Something wrong with golfers these days... (re: equipment)

[ArjunGFX]

I've been meaning to post this for some time and I'm curious what y'all think.

I just have to say... I'm amazed and kind of worried about golfers' fixation with equipment these days.

Now obviously I agree that there are clubs that are higher quality (though not necessarily "better") than others... and that being custom fitted is a good idea, and that there's nothing wrong with having synergies and loyalties towards certain brands. That is something that I take part in as well, and I like it, as my clubs have meaning to me.

However, despite being young (23) I still come from more of an old school equipment about mentality than most golfers these days, and I think a lot of players are making a mistake in treating equipment more like laptops than cars.

I have a nice set of clubs now but it's not like without them I can't play golf. I played in India in December using I have no idea whats from the 1970s probably and it probably cost me a few shots, but not my game. After some getting used to I could get the ole thin, unforgiving 2 iron up in the air. And I think a lot of this is because when my dad got me into golf, the focus at the time was not so equipment obsessed - it was more on feel and shotmaking and on YOU creating the shot with your club helping, rather than the club creating the shot as you just hold it. That's why I'm grateful that I started with wooden Spalding drivers and irons from Building 19. It made me focus on feel and shaping shots.

I am pretty sure the majority of guys on tour would agree with me. Sure they get custom custom custom fit now, but when they started, they were literally wacking the ball around and barely thinking about blade vs cavity back or shaft flex or ball or any of that stuff. They started with "this is a club, this is a ball, and it's my swing that make this club hit that ball however I want, regardless of the quality of the equipment."

Of course it's all a fine balance - I play Callaway irons for a reason. There are reasons I prefer certain clubs over others and I do get technical now... but I feel like golfers shouldn't get that technical until they can hit most of their shots solid and break 80 fairly consistently. Of course differences in equipment should be taken into account until that point, but not to extent that is actually happening - it's getting out of hand. This seems to be the era of the corporate slave golfer, not the feel player.

On this forum and on the course I am seeing 20 and 30 handicap golfers arguing about shaft flex and actually knowing about all the different shafts, way more than I do.... 18 handicappers discussing launch angle... beginners to the game discussing differences in MOI and golf ball technology... guys who can't hit a hybrid solid talking about musclebacks vs. blades vs. cavity backs.... there are some exceptions, no doubt... I understand people have different priorities and schedules and that there are 15 handicapers who hit the ball better than I do but never practice there short games etc etc.... BUT.... most of the guys I know who shoot in the 80s, 90s, 100s are fixated on comparing shaft flax, launch angle, ball speed, etc but don't even know how to hit a flop shot, or how to shape the ball, or think about tempo and feel as priority #1 which they should be.

I'm somewhat of an equipment junkie now when I see it as value add... but the bigger value add for me is having started using old spalding irons and top flites, and I am grateful for that.

[ArjunGFX]

One other thing - for those of you starting out, I would actually recommend practicing feel shots with hard Top Flites and stuff like that - people wonder how I hit such buttery, handsy flop shots with a fast swing speed. the answer: i learned to do it with xl2000s, so imagine how i can do it with pro V1s.

I'm not trying to sound arrogant, I'm just being real. I play with guys who still have "normal" Biggest Big Berthas from 1997 or 1998 with regular shafts who don't even think about the new clubs, and they hit those things farther and straighter than I do with my fancy new 460cc driver. It might help them to get a stiff shaft, but what's helping them the most is that they are thinking about the grip and swing before the club - they are in a much more win-win-improve situation.

And for the record I broke my new Callaway 3 wood and have been using the War Bird from the first yr it was released, like 94 or 96 or something. And it hits as long and straight as any of the new fairway woods I've checked out.

[nykfan4life]

I 100% agree. high handicappers should focus on improving. worry about that stuff later. If equipment is your #1 priority you should think about why you play in the first place.

[dave39]

I think a lot of players are making a mistake in treating equipment more like laptops than cars.

I don't fully understand that analogy, but I do agree with your post. It is funny to hear people talk about golf swing and equipment specifics and to tell stories of how they just got "fitted" while using a launch monitor setup and that there spin rate is only blah blah blah. If golfers relied on taking lessons and practicing as much as they do about their equipment and custom fitting sessions than they would be MUCH better off.

