Golf mentality and new clubs

ricar1610 · May 20, 2013

Let me preface this by saying that while I am not a club ho like many on this site, I do like to tinker with new clubs - or change the ones I have. So this is not a rant against not changing clubs. This is simply a reflection after reading a bunch of posts tonight about new equipment.

IF a golfer's goal is to shoot better scores, which I think is the goal of most of the people who frequent this site, then isn't changing clubs all the time something that is going to make our scores worse? It is hard enough to concentrate on a normal golf shot, let alone worrying if you have the right equipment. Then, when we hit the bad shot we think it is the club's fault (and no doubt it can be from time to time). So we get a new club or clubs. Then we go out and try the same thing again - no confidence yet in the new club - make a bad swing, get a bad result or two or ten and then sell it or trade it.

What i am saying is not new - and most of us know it already, but are we crippling ourselves because we can never get comfortable over the ball - because we have yet to become totally comfortable with our equipment? I am a culprit of this too - it's human nature to blame everything but ourselves, but if we were honest, most of us do not play clubs long enough to get used to them. I was thinking back to my pre-WRX days and not even caring what shaft, head, etc. I played. I just played. Now, don't get me wrong, I was not that good then, but I have to admit that with all of the great knowledge I have picked up about equipment on this site, in some ways it has made me question my equipment constantly.

This is an old topic - I understand that. I also understand play what you want and if you have the money who cares - ho all you want. I get all of that.

However, it would be interesting to see how our scores did if we got equipment we were ok with and were forced to use it for 2-3 years without changing. I have no idea if it would matter, but I am not sure many of us (including me) will ever get to that stage. There is so much cool equipment out there that it is hard not to want something different.

In conclusion, I wonder how much our insecurities about our equipment is leading to less than optimal swings, which turn into poor results. It's a vicious circle of club hoeing.

It's late, I don't want to go to work tomorrow, so I wrote this post - not sure if it makes sense...

Maybe I am trying to talk myself out of (or into) the set if i20's I have been debating about forever...

Oh well - happy hoeing...

duffer987 · May 20, 2013

[quote name='ricar1610' timestamp='1369025227' post='7067200']

What i am saying is not new - and most of us know it already...

This is an old topic - I understand that. I also understand play what you want and if you have the money who cares - ho all you want. I get all of that.

[/quote]

Says it all really.

jumpmanfeva · May 20, 2013

Totally understand! Seriously contemplated on going back to game improvement clubs after only playing my Mizuno MP59s for less than 6 months. Then I shot an 81 this weekend, after months of mid 90s... Wanted to blame the clubs so I can "ho" around lol.

avguy · May 20, 2013

Well (like Ron Reagan would say), I know your problems. Anyways, I know for sure I got more clubs for a golfer that is [b]Not on WRX[/b], the common man type. I purposely hoe'd up to two full sets, from which I rotate all season. Yeh, there's also two semi-retired full iron sets in the garage and a couple of spare fairway woods & drivers out there that once in a while hit the course or range.

But I hope I represent a good chunk of us on here who actually acquire fairly recent editions of clubs in order to function in the game easier. My goal is to wear out these two sets. I think the quick changeovers for me only happened after I realized quickly that certain clubs don't set up to my eye right with the ball.

Bad List: Huge offset GI Irons. Player's Hybrids which are shallow front to back. Black faced and topped fairways (due to a TM white induced sickness!). Drivers that do not offer weight screws so I can't self cut down and properly SW to taste sans a lead tape or hot melt route (no skills).

I have unfortunately learned thru trial n error the aboves are taboo to play good for me. It looks kinda like "hoeing" on the surface in that I bought in those categories, replaced. But, they get replaced so I can play in totally [i]different[/i] clubs. Those now sit in the two bags. They range from 4yrs to 5 mos. in age, and I again - hope to wear them out!

breadhead · May 20, 2013

This is something that I think about quite a lot when reading this site, probably too much in fact.
Obviously everyone can do whatever they want with regards to changing clubs, but I do agree that it could be hurting peoples games.

When people try new equipment they expect it to be better than their existing clubs. There are some really interesting experiments done to show how much expectation can influence experience, even in experts.
So you hit the new driver and it's the greatest thing ever (perhaps you forgive the odd poor result because you didn't quite swing that one right). Then you buy it and those poorer results don't disappear. You start to notice them more and log them in your brain.

Then the new shiny comes out...
The number of posts you see where people say "This was the best driver I ever hit, but now the honeymoon period is over and it has to go" is frankly laughable.

I find it interesting that you see a lot of Pro players WITB videos and they are using clubs that are years and years old. They are accustomed to them and they know they work.
There are of course lots of examples of pros with new clubs too, but generally you don't see pros changing clubs with anything like the frequency you see sometimes on this site. How much have people harped on about Rory's new Nike equipment affecting his game. One of the best golfers in the world takes months to adjust to a new set of clubs yet people seem to think they can hit some irons for a few weeks and they just aren't right.

Another thing that occurs to me is that club manufacturers do not care about lowering your scores. They care about getting you to buy new clubs.
It is actually in their interest to get you to buy a club that makes your game worse. You are much more likely to replace it later (I feel like I should be wearing a tin-foil hat for suggesting this).

I sometimes feel like these longer shafted drivers make it harder for the average golfer to hit them with any kind of consistency. They are then going to want to switch driver when the newest one comes out and they get distracted by the new 4.7 Yard longer advertising (expectation again).

To be fair this is more likely a side-effect of this relentless LONGEREST DRIVER EVAH! marketing strategy most OEMs employ rather than a deliberate ploy.

I am more posting this as a note to myself than anything else. I spend hours browsing eBay looking for bargains, I really don't need new clubs!

chocolatte · May 20, 2013

After years of hoing, I find myself settling into one main gamer bag. When I need to play well, this is the only set that I go with.

But the ho in me will always wander and still gets new toys, and they go straight into my backup bags. I mess with them at the range or casual rounds with friends. If something really doesn't work, then I sell or trade them. But rarely they make it to the main bag immediately.

Honestly, nothing out there is better than what most people already have. Just the satisfaction of buying new stuff I guess.

richard t · May 20, 2013

Went with a friend to a Demo Day this past weekend. Not looking to buy-very happy. So I went around and hit all the things folks are raving about on WRX. Hit some really nice clubs- irons and woods. If I was looking I'd say there were at least three of every kind of club I could like. Demo was at the range where I go so I know the lay of the land. Truth is I did not hit ONE club that was any better in feel, distance, control than what I have put together since September. I'm going by two rules these days. To switch it must be significantly better and I "ain't fixing what isn't broken." If I've learned two things over time it is never,never,ever think about switching when you are playing poorly. Bad timing causes bad decisions. Secondly, when you get the 'right stuff'- clubs, shafts and they fit forget it. Now, if you just like to tinker, keep the Ho bag and/or collect go for it. Otherwise find a girl who can dance and and quit looking in the crowd. lol.