Clubs and Stats: A Problem?

[The Turlock Kid]

Is it just me or does the plethora of new clubs and their stats make golf more complicated than it really is?

I've noticed a lot of press and threads lately dealing with all of the new advantages to one club or another (i.e. degrees, weighting, forgiveness, flex). I love learning about the new stuff, but I think too many (especially beginning) golfers place too much emphasis on the stats.

I think we tend to get in the habit of relying on degrees, weighting, forgiveness, and flex as the problem with our games; when in reality it's how we're swinging. More importantly, after being a "new technology guru" for a while, I found the more "new and improved" clubs I bought the more I felt like a beginner again. I couldn't get a feel for the new clubs, even after hours on the range and two rounds a week. It took me a few seasons to get the feel for them.

In his classic "Down the Fairway", Bobby Jones advocates high-handicappers and beginners to begin with less clubs in the bag so you learn to think, shot shape, and get familiar with your clubs. I've tried it, and it really trains you to understand what you can do with the club, not what the club can do with your swing.

The point is, I think more attention should be paid to the range and especially the thinking we're forced to do on the course. Don't misconstrue this as a no-new-club rant, but perhaps we should get good with our own clubs and stick with them for a while before dumping another $500-$1,000 on a new club that will fix that persistent high score.

[sungho_kr]

Bobby Jones is the man, ain't he?

[The Turlock Kid]

Bobby Jones is the man, ain't he?

Amen, brother. Amen.

I actually think (I know you Tiger fans out there are going to hate me for this) Bobby Jones was the best ever to play the game. Anyone who has picked up a club from back then knows how hard it must have been to hit the ball over 300 yds as Bob was purported to do. The hardest thing about all of this though is that it is nearly impossible to compare golf through the ages. Besides that, the man had class. Glad to see Tiger following in his footsteps. Hopefully Tiger will get his Grand Slam (not the Tiger Slam ). He deserves it.