When to upgrade equipment

Equipment
#1

Just curious as to other peoples thoughts on this… I’m assuming most people here are gaming non-beginner gear and have put some thought and effort into their bag… I’m also assuming that most of us here have real world constraints on time and money, and thus want noticeable improvement with new equipment and aren’t chasing marginal gains…

Personally I always have my eyes out for deals, though those are rare right now, and I have “wish list” of sorts, as well as keeping my eye on what’s coming onto the market.

For instance: If I find a deal on the Mizuno ST200G with a shaft I want, I’ll probably pull the trigger… I expected them to be in the $200 range by now, but that has not come to fruition… I’m actually eyeing the new Cobra and Titliest Drivers, and might buy a new, custom fit one if things go well.

Eventually, I’d like to get a full iron fitting… this is partially a cost problem and partially an excitement issue… there is nothing on market right now I like more than the Adams CMBs.

I’ll replace my wedges next season for groove wear.

I had a putter fitting scheduled (my first ever) and have been playing the same putter for 8 years… My focus in the offseason is short game, so I think making sure I have the “right” putter is a good idea.

Other than that, I don’t really worry about my clubs… I play with shafts for my driver quite a bit… but other than that, I’ve stopped tinkering with clubs… I’ve found the more I focus on practice and improvement, the less I worry about equipment (until I have a shot I can’t hit with the equipment I have)

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#2

I’ve been fortunate to have an informal “apprenticeship” with one of the best clubfitters in the entire golf industry over the last 5 years, Pete’s Golf

The general rule of thumb is that if you get fit properly for clubs, and your swing doesn’t change significantly, there’s no reason for you to switch/upgrade equipment that often. A set of irons can easily last you 5-10 years before you will see a major change in technology. Even for drivers, you really won’t need anything new if you stick with yours for around 5 years, maybe even longer. I know it’s hard to resist the temptation with all of the new toys coming out all of the time, but getting it done right the first time will save you $ over the long run.

The only clubs that are worthwhile to have swapped out are your wedges because the grooves will wear out, and it will make it harder to spin the ball from tougher lies.

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#3

Upgrading, for me, is usually an issue of wear more than anything else. Wedges usually last two seasons before the grooves lose their bite, so those are almost a scheduled replacement.

Irons are such a feel thing. Grooves wear down slower, so they stay in the bag longer. I probably average 4 year on a set of irons unless something in my swing changes and they need to be replaced sooner. Cost is a huge factor as my last two sets have been custom fit and it’s very expensive. Hard to stomach spending $2000+ every couple years. I’m on year 3 with my current irons. I’ve gotten much stronger over that time, so I need more aggressive shafts and some tinkering with swing weight. That’s next on my list.

A good wood from hybrid to driver can stay in the bag a long time. I spent A LOT on my current driver, but the gains have been worth it. If it goes haywire at some point it will be hard to weigh cost versus need to replace it. I plan on gaming it for a long time.

I could replace my putter every round. Some days it’s locked in and the putter just feels like part of my body I have full control over. Some days it feels like I’ve never held a putter in my life. It’s like dating in high school.

#4

Haha, yeah, I think putters are an interesting case study in what equipment someone “needs”… I know people who have owned or currently own 20+ putters…

One of my buddies had his bag stolen from his garage, he didn’t care about the clubs or the bag, he was pissed that his 15 year old putter went missing (he recovered it, fortunately)…

My current putter is from 2012, it replaced my putter from 2000. I won $250 in a club tournament by sinking a 20 foot putt… I used that money on a new putter… I’m not a smart man.

I tend to agree with you on equipment and replace it when it’s worn out… It will be interesting to see how my CMBs hold up over time… my last irons were 20 years old (Taylor Made Oversize, I bought them used with money from my job at age 16).

The biggest equipment change that I’ve seen recently is the new wedges from Mizuno and Callaway… I’m interested in them and might change my wedge setup next year into more GI irons at PW and GW and then traditional at SW and LW…

I’m currenty playing Sm6 wedges I bought new this season for $60… so I’ll game them until the grooves wear out, and then start rethinking my wedge setup.

I find the equipment part fascinating… Some people want to buy a game, some people are willing to chase incremental improvements… some just like new stuff! And the OEMs keep trying to find new ways to sell equipment.

I do think they do a good job of iterating and bringing better equipment to the table… I just don’t think it’s necessary to change equipment that often.

#5

If it’s purely about function, then the answer is “not very often” with the exception of heavy wear on wedges. Plenty of people out there can still rock their Ping Eye2’s and be alright. If it’s about performance, then the cycle seems to be every 3-5 years or so there is enough technological advancement to see some sort of visible performance game (more so in drivers, but these days irons as well). Beyond that, I say it’s as often as one wants to and can afford to. Much worse things to spend money on out there, so if the new club is going to bring joy (and not mean being late on the rent or anything) then I say go for it.

#6

I’ve always been told 4-5 years on driver, 5-10 years on irons and new wedges once you start to notice a degradation in performance.

As far as fairway woods and hybrids go, if it ain’t broke, don’t change it! I’m playing 8 year old hybrids.

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#7

I feel like the new player’s distance irons are changing that iron upgrade curve a bit, but those aren’t really for everybody (or are they? Sounds like another discussion there…)

#8

Most really good players I know don’t go for the players distance irons anyway. They want the control more than the added yardage.

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#9

Golfer Jake!! Welcome! I won’t tell Twitter you’re here don’t worry :joy::joy:

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#10

Ha…some dude asked me to stop by. Thought I’d oblige. :smirk:

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#11

image

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#12

Yeah, I have 0 interest in adding distance to my irons… i also don’t like the way they feel.

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#13

I see that point and a big part of me feels the same, but I also wonder if we’re just in the early stage these clubs hitting to market. I’m sure lots of people said the same thing about 300cc+ drivers for the first few years they were introduced. I know off the tee and into the greens are different aspects of the game, but if those irons wind up helping players get to the green easier, then ten years we might be looking at a traditional headed iron the same way we see a small headed driver today.

#14

Threads like this always make me wonder how much I’m giving up by playing old clubs.

My driver is 10 years old.
My irons are at least 16 years old (Got them second hand in 2004).

Problem is that clubs are just so bloody expensive. Even if I were to buy 2018/2019 models of clubs, I’d be looking at $1000 - $1500 to upgrade. That’s basically a years worth of green fees for me.

#15

There’s not really a good answer, but it’s definitely not “not giving up anything” and not “you’ll be scratch if you just got this new stuff!”. Direct to consumer brands, discussed in other threads, like Sub70 and Hogan on the high end price point & Maltby(golfworks) and Gigagolf.com on the lower end price point can provide new options and much lower prices. Most of my clubs are from Gigagolf and you can build a good set there, top to bottom for around $400. Drawback is that you’re not able to hit them first (some other brands do offer demo programs and all have playability guarantee return policies) and getting fully fitted (probably the biggest advantage of spending in the $1500+ range). Gigagolf does have a simple online fitting tool and club experts who will talk to you about your game and the best options.
At the end of the day though, it’s all about what you’re comfortable with for your game and what you want. If saving money by using older sets allows you to get the most enjoyment out of the game, then that’s the most important thing.

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#16

Yeah. I don’t love spending money on clubs either… it’s definitely worth trying the newer drivers and shafts and keeping an eye on the used market.

Sub70 can get you a set of irons for $500

My irons are from 2012… driver is a cobra Ltd pro… I’m not in a rush to replace either, but try things on occasion to make sure I’m not missing any huge gains.

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