What's the most important factor when shopping for clubs?

[fundonny]

Since I posted the results of the 2006 club test, I was wondering what the most important factor is to you when you buy clubs.

[ironmaster15213]

The first thing that comes to mind is how many mini marts do I have to make undocumented withdrawals from to pay for those new clubs?????

[Started2k3]

You forgot:

How jealous your playing partners are (until you hit the damn things).

[fundonny]

You're right. I should have added "Trade In Value" for Geoff as well.

You forgot:

How jealous your playing partners are (until you hit the damn things).

[sandbagger72]

i went with shot shaping
you should of put consistancy

[mcnorth]

Forgiveness. I should hit the ball with a Catholic priest I need forgiveness so bad.

[davevandyk]

I voted for feel, but i think just as important to me is the looks. I have tried out a bunch of clubs that i loved the feel of, but just couldn't get used to the look of them. I need to be able to look down at my clubs and have confidence, meaning that i need to like the looks.

[jonf]

confidence...being able to stand over the club, and know that if you make the right swing, its going where you want it.

[1972Apex]

I voted for 'all of the above'.

[fundonny]

No no no Reid!

If you couldn't find a club with all of the above, what would matter most. C'mon, play the game!

[1972Apex]

LOL! Well, in that case it would have to be looks.
I'm a sucker for a pretty face, or a shiny chrome iron head... .

[dan_670_12]

for me it depends on what type of club driver is distance, irons are shot shaping and wedges are feel but overall i voted for feel

[The Saint]

LOL! Well, in that case it would have to be looks.
I'm a sucker for a pretty face, or a shiny chrome iron head... .

I agree.. the look is huge for me! Feel is second. I like a D3 -D4 swingweight. But the look of the club should inspire confidence.

I hit some Callaway's that felt great but I can't stand the thick top line. And the Ping Eye's.. forget it. They may feel great, but to me they look ugly... Sorry all you Ping and Callaway lovers... just my opinion.

[Nat Williams]

For me it's a combination of look and feel. If it feels right and is easy to look @ then it gives me the confidence required to play the shot.

The rest of the selections all kind of get lumped together in 2nd place for me.

perfect example: I can probably hit a G2/G5 driver longer than any other on the market, but I don't play it ... it's face feels heavy at impact, there's no resposne from it ... drove me crazy and i sold it

[jonf]

I agree.. the look is huge for me! Feel is second. I like a D3 -D4 swingweight. But the look of the club should inspire confidence.

I hit some Callaway's that felt great but I can't stand the thick top line. And the Ping Eye's.. forget it. They may feel great, but to me they look ugly... Sorry all you Ping and Callaway lovers... just my opinion.

I've never even been able to bring myself to hit a Ping Eye...I just know that no matter how good they feel, I could never look down at that head and play a shot with confidence.

[Nat Williams]

I've never even been able to bring myself to hit a Ping Eye...I just know that no matter how good they feel, I could never look down at that head and play a shot with confidence.

same here ... and like the saint said ... cally clubs just don't suit the eye either ...

[Vokey Design]

My vote goes to FEEL ... but it must be said that I wont even swing a club that doesnt look great at address. There is enough things to go wrong with the golf swing.. i dont need to be thinking about how ugly a club is just before I swing.

But once a club gets in my hands it is all about feel. Thats why forged is king.

["Richard"]

balance between your confidence with the stick in your hands and its resale value for a club hoe like me

[shovellover]

I voted look. Basically referring to the way a club looks when you set up with it.

Wedges are especially tricky this way. They never look right to me.

Oh, and the Hi-bore is the ugliest dang thing i've ever held. Even uglier than the Mac-Burrows big-friggin-dent driver.

[fundonny]

Not one person has voted distance?!?! Could this mean we are mature??

[BC MIST]

Not one person has voted distance?!?! Could this mean we are mature??

Maturing.

There is no doubt that how the club looks at setup is very important. It must be aethesitically pleasing and confidence inspiring. However, as the main purpose of the game is to score low, PERFORMANCE has to be paramount.

Clubs that result in shots that are straighter first and longer second, IMO, should be in the bag. Feel (sound) is nice, however, it is meaninglessas it relates to performance.

Given the choice betwen a clunker that flies straight and far and a beauty that doesn't, the decision is easy.

BTW: I wonder how many choose clubs based on status.

[sharkhark]

Looks.
Bought a set of irons yrs ago based on reputation. Everyone supposedly loved them, great forgiveness yada yada.
Well everytime I stood over them I felt uncomfortable. Never again. Looks first. Thats why I waited until fusions from Callaway. Couldn't take that super sized topline.

[KenB]

Feel, feel, and feel....and looks. I like a D-2. When I waggle, then swing, it has to feel right. I don't really care to much about the sound, as long as it is reasonable, but then the iron's that feel right to me generally sound ok when I hit them - the bettor my ball striking, the bettor the sound. I can't stand the wide top line, it inspires lack of confidance. Distance doesn't matter as it just changes my club selection for the shot at hand.

[TourIQ]

Since I posted the results of the 2006 club test, I was wondering what the most important factor is to you when you buy clubs.

I voted 'shot shaping' BUT thought the selection was flawed. First the club has to fit your eye then it has to perform. Distance in the woods, accuracy for irons and wedges. If it does not have PERFORMANCE (not a criteria to select) then it's just a high priced tomato stake, so enjoy your BLT.

My son and I will NEVER sell a club from our play bag that is not first compared outside (range or game) to the new club that we bought or built. Only when the new is better does it displace the other club to the backup bag, never to be played again unless a shaft breaks and it sees 2 days of active service, until the better club is repaired. We do not want to take 4 steps forward and 2 back. Conventional wisdom does not give a player maximum entitlement aimed at optimization.

[mpare]

I would have thought that the most important factor for all of us would be to first have Reid buy the clubs that you want. Then, when he inevitably sells them - which will be when they're still nice and new - you can buy them at a substantial discount.

[1972Apex]

I would have thought that the most important factor for all of us would be to first have Reid buy the clubs that you want. Then, when he inevitably sells them - which will be when they're still nice and new - you can buy them at a substantial discount.

Not a bad theory Mike .
And you can apply it to a few other members here as well...

[PowerFade]

None of the above. First and foremost they must fit my body size, swing speed/tempo/shape. Then I must know that the shafts fit for length/lie/flex/etc. Then I need to test them to see if they perform as I want (forgiveness/trajectory/spin/dispersion/length/etc.). Price and look fit in next.

There are many ways of going about this: buy clubs to try out then modify them if possible, the same at demo day if you're near one, etc. But the best is to find a good clubfitter to put you through a thorough analysis over the course of a week or more. Then you'll know you are getting the best clubs for you.