Which Club In Your Bag Do You Rarely Use?

[KC Golf]

Lou Stanger of Arccos mentioned this topic on Twitter today.  Lou said it will be in his newsletter at some point… I assume based on index this will be interesting.  

I am wondering if MGS forum people have their own views.

To start it off.  I have to say I rarely use my 52 deg TM gap wedge these days. I find I either hit my PW which is more forgiving or I hit my 56 slightly de lofted instead of hitting my 52 these days.  Not sure why I have it in my bag now…

I would think UW, 3 irons and 3W may be clubs a lot of people may not be using, but I am pretty curious what the feedback will be.

Thought this might be an interesting topic for the group…
 

[GolfSpy_APH]

For me it is whatever club is in that long spot between 4 iron and 3 wood. I have a few different clubs I put in there depending on the situation, but without a doubt this is the one that is used the least. 

I find this for a few reasons.

1. They are normally used for long shots into greens, second shots on par 5s and "safe" tee shots. In all these situations I am more comfortable with other clubs, or think other situations may be better. Long shots into greens fair enough, but often if I am that far out I am just as well off to take a 4 or 5 iron and play up. Second shots on par 5s well same thing, unless it requires that club I often can find another club that leaves me another number, or use 3 wood to get me closer and for safe tee shots, I would rather take 3 wood or 4 iron depending on the length. 

2. I have always had issues with this spot in my bag. I have tried just about everything from 7 wood, 5 wood, Driving Iron, DHY and of course traditional hybrids. However I have not really found a club that has cemented its spot and it is not an area I am comfortable with. 

Interesting topic and will be curious to see what others have to say on it. 

[cnosil]

The obvious choices in my mind seem to be 3W or LW.    LW would be my least used.   My guess for the club identified in the newsletter would be be 4 or 5 iron.  

[Middler]

For me it’s definitely my 60*. I’m glad I carry it for short sided over a trap and the like, but I don’t use it most rounds - and I’d never use my 60* full swing. I don’t use my (new to me) 7W much, but I use my 4i all the time. I use all the other clubs almost every round.

As an aside, I refuse to give up on any club. I use the club for the distance/trajectory required, whether I think I hit it well or not. That's the only way to master every club - though after 58 years I've yet to master them all. I can't imagine giving up on a 3W even if it is hard to hit, awfully big gap from driver to next club without a 3/4W. I know a lot of guys who say "oh, I can't hit my xx" and never try - self fulfilling prophecy. 

[firedad]

I have a four iron, I basically use it on for punching out of the trees.

[sirchunksalot]

I carry both a 4 and 5 iron that I hardly use, except for when I need a low punch under the trees. I also hardly use my 60° unless I'm extremely short sided. I have a lot more confidence in my 56, 52, and set GW.

[cksurfdude]

On a bit of a different note... For me, up until this year, it's been the driver...

But with lessons, practice plus a dive into the "Otto-Phlex Experiment" (Thx! @azstu324) that club will become (well? ..haha) used this season.

 

[Golfweasel]

For me, it’s my 3w off the deck. I hit it well off the tee but not so good otherwise. Fits and tantrums for sure. 

[KC Golf]

17 minutes ago, Golfweasel said:

For me, it’s my 3w off the deck. I hit it well off the tee but not so good otherwise. Fits and tantrums for sure. 

I have the same issue with my 3W.  That’s one of my goals this year… learning to hit it consistently off the deck on par 5s.

But I love my 3W off the tee, so it’s definitely gets good use in my bag each round.

 

[CarlH]

My least used club was my 60 degree LW .... I no longer have it in my bag and only carry 13 clubs at the moment.

[G56788]

My 20 degree hybrid mostly because I don’t hit it that much further than my 5 iron. It’s really just a placeholder for the better-gapped hybrid I plan on getting later this year. After that club, it’s my 60 degree wedge. 

[Bossfan]

Putter. I’m that good. No really that’s by far the most. If I were to pick one it is probably my 5 iron. 

[202]

When I was playing regularly, the 15 degrees 3 Wood was the club I rarely used. I replaced it with a 4 Wood back then.
I just got back to the game after a couple of years, and my most problematic club now is the Driver. I didn’t use it during the last two rounds.

[JerryB]

I have a 7 wood that I like but doesn't get a lot of use on my home course; the yardage just doesn't often come up.  Similar issue with my sand wedge; I use it exclusively in the bunker and there aren't too many on my course.

[GolfSpy_APH]

Really want someone to say putter

[dbdors]

5 iron according to my Arccos stats.

