Alright, so today I’m gonna walk you through my experience trying to mimic Ian Poulter’s WITB (What’s In The Bag). Figured, why not try to play like a pro, even if I definitely don’t have the pro skills, haha!
First things first, the research. I started by digging around online, watching some videos, reading articles to get a good sense of what Poulter typically carries. It’s not always consistent, pros change clubs all the time, but you can get a pretty solid idea.
Next up: inventory. I took stock of what I already had. Surprisingly, I had a couple of things that were in the ballpark. An old Titleist driver, some decent irons. Nothing exact, but close enough to start.
The hunt for the specifics began. Poulter’s been known to use some pretty specific stuff. I started hunting for a similar putter, that was a tough one. Ended up finding something used online that had a similar head shape and weight. Not perfect, but it would do.
The wedges were next. He plays with a pretty specific set of loft and bounce combinations. This meant I had to do some trading and selling of my existing wedges to get closer to what he uses. It involved a trip to a local golf shop and some haggling, but I got there.
The shaft game. This is where it got tricky and expensive. Matching the shafts Poulter uses is a science in itself. I ended up going with some aftermarket shafts that were recommended to be similar in profile and weight. Was it exact? Probably not. Did it feel better than what I had? Definitely.
Grips! Can’t forget the grips. Matched the grips he uses as closely as I could. Feels good in the hand, and that’s half the battle, right?
Putting it all together. Once I had all the components, it was time to get everything assembled. Got my local club fitter to do the work, make sure the lengths and lies were correct. He gave me some raised eyebrows when I told him who I was trying to copy, haha.
Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3. Finally, it was time to hit the course. Did I suddenly play like Ian Poulter? Absolutely not. But did the clubs feel good? Yeah, they did. Was it a fun project? Totally.
The verdict? Trying to copy a pro’s bag is a fun experiment. You learn a lot about your own game, and it can be a good excuse to upgrade some gear. Just don’t expect to suddenly start shooting in the 60s!
- Driver: Titleist (kinda similar to his, not exact)
- Irons: Mix of my old ones and some used ones I picked up
- Wedges: Traded to get the right lofts and bounces
- Putter: Similar shape, found it used
- Shafts: Aftermarket, trying to match his profile
Would I do it again?
Maybe! It’s a fun project. But next time, I might pick someone with a slightly cheaper gear setup, haha!
