Are You Overspending On Custom-Fitted Irons?

Quite possibly. That’s what our Kick Point hosts believe - and we have listener Kenny James to thank for bringing this debate to our attention, one which Dan Parker and Joe Ferguson discuss in the episode below (Sir Nick Faldo joins us on this one, so it’s well worth a watch/listen).

Lots of golfers won’t even have considered the fact that they may be overspending, for buying full sets of irons is the norm - it’s pretty much an accepted thing that you just do, 4-PW, please… the whole kit and caboodle.

Right, so here’s the full question from our listener…

WATCH: Dan and Joe from Kick Point discuss the merits of half sets (from 37:02)

“Do players (mid or high handicap players) who get custom fitted overspend by filling every iron set? For example, their 6-iron and 7-iron might have significant overlapping dispersion?”

James continues… “Should these players be buying a half set instead? Why aren’t half sets more popular?

A good question/questions, Kenny. Joe salutes you.

“A thousand per cent,” says Joe, “I couldn’t agree with that more. You wouldn’t notice if the odd or the even set went in your bag”

And just to underline where he stands on this, Joe adds: “I could go and play a PGA tournament with just a set of evens or odds (basically three or four irons).

“You’re just in between clubs, so you just dolly one club or hit one harder.”

Simple. Maybe there's an idea for some new content. Can Joe win a PGA tournament with a half set? (unlikely).

Anyway, have you been out with your pencil bag and just a half set of clubs this summer? What did you notice? How did you play?

Perhaps it’s made you think more, get a little more creative… maybe, in the long run, playing with a half set more often will actually make you a better player.

We started with a discussion on overspending on custom-fitted irons (we’re all about trying to save you money) and it turned into a wider conversation on whether golf should actually be played with fewer irons.

And we have just the man on this podcast episode, the one and only Sir Nick Faldo - and you can probably guess where Sir Nick stands on this… yes, bring back creativity and give players a little more to think about on the course by reducing the number of clubs they’re allowed to carry.

“He’s a big advocate of reducing the number of clubs to create creativity because he feels players have become, at the elite level, one-dimensional,” says Joe.

Do You Have A Favorite Iron And Is This Holding You Back? — Do we really need to use every available iron?

“We get so caught up with what the best players in the world are doing. You think, ‘Well, I need a full set of clubs because that’s what they do.’

“But at certain speeds it only becomes relevant the quicker your speed gets, because the quicker you get, the more your distance gaps are created. It spreads out in your bag.

“If you’re swinging a 7-iron at 65-70 mph as opposed to 90 mph like some of the top players in the world, you’ve got far too many clubs in the golf bag for sure.”

What do you think? Let us know whether you agree with Dan and Joe - and do you share Sir Nick's views? Should the number of clubs players are allowed to carry be reduced from 14?

“For many players, I believe this abundance of choice does more harm than good,” Joe said when talking about this debate recently.

“Maximizing your club count can quietly stifle your natural feel, paralyze your decision-making, and strip away the very element that makes golf an art form: creativity.”

Let us know what you think by leaving your comments in the box below.

Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. A multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the England football team, The FA Cup, London 2012, Wembley Stadium, and the FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest brands and has developed an in-depth knowledge of the equipment side of the industry. He's a regular contributor, covering equipment, travel, instruction, and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars and has attended and reported on numerous Major Championships and Ryder Cups around the world. A single figure golfer (just), he's a member of Formby Golf Club in Merseyside, one of the 35 Top 100 courses he’s ticked off to date.