Ultimate Golf Gear For High Handicappers | Golf Monthly
In this video, you'll hear from four members of the Golf Monthly equipment testing team from all of the main equipment categories who will give you some suggestions (and pick their favorites) from each category to make up a full golf bag ideal for higher handicap golfers.
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00:00 Now, here at Golf Monthly, we test a lot of golf clubs,
00:03 and a lot of them are very suitable for high handicappers.
00:06 Now, that's what we're gonna focus on in this video.
00:08 We're gonna build the ultimate bag
00:10 for high handicap golfers.
00:12 Now, I've gathered together all of the equipment experts
00:14 here at Golf Monthly to give you some
00:16 two or three recommendations on each section of the bag,
00:19 and we're gonna build the ultimate bag for you.
00:22 So, you're gonna hear from Neil Tappan on drivers,
00:24 Sam Diaf on fairways and hybrids,
00:26 Joel Tabman on irons, and Martin Hopley on wedges and putters.
00:30 And by the end, I think we're gonna build
00:31 a pretty comprehensive bag
00:33 for you high handicap golfers out there.
00:36 Right, let's get started with drivers.
00:38 Okay, so I'm gonna kick things off with the driver,
00:41 and we've seen a whole host of really good models
00:45 aimed at higher handicap players.
00:47 There's a reasonable amount of research
00:48 that you'll need to do, but a few that I would call out.
00:51 So, if you are a slower swinger,
00:53 then I would consider testing something
00:54 like the Titleist TSR1.
00:57 It's a lightweight design that should help you generate
00:59 a little bit more club head speed.
01:01 If you're fighting a slice,
01:03 then maybe think about something like the Cobra Aerojet Max.
01:07 Not only does it have a draw bias,
01:08 but it also sits a little bit offset, a little bit closed,
01:10 so it will provide that confidence-inspiring look
01:13 that might help you prevent against hitting too many right.
01:16 But for me, the one that I would definitely suggest
01:18 you consider is the Ping G430SFT.
01:22 It has that draw bias,
01:23 but it sits nice and square down behind the ball.
01:26 It's really forgiving and easy to hit.
01:28 Generous, the profile down behind the ball,
01:30 so it looks easy to hit,
01:31 but it also offers really good distance.
01:33 It's a great all-rounder for those
01:35 who are higher handicappers
01:36 who are looking for that little bit more help.
01:38 So, when it comes to fairway woods
01:40 for high handicapper golfers,
01:42 any of the Max versions that are released this year
01:45 are perfect, but for me, personally,
01:48 I think the Yonex E-Zone Elite 4
01:50 is the best offering for high handicappers this year.
01:53 Now, there's a few reasons as to why.
01:55 The diagonal grooves on the face
01:56 really do frame the ball well, very easy to align,
02:00 and it gives it a shallow look at address,
02:02 really inspiring confidence
02:04 to be able to hit it high off the deck.
02:06 The large profile head also offers really high MOI,
02:09 making it super forgiving on miss hits.
02:12 And then they offer a premium stock shaft,
02:14 which is really lightweight,
02:16 but also flexible and stable,
02:18 allowing for higher launch, more carry, and more speed.
02:21 And one of the final reasons why this is perfect
02:23 for a high handicapper is it is designed
02:25 for an entry-level golfer
02:27 and comes at a slightly cheaper price point
02:29 than a lot of the premium brands.
02:30 A trend we've seen in 2023 when it comes to hybrids
02:33 is the larger profile heads.
02:35 Now, my pick for the best hybrid for high handicappers
02:38 is the Callaway Paradigm.
02:40 There's a couple of reasons behind this.
02:42 It is the largest profile head we saw
02:44 out of the hybrid range, apart from the X model,
02:46 which is perfect for those who slice the ball
02:49 and maybe want a touch more draw bias.
02:51 But this does have the adjustable hosel,
02:53 meaning you can tune in certain ball flights
02:55 or promote a ball flight
02:57 or fight against a certain ball flight as well.
02:59 And the central gravity has been lowered,
03:02 so meaning this golf club is really easy to hit high,
03:05 and it's really forgiving on off-center hits,
03:08 which is something high handicappers will really appreciate.
03:11 So when it comes to a high handicapper
03:13 choosing a set of irons,
03:14 I think there are some boxes that need to be ticked.
03:16 The first would be it needs to be a forgiving golf club.
03:19 It needs to inspire composite address
03:20 and be really stable when you don't catch it out the middle.
03:23 And the second, I think it needs to offer
03:25 a lot of assistance in launching the ball.
03:26 I often see high handicappers
03:28 struggle to get the optimum ball flight
03:30 that maximizes carry distance.
03:31 So one that's gonna help launch the ball high,
03:33 I think is a really important box to tick.
03:35 And I've got three options here.
03:36 One that's more of a cost-effective option,
03:39 one that's gonna help slow swingers get additional launch,
03:41 and one that's a really good all-rounder.
03:43 So starting with that cost-effective option
03:45 for high handicappers, I think the Wilson Dyna-Power
03:47 really stands out here.
03:49 For the price, you're getting an awful lot of performance.
03:51 It's really, really long.
03:53 It definitely gets the ball up in the air really easily,
03:55 despite being quite strong in loft.
