Have golf clubs improved in the last 10 years?
Discussion
toasty said:
Thanks all for the comments.
A couple of local clubs have proper fitting centres so I'll have a look at them.
As my driver is no longer legal, I'll look at replacing this first, combined with a couple of lessons to get me hitting it with enough confidence to use it for the society days.
Forget the driver. Use a 3 wood (or a 5 iron). You'll score better, I (almost) promise.A couple of local clubs have proper fitting centres so I'll have a look at them.
As my driver is no longer legal, I'll look at replacing this first, combined with a couple of lessons to get me hitting it with enough confidence to use it for the society days.
mattnunn said:
Driving for show, putting for dough.
But yes I believe clubs have got better, and balls, such that even high ish handicappers should notice. The clever drivers now that can be adjusted such that even the most horrendously mis timed and over hit swing will go straight are in danger of making the game actually playable.
The new drivers might be a small improvement over the old but you've grossly overstated the benefits here.But yes I believe clubs have got better, and balls, such that even high ish handicappers should notice. The clever drivers now that can be adjusted such that even the most horrendously mis timed and over hit swing will go straight are in danger of making the game actually playable.
Well, I just had a fitting session at a local club with all manner of computer assessment of my swing and how I was hitting my current R580 driver and then a Mizuno driver they recommended based on the original stats.
10 shots of each showed my swing speed was pretty consistent around 88mph. The dispersion on my original club was high at 65ish yards with 6 on the fairway, 2 on the edges and 2 lost. The next club, I got 7 on the fairway and 3 on the edges but the dispersion was down to 32 yards i.e. I was more consistent.
Although the new club was the same flex, regular, and the same loft, I was hitting the ball straighter and higher which was the aim. I also got an average distance of 197 yards compared to 176 although this was skewed by a duff shot with the first club.
I hit a few more balls out on the range with the new club and still managed a couple of wild hooks (trying to smack the hell out of it
) but the rest were pretty straight and long (for me) and the flight looked much better.
So now I'm 200 notes down which almost certainly could have been better spent on lessons but I do have a nice new toy to hide from the wife. The lessons will come anyway.
Thanks for the advice guys.
10 shots of each showed my swing speed was pretty consistent around 88mph. The dispersion on my original club was high at 65ish yards with 6 on the fairway, 2 on the edges and 2 lost. The next club, I got 7 on the fairway and 3 on the edges but the dispersion was down to 32 yards i.e. I was more consistent.
Although the new club was the same flex, regular, and the same loft, I was hitting the ball straighter and higher which was the aim. I also got an average distance of 197 yards compared to 176 although this was skewed by a duff shot with the first club.
I hit a few more balls out on the range with the new club and still managed a couple of wild hooks (trying to smack the hell out of it
) but the rest were pretty straight and long (for me) and the flight looked much better. So now I'm 200 notes down which almost certainly could have been better spent on lessons but I do have a nice new toy to hide from the wife. The lessons will come anyway.
Thanks for the advice guys.
RB Will said:
Saw on telly the other day a pro using a selection of drivers from brand new to 100+ years old. There was only about 40 yards difference from best to worst. Better off spending money on lessons.
That would be correct however it's not how the particular driver hits the ball it's how easy it is to hit that's made the difference. I started out in the 90's using a Taylor Made Burner if I remember correctly. It was ok when you were playing well but not when you weren't. Then I got a Callaway Big Bertha one of the first bigger headed drivers the difference was huge, it was so easy to use off the tee, fairway or even the rough as long as it wasn't a real bad lie.
I presume they have carried on moving forward since I stopped playing
toasty said:
Well, I just had a fitting session at a local club with all manner of computer assessment of my swing and how I was hitting my current R580 driver and then a Mizuno driver they recommended based on the original stats.
10 shots of each showed my swing speed was pretty consistent around 88mph. The dispersion on my original club was high at 65ish yards with 6 on the fairway, 2 on the edges and 2 lost. The next club, I got 7 on the fairway and 3 on the edges but the dispersion was down to 32 yards i.e. I was more consistent.
Although the new club was the same flex, regular, and the same loft, I was hitting the ball straighter and higher which was the aim. I also got an average distance of 197 yards compared to 176 although this was skewed by a duff shot with the first club.
I hit a few more balls out on the range with the new club and still managed a couple of wild hooks (trying to smack the hell out of it) but the rest were pretty straight and long (for me) and the flight looked much better.
So now I'm 200 notes down which almost certainly could have been better spent on lessons but I do have a nice new toy to hide from the wife. The lessons will come anyway.
