5 Signs Your Golf Club Setup Is Built For The Golfer You Used To Be

If you’re like most golfers, your game has changed, but your clubs haven’t. Swings evolve. Bodies slow down or get stronger. You might play more now or a lot less. But most golfers don’t update their equipment nearly as often as they should. That’s how you end up with a bag built for someone else.

Specifically, the golfer you used to be.

Maybe you’re aging out of your old swing. Maybe you’ve finally improved past your beginner set. Either way, if your gear doesn’t match the player you are right now, it’s probably holding you back.

You’ve never reconsidered your iron type

Still playing blades even though your ball striking is inconsistent? Or using oversized game-improvement irons even though your consistency has improved? If your player’s irons, player’s distance, game-improvement or super game-improvement have stayed the same but your game has changed, it’s probably time for a switch.

Too often, golfers lock into a certain iron style and never re-evaluate. The forgiveness, launch and workability you need now might be very different from what you needed when you bought those clubs.

Your divots are too deep, too shallow or pointing the wrong way

Divots are one of the clearest signs that something’s off. If you’re divots are large chunks of grass and soil, or you are barely touching the grass, you could have a lie-angle problem. Turf interaction is a key sign that your clubs may or may not be matched to your golf swing.

Your longest iron never leaves the bag

There’s a 4-iron in your bag but you haven’t hit it since COVID.

If you’re avoiding your longest iron (or hybrid) because it’s hard to launch or doesn’t fly high enough to stop on greens, it’s not filling a gap. At this point, it’s just taking up space in your bag.

Take advantage of being able to put 14 clubs in your bag. Get fitted for equipment that you can use and that helps you lower your scores. If you can’t find anything that works, it’s fine to carry 13 or even 12 clubs.

Your wedge lofts haven’t kept up with the times

Iron lofts have gotten stronger. If you’re playing a modern iron set with a 43-degree pitching wedge and your next wedge is a 52, you’ve got a big gap. That gap may make it harder for you to hit your targets within 100 yards. While you don’t have to carry five wedges, you may need to change the gapping.

You can shape shots but the clubs don’t let you

This is a problem I’m dealing with using my current set of irons. I got them when I hadn’t been playing for a while and I switched from a player’s style iron to a game-improvement. The ease of use and the distance were great but now that I’m playing a lot again, they are not the right fit for my game.

I don’t have nearly as much ability to work the ball as I would like. If you feel like your game has improved and you want to try and hit a little fade or draw into a pin but every time it ends up straight, the issue could be your irons and not your swing.

Final thoughts

If you read this and saw yourself in two or three of these signs, it might be time to take a hard look at your setup. New clubs aren’t always the solution but if your game has changed and you’re still trying to make something work, consider getting fitted. Sometimes all it takes is a loft or lie tweak to help ensure your equipment fits you better.