The single most-used golf club in your bag is, without a doubt, the putter. It might not be the most glamorous club, but understanding its role and mastering its use is the fastest path to lowering your scores. This article will break down why the putter reigns supreme, offer practical advice on how to use it better, and also look at the other clubs that see a ton of action during a typical round.
If you play a round of golf, the goal for every hole is to finish by putting the ball in the cup. Think about the scorecard: if you successfully two-putt every single green, that’s 36 strokes with your putter alone. Compare that to the driver, which, on a standard par-72 course, you might use a maximum of 14 times. Even if you're a fantastic putter and average 1.5 putts per green, that's still 27 strokes. No other club even comes close to that level of usage.
Pro players on the PGA Tour average around 29 putts per round. For the average amateur golfer, that number is closer to 35-40. Shaving just a few of those strokes off by improving your putting has a much bigger impact on your final score than adding 10 yards to your drive. This is why coaches often say, “Drive for show, putt for dough.” The putter is the club that finalizes your score on every hole, turning good approach shots into birdies and saving poorly played holes from becoming disasters.
Since you'll be using it more than any other club, putting in the time to become proficient with the putter offers a massive return on investment. The difference between a two-putt and a three-putt doesn't feel like much, but eliminating five three-putts from your round saves you five strokes instantly. Here’s a simple guide to improve your putting and make it the most reliable club in your bag.
There is no "one size fits all" grip for putting. The main goal is to keep your hands and wrists from getting too active, which can lead to inconsistency. You want your arms and shoulders to control the stroke. Here are a few popular styles:
Experiment with what feels most natural and stable for you. The key is light grip pressure. Hold the putter just firmly enough so it doesn’t fly out of your hands, this will improve your feel for distance.
Your putting setup should promote stability and a clear vision of the putting line. Follow these simple steps:
Your setup should feel athletic but relaxed, allowing your arms and shoulders to swing freely back and forth like a pendulum.
In putting, speed is more important than line. If your pace is correct, even a slightly misread putt will end up very close to the hole, leaving an easy tap-in. If your speed is wrong, even a perfectly read putt has no chance. Here's a great drill to build your feel for distance:
This drill trains your brain to feel how a specific length of stroke corresponds to a specific distance, which is the secret to eliminating those dreaded three-putts.
After the putter, your wedges are easily the next most-used clubs. The majority of golf is played from 100 yards and in, and for amateurs, this is doubly true. If you don't hit the green on your approach shot - a common occurrence for most weekend golfers - what’s the first club you reach for? A wedge.
Whether it’s a standard pitch short of the green, a delicate chip from the fringe, or a blast from a greenside bunker, your wedges are your primary scoring tools. A good short game turns a bogey into a par and a par into a birdie opportunity. Most golf sets come with a Pitching Wedge (PW) and a Sand Wedge (SW). Many golfers benefit from adding a Gap Wedge (GW), which helps control distances between a full PW and a full SW.
To give you a practical idea, here is the fundamental difference between your two main short-game shots:
Knowing when to chip versus when to pitch is a foundational short-game skill that relies heavily on using把你 wedges effectively.
While the putter and wedges are quantitatively the most used clubs for everyone, there's another club that sees a lot of action on a personal level: your individual "go-to" or "confidence" club.
What's the one club in your bag that you know you can hit flush almost every time? For one player, it might be their 7-iron from 150 yards. For another, it might be a 5-hybrid they love to hit off the tee on tight par-4s or use to escape from light rough. This is the club you turn to when you absolutely need to put a good swing on the ball and get it in play.
Identifying and trusting your personal go-to club is a huge part of smart course management. Here’s how to find yours:
Once you know what it is, use it strategically. If the driver is giving you trouble, hit your go-to hybrid or iron off the tee to find the fairway. If you have a long par-5, use it to hit a safe layup shot and set up an easy approach. Leaning on your most trusted tool will save you strokes and build momentum during your round.
Statistically, the putter is the most important and frequently used club in golf, followed closely by the versatile family of wedges. Learning how to manage and execute shots with these clubs from 100 yards and in is the most direct way to a better scorecard.
Knowing which club to use is one thing, but having the confidence to pull it off is another. When you’re facing a tough lie in the rough or you’re stuck between two clubs for a pivotal approach shot, getting expert advice GIVES YOU AN ALMOST UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. We designed Caddie AI for these exact moments. Ask it for a smart club recommendation or even snap a picture of your ball's lie, and it will analyze the situation and give you a simple strategy, removing the guesswork so you can commit to your swing with confidence.
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