The future of golf gear?

It's been bothering me for a while that there's far more hype in golfing gear than necessary. Golf clubs are becoming increasingly fancy and "bling'd," and are blatantly marketed to the masses. There's so much which goes into promoting the gear that I wonder if this is because the technology behind golf equipment is slowly plateauing. Simply, can they improve a driver or an iron much more than what they've done right now (within the confines of golfing rules)?

Don't get me wrong, I know that there's a lot of R&D which goes takes place and there are improvements in the gear. But, I suspect that a lot of money also goes into making a club more like a shiny item than a technological golfing marvel.

Perhaps it's also me getting older and preferring the retro look. There's a lot to be said about simplicity and how it does just as well (if not better than) clubs which look like they were designed in the Mad Hatter's garage.

vs
(Pictures from Thesandtrap.com)

Thoughts?

PS. No offence to Nike. They build great clubs but the VRS Covert looks like something which Ripley should have used against the Queen.

I remember when the Great Big Bertha was a "massively huge" golf club. Now it is can be as large as some 3 woods. So nothing really surprises me any longer with golf clubs, bling, and tech.

The bling and aesthetics are essentially differentiators between brands as the limits have pretty much been reached and the "tech" side of the clubs have to fall within those constraints. Now the companies are figuring out was to tinker with the clubs to get whatever characteristics they deem "latest and greatest" technology in the club, and out there in a marketable fashion. Plus they have to create new sales as the product cycles have sped up in order to feed the beast. One of the ways to do that is to make minor tech changes (that seem major) then make some cosmetic changes and presto....the latest, greatest club appears again. Some are much better at the scheme than others.

I am open to either a blinged club or a classic looking one. While I do prefer the more classic looking clubs, it does not matter that much to me as long as when I set it up behind the ball I can deal with the look and it performs. Performance for me is the essential factor as even the ugliest club can look a lot better if it works time and again. Promise me an extra 15 and in the fairway, I will try it out and if it works...it would most likely make it to the bag, regardless of the appearance.

It always tickles me to see the amount of once touted 'Limited' & 'Wonder Clubs' from previous years being lelonged for next to nothing at second-hand shops. Am considering getting a couple in mintier condition, chop the heads off and use as paper weights. LOL!

kamen wrote:

It always tickles me to see the amount of once touted 'Limited' & 'Wonder Clubs' from previous years being lelonged for next to nothing at second-hand shops. Am considering getting a couple in mintier condition, chop the heads off and use as paper weights. LOL!

That's a good idea. I wouldn't mind using an old putter head (I have an ancient Ping B60) which would be a nice paperweight

Technospaz wrote:

kamen wrote:

It always tickles me to see the amount of once touted 'Limited' & 'Wonder Clubs' from previous years being lelonged for next to nothing at second-hand shops. Am considering getting a couple in mintier condition, chop the heads off and use as paper weights. LOL!

That's a good idea. I wouldn't mind using an old putter head (I have an ancient Ping B60) which would be a nice paperweight

Agreed bro, putters are great candidates to 'operate' on. Currently I'm short-listing some Japanese drivers to chop

Oops left out, wedges are great too!

Is it suddenly gusting with wind here? My papers do not seem to need an extra weight holding them down...

DRGjr72 wrote:

I remember when the Great Big Bertha was a "massively huge" golf club. Now it is can be as large as some 3 woods. So nothing really surprises me any longer with golf clubs, bling, and tech.

The bling and aesthetics are essentially differentiators between brands as the limits have pretty much been reached and the "tech" side of the clubs have to fall within those constraints. Now the companies are figuring out was to tinker with the clubs to get whatever characteristics they deem "latest and greatest" technology in the club, and out there in a marketable fashion. Plus they have to create new sales as the product cycles have sped up in order to feed the beast. One of the ways to do that is to make minor tech changes (that seem major) then make some cosmetic changes and presto....the latest, greatest club appears again. Some are much better at the scheme than others.

I am open to either a blinged club or a classic looking one. While I do prefer the more classic looking clubs, it does not matter that much to me as long as when I set it up behind the ball I can deal with the look and it performs. Performance for me is the essential factor as even the ugliest club can look a lot better if it works time and again. Promise me an extra 15 and in the fairway, I will try it out and if it works...it would most likely make it to the bag, regardless of the appearance.

Dan, the club makers always promise something. If it's not extra distance, it's greater control. If it's not greater control, better launch. It's always something. But whether that actually is the case, I'm not always sure. In any event, like many other things, it's all about the marketing.

Sadly, however, removing vowels from a word does not make a club good.

