I Built The Ultimate Bag For High Handicap Golfers | Golf Monthly

Equipment expert Joe Ferguson picks out his favorite golf clubs for high handicap players from everything that hit the market in 2024

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This year we have seen some seriously impressive product launches across the board, but how do you know what is going to be the most appropriate equipment for your specific skill level? Well, I have been going over all of my testing notes and have decided to piece together my ultimate bag for high handicappers in 2024. From driver all the way through to putter and the golf ball, these are the products that have impressed me the most and will hopefully help if you're a high handicap golfer looking to upgrade a certain area of the bag.

The old phrase “drive for show and putt for dough” has long been dispelled through the understanding of statistics, with driving actually showing out to be one of the most crucial areas of the game for scoring. Significant advancements in the understanding of how best to harness MOI have made 2024 a strong year for high-handicap drivers, and while I feel two honorable mentions must go to the Mizuno ST-Max 230, and TaylorMade Qi10 Max drivers for their exceptional levels of forgiveness and playability, my number one in this category is the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D driver.

Admittedly, the name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, however, the performance is exceptional. One of the few drivers in this category that has actually seen a bit of usage on the main professional tours in the bags of players such as Alex Noren, and Akshay Bhatia. The tagline is ‘Sweeter from every spot’ and it genuinely is one of the most forgiving drivers of the year. Incredibly easy to launch and with one of the most pronounced draw bias’ of the 2024 launches, that is why the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D is my best driver for high handicaps this year.

Fairway woods are a particularly interesting area of the high handicap bag, as we need them to do so much. Often used as a strong driver alternative when the big stick isn’t firing, but also required to perform off the ground on longer approach shots.

A mention must go to the Ping G430 Max fairway for its shallow face and premium looks, and another to the TaylorMade Qi10 Max for its large, confidence-inspiring footprint, but my favorite in the high handicap market is the Cobra Darkspeed Max fairway wood.

Firstly, I love the stealthy, blacked-out looks of the clubhead, but more than that, I found it to be the most versatile of the bunch, packing a punch from the tee but also providing ample launch from the fairway. It features adjustability throughout not just with the loft sleeve, but also with the interchangeable sole weights allowing you to dial in your flight requirements. The sum of its parts including, looks, adjustability, ease of use, and versatility, make it my top choice among the best high handicap fairway woods.

This is generally a pretty pertinent category for the high-handicap player, with many choosing to substitute the more difficult-to-hit longer irons for the best hybrid clubs. One of the key elements here is to figure out how many and what loft of hybrid(s) you should be opting for to fill the distance and flight requirements in your game.

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Two models worthy of a mention are the TaylorMade Qi10 Max Rescue and the Ping G430 hybrid which both offer extreme levels of playability and great looks, but I have opted for a very underrated model, the Wilson Dynapower hybrid.

What I love about this hybrid is the slightly deeper face than some which makes it equally as effective from a tee peg on longer par 3s. Furthermore, it features a touch more offset than many other hybrids which for those who miss the ball to the right, allows a little more time for the face to square up. The Dynapower has a fairly firm and robust feel at impact, which I really enjoy and it is super easy to launch. These performance characteristics, coupled with the fact that it comes in a fair bit cheaper than many other models, give the Wilson Dynapower hybrid a place in this bag.

This is a particularly competitive category with a number of brands excelling themselves this year in the game improvement iron sector, but I have managed to narrow my choice down to three, including a winner. Special mentions go to the Cleveland Zipcore XL irons which I loved due to the extended heel-to-toe hitting area, and the Cobra Darkspeed irons which are quite simply rocket ships, but my ultimate high handicap iron is the Ping G730.

This iron came a little later in the year than some but was a very welcome addition to the party. Featuring a special heat treatment that enhances ball speed, and Ping's exceptionally useful Hydropearl finish, they are fabulously easy to hit. Another plus point is Ping's multi-loft offering to help you achieve your desired flight. They come in standard, retro (slightly higher), and power (slightly lower) loft specs, which I think is a great option as we don’t all produce the same launch conditions. Still the benchmark in high-handicap irons for me, the Ping G730 takes the spoils as one of the most forgiving irons money can buy.

A huge growth area in golf equipment is more forgiving wedges. Manufacturers are cottoning on to the fact that not all of us are tour pros who require bladed wedges with narrow and versatile soles, and as such we are seeing some much more playable alternatives in this category. It would be remiss of me not to mention the Cobra SB X and Cleveland CBX 4 Zipcore wedge. Both offer a nice large head profile and significant perimeter weighting which I love, but my overall favorite here is the Callaway CB wedge.

It has an extremely oversized head and a nice wide sole which I found provided me with some real versatility in different ground conditions, and especially from the sand. The full face grooves really enhance the playability and for me, the soft feel off the face was comparable with some of the best golf wedges aimed at good players. A great all round wedge, and hence why it is my choice for this ultimate high handicap bag.

On to the green now, and the features I always look for in a forgiving putter are ease of alignment, stability and a nice feel. Two putters that embody those qualities well are the TearDrop TD-7 and the Wilson Infinite Bucktown, both of which feature strong alignment aids. However, my favorite of the year in putters is the Cleveland HB SOFT 2 Retreve.

The first thing I love, which will appeal to the golfers amongst you who suffer from back trouble, is the retrieve feature which allows you to pick up your ball without bending down. Secondly, the feel of this putter is outstanding, featuring progressive milling to help standardize the ball speed across the face for players prone to missing the center of the blade. It features a very premium, and excellent feeling grip, and the sum of its parts adds up to a lot more than its very reasonable price tag. It's one of the best cheap putters around.

Not one to be missed. Too many high-handicap players that I play with overlook this crucial part of equipment and just pull out whatever they have found from their golf bags. This promotes inconsistency, and as the only piece of equipment we use on literally every single shot, surely we need to dedicate some thought to golf balls.

Two really good options in the ball department are the Titleist TruFeel, and the Srixon AD333, but my favorite has to be the TaylorMade SpeedSoft. Not only is this a high-performing, and beautifully soft-feeling golf ball, but TaylorMade has gone big into what it refers to as ‘visual technology’ offering tons of cool color options to add a bit of personality to your game and make it extremely easy to identify your ball in the rough!

Joe has worked in the golf industry for nearly 20 years in a variety of roles. After a successful amateur career being involved in England squads at every age group, Joe completed his PGA degree qualification in 2014 as one of the top ten graduates in his training year and subsequently went on to become Head PGA Professional at Ryder Cup venue The Celtic Manor Resort. Equipment has always been a huge passion of Joe’s, and during his time at Celtic Manor, he headed up the National Fitting Centres for both Titleist and Taylormade. He’s excited to bring his knowledge of hardware to Golf Monthly in the form of equipment reviews and buying advice.

Joe lives in North Devon and still plays sporadically on the PGA West region circuit. His best round in recent years came earlier in 2023 where he managed a 9 under par 63 at Trevose GC in a Devon & Cornwall PGA Tournament.

Joe's current What's In The Bag?

Driver: Switch between Ping G430 Max 10K & TaylorMade Qi10 - both with Fujikura Ventus Black 6-X

Fairway wood 1: TaylorMade BRNR Copper Mini Driver - Fujikura Ventus Black 7-X

Fairway wood 2: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke TD 5 Wood - Fujikura Ventus Black 8-X

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB 3-PW with Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

Wedges: Callaway Opus 50, 54, and 60 degrees - Project X LS 6.0 shafts

Putter: Odyssey Toe Up #9

Ball: TaylorMade 2024 TP5x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 60R

Bag: Vessel Player IV Pro DXR Stand

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