it depends on your game and/or course i dropped the 3i and have 4 wedges, I hit quite long off the tee the Driver or 3W and yet to need a 3I. 

all Vokey

PW - bent to 47

Gap 52

SW - 56

LW - 60

i probably use my extra wedge more than I would a 3I, my course isn't long but has some good length holes. I'm debating about adding an addtional hybrid instead of a wedge or 4I, probably 4I

i like the 4W set up as i dont need a 3i off a tee or into a green

steve

Steve,

 I have the same set up in my bag but seldom use the 60w as the 56w covers all i have needed and i have also found that the 4i is good againist the wind at par3s you can keep it lower than the hybrid

 Good luck which ever way you go

                                                           Thomas

I keep the 3 iron in my bag but take out my 4 iron. I have found there is only 8 yards between my 4 iron and 3 iron. You can lean on a 5 iron, punch, grip down or 3/4 swing a 3 iron to get the yardage the 4 iron gives.

4 wedges with one a 50/52 degree wedge is a must.

In my view a modern set of clubs the PW is basically a 9 iron stamped PW. Some manufacturers make the PW 45 degrees this really messes up the distance between a SW (56 degrees) so you have to by another club. Marketing Genius!!!!

At least Titleist publish the yardages of the clubs so you know what your getting.

The best thing for a player would be to have the yardage on the bottom of the iron not a 1-9 or PW,SW. How good would it be if your clubs were fit to yardages and then have that yardage stamped on the clubs 150yd club, 135yd club 120yd club ect. The only problem is men buy clubs off ego so it pays to stamp a 9 iron with PW.

OK I dont think you could ever get away with that one (3i - 220 4i - 205 7i - 165 8i - 150 driver - 320) as everyone hits the ball different distances and depending on humidity, temperature, altitude, wind and ground conditions, every day you hit the ball slightly different.

I do agree that the clubs have gotten stronger - the pw has moved back 2 degrees in the last 6/7 yrs. That seems to be market forces and thats why the 50 deg gap wedge or approch wedge has become more common . Another manufacturer had a 10i in their 2002 irons to bridge the gap, turning the 4i into a 3i .

As for the wedge thing I got pw @ 46 deg 50,54 & 58 3 to 9i & 2 woods but I find I rarely hit the 5, 4 or 3i as a 6i does me for 180y and there aren't too many 430 par 4 in the real world (maybe on championship courses from the back tees). So 4 wedges is a better way to go as you have a greater attack zone from 85 to 125 when laying up.

I'm with the 4 wedge school of thought...but it's the 200 yard par 3s and long par 4s that give me pause. I'm hoping my soon to be delivered AP2s will solve this as flightscope was showing 180yards with 6i, so hopefully 200yards with 4i, but in the past I would have needed a 3i or hybrid for this shot. Most shots I lose are by not getting down in 3 from inside 150yards and so greater flexibility in this range is what I am after. I'm far happier hitting a full shot than I am manufacturing a choke down 75% swing with the wrong club.

The 200y par 3 is a bit of a bummer. There are a good few in my locality and they are pretty difficult holes - I have to say saving par is a real shot against the field on all of them.

I'm not a fan of them, as a decent striker of the ball pulling out a 3i on a par 3 is penal, so I do really feel for the average guy who is looking at a 3w for that one . I think its really against the spirit of the game - there should be a 175y limit on the par 3's in my opinion.

Michael,

                   They say its not what you hit but how you hit it i play with three retired gents on a friday morning

all use the driver at every hole always hit it straight between them birdied more of the par threes than myself ,

          (  just a little story ) , I learnt my golf on a nine hole local course twenty years or so ago and was taught a few old tricks by

a sixty seven year old who was playing of 7 ( he had gone up to that ) he carried a driver, 7i, & a putter and ball, held the course record by shooting a sixty three at one time but his party peice was when ask What do you do when you get in a bunker he always ask your age and then replied thats how long its been since ive been in a bunker so don;t know what i would do. 

 He also gave me a one iron and told me go practice with that at the range , hit it right it goes long and straight 

 hit wrong it HURTS. he was right 

He was always in the twos club on a saturday 

                                                Good luck with the par threes

                                                                                                     Thomas