Is What’s In Your Bag Working For Or Against You?

Let’s talk about something that might be holding back your game without you even realizing it: your bag setup.

If you’re serious about stepping up your performance, you should probably know the ins and outs of your bag setup and the clubs that make up your set.

Our on-course data partner Shot Scope is big on all things performance and we asked if they could shed light on the value of on-course club data.

Here’s what they came back with:

• Gapping and bag setup
• Individual club statistics: tee shots, approach play, short game, putting (everything!)
• Club comparison: has the new set been worth it?
• Confidence

The first one seems, dare I say it, obvious.

But you’d be surprised how many players don’t know their club gapping (how far each club really goes). Bruh, you don’t hit your 9-iron 190.

There are a few ways to figure out your gapping. Arguably the best way to get a distance that’s relevant to on-course conditions is to use a performance tracking product.

Why not a launch monitor? Well, while most are reasonably accurate, for most of us they’re only used under ideal conditions like on a driving range or at your local tavern indoor golf facility or on a driving range with no consequences.

How often do you go to the range and hit the ball incredibly but on the course, you’re possessed by a demon (one that isn’t particularly good at golf)? On-course versus the range is different! We all know it.

On the course, you can get awkward stances, different lie types and the added pressure of finding a fairway or hitting a target. FYI, the house on the left side of the ninth hole is not the target we’re talking about.

Through performance tracking, you can learn how you perform from different distances, with different clubs and in different lies to fully understand your golf game.

This brings us to the individual statistics you can learn about your clubs. Having detailed statistics on every club in your bag, covering every aspect of the game, is a great asset.

Need to hit a fairway finder? What club gives you the best chance of finding the short stuff? Need to get up and down? What club gives you the best chance of saving your par?

With shot tracking, you can learn the answers to these questions.

Having those kinds of insights into your game might even feel like cheating. The pros do so you should, too, when it’s this easy.

For instance, you may fall into the pitfall of using too much loft around the green.

Did you know the typical amateur golfer, say 15 handicap, uses a lob wedge around the green for 23 percent of their up-and-down attempts? However, they’re only successful one out of four times.

What’s that adage about banging your head into a wall?

Through tracking, you can identify your “strong” and “weak” clubs which can help you tailor your practice sessions. (Assuming you practice.)

There are, of course, golfers who, rather than practice, believe the key to lower scores can be found in new clubs.

If you’re one of these golfers (no judgment here; you are my people), you can still directly compare the on-course performance of old clubs against new clubs. Was that $650 driver worth it? You might not like the answer but at least you’ll have it.

With Shot Scope performance tracking products, you can directly compare how clubs perform. Whether it’s club distances, off the tee or on the green, you’ll learn more about your game with each round you play.

This allows you to fine-tune your bag setup and potentially highlight some areas to consider changes.

Should you be using that 3-iron or would a hybrid be a better option? With only 14 clubs allowed in the bag (dumb rule), each one has to be worth carrying.

If the iron or hybrid debate interests you, we took a closer look at the two here.

Lastly, having the correct setup gives you confidence.

With a fitting and clubs you know are working with you rather than against you, you can eliminate any doubt in your mind that the clubs aren’t the right ones for you.

Many of you have probably been in a position where you’re standing with a club in your hand and you have zero confidence in it whatsoever. Not a good place to be, right?

At the other end of the spectrum, how good does it feel to have a club in your hand that you are fully confident in? (If this is a foreign feeling to you, maybe a change is needed).

Golf is a game of margins. Fine details can make a big difference.

Give yourself the best chance of success by learning how your clubs perform on the course through performance tracking with Shot Scope.

Better setup. Better understanding. Better scores. It’s that simple.

Shot Scope is the Official On-Course Data Partner of MyGolfSpy.