Does more expensive mean more distance/accuracy?

[PeterPumpkinEater]

After going up the range the other day with my playing partner we used our 8 irons and then used each others (no jokes please!) my mate went first with my Mizuno MX15's and promptly stated 'I couldn't play with those, they're too light' and was not hitting them as far as his TaylorMade RAC's and when I used his I was certainly hitting them a bit further and accuracy was slightly better too.

I bought my Mizzy's about 6mths ago for £200 from DirectGolf when I got back into golf as a step up from a set of Ram Wizard's, where as my mate spent £400 on his TM's about 2yrs ago.

So does more money = more distance/accuracy?

 

[Imurg]

No.

Basically the TM's are better suited to your swing and his than your Mizzy's

Having said that a more expensive set could be better put together and have better components (shaft, grip, head material etc) and this can have an effect on distance and accuracy. but we're talking the difference between, say Donnay and Mizuno .

Quality wise there will be little or no difference between the Mizzy's and the TM's

 

[Parmo]

So does more money = more distance/accuracy?

In a word, No.

I was speaking to the fitter in AG at the weekend and he said something very interesting and that was out of the what 20-30 sets of irons on display at anyone time only 2-3 would be suited for anyone person, be it £199 set or a £699 set, its not about money its about feel and what suits you more than cash can buy your game.

Loads of people I see have all the gear and no idea, you see them with everything matching and not caring that the clubs they have are not suited for them, I would love to have everything Cobra but in reality not all Cobra gear is suited to my game. Some people do find all the matching gear suits their game, but then it comes to does custom fitting change this or is it something that can not be changed in terms of if a club suits or not.

 

[USER1999]

You may find your Mizzys have a low centre of gravity, designed to get the ball in the air, where his TMs may be more 'players' clubs. This could make a difference in distance, and you also don't know the lofts are the same per club.
Differnet shafts will also make a huge difference.

Irons aren't about length any way.

 

[TWM]

One of my group in the stableford yesterday was playing with an old tatty assortment of clubs (Slazenger etc.). He played rather well and won the competition. Some people can make a decent score with any old rubbish clubs. However I would be interested to see how he would progress with a new C/F set.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

In broad terms then answer is no. However factor in different heads and shafts and then that answer does shift slightly. As said previously it may just be that he prefers a lower centre of gravity and has different shaft (kickpoint flex etc). Of course there is a world of difference between say Slazenger FAST irons and say Callaway X20's (no really there is). Whilst both are aimed at giving a player maximum forgiveness, the workability even on an X20 will be far greater than a FAST iron. An X20 will fly lower (just) and longer and to be honest the quality of workmanship on a Callaway is far greater (even though they both come via China)

 

[cm_qs]

More money = less excuses

I bought my (horrifically expensive at the time) custom fitted Ping Irons in the sure and certain knowledge that they wouldn't dramatically improve my game. They helped but they ain't magic wands.
What they did do was give me nowhere to hide when I duff a shot. Even the worst workman struggles to blame the best tools available.

6 years on and I still love them and have never been tempted to change.....because i know that they are great clubs. Unfortunately, they're in the hands of a bad golfer.

Bottom line - if you want more distance / accuracy - swing better!

 

[PeterPumpkinEater]

Dont get me wrong guys, i'm not looking for an excuse to change my irons, I play well with them and think that they are a great bit of kit and were very good VFM.

I agree 100% with the comment above and was going to use the Workman/Tools analogy myself and I'm sure that you could give a club pro a Fazer package set from American Golf and he would still probably beat most of us hands down with more expensive equipment. In fact one of my playing partners came back from the US a couple of months ago with a shiny set of Ping I10's and I think that he's actually now playing worse!

 

[Cernunnos]

as stated certain clubs/ins will suit certain people.

But sometimes trying to say compare a 6 iron from one set with another these days just doesn't work when some manufacturers insist on none standard lofts for their irons, trying to make us think that their 6 iron hits further, when in actual fact its more like a 5 iron.

