When do you upgrade equipment?

[HPIMG]

I have the ping g425 clubs at the top end of my bag, nothing wrong with them and I am happy with how they are performing but last week I was in chatting to the pro and ended up leaving with the titleist tsr2 and tsr3 drivers to test for a few rounds. Loved the sound of the tsr3 and look but it wasn’t doing anything my ping couldn’t and it was slightly less forgiving. Then playing a few rounds with the tsr2 really enjoyed the driver and loved the sound and feel but again wasn’t gaining anything.
If I switch clubs I’ll be getting driver, 3 and 5/7 wood and a hybrid but I feel as if I need to see a gain for me to switch.
So why do people switch clubs ? Do you switch just for a change or do you need to see a improvement ?

Also was thinking after reading on the forums about the speed sticks and now thinking maybe get the speed sticks now and think about switching next year. People who have the speed sticks do they come with a routine for you to follow?

 

[Imurg]

Sometimes you fall out with a club and lose confidence in it...that's a time to change .
Performance should be the #1 reason to change, either distance, dispersion or consistency - preferably all 3.
But sometimes something pops up that catches your eye...absolutely ok to change if, financially, you can or want to.
No hard and fast rules..

 

[Backsticks]

Mainly people change clubs when they fall under the thrall of the marketing for new ones, and the urge to consume is overwhelming. Even terming such purchases 'upgrades' shows the power of the seduction. They are not upgrades in the true sense at all.

 

[bobmac]

If your money is burning a hole in your bank account and you fancy a change then go for it. Just know that you're probably not going to get any improvement in performance.

 

[jim8flog]

My last change was from TM M4 to Stealth done because I was able to but the head only here. I bought it knowing it would be easy to resell if it did not gain me anything.
What prompted the change was 2 guys I play with regularly who did similar and I saw the gains it gave them.

Generally clubs stay in my bag for years except for which wedges get renewed when they show signs of wear and reduced greenside spin.

Sometimes I do it just because I have the cash and no other major needs. Last 3 wood change came because of the large pro shop balance I had accumulated and I wanted to try something with less loft.

 

[Jigger]

I’m still playing with my 6yr old TM M2 driver 3W-HL and 3H as they have custom Accra shafts in them. Albeit the 3H is about to be benched as I’m going 4h-7h then to my 6yr old mixing JOX900 7i-LW.

Just replaced my 10yr old(ish) scurry with a wonderful fitted Edel putter.

I think the driver may go the distance this year but I may get the shaft tipped with the fitting for whatever driver I pick and see how it goes by comparison. However, I heard Peter finch say on you tube the other day that he thinks the TM M2 driver is still one of the best drivers they made.

 

[Backsticks]

Any gains perceived between M4 and Stealth are a marketing induced illusion. A conjurers trick, that looks real to the audience.

 

[Backsticks]

I heard Peter finch say on you tube the other day that he thinks the TM M2 driver is still one of the best drivers they made.

He is not incorrect - all the ones they have made are indistinguishably one of the best drivers they have made.

 

[Jigger]

Any gains perceived between M4 and Stealth are a marketing induced illusion. A conjurers trick, that looks real to the audience.

Yep. I quite fancy the Ping 430 as I think that would give me more forgiveness on off centre hits compared to my M2 as that was pre twist face tech for TM.

 

[Teebs]

Wedges replaced when they wear out and stop spinning as required.

I replaced a 2014 Callaway with a 2022 Rogue ST and did gain distance and forgiveness, regardless of what other people say.

Irons were replaced this year, JPX 850 forged replaced with Ping i230s. Massive improvement, gained height, trajectory and forgiveness.
Much of it depends on how the old stuff is performing. A well fitted driver from a few years ago won't be that much better than a G430 / Stealth 2 etc.
So many variables in play tbh.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Drivers I've had.
1970s - Northwestern Golf Co laminated.
1980s - Slazenger XTC metal - from Argos as an experiment in my first metal driver.
The next year - Wilson Ultra Firestick.
Some years later - Cobra 9° stiff shaft
Taylormade R360 - absolutely loved this one, but became illegal.
Ping G10 - my last brand new driver in 2008. Sold it last year.

Currently using a Cobra F-speed 10.5° Regular that I bought second hand from my club pro in 2010 for £25.
Older than the PIng G10, but I liked the trajectory and easier to hit a draw when needed. Used to swap between the two for a couple of years, but settled on the Cobra.
Bought the matching 9° in stiff shaft last year on Ebay for £24. Much shinier condition than my current one. Had a few goes last year and I may make the change later this year when the fairways dry out.
Don't think I will ever buy a brand new driver again.
I often try other players' drivers in social games. Quite like the Callaways, Epic, Rogue, Mavrik. When any of these type come down to under £50, I might consider one.