03:57 And it's very forgiving as well.
03:58 I think it looks pretty good as well.
04:00 There's a lot of shelf appeal on this iron too.
04:03 Now if you're a slower swinging golfer
04:04 and you need a bit more help
04:06 in getting the ball up in the air,
04:07 one really good option is the Mizuno
04:10 JPX 923 Hot Metal High Launch.
04:12 It's a bit of a mouthful,
04:13 but it really does perform for those slower swingers
04:15 who, with the trend that we're seeing
04:17 in game improvement irons getting stronger,
04:19 this kind of goes against that.
04:20 And I think it's really gonna help
04:22 slower swinging golfers get a more playable ball flight
04:25 and get the ball stopping,
04:26 integrating a bit more quickly,
04:28 while also getting the forgiveness off-center that you need.
04:29 This is a very user-friendly iron.
04:31 It's really gonna get the ball up in the air.
04:32 So that's a really good option, I think,
04:34 for slower swinging high handicappers.
04:36 But then my best all-rounder, I think,
04:38 for all-round playability, forgiveness,
04:40 looks, and feel would be the Ping G430.
04:43 I think this is an excellent iron for forgiveness.
04:46 It's got quite a long blade length.
04:47 You can see how wide the sole is.
04:49 So that means it's gonna give you a lot of forgiveness,
04:51 both off-center and also through the turf as well.
04:53 That nice wide sole means
04:54 if you do catch the ground slightly heavy,
04:56 your margin for error is a little bit bigger.
04:58 The feel of this iron is also really fantastic.
05:01 It's got a nice, solid, stable feel to it.
05:03 And its generous size means it does inspire
05:05 a lot of confidence at address.
05:07 That white bottom groove helps you align the face as well.
05:10 So that would be my best all-round option
05:11 for high-handicap golfers,
05:12 but I think across these three that I've chosen,
05:14 there's some really good options there
05:15 to help you hit longer, more accurate iron shots.
05:18 - When it comes to wedges,
05:19 I think if you're a high-handicap player,
05:21 then what you need is a wedge
05:23 with a little bit of forgiveness.
05:24 There are models on the market
05:25 with some peripheral weighting and a nice wide sole.
05:27 And one of the best examples is a Cleveland CBX Full Face II
05:31 which I have here.
05:32 By having a sort of peripheral weighting on the club,
05:34 it will match into a cavity-backed set of irons
05:35 which you probably might have,
05:37 and that's gonna stabilize the club through impact.
05:39 It tends to have a wider sole
05:40 which is gonna make it a bit more forgiving.
05:41 And on this particular one,
05:43 we've got a bit of relief in the heel and toe
05:44 to give you some little bit of versatility.
05:46 And then on the face,
05:47 we've got grooves that cover the entire face.
05:49 And these are the same grooves that are in the RTX6
05:51 which is a better player's wedge.
05:53 So you're gonna get a lot of grip from that.
05:55 I think it's very easy to play as well.
05:56 You don't necessarily need to open and close the face so much
05:59 because the sole is there to give you that forgiveness.
06:01 So just stand up square, make a confident swing,
06:03 and you should get the results to get you out of trouble
06:05 and get the ball close to the hole.
06:06 When it comes to putters for high handicap players,
06:09 I think what you're looking for is a lot of forgiveness.
06:11 And you get that from these large, high MOI heads
06:13 with weights in the corners.
06:15 Now, there's several models that do this.
06:17 You've got the PXG range, which has a lot of heads
06:19 and a good choice of hosels and shafts
06:21 which you can put into that to be custom fitted.
06:23 I think if you wanted a face with an insert in it,
06:25 then the Odyssey 11 putter is very good.
06:27 It's a nice, large, very stable head.
06:30 And you've also got a choice of alignment lines
06:31 where they want a plain head or a line
06:33 or a triple track marking system
06:36 which will get you pointing in the right direction.
06:38 But for me, I think for this particular category,
06:40 then I'd recommend the Innisys High MOI putter.
06:43 It does what it says on the tin.
06:45 It's a very high MOI head.
06:47 It's got a nice, clean look with a nice,
06:49 very stable head with weights in the corners.
06:52 And the face has got an insert on it as well.
06:54 And it gives very good roll.
06:55 And the key thing is, it's very good value for money.
06:57 You're probably going to find this for around about 150 pounds.
07:00 So if you're in the market for a high MOI putter
07:03 with a bit of forgiveness, that would be my choice.
07:05 So there you have it, the ultimate bag for high handicappers.
07:08 Hopefully that's given you some great ideas
07:10 of what you can go and test or some recommendations
07:12 on what to go and try at the driving range.
07:14 And depending on what part of the bag
07:15 you're looking to upgrade,
07:17 I think there's some great equipment there from 2023
07:19 that can help you out.
07:20 What do you think?
07:21 Or do you have any questions?
07:22 Let us know down in the comments.
07:24 And if you're looking to complete the bag with a golf ball,
07:26 we've got a comprehensive guide
07:28 on the best golf balls for high handicappers.
07:30 I'll put that link down in the description
07:32 for you to go and check out for yourself.
07:34 But for now, from Black Bear Golf Club in Florida,
07:35 thank you for joining me.
07:36 I'll see you next time.
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