No Shame! When It Comes to Clubs

By BILL PENNINGTON
Published: June 28, 2009
If you are feeling embarrassed that a shot-saving club like a 7-wood has crept into your bag, or maybe a hybrid has replaced your 5-iron, you should know that Tiger Woods has faced the same situation and is not ashamed.
“I now have a senior club in my bag,” Woods said at a clinic recently. “It’s a 5-wood. I’m O.K. with my senior club.”
Woods did not win the United States Open last week, but he came close. All around him at Bethpage Black, other top professionals were using hybrids, 5-woods and even the occasional 7-wood. From the rough, these clubs are a godsend. And who is in the rough more than anyone? The average player, that’s who. So if you haven’t already, add one of these user-friendly weapons to your arsenal.As Woods said: “When I was a teenager, I hit a 1-iron. Then I moved down to a 2-iron. So now that I’m in my 30s, I’ve got the 5-wood. When I’m in my 40s, it will probably be a 7-wood. A decade later, it’ll be a 9-wood. And in my 60s, I’ll probably be playing an 11-wood. I have no shame; this game is too hard.”