Lately, I’ve been having fun digging into Reddit threads to see what golfers think about all kinds of topics. We’ve looked at the biggest money wasters in golf to what makes the game so hard. This time, I went straight to our own MyGolfSpy Forum with a question I often ask other golfers:
“Do you carry clubs in your bag you can’t (or won’t) hit?”
It’s a question that always gets interesting answers. Some golfers confess to carrying a 3-wood that’s never been hit well, a 4-iron that feels impossible to launch, or a lob wedge that only comes out when the round is already lost. Others swear their bags are free from “dead weight.”
The responses were honest. Thanks to Shot Scope, we also have data showing what golfers of every handicap actually carry and use.
Ego versus reality
One of the most telling responses came from a golfer who admitted, “Yes, when I was younger and delusional.” It’s a perfect summary of why so many golfers hang onto clubs that don’t work for them.
When you’re new to the game or chasing a certain image, it’s easy to think, “I should be able to hit this club” or “This is what better players use.” Over time, most golfers realize that clubs are tools. If a tool doesn’t do the job, it doesn’t belong in the toolbox. The sooner you make peace with that, the sooner you’ll stop wasting strokes.
The minimalist approach
Several golfers in the Forum said they intentionally play with fewer than 14 clubs, often sticking to 12 or 13. Their reasoning was simple: fewer clubs means fewer bad decisions.
Instead of filling the bag “just because you can,” they carry only what they trust and know how to hit. Many said they rarely, if ever, missed the extra options. This approach also leaves room to swap in a club here and there for testing or if a specific course calls for it.
The usual suspects
If a club is going to be carried but rarely used, chances are it’s a long club or a high-loft wedge.
Forum golfers most often pointed to 3-woods, 4-irons and lob wedges as the “can’t hit” clubs.
The 3-wood is notoriously difficult to launch off the deck. Many players admitted it’s more of a security blanket in case the driver stops working.
Long irons demand a high swing speed and precise contact, and lob wedges, while great in the right hands, tend to scare the less consistent ball strikers.
Course-specific clubs
Some golfers keep a slot open for a “course-specific” club.
One example was adding a high-lofted wedge for courses with deep, fluffy bunkers, while another player swapped in a 1-iron or mini driver for short, tight par-4s. This kind of flexibility keeps the bag relevant to the round instead of being weighed down with a club that never gets put into play.
How many clubs do golfers actually carry?
According to Shot Scope’s data, most golfers carry the full 14-club setup or very close to it. However, in the 20- and 25-handicap range, that goes down to 13.
What the Shot Scope club usage data shows
Next, I took a look at how often some of these clubs were used, and I think that gives you a better idea as to why having 12 or 13 clubs in the bag doesn’t have a tremendous impact on scoring ability.
- The driver is the most-used club for all players (27–31 percent of tee shots).
- 3-wood usage is low for better players (3–9 percent) but jumps for higher handicaps (14–21 percent).
- Long irons and hybrids have single-digit usage rates across all skill levels.
- Lob wedges see less use as handicap increases.
Least-used clubs by handicap:
| Handicap | Club 1 (Usage %) | Club 2 (Usage %) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3-wood (3%) | 4-iron (3%) |
| 5 | LW (2%) | 4-iron (3%) |
| 10 | GW (5%) | SW (5%) |
| 15 | LW (3%) | SW (3%) |
| 20 | 4-hybrid (4%) | 5-iron (6%) |
| 25 | 4-hybrid (4%) | 7-iron (4%) |
* Shot Scope data shows that 20- and 25-handicap golfers rarely carry a lob wedge.
Final thoughts
If you can’t hit it, don’t use it.
If you’re afraid to hit it, it’s better left at home.
Every club in your bag should have a clear purpose and that purpose should be tied to shots you can execute. Going for a fitting can help you dial in exactly what you need in your bag.
Clay Nicolsen
10 months ago
I learned something important several years ago, and I rarely see it mentioned. Regarding average players carrying 3-4-5 irons: The point isn’t that these clubs require decent clubhead speed and clean contact, which they clearly do. Here’s the key point:
The average 15-ish handicapper will, on average, hit their 3-4-5 irons just about the same distance. Seriously.
Why would anyone carry three clubs that all go the same distance?