You have money for a new driver or a new putter, whatcha buying and why?

[tsecor]

You have enough $$ for a new driver, (say $600 -700), or a new custom putter (your brand of choice)

 

whatcha buying and why? 

 

[Abh159]

What am I buying? A driver

 

Why? Because I like my putter and don't need a new one

 

 

[dugue4]

I like both of what i have in the bag now.  But if I had to choose, probably a driver.

 

@IndyArcher this was post 666, and i still don't want that lucky cat.

Edited June 19, 2023 by dugue4

[Soloman1]

Lessons.

[spencermrgn]

Putter. I’m more likely to keep putters around and switch them in and out when the stroke feels a bit off.

If a driver doesn’t fit me, it has no chance of going back into the bag.

[Roejye]

Medical bills.

 

If I had to choose in this scenario I'll buy a putter, but it'd be a cheap one for a possible travel bag. Then I'd take the savings and buy some backup shafts.

[Dufferonius]

Putter.  I'm sure about my driver.  Not so sure about my putter.

 

But, I also wouldn't spend $600-$700 on a custom putter, either.  Or a driver.

[LimaSierra]

getting my old 2 ball putter back. misplaced it on a vacation.

 

i rarely use a driver, so no need for a new one

[Ghostwedge]

1. driver... got to be fit for that kind of money.

2. putter... if you can putt, you can putt with a $40 Anser or a $400 Scotty.

[Jifmoli]

Cobra Aerojet. Looks cool and gets great reviews. The Srixon Mk2 looks good too.

 

Not sure why I keep reading driver reviews - I don't play with them at all coz they cost me too many lost balls. Sold the last driver I will most likely ever have a few weeks ago.

 

Putters are overrated at my level and I would never spend a lot of money on one.

 

So if I had 700 bucks to spend I might buy a 3 wood instead, and perhaps invest in testing golf balls - one area I never paid attention to.

[MattM97]

Putters, I have lots. Do I need more? No. Do I want more? Not right now, I'm also putting quite well at the moment. 

 

Driver, only have 1 right now. It works, it's pretty good, not crazy consistent. I'm sure if I walked into a fitting with a blank cheque we could find something better for me, even if just a shaft. 

[Springsteennut]

If I have to choose one it would be the driver. It would be hard to find one that would help me find better than the 63% of fairways. 

[Ri_Redneck]

For $700 I'd go on Ebay and get both! 😁

 

BT

[Mrgreen36]

Lab putter

[CBraynor]

Driver and putter are the two clubs I’m most happy with in my bag currently but if I had to choose I’d get a custom lab with an upgraded shaft and sight line of my choice. I have no problem with the stock sight line and shaft but it’d be fun to see if a graphite shaft makes a difference.

 

however for someone who isn’t happy with either and needed to replace one, I’d recommend a new driver. You can putt well with anything with enough practice. A lot more noticeable benefits will be had from a properly fit driver

[ShortGolfer]

When I had a full bag fitting at Club Champion I found I could putt well with just about all the putters on display.

 

Driver, on the other hand, is still "under construction!"

After getting fitted it is now OK but I hope there is still lots of improvement to be had.

Edited June 20, 2023 by ShortGolfer

[RoyalMustang]

Typical consultant's answer: it depends. I would pay for the fitting over the gear, personally. Then if the fitting confirmed my current gear worked just fine, move onto lessons. I would only change the gear if there was a clear need to do so, confirmed via fitting. If your clubs are a "tool" vs. something more than just a tool, then your answer will vary. 

 

I suppose it's like 2 successful contractors and their vehicles. One guy drives a beat-up mid 2000's truck that works just fine for what he needs; visiting job sites and hauling stuff around. The other guy buys a shiny new $60k truck every 2 years. They are both tools but the shiny new truck means something to the second guy; the first guy just needs a tool that works, and both trucks get him and his gear to the job site reliably. He spends his $ elsewhere, and that's OK. 

 

If my driver has been fit to me and is within 5 years new, no reason to upgrade (I just did a fit on my TSi3 w/75X whiteboard that confirmed this).

 

If my putter has been fit to me with technology showing that it matches my desired angle of attack/spin/turnover, again, there aren't any equipment benefits to be had with a newer putter. 

