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

[yeis20]

To answer your original question:

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

Answer: No, if you dont plan on playing often or getting seriously into the game. You should probably just go to the range and throw some range balls in your bag for when you actually do go out to play.

Answer: yes, if you plan on getting serious and here is why

If you hit well, you probably have a very nice natural swing and dont look like a retard swinging a golf club. This means you have the opportunity for a dramatic improvement in a short time if committed to getting better. You will develope a real feel for hits off the club face that you will not notice at the start, but will as you play more often. you will also notice consistency in distance, performance and require durability.

Shafts are tuned to swing speeds and launch angles tied to your swing. This are very important to a golfer serious on game improvement. Club heads are designed for major forgiveness for those off center hits, even though you will strike it pure 4/10 times. Golf balls have charateristics that impact your consistency as well.

Oh, btw... I was that guy with the beautiful swing as a beginner that could hit any club and still feel like I was good. There is a VERY noticable difference in club performance once you start playing more often and care about improving your game.

Come back to us in 6 months after playing 2-3 times a week with those walmart specials after you have developed your game. Now go play with a set for about a month that is tuned to your game and let us know the dramitc impact this has had on your scoring.

There is a HUGE difference on the impact to your game and scoring capabilites from a walmart cheapo set to a high quality set manufactued within the last few years.

[Chief Broom]

There is a HUGE difference on the impact to your game and scoring capabilites from a walmart cheapo set to a high quality set manufactued within the last few years.

Well that is what the makers of all that high priced equipment want you to believe. That all that stuff makes a huge difference for anyone's game. But to be honest with you I don't totally buy it. Yes good equipment is better, but great golf can be played with less than perfect stuff. Good golfers have been hitting persimmon headed woods 300yds for at least 100 years. Could those same guys have hit it farther with today's equipment and today's ball. Of course, but don't discount what someone can do with lesser stuff.

Golf is a funny sport. You've got snobbery on both sides of the equation. You've got guys who look down on people who use inferior or old equipment and you've got guys who look down on people who use expensive equipment but who aren't scratch golfers!

[shredfit]

Well that is what the makers of all that high priced equipment want you to believe. That all that stuff makes a huge difference for anyone's game. But to be honest with you I don't totally buy it. Yes good equipment is better, but great golf can be played with less than perfect stuff. Good golfers have been hitting persimmon headed woods 300yds for at least 100 years. Could those same guys have hit it farther with today's equipment and today's ball. Of course, but don't discount what someone can do with lesser stuff.

One MUST remember that "quality" persimmon woods were just that... quality. With respect to new gear and inflation a "quality" persimmon wood would cost what a quality driver/wood would cost today, and would hardly be considered inferior equipment.

It would be the same as comparing a persimmon wood(back in the day) to a cheap laminated(plywood) wood... yup, they made them! So, it's just not a fair comparison. Would quality clubs make a huge difference in a high handicapers game?... Probably not. Would it hurt his game?... No way. Would quality clubs take away potentially detrimental variables to a high handicappers game?... Certainly.

[iacas]

I'm not buying it. Golf is hard enough with plenty of different variables per given shot(wind, lie, slope angle, distance, ect ect). Why would anyone, even a beginner, want to add another variable? (ie Inferior equipment)

To back that up, I've known "committed" types of people who gave the game up several times after trying to play it with crappy equipment, then instantly latched on when given better equipment.

I bought my wife good equipment when she expressed interest. Golf is frustrating enough without having to deal with crappy, inferior equipment.

[Alex1]

I wonder if the difference in opinions is correlated to age. Many older players didn't grow up with material affluence we have today and used whatever they could get their hands on. I think I recall reading that Ben Hogan had to use left-handed clubs when he was young b/c that's all he could get cheap. Pele, soccer champion, had to use a sock stuffed with leaves as a soccer ball.

There are lots of stories like this, and many older guys just might not be impressed by expensive gear.

[Pat007]

The simple answer is yes there is a difference. Let me repost why:

Hey! I drive a Ford Focus!

[no3putts08]

No, whatever feels best to you.

[shredfit]

I wonder if the difference in opinions is correlated to age. Many older players didn't grow up with material affluence we have today and used whatever they could get their hands on. I think I recall reading that Ben Hogan had to use left-handed clubs when he was young b/c that's all he could get cheap. Pele, soccer champion, had to use a sock stuffed with leaves as a soccer ball.

