AG -
as is often the case, I hear what you're saying here and you make yourself exceedingly clear!
But I think in this case, you might be missing the trees for the forest, i.e. the specificity of the very many individual and differing skill sets for the general, grumpy old men collective.
And example of what I mean: I played with Joe H once, and though he was barely trying I could see that he was a very good golfer. Now, a golfer like Joe will be playing with 7 clubs because he long ago stopped caring about his score and instead likes to maximize his fun by creating shots -- and is good enough to create them!
A golfer like me, on the other hand, still does care very much about shooting his best score, and would gladly give up "fun" to be able to grind out par after par, and doesn't have skill enough to *create* almost anything save for a decently struck stock iron shot or fairly accurate tee shot. And for a golfer like me, it has proven itself to be true that I don't score any worse and never have my *worst* scores playing with 8 clubs, and that I sometimes score even better.
Why? 1) Because a 3 wood off the tee almost never gets me in trouble, or at least in as much trouble as a driver does 2) Because this old Ping 5 wood I have should be made illegal, so easy is it to hit high and straight. 3) Because having only every other iron in the bag means that I'm forced to take "more club" (a 6 instead of the missing 7 iron), and it's always the case that "more" iron is in fact the "right" iron for me 4) Because I don't practice hardly at all with short clubs, so having -- and trying to use during a round -- an almost untouched 53 degree gap or 60 degree lob wedge is just a recipe for dashed hopes and disastrous results, and 5) Because the limited number of clubs acts as/replaces the will power I don't possess, i.e. the will power to keep my ego in check, and to play within myself.
I can understand why someone like you scores better with the full 14 clubs; you're a good and long time golfer who knows how to use (and finds use for) each of those clubs. For someone like me, less clubs actually keeps the game simpler -- which is very good mentally and thus helps me physically.
And yet, all that said: if you asked me to come out and play a round tomorrow, I'd still have to make myself, *force* myself, not to bring along 14 clubs; such is the power and appeal of playing with a 'full set' of clubs, a 'proper' set of clubs, especially for a 'traditionalist' like me. And for that reason alone, if for none of those listed above, I think it useful to sometimes play with a half set, i.e. simply to shake off the automatic and habitual response in seeking for something fresh.
Well, that's it. I know I will not have changed your mind