 

Now, if I have money burning a hole in my pocket, I would go putter and something fun and custom, but also something that is identical to my current setup. I did this with a race (road) bicycle once: custom team paint and everything on a Lynskey titanium. Then I changed teams the next year and the bike didn't match! 

 

But before I do either, I would book a series of lessons to improve my game. Definitely the best ROI for most of us. 

[RoyalMustang]

15 minutes ago, ShortGolfer said:

When I had a full bag fitting at Club Champion I found I could putt well with just about all the putters on display.

 

Driver, on the other hand, is still "under construction!"

After getting fitted it is now OK but I hope there is still lots of improvement to be had.

 

I just got fit for both my driver and putter: I had the opposite experience. 

 

He tweaked my driver from 8.75 to 8 degrees (TSi3) and removed one strip of lead tape, taking it from D3.5 to D2.5. He then handed it back and said "don't waste $ on a new driver until this one breaks). This was after 75 minutes of fitting.

 

My putter was different: we moved the ball up in my stance by at least an inch, dropped 20g from the head weight, and increased the size of the grip by 10cc. The numbers then were spot-on: 1.7 degree upward angle on impact, rate closure of 33, on-line every time. 

 

5 rounds later, the putter has probably dropped 10 strokes for me. It was notoriously bad before (lots of 3 putts, inconsistent speed and line) and now, I am making most everything within 5 feet and a whole lot within 10 feet. In those 5 rounds, I have had only two 3-putts, and they were both long range. 

 

I highly encourage anyone out there to get a Trackman putter fitting! 

Edited June 20, 2023 by RoyalMustang

[PlatinumNike]

More technology in driver. Putters gonna putt 

[vandyfan]

Normally I would say driver but I would really like a LINK.1 and the main thing holding me back is how expensive they are. 

[getitdaily]

Driver. If I had the $ to blow then I'd get a paradym td and compare it head to head, on course, against my stealth+.

[Rbsiedsc]

Driver actually fit for me. Love my LAB DF putter right now and would not give that up, although a new one with a Accra shaft could be real nice!

[Lasorcier]

Happy with both,  but driver easily.  This is probably heresy but a putter is a putter.

 

Nice putters are nice putters and I would probably putt the same with a $2.99 one from goodwill.   Would be an interesting experiment. 

[hlca]

I would never pay full retail for a driver.  I like my putter and don't see it ever leaving my bag.  

[Poor Mans Ty Webb]

Pretty sure this is how the Mini Driver experiment starts…

[BigMac_Finn]

On 6/19/2023 at 10:08 AM, tsecor said:

You have enough $$ for a new driver, (say $600 -700), or a new custom putter (your brand of choice)

 

whatcha buying and why? 

 

Both.. for 600-700 I can get a used Rogue ST, Stealth plus, Titleist TSi2/3, Ping G425, Cobra LTDX, etc.. and last years Scotty all for that!! and maybe see a 1-3% difference than 2023 models.. maybe even less difference

[jplroper]

I'm not buying a new putter, really like mine.

[Maroon_19]

New putter.  Artisan.  Need a second one since I have two grandsons.  Each gets one when papa is gone.  Two fine watches and two fine putters for two fine young men.  Now have to see if my other daughters are going to have any kids...

[KGrinols]

Assuming you're actively looking to replace both, I'd chose the putter, because you use it on every single hole, so at least 18 times, 36 times if you're solid, 54 times if you're like me 😂

 

A driver, you use 14 times if you're lucky.

[RoyalMustang]

29 minutes ago, BigMac_Finn said:

Both.. for 600-700 I can get a used Rogue ST, Stealth plus, Titleist TSi2/3, Ping G425, Cobra LTDX, etc.. and last years Scotty all for that!! and maybe see a 1-3% difference than 2023 models.. maybe even less difference

 

I bet less-my driver fitter a couple of weeks ago saw no discernable difference between my TSi3 and the new TSR3/Stealth 2+/Paradym Triple Diamond, once we had shafts dialed in. 

 

He says that he only recommends someone to buy a new driver when their current one is more than 2 generations old or isn't a good fit. He won't refuse the money but it isn't in his best interest to ruin his reputation as an impartial fitter who is there to help someone's game.