[Barrio6]

Looking like my TM sim2 is max irons are going to the chopping block. TM sim2 max d driver is staying indefinitely.

[Indy_Oz]

On 6/6/2024 at 1:13 PM, Indy_Oz said:

I *think* the contents of the bag are pretty set for this year. But I do need to sell all the clubs I replaced in the last 12 months... ha ha.

Putter may need lie adjustment- it's a little flat and I think I might benefit from it being a couple of degrees more upright. It's flatter than my old putters. I could be tempted to try another putter this year if this one just doesn't click with longer putt feel. Less than 8ft, it's a big improvement on my old putter, so I'm putting better. It's just the longer putts I need more time with it.

The wedges may not survive the year, but that would be more due to use/ wear. In particular the 56* SW. That's my go to wedge for the vast majority of short approach shots.

The bag itself may be changed. I like the idea of the BagBoy hybrid chiller bag, largely due to the secure connection system with the BagBoy push cart I use. I'm paying attention to the testers' experience to inform that decision! My Taylormade stand bag works fine, but it does rotate through the round and that bugs me a little. lol

Well that didn't take long LMAO... I have a TSR2+ 13* '2' wood head on its way for me to try out. I love the 3W off the tee, but a little more distance and lower flight would be great on the courses I more commonly play. I have my 3W cranked down to 14.25* and rarely use off the deck. I hit my 7W far enough off the deck  on par 5s and generally very straight - also I can punch it lower like a 5W as needed. So a TSR2+ being closer to mini driver really appeals. Hoping it arrives before the weekend so I can get a round in with it before next week's league game.

 

[RetiredBoomer]

6 hours ago, ZJeb67 said:

My 5 iron works great on the range.  Massive stage fright on the course.
I've got a used 9 wood arriving tomorrow for an audition.

It's not all stage fright.  We get perfectly flat lies on the practice tee.

[TJ Hall]

I cycle between safe and unsafe on everything!

Irons (TM Tour Preferred CB) are fairly safe, but them well and the lofts fit for gapping.

Wedges (Vokey SM 8 (56/60)) are safe, 52 is questionable just for gapping (GW matching set is 50), so bit of a gapping there …just need to play with them a bit.

3W (TM Stealth) is safe.

4H (Titleist U510) is safe…struggled originally with it but now love it.  3H (also a U510) I was questioning getting a different shaft (have a Graphite Design and was thinking about a KBS), but hit it well this past weekend after some swing changes, so it might be safe for a bit.

Driver is never truly safe, was really considering an upgrade after the previous rounds, but it performed this past weekend as well.

But with clubs, this all could change quickly!

[ILMgolfnut]

On 1/12/2024 at 1:42 PM, ILMgolfnut said:

So I got home last night and looked in the trunk for the Mizuno wrench. Wasn't there. Then I realized where it was -- in the valuables pocket of my golf bag. Meaning I had it all the time and could have fixed the driver on the spot. Tightened the screw and the millimeter of wiggle is gone. But I will definitely have the wrench on hand next time I hit the driver, just in case. I didn't even think about playing The Cradle while I was in Pinehurst yesterday because of the wiggly driver, but then I realized last night that The Cradle is all short par 3s and I don't need any woods. Longest hole is 127 yards. I shoulda played it.

Sooo... assuming that the driver is fixed, it's safe. But maybe the 3-wood is in jeopardy. For a while it was pretty reliable off the tee (semi-straight but short), but lately I'm having real problems hitting it off the fairway. I'm more comfortable with my PXG 7-wood, so I might look at a PXG 3w.

Driver survived and right now is probably my second favorite club, right next to my trusty 8-iron. But I still keep the wrench on hand just in case the wiggle returns. However, there is a decent chance of a reshafting this fall to try to get more carry out of the big dog. Line drives work very well in Scotland, which is why I haven't gone for a shaft fitting yet, but back home I'd like more trajectory. I talked to a fitter at Golf Galaxy who was watching me hit Ai Smokes and he said I actually need more backspin. It will be interesting to see if that opinion is shared by whoever does my driver fitting. Haven't decided where to go yet. There's a Club Champion location near the Casa but I suspect they'll push me toward an Otto-Phlex or some other equally overpriced shaft. I'm not gonna pay more for a shaft than I paid for the entire driver. May go back to the golf shop that did my fitting in 2022, although that fitter is no longer there.

However, the 3-wood is in jeopardy. Probably not immediate, but by the end of the year there's a good chance it will be replaced by a mini driver. Another option would be a 4-wood, since I carry a 7w now, to split the difference and hopefully get higher ball flight. Could also be a topic of fitting.

And the 30+ year old putter is gone. I became a LAB rat -- a gently used DF 2.1 that I got a good deal on eBay. No head cover included, but I've ordered a new head cover which is being shipped as we speak.