Thinking about spending your next paycheck on some new clubs? Great! This is the first installment of your golf equipment-buying guide. For better or worse, I spent the last year systematically replacing every club in my bag. 
Along the way, I learned a few things that you may find useful. Let’s clarify a few things before we even begin to contemplate heading out to kick the tires on the latest and greatest in golf equipment.
Myth #1: I’m not good enough to buy new clubs.
Another common varation of this avoidance tactic is “I should really fix my swing before I consider getting new clubs.” Here’s the thing — having the right equipment can actually help your swing. Many of us make ill-conceived adjustments to our swings to compensate for clubs that aren’t right. Maybe it’s a hunched-over posture to compensate for a 9-iron that’s too short, or an excessively weak grip to make up for a driver head that has a two-degree closed face. Whatever it is, the equipment we play often dictates the way we set up and swing. Get the right equipment and you’ll have a better shot at swinging the club correctly. Besides, there’s no such thing as not being good enough to buy a club that you love. This game is about enjoyment. The more you like hitting your clubs, the more you will enjoy the game.
Myth #2: I can get fitted for clubs just like the pros do.
No, unfortunately you can’t. Consider the fact that a fully outfitted Callaway trailer follows Phil Mickelson around the country. The job of the technicians inside is to make sure that Phil, and all the other tournament players who have “Callaway” stamped to their caps, have exactly the right specs on their clubs to match the conditions at hand. If Phil wants the bounce on his wedges grinded down for the tight fairways at Augusta, they do it for him on the spot. If Phil wants his driver loft increased by 3/10 of a degree to boost his carry, consider it done. For the average golfer, this level of fitting just doesn’t exist. Many stores and club-fitters will claim that they can “fit you like the pros,” but the type of micro-fitting that is done at the tour level just doesn’t make sense on a mass scale. And this provides a nice segue into the next myth.
Myth #3: I should always pay to get fitted for clubs before I buy anything.
In this age of golf technology, everyone’s doing it, and everyone’s telling everyone else to do it. “Get fitted by a professional!” What I’m about to say runs counter to the current culture, but I believe it to be the right advice after being fitted myself and watching others get fit: Don’t do it! Certainly you want your clubs to fit your game, but that doesn’t mean you should pay someone else to fit you. A quick story…
My wife has a 20 handicap. She recently decided to upgrade from the starter set she’d been using, so she went over to the GolfTec in town and paid $99 for an iron fitting (no driver, no wedges, no putter, just irons). Over the course of an hour, the fitting professional had her hit about four different irons, all from an inch-high rubber tee that was situated about 10 feet from a net. The artificial turf behind the tee was so ripped up that she couldn’t ground her club. After making 30 or so of the worst swings of her life (because of the awkward conditions), she was given a recommendation to buy a set of $1100 Mizuno irons. GolfTec is a Mizuno retailer. Their website boasts Mizuno as a “feature” brand. Keep in mind that you can buy the same Nike irons that Tiger plays for $200 less. Something just didn’t feel right.
I admit that this is an extreme example. Certainly there are fitters out there who do a great job (if you pay top dollar you can find them), and perhaps some of you have had good experiences, but I’m confident that with some good information and a modest amount of savvy, the average golfer can fit himself/herself without spending a dime (and end up with a better fit in the end). The key is to knock out the middleman. I’ll explain how to do it when we talk more specifically about drivers and irons in future posts.
Come back for the next one and you’ll get the information you need to do a little driver shopping.
5 Responses to “Your Golf Equipment Buying Guide, Part I: Myths Debunked”
Leave a Reply
Dan I agree with you . I was playing with a ping rapture driver that i had bought used , this driver had a stiff aldila shaft , a real good looking blue shaft , the driver looked awsome but i could’nt hit it straight for nothin’. I traded it for a ping G15 with a regular shaft i got fitted for . Man what a difference it made . Now i’m trying to save to trade my irons for the G 15’s I am playing with ping eye 2’s , I hope these will help me on my approach shots. Well fitted clubs definetly do help. Intresting blog !
Hey Carlos. Thanks for your comment. The Ping G15 driver is really nice. I’ve also hit the G15 irons — very forgiving. Not sure if you watch golf on TV, but KJ Choi has been playing the Ping G15 irons recently… and he’s sponsored by Nike! This is pretty big news since tour players usually play small, unforgiving blades, but I think there may be a trend towards more forgiving clubs like the G15’s, even for the best players in the world. Let us know how the G15 irons work out for you!
#1 At least make sure you are feeling your swing when you book a fitting. Meaning – sit around all winter watching TV, fly to Scottsdale and the next day, get a fitting. EEK, you are all over the place. No matter what your handicap, ball striking needs some rhythm and physical connection, if you don’t have it during the fitting, you are stuck with clubs built to that spec. Everybody is good enough for a fitting, just make sure its really YOU showing up when the measuring starts.
#2 So, So true.
#3 I kind of paid, but didn’t. I pretty much knew what irons I wanted and found a pro-line company staff pro locally who spent an hour fitting ($100), ordered the clubs from the factory, discounted the clubs so the fitting was no cost buying through him. Everybody is happy, pro-line clubs, custom made, and overall less expensive than a brick and mortar experience. No regrets, they are amazing and fit well. 4 degrees up, one inch over, so yes, it pays to have cast clubs done at the factory
Thanks for the thoughts, Ken. It’s great to get comments from golfers who have been through the experience. I especially agree with your first point — you certainly don’t want to get fit to a rusty swing.
4 degrees upright and one inch over! You must be really tall, and you probably hit your 7-iron 180 yards?
If you have any other useful information from your fitting experience please let us know. Hope you’re having a good golf season.
180 yards? Not for a few years. I’m 60 YO and to hit them straight, 7 iron flies 155. I’ll take that any day.
Now that I have settled into this set and a better swing (lessons and lots of practice), I will need them adjusted a little. My experience is that us amateurs are capable of settling into a better swing, especially where posture/set-up is concerned. So keep an open mind after purchasing custom fitted clubs. If after a couple years you need them fine tuned and you bought them factory ordered, send them back to the factory for the work. Especially cast clubs (lie and loft).
My experience at local Demo Days has been awful. I don’t know where they get some of these guys, but they are way too anxious to send you home with a set. So beware. You’ll know whether the guy at the (name withheld) booth is a rep or a real fitting professional. Even then, try as many brands and models as possible. Get a second opinion, just like a doctor.