pga tour app best bag setup

PGA TOUR Golf Shootout Guide: Tips, Cheats & Tricks to Level Up Fast

By: Author Sean O'Reilly

Posted on Last updated: April 27, 2019

Any self-respecting fan of golf should know what the PGA Tour is all about. That is why it comes as no surprise that PGA TOUR Golf Shootout has quickly become one of the top sports games since it was launched. Available on Android and iOS platforms, the game lets you experience what it is like to participate in the PGA Tour competition. You can sink birdies and hit holes in one in perfectly manicured courses.

Enjoy the stunningly realistic visuals are you compete in the most respected tournaments in golf. You can hone your skills by taking on the TPC courses in single-player mode while completing multiple Daily challenges. If you’re feeling a bit competitive, you can go against some of the best players around the world in Versus mode. There is a lot of content waiting to be unlocked, and you will need the help of our PGA TOUR Golf Shootout tips, cheats and tricks to get them all for free!

1. What Are Levels For?

You are probably wondering why there is a level system in a sports game like PGA TOUR Golf Shootout. First off, you get to have bragging rights as a veteran player if you have a higher level. More importantly, however, you gain access to more features of the game. Even though the game can be downloaded for free, a lot of its content is locked behind level requirements. You will need to level up quickly in order to fully enjoy everything that the game has to offer.

The level system also isn’t like more other games where you just keep playing and you automatically get experience for nearly every tap you make on the screen. Here you need to level up golf clubs in order to gain experience. You will have to put in a lot of work if you don’t want to spend real money in order to level up.

2. How To Level Up Clubs

If you are familiar with games like Clash Royale , you would be able to understand the club levels more quickly. Clubs are acquired mostly through opening packs. When you open a pack, you will see a countdown timer. You will need to wait until the timer reaches zero in order to get the contents of the pack. You can spend real money to skip the countdown timer, but that would be a waste. Packs contain random cards, so you will need to open up a lot of them in order to get what you need.

To level up a club in PGA TOUR Golf Shootout you need silver coins and enough duplicate cards of that club. You gain experience every time you level up a card, but the costs for the next level also increases. The good news is that you get access to even better clubs while you grind for experience. This makes you stronger while allowing you to unlock more content.

3. Open More Packs

Since the contents of packs are random, you won’t always get what you need to level up your clubs. That is why you need to open up as many packs as you can. If you have unlocked Challenges, you should complete all that you can in order to get more packs. Some Challenges reward you with packs that can be opened instantly. You should also check on your Clubhouse rewards for more packs.

If you are tired of waiting around for packs to open, you can speed up the process by spending premium currency. You get some premium currency for free from time to time, so you won’t have to spend real money. A better way to speed up packs, however, is by watching video advertisements.

4. Claim Your Freebies

When you have free time, you should drop by the in-game store. You can watch video advertisements from the store in order to get some freebies. Tap on the Free Rewards button at the bottom of the screen to watch the ads. This is an easy way to gain resources needed for upgrading your clubs. Try to watch a few videos every day in order to maximize your resource gain. You can watch up to five ads per day, and we recommend that you watch all of them because you get premium currency after the fifth video.

Another freebie that you can get your hands on comes every 24 hours. You can claim this from the game’s main screen, and it can be opened without having to wait for timers. Even if you don’t have time to play for the day, make sure you still try to log in every 24 hours to claim your free reward.

Finally, you get free packs whenever you win in Versus mode. These are timed packs, so make sure you open them up as soon as you can. You should also set an alarm in order to claim them as soon as their timer is done. You can only have one pack queued up to open at any given time. That means every second that there isn’t a new pack queued up is wasted.

5. Improve Your FedEx Cup Rank

Gold is the premium currency in PGA TOUR Golf Shootout. Every pack you open has a small chance of containing some Gold. We also mentioned earlier that you can get some more gold by watching five ads per day. If you want more Gold, however, you will need to increase your FedEx Cup Rank. You can do this by simply playing more matches against other players. The game gives out rank rewards at the end of each season. The reward pack you get improves every 10 ranks. The better the reward, the more cards, coins, and Gold you will get when the season ends.

6. Play In Solo Mode

Everyone wants to play live PVP games, but there is some benefit to playing in solo mode. Aside from providing you a good way to practice your shots, you also earn a decent amount of loot in clearing single-player stages. This will help you level up more clubs and raise your player level even faster. Remember, the key to leveling up is getting as many resources as you can, even if it means playing against the AI once in a while.

7. How To Win Matches

How good you are in the game influences how fast you level up since you need to keep winning in order to get more cards, coins, and Gold. While the game relies heavily on skill, there are still a few things you can do to improve your chances of winning matches. First off, understand how the game works. Before you take a shot, you will need to choose a club. The game sets a default one for you, but you can choose a different one if you like. The game’s recommendation is usually a solid choice, so switch only if you know what you’re doing.

Once you have a club selected, you can drag on the ball to get a bird’s eye view of the course and see where your ball will most likely go. Keep in mind that wind and other conditions can still affect the final position of your ball. You can also influence the behavior of the ball by choosing where to first touch it before you drag. Touching the top side of the ball will give it a topspin, allowing it to bounce and roll when it lands. Touching the bottom side will make it roll backwards depending on the surface it touches.

Clubs also have a great impact on your gameplay. That’s the whole point of collecting them and leveling them up. They have different basic stats and special abilities. Make sure you pay attention to the descriptions before making your choice. You should also have multiple bags assembled, so you can switch between them depending on the kind of course you get. For example, if you are up against a narrow par 3 course, you should pick a Driver with higher accuracy. Power isn’t needed as much since it’s a smaller course. Packing bags with clubs that are designed for specific courses make it easier for you to gain the upper hand during a match. You get to have two bag slots for free. If you have the extra currency, you can unlock even more. For now, you can stick to one bag for smaller courses, and another for bigger ones.

A final tip for winning more games is to stop yourself from getting tilted. Golf is just as much a mental game than anything else. If you get a bad shot, don’t give up right away. If you’re lucky, your opponent might mess up even worse, giving you a chance to catch up. Even if you don’t win, you still have the chance of getting a tie. The game gives out Tie Tokens which gives you the chance to earn better packs if you win next time.

Leveling up in PGA TOUR Golf Shootout is easy, especially when you rely on the tips, cheats and tricks we have listed above! If you have anything to add, don’t hesitate to let us know using the comment box below!

Thursday 21st of September 2023

U have a club in my bag that has a red x through it and i cant use it. What is this about?

Saturday 10th of June 2023

What's the best clubs for low gravity and high gravity?

Monday 22nd of May 2023

How does the blue search clubhouse key work at bottom of display located on clubhouse selection

How does the clubhouse key work on finding a clubhouse

Monday 27th of February 2023

I have been playing and have lots of birdies on am nearly top of my group but I never get cards to help me progress my clubs are nearly the same as when I started playing so the game is getting boring as win after win and no progress and the same holes everyday also I am getting a black silhouette I have to clear when starting a new game paul

By Coach Erik Schjolberg – Aug 10, 2023

*Read our review guidelines .

Key Takeaways – Golf Bag Setup

• There is no EXACT right or wrong way to organize a golf bag
• BUT, the general guidelines I’ve laid will prevent damage to your shafts
• The amount of slots will determine the specifics on how to arrange your golf bag
• If you’re looking for bag storage ideas, use a golf bag storage organizer rack for your garage

Since there are multiple golf bag designs with differing layouts, I’ll explain how to organize a golf bag with each top structure – from a basic 4-hole to a complex 14-slot cart bag.

Besides keeping your golf bag organized, you’ll find that this tutorial improves your ability to protect your golf clubs from damage by positioning them in the correct compartment.

How To Arrange and Put Clubs in a Golf Bag?

Golf bags contain different top structures, which see your clubs laid out differently, but the premise is similar. For example, you’ll notice that most bags feature the woods at the back, followed by long irons in the second row. Next, you will store your mid and short irons together while your wedges and putter stand as one.

The setup is simple to remember because your longest golf clubs live at the back, and the shortest shafts sit in the front.

How To Organize a 14 Divider Golf Bag?

