The monetary cost of extra yards...

[howbow88]

Aye - but lessons take effort and practice to deliver anything much substantial. I'm thinking OP is looking for (considering) an instant result...

I'm not sure if this is a dig, but I do hope not

I'm talking in fact, if you base the other day as me swinging normally... I was hitting the new Taylormade driver an average of 20 yards in total distance past my current Titleist driver. My original question was based on the fact that on a typical day, it appears I could most likely get 20 yards extra out of my drives if I were to purchase the Taylormade driver. I was just simply wondering if other people thought £400 was worth this kind of distance gain... I'm still on the side of the fence that thinks £400 is probably about £200 too much for me.

 

[Smasher]

Why would anyone who wants to improve knowingly use inferior equipment if they had the cash to buy better? We're not taking a few yards here by buying the latest and greatest every year (that is crazy).
Lessons aren't the be all and end all, they can set you back initially. This is an easy win, hand over the cash, 20 yards gained.
Having said that I'd personally buy last years model on sale at 40% off and gain 19 yards.

 

[Smasher]

I'm not sure if this is a dig, but I do hope not

I'm talking in fact, if you base the other day as me swinging normally... I was hitting the new Taylormade driver an average of 20 yards in total distance past my current Titleist driver. My original question was based on the fact that on a typical day, it appears I could most likely get 20 yards extra out of my drives if I were to purchase the Taylormade driver. I was just simply wondering if other people thought £400 was worth this kind of distance gain... I'm still on the side of the fence that thinks £400 is probably about £200 too much for me.

If it's the SIM I'd look at the M5/6. They're not that different and can be had for £260.

 

[howbow88]

It is the SIM, so I may well look into the M6. Rick Shiels review found very little difference between the two for his own swing.

 

[Orikoru]

Ive seen the M6 on sale for 260ish, which will probably give you most of the gains of the sim. I recently got a new driver, I think fitting is key (I’m a recent convert having always bought 2nd hand drivers before)

Agreed, I've seen a few Youtube reviews saying the Sim doesn't really give anything extra over the M6. Rick Shiels for one.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

This is a great point.

Unless you are already cat one or lower, £400 of lessons is probably going to generate more yards than a new driver.

I agree although £400 can buy a lot of lessons (unless you use a really top teacher). Usually lessons locally are £25-30 per half hour. Even if you spent £200 on the lessons, plenty of good quality second hand drivers then out there for the other part of the money. If you can learn to hit a driver well and consistently then I am sure extra yards will come from better efficiency

 

[Grant85]

Aye - but lessons take effort and practice to deliver anything much substantial. I'm thinking OP is looking for (considering) an instant result...

Of course, but it's ultimately a different way of investing in your game. As I said earlier, I think the yardage gain is possibly down mainly to the current club not being optimal spec rather than the new club being that much better. I think if you found a good fitter who you pay for 30 minutes of time (as opposed to him / her making money on the sale) they would point the OP in the right direction of an older model that would give them similar results.

I personally would never spend £400 on a new club. Ultimately it just encourages the manufacturers to keep releasing new clubs and keep putting the price up. Ok, accepting that businesses operate and make money, but we have reached somewhat of a plateau in what new equipment does / can do. And unless you have a very consistent swing and are fitted very well at the start, you're are almost certainly not getting all the gains you think.

Agreed it limits what you might achieve from a fitting, but a there will be fitters and golf pros who will take a set fee from you and point you in the direction of affordable equipment and may even 'make' an old head / new shaft combo.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'm not sure if this is a dig, but I do hope not

I'm talking in fact, if you base the other day as me swinging normally... I was hitting the new Taylormade driver an average of 20 yards in total distance past my current Titleist driver. My original question was based on the fact that on a typical day, it appears I could most likely get 20 yards extra out of my drives if I were to purchase the Taylormade driver. I was just simply wondering if other people thought £400 was worth this kind of distance gain... I'm still on the side of the fence that thinks £400 is probably about £200 too much for me.

No - not a dig at all. Just responding to Grant85 suggestion that if the new club is going to give you 20yds extra it's going to do that pretty much from day #1 - if that is what you are after then lessons aren't going to do that. Myself - I'd go with his suggestion of a set of lessons, as I'm likely gain all round improvement in my game and in all clubs.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

No - not a dig at all. Just responding to Grant85 suggestion that if the new club is going to give you 20yds extra it's going to do that pretty much from day #1 - if that is what you are after then lessons aren't going to do that. Myself - I'd go with his suggestion of a set of lessons, as I'm likely gain all round improvement in my game and in all clubs.

