Which 4 clubs?

I'm playing in a Stableford competition where we're only allowed to use 5 clubs. One of them must be a putter, so that leaves 4 to choose. I'm thinking: driver, 7 wood, 7 iron and PW. Which would you take?

Always a good one this, alot depends on your course.

I take:

3 wood
5 iron
8 iron
52 degree wedge


Ian.

What is your handicap?

I'm playing off 16 in my society.

I would then go with Ian's suggestion

Ian's got the classic 4 club configuration.

3 wood for off the tee and long shots off the deck.
5 iron for those 'long iron' shots.
8 iron for short iron and approach shots.
and a trouble wedge (52* gap or 56/58* sand) for trouble lies - sand, deep rough, etc.

Every club can be choked up, (even choked down a touch) to get different distances.

I've even heard of guys using a 5w or 3i in place of the 3w, followed by a 6i or 7i and a couple of wedges - PW and strong SW/weak LW; the theory being get it close to the green, and pitch/chip close for a 1 putt.

I knew one guy who went with 3w, 5i, 8i, PW, SW... and belly putted with his 3w.

I chose driver because I hit that far better off the tee than my 3 wood. I can play my longish iron shots with my fairway wood and my 7 seven iron is good for approach shots and pitch and runs. I may change the PW to a 58* lob wedge. This is harder than I thought it was going to be.

What clubs you take should depend on how far you hit your clubs. How far do you hit your Driver, 3W, 3I, 5I, 8I and PW?

If this was me, I would take my 18*DI (5W), 5I, 8I and SW.

Make sure the clubs you pick are clubs you feel extremely confident with and you know the distances to the exact yardage.

A quick rule of thumb, every inch you choke down you change 1 club length. For example, if you choke down an inch on your 8I, it should now hit the same distance as your 9I.

Also, if you move the ball forward and backward in your stance, you can change trajectories and distances as well. For example, if you move the ball 2 ball widths back in your stance and hit your 8I, it should have the same ball flight and distance as your 7I.

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

I hit driver about 250, 7wood 170, 7iron 130. My choice of clubs was very much governed by how comfortable I am with them. Thanks for the other advice gord, some good stuff there.

Having clubs you can trust and you know distances for is the most important part when playing in this type of format. Good to hear that you have made your decision and are sticking to it! Shows a lot of confidence in your selections.

I used to have the classic formation for 5 club comps

4 Wood : equally good off tee and fairway and has just enough loft to be used as a rescue club if need be

4 Iron : close face slightly to deloft and play back in the stance and it becomes almost a 3 iron. Go down the grip and you have a 5 iron

7 Iron : same as above except 6 and 8 iron

PW : same as above except 9 iron and sand wedge

Putter : can actually be used as a half decent club from 40 yards in

Unfortunately I ditched the 4 wood, so now I take my 3 instead...

D