Cart bags are the only cases that feature 14-slots, giving every golf club a private compartment. You’ll find that the greatest benefit of a 14 slot golf bag is that your shafts remain separated to reduce the risk of scratching and entangling. However, I find that some slots are narrow and make it challenging to get your golf clubs in or out.

Most golf bags with 14 slots contain a compartment at the back center of the bag, designed for your putter. The slot to the right of the putter compartment (your left) is reserved for your driver. Conversely, the opposite flank fits your longest fairway wood.

Once the back three slots are filled, you move on to the second row, where you place your next strongest, lofted club heads. For example, you sit your 5-wood in the far left compartment, followed by your 4- and 5-iron. Next, your 6-iron rounds out the row.

Now we reach the front middle row, and the first available slot is on the far left. Add your 7-iron into this slot, then place your 8-iron, 9-iron, and pitching wedge in the remaining three slots.

You’ll notice that this leaves you with three front holes reserved for your wedges. Place your gap wedge into the far left hole, and round out the slots with your sand wedge and lob wedge.

How To Organize an 8 Way Golf Bag?

8 way tops are the most compartments you’ll find on a standard carry golf bag, but they are also a popular layout on golf cart bags. To arrange an 8-slot bag, follow the same structure as the 14 way top. Therefore, you place your long golf clubs at the back and short ones in the front.

However, since you have more clubs than slots, some of your sticks will need to be shared, which can cause shafts to collide and scratch.

You’ll notice that 8 way top golf bags feature a solo compartment at the back, which is reserved for your strongest lofted clubs. This is where you store your driver and 3-wood.

Then we move to the middle row, equipped with three sections built to house your long and mid irons. Place your remaining fairway woods or hybrids in the far left middle compartment, then add your 4-iron and 5-iron to the middle slot. Finally, on the far right middle section, place your 6-iron and 7-iron.

Moving to the front of the bag, you’ll see that there are four sections waiting to keep your clubs organized. The slot on your left is built for your 8 and 9-iron, and you’ll notice that your pitching and gap wedge are next.

That leaves you with two final slots, which will hold your remaining wedges and putter. The second last hole fits your sand wedge and lob wedge, while the far right slot is reserved for your flat stick.

How To Organize a 7 Way Golf Bag?

When you choose a 7 slot golf bag, you must know that every golf club needs to pair with another stick for all 14 clubs to fit. Once again, the setup follows the structure of placing your longest shafted golf clubs at the back, shortening as your move forwards.

Like the 8-slot golf bag, the 7-slot features a solo compartment in the aft reserved for your driver and 3-wood.

The remaining rows in the bag feature two compartments each, and the back middle slots are reserved for your 5-wood, hybrid, 4-iron, and 5-iron. Your 5-wood and hybrid sit in the left, back middle slot, while your 4 and 5-iron take the right side.

Next, you’ll notice the front middle row is also fitted with two slots. The left side is reserved for 6 and 7-iron, and your 8 and 9-iron sit on the right side. That leaves you with two remaining holes. Depending on how many wedges you carry, yours may differ from mine.

Nonetheless, I suggest placing your pitching and gap wedge in the left compartment, leaving your sand wedge and putter for the right slot.

How To Organize a 6 Way Golf Bag?

A 6-way top golf bag consists of a 1-2-2-1 formation which means there is one compartment at the back and front of the bag while the remaining rows carry two each. You’ll notice that the aft slot is wide enough to hold your driver and the longest fairway wood.

The second row of a 6-way structure is reserved for your remaining fairway woods, hybrids, and long irons. Like the 14, 8, and 7-slot golf bags, the 6-way top houses your fairway wood and hybrid in the left slot. In addition, you’ll find that your 4 and 5-iron sit best in the right back middle hole.

Moving forward to the front middle row, where you store your mid and short irons, starting with your 6 and 7-iron on the left. You now know that you follow this up with the 8 and 9-iron in the right slot, leaving you with one final compartment.

The single slot in the front of the bag is wider than the others as it houses up to three golf clubs. You’ll find that this is the ideal spot to lay down all your wedges and your putter.

How To Organize a 5 Way Golf Bag?

A 5-way top is found on lightweight carry golf bags and follows a 2-2-1 layout. You’ll notice two slots in the back of the bag for your woods and hybrids and two more in the middle. In addition, you’ll find a single large hole in the front of your bag, which caters to your wedges and putter.

Your big stick and 3-wood are allocated to the back-left compartment, while additional fairway woods or hybrids go in the right slot. You’ll see that the middle slots are wider than other layouts to handle three irons each. Your 4, 5, and 6-iron slide seamlessly into the left middle compartment, and your 7 to 9-iron live on the right.

The final available hole is a widened setup designed to hold every club in your short game. You’ll notice that it offers sufficient space to hold your pitching wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge, and putter.

How To Organize a 4 Way Golf Bag?

A 4-slot golf bag follows a simple layout and is generally featured on entry-level carry bags used by beginners and high handicappers. You’ll see that it follows a 1-2-1 structure, meaning that it has 1 compartment at the back of the bag, two in the middle, and one in the front.

The expanded back slot is set up to house all your lowest lofted clubs, including your driver, fairway woods, and hybrid. Typically you can fit three clubs in this slot, but some players push the boundaries and carry four.

Next, you are faced with two middle slots, which need to hold your long, mid, and short irons. The left-leaning hole fits your 4-iron, 5-iron, and 6-iron, while the right side handles your 7-iron, 8-iron, and 9-iron. That leaves you with the single front slot, where you place your pitching wedge, sand wedge, and putter.

How To Organize Golf Bag Pockets

Besides keeping your clubs in your order, your golf bag contains multiple pockets to store your golf balls, tees, apparel, valuables, refreshments, and technology. Let me show you where everything fits in.

You’ll see that golf bags feature a sizable pocket at the bottom back zone, which is your extra golf balls pocket. It can hold ample loose balls to get you through 18 holes, but I suggest emptying any sleeves before hitting the links for optimal storage space.

If you are facing your ball compartment head-on, you’ll notice a pocket specifically designed for your golf gloves lies to the left. They typically offer sufficient space for you to house a new glove in its packaging. I always suggest carrying multiple gloves to ensure maximum traction and control over your golf clubs.

You’ll find that many modern golf bags contain exterior tee slots to place your individual pegs. However, you can store your packs of tees in their own shallow pocket or with your golf ball. My bag has a small pocket built for this purpose, situated directly above my ball pocket.

Every golf bag is equipped with at least one apparel pocket to store your rain gear and other apparel items. You’ll notice that cart and staff bags afford the luxury of a second apparel pocket to ensure superior golfers can store all the clothing they need for a round of golf.

Refreshments

You’ll notice that your golf bag features an insulated pocket to store your beverages while out on the links. The pocket material regulates the temperature to keep your drink cold in blistering heat. My golf bag has an insulated sleeve situated next to my glove pocket. Conversely, some bags place them above the ball compartment.

On top of your golf equipment for the course, you need a place to store your car keys, wallet, smartphone, and jewelry. A valuables pocket provides a sheltered place to protect your personal items during a round. You will notice that this pocket is often positioned next to the apparel compartment.

Golf CART bags offer extra pockets for the super organized golfer looking for maximum storage space. These bags generally feature an additional pocket for your rangefinder or golf GPS device. I have found that these pockets typically sit at the top of the bag, but that varies from design.

FAQ – How to Set Up a Golf Bag

What are all the compartments in a golf bag for.

The compartments on a golf bag store your golf balls, tees, gloves, apparel, refreshments, and valuables. You’ll find that the accessible pocket structure makes it easy to find what you need without interrupting your playing partners.

What is the proper way to set up a golf bag?

The proper way to set up a golf bag is to arrange golf clubs by length – position your long clubs at the bag, mid to short irons in the middle, and wedges and putter in the front. Although there are multiple top designs, you’ll notice that they follow the same basic sequence when you organize a golf bag.

What is the best way to store my golf bag?

If you’re wondering how to store golf clubs , a couple of good choices are in the closet, garage, or storage rack.