[Pvicary]

Mine would have to be the 5 iron. I’ve long since removed the 4 iron and have found when I need to hit the 4/5 distance under pressure I go to my 4 rescue. The distance remains the same and I happily give up workability for accuracy. Funny thing, after completing the round I remove both hybrids from my bag and replace them with 4 and 5 irons. Some would say vanity but I prefer to say I like how they look in the bag. HA!

Edited January 24, 2023 by Pvicary

[Gruff]

Gruff

Has to to my 5 iron

[tdc1]

My least used should be 3 wood from the fairway (just can’t stop myself from trying).

Actual least used is probably 6 iron. My 5 hybrid and 6 iron overlap in loft and the hybrid is my default choice.  Thinking about replacing the 6 iron with a Ping ChipR.

[Duxman130]

4 iron. I need to pull it from by bag as it window dressing. I prefer a hybrid vs longer irons.  I'll be replacing the 4 iron with another hybrid this summer.

 

[Lkt4gs]

My 3W; just can't hit it consistently. However, when I do hit it, I HIT it! 

[GolfSpy TCB]

My full bag gets a pretty good workout honestly.. I am consistently trying to find the best solution between my 5 iron and my 5 wood.  I have had several clubs in that spot... and they rotate in and out (7W, 4H, 4i, strong 5H)... but I need coverage in that distance, so whatever I'm carrying gets used.  I would say the LEAST used club in my bag is probably my sand wedge (54).  It is as much a specialty shot club for me as anything... I do a lot of approach shots and a fair amount of chipping with my 50.  My 58 gets use for finesse chipping and a lot of shots out of the sand... so it is really the unique shot that I pull out the 54.  Interesting question... made me stop and think about it for a bit.  

[Golf Dawg]

I try to use everything, but the club du jour between my 3H and 5I (7W, 4H) tends to get left behind. I’m trying a Mizuno fli-hi 5 this spring, which is 1* less than my 919HM 5I, but I will probably go with 13 when it’s all said and done.

I use my 46* more often than my other wedges, even around the green (where I go with 7I or 46*), but I’m from the 1 or 2 wedge days, and haven’t benefited from a GW.

I’m hell-bent to keep a 3W, and go between a BB or Adams, with the Adams being more idiot proof.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

5 iron is my least used club without question

[tdroma98]

Pretty much try to use all clubs in bag now.  4 iron was least used, so replaced it with hybrid 22 degree, great move for me, love the versatility of club.  3W was next least used, making an effort to use it more off tee & off the deck, to get comfortable with club. Love the 58 around the greens & also from 60-80yd range. 

[Svengineer]

I usually only play for fun and I always have 15 clubs in the bag, and I mentally take out either the 3wood, the 16 hybrid or the 4 iron out of the bag before I play the course, based on length of par 3s. I have been hitting the driver well for a long while now, and playing the yellow tees I almost never need more than a 7 iron into the par 4s, and very seldom need more than the 16 degree hybrid to get to the longer par 5s in two shots. So I almost never use the wonderful titleist 3 wood I bought in 2021. I think I probably made a mistake by going with a 13.5° since it is just so difficult to get off the ground, even after I adjusted the loft sleeve to 15°. The ball speed from it was just so amazing that I got greedy.

I may need to start playing off the white tees this summer because of my handicap which may require me to use the 3 wood off the tee or into the longer par 5s but I think I may need to look into having a 4 wood in the bag.

I also have tried a 64° CG12 cleveland, and a 73° feel wedge and these things are in my opinion very much unnecessary when you can always just lay open the 60° lob wedge. You can get all the height you need with that.

I have also compared a 20° Srixon U85 utility/driving iron with a 21° hybrid that I have kept in the bag for close to 10 years now, and the results were so clearly in the hybrid's favour that I very quickly sold the U85. Hybrids are way easier to hit than these hollow driving irons.

[Richard Fahrney]

7 wood. 

[Ndbacon]

My 3W and hybrid rarely get used. I'm pretty good with them, but the distances aren't usually needed at the courses I play most because I hit my driver fairly long. I'd probably hit more fairways if I sacrificed the distance of my driver for the accuracy of my 3W. That's sounds too rational for me to actually try it  

[Javs]

My least used club us my 6 iron (which is actually 5i loft). Since I carry a 3 w, 2,4 and 5 hybrid the 6 iron often is not used. Most of the time on the courses I play it’s a driver and then one of the wedges I carry PW, GW, 54 or 58. For the longer shots it seems the best club is usually a 7i or one of the hybrids. Seems like the 6i has been reduced to occasional par 3 or low recovery shots.

[Fursey]

My 6 iron