Why this was our most popular gear hacks story of 2025

If you’re anything like me, you live in a state of constant fear of leaving something on the table when it comes to your golf equipment.

And apparently many of you are too, because our most-read equipment story of 2025 was about the three gear mistakes we see amateurs make most often.

This is not to mention the fact that you don’t think you’re good enough to get fit – and, spoiler alert, you are! We’re talking about mistakes that come from building your bag, like playing a set of irons that don’t give you stopping power on the greens for precision, or setting your driver to only give you maximum distance in certain situations.

Then there’s something that fitters like to see because it makes their job easier, and that’s when golfers have multiple clubs that travel the same distance!

If you’re guilty of any of these gear mistakes, fear not! You are not alone and below we explain how to solve them.

1. Prioritize distance over control with irons

As many players have noticed, iron cages have become increasingly stronger over the years. While Tiger Woods still plays a 49-degree pitching wedge – a more common configuration from the 80s, 90s and earlier – many players’ distance and game improvement sets come with pitching wedges between 42 and 45 degrees.

That could be great for some players considering the advanced technology in some of those irons. But it doesn’t work for everyone and there’s a reason why many pros use weaker lofted irons.

“When the majority of consumers get fit, they get fit in an indoor environment, hitting a screen. The main parameters they look at are ball speed and total distance,” says Kris McCormack, previously the VP of Tour and Education at True Spec Golf. “We know this is achieved by stronger lofts, and that typically results in lower spin, a shallower Apex height and a shallower landing angle. So you gain more distance, but you sacrifice control when entering the green.”

What’s the point of being able to hit a 7-iron from 180 yards if you can’t stop the ball on the green?

McCormack said to look for a set of irons that will allow you to get the ball high enough (at least 80 feet in the air for 80 miles per hour at 7-iron speed) with a landing angle of more than 45 degrees so that you can land the ball on your target and have it stay there.

2. Sacrificing distances with your driver

There is a similar effect that occurs with your driver.

If you want the fastest ball speeds, you can simply drop the loft on your driver. That might make for the longest shots if you’re playing in parched leftland conditions where the ball can run forever, but as McCormack points out, the conditions in which our ball lands are always changing.

Maybe you have a 9-degree driver head that gives you a ball speed of 150 mph. But if your peak height is only 75 feet, that won’t optimize your carry distance, which would mean more distance on average.

However, if you get a loftier driver that puts the ball higher in the air – even if it costs you 1 to 2 mph of ball speed – you will carry it further and hit longer drives more often.

3. Have multiple clubs that use the same distance

Many amateurs with slower swing speeds are better off with a 4-wood or a 5-wood as their longest club after the driver – not necessarily a 3-wood.

“If they drive the ball 220 yards in the air and the average club head speed is stuck in the mid-nineties, a 3-wood off the deck has 210 yards, but now if you look at a 5-wood, suddenly the five-wood has 212,” McCormack said. “Why? Because it hits the ball higher with more spin.”

The 3-wood may still eventually go further because it rolls further, but that doesn’t apply if the ball lands in the rough or on a hill.

That’s why it’s good to make a good adjustment and make sure you have an 8 km/h ball speed difference with each club.

It remains that way throughout the entire bag. If you can’t hit a 4-iron at least 5 mph faster than the 5-iron, then it’s time to ditch the 4-iron and consider options like a 4-hybrid or even a 9-wood to properly fill the gap.

Want to give your bag a makeover in 2026? Find a club fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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