About the Author

By Coach Erik Schjolberg – Last Updated Aug 10, 2023

Expertise:     Golf Instruction     Golf Equipment Testing     Golf Practice Programs     Online Golf Instruction

Coach Erik actively coaches several PGA Tour Professionals . He’s the head golf instructor and writer here at Swing Yard, was voted the “#1 Golf Coach in Scottsdale, Arizona”, and has been coaching for over 20+ years. Erik also owns and operates his own online golf school, EJS Golf Academy . His other credentials include: Active PGA Coaches Membership, Titleist TPI Level 1 and 2, Trackman Certified Level 1, Dr. Kwon’s Biomechanics Level I and II, Scott Cowx Certified Level I Advanced, BodiTrack and V1 Sports Pressure Mat Certified, Titleist Club Fitting and Ball Fitting Certified, PGA Hope, and Sportsbox AI. Check out Erik’s full bio and certifications for more info.

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Build Your Best Bag Part 7: The Long Game

More in equipment & fitting:.

Go for the Green!

With your driver, putter, irons, and wedges set, it’s time to decide how you’re going to attack the par 5’s and the long par 3’s.  Golfers have more choices than ever for the long game – a raft of fairway woods, hybrids, and utility irons – so you can really dial in your clubs to fit your swing, the courses you play, and your style of play.

Mind the Gap

Before you test a single fairway wood, you need to know what kind of gap you’re dealing with.  The gap I’m referring to is the one between your driver and your longest iron .

For illustration, I’ll use my own distance gaps and explain the thinking behind my set composition.  The gap between my 5-iron and my driver is 185 to 275.  To be clear, 275 isn’t necessarily my true driving average, but rather a good, solid drive for me.  Now, knowing my gap and how many spots I have left in the bag (3), I can start to think about what yardages I want to be able to cover.

The first thing I want is a club that I can carry 200-210 for long par 3’s.  For me, that’s my 25° hybrid .  While the loft may only be 2° stronger than my 5-iron, the ball speed and launch conditions that it creates allow for the 30 extra yards of carry.  In fact, with less loft I may get more total distance but less carry because of my swing.  Fitting is key.

Next, I want a club that I can hit off the turf as far as possible .  This is for getting home in two on par 5’s or really long par 4’s…or for recovering from bad tee shots.  For me, this is my Tour Edge Exotics CB4 3W .  I’ve yet to find a club I can hit well from the turf that’s signficantly longer.

While I still have one open spot in my bag , there really aren’t any other shots or yardages I need to cover .  I would love to have a club that carried 220-225 yards on a high trajectory, but that’s not realistic for my swing speed and low-launching swing.  Rather than add a club I won’t hit often or well, I’d rather leave the spot open for a specialty club.

Another Example

Let’s consider another example, an average player with a club head speed around 90 MPH .  This player is going to hit their 5-iron closer to 165-170 yards and their driver , assuming it’s near-optimal, around 230 yards .  Let’s assume that he also has 3 spots left in his bag.  If I were making recommendations, I would suggest finding hybrids or fairway woods that carried 175-185 and 190-200, plus a “longest club off the turf,” probably a 4W .

Things to Consider

As I said, golfers have a huge number of choices for their long game clubs , and the clubs are more varied in this segment than in any other .  What I mean is that there are some fairway woods that are really easy to hit and others that are very demanding, some that are high launching, some that launch very low.  Where most irons are fairly similar, there is unbelievable variety in fairway woods, hybrids, and utility irons.  This is why, when a player says, “I don’t like hybrids/fairway woods,” I always reply, “You just haven’t found the right one.”

Rules of Thumb

Here’s a list of some of the variables you’ll encounter when choosing a fairway wood, hybrid, or utility iron and some guidelines for helping you pick the one that will best suit your game.  Keep in mind that your preference will also play a huge part in the decision making on any of these variables.

Offset – This is more of a concern with hybrids and utility irons; there aren’t too many offset fairway woods.  Generally, players that fight a slice will benefit from more offset.  Players who hit hooks will probably prefer little or no offset.

Head size and shape – The way a club looks will absolutely impact your confidence and how you swing it.  While bigger heads are generally more forgiving and easier to launch, there is no set rule about who prefers what: some good players like bigger heads, some high handicap players prefer smaller heads.

Directional Bias – Though you rarely hear about it from the OEMs, most clubs do have some directional bias built into them.  Typically, this means that clubs for higher handicap players are going to have a center of gravity (CoG) closer to the heel, making it easier to hit a draw, and clubs for better players will have a centered or toe-side CoG to promote a fade.  This directional bias is one of the major reasons many people say they “don’t like hybrids.”  Ultimately, you don’t need to know the exact location of your club’s CoG, but you do want to know that the club you’re buying is helping to minimize your misses rather than amplifying them.

Launch & Spin – Much like directional bias, you don’t need to know the exact specifications, but you will need something that fits your swing.  If you tend to hit the ball low, you’ll want a club that helps you get the ball in the air.  If you tend to hit moon balls, you can afford to play a lower launching club.

Shafts – Just like the clubs themselves, you’ll see a huge variety in the shafts of long game clubs.  Utility irons may feature steel or graphite shafts and can be anywhere from 80 to 120 grams.  Some fairway woods are ultra-light with 50 gram shafts, others have traditional 70 or 80 gram shafts.  This is in addition to the wide variety of launch, spin, torque, and feel characteristics that they can have.

Loft Is Not Distance

If you take only one thing away from this lesson, let it be this: less loft does NOT mean more distance .  Just as with your wedges , your goal is to gap your distances, not your lofts .  Many golfers will hit a 4W (16°-17°) longer than a 3W (15°) because they can launch a 4W higher.  Some may hit a 5W longer than a 3W.  Others may hit all three clubs the same distance.

Please, do not go into a store and buy a 3W, 5W, and 20° hybrid assuming that there will be meaningful distance gaps or that the 3W will be the longest.  Make sure that you test each club on a launch monitor to make sure that it covers a distance that you need and that it follows The Golden Rule .

Don’t Go It Alone

As I wrap this up, let me once again recommend finding a qualified fitter and trusting them to help you pick the best clubs.  A great fitter can save you hours of time and tons of headaches by guiding you straight to the best clubs for your game.

As always, please feel free to post any questions or comments below.

Building Your Best Bag

Part 1: The Golden Rule

Part 2: The Golf Ball

Part 3: The Driver

Part 4: The Putter

Part 5: The Irons

Part 6: The Wedges

Part 7: The Long Game

Part 8: Specialty Clubs

Part 9: Maintenance

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Really great article! I wish I had read this a few years ago…

What is the reality to fitting a driver when you’ve already bought it? I just picked up the Ping G30 (in consideration from your review). Would it now be a matter of ensuring the shaft is best for my swing? Would I be best served by going to someone with a Ping fitting cart that would allow me to try the various shaft options?

I’m really enjoying your website.

Thanks again!

If you’ve already bought the driver head (nice choice, BTW), then, yes, you would want to find the best shaft. You could do this through a PING fitter or through a fitter like Club Champion. Club Champion is going to have many more options, but many of those options will be a bit more money. Fitting through PING will limit your choices somewhat, but the options should be fairly affordable.

I’m in a bit of a dilemma….

My set up is as follows:

Driver average = 285 3HL FW (16.5) = 235 Carry/255 Total from the deck (265 total from a tee) 4 Iron = 200 Carry/215 Total

I can’t solve the 210-215 carry that will be able to stop at 225/230. I’ve had a 22* Hybrid in my bag for 2 seasons that carries 215 and totals 230, however a perfect shot still has a slight draw but a more typical shot is a pretty big draw that may sweep up to 30 yards. I’ve tried messing around with ball position and aim to anticipate the big draw, but that brings a pretty big potential miss into play. It also means that I can’t ever attack long par 3s or par 5s if the shot requires a fade. Usually these come up with trouble on the left that I’d be forced to carry on my approach but this usually ends in a penalty or a perfect draw that carries to the green and than runs off the back left.

I don’t think a 3 iron is an option since landing angle would be too shallow, and I’ve yet to find a hybrid that has a neutral or fade bias that works. I’m now considering a 5W, but it seems that everything I read seems to encourage switching to hybrids these days. I don’t slice the ball, so the hybrid draw bias kind of works against me. Is the 5W really a limiting option these days? Is there a hybrid that doesn’t have a draw bias? Also, how does high spin vs low spin woods/hybrids effect a draw bias, and how does this effect carry distance and stopping ability?

Thanks in advance!!

Short answer: find a fitter with access to lots of options and let them find the solution for you.

