The Five Don'ts of Buying Golf Clubs

I’m glad that I’m not a consumer looking to buy golf clubs. I think I’d go crazy if I had to sort through all of the information out there and try to find a set of clubs that work. I see lots of consumers every day that come into my store with a lost look in their eyes… so much stuff, so much info! 

They usually just walk over to a rack and start handling the clubs… pretending they know what they are doing. Some ask for help…. some just look around and are afraid to ask questions. I worry about people that buy clubs without asking questions. You can usually tell if someone has done some homework and they sometimes just want to buy and get out. That’s fine… at least you know what you are getting and have done some research. Other people have no idea what they are doing and buy for the sake of buying… they want to find something and hope it works. I thought I would write about mistakes that I see consumers make when buying golf clubs. Read through these before you run out to the local golf shop… they might save you a bit of cash! Let’s call them the five “Don’ts” of golf club buying…

– DON’T – Buy a club without hitting it! Like seriously… hit it a few times and make sure you like it. Let us have a look and make sure it is going to work for you. I don’t care if you have an awful swing… I see them everyday. You’re not going to get better if you have your equipment against you!

– DON’T – Buy clubs because they have nice grips! I see this all the time with new golfers… “Wow, these have really nice grips! I think I’ll take these.” It’s a $5 piece of rubber… and it takes about a minute to change. I will say this… companies know that this tactic works and they will often put really nice grips on a set for this reason. Notice how a lot of “knock off” clubs have really nice grips?

– DON’T – Expect the most expensive set of clubs is going to land you a gig on the Tour. I wish it was this easy! Find something that works for you. Money can’t buy happiness and money can’t buy a game either. I laugh at the customer that buys the most expensive driver in the store and then comes back in and complains that it doesn’t hit it 300 yards every time. It’s not the bus… it’s the bus driver.

– DON’T – Buy based on what others have. Don’t get me wrong… try your friend’s driver. Get an idea of what other clubs feel like. Then come in and look for YOU. You’re not your friend. You don’t swing like your friend. How do you know that the club that your friend has is right for them? The hot club at the country club might not be for you. Be the golfer that wins the deuce pot on Saturday morning with clubs that work… not the golfer that has all of the “cool” clubs with no game. It’s not high school… you don’t need to fit in anymore!

– DON’T – Buy clubs that you don’t need. If you don’t hit a 3 iron… then don’t buy one. Slice your driver ever time? Don’t buy one. Buy clubs that you will use and find replacements for the ones that you don’t. Try a hybrid. Try a 9 wood. Don’t be afraid if your set is a messed up bag of odds and ends. There is no law that your set must consist of 3-PW and 1,3,5 woods. Change it up! Have fun and find stuff that works.

Be a smart consumer. Make smart choices. Do your research. It’s not that hard… if you know your game you are well on your way to finding golf clubs that work for you!