With the G10 driver, I bought a 3-wood and 21° hybrid. With the Cobra F-speed driver I bought a Cobra Baffler 16° hybrid for £25.
Bought the matching 20° Cobra hybrid last year for £14 and F-speed 3-wood for £16.
This prompted me to sell the three G10 clubs. Got about £150 after Ebay fees and postage.

My current irons are Ping G10 3&4 irons and i10 5-PW and 52° wedge.
Bought a similar aged, but much less used, set of Reid Lockhart blades 3-SW last year for £85.
Played my last 6 handicap qualifying round with them last year and 4 of those scores are in my best 8. This got the HI down a few decimal places.
I've had a few social games recently with the Ping irons. I won't be using the blades until the course is in much better condition.

Since my last purchase of brand new clubs in 2008, I've made improvements (upgrades?) by selling £150 and buying £189.
For that £39 net spending I've ended up with an extra driver, an extra hybrid and an additional set of irons.

 

[Smoj]

I started playing golf in May of 2022 - and up to yesterday would tinker with my bag every month, started with cheaper older clubs, then decided i am addicted and in it for the long haul and slowly started to get better clubs, and now I've come to the conclusion my bag is exactly what i want for now.... although now i think of it, I am not in total love with my tsi3 3 wood as much as i thought i would be, so maybe in the summer i will try out a tsi2 3 wood or get a 15degree Ts2. or loft my Ts2 (16.5) 5 wood down to 15.75 and get a 24* hybrid

i bought brand new sm8 wedges 52 & 56 in december so will prob buy some sm9's next xmas when they go on sale.

 

[Crow]

I change weekly because I like to play different clubs.
It adds an extra element to the game and choosing what to play for the week can be as much fun as the playing.

 

[jim8flog]

Any gains perceived between M4 and Stealth are a marketing induced illusion. A conjurers trick, that looks real to the audience.

I would disagree. Having done the numbers on a Top Tracer range and seen the difference on course. Same shaft, same head loft equals lower ball flight and more run and hence more distance for me.

 

[Crow]

I'm playing at an away course next week and have chosen these clubs, can anyone spot the connection?

Walter Hagen "Haig Ultra" 1, 3 & 4 woods, circa 1964
Dunlop "Peter Thomson" 2 to SW irons, released 1957
John Letters "Fred Daly" putter, released late 1940s

 

[Voyager EMH]

Yes I can, because you told me.

If I were joining you, I'd have to borrow a set of Dunlop Maxfli Roberto De Vincezo clubs that I sold to someone at my club.

 

[Backache]

Pretty infrequently is the answer for me.I have been playing nearly forty years and my irons are the third set I owned, bought last year. My hybrids the only ones I have owned My fairway woods the second set and the driver about my fourth but some have been pretty shonky second hand cheapos.

Personally I disagree with some of the earlier comments I was fitted for my irons, have a changed spec and do hit them better. I think upgrading is possible and fitting can help. Though I suspect changing every couple of years is probably futile.

 

[Albo]

I change when I feel like changing.

For me it’s not just an age of equipment thing, it’s also how much use does it get. A few above have said they change wedges when the spin drops off, which I totally get, but equally the same will happen with irons, not maybe as noticeable to the eye but equally painful I’m not holding greens from distance I’d wager.
I play a lot of golf, I will be on the course, par3 course or driving range on average 5 times a week through the year, so for me irons that are 3 years old say, have had a lot of use and hold their resale value better than 5 year old ones, so I tend to refresh things every 3 years. I’m fortunate enough at this stage in my life to be able to do that, part of that is my liking for new stuff, they are in no way unusable after 3 years, though probably need new grips at that point!

As for speed sticks, some do come with training regimen, others don’t. So the super speed stick using do, but pre those I had a less expensive single stick with weights that screw on / off (I ended up losing them hence my going for 3 sticks), that stick didn’t come with a training plan. However, Google will give you the super speed training drills anyway so I’d not let that be a deciding factor .

 

[patricks148]

It's entirely up to you I know guys who change at least once if not twice a year if they feel like it. Personally I stick with something that works for me till it wears out or is no longer suitable. My putter is at least 14 years old, my driver is the original m2, 3 wood is the jpx850, that's about 8 years I think. My hybrid I've just changed as I had a gap since changing my irons 2 years ago.
Do what makes you happy.

 

[Jigger]

I'm playing at an away course next week and have chosen these clubs, can anyone spot the connection?

Walter Hagen "Haig Ultra" 1, 3 & 4 woods, circa 1964
Dunlop "Peter Thomson" 2 to SW irons, released 1957
John Letters "Fred Daly" putter, released late 1940s

Your original set of clubs?