Always the tool, never the workman.

Oddsocks

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
17,537
Location
Croydon, Surrey
Visit site
I wonder what it is with golf that makes us always blame our sticks, and never blame ourselves.

Its often seen on here " putter isnt working so its being replaced "... why is it not working, it worked before when you purchased it.

The most recent situation is my irons, the other day i was getting a very ballooning flight, so my first thoughts are " are my irons correct for me",... on follows the option of non gi irons more a players iron, maybe stiffer shafts and so on etc.

what is it that makes us always think its our clubs that are wrong, when infact i dont doubt that 95% of faults would not be clubs, but are actually swing related.

I acknowledge that the balloon flight was no doubt something i have/was doing wrong, but has it stopped me looking at new sticks... has it feck!
 
In my case, the workman is a tool :mad:

I think it's partly to try to keep confidence up. It's better to say that the bats are wrong than to admit you're not very good :D
 
In my head, i am tiger woods. so when my 7 iron doest get within 2ft of the pin from 180yrd, it MUST be the clubs fault!!
 
The endorsing pro's hit it for miles with unerring accuracy. Ergo we must be able too as well, we try out the club/clubs and sure enough on the range we are the new best thing, Bingo we part with our hard earned cash and wait expectantly for our first outing with these new wonder clubs, the day arrives, 2 or 3 practice swooshs and we then nobble a scabby one off the first tee, bloody hell that didnt happen in the shop, perhaps I bought the wrong clubs, better start looking again (does this sound familiar?)
 
The endorsing pro's hit it for miles with unerring accuracy. Ergo we must be able too as well, we try out the club/clubs and sure enough on the range we are the new best thing, Bingo we part with our hard earned cash and wait expectantly for our first outing with these new wonder clubs, the day arrives, 2 or 3 practice swooshs and we then nobble a scabby one off the first tee, bloody hell that didnt happen in the shop, perhaps I bought the wrong clubs, better start looking again (does this sound familiar?)

Sounds like my r11 driver experience, on the trackman it was a 280 yard monster, on the first tee infront of our swindle (40 players) being overlooked by a prospective buyer of the club when it was on the market, it turned into a 35 yard top monster that fell just short of obb....
 
Sounds like my r11 driver experience, on the trackman it was a 280 yard monster, on the first tee infront of our swindle (40 players) being overlooked by a prospective buyer of the club when it was on the market, it turned into a 35 yard top monster that fell just short of obb....

Was that your best of the day? ;)

I never had the urge to change gear so much until I came on this forum. Honestly. It's not healthy. We basically egg each other on into totally irrational, expensive purchases. It's like collective delusion.

Fun though. :whoo:
 
Was that your best of the day? ;)

I never had the urge to change gear so much until I came on this forum. Honestly. It's not healthy. We basically egg each other on into totally irrational, expensive purchases. It's like collective delusion.

Fun though. :whoo:

thats exactly what it is, then there high spin low spin shafts, high kick low kick shafts, shaft flex's, forgest verses cast heads, SGI, GI, Players irons.... its bloody hard work resisting.
 
To go the other way. I changed almost all of my gear this time last year and I have seen a definite improvement in results. I won a "major" club competition and cam 10th in the club's order of merit. Ok, I did bolster this with some lessons but my health last year was deteriorating and I finished the year on a lower handicap slightly (11). So i would argue that a custom fit for better equipment is proving that it can be the tool as well as the workman

Go on OS get booked for the Custom fit - you know you want to


Chris
 
To go the other way. I changed almost all of my gear this time last year and I have seen a definite improvement in results. I won a "major" club competition and cam 10th in the club's order of merit. Ok, I did bolster this with some lessons but my health last year was deteriorating and I finished the year on a lower handicap slightly (11). So i would argue that a custom fit for better equipment is proving that it can be the tool as well as the workman

Go on OS get booked for the Custom fit - you know you want to


Chris

OK, ill totally blow that arguement out the water,

I changed my driver in march and saw a definate slump in my driving, got the old girl back out and within 2 months driving was back on form, my bag started last year the same as it finished with the exception of a new flat stick, which as you found out is pretty sharp. the only investment into my golf last year was green fees and around 7 lessons, this saw my hc drop by just over 20%,

so with that theory, do i spend £600-800 on new sticks to maybe see a 1 or 2 shot drop at most, or on the same principle, invest another £150 into a course of lessons to see a drop of around 2-2.5 shots off hc. Ok now we are solely working on methodical thinking, but if the sticks i started the year with see me drop 3.2 shots, then surely the investment has to go into swing tuition and course time instead of new shineys as its a proven return.

But.... does it stop me looking at new irons or woods with better shafts.... nope. not for one minute.
 
Ok I have to admit, I've replaced all my gear over the last few month. Not spent a fortune though. All last years models. I.e. R9 driver and 5 wood £90 each TM TP CB's 4-AW £250. and £60 for a putter. If I had not joined this forum dont think I would have bought anything(after all my old ones worked had them 15yrs). So I blame you lot not me.
 
If we admitted it was the tool and not the tools, we'd seriously consider giving the game up but we love it so much , we canna!

Same logic applies to lessons and improvement. May have got us down 3 or 4 shots, but that's therefore going to require us to use harder to hit sticks!

Feckin (wonderful) game!
 
I don't change equipment much as I know for a fact that it won't make a difference to my golf. I know that it is all about me, my swing, my mental approach and not the clubs at all.

I am an evolved golfer. I am beyond the "new clubs = improved golf" phase of my golfing life.... I am bulletproof against the manufacturers marketing machine. The messages bounce off and I remain totally unaffected.


Nirvana.
 
Must be nice to have the opposite problem lol#


WestwoodLee Lee Westwood
Just hit the i20 but driving it too well to change at the moment. pic.twitter.com/2olMytSf
 
I don't change equipment much as I know for a fact that it won't make a difference to my golf. I know that it is all about me, my swing, my mental approach and not the clubs at all.

I am an evolved golfer. I am beyond the "new clubs = improved golf" phase of my golfing life.... I am bulletproof against the manufacturers marketing machine. The messages bounce off and I remain totally unaffected.


Nirvana.




So you've booked the custom fit then Snelly?

When and where?
 
I don't change equipment much as I know for a fact that it won't make a difference to my golf. I know that it is all about me, my swing, my mental approach and not the clubs at all.

I am an evolved golfer. I am beyond the "new clubs = improved golf" phase of my golfing life.... I am bulletproof against the manufacturers marketing machine. The messages bounce off and I remain totally unaffected.


Nirvana.

Really?

Callaway%20RAZR%20X%20Forged%20Irons%204-9PAS.jpg
 
i once buried my pitching wedge in the ground, up to its hosel, after it refused to work for a whole round.
After I'd calmed down, I cleaned it thoroughly and gave myself a good talking to!
Poor wedge, wasn't its fault it was being driven by a loon!
never lost my temper again, now I just enjoy the company/scenery/watching others playing well if I'm having one of those days
:)
 
Top