There’s a difficult balancing act between moving with technology and finding gear that you love and trust.
Some players prefer to update their gear fairly regularly, others are loyal to trusted weapons that they stick by season after season.
No one was more loyal than Jack Nicklaus. The 'Golden Bear' famously kept the same MacGregor 693 3-wood for 37 years and used it in all 18 of his Major Championship victories.
There are different reasons why you might decide to upgrade your irons and woods, and some clubs should be upgraded more often than others.
Here are six questions you should ask yourself when considering when, why and how often you should upgrade your golf clubs…
1. Are you improving?
A starter set is a great option for someone beginning their journey in golf and it can help you get a footing in the game. However, as you start to improve and your handicap begins to come down, you will benefit from an upgrade.
Moving to a custom-fit game improving set, from driver right through to wedges, could help you get to the next level
Depending on how much you improve, you might be better off looking to move away from clubs that are designed for game improvers to those that offer a little more in the way of workability.
In other words, as you improve, your golf equipment should follow your trajectory.
New golfers should be looking at a relatively cost-effective option as they decide whether golf is for them; and mid to high handicappers should look at woods and irons that are playable, forgiving and produce a nice high flight.
If you start to near the single figure level, you might want to upgrade to equipment that is more precise, perhaps slightly stiffer shafts, in order to gain more control.
2. Are you losing distance?
As we all, inevitably, get older we might find we’re losing distance and we need to upgrade our equipment to something that gives us more assistance in this department.
Perhaps five years ago, you were still getting the most from those stiff-shafted blades, for example, but now your distance is dropping and you’re finding it's also having an impact on your accuracy. It’s time to upgrade.
Go to your local qualified PGA pro and see what the options are for staying in the game at the standard you want to.
It's quite possible to continue performing at the level you were just by going for slightly more forgiving shafts. Swallow your pride and find something that gives you an extra 10 yards.
3. Has technology moved on?
It’s not uncommon to hear people say, “Technology has barely moved on since I bought this driver in 2004.” Well, it has.
Tests prove that modern drivers outperform great models from yesteryear. You could be missing out on vital yards and extra consistency. If your driver is out of date, it’s time to upgrade; the same goes for fairway woods.
When it comes to irons, there have been considerable advances in weight placement and aerodynamics that make today’s offerings far superior to those of previous decades.
The thing to do is go and try new ones on a launch monitor and compare the results to what your old ones produce. You could well be surprised.
4. How often do you play?
If you’re a regular golfer, you’re likely to upgrade your gear more frequently as your equipment will make more of a difference to your performance relatively speaking, compared to someone who only plays very occasionally.
If you only play a few times a year, then it’s probably not worth the investment to get a new set of sticks every six months or so.
However, if you’re playing five times a week, then a new driver or a new putter could jgive you that edge you’re looking for.
5. Are they worn out?
This is another fairly obvious one. Are your clubs worn out? If the shafts have lost their zip, if the grooves on your wedges are non existent, if the heads of your irons are battered out of shape, then you should really upgrade.
Your wedges need to be upgraded more frequently than other irons because they are used so much. If they lose their zip, you’re massively missing out on performance.
So, if you notice you’re not getting the spin you once did on short shots, it could be time to invest in some new ones.
6. Have you fallen out of love?
Most of us have at least one trusted weapon in the bag that has probably hung around longer than it should. Often, it’s a putter.
However, putter technology has also moved on considerably and being custom fit for a new flat stick could be the single most important club upgrade you could make.
Just imagine if you could knock a couple of putts off each round with a new, more reliable putter. Your handicap would be two shots lower.
Generally, you should upgrade any time you fall out of love with any club in your bag. If you don’t absolutely trust your driver anymore, an upgrade could be the key.
If you no longer find the sweetspot of those bladed irons on a frequent basis, an upgrade to something with a bit more meat on the clubhead could be what you need.
It's easy to say this, but finances will obviously come into it, too.
However, each of the questions above should be considered to give a rough idea of when it's necessary to change your golf clubs.
For the average 15 handicap players who plays once a week, here’s a guideline:
Driver – Every four years
Fairways – Every four years
Irons – Every seven years
Wedges – Every two-three years
Putter – Personal choice