Actually, the older guys I mostly see... are fairly serious about the game and play almost every day(they are retired). Their bags are typically packed with the new high quality stuff(ie my driver is 3 years old... they have much newer and more $$$ stuff).

I would put my $$$ on people that take the game more seriously would have different opinions on the expensive gear. This is where you'll find your correlation.

[shredfit]

Hey! I drive a Ford Focus!

bet you like the gas mileage!

[Lefty731PM]

My opinion is that better players usually have "good" clubs, but they spenfd less time thinking about and spending money on equipment. What they have works, so they're thinking about golf, not golf equipment.
But.......I like thinking about equipment and spending money on golf gear.

[Smallville]

My opinion is that better players usually have "good" clubs, but they spenfd less time thinking about and spending money on equipment. What they have works, so they're thinking about golf, not golf equipment.

Someone needs to tell my ex brother in law that! Whenever it's time to re-grip his clubs, he buys new clubs! Every couple of years . . . and he's a Callaway man, so they aren't cheap clubs either!

[hamletsdead]

I play with a guy who routinely shoots in the 70s who plays with clubs that are 15 years old, and frankly not very clean; they were pretty good clubs 15 years ago, but not top of the line by any means, and now they are rusty, dinged up, and groove-eroded (esp. wedges). He knows how to hit them, though, and doesn't even take a practice swing -- just walks up and smacks it.

Another guy I played with last month hits his new clubs terribly, but has dead aim with his old (again, 15-16 years old) Ping 2 iron, which he hits off the tee and off the deck and is deadly with.

If you have a great swing, you can probably play with virtually anything, and pull a Tin Cup and beat everyone using only a 7-iron.

[BeaSt]

That doesnt mean that he couldnt be even better with newer clubs.

Think about it... after 15 years, there is going to be a huge gap in the technology of the clubs he is using and the clubs that are sold now. This doesnt mean that he is going ot shoot badly because he is using older clubs. If you are good, you are good. It is as simple as that. However, if you ask any golf pro, EQUIPMENT DOES MATTER. I would be willing to bet that if he would invest in newer clubs he would shoot even lower in the 70s. Golf pro's wouldnt just get new stuff if the new stuff wasnt better than their old stuff. They wouldnt use new things if it wasnt going to make them better. yes it is true that they are payed to use the stuff but i would also bet they, would buy the stuff weather they were sponsered or not.

i mean, think about what computers are going to be like 15 years from now... I have a brand new apple mac book pro laptop. Almost anyone would agree that it is an awsome computer, and is one of the best on the market. But imagine what it would be like 15 years from now.. we would probably laugh when we saw it.

[Blades4me]

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?

LOL, yup thats exactly right. A couple of reasons. Mostly b/c they want to look cool, or they think it will buy them a game. When you start getting into the really good stuff the quality is pretty much the same; it just depends on what feels good to you. Personally, I like Mizuno MP series with PX shafts.

[Waku]

In order of preference to have :

- Good swing with good equipment
- Good swing with bad equipment
- Bad swing with good equipment
- Bad swing with bad equipment

Easy

[zeg]

My personal take is that in golf, as in most endeavors, you need equipment that's "good enough." That is, it probably ought to be a bit "better" than you are, but you don't need to spend the $ to get absolutely top of the line. For a rank beginner, I'd guess low-end clubs from a reputable source would be your best bet.

My logic is this: you don't want to teach yourself bad habits to work around problems with the clubs, and you want the clubs to be able to help you move to the next level. If, as seems to be the standard example here, the 5 and 7 irons out of your cheap set hit the same trajectory when struck properly, you won't learn the difference between the two, and that will hamper your development.

[obsessedgolfer]

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?

Disclaimer: I dont mean to sound like a snob

Most shots by us md to high handicappers are misshits, so Wal-Mart clubs may preform simalir on center hits, but most of the time you so ht off center and with expensive clubs it may not preform as bad.

[shredfit]

My personal take is that in golf, as in most endeavors, you need equipment that's "good enough." That is, it probably ought to be a bit "better" than you are, but you don't need to spend the $ to get absolutely top of the line. For a rank beginner, I'd guess low-end clubs from a reputable source would be your best bet.

Exactly! I would like to point out that I wasn't saying that one would have to go out and buy the very top of the line golf gear(heck, I don't even do that). There are plenty, and I mean plenty, for qualtiy options that are very affordable... maybe just not as affordable as the $99 Wal-Mart(or whatever one calls the cheap set) set but still worth it, never the less.