Hi all. I’m pretty new to this sport and still TRYING to play it..

My question is “Does the brand of your clubs really matter?” I’m asking this because I’ve met golfers telling me they’ve been playing for years and they’re using really expensive clubs (full sets of Callaways and Taylor Mades) but they’re still playing like beginners.

Thanks for the advice.

It is an absolute that brand name clubs make you play better. That’s why Tiger left Titleist (Hackers clubs if ever there were ones) and went to Nike (Steeped in golfing tradition, history and folklore). :-)

Personally, I think brand does not matter. I think fitting matters. I think lessons matter. I think clubs that suit your skill level matter.

I think paying mega-bucks for pretty clubs and spending nothing on lessons is stupid.

If you believe they make you play better than they do. Ps: Tiger’s irons may be stamped nike but they are not.

Of course, but not by brands.

If you hit any club or brand of club off the middle you’ll shoot a good score. So maybe the question could be “is equipment more important than skill” and the answer would be no.

I can sympathise with you draco, I am in a similar boat to yourself. My clubs are of varied (read aincient) quality and length, at the very least I suggest you get a set that are all the same type of club

My own suggestion is to look around on the net or duck into a pro shop and see what you can get within your budget

There are plenty of online shops and eBay as well if you are into that

The answer for me is yes and no.

The brand of your clubs doesn’t matter, but good clubs do. Good clubs for you may be cheap or they may be expensive.

I’ve gone from $1K plus irons to ones I bought for $250 and have never been happier, but then again I also did it the other way around and was pretty chirpy then too.

The way I look at it, it’s about confidence and excuses. If you have the best clubs you can find, when you stuff up you only have yourself to blame. If you have clubs that you suspect aren’t quite right, you’ll make excuses.

This doesn’t mean that you should buy the most expensive clubs, just that you should buy ones you never second guess.

The guys you mentioned who play full Callaway or TM sets may still play like poop, but they may feel they’d play worse with no name brands. Thus they probably would.

And if they can afford them, why not?

If you believe they make you play better than they do. Ps: Tiger’s irons may be stamped nike but they are not.

They are nike design, but hand forged by muira in Nipon.Helps scare the S#@t out of the ball when he goes to hit it ;-)

Anybody who thinks equipment doesn’t matter never played the old stuff.

I recently played Barnbougle with an ex European Tour pro, and we dug our old blades and persimmon blocks out of the shed for the trip. We both shot respectable scores, but man oh man, the game wasn’t meant to be so hard.

When I see twice a year players turning up with similar gear they borrowed from grandad for the day I wince.

There’s always talk about the importance of fitting. IMO equipment realisticly appropriate to the player’s skill level is at least twice as beneficial as “fitted” clubs of a design which should not be seen in the hands of anyone other than a highly skilled player.

Sadly, the longer a player has been in the game the less likely he is to have realistic tools in his bag.

Does the brand of your clubs really matter?

It may do from a psychological perspective. I feel more comfortable with a well known brand name club, as long as I don’t pay too much ;) I guess I’ve played long enough to face reality…skill is far more important than equipment. I think using clubs appropriate to your skill level is important, then the next step would be to have those clubs fitted properly.

I guess I’m at the fitting stage especially with drivers. I’ve managed to accumulate a few modern drivers and all perform about the same. I recently played with an 83 year old who was using a Ping G2 8.5 driver. He was telling me he had a few $600 drivers hanging around…can the search for the perfect club be a life long obsession?..lol Anyway, he thought he may need some lessons, not a new driver, so maybe maybe lessons are more important than equipment brand, fitting etc ;)

After going from my “not fitted and not a major brand” driver to a TM R7 460 – Now hitting the pill 20-30 metres further each time.

Get fitted and buy the brand that makes you feel comfortable when you stand over the little white ball…

I have only recently purchased anew Taylor Made Burner driver after useing an unsuitable driver for a while .I am now hitting 230 yards up from 190/200. Go try a good set and get fitted.

Probably not as much difference as many would assume (as long as you’re using modern gear), but let’s face it. A daihatsu charade is more practical for commuting, but that doesn’t stop me from seeing plenty of super expensive cars driving to work. And while Lowes sells suits that will fit (after a fashion), a good Zegna will make the wearer feel a hell of a lot more confident going into (insert meeting).

Practicality is somewhat outweighed by feelgood and shopping thrill for shalllow folks like I; proper golfers no doubt find more mileage out of the features they pay a premium for.

hehe…. welcome =)

everything plays a part – the player, the clubs, the ball

whatever is the constriction needs to be upgraded.

ball and clubs are always there. player needs to upgrade. once everything is on par, player always advances so time to upgrade your stuff to get what you need (more feel, more control?)

most importantly, get your club fitted to YOU! that’s your best investment

I think for the most part that the only way brand name items can improve your game is mentally. I know my Odyssey isn’t any straighter or more accurate than the $10 Odyssey knockoff it replaced, but when I’m standing over a pressure putt, looking down at the real deal gives me that little bit of reassurance that makes all the difference. As for other clubs, I love my TM R5, but I don’t think I’ve gained any distance over my $50 Srixon Tour Special that it replaced. Same for my irons and wedges too – I still can’t generate much spin, even though I’ve got a set of tour issue TM’s with razor sharp grooves… But the confidence boost I get standing over a shot knowing that I can rely on the gear to really get the job done has seen me shave a few strokes off.

Cheers,

Col

brand of club doesn’t matter, quality of club does. You will find that most brands have a good and bad clubs, if you are starting out and not sure what to buy talk to golf pros in places like drummond and house of golf, also ask friends and anyone you meet on the course. You will find that while everyone has their own preference some of the same brands and models are mentioned again and again. These are the clubs that are really good. Remember too, get clubs that play to your level, find out roughly what your handicap is and ask for clubs in that range.