Golf is one of the most incredibly frustrating sports that you can play. Anyone who has ever picked up a club knows exactly what it feels like to hit a brilliant strike, but will also be aware of how much you want to pull your hair out when you then duff your next shot, even when it feels as though you did everything the same. As a result, golfers can look to numerous different things to try to solve their problems, getting lessons and reading books, amongst other things. Many will also look to buy a new set of clubs, believing that they will solve all of their problems, but that isn’t always the case.
Clubs Are Just a Tool
The sad truth for golfers is that they will look to blame numerous different things for their golf game before they look to how they’re actually playing. One of the first things that many players will do is to look at their clubs and feel as though they are the biggest problem of all. The truth of the matter is that there will definitely be some for whom that is the case. If you have an old set of clubs, perhaps ones that were hand-me-downs from a parent, friend or sibling, then they might be causing you some issues. Yet for many people, they are just an excuse that is easy to blame.
Ultimately, golf clubs are just a tool. Yes, the sport is a difficult one to master, but that is because of the countless different things that need to be taken into account each and every time you try to strike a golf ball. You need to make sure that your grip is right, for example, whilst ensuring that you’re not collapsing in on yourself as you carry out your backswing is also something that will have a big impact on how you play. You could buy the most expensive clubs in the world, but if the basics aren’t there, then you’re not going to see much improvement in your play.
Beware People Telling You New Clubs Are a Cure-All
If you read a golf magazine or speak to someone in a shop that sells clubs, the message you will receive is that new clubs will be a cure-all for your ills. The problem is, such people are almost certainly going to be making money out of you spending your hard-earned cash buying new wedges, getting a different putter, or spending big on a driver. They don’t know your golf swing, nor how you get on when you hit the course, so they aren’t looking to fix whatever actual problems you’re suffering from each time you swing the club and try to make contact with the golf ball.
The big question you should ask yourself if anyone tells you that a new set of clubs is what you need to improve your game is what they stand to gain from your spending money on something. Is it actually the case that your current clubs aren’t good enough, or is it more that they will get a cut of any money that you spend on new ones? One of the best things that you can do is to record yourself hitting a load of balls at the driving range or get your playing partner to film you on the course. See what you’re doing wrong and question whether that can be solved with new clubs or whether there are other issues at play.
Golf Clubs Only Change So Much
It is key to remember that the role of marketing companies is to make it seem as though everything that comes out is revolutionary. The latest iPhone isn’t that much different to one, two, or three generations ago, but if you believe Apple’s marketing, then you would think that they had been able to create an entirely new device. When you bought your clubs will be key when it comes to working out whether a new set of clubs will be able to offer you anything vastly different to the ones that you currently use. If your clubs are reasonably new, then upgrading them will make little difference.
Yes, there are advances that are made in the technology of both clubs and balls on an almost weekly basis, but it really only matters how old your current clubs are. If you bought them 20 years ago, say, then the more modern clubs might be able to help you improve your game. If you bought them two years ago, however, then any possible improvements will be incremental at best. Everyone who has ever hit a golf ball well will know that they can do it, so the fact that they don’t do it all the time is something that they’ll look for reasons behind and the clubs will be suspect number one.
Put Your Money Where it Can Make a Difference
Golf clubs are not cheap. The reality of the market is such that people will often feel as though they’re missing out by not having the latest and greatest clubs, but the reality is that they aren’t cheap enough to chop and change them on a regular basis. Before you start spending your money on buying new ones every five minutes, however, you would be well-placed to find out what it is that you need to improve about your game. The loneliness of the sport is such, for example, that it might be the mental side of your play that could do with the most development with a coach.
Lessons with a good golf coach can also help you to realise what it is that you’re getting wrong when it comes to your swing. Sure, it might be the clubs that are the biggest issue, perhaps you need to move from metal shafts to graphite ones in order to be able to increase your club head speed, for example, but it is much more likely to be the mechanics of your swing itself that needs to be looked at. If you really are convinced that new clubs are what you need, though, the best thing to do might be to spend a little bit more and get some fitted rather than simply buying from a generic sports shop.