Then of-course, certain manufacturers will be content to gowith more traditional lofts for their sets meaning when we compare the distances with say a previous set we find we are loosing a few yards, or so we might be led to believe. But its simply that these certain high priced iron makers are simply being complacent & sure of their quality, without need toproove themselves in the distance stakes. There-by, oneof their 6 irons really is a six iron & not equivelent to an old 5 iron etc.

I think the most important data we really need concern ourselves with is dispersion & do we like what we are using & gives us the feel or performance in the scoring stakes we might be after.

As foryour mate with the i10's It's probably as I've suggested, in that he will be still getting used to the different distances he is getting with his new wands to his old clubs. As Ping areone of those manufacturers with nothing to try & prove.

 

[Doh]

Cernunios

Makes at great point about the lofts. TM irons do tend to be a bit stronger

 

[RGuk]

So does more money = more distance/accuracy?

I'm quite a cautious equipment buyer and everything I've learned over the years leads me to the conclusion that it's all about what suits you/me/us, as players.

None of my new clubs (I've replaced the whole set, other than SW) go further or more accurately than the old sets. My irons go further, but that's the loft and length and luck in finding a graphite shaft that seems to suit my game.

Neither of my two 460cc modern drivers go further than my old 250cc Big Bertha or that one further than my first Warbird driver or Taylor Made bubble burner.....which I used
around the Lickey's for 4 seasons.

I bought a big driver on John_Findlay's (and a few others) recommendation that I'd get better results with less well hit shots.....and that's true.....
My new irons are definatley more forgiving and the woods?....well they more or less the same as the first set of matching 1/3/5 I bought from Hall Green Golf Shop 15 years ago. They are just a tad bigger and a bit sweeter when I really middle it.

In short, you could spend a fortune a get very little benefit....I wanted a 5 wood (my old one was the only steel left in my bag) and ended up with an fairly ancient Callaway for £45....just feels the right club for my swing.

 

[balaclava]

[/QUOTE]
Neither of my two 460cc modern drivers go further than my old 250cc Big Bertha or that one further than my first Warbird driver or Taylor Made bubble burner.....which I used
around the Lickey's for 4 seasons.


[/QUOTE]

Having recently returned to golf after a 3 year gap I was feeling a little inadequate stood on the tee box with my Callaway G B Bertha Warbird. It looked like a toy compared with those 460cc babies. So I bought myself the TM r7 draw. The difference is extreme; it is noticeably more forgiving, longer and straighter that my old 1 wood.

All that said, being so pleased with the 1 wood I bought the matching TM 5 wood and it’s good but much more difficult than the 1 wood.

 

[viscount17]

All that said, being so pleased with the 1 wood I bought the matching TM 5 wood and it’s good but much more difficult than the 1 wood.

I thought I was alone in this! love the driver but struggling with the 5

 

[Smiffy]

A few years ago I was playing a friendly game on a Sunday morning with some mates and wrapped my 7 iron around a tree (accidently..it was on the follow through after punching a low shot out of some trees).
I was playing in an important competition the following Wednesday and my pro couldn't get a new shaft for me so lent me the 7 iron out of his trial set of Titleist clubs (I think they were DCI's)...
Every shot I hit with it during the "important" round was hit much further than my old 7 iron.
They felt superb and had I had the money I would have purchased the set there and then...but I didn't so didn't.

 

[PeterPumpkinEater]

A few years ago I was playing a friendly game on a Sunday morning with some mates and wrapped my 7 iron around a tree (accidently..it was on the follow through after punching a low shot out of some trees).
I was playing in an important competition the following Wednesday and my pro couldn't get a new shaft for me so lent me the 7 iron out of his trial set of Titleist clubs (I think they were DCI's)...
Every shot I hit with it during the "important" round was hit much further than my old 7 iron.
They felt superb and had I had the money I would have purchased the set there and then...but I didn't so didn't.

