How much differnce does equipment make?

[Gizmo722]

Hi guys,
I was speaking to a mate over the weekend who doesnt play golf and got me thinking about expensive equipment.
When i told him how much certain clubs were he nearly fell of his bar stool.What he said made sense and i was wondering what the everyone else thought.
his point was that if your a high handicapper its not gonna make much difference overall if your not swinging it right in the first place and if you have got to a good standard of playing your swing is gonna be pretty repetative so presumably you could hit striaght with any old club.Fair enough the extra yards are useful but if your playing off a low handicap your short game would make up for the loss of a few yards.
So my very long winded question is if paying the absolute premium for all the gear is worth it for us mere mortals?
Has top equipment really shaved 2 or 3 shots off your score, or is the money better spent to get lessons for half the price of a shiny new driver?

cheers guys

 

[John_Findlay]

It depends Gizmo,

Cost of a new driver = £250. Shots saved = maybe 1 or 2???
Cost of 12 x half hour video lessons = £250. Shots saved = maybe 10 per round for a high handicapper???

It's a no brainer for me

 

[RGuk]

I'm going to agree with J_F.

I only change clubs that are old or really outdated.

I admit that occasionaly I have a bad run with a specific club and look to change it (putters, hybrid/utility) but mostly my spare cash goes on lessons and playing good courses.

I understand the temptation to replace my driver when it's not going well, but a lesson and a few trips to the range normaly sorts me out.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Having just replaced most of my equipment in 2008 it would be hypocritical of me to say it doesn't matter what you use. However, that said I know my equipment throughout the bag is now suited to where my game is now and where it is likely to be over the next few years so no need for anymore changes.

Any spare cash I have now will be going towards the final phases of my swing reconstruction (short game and a little more on the full swing).

Equipment does not buy you a golf game but it can help you enjoy it more. If you are using old equipment you may not be getting the best out of it (clubs have moved on in the last 5 years) or if you have the latest stuff is it really suited to your game.

My answer would be to find some gear you are happy with in terms of your game (and that they sit ok visually too) and stick with it. It doesn't matter whether you go for a top named brand or something more gentle on the wallet as long as it is suited to you. It is never the club that sticks the ball in the trees, only the numpty holding them

 

[USER1999]

As above, provided it is suitable for use, not just in terms of the specification matching your swing and ability, but also expectations as to longevity, then no, cost isn't everything.

If you play 5 times a week, better kit (doesn't have to be expensive, just better) will last longer.

Nice kit does put me in the mood though. Nothing like a shiny bit of kit for getting you out to play.

 

[Blade]

The biggest difference is if you have clubs fitted to you, Then it can make a much bigger difference than lessons...

I agree lessons are important and if it is a difference between buying stock clubs and having some lessons its lessons anytime.

And there is an argument that lessons first will get your swing at least consistant, therefore making it easier to have correct fitment...

However if you are taller, shorter than average, have large or small hands etc...having a fitment for clubs can make a huge difference.

However i would start playing the game first before taking on such an expense.

Kind Regards.

 

[theeaglehunter]

despite nobody else arguing it, I am going to put my neck out and say that in my opinion good kit is better! It may sound like not much of a statement but in my opinion you get what you pay for. Even though lesser known brands admittedly offer much better value for money they are still seldom as good as the bigger named equivalent. Why do you think the big names got their reputation? It wasn't just through advertising they must be doing something right in terms of club manufacturing. Therefore I feel the bigger named clubs would help you more than the lesser known models although they are not going to make you good if you don't know what you are doing.

I do agree money is better spent on lessons than equipment though. I still haven't completed my bag since I took up the game so once I have bought all the clubs I want/need I doubt I will change them for a while. It will be lessons all the way.

 

[Parmo]

I think it makes a lot, my MX19s have started shaving loads of points off my rounds, I think to a degree that spending on decent deal pays off, if not in actual terms but in confidence.

 

[vig]

I think it depends on what equipment you are talking about.

Lessons, generally Yes!!! however I believe that the wedges I have now (X Tour) have shaved shots off my rounds when when lesser brands (with some exceptions) would not have done. How many cheap wedges would stop a ball like say a vokey....... None!

Balls... also you generally get what you pay for. A cheap ball does NOT have the feel of a more expensive one. I'm not talking premium (prov's) but better balls

 

[andiritchie]

i with vig on the better balls will make a difference,equipment wont make much of a difference if they have the correct lofts and shaft flexes but playing better clubs makes me tingle inside

 

[haplesshacker]

I guess that a lot of this is phycological (sp). But there is a 'feel good' factor about having nice / good kit. I guess that's what I mean when we talk about 'snobbery' regarding kit.

 

[andiritchie]

yeah i would call myself a golf gear snob not good

 

[haplesshacker]

My name is Haplesshacker and I am a golf snob.

I believe that is the first step in the route to recovery!

(No chance!)

 

[rgs]

Just read an interesting article in todays Irish Times by Colin Byrne caddie to The Goose-he was writing about the old days when he received a set of clubs at end of season from David Feherty his master at the time and how he struggled to get the ball airborne with the pro's stiff shafted blades. He was with the Goose on the range recently hitting balls when the Goose suggested he should get custom fitted-naturally Taylor Made made a set to the spec set down by The Goose-Byrnes view this was the best advice and option as he is now able to hit the ball with a proper flight etc.

Finally an amusing finale to his article-The Goose donated a signed Driver for a Charity Auction for a local Dublin Childrens Hospital-The winning bid came from a lady who advised Byrne she was going to use the club herself at the weekend. Unless she is a single figure golfer she had no chance of using a driver built for The Goose.

 

[Nico]

Lessons ahead of kit at almost all points.
Almost anyone would get more out of lessons but get down to around 5 or below and the 5% that kit will give you becomes more important.

I must say though that 2 of my most treasured selfish moments of my life are collecting my (company) M5 and the feeling in my tummy as I walked in to collect my irons.

I get more pathetic the older I get I think.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There are some interesting points about gear from so called lesser names. The Norman Drew wedges from MD are excellent and very cheap compared with Vokey etc and have been winning shed loads of praise from every magazine. One of the reasons they can afford to make them so competitively priced is the fact that there advertising is so low key.

The same can be said for Orka who I understand produce some good quality irons (never hit one) but never advertise that much.

The reason TM, Callaway, Titleist etc are more expensive has a lot to do with the R&D costs and the subsequent advertising. They are not made from any material significantly different from MD or the other lower priced brands

 

[Ham]

I can vouch for both cheaper and more pricey gear. I have Orka irons as mentioned by Homer which are mid to low price and am very happy with them(i think some other forum members on here have them as well) But I also have a Callaway driver and woods and a good strike with these compared to a good strike with the cheaper gear I used to have bear no comparison.

 

[viscount17]

depends what you mean by expensive. my driver is the most expensive single item (and I got that half price - the irons were a real steal) but it's the material quality, particularly in the shafts, that you pay for.

 

[Doh]

How much difference does equipment make.

At a high handicap level, not much, you need the skill.

As you become more skilled, yes it makes a difference.

 

[GB72]

I personally have given up paying for names and have been happier with the cheaper kit I now have. The Orka irons really suit me and seem to perform better than higher priced options that I tried and my Benross driver and putter were bought despite being willing to pay far more for the right club. Certainly at my level I do not see the need to be spending hundreds on the most expensive gear. If I can halve my handicap then it may then be worth it but until then I am more than happy with the cheaper brands.