After wading through dozens of pages that blather on about AI impact simulations, groove draft angles and zero torque, you’ll probably be up to your headcovers in golf-club jabberwocky. You came to Australian Golf Digest’s annual Equipment Guide simply wondering what to do about your sticks and we presented you with a lot (with more to come in the Hot List that begins next issue). Maybe it feels like we left you to figure out too much on your own. To be clear, we want you to see a qualified fitter but to even make the appointment, maybe you need some straight talk first. So, here’s some sage equipment wisdom to refer to now or when you’re next befuddled by variable face thickness, moment of inertia, loft-specific bounce angles or robot data.
- If you can’t remember when you bought your driver, it’s time.
- Nearly all drivers launch with less spin than a generation ago. That means you will get more distance with higher loft. Embrace it.
- If the peak height of your driver’s ball flight is not within a metre or so of your best 7-iron’s trajectory, you’ve got the wrong driver.
- If the only time you hit a 3-wood more than 200 metres is off a tee, get it out of your bag and replace it with a 4-wood or 5-wood.
- If you’re more of a sweeper, lean towards higher-lofted fairway woods. If you’re hitting down on your longer clubs, look at hybrids first.
- If you don’t carry your 7-iron 145, don’t carry any iron longer than a 6.
- You may not want Super-Game-Improvement irons, but shouldn’t you demo one to prove you don’t?
- If you’re this close to breaking 80 and still using Players or Game-Improvement irons, stop. Players-Distance irons will hit every approach shot closer to the flag.
- If you’re changing your grips on your wedges, don’t. Get new wedges.
- If you aren’t thinking about grip size during your clubfitting, then your clubfitting isn’t finished yet.
- A 58-degree wedge provides all the versatility a hope-I-break-90 game needs. If you think you need a 60- degree, then you’d better have at least four wedges in your bag.
- Run the eraser of a golf pencil down the face of your wedge. If it doesn’t catch on any of the grooves, replace it.
- If you’re trying new putters and the putting green doesn’t have enough room for a 40-foot putt, you’re not getting a great idea of how that putter works in the real world.
