Why are we chasing the OEM's dangled carrot?

[BallerNate]

29 minutes ago, lefthack said:

 

I'm not going to lie, trying new stuff is at least half the fun. I consider myself fortunate to have gone from good to amazing in my bag this year. 

 

It is a bit of an upfront investment, but the sale of old clubs fund the purchase of new. So it's not like I've dropped $3k all at once. More like $600 a few times. 🤣

No doubt…I’ve maxed out the golf equipment budget a few times over this year, but I’ve loved every single second of it!! 🤣🤣

[PorkChopExpress]

It’s just like cars

[4bees]

after years of wondering what a proper fitting would do, I finally bit the bullet and got fit.  Found the set of irons that gave me the most confidence and forgiveness.  They will be in my bag for around 5-7 years.  Now going for the driver fitting and that one will be around the same timeframe.

 

I used to buy new heads and try shafts left and right.  Sometimes you break even on those tinkering moments, and sometimes you lose big.  I finally got tired of this back and forth nonsense, I really dont have the patience for it anymore.  Golf is hard enough, I just want the equipment that helps make it more bearable.    

[iknowbagu]

I think being here gives us a very skewed view of the real world.  We are the 1%.  Go to any course and you will see the overwhelming majority of golfers are not playing the latest and greatest.  You might see a new driver here or there and maybe some shiny new irons or wedges sometimes, but they really are few and far between.  Go find the best players at your club.  The former club champs, the really gifted juniors, heck, even just the has-been weekend warrior who still occasionally finds that glorious 68 somewhere out there.  My guess is they are not bagging a SIM2 or the brand new Titleist T-series.

 

Even though I LOVE equipment and tech, I personally am in the extreme minority on WRX in regards to actually replacing clubs.  I overhauled my entire bag within the last 18 months (sans driver) but before that my fairway and hybrid were from 2011 and irons from 2012.  Bag before that was irons from 1999 and driver from 2001.  The only thing that really gets replaced with any kind of regularity is wedges every 5 years or so.  I literally beat my clubs into submission.  They are tools, nothing more, nothing less.  Do you replace your drill every time DeWalt comes out with a new model that puts out 200 more RPM or 5 ft-lbs of torque?  Probably not.

 

This might get me banned, but I truly believe that constant equipment changes hurt more than they help most golfers.  

[ShortGolfer]

It doesn't have to cost a lot if you can wait a few years.

I bought a 2004  Big Bertha Titanium driver for $45.  I cut it down to 41 inches and added lead tape.

 

I later bought an Epic Flash driver and two different shafts for another $300.

After all that I'll putting the Big Betha in the bag until my game improves enough to warrant a longer driver.

It is nice to have the choice.

Edited October 6, 2021 by ShortGolfer

[dubbelbogey]

19 minutes ago, iknowbagu said:

I think being here gives us a very skewed view of the real world.  We are the 1%.  Go to any course and you will see the overwhelming majority of golfers are not playing the latest and greatest.  You might see a new driver here or there and maybe some shiny new irons or wedges sometimes, but they really are few and far between.  Go find the best players at your club.  The former club champs, the really gifted juniors, heck, even just the has-been weekend warrior who still occasionally finds that glorious 68 somewhere out there.  My guess is they are not bagging a SIM2 or the brand new Titleist T-series.

 

Even though I LOVE equipment and tech, I personally am in the extreme minority on WRX in regards to actually replacing clubs.  I overhauled my entire bag within the last 18 months (sans driver) but before that my fairway and hybrid were from 2011 and irons from 2012.  Bag before that was irons from 1999 and driver from 2001.  The only thing that really gets replaced with any kind of regularity is wedges every 5 years or so.  I literally beat my clubs into submission.  They are tools, nothing more, nothing less.  Do you replace your drill every time DeWalt comes out with a new model that puts out 200 more RPM or 5 ft-lbs of torque?  Probably not.

 

This might get me banned, but I truly believe that constant equipment changes hurt more than they help most golfers.  

 

This is basically me, too.

 

I'm interested in equipment, but actual changes to my bag are very rare. Clubs in my bag range from 16 to 3 years old, with a median somewhere in the 9-10 year range.

 

My buddies are kind enough to let me hit their shiny new golf clubs. It's fun, but I prefer my clubs to be like a favorite old pair of jeans or boots. Actually, as a former ski racer, ski boots are a good analogy. Nobody who seriously races likes to change their ski boots very often. They get replaced only when they absolutely cannot do the job any longer.

 

Grips are meticulously maintained, and replaced when needed, of course.