It is sort of comical to hear the guys who have yet to break 80 talk about that stuff and you can tell that they actually believe that by being custom fitted for the right shaft and ball ...etc.. etc... they will instantly be a better golfer. I am a self taught golfer for the most part and am proud to be able to say that. I am a bargain hunter when it comes to equipment and like to have the newest things but if I can get last years model (which is usually just as good) for cheaper.. than SOLD. I remember when I first started swinging a golf club. I used to be a baseball player (12 years) but wanted to try something else. My father bought an OLD golf set at a yard sale for $5.00, there were a total of 8 clubs. He never had intentions of using the clubs or telling me to use them but he just let me know that he bought them and that I could try them out if I wanted. One day I got bored and grabbed them from our porch and went down to the baseball field near my house. I found a couple of balls in the old leather bag the clubs came in so I took them out and beat them around in the field. I was not making perfect shots by any means but I was hitting it nearly every time. I went home and told my parents that I would like to try golf some day when they would be willing to pay for my membership. I waited 2 years on a waiting list to get into a nice semi-private course in my home town at the time. I think my membership as a junior was $250.00. I asked my parents if I could get some new clubs to try so they bought me a second hand set. All the clubs were made of steel... the ones I started with had the old wooden heads and leather grips. I took a couple of lessons because it was included with the membership but I was not getting as much help as I wanted. I started watching some of the better players and I started watching golf on TV. Four years later I was playing to a 1.2 handicap and playing in a pile of junior tournaments. I kept using those same clubs until I turned 20.. then I switched to blades and updated my bag. I use to pretty much live on the golf course, got my first job there too. But because I spent so much time there I was able to watch other people and see their faults and then could apply that to my own game to improve. I have spent countless hours practicing my short game and as a junior was known as one of the best short game players at my home course. So yeah, moral of the story... you can become a good player without the luxury of custom fittings and $400 drivers and putters. Golf is a game that you have to work at if you want to improve because any "easy" fix will never work.. especially in the long run. People need to take their thousands of dollars that they spend on clubs and go and take lessons from someone who they are comfortable with and someone who can teach them about the game of golf and key swing thoughts... not just "how to cure a slice".

[ArjunGFX]

Very well said. If a new golfer can afford Pro V1s and Mizunos, then go for it.... though your game won't be so much different than fi you start with Rock Flites and Spaldings... With the latter setup, one can develop as much. I could have afforded the pro vs etc when I started but it was never a priority..... equipment was very peripheral to my focus of improving my actual skills.

It is just amazing how 98% of golf discussions are about the supershaft 6000 vs. the ultrashaft 9000.... and the really important things (tempo, feel etc) that will actually bring amazing moments on the golf course are seldom given importance.

[rudygu]

I've been meaning to post this for some time and I'm curious what y'all think.

I agree that marketing hype has gotten out of control. A lot of people believe that the latest and greatest cavity back is far easier to hit than players clubs or blades, or that the 2008 drivers will really outperform the 2007 drivers. But, a lot of people just like to try out different equipment and have the resources to do so. To each his own. I don't lose any sleep either way.

And for the record I broke my new Callaway 3 wood and have been using the War Bird from the first yr it was released, like 94 or 96 or something. And it hits as long and straight as any of the new fairway woods I've checked out.

Fairway woods have to have changed less in the last 10-12 years than anything other club type.

[OrlandoVol]

I agree 100%.... I started out with my dad's "cut down" first flight blades and REAL WOOD woods (imagine that) almost 25 years ago...

My parents bought me some Rawlings power stik irons and woods... and I ignored all the kids who thought they sucked, and were playing with Big Berthas and Ping Irons when I played in JGA-- I beat most of them.

My freshman year in HS, I played with the power stiks and added some big bertha "knock-off" woods... Finally, my Sophomore year I got a set of "brand name" irons... a set of second-hand King Cobra Irons from Edwin Watts.

This year, after playing with those Cobras for over 12 years, I FINALLY bought a "NEW" set of irons...

I picked up the chrome 735cm's for $500 from Golfsmith, after I saw the price drop...

I love them, but the reason I am a good golfer is because I have worked on mastering a consistent repeatable swing, and developing a feel for the game.

[niblick]

People obsess over equipment because it's fun to do. Look at any hobby - photography, woodworking, knitting, you name it - and avid practitioners of every skill level go ape over really nice gear. It's not a golf specific syndrome.

Jumping on players of lesser skill for being interested in the technology they're using seems pretty sophomoric to me. You're a 4 index. Of course you're going to hit an older club well. That doesn't mean everyone will.

People can play with whatever makes them happy. I've played with 20 handicaps who played with Mizuno blades, and I've played with 4 handicap who used Nike Slingshots. It just doesn't matter.

[T.J.K.]

While I agree people can go a bit overboard on equipment, I do think that having the right equipment can help any golfer whether it be a 2 handicap or 30 handicap.

[nykfan4life]

The point is, If expensive equipment helps you to enjoy the game, then by all means, splurge. But you should be focused on the game itself, and you don't need this equipment to play well.


I don't think that It helps nearly as much as people think they do. Thats the key: probably 75% of the improvement someone sees with new equipment is in the mind(I just spent $400 on this driver, its all fitted to my specs, I'll do great with it vs 'these clubs are crummy pieces of crap.)

Untill you are a low handicap and are able to work the ball, expensive equipment will not help you. Sure forgiveness, more distance, straighter, etc, but in the long run it will hurt your game because(and I think this is a point the OP was trying to make) It covers up your flaws, whereas older non forgiving clubs(Spalding blades, persimmon woods) bring all yours flaws out in front of you. With those sort of clubs, you learn the proper swing plane, to strike the ball properly, etc.

