What’s in the Bag?
By Andy Hilts,
GolfTEC National Director of Instruction
PGA Master Professional in Instruction
2005 Colorado PGA Teacher of the Year
Technology is a great thing! After playing the same Cleveland irons and wedges for the last eight years, the same putter for the last five and the same Cleveland three-wood for the last six years I decided this year it was time for a complete upgrade…well, everything except the driver which is still one of my favorites.
Driver: If you are playing a driver that is more than a few years old, it is time to upgrade! Today, the driver technology in conjunction with golf ball technology is helping players to hit the ball farther than ever before. This year I had the chance to play Mississippi State University Golf course for the first time since I graduated in 1999. The latest in driver technology at that time was the Great Big Bertha. With my TaylorMade R7 (circa 2005) I was 30–50 yards longer than where I used to be.
Fairway Woods: After six years with my Cleveland Launcher three-wood it was finally time for an upgrade this year. My new fairway wood is a Mizuno F-60 16.5-degree four-wood that I am hitting it twenty yards farther than my old three-wood ever went. Amazing that a club with more loft not only gives me greater distance but also more accuracy.
Hybrids: Since I was in high school, I have carried both a two- and three-iron. I finally gave into the hybrid technology this year. I wish I had done it years ago. At 23-degrees of loft, it fills the gap nicely between my four-wood and four-iron, eliminating the need for both a two- and three- iron. I can also hit it out of the rough—no way I could have done that with a two-iron.
Irons: My main reason for changing irons this year was to take advantage of the change in shaft technology. The True Temper Dynamic Gold Sensicore I used to play is not the most consistent shaft available. I am now playing the 5.5 Project X by Precision Rifle. Wow, what a difference.
Wedges: I also restructured the lofts I carry in my wedges due to the pitching wedge in my new set being 47 degrees (much stronger loft than my old PW). I now carry a 51-degree, a 54-degree, and a 58-degree Mizuno R series with the Black Nickel finish. I have added a 51-degree wedge to close the gap between my pitching wedge and 54-degree. You’ll notice that I don’t carry a 60-degree, my 58 is my lob wedge. Personally, I think most players carry way too much loft in their lob wedge that ends up costing them more strokes than it saves.
Putter: Not only have I upgraded the technology with my irons, fairway wood and hybrid but I also upgraded my putter technology. I add a YES C-Groove Dianna 32-inch to my bag. I still cannot believe how much faster the golf ball starts rolling with the C-Groove technology. With my old putter, the ball began to roll at around ten inches and with the YES, the ball was rolling in just over four inches. A ball that does not hop and skid will stay more inline and travel a more constant distance every time. The key to great putting is controlling the line and speed of the putt and I now feel like I have a putter that will help me do that every time.
Ball: To be honest I have tried multiple golf balls this year. I have to say as long as the golf ball spins I do not see a huge difference in performance from the Pro V to the Bridgestone 330 to the TaylorMade TP Red or even Nike Platinum. To me it is a price issue. What ever is the cheapest as long at it is a spin type ball and not a distance type ball. A distance ball will just not provide enough spin on and around the greens.
Before deciding on my new set of clubs this year I did lots of research. I tried everything that I could from many different manufacturers. I believe the club manufacturers today bring fantastic product to every player. You have to decide what clubs look and feel the best to you. Once you have decided on the right clubs spend as much time as needed with your Coach fitting the set to your specifications. I spent nearly three hours at different times fitting each component that is now in my bag. You may not need a complete revamp like me, but almost every bag I look into needs some kind of upgrade.
