99% of golfers are carrying a club they don't need

Published 2 months ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader,

Which of your 14 clubs are doing nothing?

A few weeks ago we told you the neat 10-yard ladder between your irons probably doesn't exist.

This week someone put a number on it.

Golf Digest went to Cobra, whose Connect sensors feed into Arccos, and asked how common the problem really is. And they found ...

42% of golfers have one gapping problem. Two clubs sitting within two yards of each other.
19% have two.
38% have three, four or five.

Now look at how far the average male amateur hits his irons. A 14.2 handicap swinging 93mph, measured by Arccos across millions of shots.

3-iron 172 yards. 5-iron 159. Thirteen yards to cover two clubs.

Then 9-iron 121 down to pitching wedge 110. Eleven yards for one club.

The top of the set is where the ladder starts to collapse. And that's the average amateur, so your 'yardage' ladder could potentially be even more uneven.

The fix hasn't changed since we last discussed this. Anchor off the one number you actually trust, your pitching wedge carry, and map up from there.

Then count how many of your 14 are earning their place.

*Our full iron distance guide, by handicap, age and swing speed →*

Should anyone over 18-handicap be banned from comps?

National Club Golfer asked it this week. The numbers are awkward.

England's men average 17.38. More than a quarter of men play off 21 to 28.

So a cap at 18 excludes a good chunk from the Saturday sweep.

But the suspicion is half right.

A 35 to 39.9 index has a 1 in 23 chance of going net five under. A 5 to 9.9 player, 1 in 140.

*USGA ‘Exceptional Tournament Score Probability Table*

But that's variance, not evidence. A 35 index is inconsistent by definition. Wider spread, more freak rounds, in both directions. Nobody complains about the other ones.

We noted last month: a handicap is potential, not a Saturday score. You'll reach it one round in four.

A cap doesn't catch cheats. It just bars the players whose scoring moves around most.

Thanks for reading and as ever and most importantly enjoy your golf!

Play well until next time 👍

Graeme Hay

Founder, GolfingFocus.com

Golfing Focus Limited, 73 Maple Road, London, KT6 4AG
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