How I set up my Golf bag for the Average Golfer - Off the beaten Track Ep 71

I think the first thing we should mention is that the lady has just finished her breakfast Thinking it's for you Well she said I'll guess which is which Yeah So I 'm on the beans on toast and I've got the biggest breakfast known to man I think this is the biggest breakfast I've probably ever had Would you say so I've got three sausages Three sausages two strips of bacon two hash browns two huge slices of toast two eggs mushrooms and beans That’s incredible I mean to be fair my beans on toast also has bacon and cheese on it Winner winner It's delicious Well I' ve just traveled two hours to get to a place called Whittington Heath and as ever we're off the beaten track It's pouring down with rain But I'll tell you something—it was worth the two-hour journey just for that breakfast alone Even though I didn’t eat it Hannah likely had the best breakfast we’ve seen so far on our journey easily ranking at the top of the leaderboard We're heading to the first tee It's rather bleak But we'll take a quick look around Whittington Heath But we might need to return to this spot on another day to show you its full splendor Right Fourwood has gone back in We're going to go drive her I told you a week ago that I'd be out on the golf course next week So if I hadn't made that promise I probably wouldn't be standing on this tee right now The weather has been absolutely dreadful all morning It doesn’t look like it’ll improve much Oh my God That was the first swing of the day Right See if we can get one down there And that's better than getting one down there OK That' s a monster It must be downwind Oh hello That's a great start First thing to note is just the first green obviously And the fact that I hold a puff means I love these greens But they’re incredible condition for this time of year That’s one of the reasons I want to come down here This would be described as a heathland course And they're excellent choices for winter play I mean they're superb in the summer too But the key is to enjoy golf on dry ground Greens in top condition This is the kind of place that belongs on a hidden gem list and they've kindly allowed me to visit to see the course even though it's clearly not at its peak It's not in full bloom We're in February And I think that's really a testament to the club—how proud they are of the condition of this place in the middle of winter We're playing a back nine We're playing a loop of 12 holes So this is actually the seventh Lovely par three I'm using a hybrid because the wind is helping the ball and the flag looks like it's showing a good line back Keep cutting the ball Keep cutting Is it enough Oh it is Just the front edge It wasn’t the cleanest hit but we’re in the game That rain just won't let up and is still ruining my day So the idea for today's video was obviously to explore Whittington Heath As I mentioned it would be somewhat unfair under these circumstances Instead let's take a look at what's actually in the bag I usually do this once a year and I think it's a great starting point because I've changed quite a bit this year—possibly for the first time When I go through the clubs perhaps people should pay more attention to the type of club rather than the brand So let's not get hung up on that But essentially the shot you see me hit there was a hybrid That was a 25-degree hybrid I’ve got a number of them in the bag this year likely for the first time And during the summer months I’ll probably be carrying more than ever I've found them really helpful in situations like that where I've got an iron in my bag that could probably reach the target But then the quality of that shot I just hit was pretty poor But the hybrid made up for it letting me get away with it That’s how I’m aiming to build my bag Completely aware that well I'm far from being a skilled golfer in many respects and my swing can be inconsistent especially on a day like today when we're still warming up And you get away with shots like that even if they’re as poor as they were So hybrids—this is a PXG Lightning lineup of hybrids I might even switch to a 7 hybrid in my bag this summer And I’ll keep you all updated on where that takes me But for now we've got a birdie putt—if you can even call it that It's quite a long one Go on go on Oh that would have been like an advertisement Wedges they haven't changed And that's Sugar Daddy 2 wedges More importantly the gaps I use are a 50 a 54 and a 58 If you watch the channel regularly you know that the only wedge I consistently carry is this one—the 54 In almost every round unless I’m feeling a bit excited and decide to take out the full 14-club allowance this is the only wedge I carry And the reason I do that is because I aim to stay consistent with one wedge I've talked about countless times I could hit a 58 and pop it up into the air You could adjust the 50 slightly lower It's nice to have that variety But with a 54 it's truly versatile And I can hit all those shots with just this one club Then I do this which is marking my yardages directly onto the shaft And that's a full three-quarter and a half swing And again that covers distances from 50 to 100 yards So once again instead of me trying to manage three wedges that can all cover those distances I'd rather stick with just one get comfortable with it and really understand it That's just how I operate Anyway it's not for everyone But I think wedges are incredibly personal—truly they're very much a matter of individual taste And once you've gotten used to something you settle into it and find the right kind of bounce on your club Then it's one of those elements that seamlessly becomes a confident part of your game And honestly it's easy to incorporate from here And once again I’m an advocate of that But I’m far more confident now with a wedge than I would have been just a year or two ago So a couple of things to report: first it's completely bone dry at the force And it hasn't stopped raining all morning I mean absolutely It's great now but the journey down here was terrible And another thing—look at the heather It's not in bloom this time of year but you can clearly see what gives this type of course its defining character And I think maybe in July or August this place would look incredible with everything in full purple bloom I can imagine it emerging and completely transforming the look of the golf course And we’ll definitely be back I can tell you that right now after playing just a few holes because it’s been truly enjoyable even under these conditions Oh it's gone through the trees as well Oh that's nearly there That's another reason I just decided to turn it on And well it's a bit of a risk but went with the hybrid a high-lofted one from the sand trap As long as