Do new golf clubs really make a difference to your golf game?

Golf is an expensive sport, equipment costs are at an all-time high and the justification for changing equipment for some is dependent on what they think they will gain. Here is my thoughts on upgrading your equipment and when it makes sense.

I will break this down into sections as it’s which clubs to change when, rather than all at one time. However, if it’s a case of you have an old set of clubs that are 10+ years old then my advice is change as soon as you feel the game is going to be a long term hobby as the technology will have advanced from the current clubs you are using substantially.

When to change your Driver? 24/36 months.

The first question is what is the current improvement from your existing driver that you are looking to gain? Advancements in driver technology is very minimal and gains year on year are usually minute, however, set up and fitting of the driver with advancements can have a big impact, we would recommend going for a fitting every 24 months to see if there is gains to be made with a different driver package. If you read (insert link to cobra driver fitting) this is a perfect example of 2 drivers 1 year apart in release date, but the impact getting one fitted had. 

Manufacturers will wow you with new tech and statements that get you excited but go with what the numbers say, not what your mind wants to believe. Most driver advancements are in forgiveness these days as the regulations for more distance have been all but maxed out, plus the truth is, the rule makers don’t want us hitting it further as golf courses will become dominated by longer hitters.

When to change your iron set? 48 Months.

Knowing when to change your irons can involve varying factors, mainly 3 areas.

1. Have you improved as a golfer and are you wanting to hit different types of shots to take your golf up a level?
2. Have you got clubs that are less forgiving and your golf is not where it once was so you require more forgiveness?
3. Are you lacking confidence in the strike. Fatting/Thinning shots regularly etc?

The first area is one that needs to be considered carefully as jumping out of game improvement irons straight into blades like Titleist MB irons (insert link) could be a humongous leap that won’t pay off and in fact could destroy your game in record time. To hit blades you have to have an unbelievably consistent swing. So I’d highly recommend doing this in stages if its your ultimate goal. 

However, the reason most of us will be changing our irons is looking for more accuracy or maybe even a little more distance. This is a realistic improvement as irons have changed a lot over the last 10 years, innovations include foam injection, tungsten weighting, muscle backs to name a few but another key change is standard lofts are a thing of the past, all 7 irons are not equal anymore (not just 7 irons) lofting has been tweaked in certain sets to be weaker or in most cases stronger to deliver extra distance. 

One thing is certain, the newer irons are more forgiving and easier to hit than ever, there are more options for club fitters to play with to match your swing to a setup that reduce the effects of your bad shot whatever it may be.
Even those players irons with cavity backs are more forgiving than they have ever being while still maintaining the sleek top line and sex appeal.

For the golfer who is really struggling with mishits or struggling to get the ball airborne there are huge developments in the hybrid iron space e.g. Cobra T-Rails (insert Link), these full sets of hybrids allow golfers who are struggling to do the fundamentals well get back to enjoying the game confident they can produce some great shots every time they go out on the course.  

Golf Wedges – 24/36 Months 

Professional golfers actually change their wedges, sometimes twice a season, some even have two sets, one for practice and ones for tournament play. This is because spin control is everything when it comes to wedges and the amount of balls they hit sharp where down the grooves and impact they have on stopping the golf ball whether chipping or from 120 yds in.

The typical amateur golfer won’t play anywhere near the same amount of rounds nor practice for the hours each week a pro would, therefore the longevity of the grooves can be maintained for a much longer period. This very much depends on how active you are playing and practicing, but for your typical 2 games a week, practice once a week in the summer golfer it would be 36 months in our opinion.

Putter – This is a personal choice.

The putter really doesn’t have a shelf life, nor does technology play a huge part as it’s all about the user, that being said if you can match the balance of a putter to a certain stroke it can definitely increase performance, but once that is achieved you may never need to change again for a long long time.

Classic putter designs are still winning majors on the professional tours Scottie Scheffler and Hideki Matsuyama have both won the masters in recent years using a classic Scotty Cameron Putter, but Dustin Johnson a year earlier won it with a TaylorMade Spider X, proving it’s more about the confidence of the user and putting stroke as opposed to the old or new technology.

One thing I will say, if you struggle with putting or feel it’s an area where you could gain shots then changing the putter can add confidence (or short lived enthusiasm) but if you get fitted for a putter and then PUTT the practice in you will definitely see improvements from a flat stick that isn’t correct for your stroke.

Lastly - Fairway Woods and Hybrids. 24/36 months.

Technology in these clubs tends to filter down from the driver releases and they are regularly changed to match a Driver and have a complete set. These clubs tend to get overlooked by amateur golfers as areas where improvement can have a huge impact, but for lots of golfers especially senior golfers the hybrid is a vital club for distance and accuracy, long par 3’s stand out as a key feature of the modern golf course set up and having something that gets you there and on the green is a must. I also see more and more low handicap golfers going towards 5/7 woods for those tight fairway shots as opposed to the longer irons so don’t underestimate the impact these clubs can have on your scoring.

There is one key feature to changing your golf clubs that we can not stress enough, it is so easy to just buy off the shelf, but the enthusiasm to get a new club in your back as quick as possible will never outweigh or get you scoring better than if you get fitted by a professional, that extra weight to get a club that is tuned to your swing and setup to improve your weaknesses will pay dividends!

So use our GoLowPro service and get the right price and right advice!