Factors when Reviewing a club

[Gxgolfer]

All Input Needed and appreciated

What information does everyone look for when looking at club reviews



Look/Feel/Forgiveness/Distance/Summary(Overall Rating)



Reviewer:

Date/Gender/skill level(Handicap)/Swing Type/ Swing Speed/ Shaft Flex/Avg distance with a 7 iron/Avg distance with driver.

[K2_2]

For the club, I would like to hear everything you mentioned plus info on the grind/how it performs out of rough/hardpan/etc.

 

In regards to reviewers, the info you stated plus their preferred/current shaft is helpful. From time spent with beginners on up to professionals, if you hit something with a shaft that doesn't suit your swing, feel and distance can both be difficult to gauge, at best.

[KTgolf1]

Whilst reviews are always interesting to read, I wouldn't discount potential purchases solely off the back of someone elses opinion. Feel is really subjective, and people swing the club in a hundred different ways. Use the reviews to narrow down a shortlist.

 

Another thing I look at is the reviewer's current WITB. Some people have more brand loyalty than others and therefore a full one brand bag. If a matching set is important to you then by all means go for it, but I always find a review from those switching manufacturers more enlightening as they've probably been open to testing a wider range of equipment.

[MrJones]

I'm always interested in comparison. This is to say, what other similar clubs has the poster used before and how did the current one being reviewed compare? I love trying new equipment and like to know how certain clubs perform compared to others.

[Gxgolfer]

What are the main aspects of a review do most people look at? Are there any review sites(not necessarily golf) that people use and like? Like Edmunds?

[K2_2]

I visit Edmunds now and then if I'm helping a friend looking for a car, and when I'm looking for stereo stuff, a few friends will browse their favourite review sites. For both, quick access to specs, information on pricing, and 'expert reviews' are nice.

 

As has been mentioned, feel and performance for the same club will differ greatly between individuals, so the expert review section might be more challenging for golf clubs.

 

Other than golf course reviews though (nice to check on how courses play and have been maitained recently) I get more buying info from forums (be it for golf, cars, or travel). I have forums that I try to browse and contribute to on a semi-regular basis for these subjects, and in doing so, I get a feel for members who have similar tastes, styles, priorities, etc. It might require a bit more involvement than a quick review at widget_review.com, but I get a great deal more information, and am able to make better decisions as a result.