Haha, in our climatic-controlled world today paper weights no longer serve their original purpose as much, but more as trinkets to be fiddled with and as conversational objects.

after changing countless drivers and shafts...i have went from hitting it 160m with a big slice to a relatively consistent 200-210m with a 20m left and right dispersion. the future of my golf scores lies with the swing...the reason why I still buy new golf gear is to keep the interest in golf alive.

from a golf equipment slut: If I cannot buy new equipment and play new equipment...play golf ff!

eiji wrote:

after changing countless drivers and shafts...i have went from hitting it 160m with a big slice to a relatively consistent 200-210m with a 20m left and right dispersion. the future of my golf scores lies with the swing...the reason why I still buy new golf gear is to keep the interest in golf alive.

from a golf equipment slut: If I cannot buy new equipment and play new equipment...play golf ff!

yes i think thats part of the allure of golfing... buying and trying something new

costajos wrote:

eiji wrote:

after changing countless drivers and shafts...i have went from hitting it 160m with a big slice to a relatively consistent 200-210m with a 20m left and right dispersion. the future of my golf scores lies with the swing...the reason why I still buy new golf gear is to keep the interest in golf alive.

from a golf equipment slut: If I cannot buy new equipment and play new equipment...play golf ff!

yes i think thats part of the allure of golfing... buying and trying something new

Most golfers change their equipments rather frequently. I hardly change mine. Does that mean that I am not a true blue golfer?

Females prefer to buy lingerie, hand bags and shoes ... That is the main reason as to why there are not a wide range of equipment for women locally ...

mloy wrote:

costajos wrote:

eiji wrote:

after changing countless drivers and shafts...i have went from hitting it 160m with a big slice to a relatively consistent 200-210m with a 20m left and right dispersion. the future of my golf scores lies with the swing...the reason why I still buy new golf gear is to keep the interest in golf alive.

from a golf equipment slut: If I cannot buy new equipment and play new equipment...play golf ff!

yes i think thats part of the allure of golfing... buying and trying something new

Most golfers change their equipments rather frequently. I hardly change mine. Does that mean that I am not a true blue golfer?

Yes, you rarely change your equipment. But you do make changes.

Unfortunately, however, you're using a bunch of golf-sluts for comparison. Compared to these folks (me included), you look prehistoric.

Turbo wrote:

Females prefer to buy lingerie, hand bags and shoes ... That is the main reason as to why there are not a wide range of equipment for women locally ...

Honestly I don't really shop for handbags, shoes etc I shop for those only when I need to. But I like to go to golf shop to look see look see.

Turbo wrote:

Females prefer to buy lingerie, hand bags and shoes ... That is the main reason as to why there are not a wide range of equipment for women locally ...

Actually, I disagree. I suspect that the main reason why there is a limited range of golf equipment for women locally is simply because there aren't as many lady golfers. To have a good selection, you'll need to have sufficient demand. If not, it's not worthwhile.

It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, unfortunately. If there was a better selection, we may have more lady golfers. If we have more lady golfers, we'd have a better selection.

Technospaz wrote:

Turbo wrote:

Females prefer to buy lingerie, hand bags and shoes ... That is the main reason as to why there are not a wide range of equipment for women locally ...

Actually, I disagree. I suspect that the main reason why there is a limited range of golf equipment for women locally is simply because there aren't as many lady golfers. To have a good selection, you'll need to have sufficient demand. If not, it's not worthwhile.

It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, unfortunately. If there was a better selection, we may have more lady golfers. If we have more lady golfers, we'd have a better selection.

That is why I custom fit my clubs

Agreed with the above scenario.

My gf buys her golf clubs from Tokyo, Japan because there is a big market of lady golfers there. We went holiday there and shopped for golf stuff, just bought a second hand Mizuno JPX ladies driver since there is a big second hand market for ladies clubs. She always lament to me she can't find suitable clubs here.

mloy wrote:

Technospaz wrote:

Turbo wrote:

Females prefer to buy lingerie, hand bags and shoes ... That is the main reason as to why there are not a wide range of equipment for women locally ...

Actually, I disagree. I suspect that the main reason why there is a limited range of golf equipment for women locally is simply because there aren't as many lady golfers. To have a good selection, you'll need to have sufficient demand. If not, it's not worthwhile.

It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, unfortunately. If there was a better selection, we may have more lady golfers. If we have more lady golfers, we'd have a better selection.

That is why I custom fit my clubs

Oooooooooooooo

mloy wrote:

Technospaz wrote:

Turbo wrote:

Females prefer to buy lingerie, hand bags and shoes ... That is the main reason as to why there are not a wide range of equipment for women locally ...