 

I actually like NOT chasing the carrot. It's simpler. But I'll admit there's a bit of "reverse vanity" involved, too. Beating my buddies with my "old" gear gives a bit of perverse satisfaction.

 

Nice new gear is, well, nice. Nothing wrong with giving yourself a present as often as you'd like. Just different strokes...

 

 

[NRJyzr]

2 hours ago, monkeyboy said:

We are sheep.

Marketers, corporations have to constantly feed the beast and know very well how to get our dollars.

 

They change our mental perceptions thru their tactics.

 

Couple that with an incredible amount of wealth at this point in society...and people who are less secure in general.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a They Live reference!!

 

My day is complete!     💀

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by NRJyzr

[BIG STU]

1 hour ago, lefthack said:

 

I'm not going to lie, trying new stuff is at least half the fun. I consider myself fortunate to have gone from good to amazing in my bag this year. 

 

It is a bit of an upfront investment, but the sale of old clubs fund the purchase of new. So it's not like I've dropped $3k all at once. More like $600 a few times. 🤣

LOL I am just the opposite from you-- I like to try new to me older vintage stuff--- But variety is the spice of life that makes the world go round--- And like you stated it is half the fun

[coloradogolf]

1 hour ago, iknowbagu said:

... I truly believe that constant equipment changes hurt more than they help most golfers.  

Totally agree. In the early to late 2000s I went through a ridiculous cycle of equipment tinkering. Putters, drivers, woods, hybrids and so on. Fortunately, I eventually  stopped after I found a used set of Mizuno MP 60s, a Nike Sasquatch driver with an Accra shaft and a Odyssey putter. It's been 10+ years since that happened and I have not bought a single club for my self. All of that is still in my bag. I only started getting better after I stopped tinkering. I am still not very good but I can play golf and enjoy the game.

 

I recently decided to hand down my bag to my younger son and get some new equipment, but I am honestly very nervous about this because I know what a rabbit hole this can be. 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by coloradogolf

[TwistedSister]

3 hours ago, nitram said:

I recently reverted back to my old SLDR 430. Yes the same one I have lamented here on more than a few occasions that's too tough to tame. But it continues to perform better than anything I've tried besides a 2016 M2. It has a different shaft now and I'm quite content to live with the results. Same thing for my fairway woods. I've recently re-shafted my old V-Steels and while I may lose 5 yards to the modern stuff, I know where the hell they're going and how they're going to act when they get there.

I have a SLDR 430 12* that I loft down to 10.5*.  I keep trying the newer 460 heads and after a few good rounds I go back to the smaller head.  I just bought a XR pro head and have it on a Project X Camo.  Gonna take it out to mmonet gane this weekend COLD.  I still have my XR 16 PRO strong 3 wood on a 48G shaft at 44" and can hit it as long as any 460 head driver.  And MORE solidly. 

[cgasucks]

If it wasn't for the USGA and R&A's restrictions on clubhead size and COR limits and the unbreakable laws of physics, Golf would be a very expensive game for me.  Could you imagine a world where each club gets longer and more forgiving over time?

Edited October 6, 2021 by cgasucks

[chipa]

He we're guys machines are our "thing".

 

I'm on a limited budget but I'm no different. However, I find I like the higher lofted irons with less toe weight so that suits me perfectly and I love my '99 990B's. I also found out that I can finally hit a fairway wood w/o snap hooking it, a small 1996 Big Bertha Warhawk. I also hit the smaller drivers better, 360 cc, another perfect match for me as they are cheap. I also found I'm better at lag putting at my hilly greens home course with a smaller putter, a cheap 8802 copy.

 

With some swing changes I feel I am ready to shoot in the 70's like I had done (rarely) many years ago.

[cgasucks]

3 minutes ago, chipa said:

He we're guys machines are our "thing".

 

I'm on a limited budget but I'm no different. However, I find I like the higher lofted irons with less toe weight so that suits me perfectly and I love my '99 990B's. I also found out that I can finally hit a fairway wood w/o snap hooking it, a small 1996 Big Bertha Warhawk. I also hit the smaller drivers better, 360 cc, another perfect match for me as they are cheap. I also found I'm better at lag putting at my hilly greens home course with a smaller putter, a cheap 8802 copy.

 

With some swing changes I feel I am ready to shoot in the 70's like I had done (rarely) many years ago.

 

I love my 990s too.  To me they offer a muscleback feel found only in blades with the durability of a cast iron.  Best of both worlds.

