Did Buying New Clubs Lower Your Handicap?

[jcjim]

Can anyone honestly say that by buying a club/clubs that their handicap went down.. If so how long did it take to lower it.

What did the new club/clubs do that your old ones didn't.

[Moppy]

I am thinking of heading down to the PGA Superstore to get a set of clubs fitted, now that I am back in Florida, however; I keep thinking that an adjustable driver, or new set of clubs, or whatever, is the answer, but I keep getting value for money in terms of improving my results from lessons.

The pro did tell me to clean my club faces though, if I wanted the ball to check on the green. So maybe I will try to work on keeping them clean rather than buying new clubs with new grooves.

[imsys0042]

There's not a specific club/clubs that I bought and the club itself did something, but there are 2 significant things that helped me lower my handicap.

1 -  i replaced my GI clubs with blades so that I would be more penalized for mis-hits and get better feedback.   I used that to determine fixes in my setup and I now have a very good understanding of what I did wrong when I mishit a shot.

2 -  I lofted up my driver because I would launch low and not get good carry distance.   For that, I did purchase an adjustable driver which would be a new club although I don't feel the specific club/brand mattered as much as the higher loft.

I would say the higher loft helped put me in better positions and it took several shots off some rounds where a mishit would be out of play or put me in such a bad place I couldn't get to the green.   That change was fairly quick. The irons have taken me about a year to really get a feel for and see my handicap go down significantly.

[JazzFatCat]

I bought some new irons this year after using the same irons for the last 10 years. The clubs didn't make much of a difference but they inspired me to start taking lessons again and I became more interested in golf than I have for the last couple of years. Lessons and practicing my short game made a difference to my score.

[colin007]

1 -  i replaced my GI clubs with blades so that I would be more penalized for mis-hits and get better feedback.   I used that to determine fixes in my setup and I now have a very good understanding of what I did wrong when I mishit a shot.

full disclosure, i play Mizuno MP58s.

i think you would score better if you hit GIs.

anyways, my EDEL putter.  FtMFW.

[kpaulhus]

Yes. When I was fit for the proper set of irons and practiced a lot I went from a 13 handicap to an 8. But I dont think the irons were the sole reason for my improvement.

[Dave2512]

I can but the switch was drastic. I was using ancient TA 845's before switching to Cleveland 588TT's in 2013. I went from a 12 hc to a 9 hc in a few updates and down to low 7's by the end of that season. Even as one of the premium GI clubs of the past the 845s were extremely unforgiving compared to modern clubs. Even though it was just a few points the quality of my iron shots was noticeably better. My problem is erratic driving.

[DeadMan]

Yes. I had a starter set of Wilson's when I first got into golf. The irons were fine, but the woods and driver were awful. When I got a ping G20 3 wood, I instantly got a lot better at golf. Then, when I got a Taylormade R1 driver, I also got a lot better at golf.

With my current equipment and level of play, I don't think new equipment would make a difference in my handicap.

[Grumpter]

What did the new club/clubs do that your old ones didn't.

About 20 yards more distance with the new clubs (1" longer and less loft) and a lot less hits off the toe that used to cause big duck hooks. The impact was pretty quick and my handicap dropped 3 to 4 strokes per round. The old clubs were a full fitting. The new clubs were off the shelf but just measured for how much extra I could comfortably add to the club length. At the standard length I was still hitting many off the toe. With the extra inch I started hitting the center of the club more often.

[inthehole]

I changed categories ... went from super game improvement (SGI) to game improvement (GI).    My hcp is much lower now - noticeably lower ball flight off the irons.   I took the old SGI clubs on a business trip last year & played a couple rounds ... amazed how high I hit those compared to my Mizzy's (the old ones were actually a bit longer - I unexpectedly flew several greens).

I've completely plateau'd as of late ... in my case, if I want to get better, it'll require adding more dedicated practice (instead of just playing so much), not the equipment.

[David in FL]

Putting hybrids in the bag 8-10 years ago probably gained me at least a stroke. Other than that, I'd say that improved technology has resulted in my not losing strokes as I get older, rather than actually gaining strokes.

[Sante TwoGloves]

i put my set together this year adding to my bag for the first time a hybrid, a big headed driver, and graphite shafts in my irons.. they all have made a huge difference.

[Patch]

Yeah,  my hdcp went down after purchasing a set of fitted clubs from my swing instructor at the time who was also a clubmaker/fitter. It was the best of both worlds, and within about 4 weeks I went from a 12 to an 8. Later on I managed to get down to a 6 hndcr. Of course during this time I was playing, and/or practicing 4-5 days a week. Sometimes more. I was consumed by the game.

A few years later, due to wear and tear, I bought a new set of clubs, using the same specs as my old set. Took a while to get use to the new brand of clubs, but still made it back to a 6. My previous instructor had passed away, and is why I was not able to have him build me another set. I have updated with the same brand ever since, with no problem. Only change iIhave made was to get rid of my 3 & 4 irons, and replace them with a 7W. With the extra slot, I added a LW.

All those low scores were quite a while back, and I don't play as much as I did back then, but I am still using pretty much the same specs now as then.

[Shorty]

Anyone who changes clubs (with the exception of going from totally unsuitable shafts or heads) thinking it will lower their handicap is deluded.

I have changed clubs a lot in the past and enjoy doing so, but improvement comes from swing improvement and course management improvement. Equipment is one of the least significant factors in the progression of a golfer.

But that shouldn't stop someone from buying new stuff if they want it.

I'm not talking about the obvious things like using hybrids, but thinking that buying a new driver will improve your scores. It won't unless you correct swing issues.

[RFKFREAK]

Anyone who changes clubs (with the exception of going from totally unsuitable shafts or heads) thinking it will lower their handicap is deluded.

I have changed clubs a lot in the past and enjoy doing so, but improvement comes from swing improvement and course management improvement. Equipment is one of the least significant factors in the progression of a golfer.

But that shouldn't stop someone from buying new stuff if they want it.

So, you're saying going from the box set I bought for $200 almost 10 years ago to a fitted set of GI clubs might make a difference for me?

[GolfLug]

I switched from a lighter TT (90 gms) shaft to a heavier shaft (120 gms) in my irons (HUGE) and dropped a good 6 shots in about a year. I think suited my tempo better. But swing improvement just as much a reason.

On the other hand, got fitted with a driver couple of months ago but not as significant change in design/weight just lofted up by 1 degree and 10 grams lighter. Little bit longer but still as erratic with it.

So yes, can make a difference but the change has to be drastic to really make a difference IMHO.

[billchao]

Poll added.

[tefunk]

About 3-4 years ago, I added/replaced a couple wedges that sure'd up that gaps in my short game. I do believe that knocked a couple strokes off my game. I was fit for a new driver a few months back, and my handicap has dropped 2 strokes in the past few months. I am more consistent off the tee since getting the new driver. So I think having "appropriate" clubs can help reduce the score/handicap. However, I do agree that improving the swing itself is a much larger piece of the puzzle