Equipment Obsession

[ipdude]

I pride myself on having the best and latest equipment. I know all the numbers for my shaft stiffness, etc. I was St. Andrews this summer and played one of the old members on the New Course. He was 60+ yrs. old and had an old beat up bag that came from the Salvation Army. He claimed that the 5 irons and two woods that he carried in his bag had all been found over the years while playing and giving tours of the Old Course. He shot even par and kicked my butt. He also claimed he had never purchased any golf equipment or new golf balls in his life. He didn't know a hybrid iron from a hole in the ground. Any Equipment Junkies out there like me ever had this happen to them?

[rembrandt]

I pride myself on having the best and latest equipment. I know all the numbers for my shaft stiffness, etc. I was St. Andrews this summer and played one of the old members on the New Course. He was 60+ yrs. old and had an old beat up bag that came from the Salvation Army. He claimed that the 5 irons and two woods that he carried in his bag had all been found over the years while playing and giving tours of the Old Course. He shot even par and kicked my butt. He also claimed he had never purchased any golf equipment or new golf balls in his life. He didn't know a hybrid iron from a hole in the ground.

No, not lately anyway but there are many older guys out there that can do just that....kick butt!

[iacas]

I pride myself on having the best and latest equipment. I know all the numbers for my shaft stiffness, etc. I was St. Andrews this summer and played one of the old members on the New Course. He was 60+ yrs. old and had an old beat up bag that came from the Salvation Army. He claimed that the 5 irons and two woods that he carried in his bag had all been found over the years while playing and giving tours of the Old Course. He shot even par and kicked my butt. He also claimed he had never purchased any golf equipment or new golf balls in his life. He didn't know a hybrid iron from a hole in the ground.

"They" always say never take a bet with someone carrying a 20-year-old set of blades.

[ipdude]

I learned my lesson. Now I am considering becoming one of them. A lot cheaper than investing in every new club that hits the market.

[rembrandt]

I learned my lesson. Now I am considering becoming one of them. A lot cheaper than investing in every new club that hits the market.

Sometimes you can improve your game with technology but if you play well with certain clubs......stick with them and you won't go wrong and you will put some change in your pocket.

[Lefty2380]

im a hugeeee equipment junkie...my dad and i have a workshop in our back shed and we spend a lot of time together making custom clubs and whatnot, just to mess around with different combonations...its a large workshop and i wont tell the secret as to how we get our stuff (no, we dont pull a heist on golfsmith) but Im beginning to hit a lot of what we make in my spare time...Its a worthwile hobby to me...for now i hit market clus though...

[ipdude]

My Favorite Equipment Junkie story:

For three summers, I was in charge of the Nike Junior Golf Camp on the Big Island of Hawaii. We would take the campers down to the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Golf Course to get lessons from Ron Castillo the head pro at the time. One day, a 16 yr. old camper was watching Ron hit his Ping driver over the 275 sign at the end of the driving range. The kid told Ron that the reason Ron could hit it so far was because he was using the Ping driver. The kid dared Ron to hit the ball as far with the kid's 5 yr. old Taylor Made. Ron took the kid's driver, teed up a ball, got down on his knees, and hit the ball over the 275 yd sign. He handed the club back to the kid and said, "It's not the driver, it's the person that is swinging it." Or as the motto goes, "It's not the meat, it's the motion."

[warbirdlover]

I think we all agree that a fundamentally sound golf swing is the most important part of this game and that the equipment is just the tool.

That said, I get extreme enjoyment out of "playing" with new equipment or trying a new shaft in my driver etc. Doesn't hurt anything and it's fun. And since I quit smoking I have some money to spend on golf. Might be something as simple as trying a new ball. Just makes it "new". Isn't that really why we buy new irons or drivers etc? Not necessarily looking for magic but maybe something that "feels" better.

Probably if we all took this money and spent it on lessons we'd be the better for it but oh well. (I stuck a couple lessons in there this summer).

[ipdude]

My 'equipment obsession' is becoming more of an obsession with the mental game tools. I like the tricks for emptying your head to enable one to enter the zone. Most golfers who are into new clubs, etc., think this is the easy part. I got a real noisy brain. New equipment is have less and less influence on my ability to improve but a new way to get mentally ready for a shot is starting to do wonders for my game.

[prutkows]

I pride myself on having the best and latest equipment. I know all the numbers for my shaft stiffness, etc. I was St. Andrews this summer and played one of the old members on the New Course. He was 60+ yrs. old and had an old beat up bag that came from the Salvation Army. He claimed that the 5 irons and two woods that he carried in his bag had all been found over the years while playing and giving tours of the Old Course. He shot even par and kicked my butt. He also claimed he had never purchased any golf equipment or new golf balls in his life. He didn't know a hybrid iron from a hole in the ground.

clubs dont mean as much as you think. i outdrive all of my friends with my old 975jvs. they've all been playing longer and they always have the newest equipment. people make shots, clubs dont. the player makes the bag, not the other way around.

[ipdude]

The longer I play this game, the more I am inclined to agree with you.

[iacas]

The longer I play this game, the more I am inclined to agree with you.

Back to topic guys.

I don't have an equipment obsession, and I sometimes wish we didn't have to review quite as many things as we do in a given year. It's difficult to get in a rhythm when two or three of the clubs in your bag at any given moment are relatively new to you. But at the same time, it's kind of fun - trying new clubs from a variety of situations, that sort of thing. It just doesn't always have the best impact on scoring...

[Konrad]

I agree that having new equipment can help you with your shots, but 99% of the time, it's the archer not the arrow.

[ragontona]

Right now I'm obsessed with Cameron putters. I've recently purchased two beaters that I'm getting restored, and I'm seriously looking at a new Studio Style to use as a gamer.

Damn putters are eating into my greens fees budget.

[ipdude]

I love new putters! What is it about them that does wonders for your putting for at least 9 holes or until you push your first 3 footer? My latest purchase is one of those new fangled space age beasts that Michelle Wie is using. Why I would buy one of those is beyond me. A definite moment of weakness. Got it for $40 from MaxiGrip for being a member of the PGA Partners Club. I'll tell you how it works after it arrives.

PS. You got that close to Jessica Alba? Next time you see her, tell her I will treat to a free round of golf in Hawaii.

[thehillgolfer]

I don't have an equipment obsession, and I sometimes wish we didn't have to review quite as many things as we do in a given year. It's difficult to get in a rhythm when two or three of the clubs in your bag at any given moment are relatively new to you.

dont even try to get anyone's sympathy... having people give you clubs to try out...what a shame, and if the workload gets to hard just send some to me and i'll be glad to test them and write you some reviews

[prutkows]

dont even try to get anyone's sympathy... having people give you clubs to try out...what a shame, and if the workload gets to hard just send some to me and i'll be glad to test them and write you some reviews

yeah really, ive never been more jealous of someone that i dont even know :] i wish i could get free clubs to try out.

[ipdude]

You got to admit, this is the slickest golf forum online. This guy has taken great pains to add all sorts of bells and whistles to this site. He deserves those free clubs for all the time he has invested into making this a great place to share ideas. Erik, you are awesome!!!