Two club lengths

[PhillyEagle]

I suffer from having a short driver (43.5") when I get two club lengths, so I'm considering throwing in a long driver 47", because I only carry 13 clubs. Is this considered to be 'against the game' in anyway to carry a club just for that situation? I feel like I'm wasting a slot in my bag by only carrying 13 clubs, figure a 14th club has to be good for something

[BStone]

If you need to plan for drops, there may be something more fundamentally wrong in your game. I would go for another wedge or something to help save some shots around the green.

[Augster]

Fundamentally, this post is rediculous, but I'll bite.

If you really want to get the most out of your two club lengths from lateral hazards, and only have 13 clubs, carry a second putter. You can make this thing as long as you want, as I believe there is NOT a length restriction on putters. For instance, you could build a broom-handle putter that you hold under your chin. That'll be almost 6 feet, 72".

Going from a 44" to a 47" driver for drops is really only going to gain you 6 inches, half a foot, on 2 club length drops. In unplayable lies, it is only gaining you 3 inches. Not really worth it.

BUT, if you have a Bernhard Langer/Carl Pettersson 72" model, you are gaining 28" over your driver. Times 2, that is 56", or 4' 8". With almost 5 feet extra, a lot of the time you will be dropping in the fairway.

Remember, under the Rules of Golf, most often when taking relief you do NOT need to stay in the "same conditions". i.e. if your ball is in casual water in the rough, you need to stay in the rough. This IS the case for MOST scrambles, but scrambles aren't exactly real golf. In the Rules of Golf, for the most part the rules state, "Nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole, within "X-AMOUNT" of clublengths."

So having a long club for drops isn't just an advantage for hazards. Casual water, sprinkler heads, drainage ditches, cart paths. All of these are complete relief, plus a club length. With a little ingenuity, and an extra 2.5" over your driver, you should be able to find a GREAT place to drop most every time and the other times, you'll be dropping in the fairway.

In so far as the "spirit of the game", only you can answer that. If the USGA felt it was that great of an advantage, they would have limited putters to the artificial 48" maximum of clubs also. They chose not to do that, so you are well within your right, IMO, to take advantage of it.

I love questions like this...

[Pa Jayhawk]

No need to say what I think about carrying a club for the sake of a longer drop, it's already been said. Although if you are going to carry a club for the sake of use on a longer drop, why not figure out where you are taking the drops. Maybe consider a club that may allow you to play the shot, with no worry of damaging the club, or giving other options. Here is an example of one I bought. Loft of a 4i, shaft of a SW. Great from under or within trees (the main reason I bought it), obstructed swings, off the cart path, out of heavy tall grass and rough, bump and runs, chipping.
Clutch Golf, Home of the Clutch Iron, The Premier Club for play from an unfavorable lie. Free, No Risk Trial. 100% Guaranteed.
Although in a short time I realized even though I found good use for the club it did not warrant a spot in my bag over my extra wedge, 5i, or 3w. As I am already face with have to lose one.

I would think you would save more strokes by picking up another wedge or filling a possible distance gap than gaining a few inches on drops. This coming from someone who has taken many drops and can't really think of many where adding even a 72" (which was my first thought) would really benefit my game when I have had to take a drop. Although between that and a long driver, you may at least find use in the long putter for different types of putts like lags. Where a longer driver would likely only find you more trouble.