Friends don't let friends use their clubs

[MellowYellow]

Are these clubs really that fragile? I DID break a 3iron hybrid before, it was odd though I didnt smack it that hard but I think in the right spot, I kind of smacked the top of my bag with it in the middle of the shaft and it snapped, but all the drivers ive seen so far have taken some serious abuse and havent broke yet.

I'm 6'5" and have a really wide follow through, i dont think i bend my arms fast enough, so I hit a drive one time and came back and DRILLED the metal seperating beams in the driving range full speed and it didnt snap, it did put a nice ding in the club head but nothing that actually affected the club other than people can see me pull out my driver and realize Im a hack.

Then yesterday my friend was just REALLY shanking it, he was slicing and was trying to literally HOP to the left just before impact to counteract this. He was so mad I couldnt tell him what he was doing at the time, and after hitting about 10 bad drives in a row off a hole, he SLAMMED his driver down SUPER hard and it wasn't broke.

[sandtrap]

I usually offer guys my clubs to try. If they love it I'll sell it. The guy was right in one of the earlier posts. How can you love something so much that will be out of your bag in 6 months anyway?

This did back fire on me one time. This hack from my company shows up with Patty Burgs and a Jim Thome stance. I give him my TM quad (or whatever they where called when they first came out) I pull it out on the next hole and there is a dimple on top.
Ofcourse he did it but doesn't know enough about golf to even know he did it.

No good deed goes unpunished. That's 5 drivers ago and now it's in my brother in laws bag and he doesn't even notice it.

[Cody]

A friend of mine let me hit his irons the day i first picked up a golf club. Most people I don't mind since i don't have the nicest clubs yet. However, once i buy my new set i will be very touchy but still let people hit it if im confident they won't break it, or can pay for it.

Sure friends are friends and more important than golf clubs, but if my friend breaks an expensive club he has to pay you back, and i dont want them to break it and have to pay for it ill feel like a dick.

[davechen]

I guess it's true what the world says about Americans... our "stuff" is more important to us than the people around us.

I'm with you. I don't get too attached to "stuff". If someone broke a club of mine, it'd just be a good excuse to upgrade. I tend to buy tech toys (HD TVs, stereo stuff, computer stuff), which gets obsolete really quickly. So I'm used to replacing things. Sure it'd be nice if the club-breaker offered to replace it, but I wouldn't be mad for life if they didn't.

[Dent]

I tell all my amateur golfing friends before they use my club, You break it you buy it.(My Disclaimer) And when they say "Okay" thats them signing the invisible waiver in permanent ink stating if they break it they pay for it.

Its an immaginary contract.

[Cody]

I tell all my amateur golfing friends before they use my club, You break it you buy it.(My Disclaimer) And when they say "Okay" thats them signing the invisible waiver in permanent ink stating if they break it they pay for it.

That could be considered a verbal contract.

[Lange]

Ok just got new irons a couple weeks ago, and just this week got the new Nike driver, and not more than 8 hours later a friend of mine walking with her 14 year old son says to me" oh now my son can try you driver to see if he likes it!" Like geesh why do I want to take the chance of someone making a ding or even worse on my new 500 dollar investment? Why cant people just go demo a driver if they want to try one. I hate being an ass about it or looking selfish but that's alot of money to risk in my opinion

If i were you i wouldn't, you just dropped $500 on a new club and a 14 year old kid now wants to try it out. First of all a 14 year old doesn't need a club like that anyways. Second it's up to you to offer the kid to try it out if your willing. I say hide your club lol.

[Pat007]

I don't know about the States, but in Canada, a verbal contract is legally binding.

[jaymst]

I think I would decline in a humorous way like telling him...."I would let you try it, but for your own protection I don't think I will because if you scratched it.....I would have to kill you and I'd rather keep you alive & kickin". He should get the point and unless he's really thick won't ask anymore.

[b-squared]

I would only let a friend try one of my clubs if they're a really close friend of mine, and I know that the person can handle a club like that. If he's a beginner, no way would I let him try any of my clubs, he's not near skilled enough for them, which can lead to damages, etc.

[stealthduffer]

Is this a case of letting a friend try a club or a case of a friend wanting her child to try the club? I let friends try my clubs all the time (though few want to try mine) and have friends offer to let me try their clubs. Not a problem - general expectation is that if you break it you buy it. Though since golf clubs are not typically fragile the chances of something happening are generally remote.

Did have one experience where I was paired with a threesome. One was a pretty decent golfer and had good clubs but did have a bit of a temper. He threw his club on one hole and broke the shaft. Needed the same club on the next hole to tee off - no one volunteered to lend him theirs! If you have a habit of throwing clubs then no way do you get to use mine!

[Shockergolf]

Yeah I am a firm believer in not letting someone use my clubs.... One time my friend and I went to a local driving range and next thing I knew the head of the club was about 40 yards out in the mist of all the range balls!! So I did the only thing I knew which was make him run out there and grab it while everyone was still hitting! was actually a pretty funny moment! But yeah never again will someone borrow my clubs!

[chigolf07]

The 2nd day I was using my new Big Bertha irons this year, someone approached me (total stranger) and asked to try, specifically, my 7-iron out. I was like WTF? and then just decided to let him try it. He hit it twice, and happily thanked me.

The other time I let someone borrow my old Cobra driver he broke the shaft from the head and had to replace the shaft for me. It was probably his first or second time golfing and I had no idea why I did it. We're still friends now and everything is fine - laugh about it to this day.

[Hays33d]

They aren't driving your Porsche.

They are hitting a ball with a golf club.

[Stacey_E]

I see you are a 11.2 which is pretty specific. I'm guessing you are on a card so tell them this....you can't share clubs during a round under USGA rules unless the total number of clubs in the bag between the two of you are 14 or less and you are partners. You wouldn't want to waste you greens fees carding a DQ. And if they don't take that for an excuse/hint, tell them to FO and earn their own money. I'm sure you worked hard for that $500, they could do the same. I let my best friends hit my clubs on the range, but on the course, even they have to "run what they brung".

[Garthmo]

ALot of good comments, But the one that says that they dont mind letting friends use their clubs and if they break it it is a good excuse to upgrade? WOW must be nice to have the disposable cash to just go buy new stuff all "willy nilly" like that. I think it is hard to trust people that arent good friends I guess. I dont have any real good friends that I golf with and mostly golf with whoever they put me with. But I think what got me is the comment is that she didnt even ask me if it was alright if maybe her son tried out my driver some time, but just turned to him after i told them I just got one, and said oh now you can try it! LIke geesh I havent even played a round with it yet! Anyways Very tuff decision I think cause it could turn into a dispute if something happens and they dont think it was their fault. Maybe after a few rounds and i "break it in" maybe I wont be so anal about it but like a new vehicle or anything I think I can be pretty protective of it for the first while then after that, it should be all good.

[HazardMagnet]

I work with my golf partner. About half way through last year he bought himself a new putter. He took it to the practice green and came in the next day saying how much he liked it. He then played a round and was equally impressed. Then we went out. I drove, got to the course and alas his putter is in his living room. So he had to use mine that day. I had listened to him brag about this putter for two weeks prior to that date. Now each time before we leave: "got your putter?" But just to pour salt on the wound, now before we go to meetings or out to meet customers I'll ask him occasionally "got your putter?"

[LilGasPasser]

Garthmo: I miss the Jasper Brewing Company...good stuff!

Oh yeah, don't touch my clubs.