[rsballer10]

13 hours ago, TigerInTheWoods said:

Thought the Rapture and now M2 thread by @cardoustie was quite interesting. Older drivers keeping up while we spend $500+ a year on the "latest and greatest". Yes, we are all enthusiasts on an equipment forum so I understand the spends, but the normalization of super expensive equipment is now striking me as more and more odd. I love trying things and recently hit some shots with my buddy's Vapor Pro irons. By all accounts these things are not supposed to be very forgiving, but they are up there with my favorite irons I've ever hit. I properly love them. I can pick a set up for $350 or so that will keep up with or even exceed the performance of my $2000 Miuras. I hit a 2016 M2 recently as well and if properly fit I have no doubt it would be as long as my Max LS. So why are we eating it up? Is it because we want to believe that it's the gears fault? My buddy that plays the aforementioned Nikes shoots in the 60s with his eyes closed and the only thing in his bag he will mess with is: 

 

1. Putters - he has a million

2. New wedge set at the beginning of every season 

3. His driver is modern (Sim) but doesn't love it. 

4. Driver shafts if he isn't swinging as quick

 

 

It's so true - I feel like we all "know" better but it's a tough habit to break. I know I come up with a bunch of rationalizations for buying/building new equipment. The worst part is I favor traditional equipment, blade like irons, wedges, putters & compact drivers. Stuff that doesn't need to be the latest and greatest because it is least affected by tech advancements. The worst part of all is that my equipment setup is essentially the same as it was over a decade ago: D,3w/5w, 3-pw, sw, lw. This bag cost me :  $200 + 40 + 35 + 140 + 20 + 20 ~ $450-500 if I remember correctly. Now I'm around $2k-3k for a set of clubs that essentially does the same thing. The difference for me was lifestyle creep, I'm not a broke college kid anymore. A part of me wishes that I had put the money into something more productive.

[third-times-a-charm]

From a purely spec standpoint yes if you flush it they all do the same thing since like 2015.

 

From a mishit standpoint there's an argument to be made SOME modern equipment is better.

 

If you shoot in the 60s, anything will work for you. A rental set is just fine.

 

From a financial standpoint - if you CAN afford something and it's no different to you performance-wise - why not buy the latest and greatest? Shouldnt matter what someone does with their money.

 

Now if you CANT afford it and you're just trying to bandaid with equipment, than thats your argument not to.

[Fellaheen51]

There are some of us out here that need you boys to keep chasing carrots.  For those fresh and shiny ones become used up, outdated, old tech.  And are liquidated in favor of the next "new" thing.  Eventually those carrots trickle down to us used equipment ho's and we save substantial funds in the process.  Keep on doing what you do.  TIA.  

[lefthack]

1 hour ago, BIG STU said:

LOL I am just the opposite from you-- I like to try new to me older vintage stuff--- But variety is the spice of life that makes the world go round--- And like you stated it is half the fun

 

I'd like to think the top of my bag is good for a bit, but I could get bored. While I do love my irons, I bought the Takomo 101's now that they have lefties (end of November) and I would love to get the Haywood MB's once they do lefties later (end of year, early next).

 

That gives me a blade set, a split cb set, and a GI set. Depending where I'm playing and how I'm feeling, I can go big blades, or easy GI, or in between. 

 

<edit> All 3 sets combined are less than $1500, so it was kind of easy to justify. 

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by lefthack

[j_murphy]

Have consistently gamed Ping Irons over the years - if I can sell my previous generation and buy a new set for a few hundred more then it's a no brainer to upgrade

[Hougz79]

I’m exceedingly happy with my bag right now.  Putters is kinda a rotation between a Spider X, Newport 2, and my 5.5; but everything else is good for a while.  I haven’t loved a set of irons as much as my P7MCs since original X Forged or MP-60.  They fit my eye, and the sole fits my swing.  Driver fits well, and wedges get rotated out every year.  I’m pleased.

[JMB3]

I’m an admitted club hoe, but it’s all just part of the fun for me.  That said, with the improvements I’ve made in my game the last 1.5 years and an expensive part of my life coming up, that will momentarily subside.  

[mcounci2]

I'm a selective ho it seems.  Putters? Drivers? I have as much fun trying new heads/shafts/clubs as I do playing golf 

 

Hands off my MP66's though.  I'm going to have to literally wear them out before I go iron shopping

[Cpk23]

Most people don't test older clubs against newer clubs. They are brainwashed.

[Kenbone]

Face it, we all have bad GAS.

 

 

 

 

(Gear Acquisition Syndrome)

[St Jimmy]

Club ho'ing is fun.  

