5 Gear Changes That Could Help You Break 80 In 2026

You’ve been so close, with plenty of rounds in the low eighties, and even a few where you’ve come up short by just a single shot. Agonizing.

I know how it feels. I've only broken 80 once this year, although that came on a 5,445-yard par 69 (still counts).

What I did notice, though - and this can’t be dismissed as co-incidence - is that I started to play my best golf of the year after making a few gear changes (a different style putter and an extra wedge).

Perhaps one of these ‘tweaks’ outlined below could help you. Have any equipment tweaks worked well for you? Let us know down in the comments!

1. ZERO TORQUE PUTTER

I don’t have any statistics to back this up, but changing to a zero torque putter transformed my form on the greens (for a while, anyway). After ditching my Ping Anser blade, I couldn’t miss for about a month.

I wasn’t just holing out from close range with greater efficiency, I was making way more mid distance putts than I ever had. The putter has since cooled off a touch, but I’m putting that down to playing less over the winter.

Yes, I could have been enjoying a honeymoon period with the new flatstick, but I like to think technology has played its part.

The theory with zero torque putters is that they allow the face to stay square relative to the path of the stroke. The shaft axis runs directly through the center of gravity in the head, therefore reducing the amount of twisting and helping to return the face square through impact.

Clever marketing or genuinely game-changing? Well, my Evnroll Z1 mallet putter will be staying in the bag for 2026.

2. COMBO IRON SET

Struggling to break 80? New irons could be required. This might sound a little bit extreme/expensive, but this specific equipment change might be worth thinking about. Have you ever considered combining more forgiving longer irons with precision-focused short irons?

Lots of pros play with combo iron sets. Take Collin Morikawa, for example, a player widely considered as one of the best ball strikers in the game. The two-time Major winner plays a combination of TaylorMade P770 (4), P7CB (4-6), and P730 (7-PW) irons.

It makes perfect sense, with that extra forgiveness in the harder-to-hit longer irons helping mis-hits to be a little less destructive.

Nothing should stop you from making up your own unique set, either - not if it works. Golf Monthly Kick Point host, Joe Ferguson, has seen some pretty unusual set-ups in the past.

“Think of Bernhard Langer. He had six different brands represented in his iron set alone,” says Joe.

“He had a Hogan 5-iron because he loved the look of where that sat, and it went the number he wanted it to go.”

The two-time Masters champion also had an Adams 6-iron and an Artisan 7-iron - in fact, he had two 7-irons at one point which did different jobs.

3. MINI DRIVER

One of the main reasons why mid handicap golfers don’t break 80 very often is because one or too errant drives will lead to at least one card-wrecking number every round - and that’s all it takes.

That’s what was happening to our news editor, Elliott Heath. In the autumn, Elliott jumped on the mini driver bandwagon and stuck a TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini in the bag.

The use of mini drivers on the professional tours continues to boom, but don’t let fool you into thinking this club is only for ‘proper’ players, as it can be a real game-changer for handicap golfers, too.

If you struggle with accuracy off the tee, you might find that the shorter shaft length helps you to reduce your number of off-center strikes.

Perhaps you’ve lost confidence with your 3-wood. The mini driver, with its larger head size, is a viable replacement.

Anyway, Elliott will happily take you through the various reasons why you might want to consider using a mini driver. If you play on a particularly tight course, certainly give a mini driver a go.

4. SEVEN WOOD

Just like we’ve seen an increase in the number of pros playing with mini drivers, there’s been a steady rise in 7-wood use on tour.

It’s the additional loft and head size that makes this club such a powerful weapon. With a deeper and lower CG than a hybrid, the ball can launch much higher, reach a higher peak height, and therefore come down more softly on a steeper descent angle.

This is one of its main strengths, and the reason why tour pros will often put one in the bag - they can land the ball on the green in two (par 5s) and not roll through.

Basically, you'll give yourself more looks at birdies (and the occasional eagle).

As well offering a better option for lengthy shots into greens, you might find a 7-wood is easier to hit off the tee and out of the rough compared to long irons or hybrids.

Sacrificing a bit of distance in order to find the short stuff might also help you take a few extra shots off your score.

5. AN EXTRA WEDGE

As with any equipment change, this is also player dependent, but some players might get a bit of joy by adding an extra wedge to their bag.

Of course, you'll have to lose a club from somewhere else, which might mean you drop one of your options at the top end.

A lot of mid to high handicap golfers are told to keep it simple around the greens by using less loft, but I've recently popped a 60 degree wedge in the bag - and it's definitely helped.

Being able to play a bump-and-run is all well and good, but what do you do when it's not an option?

I might be veering into instruction/coaching territory here, but having a more lofted wedge or something more bunker-specific, like the Ping BunkR, allows you to play a greater range of shots around the green.