you're far enough back I think it's a genuine weapon to have in a golf bag Not something I used again a couple of years ago but with having I mean that was a five hybrid And I was worried I wouldn’t get enough height on it but anything six hybrid a little more loft on again And they're excellent for escaping fairway bunkers as I mentioned when you're far enough back And for me as I said I’d probably go for a nine iron or an eight iron Pulling one out there and with a bit of luck since we skimmed those branches I think we're not far from the front of the green Sit down Ah it was always too low I was going to talk about the greens and I messed up the shot because first of all it's a front-to-back slope And it's clearly readable from right to left too just like that effortless roll-off you see But one thing that stands out especially on the holes I've played is how intriguing the green complexes are And in the summer months that second shot from the hole would be very different As I said front to back green trying to hold it I can only imagine they become quite firm So you’ll need to use a little imagination and skip ahead in your mind a few months And in the summer months I imagine this is as far as it goes I keep saying the same thing I wasn't planning to say much about the golf course But yes a few details that clearly indicate this is well worth a visit Tad left It has the yardage but you can see the birds fleeing the way they did We' re in the left-hand side trap Fairway woods once again are likely a bit heavier than I’ve been using in the past And this is a four wood which typically carries about 200 to 210 yards maybe a bit more But essentially once again a very versatile club I can hit it cleanly off the tee It has enough distance to feel comfortable off the tee with a shorter shaft and driver Don't miss out on a significant advantage when it comes to having a three-wood option But then I switch to a seven-wood And the seven wood is once again a highly versatile club that has become the flavor of the month simply because an increasing number of touring golfers are adding it to their bags And suddenly we decide it's acceptable I think Tommy Fleetwood has also chipped in with a nine-wood Without a doubt they'll become more accepted and the stigma surrounding them will lessen Now a pro has one in the bag But the point of all this is this is the ideal bag setup in my opinion for the average golfer—this one at least But the whole idea and concept revolve around a touch of versatility mainly confidence You have to play clubs you're comfortable with I'll take a four iron from here Do I really want to attempt a four iron 190 yards into the wind Probably not A long hybrid or fairway wood would be a far better choice Again not the ideal outcome Having a club in your bag won't make you a great golfer but it can occasionally make certain situations just a little easier But as I mentioned more importantly my bag is ultimately chosen I believe based on confidence which is a major factor We haven't talked about the putter and to be honest I brought the wrong one with me So we'll steer clear of it as much as possible What I'll say is I'm more than happy with what I've got in the bag today But it's largely a matter of personal preference regarding face shape and other features That said I'm a strong believer in the zero torque concept It's not for everyone I get that Not everyone agrees but for my type of putting stroke I've found it incredibly beneficial And I’d use any zero-torque putter from any brand as long as it has that kind of face balance concept As I mentioned the one you pick comes down to personal preference and such factors But in any case zero torque for me Well with the rain coming down it looks like it's going to ruin my day Can you believe we're also at the farthest point from the clubhouse But anyway I've been enjoying it so far But we'd better talk about the irons And the one that's probably well most interesting to me right now is the possibility of a major change for the first time in several years Right now the irons in my bag today are the PXG Gen 8 I've been playing the 0317Ts for quite some time And that iron for me is probably one of if not the best irons PXG has ever released because it has a player's profile but offers far more forgiveness than most people would expect I love that iron but I got it custom fitted for the Gen 8 And what they've introduced in Gen 8 for the irons is a T model which features a slimmer profile So now Gen 8 offers three options I won't go into too much detail about that in this video But it lets me play with a lower profile while still offering the forgiveness and ball speed that the 0137Ts don’t always deliver I've also returned to a style closer to traditional lofts So the T model is the less lofted option These aren't power bats by any stretch And so far I'm really enjoying them It's a toss-up to be honest I'll see what happens— I'll keep you updated on that What I can update you on is the weather and you can probably tell that already I told Hannah who's going through a rough patch out here on the fairways filming me in this weather that were the farthest point from the clubhouse It would be terrible if it started to rain now And about 30 seconds later You guessed it Anyway we're heading back toward that clubhouse and some warmth And one thing I forgot to mention was the driver in my bag It's the new PXG Lightning And interestingly it's the Tor Mid head profile with a 10.5-degree loft Without going into detail the main takeaway is to get custom fitted This is the best driver PXG has made to date and I certainly wouldn ’t have chosen this head profile if I hadn’t been custom fitted The good news is we made it back to the van It was pretty hairy at the end We got a video done and that's largely down to the fact that you keep on watching You're the inspiration in a situation like this Honestly anyone with sense would head out and put together a video under these conditions But the fact that we've committed to be out there on a Monday evening—just to offer you some form of entertainment if that's what you want to call it—gets us out there And it pushes Hannah to apply seven layers to Puzzle Waterproof savoring every last moment of the final hours Trailing behind her dad across a golf course in the downpour Thanks for watching And what inspires me is your comments because when you say such kind things it truly makes a difference As I mentioned it's the driving force that gets you up and moving So if you have anything to share drop it in the comments section As long as it's nice and appreciated Right I'm all done We'll return to Whittington Heath again in the summertime The sun will be shining The heather will be in full bloom and this place will look absolutely stunning