Thanks for the advice guys.
At the acknowledged risk of my sounding a proper Johnnie Large-Potatoes, 197 yards and 88mph from a driver isn't really worth the added risk of using one. A crisply-struck 3 wood will probably go just as far because the additional loft at 88mph will give you more carry. It'll also give you more accuracy and repeatability, and the bad ones won't be as bad.10 shots of each showed my swing speed was pretty consistent around 88mph. The dispersion on my original club was high at 65ish yards with 6 on the fairway, 2 on the edges and 2 lost. The next club, I got 7 on the fairway and 3 on the edges but the dispersion was down to 32 yards i.e. I was more consistent.
Although the new club was the same flex, regular, and the same loft, I was hitting the ball straighter and higher which was the aim. I also got an average distance of 197 yards compared to 176 although this was skewed by a duff shot with the first club.
I hit a few more balls out on the range with the new club and still managed a couple of wild hooks (trying to smack the hell out of it
) but the rest were pretty straight and long (for me) and the flight looked much better. So now I'm 200 notes down which almost certainly could have been better spent on lessons but I do have a nice new toy to hide from the wife. The lessons will come anyway.
Thanks for the advice guys.
The pro isn't in the game of talking you out of a spondooly new driver because you've just bought him a tank of fuel, but genuinely, I don't think he's done you any favours there at all.
SpeckledJim said:
At the acknowledged risk of my sounding a proper Johnnie Large-Potatoes, 197 yards and 88mph from a driver isn't really worth the added risk of using one. A crisply-struck 3 wood will probably go just as far because the additional loft at 88mph will give you more carry. It'll also give you more accuracy and repeatability, and the bad ones won't be as bad.
The pro isn't in the game of talking you out of a spondooly new driver because you've just bought him a tank of fuel, but genuinely, I don't think he's done you any favours there at all.
True and I do hit my 3 wood near enough the same distance but there's nothing like hitting the big dog sweetly. I suppose I could probably score lower if I concentrated on a 7 iron and putter but would get bored soon enough. The pro isn't in the game of talking you out of a spondooly new driver because you've just bought him a tank of fuel, but genuinely, I don't think he's done you any favours there at all.
Of course I would like to get lower scores but realistically I don't have the time to put in so the main importance for me is to enjoy the game and make use of all the clubs.
BTW Top marks for sneaking in a spondooly there.
retrorider said:
Skii said:
I've never really got used to the massive head drivers of today, I used to be able to drive the ball much more consistently with the smaller headed drivers of the 90's than todays balloons-on-sticks.
I sometimes take my old Joe Powell persimmon driver to the range for a knock to remember the good old days (early 90's).It gets far more attention than any new driver down there and not many can hit it very well either.The feel off the face is far better than any of the new drivers...toasty said:
SpeckledJim said:
At the acknowledged risk of my sounding a proper Johnnie Large-Potatoes, 197 yards and 88mph from a driver isn't really worth the added risk of using one. A crisply-struck 3 wood will probably go just as far because the additional loft at 88mph will give you more carry. It'll also give you more accuracy and repeatability, and the bad ones won't be as bad.
The pro isn't in the game of talking you out of a spondooly new driver because you've just bought him a tank of fuel, but genuinely, I don't think he's done you any favours there at all.
True and I do hit my 3 wood near enough the same distance but there's nothing like hitting the big dog sweetly. I suppose I could probably score lower if I concentrated on a 7 iron and putter but would get bored soon enough. The pro isn't in the game of talking you out of a spondooly new driver because you've just bought him a tank of fuel, but genuinely, I don't think he's done you any favours there at all.
Of course I would like to get lower scores but realistically I don't have the time to put in so the main importance for me is to enjoy the game and make use of all the clubs.
BTW Top marks for sneaking in a spondooly there.
New clubs are not needed. You'd play just aswell with five years old clubs.... on the proviso they have been fitted to you.
Late last year I was static fitted for a set of irons. I was playing off 11.1 at the time, within 3 weeks of receiving the new irons I was off 7.6. They made that much difference in such a short range of time. Fitting is there in my eyes to reduce your misses. The irons I was fitted for where not the new models but a 2 year old club.
Late last year I was static fitted for a set of irons. I was playing off 11.1 at the time, within 3 weeks of receiving the new irons I was off 7.6. They made that much difference in such a short range of time. Fitting is there in my eyes to reduce your misses. The irons I was fitted for where not the new models but a 2 year old club.
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