My Golf Clubs

On the most important day of the golfing calendar (Final round of the Masters at Augusta National Park) I feel compelled to spend a little time talking about the sport I love.

Like many amateur golfers, I am probably not the best person to give you advice on the perfect swing, nor can I give you any pearls of putting wisdom...But what I lack in ability, I more than make up for in enthusiasm and would like to share with you all of the equipment I use to play a round of golf.

I hate to think how much money I have spent on golfing equipment over the last 5 years; I have probably hit at least £250 worth of golf balls in to local rivers and ponds. The remainder of this Lens is going to contain the things which accompany me around the course.

Imagery in this Lens is courtesy of myself, purchased stock photography and Amazon.

It all starts in the bag

Most golfers will take a shining to a particular brand or manufacturer and this is the point where you all find out that mine is Nike. Whether it is the influence of Tiger Woods, who incidentally at the time of writing had just bogeyed the 5th and probably ended his chances of gaining his 5th green jacket; I just love all things Nike.

When it comes down to golf bags, you have a decision to make...do you carry or do you use a trolley?. Now I am not going to try and influence your own methods because it can ultimately have a huge influence on your game.

Personally, I am not a fan of carry bags so decided to go with a cart bag. Obviously it had to be Nike and there are a few options on the market. I went with the Nike M9 cart bag in red and black. It has 14 separete compartments (essential for keeping your clubs scratch free) and plenty of storage pockets for balls, tees and waterproofs. There is also a cool bag pocket designed to keep your drink cold.

The Nike M9 Cart bag is the complete golf bag for any level of golfer. I am not going to lie and say that you need to spend this amount of money on a golf bag. Will it improve you swing? No...Will it lower your handicap? No so in essence it is not that important in the grand scheme of things. But if like me, you feel the need to unnecessarily accessorise then check out the M9 on Amazon in a variety of colours.

The first set of golf clubs I bought was in 2005 and was a complete set which included Woods, Irons and Putter. It did not take long before the golf snob came out in me and I decided that I needed better clubs to progress in the game. Obviously this was all in my head but it happens to us all.

In 2007 I purchased a set of Nike Slingshot hybrids which contained 3 (Hybrid), 4 (Hybrid) through to PW. I definitely noticed an improvement in my game and was ale to reduce my handicap down to 18 from 24. How much this had to do with the clubs, I am unsure because I was playing a lot of golf at the time; maybe even 3-4 times per week.

Early 2011, I found myself in the pro shop once again ready to buy new irons, this time was a little different in the sense that it was an unfortunate event involving a tree which left me with a bent 8 iron that prompted the equipment change. I decided to go with a an upgrade to the Slingshot irons and get the Victory Red Cavity Split irons (3-PW). Not being good enough to get the benefit out of the blades, I went with the split cavity backs and immediately saw improvements in distance and direction. I cannot recommend these irons enough to people and have lowered my handicap once again, currently sitting at 14 and consistently playing to it.

In short, I have spent quite a lot of money on irons over the last 8 years and if I am honest, probably did not need to. One thing I will say is that you need to be comfortable with your irons and happy to be playing with them. If you are just starting out then I would not advise you to go and spend a lot of money, play the game for at least a year and if you are still hooked then by all means, go and get a custom fit which will compliment your game.

I am not expecting anyone to read this and think, "I need these irons" because at the end of the day, I am not an authority on golf and why should you listen to me...

But if you are an intermediate golfer looking to invest in a new set of irons, these are very good!

For the all important driver I have stayed with Nike and gone with the SQ Dymo. 9.5 degree loft and a stiff shaft. My driving is pretty wild to say the least but when it all falls in to place, I can max out at about 310 yards, not bad for an amateur but not consistent enough to use all of the time. I have only ever owned 1 driver and have never felt the need to change. It has never really been my go to club but when it all comes together, the ball seems to explode off the face.

My fairway woods (3 & 5) are also Dymos but with regular shafts, I find that I have to slow my swing down to hit of the fairway, not really sure why but it seems to work better that way.

Not Nike!!!

I have 3 clubs in my bag which are not Nike. One is my putter which I will cover shortly and the other 2 are my vokey wedges.

I have the 56 Degree and the 60 Degree wedges which I use for chipping around the green and sand. The Vokey is spin milled to add greater spin to the ball, providing you are good enough to apply increased spin to a ball. Personally I have been able to use these clubs to generate spin around the green and it is a great feeling.

I will post a link to a video beneath which shows the Vokey in all its glory.

The Titleist Vokey range of wedges are market leading and my 2 favourite clubs in the bag. They are pretty pricey but in my humble opinion, worth every penny

Just a quick insight into your golfing habits

A closer look at the Titleist Vokey

My putter is the Odyssey White Ice and the last remaining non-Nike club left to talk about.

In an avergae round you can expect to use your putter anywhere between 20 (pros) and 40 (me) times so it is important to be comfortable with your putter. I chose my putter in the golf store because it had the best feel of the entire selection. I tried a few practice putts on the mat in the store and they all seemed to roll well.

I am not going to try and influence your decision on your putter because it is always about feel. By all means go to the store and try it out. the right one will pick you!

There is always more things that you can add to your golf bag, here are just a few of the things which I have added to my own collection

Everyone has their own choice of brands. Mine is Nike, how about yours?