There are certainly hybrids out there now with neutral CoG and some that can be adjusted into a fade bias if you prefer. Alternately, I don’t think there’s anything from with playing a 5W or a utility iron.

To your last question, clubs can be draw biased with high or low spin or fade biased with high or low spin, there’s no inherent connection. That said, clubs with more draw bias tend to be for higher handicap players and thus are often higher launching and higher spinning.

Thanks for the quick response and advice! I tested out a Titleist 915F @ 21* yesterday and it does exactly what I need. I think I can look past the 7W label on the bottom lol

*correction: those trouble approaches have the trouble on the right (not left like I typed)

Its really great idea that you have described here perfectly. thnaks a lot

I have good clubhead speed, but I don’t hot fairway woods very well. I currently carry a driver, 4-wood, 20° hybrid, 24° hybrid, 5-iron. Could I go with 3 hybrids between the driver and 5-iron with no fairway wood?

Absolutely. Just make sure to get fit so they hit the distances you need.

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• Evans Scholarships sending 70 high school caddies to college for free

Much of this year's attention will be on the cash prize the winning golfer will receive at this year's tournament. The purse for the 2023 Masters totaled $18 million, which was $3 million more than the purse the year before — the largest year-over-year increase in tournament history. Of that total, 2023 winner Jon Rahm took home $3.24 million .

But players aren't the only ones in line for a big payout. The winner's caddie can easily go home with a six-figure paycheck after four days of work. But snagging the four-day gig is the culmination of years spent working one-on-one with the same professional golfer, Martin said. 

Caddies develop a strong friendship with a golfer long before it's time for an elite competition like the Masters, Martin said. Fans seated in the stands, as well those watching at home, can only see the caddie handing the player a club, but in reality, there's a constant back-and-forth communication taking place between golfer and caddie during commercial breaks and while the two are walking to the next hole, he explained. Martin, who played professionally from 1982 to 2015, now teaches the sport at Keiser University in Florida. 

Aside from carrying the heavy bag, the caddie also provides input on which club to use, as well as swing technique, Martin said. That's because most caddies working PGA Tour games  are former professional players with a wealth of knowledge on the game. 

But technique is only a small part of the exchange, he added. With a strong camaraderie forged over the years, it's very likely the two spend most of time chatting like old friends, he said. 

"It's boring to talk about only golf for four to six hours," Martin said. "You're out there for a long time together so the friendship part of it plays a larger role." 

How much do caddies make at the Masters?

Caddies like Martin earn a salary from two sources during the Masters. One part is a weekly wage between $2,000 and $4,000 depending on the caddie's experience, the Association of Professional Caddies and the Caddies Network told CBS MoneyWatch. The weekly wage helps caddies recoup financially because they're required to pay their own travel to Georgia, along with hotel and food while working the tournament. 

Caddies also get a percentage of whatever their player earns after the tournament ends. The caddie of the Master's winner will get 10% of the prize money. For context, Jon Rahm won the Masters' last year and got $3.24 million. 

The caddie for the runner up at the Masters will get 7% of that player's prize winnings; every caddie after that will get 5%. 

Caddies Network CEO John von Stade told CBS MoneyWatch there are rare occasions when a caddie has a private contract with the player, in which case that person's salary will not follow the traditional setup. 

Over the past five years, caddie have seen some positive changes. PGA Tour officials have increased caddies' weekly wages and players' prize money has also climbed — potentially giving caddies a chance to bring home six figures after a tournament.

"But what hasn't changed is, if your player doesn't make the cut, there is no other source of money other than the weekly fee," von Stade said. 

Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. He previously worked as a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald, Newsday and the Florida Times-Union. His reporting primarily focuses on the U.S. housing market, the business of sports and bankruptcy.

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The Five: Can Rory McIlroy start strong, other pressing questions at Masters

Need to Know

Rory McIlroy ahead of the 2024 Masters. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

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It is said that whatever you think about last before going to bed is what you will dream about. It's why Xander Schauffele thinks about a Masters green jacket.

“As many dreams … as I can have wearing a green jacket or someone putting it on me on the 18th green, that's what I try and envision,” Schauffele said Monday.

Schauffele has come close. He finished runner-up to Tiger Woods in 2019, but Schauffele is still chasing that dream. It’s a universal feeling among those on the grounds at Augusta National. If you’re a professional golfer, you’ve most likely dreamed of a putt to win the Masters or contemplated what you’d put on your Champions Dinner menu. Schauffele is still waiting for a chance to play Augusta National with his dad, Stefan. Schauffele could likely make it happen, but his dad won’t allow it. Not yet.

“He told me a long time ago, ‘I'm only going to play when you're a member,’” Schauffele said.

Someone will realize those dreams this week. Schauffele is one of the favorites coming off a strong start to his season, highlighted by his T2 at THE PLAYERS Championship. But he isn’t one of our biggest storylines. That’s what The Five is dedicated to this week. As players refine their preparation before Thursday’s opening round, let’s take stock of what’s to come. The Five examines the must-follow storylines that set the stage for the year's first major championship.

1. Tiger Woods: Focus on the cut, not contention

When Tiger Woods tees it up on Thursday at the Masters, it will be just his third competitive round of 2024. If he finishes the round, it will be just his second completed round in an official PGA TOUR event since last year’s Masters.

It’s inarguable to say Woods can find magic at Augusta National. It’s also inarguable that Woods lacks the one thing he’s preached as necessary for much of his career: competitive reps. His only start of 2024 came at The Genesis Invitational in February, and he withdrew during his second round with flu-like symptoms.

So what will win out: experience or rust?

That sets up an exciting push-and-pull with history as its backdrop. Woods has made 23 consecutive cuts at the Masters, tied with Gary Player and Fred Couples for the longest streak in tournament history. He can take that record for himself this year.

“I think it's consistency, it's longevity and it's an understanding of how to play this golf course,” Woods said. “... And it means a lot.”

If there’s a place Woods can piece it together, it’s Augusta National. But to expect Woods to contend is difficult, particularly when some of the sport's other top stars are in top form. Woods’ fight to make the cut will still be plenty intriguing and realistic. Holding the consecutive cuts record at Augusta would be fitting for the man who owns the longest consecutive cuts made record on the PGA TOUR.

2. Is Scheffler’s putting fixed?

The saga that never ends. Scottie Scheffler enters the Masters as the heavy favorite to claim his second green jacket in three years. He put together a dominant month of March, winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and THE PLAYERS Championship. It looked like he had solved the putting woes that had plagued him from truly dominating the PGA TOUR over the last 24 months.

Then he pulled a 6-footer on the 72nd hole of the Texas Children’s Houston Open to miss a playoff and the possibility of his third consecutive win. Was it a simple misread? Or is it a sign that Scheffler still has some work to shore up the putter in the biggest moments? Remember, Scheffler famously four-putted on the final hole of the 2022 Masters, and the glassy greens of Augusta are no place to lose confidence in your flatstick.

It seems reductive to say the putting is the only thing that matters for Scheffler at Augusta, but he’s shown it to be true. His superb ball-striking has traveled to every event for the past two years. Whether Scheffler wins or loses falls solely on the one variable can’t seem to control: putting.

3. Approach play, fast start key to Rory McIlroy’s chances

Rory McIlroy’s quest for a Masters title is often considered a “matter of when.” Given his talent, stature and course fit, a green jacket is assumed to be inevitable. Yet the more years McIlroy leaves empty-handed, the more the pressure ramps up and the definitive proclamations begin to crack.

This Masters will be McIlroy’s 10th attempt at completing the career Grand Slam. This year also marks 10 years since his last major victory. McIlroy revealed it feels like he’s trying to win his first again. So as close as he’s come to achieving Masters glory, he’s in some ways no closer to it than when he made his debut at Augusta National in 2009.

But for all the consternation McIlroy has faced about his Masters shortcomings, it could all change in four days. To do it, McIlroy will need to improve his approach play, which has been his Achilles’ heel at Augusta National and for most of this season.

There were signs of life at last week’s Valero Texas Open. He finished third in Strokes Gained: Approach and notched his first top-10 on the PGA TOUR this season. That came a week after he sought advice from legendary swing coach Butch Harmon.