Actually, I disagree. I suspect that the main reason why there is a limited range of golf equipment for women locally is simply because there aren't as many lady golfers. To have a good selection, you'll need to have sufficient demand. If not, it's not worthwhile.

It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, unfortunately. If there was a better selection, we may have more lady golfers. If we have more lady golfers, we'd have a better selection.

That is why I custom fit my clubs

aaaaaaaahhhh!! now i know how u can outdrive all 3 guys in ur flight and hit ur approach shots so close for tap in birdies. or even in the hole for eagles!

abadan wrote:

mloy wrote:

Technospaz wrote:

Turbo wrote:

Females prefer to buy lingerie, hand bags and shoes ... That is the main reason as to why there are not a wide range of equipment for women locally ...

Actually, I disagree. I suspect that the main reason why there is a limited range of golf equipment for women locally is simply because there aren't as many lady golfers. To have a good selection, you'll need to have sufficient demand. If not, it's not worthwhile.

It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, unfortunately. If there was a better selection, we may have more lady golfers. If we have more lady golfers, we'd have a better selection.

That is why I custom fit my clubs

aaaaaaaahhhh!! now i know how u can outdrive all 3 guys in ur flight and hit ur approach shots so close for tap in birdies. or even in the hole for eagles!

i see you've been mloyed... has she done monica shots as well? those are like trick shots...

costajos wrote:

abadan wrote:

mloy wrote:

Technospaz wrote:

Turbo wrote:

Females prefer to buy lingerie, hand bags and shoes ... That is the main reason as to why there are not a wide range of equipment for women locally ...

Actually, I disagree. I suspect that the main reason why there is a limited range of golf equipment for women locally is simply because there aren't as many lady golfers. To have a good selection, you'll need to have sufficient demand. If not, it's not worthwhile.

It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, unfortunately. If there was a better selection, we may have more lady golfers. If we have more lady golfers, we'd have a better selection.

That is why I custom fit my clubs

aaaaaaaahhhh!! now i know how u can outdrive all 3 guys in ur flight and hit ur approach shots so close for tap in birdies. or even in the hole for eagles!

i see you've been mloyed... has she done monica shots as well? those are like trick shots...

YESS!!! I have been mloyed! BADLY TOO!! hahaha. no monica/trick shots required cus her drives were long and straight, and approach shots were deadly accurate. hahaha. only holes she didn't score well were those she hit over the greens cos of her power.

But its an honor to be beaten by a better player. Have to lose graciously. Well done Mon! i will have my rematch soon! keke :p

abadan wrote:

costajos wrote:

abadan wrote:

mloy wrote:

Technospaz wrote:

Turbo wrote:

Females prefer to buy lingerie, hand bags and shoes ... That is the main reason as to why there are not a wide range of equipment for women locally ...

Actually, I disagree. I suspect that the main reason why there is a limited range of golf equipment for women locally is simply because there aren't as many lady golfers. To have a good selection, you'll need to have sufficient demand. If not, it's not worthwhile.

It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, unfortunately. If there was a better selection, we may have more lady golfers. If we have more lady golfers, we'd have a better selection.

That is why I custom fit my clubs

aaaaaaaahhhh!! now i know how u can outdrive all 3 guys in ur flight and hit ur approach shots so close for tap in birdies. or even in the hole for eagles!

i see you've been mloyed... has she done monica shots as well? those are like trick shots...

YESS!!! I have been mloyed! BADLY TOO!! hahaha. no monica/trick shots required cus her drives were long and straight, and approach shots were deadly accurate. hahaha. only holes she didn't score well were those she hit over the greens cos of her power.

But its an honor to be beaten by a better player. Have to lose graciously. Well done Mon! i will have my rematch soon! keke :p

yea know what you mean... my status says it all...

Hahaha. OK back to the topic.

The profit margins for golf clubs are ridiculously high. They just wanna make us buy and buy and they're shitting bricks now cus the fakes are getting better and better and are selling like hotcakes.

All I know is. I hit my old driver longer and better than some of the current drivers out on e market now. And a buddy of mine still bombs 300+m drives w an 8 yr old Cleveland launcher.

Like Dan said. As long as it works. It's gg in the bag.

fashion accessories.

Golf is getting more and more younger orientated and fashion is very important factor. bombing a drive 300m with a 983k and stock shaft is less cool than bombing a drive 300m with a 913 D2 with a Tour AD shaft.

If only DWD gears are not so expensive....