It’s hard not to get emotionally attached to that driver your parents bought you that has served you so well, or the nine-iron with which you once found the hole from 120 yards. But a regular golfer will know when something just isn’t right with the clubs they’re using. And when getting them repaired no longer seems to do the job, it might be time to splash out on a new set. Here are the telltale signs that it might be the right moment to change.
Your drives are barely getting the ball off the ground
If this happens you’re sacrificing distance. New clubs are designed to get the ball higher in the air, and in doing so, the ball finds its way further up the fairway. It’s not just with drivers that this is an issue – with an old iron you might land your ball on the green only to find it shoots on and you end up among the trees. New irons are designed to give you more control, so the ball behaves itself when it bounces.
There’s too much spin on the ball
This can also lessen both distance and control. If your drive shot has lots of spin, the ball might lift and drop quickly, making less ground than you might expect. Modern clubs are made so there’s plenty of height but less spin on the ball.
You find yourself on a big losing streak
Yes, there’s always the chance that you’re just not that good. But if you’ve been playing with the same group of people for a number of years and find that nowadays their drives go further, their chips onto the green have more control, and they’re generally playing fewer shots than you, it might be the clubs that are the problem.
Every year technology improves clubs by just a little – so little, in fact, that you won’t really notice a difference between a 2019 club and a 2021 club. But if yours date back 15 or 20 years, it might be preventing you from truly competing.
Obvious wear and tear
Grips are normally the first to get damaged, but are normally easily replaced. The club head, meanwhile, is hard to repair if there are too many dents in the driver or no grooves in your irons, so this is the time to look for something new.
You’ve outgrown your clubs
With proper TLC, your clubs will last many, many years. But are you now too good for the clubs you have? If your game’s improved it might be time to take the next step up in terms of the quality of your set.
Upgrading to a new set of clubs isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. It can be a pricey venture, but if you get the right clubs, you’ll find that your game could well improve and that you have a bag of trusty servants for the next decade or two.