But it’s hard to say if that will continue this week. McIlroy has come to the Masters playing amazing and then missed the cut. He has nearly won the Masters after missing the cut the week prior.

The key will be his start. Over the last 10 years, McIlroy’s scoring average in the first and second rounds is 72.3. His weekend scoring average is 69.4, nearly three shots better.

Then there’s this stat: 36 of the last 37 Masters champions have been in the top 10 through two rounds, according to Justin Ray of Twenty First Group.

McIlroy starting slow is not an option. If McIlroy is finally going to get the monkey off his back , there will be signs. It starts with improved approach play and a fast start.

4. Best first-timers class since …

Every crop of Masters first-timers features a few studs. Last year showcased Tom Kim and Sahith Theegala alongside amateurs Sam Bennett and Gordon Sargent. The prior year included Sam Burns and Min Woo Lee.

I’d challenge someone to come up with a better first-timers class than this year’s, though. Among the players making their debut at the Masters are reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Åberg and Nicolai Højgaard – two European Ryder Cuppers – and two PGA TOUR winners under age 23 in Nick Dunlap and Akshay Bhatia.

One swing from every first timer in the 2024 Masters field

The headliners are Clark and Åberg, who enter the week at Nos. 4 and 9 in the world, respectively. Clark, the rare major champion who has not yet played Augusta, might have three wins this season if not for Scottie Scheffler. He finished runner-up to Scheffler in back-to-back weeks at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and THE PLAYERS Championship. He won the rain-shortened AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He’s shown himself to be a big-game hunter and is arguably the second-best player in the world right now behind Scheffler. How he tackles Augusta National as a first-timer will be fascinating.

The context of Åberg’s debut might be even crazier. The 24-year-old played in a Ryder Cup, won PGA TOUR and DP World Tour events and cracked the top 10 in the world before playing a major championship. The Masters is not only his tournament debut but his major championship debut. His game is a fit at any course, Augusta National included, but this is a new stage for the Swede – who has handled everything else in his path.

Other first-timers include reigning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Eric Cole, current-season winners Jake Knapp, Matthieu Pavon, Austin Eckroat and Stephan Jaeger and world No. 1 amateur Christo Lamprecht.

They will all be chasing rarified air. Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 was the last Masters rookie to win the green jacket. If there was going to be a year to do it, it might be someone from this class of first-timers.

5. How will the weather affect the course?

One of the marvels of golf architecture, Augusta National has not had the opportunity to flex its full strength on the field in recent years as rainy conditions have softened what can be a firm and fiery test.

Given early feedback from the ground, that could change this year. Reports indicate the course is as firm and fast as it has been in several years.

“I mean, I was hitting 5-irons that were coming into par 5s that were bouncing, tomahawking over the green, and I was like, ‘This is pretty cool.’ It's been a while,” Schauffele said Monday.

Whether it stays that way will be the question. Current forecasts estimate more than an inch of rain could fall on Thursday, though any precipitation seems largely isolated to just Thursday. With windy and dry conditions expected to come through the Augusta area following the rain, the hope for a firm and fiery test over the weekend is still a strong possibility.

What the weather will do remains to be seen, but players have their preferences on how they would like it to play.

“If the course is playing hard and fast, it's more difficult. Winning score is usually … higher,” 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama said. “When it's wet, I mean, it can go to 20-under. I like both, but if it goes to 20-under, my chances … get slimmer. So, I would like a tougher setup where it plays drier, fast and hard.”

Added reigning Open Championship winner Brian Harman: “I prefer it to be hot and windy. I feel like that gives me the best opportunity. When it's cold and wet, that's kind of a tough row to hoe for me.”

Opinion & Analysis

Long irons or hybrids the importance of bag setup.

Merion Golf Club’s East Course, the site of the 2013 U.S. Open, saw players use a variety of different equipment setups in order to navigate the course’s combination of very long and very short holes.

Bag setup was one of the parts of the game I was very interested in when I started doing my statistical research. And from my experience, even Tour players have a variety of opinions on what type of bag setup to use come tournament time.

In my debut column for GolfWRX , I discussed that if you broke the game down into more finite details, you will see that shots from what I call “The Danger Zone” (approach shots from 175 to 225 yards) have the strongest mathematical correlation to success on Tour.

There are many ways to “skin a cat” when it comes to lowering a golfer’s score, but those who struggle from the Danger Zone are putting themselves behind the 8-ball and will require better play from the other facets of the game to make up for that deficiency.

With that said, I wanted to look at what the best Danger Zone players on Tour were carrying for a bag setup. To do this, I  looked at the number of irons each player carried in 2010, 2011 and 2012:

Note: I left out the sixth-ranked player from the Danger Zone in 2010, Jay Williamson, due to being unable to find any record of his bag setup in 2010.

Here is the final tally of bag setups for the players listed:

As we can see, the overwhelming majority of Tour players carry a bag setup of a 3 iron through pitching wedge. The rest mostly carry a bag setup of 4 iron through pitching wedge. And only one player in the list used a bag setup of 5 iron through pitching wedge — Graeme McDowell.

What this means is that Tour players are carrying fewer wedges and/or fewer hybrids than the average amateur. I feel most of that has to do with their skill level, which alters the purpose of long irons, hybrids and gap wedges with relationship to their game.

First, the thing that sticks out with the top Danger Zone players is that they typically make sure to have their yardage gaps tight from their 3-wood to the long irons. This means that there is usually no wide gaps between long clubs, like a player having a 3 wood and then the next club being a 3 iron. They typically have another club in-between the two like a hybrid or a 5-wood. And they usually end up not using a gap wedge in order to make sure they have the proper gaps for their long approach shots.

The reason why this works is that Tour players are skilled enough that if they get into a situation where they are in-between wedges and could use a gap wedge, they can simply take some distance off with their pitching wedge, or hit their sand wedge a little harder. They’re skilled and creative enough to still hit very good shots when they do this. But, when they get into a situation where they are in-between clubs from long distance, it is much more difficult for them to execute a shot by hitting a “soft” 3-wood or a “hard” 3 iron.

Another interesting aspect is the average club head speed of the players with the certain aspect as noted in this chart:

As we can see, the more irons the top Danger Zone players carry in their bags, the higher their club head speed is.

From my experience of discussing bag setups with Tour players, they feel that the irons are more precise and accurate than hybrids. However, if they want to increase their odds of consistently hitting a shot the furthest, they prefer hybrids over irons.

So, if they get on a long par-3 where they may have some difficulty clearing the water, they are apt to pull out the hybrid instead of a long iron in order to increase their odds of doing so. But if there is no trouble that they have to carry, they are likely want to use a long iron so they can hit a shot closer to the hole. And that explains why golfers who uses 2 iron-through-pitching wedge setups have super high clubhead speeds. They simply have little difficulty carrying any trouble in front of them because they hit it so far.

Therefore, I feel that hybrids should be considered more of an “advancement” club than anything for all golfers. For the Tour player, they need the hybrid if they are trying to advance the ball from a bad lie or if they are trying to ensure that they advance a ball over trouble like water, a bunker or other types of hazards.

For the average amateur, they are not likely to be able to hit a long approach close to the hole and can even struggle to find the green from long distance. Therefore, they are better off carrying more hybrids just so they can be more consistent in their ability to advance the ball toward the hole. If they have a 180-yard shot, they will be better off using a club that they will consistently hit in excess of 170 yards even if it causes them more issues with directional control.

In the end, whether the golfer is 2013 U.S Open winner Justin Rose or 20-handicap Joe Smith, their game can benefit from a proper bag setup that matches their ability.

Rose does it for Dad on Father’s Day

The revelations of golf

Richie Hunt is a statistician whose clients include PGA Tour players, their caddies and instructors in order to more accurately assess their games. He is also the author of the recently published e-book, 2018 Pro Golf Synopsis; the Moneyball Approach to the Game of Golf. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Richie3Jack. GolfWRX Writer of the Month: March 2014 Purchase 2017 Pro Golf Synopsis E-book for $10

35 Comments

Jul 4, 2013 at 10:19 am

So this would require me to put some forethought into my round?

