How Build My 14 works
Build My 14 is a rule-based decision assistant. It does not use a language model, and it does not pretend to measure your swing. We take a small set of honest answers, translate them into the roles a bag needs to cover, then fill fourteen slots in a fixed, repeatable order. The same answers always produce the same bag.
01 · Inputs we useContents
| Input | Required | Effect on the bag |
|---|---|---|
| Ability levelSets how much forgiveness and launch help we build into the long clubs.Required | Required | Sets how much forgiveness and launch help we build into the long clubs. |
| Driver carryOur best available proxy for clubhead speed without a launch monitor.Required | Required | Our best available proxy for clubhead speed without a launch monitor. |
| 7-iron carryAnchors the yardage ladder. If unknown, we fall back to driver carry.Required | Required | Anchors the yardage ladder. If unknown, we fall back to driver carry. |
| Longest confident ironDecides where the iron set starts and how many long-approach slots remain.Required | Required | Decides where the iron set starts and how many long-approach slots remain. |
| Preferred flightHigher and softer favours woods and hybrids; lower and penetrating can support a utility iron.Required | Required | Higher and softer favours woods and hybrids; lower and penetrating can support a utility iron. |
| Common long-club missThin strikes and inconsistent contact push us towards shallower-soled clubs.Required | Required | Thin strikes and inconsistent contact push us towards shallower-soled clubs. |
| Course conditionsSoft turf and thick rough favour high launch; firm and windy favours control.Required | Required | Soft turf and thick rough favour high launch; firm and windy favours control. |
| Short-game priorityDetermines how the wedge roles below the pitching wedge are spaced.Required | Required | Determines how the wedge roles below the pitching wedge are spaced. |
| Pitching-wedge loftStronger lofts create a gap below the iron set that needs its own club.Required | Required | Stronger lofts create a gap below the iron set that needs its own club. |
| Clubs you want to keepRespected where sensible, with any overlap flagged rather than hidden.Optional | Optional | Respected where sensible, with any overlap flagged rather than hidden. |
02 · Role-based logicContents
Three slots are fixed for almost every golfer: a driver, a pitching wedge and a putter. The iron set is set by the longest iron you hit confidently. Wedge roles come from your pitching-wedge loft and short-game priority. Whatever remains — usually three to five slots — is filled with a reasoned mix of fairway woods, hybrids or a utility iron.
Slower carry distances, a preference for higher flight, soft turf, thin or inconsistent strikes and avoidance of long irons all increase the number of woods and hybrids. Higher speed, a penetrating flight preference, firm and windy conditions and confidence with long irons can justify a utility iron or a longer iron instead. We never add two clubs that do the same job simply to reach fourteen.
03 · Slot fill orderContents
- 01Reserve the fixed slots: driver, pitching wedge, putter.
- 02Set the iron set from the longest iron hit confidently.
- 03Reserve the specialist wedge roles below the pitching wedge.
- 04Fill the remaining top-of-bag slots with woods, hybrids or a utility iron.
- 05Validate exactly fourteen numbered slots, then flag overlaps and gaps.
04 · What we will not doContents
- Recommend a brand, model or specific product.
- Publish invented performance statistics or fabricated testimonials.
- Claim laboratory precision from a questionnaire.
- Carry advertising, affiliate links or paid placements in the recommendation.
05 · Honest limitationsContents
- We have no measured launch, spin or dispersion data for you, so every output is directional rather than precise.
- Manufacturer lofts differ, sometimes by several degrees for the same club number, so we recommend roles and loft ranges.
- Self-reported distances tend to be optimistic. If the bag looks stretched at the top, re-check your carry answers.
- We do not model shaft, lie angle, length or grip size — those need a fitter and a ball flight you can both watch.
- Overlap flags are heuristics, not measurements. They tell you what to test, not what is wrong.
06 · Why testing still mattersContents
The value of this tool is narrowing the field: it tells you which roles to test and which slots are probably doing too much work. Take the recommended fourteen to a demo day, a hitting bay or a qualified fitter, hit the shortlisted roles off real turf, and let the ball flight settle the argument. A recommendation you can question is more useful than one you have to trust.
Note:The rule set is deterministic and published here in full. If a result surprises you, check the inputs above before changing clubs.