The secret is to actually stop when you find something that works.  

 

 

[BallerNate]

6 hours ago, iknowbagu said:

I think being here gives us a very skewed view of the real world.  We are the 1%.  Go to any course and you will see the overwhelming majority of golfers are not playing the latest and greatest.  You might see a new driver here or there and maybe some shiny new irons or wedges sometimes, but they really are few and far between.  Go find the best players at your club.  The former club champs, the really gifted juniors, heck, even just the has-been weekend warrior who still occasionally finds that glorious 68 somewhere out there.  My guess is they are not bagging a SIM2 or the brand new Titleist T-series.

 

Even though I LOVE equipment and tech, I personally am in the extreme minority on WRX in regards to actually replacing clubs.  I overhauled my entire bag within the last 18 months (sans driver) but before that my fairway and hybrid were from 2011 and irons from 2012.  Bag before that was irons from 1999 and driver from 2001.  The only thing that really gets replaced with any kind of regularity is wedges every 5 years or so.  I literally beat my clubs into submission.  They are tools, nothing more, nothing less.  Do you replace your drill every time DeWalt comes out with a new model that puts out 200 more RPM or 5 ft-lbs of torque?  Probably not.

 

This might get me banned, but I truly believe that constant equipment changes hurt more than they help most golfers.  

As someone that’s flipped their bag more times than I can count over the last 2 years (I’m probably at around 7-8 full bag flips), I’ve learned that you’re absolutely right…once you find something that works, stick with it as long as you can!

 

I’m a full out club ho and am fighting my urges to somehow find a way to stick with my current setup that is really good.

[mogc60]

I definitely don’t chase a dangling carrot but I do tinker and if I find a combo that yields better results I make the switch. Trying equipment is and always has been something I love about the game. I also have a 6 year old Wilson staff hybrid that won’t leave my bag cause it’s flat money. My irons are 3 years old. I still consistently use a Fly Z+ 3 wood. I won’t change to change but I’m always searching 

[BIG STU]

3 hours ago, lefthack said:

 

I'd like to think the top of my bag is good for a bit, but I could get bored. While I do love my irons, I bought the Takomo 101's now that they have lefties (end of November) and I would love to get the Haywood MB's once they do lefties later (end of year, early next).

 

That gives me a blade set, a split cb set, and a GI set. Depending where I'm playing and how I'm feeling, I can go big blades, or easy GI, or in between. 

 

<edit> All 3 sets combined are less than $1500, so it was kind of easy to justify. 

 

And you lefty guys have to take advantage when you find equipment especially vintage stuff. But it can be advantageous price wise when you do. A good friend of mine is a Southpaw and a few years back he found a Pristine set of Nike VR blades still in plastic for less than $100. Guy said he had been trying to sell them for years. 

 

Well your price range seems good--- Now I used to work for a metal recycling company before I retired and trust me I have some good Vintage stuff I paid .05 for and some newer stuff I either traded or sold--- But I was lucky

[BIG STU]

3 hours ago, mcounci2 said:

I'm a selective ho it seems.  Putters? Drivers? I have as much fun trying new heads/shafts/clubs as I do playing golf 

 

Hands off my MP66's though.  I'm going to have to literally wear them out before I go iron shopping

I am the same way part of my fun now especially on the vintage end

 

I feel the same way about my Macs as you do the 66s but if I wear those out I still have 3 sets of Mac Muirfields which are the same forging and 2 sets of FC 4000s--- 

[ChaosTheory]

3 hours ago, Cpk23 said:

Most people don't test older clubs against newer clubs....

 

They don't?  Man, that's crazy.  I try a lot of clubs but they always have to beat out the incumbents.   That's why I played the same set of irons (Golfsmith components!) from 2009-2019.  I tried a bunch but they came and went.   Tried a lot of drivers too, but only beat out the incumbent 3 times from, say, 2006 to present.  (Component 460-> Nike Dymo2 -> 915D2 -> M4.)  I'm happier now than I was when I was churning clubs.  Until I feel that my current clubs can't do something that I think they could, they are pretty safe. 

 

Fairway woods are unique IMO.  It's hard to find a good one.  So when you do, cherish it and have the good sense to stop trying to replace it.  

 

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Snowman9000
perfectionism

[ChaosTheory]

I will add, I always envied the guys who played DG S300 shafts.  Because they could truly buy a new set of irons with those shafts, and pretty much get what they expected.   OTOH I live in the graphite world, and every club comes with something different.  Or at least they don't come with what works for me.