Disagree. You can have a new driver that is longer than the one before for a host of reasons and yes it will go further from day 1. However I still suggest that lessons and learning a correct and repeatable technique for the driver will see those initial gains increase even further. Some people buy off the shelf and it we use a TM as an example they may hit it a few times in the shop, like it and go out onto the course with it and hit some good ones. I am sure there will then be something internally in our head that will then persuade us it has gone further than the previous make (say Titleist) as per the example. If both were bought off the shelf and given many now have adjustability it may be possible to simply make a tweak to settings to go a few yards further. I still think there is a further gap to more yards from a lesson and perhaps a degree of fitting within that to hone the driver to the best set up

 

[Orikoru]

Christ, if you needed to spend 400 quid on lessons I'd sooner give up.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Disagree. You can have a new driver that is longer than the one before for a host of reasons and yes it will go further from day 1. However I still suggest that lessons and learning a correct and repeatable technique for the driver will see those initial gains increase even further. Some people buy off the shelf and it we use a TM as an example they may hit it a few times in the shop, like it and go out onto the course with it and hit some good ones. I am sure there will then be something internally in our head that will then persuade us it has gone further than the previous make (say Titleist) as per the example. If both were bought off the shelf and given many now have adjustability it may be possible to simply make a tweak to settings to go a few yards further. I still think there is a further gap to more yards from a lesson and perhaps a degree of fitting within that to hone the driver to the best set up

OK - if the OP is not satisfied with just the extra 20yds immediately then he can maybe look to a cheaper model that doesn't give an extra 20yds - maybe gives only an extra 10yds - and invest the balance in a few lessons that will gain him a further 20yds. Making 30yd increase all told

 

[pool888]

Surprised there is 20 yards between your Titleist and the Taylor Made if you were fitted for both, the 917 is still only a couple of years old design. Other option is to try a different shaft in the 917, something slightly more flexible and higher launching may well make up the 20 yard difference. If you like your current driver it might be worth a go, certainly cheaper than a new driver and with screw in shafts it's easily done and you can buy and sell shafts easily enough on eBay or Facebook.

 

[sunshine]

Christ, if you needed to spend 400 quid on lessons I'd sooner give up.

Alternatively, imagine you much better your golf would be, and more enjoyable, if you spent £400 on lessons.

 

[Orikoru]

Alternatively, imagine you much better your golf would be, and more enjoyable, if you spent £400 on lessons.

No, seriously, in my opinion if you've spent 400 on lessons then the game has become a chore. I play for fun, not as some sort of self-improvement quest.

 

[Crow]

No, seriously, in my opinion if you've spent 400 on lessons then the game has become a chore. I play for fun, not as some sort of self-improvement quest.

Do you enjoy improving?

 

[garyinderry]

It would be nice to see all the numbers for both clubs to try and drill down and find out the reason for the 20yard difference.

 

[beggsy]

Possibly shaft length

 

[Dando]

no amount of lessons is ever going to give me 20 yards extra, not uless i could take 20 years of and reverse my injury issues

it's almost hypothetical for many of us esp if you are a lower handicap and have a driver that works for you already.

i'd love to but, its not going to happen.. not for me anyway

I can give the ball a fair old
Wallop but I’d give my right arm to have a short game half as good as yours - not that it would do much good as then I’d only have 1 arm

 

[big_matt]

A SIM does not go 20 yards further than a 917. Even taylormade arent claiming further distance than the M6 in the marketing. Maybe the shaft in the 917 doesnt suit you? The 20 yards will definately be from several variables already mentioned other than the driver head. I have a nike vapor pro which is older than the 917 and keeps up with todays offerings when hit out the middle.

 

[GG26]

No, seriously, in my opinion if you've spent 400 on lessons then the game has become a chore. I play for fun, not as some sort of self-improvement quest.

I have lessons because I want to play better, not because it’s a chore. Same with anything in life if you want to improve you have to put the effort in.

If you don’t want to improve that’s absolutely fine too, but don’t criticise those that do.