First, if you are close to breaking 80 then can we assume that you are a 12 or 13 HCP or lower? Seems a safe assumption. So if you are a 12 HCP, do you put clubs in your bag that you cannot hit consistently? I generally take those OUT of my bag unless I need them for a specific hole at a specific course. For example, a long (180+ yard) PAR 3 that you need to carry a hazard. Now the young guys say “no sweat I’ll hit my 8 iron!” LOL. Most of us ‘senior’ players dont have an 8 iron or even a 6 iron, that can make that shot. But I have used a 5W for a couple courses at 185-190 yards. Works well for me. I am a low ball striker so my hybrid doesn’t always give me the carry I need to clear water all the time. So I do swap those two clubs in and out. I do use my 3W a lot, especially on long (420+ yard) PAR 4 holes. I adjust my bag by: 1) Course I am playing; 2) Conditions (hot/summer or wet/winter); 3)How well my swing is working. All of these play into what is in my bag. Course - long PAR 3s or real long PAR 5s. Summer - ball will rollout better; winter - wet course needs more carry. Swing - since I am older my swing varies on what hurts that day. Arthritis and old age play hell with consistency.
For new golfers, working out what clubs work for you is part of the fun. Just like finding the best driver, the best irons, the best ball, and the best putter. That is one of the best parts of golf. I like hitting new gear.
As a 63 year old, I do feel I am a “senior” golfer. In my youth 6800 to 7000 yd courses never bothered me. At the height of my abilities, I played to a legitimate 2.5. I rarely shot over 75, course mattered not. I could hit my Driver 270, my 5iron would carry 195-200 without a second thought. As I have aged , I shortened the courses. I get maxed out around 6400 yds. It’s a long story, but I have come to this conclusion. No matter how old you are and you keep in reasonable shape, if you apply proper grip and swing mechanics the new equipment and especially the balls will really increase your carry distance and length. BUT, you have to put in some work. On a correct strike, my driver will carry 240ish and roll out to 260 and I’m generating about 140-143 ball speed consistently. Long story, I got injured 6 years ago, had to lay off, probably came back too soon and made swings that were not proper, so you begin a personal search, adjust here/there everywhere. Then I took a video of my swing and went Holy Mother of God…what the hell have you done. So I began a rebuild to get back to proper positions one step at a time…How bad was I? Well driver speed was maybe 87, distance was 190 to 200, my partners were like welcome to old age. Well, I went to work…My swing speed is 95-98, ball speed is what I told you, my distance is back to an acceptable distance for me, but I still think I can get more. If I have to carry 200 yds I can swing outta my shoes with my 22* 7w or take a normal swipe with my 18* hyb. I carry a 14* 3w and can carry that 220ish easy. It’s mechanics and the ball. Plain and simple. 420par, 2 weeks ago I hit a Dr 255ish leaving me 165in which was a smooth 7iron. There was very little breeze and it was like 65 outside. I have freaked my playing partners out. I play the course around 6000 yd and I spot them the gold tees which is 5300…even doing that, I’ll be hitting PW into some holes from 120 and they still have to hit 7i. Maybe people will disagree with my take…but I firmly believe it’s mechanics, I take vids and show them, no extension on takeaway, no dropping the club into the slot on the transition, head moving ahead of the ball, improper weight shift, no extension through the ball…I can show a horse water, but I can’t make them drink. I broke my bad habits and returned to my roots, I would say if I had todays ball back then I would have been able to bash drives in the 300 range. All said, know your distances, if you want to have FUN, play the proper tees…the game (and it is a game) is much more fun! I wanted to add this in about “senior” golfers. Mr. Player was out our way over the summer. He’s 85, now at 85 age catches up with everyone. BUT, he stays fit, eats well, works on his game. He hits his Driver 225-230 easy. I played a round of golf with Mr. Snead when he was 77 and had visible signs of Parkinsons, I was still in my youth! He busted the ball past me and we weren’t measuring. It’s mechanics, your ability to stay fit and keep flexible as best you can and now the ball. Today’s ball is just amazing for us old guys. Balls are custom fit for every swing today!
I didn’t read the article but I assume it says the same thing every other article says about the average golfer with a 3 wood, which is, there are better choices from the fairway for the average player.
See the TXG video where they evaluate 3w, 4w & 5w with a 95 mph swing. Matty boy is amazing in that he can just shift down a gear or two on the swing speed thing. Results: There was no difference between the 4w & 5w in distance but better trajectory with the 5w, both went farther than the 3w. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2H2r2s2rRY&t=877s
Adam Scott actually carries a 4 wood (16.5*), not a 3 wood. Unless you are using a 3w as a substitute driver, you probably should be using something else off the deck for maximum distance.
Interesting… That’s not all that much slower than my driver CHS (105-108, judging by ball speed 155-161), and yet that’s not the case at all with my 3W and 5W. Part of the problem was that I was gaming a 40.5" shaft in the 5W, but even after lengthening it to 41.5-42, it’s still shorter. Even turned down to 18 vs 19. (147-150 ball speed 3W, 138-145 ball speed 5W). I’ve never tried a 4W, that I know of.
I’m all about ‘whatever works.’ I’d love to try a hybrid, just for $#its and giggles. I smack a 3i ok, but if a hybrid works better, why not?
Interesting vid. I do utilize trackers but not like this and I definitely don’t like to use any numbers off a mat. I have basically set up my bag over the last 15 years based on club loft only. My D is 9.5* 46.5"L, I actually delofted my 3W to 14* 44"L and even at my swing speed I can get 215 carry (with what I call a lower trajectory) —225-230 roll out off the turf ( I can take it up to 16.5* if I wanted to), I carry 18Hyb 42"L, I can carry that 200 no prob with a 215-220 roll out, what I call mid trajectory, I carry a 22 * 7W 42"L, I can carry that 190 with like roll out to 200. Very high trajectory, like 5i-6i trajectory, there isn’t a ton of roll out. I can choke down, I can alter ball position, I can ramp my swing speed up or down like 8-10% before stuff gets wonky. I kinda like my set-up right now, In general, I’m looking for that 10-15 yd difference in length total… These are what I prefer… I keep loft difference at 4 * all the way thru my bag, except LW which is 60. This seems to keep me out of the tweeners. Golf is an imperfect game, played by imperfect people, with imperfect swings. Most weekday or weekend amateurs don’t know how to recognize conditions & lies… I think that’s a lost art. I constantly see my partners try and force something with a 16* out of a lie that is screaming for a 22*, take a swipe and wonder why the ball does what it does, which is not go the desired distances. One of the best ways to figure stuff out is to play a couple rounds with 3 clubs and a putter… I’ve done that so many times and IMO, it helps you to understand what will work best for you out of your bag. Or just play a few rounds with nothing except 1 type of metalwood only no Dr. For me, for now, he 3W is firmly planted in my old man’s bag. On my home course, I end up using it at least 5 times a round, If I use anything more than 3x, I think it deserves a spot…