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Casey Eberting Golf Schools and Golf Instruction
In Texas Hill Country between San Antonio and Austin, Texas
(40 minutes north of San Antonio International Airport)

Your Golf Clubs—Forget The Marketing, Use Your Head!

The bottom line when it comes to equipment—a good player is going to be good no matter what equipment they use (as long as their clubs are fit properly and they like what they are playing), just as a bad player is going to be bad regardless of their equipment.

Golfers seem to be willing to spend a lot of money on new clubs in exchange for marginal, if any, improvement in scores. Rather than spend $2,000 on new equipment, what do you think would happen if you were to spend that money on developing an understanding of what a correct golf swing is?

I know why golfers would rather spend their money on equipment. It's easy, it's quick, it's relatively painless, and you get something shiny and new. Let's face it, buying new golf clubs is exciting and we all like to do it.

On the other hand, when you learn the basics of sound fundamentals and try to apply them to your golf swing, it's not easy, it's not quick, it is painful (frustrating), and you don't get anything material to show for it. But if you stick with it, you'll develop a better swing, which will translate into better scores and more enjoyment. Anyone who plays golf wants to improve, whether they will admit it or not. Overcoming the challenge is what the game is all about!

When you do buy a new set of golf clubs, the brand really doesn't matter as long as they come from a quality manufacturer (for quality control) and you like what you see and you like the way they feel when you hit them. Whether you are buying a new set or playing with an old set, what does matter is that your clubs fit your body and swing. As far as fitting goes, for irons, lie angle and golf shaft characteristics are the most important aspects to consider. You should also have the lofts on all irons checked to see if they meet manufacturer's specs, as they tend to be inconsistent. For metal woods, fitting is getting more detailed. The idea is to find the optimum combination of such factors as launch angle, spin rate, clubhead speed, ball speed, etc.

As with golf instruction, be sure to go to a skilled professional—a club fitter who has extensively studied the art of club fitting. There are many stores and professionals out there who claim to fit clubs. Beware, many of them are not well trained and not thorough! Ideally, you will hit each and every club off of a lie board to determine correct lie angles and have your clubhead speed, and possibly shaft load, measured so that the proper shaft will be selected. As you can imagine, a thorough and precise club fitting will be somewhat expensive, but it is money well spent if you're very serious about your game. I highly recommend that every golfer wanting the most from their clubs, whether buying a new set or not, have their clubs checked and adjusted to fit their swing. Don't let ill fitting clubs hinder your game!

Next Page—What drills and training aids, if any, can help your golf swing

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