If you hit well, does it matter what clubs you use?

[Alex1]

I've noticed that when you hit the ball well, it doesn't seem to matter what brand club you use. Ping & Wal-Mart clubs seem to hit the same when you hit the sweet spot. If this is the case, why do people spend money on expensive clubs?

[The Golfing Polack]

While at face value it may seem that the performance is the same there is a huge difference in quality and durability. If taken care of properly a name brand set of irons should last at least 5-7 years with consistent use. The name brand clubs are also much more likely to use quality shafts which can make a huge difference in shot consistency and swing feel. If it's all you can afford big box clubs are a good option but can't provide the feel and lifelong performance of a high quality club.

[Alex1]

I realize expensive clubs are better quality, but I'm not sure it matters. A cheap Chinese hammer hits just as well as a Swiss-made one. My experience so far is that all clubs feel and hit the same when you hit the ball dead on.

I'm a beginner though, and hope for feedback from low-handicappers.

[Zeph]

Don't agree with you there. A cheap hammer does not hit anywhere as well as a good hammer, nor does it fell the same. The shafts does probably play a bigger role than the clubhead itself, but finding the right club for you can actually make a difference. This is probably something you'll be feeling more when you start to get better. At a high handicap you don't feel the differences in the same way as someone better. That's why I don't recommend buying very expensive clubs early on, your swing may change so much that those clubs don't feel good after some time. The better you get, the better you feel the difference in clubs. Even when you hit the sweet spot you notice differences. What is probably more important than brands is the type of clubhead and shaft. Cavity back, blade, cut muscle, cavity, regular flex, stiff, X-stiff. Those are the things that matter. Which brand you end up with is in many cases as toss-up, I think everyone can get used to any brand as long as it's got the right specs for you.

Golf is also a 90% psychological and 10% tecnique game, knowing you got clubs that suit you and that look good can make a big difference, just in your head.

[Bo the Golfer]

While at face value it may seem that the performance is the same there is a huge difference in quality and durability. If taken care of properly a name brand set of irons should last at least 5-7 years with consistent use. The name brand clubs are also much more likely to use quality shafts which can make a huge difference in shot consistency and swing feel. If it's all you can afford big box clubs are a good option but can't provide the feel and lifelong performance of a high quality club.

I think you got your answer from TGP above. I first started out with a set that was $99 driver-wedge and they lasted exactly a season and a half. The Nicklaus irons I know play are four years old and still going strong. I have always been a firm believer that some of the prices for clubs are outrageous (especially game improvement clubs for beginners) but at times you get what you pay for!

[HiMyNameIsMichelle]

I'd have to diagree with you too Alex. I definitely felt the difference when swingin' with the big name, more expensive clubs compared to my first low price set. I tried a few name brands out for awhile before actually puting the money down and noticed and felt a difference that was important enough to me.

[shredfit]

I realize expensive clubs are better quality, but I'm not sure it matters. A cheap Chinese hammer hits just as well as a Swiss-made one. My experience so far is that all clubs feel and hit the same when you hit the ball dead on.

OK, I'll bite. As you point out the reason is quality. Here is an example: A cheap Wal-Mart box set with cheap shafts could have(I've seen this) different shaft kick points throughout the set(ie they are not consistent due to cutting costs). So, a well struck 5 iron can/could have the same trajectory and distance as a well struck 7 iron in the same cheap set. To a better player this is unacceptable. Another point to consider is customer service. Example: A friend of mine had the Driver head come of his Callaway FT-3 driver, 6 months after he bought it. He called and e-mailed Callaway pics, and Callaway sent him a new one in less than a week. Wonder what Wal-Mart would do after 6 months??? Being your a 36 handicap, it may be that you don't or cannot feel the difference... However, if you try a nice set of quality clubs(not Wal-Mart ones) you may see for yourself the difference. Come on, think about it... It's almost like saying to a music lover... Why do you need these fancy Bose speakers(or something even nicer Polk audio/JBL pro?)... when you can just get a $50 boom box at Wal-Mart.

[toogood]

OK, I'll bite.

Excellent comparison. You get what you pay for, simple as that.

[RichF]

I've noticed that when you hit the ball well, it doesn't seem to matter what brand club you use. Ping & Wal-Mart clubs seem to hit the same when you hit the sweet spot. If this is the case, why do people spend money on expensive clubs?

Have you actually hit with an expensive club?

[Alex1]

Have you actually hit with an expensive club?

The best I've used is a Nike slingshot graphite.

[Chief Broom]

I've noticed that when you hit the ball well, it doesn't seem to matter what brand club you use. Ping & Wal-Mart clubs seem to hit the same when you hit the sweet spot.

