Buying golf clubs is an investment. A complete set of woods and irons from a lot of the bigger golf companies will set you back a few thousand dollars. Customers want to buy something that will make them a better player now and then will help them inprove for years to come.How do you decide on a set of clubs when you don’t know where your game will go in the coming years? Do you get shafts that will work for you down the road or do you buy for right now? Do you invest in a game improvement set and get better or do you look for more of a “players” club in hopes that your game will reach a new level soon?
I get lots of customers looking for “THE” set… the set of clubs that will last them for the rest of their golfing lives. They are making good money and want to get a good set before they retire. They understand that their swings will get slower in the coming years and want to find something that will still work in ten years. So what to do? Do we look at an “A” flex (senior flex, light flex… it has numerous names)? This club might be a bit too flexible for their current swing but it will be better down the road. The customer might find it difficult to control the new clubs until their swing slows down enough to allow the new shafts to work properly. Or do we get something that will work for their current swing and then tweak them down the road as their swing changes? This will cost more money (assuming we need to change shafts) but it will keep the clubs “current” and fit to the swing.
I like the second option. I don’t understand why people want to buy a club that hurts their game. You should never have to change your swing to suit your clubs. Buy something that works now and then tweak them as the years go by. It’s not that big of a deal to switch shafts. Sure it might cost a few bucks but it will allow your clubs to change as you change. Some of the big companies will reshaft their clubs for a really good price. Check into this when you’re buying a new set. If the salesperson doesn’t know… get them to find out.
There is another version of this story that I see all the time. This is the customer that comes in and wants to buy a set of “players” irons that they can “play into”. They practice a lot and think that their game will be beyond the “game improvement” stage soon. So what to do? My answer… demo some “players” clubs and see how your game is coming. Watch your ball flight… is the reduced offset causing you to slice some of your irons? Are you hitting the ball high enough? Is there a loss of distance? Are you feeling your miss hits? Do you feel you are miss hitting more often than not? If you answer “yes” to most of these questions, I would reconsider the idea of “playing into” a new set. You’re probably better off sticking to what you have already or investing in a game improvement club. If you don’t feel that the “players” irons were out of your league (and be honest), then you might want to look at a slightly more forgiving “players” iron… a reduced offset club with a cavity. Or better yet, look at a combo set.
The person that knows your game the best is you. Be honest with yourself and your salesperson. Tell us your problems and we will help find a club that works for you. Ask questions about after sales service. What companies are best at refitting you down the road? Think about how much time you currently spend on your game and how much time you plan on spending… you won’t get better if you don’t play. Don’t be affraid to take you clubs back into the shop where you bought them and get looked at every spring. We do it all the time. Make adjustments to your clubs as you make adjustments to your game. Don’t hit a regular flex if you swing hard enough for a stiff. Don’t hit a blade if you can’t. Golf is hard enough… you don’t need your clubs working against you.
Hope This Helps!
SirShanksAlot