I was having dinner with some friends in Honolulu last weekend, when they asked me about my game. I was there for a bachelor party and it was early in the evening so I still remember exactly what happened. I gave them an update on my game and told them that I shot 77 the previous weekend. They were all very impressed, but I assured them that that was out of the ordinary for me. Then a friend of mine since my last told me that he was still playing the same clubs from almost 10 years ago. He had an old Callaway big Bertha wood that is about the size of the five wood these days. I told him he needs to buy new clubs. It would improve his game.
Technology can change your game. The technology to the companies are putting into today’s clubs is head and shoulders above what they did 10 years ago. At least 10 years ago the irons were cavity back and had started becoming more forgiving. However, the driver technology has changed exponentially. Take for example the size of the driver. I was playing golf in Honolulu during graduate school with the same guys when the first 460 cc driver came out. I demo’d one for a round and they teased me and called it a “cartoon” driver. It didn’t look big when I went into my stance, but when I hit correctly the ball flew pretty far. Who’s laughing then?? 🙂
Even today’s low-end clubs have improved greatly. You can buy an entry level set golf clubs for $200 or $300 and they will be more forgiving than any clubs from 10 or 15 years ago. I have some friends who still play with blades that their father gave them! Those clubs are probably 30 years old! How can you expect to play great with those? It’s like another handicap. In any case, I don’t mind so much if we play for money. Ha ha. But if you’re going to play a lot and want to get better at the game, you may want to consider a new set of clubs. And while you’re at it, get them fitted. It’ll help, really. Plus it’s always fun to buy new clubs!