Jul 1, 2013 at 12:16 am

Interesting stuff, here’s my 2cents worth… PGA Tour players are just like other golfers, they follow trends. In the 90?s everyone on Tour jumped on the 52, 56, 60 bandwagon with Tom Kite, when he took distance control to a new level. Then along came Tiger with 48, 54, 58 and they all dumped a wedge. Lately, club lofts have changed the make up of sets, making 3 iron redundant in many cases (as shown above). The reason the DZ looks more important to scoring than the BZ is that relative to the other parts of their game the average PGA Tour Pro is poor in the BZ. The reason for this is simple: not enough tools to do the job. Modern PW clubs have become much stronger, instead of keeping the loft/distance gaps even, everyone followed Tiger and minimized the short end of their set. No doubt, more options and more full shot yardages will result in closer to the hole with wedges, it would be interesting to look at the correlation between number of scoring clubs and proximity to the hole, pretty sure you will find that guys with 3-4 wedges get it closer more often than the two club guys. Now that’s a blind spot!

Jun 22, 2013 at 9:35 pm

so the conclusion is that the faster you swing, the more long irons you can use? Seems pretty obvious. I bet the bottom 50 in the danger zone stats have the same bag make up as the top 50 once you correct for club head speed. And I would also be shocked if having a higher clubhead speed doesn’t have a pretty good correlation with better performance from 200 yards. Luke Donald hits a 4 iron 205 yards. Dustin Johnson is hitting his 6 iron 202 yards.

The other thing to look at is the very poor repeatability in those lists. There is only 1 or 2 names that show up more than once. Is that a sign that this is pretty much a variance stat that has little to do with player ability?

Jun 21, 2013 at 12:30 am

If belly putters are going to be banned, so should hybrids…..ill never touch one of those things…love my 3 iron

Jun 20, 2013 at 5:46 am

Hybrids are good for getting out of the rough sometimes and certain fairway shots, and especially if you don’t like or hit long irons good. But when you need to get out of trouble or carve in or draw that shot around something, or keep it extra low in the wind. I keep the 3-pw, with a 5wd too, but am now trying those Titleist utility irons, in 2,3, & 4. Hit them and felt they give the best of both worlds. 5wd may just go

Jun 19, 2013 at 2:19 pm

Don’t forget that many golfers (including pros, I think) value the ease of using a long iron (or current long iron replacements – AKA driving irons) for their superior ability to cut through tall turf vs hybrids. The smaller head simply makes the club glide through more easily.

Jun 19, 2013 at 2:01 pm

Thanks for this extremely interesting article. It’s very useful to a guy like me who comes from a scientific background and likes indepth analyses. BTW, I carry 3-pw, an 18 hybrid, a 54 or 56 (different bounce for different sand) and 64 wedges, driver, 3 or 4 fairway and putter.

Jun 19, 2013 at 2:28 am

It’s also worth stating that while these tour cats can whip a 3i, there are a few things you might want to mention:

* Playing from the tips might make you have more 3i shots. Play the whites, and you’ll rarely pull a 3 under any circumstance.

* Certain brands of irons are setting 4i lofts to 20 degrees-ier. Most pros consider a 3i to be 21*.

* Hybrids are an advancement tool, but at some point it needs to be accurate. If you’re hitting a hybrid only 175, you are probably going to have to go for the green.

* PRO players also like the longer irons because they land more softly. Your accuracy is often dictated in relation to the downward angle of the ball’s flight.

* Finally, many long irons pros are playing aren’t butter knives. There is a large level of forgiveness built into some of the 3 irons in play today. Angel Cabrerra comes to mind – blades, except for his i20 3i. The bag is going to Driver > Fairway > Hybrid > Drive Iron > 4-P & 2 wedges, or a lower hybrid and 3 wedges. Either way, the 3 iron is morphing just like the 5 wood did.

Jun 18, 2013 at 7:31 pm

I couldn’t agree more, if you take the time to hit them all and then take the best feeling and have it fit to you, you’ll love hybrids. I hit Cobra ones and am in love with them. Able to hit from tough lies and still control and shape shots if need be. Couldn’t ask for an easier club to hit long and consistent.

Jun 18, 2013 at 6:08 pm

It is all about the shaft! Find the right shaft and the correct torque to match you golf swing and you will have a winner. I have tried most and even had some custom heads. The best performers have been Fubuki or Aerotech shafts in the Adams heads Super S (XTD) and a KZG Tour series. Make sure the shafts are heavy enough to help with flight and balance. Most shafts from the big brands are too light for the faster swing speeds.

Jun 18, 2013 at 12:23 am

Tour Players setup their bag almost exclusively for Par-5s and Par-3s. Those 6-8 holes on a course are what determines which clubs they play that week.

Jun 17, 2013 at 7:43 pm

This is a fantastic article. Always look forward to what you have to say, Richie. Thanks for sharing with us.

Jun 17, 2013 at 4:49 pm

Is the 2 iron possibly a 712u? I could def see players carrying that……

Richie Hunt

Jun 17, 2013 at 4:52 pm

I didn’t count any Utility Iron or Driving Irons as part of the ‘irons.’ I don’t believe any of the players listed with the 2-PW where using a utility iron or driving iron as their 2-iron. They were using an actual 2-iron.

Jun 17, 2013 at 9:28 pm

I could be wrong, but I do believe Titleist confirmed Adam Scott is using the 712u 2-iron

Jun 17, 2013 at 11:20 pm

You are correct, he is currently playing a 712u 2-iron. But in the study above when he was shown as a “2-iron” player, he was actually playing a real 2 iron. No driving iron, the real blade

Jun 17, 2013 at 4:06 pm

The more GI a hybrid, the more likely it’s a hook machine. The “players” type hybrids with no to little offset are much different. Even players hybrids are so much easier to hit than gi long irons. Check out some of the Adams ones for better players used and cheap…like the idea pro, pro black, a12 pro.

Jun 18, 2013 at 2:56 am

in the last couple of years i used taylor made and ping hybrids (R11/i20) Hooked them very badly so i tried adams and havent hit a hook ever since i bought a super xtd with the stock fubuki x-stiff shaft. if i try to hook it its a slight draw and i can even hit a fade with a hybrid now, so yeah, adams seems to be the solution for most better golfers.

Jun 17, 2013 at 2:01 pm

who were the 3 with 2 irons?

Jun 17, 2013 at 3:02 pm

It’s in the table in the article. They were Charlie Beljan (2012), Adam Scott (2010) and Scott Stallings (2011).

Jun 17, 2013 at 1:26 pm

Great article. Makes me want to be a sports statistician.

Jun 17, 2013 at 1:46 pm

Great article!!

Jun 17, 2013 at 12:10 pm

I’ve always found Hybrids to be hooking machines. It could be that I haven’t yet found one that fits me. Instead I carry 4-PW irons and have replace my 3i with a persimon 5-wood.

Jun 17, 2013 at 1:15 pm

I agree – had a Taylormade 2011 3 rescue and called it a “prostitute” until lending it to a serial fader.

Jun 17, 2013 at 1:24 pm

I find that people who say that hybrids are hooking machines are also stuck with certain brands they prefer so they don’t search around enough and look at other companies to find the right club, being the fan-boy they are with their preferred brands.

Jun 17, 2013 at 2:31 pm

If you saw my bag you’d quickly realize that I’m not stuck with a certain brand or vintage. That said, it’s very possible that I just haven’t yet found the right one for me. It would be nice to get that high launch and soft landing 200-210 yards out.

You could work on your swing, can’t you? lmao

Jun 22, 2013 at 10:48 am

And you could work on your personality G. Eric, I’ve had the same issues with hybrids. Love hate relationship. I found a happy medium going to RBZ tour long irons. with their wide soles they give the benefit of hybrids with easy launch and movement through the rough, however you get the accuracy of an iron.

Aug 16, 2013 at 4:27 pm

One suggestion could be to get fitted for the correct shafts or spend some money on lessons to cure the hook. so many people buy the latest driver every year and still cant hit it correctly. get some lessons and get fitted.

Dec 13, 2013 at 4:24 am

That’s a great point… unless you are getting paid on Sunday evenings for your 4 day performance it would behoove the average player to experiment with different brands of clubs and also with different offset/ shaft flex combos as well to see what ball flight, movability and distance each club produces for them.

I recently changed shafts in my 3 tour hybrid from an 80 gram S flex to a 65 gram R flex and shortened it’s length. This change gave me the yardage I was looking and the flight that I needed… hope this helps someone who is struggling.

