Thoughts on upgrading setup? Clubs are about ~15 years old and from when I played in highschool. I am about a ~10 hdcp currently and play maybe 30 times per year. Other than the drive of gaming new clubs and that making me want to practice more, what is the possible pickup from buying new clubs? Took one of my analysts to golf earlier this fall and he thought upgrading my driver would add about ~20 yards (probably average about 290 off the tee currently) which made me want to pull the trigger and get fitted. Thoughts?
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Based on the most helpful WSO content, upgrading your golf clubs can potentially have a positive impact on your game, especially if your current set is around 15 years old. Here are a few points to consider:
Technology Advancements: Golf club technology has significantly improved over the last 15 years. Newer clubs can offer better materials, more forgiving club faces, and improved aerodynamics, which could help in reducing your handicap further.
Custom Fitting: Getting fitted for clubs can make a substantial difference. A fitting will tailor the clubs to your specific swing characteristics, which can lead to increased accuracy and distance.
Practice Incentive: As you mentioned, new clubs might increase your desire to practice more. This in itself can lead to an improvement in your game.
Distance Gains: While a new driver might add distance to your tee shots, it's important to also consider accuracy. A fitting can help you find a balance between the two.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Consider the cost of new clubs and the potential benefits to your game. If you play 30 times a year, the cost per round might be justifiable for the enjoyment and potential improvement in your game.
Consulting with a Pro: Before making a decision, it might be beneficial to have a discussion with a golf professional who can provide insights based on your current skill level and goals.
Remember, while new equipment can provide benefits, consistent practice and play are key to improving your game. If you decide to upgrade, make sure it's a well-informed decision that aligns with your commitment to the sport.
Sources: Will knowing how to golf have a positive impact on my career?, Should I learn to Golf?, First Real Estate Investments: Benefits of Forming an LLC or Direct Ownership, Best purchases you've made to improve quality of life in IB
you’ll likely pick up more distance with a new driver (would expect 10-15 yards avg) than new irons (more like 5-10 yards avg). Putting in perspective, I will game a set of old Ping ISI-Ks from 1996/97 sometimes and carry a 7iron 150-160ish. If i hit the same club with a new iron i pick up a club worth of distance (170-175). The biggest help of all is probably wedges though, after 15 years yours likely don’t spin near as well as new ones would. Assuming a new full set costs ~$3k, and you kept them for only 5 years playing 30 rounds/yr, your cost is $20/round
It's actually about $24 a round (annualized) factoring in the TVM.
thanks, nerd.
Good point all around. Especially when you factor in that most of the distance gained would likely be from irons being delofted nowadays. Definitely plan on getting new wedges this spring. Maybe I'll pass on irons and just get wedges and driver.
New clubs may have more control too, but buying new irons to hit farther seems silly given you can just go a club up to hit the ball farther.
Not saying you're wrong, but we all enjoy the ol "what did you hit there?" and seeing the surprise on someone's face when you're two clubs off from what they'd hit. Even if it is because of the change in loft.
Hahaha that is true too, mentally it probably actually helps you I bet
Driver will be the biggest upgrade--lower spin, further distance, more forgiving. You'll be amazed at the zip on your wedge shots as well.
For irons, I think distance is the wrong metric to look at. I could talk about this all day, but companies are basically installing longer shafts and decreasing lofts to pat themselves on the back for making a longer iron. Where you'll see the most improvement is in forgiveness and consistency, assuming you're playing some sort of game improvement / players cavity. There has been some real strides made in that department, particularly from Titleist, Mizuno, Srixon. FWIW I play a set of 10 year old Adams (Idea Pro CMBs), keep them in great shape, and love them. But Taylormade bought Adams, destroyed their product, and now I'd say those aforementioned three manufacturers probably have surpassed where Adams was ~10 years ago.
Good insights - my irons are Taylormade RocketBladez with stiff shafts and indeed fall in the game improvement category; wedges are also part of this family of clubs. If I were to buy new irons it would likely be the P790s but obviously would want to get fitted and not just blindly purchase. Not too sure about wedges and whether or not I'd venture away from Taylormade, bought my little brother a set of Vokeys a few years ago and he loves them.
More than anything I think I just need more forgiveness in the driver (and perhaps a lesson or two there haha). My natural ball flight is a draw and currently play a 9 degree. Typically my miss ends up being low on the face that results in a playable runner up the left side of the fairway. Although sometimes when I get a little to confident I'll block one out right because I am trying to hit a big swooping draw and don't turn over. The driver I play the most with is an R7 (long story, had a newer driver but it got swapped when my younger brother shipped my clubs to me because apparently he liked it more than he thought I did) so upgrading from that 20 year old tech likely will see the biggest benefit.
Coming from a 10 handicap I would say buy the driver. The TSR2 is a great forgiving club, better than the Stealth 2. As far as irons I play Mizuno JPX forged which are a players iron but fall inline with the P770,P790, and T200. Go and hit the clubs and see what you like. Being comfortable behind the ball is half of the battle!
There’s a podcast with the founder of KPS that walks through golf equipment (KPS owned taylormade for awhile) he talks about the cycle of golf gear and that each brand takes turns about every 5 years of being “The Brand” I would say Titleist is currently bumping Taylormade out of that spot. Not that the product TM is making is bad, but the stuff Titleist is producing is really great.
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