This is exactly my point. But it could be pyschological too. I'll explain why....

I had an old Ram driver (cant remember the model) and sliced that every time i hit it. I then purchased about 6mths ago a Cobra Speed LD and WOW! long and dead straight, best £90 that I had ever spent, then after 3 rounds the slice came back! I know its down to the swing, but when you hit a club well it certainly gives you confidence and you think its the club

 

[Imurg]

Neither of my two 460cc modern drivers go further than my old 250cc Big Bertha or that one further than my first Warbird driver or Taylor Made bubble burner.....which I used
around the Lickey's for 4 seasons.


[/QUOTE]

Having recently returned to golf after a 3 year gap I was feeling a little inadequate stood on the tee box with my Callaway G B Bertha Warbird. It looked like a toy compared with those 460cc babies.

[/QUOTE]

I had a GB Bertha Driver when they came out in the nineties. if I hadn't worn it out and lost a bit of my swing, it would still be in the bag. I don't remember ever hitting a really bad shot with it. Indeed I won many a longest drive prize with it including a measured drive of 312 yards!! But the swing has weakened over the years and I'm sure if I tried it now it would go sideways.

 

[RGuk]

Neither of my two 460cc modern drivers go further than my old 250cc Big Bertha or that one further than my first Warbird driver or Taylor Made bubble burner.....which I used
around the Lickey's for 4 seasons.

Having recently returned to golf after a 3 year gap I was feeling a little inadequate stood on the tee box with my Callaway G B Bertha Warbird. It looked like a toy compared with those 460cc babies. So I bought myself the TM r7 draw. The difference is extreme; it is noticeably more forgiving, longer and straighter that my old 1 wood.

Perhaps you never hit the old GBB very well. Maybe the shaft in the TM is much better suited. Comparing dead centre with dead centre I can't find any meaningful improvement....maybe a few yards??.....not enough to warrant a new driver every season.

 

[viscount17]

I had an old Ram driver (cant remember the model) and sliced that every time i hit it. I then purchased about 6mths ago a Cobra Speed LD and WOW! long and dead straight, best £90 that I had ever spent, then after 3 rounds the slice came back! I know its down to the swing, but when you hit a club well it certainly gives you confidence and you think its the club

have you tried swinging slower? you get a new toy and are burning up the track. now you're confident where before there was only uncertainty so the swing speed increases, maybe not intentionally but it does, and lo and behold back comes the problem.

I can't hit mine at full bore or I too will get a high slice, so I back off and can still get reasonable distances. (but as I don't have a gps I'm not allowed to tell you)

 

[PeterPumpkinEater]

The complete opposite mate. When I really send the club through very quickly (which I've had measured at 110mph) it seems to go straighter! When i slow things down, my hips go through to quickly with the arms & hands well behind, hence an open club face.

 

[Smiffy]

I went through hell a couple of years after I started playing. I just wasn't getting through the ball, my drives were weak and going off to the right, I was decelerating as I was coming into it and nothing could get me hitting it properly. I knew that there was a game in me, but had hit this mental block.
Then Callaway woods started making an appearance in our pro shop, along with some "copies" called Tandric. They looked exactly the same, but were a lot, lot cheaper.
I asked the pro if I could borrow the driver and I don't know what it was but I started hitting the ball properly. It gave me so much confidence. After one round I was sold on them and went straight in and purchased the Driver, together with the matching 3 and 5 woods.
Within a year my handicap came down from a "dodgy" 23 to a very solid 14, and I put it all down to the new woods.
Because I was now getting through the ball properly with them, this new found aggression also improved my iron play by an equal amount. Had it not been for these clubs coming out, I seriously think I would have given up the game.
Once I could afford it, I purchased the pukka Callaway woods and have never looked back.
The Tandric clubs weren't expensive, but they gave me confidence....and I think that's what it's all about.