New club "Placebo Effect"

How many of you here when purchasing new clubs, whether its a driver, new irons, or even a putter, take your current club(s) with you to compare against?  Are you really hitting this new driver 10, 20 or even 30 yards farther than your current gamer?  Is that new Scotty putter really draining more putts on the indoor putting green than what you have?

Just curious to the "Placebo Effect" we might feel from the shiny, new club in our hands, especially, if there is not one to compare to.  Any thoughts?

Why would you take your old clubs along? According to the ads the "New and Improved" clubs will let you hit it longer and straighter!

I really hope this is sarcasm.

Not sure about the "placebo" effect. But new clubs definitely have the honeymoon period where they seem to work great for the first 5 rounds.

It's been proven scientifically that the shafts and metal in the heads take a "set" to your swing, and new clubs aren't yet broken into you yet so they behave in a proper manner and don't misbehave yet.

Seriously, I think one thing that actually does happen is that new clubs tend to make you focus more on how they feel through the swing, and this sharpens your concentration a bit and hence they often actually do make your game a tiny bit better for a short time.      It's sort of like going out on a date after having been married for years.   With the old spouse, you have a comfortable set of habits - propping your elbows on the table, shoving food into your mouth, burping a little.    But then you go out on a date with someone else and you're trying to act proper, focusing much more on the process of eating.    Eventually you're comfortable enough with the new person you revert to your normal (slob) habits.

PS, please don't tell my clubs I'm thinking of seeing someone else.   I don't need to them to take it out on me in a jealous rage next time I play!

Id agree that there is definetly a, "honeymoon" period with a new club.

It was!

I wish I had this honeymoon period! I don't think I've ever really had much of an honeymoon period with any of my clubs. I was extremely happy the first time I took out my Vokeys and was able to spin shots back, that was the most enjoyable feeling I had experienced on the course until I started playing.

The funny thing is that getting new clubs does actually help me. I remember when I got my 909 D2 a bit less than a year ago, I struggled so much to keep the ball in play of the tee. When my fairway percentage got back to normal (after 20 rounds or so), I started to shoot 5 or 6 strokes lower, putting me at a single digit handicap. I guess that I had to work so much harder on the rest of my game to keep the same scores that I actually benefited from it.

I have my old clubs with me if I am at a local course during demo day, but I don't usually bring my clubs with me to a store.

Flight monitors or range finder / laser works well to gauge distances while hitting new clubs on the course.  That and, of course, feel.

Re: placebo effect - beauty is always in the eye of the beholder (until you buy it, then it's cursed soon enough).

I bought a Nike Method putter a few weeks ago, had my eye on one for a long time but I just couldn't get used to it.  I played a few rounds with it but couldn't make any putts or control distance very well.  My last round I went back to my red x and it just felt so natural.  The Method is now on ebay.  It's a nice putter with a really nice feel but it just didn't suit my stroke.

I will try to compare new equipment to old equipment every time because I don't really want to buy something that I don't need.  With my newest driver, it kicked my old driver out based on indoor launch monitor readings and the outdoor driving range test.  Previous to this no other driver made it past the indoor test.  I did buy a hybrid off Ebay about a year ago and ended up selling it because the shaft was too boardy.  There was no denying it and I knew it within the first ten balls.

I would agree with all of this, especially the sarcasm!  However, in mid 90's club makers begin to strengthen the lofts on irons, so clubs from the early 90's may not have the same loft as clubs today have.  Also, club makers have tinkered with shaft lengths mostly on drivers but some on irons and in theory, longer shafts will get you more distance.  So all of that said I really think new clubs give you confidence that you will be better and that in it's self will help you hit the ball longer and straighter.