I don't think equipment matters as much as people like to think it does. Overall I was playing better golf using persimmon headed woods and blades (MacGregor Golden Bear irons), but that was more a function of my overall game back in those days as compared to today. A person can play great golf using cheap or old equipment. But the new equipment does offer golfers improvements to their games that weren't available in the past. An expensive driver will offer someone benefits that they will not get from using a cheap Walmart driver. When I started playing golf again this year I decided to buy new clubs. My old set was 30 years old and I wanted to see what kind of a difference the new technology has made. To be honest my new irons really aren't fundamentally better than my old MacGregors. They might be a touch more forgiving on mishits (heel/toe) and the graphite shafts are less jarring on off center hits (ie with my old clubs a mis hit would often feel like my hand had been shocked, these new ones don't do that), but overall I could have continued to use my old set and I'd be playing just as well. The woods though are where I've seen the biggest difference. Before I dropped big bucks on woods though I bought a 460cc driver from Walmart and vowed to use that until I got my driver swing back in line. I did wait and truthfully I can't say that there is a huge difference between my dirver now and that cheap Walmart special. There is no doubt that my Nike driver is a bit longer off the tee, a bit more forgiving on mishits (that's probably this driver's biggest benefit), and a bit straighter, but I could play good golf right now with that Walmart driver. So why do people pay the extra money? I'm sure ego plays a part in it. Everyone likes to have the latest and greatest stuff. You see this with cars, houses, jewelry, etc. But that isn't the whole story. Good equipment can make the game easier. People like that, especially struggling golfers. Good golfers like the benefits new technology offers because it can make them better. But the sad reality is that if you are swinging across the ball (outside in, inside out) then no club in the world will straighten out your slice/hook.

[Alex1]

don't think equipment matters as much as people like to think it does.

I suspect that in a blind side-by-side test, few could tell the difference between low and high end equipment. And as I earlier pointed out, I think that when you hit the sweetspot, even a crappy club feels great.

[iQuest Golfer]

I suspect that in a blind side-by-side test, few could tell the difference between low and high end equipment. And as I earlier pointed out, I think that when you hit the sweetspot, even a crappy club feels great.

Like you, I don't think the "few" could tell the difference. However, I know that an experienced golfer could; and, the lower you get your handicap, the more you appreciate the improved technology because it does enhance your game. Better quality clubs have better sweet spots, better MOI, better launch angles, yada, yada, yada... just imagine how that feels.

A "crapy club" may feel great but it doesn't have the performance characteristics of the quality club at a higher price point - that's generally why it is cheaper. Knock-off clubs... Hmmmm, I've seen good and bad ones. More bad than good.

[rebby]

the lower you get your handicap, the more you appreciate the improved technology

I would second this notion.

I'd also like to add that equipment can make a difference depending on your body type as well. For example, I could give my sister (5' 6", 130lbs) my old i3 blades (green dot, JZ XS) and it would adversely affect her game. They'd be too heavy, too stiff, too upright, too long, etc, etc. These clubs just don't fit her and regardless of how often or little she played, she'd struggle with them. Assuming a reasonable fit, the quality of your equipment is going to affect your game. If you have a 30+ handicap this might not matter. If you're playing to a +2 however, you're going to notice the difference between the $250 Wal-Mart set and something from , , , etc... both in performance and your scores.

[wachesawgolfer]

I've noticed that when you hit the ball well, it doesn't seem to matter what brand club you use. Ping & Wal-Mart clubs seem to hit the same when you hit the sweet spot. If this is the case, why do people spend money on expensive clubs?

Because they can.

[Alex1]

From what I gather:

• If you're a regular golfer, the benefit of expensive clubs is mostly pyschological.
• If you're a low-handicapper, you can tell the subtle differences.

If this is the case, then most people are using equipment that's far better than their ability. These people would do just as well with cheap clubs.

[Zeph]

No, you're contradicting yourself there. There is something psychological about it, that is one of the reasons they would not do just as well with cheaper clubs. Ever heard of the term "placebo" before? I think it plays a greater part than we think.

Just changing clubs from time to time can lift your game. Especially the putter, some people like to have a couple of putters ready. If they don't feel it with one, they change for some time. It's also got something to do with what you see when you look down. A shabby looking, cheap club, or a fancy, more expensive one.

There are also the angles and other mechanical aspects to consider. A good golf club and set of clubs is reliable, more reliable than a cheap set. You cannot rely 100% on the club of course, but it helps to know.

[firstcut]

I am a high HCP player and am happy when I break 100, extatic when I break 95. I play with Adams A3 OS. I bought them after playing Adams A2 OS for the past few years. I hit the A3 OS better than the A2s.

So, if I can feel the difference between the same manufacturers set of clubs from year to year, I'd bet that I would feel the difference between a "set" of cheap clubs vs my Adams as well. I don't think it's psychological, I can feel the difference in the clubs.

I'd also say this. I'd bet a good player would play better with a crappy set of clubs than I would. The better swing should hit the sweet spot more often than me. But, we would both notice off shots. They just might not affect him as much because mine would tend to be "more off".