How much do you think equipment helps your game out?

[azgreg]

My father-in-law likes to say "It's not the arrow, it's the indian".

[lamebums]

Absolutely, equipment is a life-saver. If I ever want to humble my ballstriking ability I'll just attempt a shot with my buddy's MacGregor forged 1 iron, from the 1960's. It helps out the people who are in between weekend hacker and tour pro, I think.

Tour pros - I've always said that Tiger Woods could go out there with persimmon clubs and a featherie - and still shoot par.

Weekend hackers - There's no hope for them. They'll still hit 200 yard fades, dribble it, shank it, whatever. Unless you invented a ball that magically fixed every conceivable mishit, these guys would never break 150 (100 on the scorecard).

I think it benefits the most people who are in between those extremes - basically, with some skill, but not as much as tour pro - but at least can make decent contact with the ball on a regular basis. (That was a bad description...but I hope you get the idea...)

[Terrier]

How much does equipment help my game? Dunno. I'm a lefty.

I only had blades as an option growing up...when taking the game up. You righties and your equipment options? Discussing all your iron options? *cough*

Short answer? Equipment's come a long way...

[Terrier]

I believe that if I had the same equipment options and engineers that ya'll do, I'd be the next Bubba Watson.



JK

[TourSpoon]

The big improvement is in the area of game improvement clubs. It seems that most people's misses are just better misses. The other area is length. There is no doubt that everyone is driving it farther with better shafts, titanium etc. I am hitting it just as far as I did in my twenties.

The real question should be is the new technology making us better golfers? I say with length yes. Most people are better with a 9 iron approach than they are with a 6 iron. But for the most part you still have mishits and fat shots and the like. These swings are probably worse than the ones made 30 years ago because today's modern golfer can get away with more with a suspect swing.

Back in the day, I would grab a muscleback 7 iron and practice with the club. Those clubs have a dime sized sweet spot. You learned how to hit the ball and you learned what feedback was all about. When I would play with my 845s (still have them) it would make me feel like I couldn't miss. Today, you have people learning with clubs that have the sweetspot the size of a silver dollar. If you want to see game improvement, start practicing with an antique. You will be amazed with the results if you stick to it. Now that would be real game improvement.

[fastfed]

The big improvement is in the area of game improvement clubs. It seems that most people's misses are just better misses. The other area is length. There is no doubt that everyone is driving it farther with better shafts, titanium etc. I am hitting it just as far as I did in my twenties.

See, I still don't buy it.. The average drive of the 60's pro is still about what the average drive of todays pro is. Don't spin that either, that's just the truth.. I hit my old POS driver just as far as my hybrid..

[iacas]

See, I still don't buy it..

No, it's not the truth.

The median driver today (#97 out of 193) is Tom Johnson at 288.8. The longest driver in 1980 was Dan Pohl at 274.3. The median was (#86 out of 175) Mike Peck at 257.0. I'll argue against the "anti-technology" people all day and night, but I won't make up facts to do so.

[Augusta Hacker]

My father-in-law likes to say "It's not the arrow, it's the indian".

You can have the long bow.....I will take a fully equipped crossbow anyday...

[fastfed]

No, it's not the truth.

Jack in the 1970's had an average drive of 282 yards..

[iacas]

Jack in the 1970's had an average drive of 282 yards..

And Tiger Woods drives it 300 today. You're wrong.

[hwrd]

I chose to go the other direction to help my game out.

When I started playing, I was using cavity-backed game improvement irons, and I definitely wasn't very good. I would slice, hook, shank all over the course. It seemed no matter how much I practiced, I wasn't getting any better.

So I did exactly what everyone told me not to do--I bought Titleist 690 MB irons. Immediately my game improved tremendously. The new, harder to hit irons forced me to break down my swing and fix the fundamental flaws that my old irons were trying to make up for. The improved iron play translated into my driver as well. My monstrous hooks and slices were gone and I am now to the point where I can control my shot shape.

After spending a few dedicated weeks practicing on the range to completely overhaul my old swing, I went out and played to see how my game had changed. I was previously shooting about 112-114 (Completely honest golf. Counting every drop, every penalty stroke, every OB, etc). My first time out with my new equipment, I shot a 92 and hit every fairway with my driver except one! (Can you tell my short game needs help? Those 4-putts and skulled chips really kill you. That's next up on the practice todo-list.)

I don't have an issue with technology providing a boost to your game (i.e. a driver that has a higher COR, so you can hit the ball further), but I do have a problem with technology that compensates for your bad swing (game improvement irons).

I want my game to be about my skill and not my equipment.

[ripsid]

This is tough, because I know for a fact that once I went from the old Cobra OS's to the R7XD's I gained 10-15 yards, but I also know that I worked on my game more as well.

I had the BB II415 for the last 4 years, I "upgraded" (that's a joke) to the R7 Superquad and I lost distance, mostly due to the back spin that I generated with this club. I went from driving the ball upto 300 with the BB to hitting it maybe 265 with R7. So I traded it in and got a Titleist 905T, which I've been hitting really well when I hit it on the screws..ie: monday I played a links course, I only hit it 4x and I hit 2 on the screws 1 was 310ish and the I hit really well but the head wind killed me. That's a case of new technology IMO not as good as older technology.

I did just get an older set of forged Hogans that once I regrip I hope to get them on the range and see what happens.

SiD

[play4him]

There's no doubt that technology has made the game easier as far as clubs and balls. The combination helps people hit it farther and straighter, sometimes :). One of the main areas I see it helping the pros is the ability to stop the ball out of the rough. It's negated the penalty of hitting the rough, unless their playing the U.S. Open.

I guess what I was thinking, as far as equipment helping someones game, is that it's not going to help a person shooting in the 90's to all of a sudden start shooting in the 70's. That person has to work on their game. There are no miracle clubs. It seems to me that the oversize clubs can make a lot of people lazy, because they don't have to hit the sweet spot everytime.

But there will always be people who will reach for the next great thing.

[NM Golf]

Jack in the 1970's had an average drive of 282 yards..

Where did you get that stat? It sounds fishy to me since the longest of long hitters were substancially below that in the early 80's.

But riddle me this statman, lets take a longer hitter like Jim Thorpe. In 1980, he averaged 268 yards off the tee. He was 31 years old, in his prime most would say. Fast forward to 2007. 27 years have passed. Jim has been hampered by nagging injuries and at the age of 58 is definately getting to the end of his competitive career as a professional golfer. Yet miraculously he now is averaging 278 yards off the tee! Wow, how could that be? A 10 yard improvement in driving distance! Could it be the equipment? Or are you going to argue that a man in his late 50's has improved his swing so dramatically that despite lessened flexibility and muscle tone he is able to hit the ball farther than he could as a young man? As iacas has so poignantly pointed out your arguement is ridiculous, non fact based, and it absolutely holds no water.