Jun 17, 2013 at 8:45 pm

I’m more than happy with my hybrids – currently have an RBZ (1st gen 3H) and a Titleist 910 (4H). Don’t have any problems with hooking and find that they are so versatile that i’m even looking at getting more of them!

Jun 17, 2013 at 9:39 pm

Yup I have the same problem. Why not try a driving iron?

Jun 20, 2013 at 2:15 am

I used to hook my 3h and 4h clubs badly until I decided to start fading them instead of drawing them. That solved everything and now they fly higher and land softer.

Jan 8, 2014 at 6:30 pm

+1 to that comment. go for a fade with hybrids if they are gi. I play i20 and as long as i dont aim to play a draw, they are amazing.

Feb 18, 2015 at 12:07 pm

FYI. The older Adams PNT Tour version hybrids are not hooking machines. They have the yellow strip on the bottom and only show the loft. Awesome hybrids. You can work the ball and hit them from any condition. I have 3 (18 degree, 22 degree and 24 degree) and interchange based on course conditions. You can pick them up on ebay.

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Instruction

The wedge guy: the easiest-to-learn golf basic.

My golf learning began with this simple fact – if you don’t have a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, it is practically impossible for your body to execute a fundamentally sound golf swing. I’m still a big believer that the golf swing is much easier to execute if you begin with the proper hold on the club.

As you might imagine, I come into contact with hundreds of golfers of all skill levels. And it is very rare to see a good player with a bad hold on the golf club. There are some exceptions, for sure, but they are very few and very far between, and they typically have beat so many balls with their poor grip that they’ve found a way to work around it.

The reality of biophysics is that the body moves only in certain ways – and the particulars of the way you hold the golf club can totally prevent a sound swing motion that allows the club to release properly through the impact zone. The wonderful thing is that anyone can learn how to put a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, and you can practice it anywhere your hands are not otherwise engaged, like watching TV or just sitting and relaxing.

Whether you prefer an overlap, interlock or full-finger (not baseball!) grip on the club, the same fundamentals apply.  Here are the major grip faults I see most often, in the order of the frequency:

Mis-aligned hands

By this I mean that the palms of the two hands are not parallel to each other. Too many golfers have a weak left hand and strong right, or vice versa. The easiest way to learn how to hold the club with your palms aligned properly is to grip a plain wooden ruler or yardstick. It forces the hands to align properly and shows you how that feels. If you grip and re-grip a yardstick several times, then grip a club, you’ll see that the learning curve is almost immediate.

The position of the grip in the upper/left hand

I also observe many golfers who have the butt of the grip too far into the heel pad of the upper hand (the left hand for right-handed players). It’s amazing how much easier it is to release the club through the ball if even 1/4-1/2″ of the butt is beyond the left heel pad. Try this yourself to see what I mean.  Swing the club freely with just your left hand and notice the difference in its release from when you hold it at the end of the grip, versus gripping down even a half inch.

To help you really understand how this works, go to the range and hit shots with your five-iron gripped down a full inch to make the club the same length as your seven-iron. You will probably see an amazing shot shape difference, and likely not see as much distance loss as you would expect.

Too much lower (right) hand on the club

It seems like almost all golfers of 8-10 handicap or higher have the club too far into the palm of the lower hand, because that feels “good” if you are trying to control the path of the clubhead to the ball. But the golf swing is not an effort to hit at the ball – it is a swing of the club. The proper hold on the club has the grip underneath the pad at the base of the fingers. This will likely feel “weak” to you — like you cannot control the club like that. EXACTLY. You should not be trying to control the club with your lower/master hand.

Gripping too tightly

Nearly all golfers hold the club too tightly, which tenses up the forearms and prevents a proper release of the club through impact. In order for the club to move back and through properly, you must feel that the club is controlled by the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the middle two fingers of the lower hand. If you engage your thumbs and forefingers in “holding” the club, the result will almost always be a grip that is too tight. Try this for yourself. Hold the club in your upper hand only, and squeeze firmly with just the last three fingers, with the forefinger and thumb off the club entirely. You have good control, but your forearms are not tense. Then begin to squeeze down with your thumb and forefinger and observe the tensing of the entire forearm. This is the way we are made, so the key to preventing tenseness in the arms is to hold the club very lightly with the “pinchers” — the thumbs and forefingers.

So, those are what I believe are the four fundamentals of a good grip. Anyone can learn them in their home or office very quickly. There is no easier way to improve your ball striking consistency and add distance than giving more attention to the way you hold the golf club.

More from the Wedge Guy

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• The Wedge Guy: Why golf is 20 times harder than brain surgery
• The Wedge Guy: Musings on the golf ball rollback

Vincenzi’s 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open betting preview

As the Florida swing comes to an end, the PGA Tour makes its way to Houston to play the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course.

This will be the fourth year that Memorial Park Golf Course will serve as the tournament host. The event did not take place in 2023, but the course hosted the event in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Memorial Park is a par-70 layout measuring 7,432 yards and features Bermudagrass greens. Historically, the main defense for the course has been thick rough along the fairways and tightly mown runoff areas around the greens. Memorial Park has a unique setup that features three Par 5’s and five Par 3’s.

The field will consist of 132 players, with the top 65 and ties making the cut. There are some big names making the trip to Houston, including Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala.

Past Winners at Memorial Park

• 2022: Tony Finau (-16)
• 2021: Jason Kokrak (-10)
• 2020: Carlos Ortiz (-13)

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the  Rabbit Hole  by  Betsperts Golf  data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value). 

Key Stats For Memorial Park

Let’s take a look at several metrics for Memorial Park to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds:

Strokes Gained: Approach

Memorial Park is a pretty tough golf course. Golfers are penalized for missing greens and face some difficult up and downs to save par. Approach will be key.

Total Strokes Gained: Approach per round in past 24 rounds:

• Tom Hoge  (+1.30)
• Scottie Scheffler  (+1.26)
• Keith Mitchell  (+0.97) 
• Tony Finau  (+0.92)
• Jake Knapp  (+0.84)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Memorial Park is a long golf course with rough that can be penal. Therefore, a combination of distance and accuracy is the best metric.

Total Strokes Gained: Off the Tee per round in past 24 rounds:

• Scottie Scheffler  (+0.94)
• Kevin Dougherty  (+0.93)
• Cameron Champ  (+0.86)
• Rafael Campos (+0.84)
• Si Woo Kim  (+0.70)

Strokes Gained Putting: Bermudagrass + Fast

The Bermudagrass greens played fairly fast the past few years in Houston. Jason Kokrak gained 8.7 strokes putting on his way to victory in 2021 and Tony Finau gained in 7.8 in 2022.

Total Strokes Gained Putting (Bermudagrass) per round past 24 rounds (min. 8 rounds):

• Adam Svensson  (+1.27)
• Harry Hall  (+1.01)
• Martin Trainer  (+0.94)
• Taylor Montgomery (+0.88)
• S.H. Kim (+0.86)

Strokes Gained: Around the Green

With firm and undulating putting surfaces, holding the green on approach shots may prove to be a challenge. Memorial Park has many tightly mowed runoff areas, so golfers will have challenging up-and-down’s around the greens. Carlos Ortiz gained 5.7 strokes around the green on the way to victory in 2020.

Total Strokes Gained: Around the Green per round in past 24 rounds:

• Mackenzie Hughes  (+0.76)
• S.H. Kim  (+0.68)
• Scottie Scheffler  (+0.64)
• Jorge Campillo  (+0.62)
• Jason Day  (+0.60)

Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult

Memorial Park is a long and difficult golf course. This statistic will incorporate players who’ve had success on these types of tracks in the past. 

Total Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult in past 24 rounds:

• Scottie Scheffler  (+2.45)
• Ben Griffin  (+1.75)
• Will Zalatoris  (+1.73)
• Ben Taylor  (+1.53)
• Tony Finau  (+1.42)

Course History

Here are the players who have performed the most consistently at Memorial Park. 

Strokes Gained Total at Memorial Park past 12 rounds:

• Tyson Alexander  (+3.65)
• Ben Taylor  (+3.40)
• Tony Finau  (+2.37)
• Joel Dahmen  (+2.25)
• Patton Kizzire  (+2.16)

Statistical Model

Below, I’ve reported overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed.

