Different players have different choices for golf bag club combinations, and there is no rule that says you have to carry a certain combination of clubs. So, how can an amateur golfer make the wisest decision to combine his or her 14 clubs?

Golf bag club combinations Different players have different choices, and there is no rule that says you have to carry a certain combination of clubs. 14-club selection is one of the few things a golfer truly has complete control over. So, how can an amateur golfer make the wisest decision to combine his or her 14 clubs? The answer is, data!

With the popularization and application of golf performance tracking systems around the world, amateur players can now analyze their own club combinations through personal data and big data, and have found their weaknesses. You can also compare the actual performance data of different clubs before use.

Last time we compared the No. 4 iron and the No. 4 iron wood. This time, based on the same database, we expanded the scope to all long clubs: 3-wood, 5-wood, 2-iron, 3-iron and 3-iron to conduct a comparative introduction of the data. The information below is grouped by handicap level. In each section, you'll see how each club performs on average in five categories for golfers with different skill sets: Driving Distance, Distance to Greens, Fairway Hit Rate, Green Hit Rate and as a Drive The average number of strokes taken when the rod is used.

0-5 Handicap Level

The data from 3-wood to 3-iron shows that even the best amateur players have a hard time getting the same distance on green approach as they do off the tee. . All five clubs have big gaps. On a green approach shot, the 5-wood, 3-iron, and 3-iron have almost the same distance (approximately 175 yards), but off the tee, the 3-iron has a clear advantage of the three clubs. . The data also showed that the 3-iron hit the fairway at an improved rate compared to the 5-wood and 3-iron woods. (Yes, there are amateur players who can actually hit solid shots with a 3-iron!) If you are one of these players, consider putting a 3-iron in your golf bag.

6-10 Handicap level

-10 Handicap level players show relatively minimal differences between tee and green distances with the 2-iron and 3-iron. Especially the 3-iron, which interestingly has the lowest fairway rate among this group of players. Perhaps because amateur golfers with a single handicap tend to pull left when teeing off with iron-wood clubs. The same is true here, as the 3-iron hit the fairway 5 percentage points lower than the 3-iron. Players at this handicap level are likely struggling to consistently break 80, and smart use of irons and woods can make that goal more achievable.

11-15 Handicap level

The same as the previous group, the distance between the iron and wood of this group of players when driving and approaching the green is also close. For the No. 2 and No. 3 irons, the difference in distance between tee shot and approach to the green is only about 3 yards. The 3-wood has the most obvious gap between the tee shot and the approach to the green, and the 3-iron is the club with the shortest distance to the green. This result is in line with our normal understanding.

Armed with this knowledge, players at this handicap level can focus on improving the use of these clubs in practice or avoid using these clubs on the course. Overall, when you factor in distance and accuracy, the 2-iron is a solid choice for players of this handicap level. It has a consistent fairway rate and consistent distance off the tee and on the green, and has the added benefit of having the lowest scoring average when used as a driver.

16-20 Handicap Level

For the first time between these clubs, we saw a few clubs hitting the green farther away than off the tee. The 2-iron and 3-iron add 5 and 6 yards respectively to the green. Overall, the performance from the 2-iron to the 3-iron is very similar. In most cases, they only differ by a few yards off the tee and a few percentage points in fairway rate. This is different from the general understanding that high-handicap players should give up the 3-wood and choose hybrids. If you want to hit the fairway better, the 3-wood is the obvious choice.

20+ Handicap Level

For this group of handicap players, the 2-iron and 3-iron gained 5 and 9 yards respectively on the green compared to off the tee. For players at other handicap levels, the 3-wood is the clear winner in terms of fairway hits off the tee, but at the 20+ handicap level, the 2-iron is only a slight 2.5 percentage points behind the 3-wood. For green shots, the 2-iron has longer distance and a higher green-hitting rate.

Summary

Finding the best combination of 14 clubs for your golf bag is as simple as collecting as much data on your golf ball as possible. The more times you play, the more accurate the data you collect allows you to make more informed choices. The rapid progress of professional players today is not only due to innovations in equipment and technology, but also the collection of massive game data, which helps players understand their strengths and weaknesses more clearly and conduct targeted training to improve them.

If amateur golfers want to improve more efficiently, it is also essential to collect and analyze their own end data. Compared with just remembering how many three-putts, how many birdies or pars, the end data is It allows players to feel more in control when they get off the court and enjoy their current level of golf more.

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