Why this was our most popular gear-hacks story of 2025

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

And apparently, most of you are, because our best-read mission story from 2025 was about the three mistakes we see students making the most.

This is without thinking that you are not good enough to be healthy – which, spoiler alert, you are! We’re talking about the mistakes that come with building your bag, like playing a set of irons that won’t give you the power to putt into the green for accuracy, or setting your driver to only give you a yardage in certain situations.

Then there is one thing that fitters like to see because it makes their jobs easier, which is when golfers have multiple clubs that travel the same distance!

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

1. Prioritizing distance over physical control

As many players have noticed, iron peak areas have been getting stronger and stronger over the years. While Tiger Woods still sports a 49-degree pitching wedge — the most common configuration from the 80s, 90s and earlier — many golfer’s range and game improvement sets come with wedges between 42 and 45 degrees.

That might be good for some players, given the advanced technology in some of those instruments. But it doesn’t work for everyone and there’s a reason that many professionals use weak top-mounted instruments.

“Most consumers, when they’re in good shape, they’re in good shape indoors, they go on a screen and the main parameters they see are ball speed and total distance,” said Kris McCormack, former VP of Tourism and Education at True Spec Golf. “We know that’s achieved with tighter lofts, and typically, that leads to lower spin, shallower Apex heights, shallower landing angles. So you get the distance but you give up the control that comes on the green.”

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

McCormack said you should look for a set of irons that allow you to get the ball high enough (at least 80 feet in the air for an 80 mph 7-iron) with an angle of arrival greater than 45 degrees to be able to put the ball in your target and get it to stay there.

2. Giving up the yard with your driver

A similar effect occurs with your driver.

If you want the fastest ball speed, you can simply drop the loft of your driver. That may produce very long shots if you play in dry linksland conditions where the ball can run forever, but as McCormack points out, the conditions where our ball lands are constantly changing.

You may have a 9-degree driver head that takes you to a 150 mph fastball. But if your maximum height is only 70 feet, that won’t increase your carry distance, which would result in more distance on average.

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

3. Having multiple clubs moving in the same area

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

“If they drive the ball 220 yards in the air and the normal clubhead speed hangs in the mid-90s, the 3-wood from the deck carries 210 yards, but if you look at the 5-wood now all of a sudden the five-wood carries 212,” McCormack said. “Why? Because it hits the ball high with a lot of spin.”

The 3-wood may still go forward because it’s going forward, but that won’t work if the ball lands on a rough patch or hill.

That’s why it’s good to go through the right spot and make sure you have 5 mph of ball speed separation on every club.

That remains true for every fund. If you can’t hit a 4-iron at least 5 mph faster than a 5-iron, it’s time to ditch the 4-iron and consider options like a 4-hybrid or 9-wood to fill the gap nicely.

Want to fix your wallet in 2026? Find a club fit near you at True Spec Golf.

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