These rankings are comprised of SG: App (24%) SG: OTT (24%); SG: Putting Bermudagrass/Fast (13%); SG: Long and Difficult (13%); SG: ARG (13%) and Course History (13%)

• Scottie Scheffler
• Wyndham Clark
• Joel Dahmen
• Stephan Jaeger 
• Sahith Theegala
• Keith Mitchell 
• Jhonnatan Vegas
• Kurt Kitayama
• Will Zalatoris

2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open Picks

Will zalatoris +2000 (caesars).

Scottie Scheffler will undoubtedly be difficult to beat this week, so I’m starting my card with someone who I believe has the talent to beat him if he doesn’t have his best stuff.

Will Zalatoris missed the cut at the PLAYERS, but still managed to gain strokes on approach while doing so. In an unpredictable event with extreme variance, I don’t believe it would be wise to discount Zalatoris based on that performance. Prior to The PLAYERS, the 27-year-old finished T13, T2 and T4 in his previous three starts.

Zalatoris plays his best golf on long and difficult golf courses. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the category, but the eye test also tells a similar story. He’s contended at major championships and elevated events in the best of fields with tough scoring conditions.  The Texas resident should be a perfect fit at Memorial Park Golf Club.

Alex Noren +4500 (FanDuel)

Alex Noren has been quietly playing some of his best golf of the last half decade this season. The 41-year-old is coming off back-to-back top-20 finishes in Florida including a T9 at The PLAYERS in his most recent start.

In his past 24 rounds, Noren ranks 21st in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 30th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 25th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses and 21st in Strokes Gained: Putting on fast Bermudagrass greens.

In addition to his strong recent play, the Swede also has played well at Memorial Park. In 2022, Noren finished T4 at the event, gaining 2.2 strokes off the tee and 7.0 strokes on approach for the week. In his two starts at the course, he’s gained an average of .6 strokes per round on the field, indicating he is comfortable on these greens.

Noren has been due for a win for what feels like an eternity, but Memorial Park may be the course that suits him well enough for him to finally get his elusive first PGA Tour victory.

Mackenzie Hughes +8000 ( FanDuel )

Mackenzie Hughes found himself deep into contention at last week’s Valspar Championship before faltering late and finishing in a tie for 3rd place. While he would have loved to win the event, it’s hard to see the performance as anything other than an overwhelming positive sign for the Canadian.

Hughes has played great golf at Memorial Park in the past. He finished T7 in 2020, T29 in 2021 and T16 in 2022. The course fit seems to be quite strong for Hughes. He’s added distance off the tee in the past year or and ranks 8th in the field for apex height, which will be a key factor when hitting into Memorial Park’s elevated greens with steep run-off areas.

In his past 24 rounds, Hughes is the best player in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Greens. The ability to scramble at this course will be extremely important. I believe Hughes can build off of his strong finish last week and contend once again to cement himself as a President’s Cup consideration.

Akshay Bhatia +8000 ( FanDuel )

Akshay Bhatia played well last week at the Valspar and seemed to be in total control of his golf ball. He finished in a tie for 17th and shot an impressive -3 on a difficult Sunday. After struggling Thursday, Akshay shot 68-70-68 in his next three rounds.

Thus far, Bhatia has played better at easier courses, but his success at Copperhead may be due to his game maturing. The 22-year-old has enormous potential and the raw talent to be one of the best players in the world when he figures it all out.

Bhatia is a high upside play with superstar qualities and may just take the leap forward to the next stage of his career in the coming months.

Cameron Champ +12000 (FanDuel)

Cameron Champ is a player I often target in the outright betting market due to his “boom-or-bust” nature. It’s hard to think of a player in recent history with three PGA Tour wins who’s been as inconsistent as Champ has over the course of his career.

Despite the erratic play, Cam Champ simply knows how to win. He’s won in 2018, 2019 and 2021, so I feel he’s due for a win at some point this season. The former Texas A&M product should be comfortable in Texas and last week he showed us that his game is in a pretty decent spot.

Over his past 24 rounds, Champ ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 30th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses. Given his ability to spike at any given time, Memorial Park is a good golf course to target Champ on at triple digit odds.

Robert MacIntyre +12000 (FanDuel)

The challenge this week is finding players who can possibly beat Scottie Scheffler while also not dumping an enormous amount of money into an event that has a player at the top that looks extremely dangerous. Enter McIntyre, who’s another boom-or-bust type player who has the ceiling to compete with anyone when his game is clicking on all cylinders.

In his past 24 rounds, MacIntyre ranks 16th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 17th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 10th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses.

MacIntyre’s PGA Tour season has gotten off to a slow start, but he finished T6 in Mexico, which is a course where players will hit driver on the majority of their tee shots, which is what we will see at Memorial Park. Texas can also get quite windy, which should suit MacIntyre. Last July, the Scot went toe to toe with Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open before a narrow defeat. It would take a similar heroic effort to compete with Scheffler this year in Houston.

Ryan Moore +15000 (FanDuel)

Ryan Moore’s iron play has been absolutely unconscious over his past few starts. At The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field, he gained 6.1 strokes on approach and last week at Copperhead, he gained 9.0 strokes on approach.

It’s been a rough handful of years on Tour for the 41-year-old, but he is still a five-time winner on the PGA Tour who’s young enough for a career resurgence. Moore has chronic deterioration in a costovertebral joint that connects the rib to the spine, but has been getting more consistent of late, which is hopefully a sign that he is getting healthy.

Veterans have been contending in 2024 and I believe taking a flier on a proven Tour play who’s shown signs of life is a wise move at Memorial Park.

Ryan: Why the race to get better at golf might be doing more harm than good

B.F. Skinner was one of the most important psychologists of the 20th century, developing the foundation of the development of reinforcement, and in doing so, creating the concept of behaviorism. In simple terms, this means that we are conditioned by our habits. In practical terms, it explains the divide between the few and far between elite instructors and college coaches.

To understand the application, let’s quickly review one of B.F. Skinner’s most important experiments; superstitions in the formation of behavior by pigeons. In this experiment, food was dispensed to pigeons at random intervals. Soon, according to Skinner, the pigeons began to associate whatever action they were doing at the time of the food being dispensed. According to Skinner, this conditioned that response and soon, they simply haphazardly repeated the action, failing to distinguish between cause and correlation (and in the meantime, looking really funny!).

Now, this is simply the best way to describe the actions of most every women’s college golf coach and too many instructors in America. They see something work, get positive feedback and then become conditioned to give the feedback, more and more, regardless of if it works (this is also why tips from your buddies never work!).

Go to a college event, particularly a women’s one, and you will see coaches running all over the place. Like the pigeons in the experiment, they have been conditioned into a codependent relationship with their players in which they believe their words and actions, can transform a round of golf. It is simply hilarious while being equally perturbing

In junior golf, it’s everywhere. Junior golf academies make a living selling parents that a hysterical coach and over-coaching are essential ingredients in your child’s success.

Let’s be clear, no one of any intellect has any real interest in golf — because it’s not that interesting. The people left, including most coaches and instructors, carve out a small fiefdom, usually on the corner of the range, where they use the illusion of competency to pray on people. In simple terms, they baffle people with the bullshit of pseudo-science that they can make you better, after just one more lesson.

The reality is that life is an impromptu game. The world of golf, business, and school have a message that the goal is being right. This, of course, is bad advice, being right in your own mind is easy, trying to push your ideas on others is hard. As a result, it is not surprising that the divorce rate among golf professionals and their instructors is 100 percent. The transfer rate among college players continues to soar, and too many courses have a guy peddling nefarious science to good people. In fact, we do at my course!

The question is, what impact does all this have on college-age and younger kids? At this point, we honestly don’t know. However, I am going to go out on a limb and say it isn’t good.

Soren Kierkegaard once quipped “I saw it for what it is, and I laughed.” The actions of most coaches and instructors in America are laughable. The problem is that I am not laughing because they are doing damage to kids, as well as driving good people away from this game.

The fact is that golfers don’t need more tips, secrets, or lessons. They need to be presented with a better understanding of the key elements of golf. With this understanding, they can then start to frame which information makes sense and what doesn’t. This will emancipate them and allow them to take charge of their own development.

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