I own a set of Spalding blades that I use in practice rounds, but when I am playing in tournaments I use my Taylormade's. Although I am thinking of making a compromise and just using the CG Reds. a nice balance in my opinion.

[Shindig]

I think the extent to which high handicappers need to worry about equipment is that it won't fight them and, if they're looking to improve, they might want clubs a bit better than they are at the moment. Beyond that, minute differences in MOI and COR and so on don't bug me. See that driver? That's sitting in my bag unless it breaks, I reach mid-single digits, or too many years pass. 3-Wood? Possibly longer.

Those irons? Yeah, I'm moving to Game Improvement or Players' irons at some point in the future.

Do I think I focus on equipment? No! Get a good sand wedge and a good putter and practice what is really going to improve your game. I practice 3' and 5' putts and it almost never fails: someone asks me why I'm practicing "gimmes" instead of driver shots on the range. My handicap has dropped a few shots in 2008 alone, and it wasn't by hitting driver on the range.

But too many people do.

By the way, if it looks at some point like I'm focusing too much on equipment - other than my "what irons now?" worries coming up - please point it out to me. I try not to be equipment bound. I worry too much about that sort of stuff with my computers!

[T.J.K.]

Untill you are a low handicap and are able to work the ball, expensive equipment will not help you. Sure forgiveness, more distance, straighter, etc, but in the long run it will hurt your game because(and I think this is a point the OP was trying to make) It covers up your flaws, whereas older non forgiving clubs(Spalding blades, persimmon woods) bring all yours flaws out in front of you. With those sort of clubs, you learn the proper swing plane, to strike the ball properly, etc.

What do you consider a low handicap?

I gotta ask this though. If a player is a 3 handicap with clubs that "hurt his game in the long run because it covers up his flaws", why would he ever need to worry about what he would do with a set of Spalding blades? I am sure some of the really good ball strikers on here could go out and hit a decent round with the older clubs, but why? Technology has came a long way, why not use it? Most of us on here all play the game for fun, and everyone knows they have more fun when they are shooting well, regardless of the clubs.

[Dent]

I fully agree, I thought i knew so much about golf, Now im blown away by all these high handicappers/beginners knowing so much more than I do, Even in the swing tips forum.

[nykfan4life]

What do you consider a low handicap?

I think the 3 handicap's swing will deteriorate with super forgiving clubs. You should use the least forgiving clubs you can, to keep your swing sharp.

[x-forged]

I think equipment will only help to a certain extent. I think the better you get, the more equipment matters(only a little more) because you will have a consistent swing and will better know what shafts, balls, heads, etc., that suit you. Yeah TJK, some do go overboard, i cant say im innocent of that

[iacas]

I don't think it's anything new or specific to golfers. By "new" I mean within the past 20 years or so, or 10... before that, TV, radio, and publications didn't exist, and before 10 years ago the Internet didn't exist, so those are to blame for the past 20 (or 10) years. Information - and marketing - surrounds us more now than ever before.

It's not specific to golfers. One of my other hobbies is photography, and gosh darn it if photographers don't constantly obsess over and talk about their equipment.

[joseywales]

Here's my deal. It gets cold in the winter time and I get really bored so I find myself buying and selling and trying out new clubs on ebay. It is so easy to do that it sort of turns into an addiction. I mostly only do it with wedges and putters though. If I read something in a golf magazine about something alot of tour players are using, I will usually pay attention and maybe try it. I have no idea the innerworkings of launch angles and all that but if it looks and feels good on the range, I will probably go with it. I think the golf industry has gone crazy with stuff like the interchangeable shafts the player can do himself and things like that but ultimately, it is up to each player to decide when enough is enough. (Especially when it comes to how much money that player is willing to keep spending on equipment). For me, a series of lessons at the beginning of each year goes a lot further than throwing down a bunch of money on the newest equipment every time it comes out. In the end, it's the indian, not the arrows.

[chingali]

For me, a series of lessons at the beginning of each year goes a lot further than throwing down a bunch of money on the newest equipment every time it comes out.

I agree 1000% with this. Of course you should be playing equipment that is made to fit you, but once you have a suitable set of bats, lessons and practice are the way forward not more new equipment.

Instead of spending $400+ on a new driver or $700+ on new irons each year, spend that same amount of money on lessons over the course of a year and practice what your teaching pro tells you to work on diligently. Don't forget, what you are learning will feel uncomfortable at first, it will feel wrong, you will question it's validity but stick with it. In most cases when your teaching pro is getting you to work on something different you will get worse before you get better. Spend as much time as you can spare chipping, pitching and putting (more time than you spend hitting balls) and you WILL improve, there is no question of it. It's also a great idea to get some lessons on the short game, oftentimes what you think you are doing is well removed from the reality of it. Twenty years ago I played off scratch, I practiced a lot more than I do now. I used what you guys (and gals) would refer to as ancient equipment but I was a much better player than I am today (off 3). By all means buy whatever you can afford if it makes you feel better, just don't expect to it to make you a better golfer.