We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Choosing Your Driver - Does Price Come Into Play?

SuperStroke
Not really - Normally everything under $400 is in play. The only place i draw the line is aftermarket shafts.
 
Price is always a factor. Say on a TM release day when you can hit the R1 and RBZ - I'll hit both and see what works. See if that extra 100 bucks is really worth it.
 
Absolutely. I think they are all over priced considering its only 1 club and a set of 8 or 9 irons only costs about double what a driver costs. The problem being that having to replace it every so often to keep up with technology and getting no return back on it. IF I knew that it would be the last club I'd play for 5 years then maybe I could justify the extra cost.
 
Price would come into play for me only as a tie breaker in this scenario, i.e. I like two drivers almost equally well and the biggest difference is that $100. Otherwise it's going to be about performance.

That being said, the price of custom shaft options would definitely come into play, considering that shaft upcharges can be anywhere from minimal (no upcharge or like $50) to absurd ($200+).
 
I'm consistent on this. Price is always an issue. If I was going to buy this year's driver, I might go with the higher priced one but it would need to be a huge, easily observable difference.
A couple yards, a few hundred RPM...I'm not so consistent that that amount of difference is going to get me to pay the extra.

There's always something else to spend the money on.
 
If I hit a $400 driver better than a $300 driver I will buy it, because if I buy the $300 driver I am going to spend nearly $100 extra at the range trying to hit it as good as I did the other one.
 
I'm usually on a every other year kick with my driver (pre MC), sort of like I do with my iphone. I know when it's time to buy I'm going to spend $300-$400 for it more than likely.
 
Absolutely. I have hit a couple of the newer drivers and hit them well, but I've also hit the original RBZ and hit it pretty well. The RBZ I found on sale for $125 so I picked that up instead of shelling out $300-400 for something in the current season's releases.
 
Price is definitely a factor. It's the first thing I look at, then trim it down to the options in my price range and try all those. Maybe, if buying brand new, preformance could trump price...but it would have to be a huge difference to justify an extra $100. A huge consistant difference.
 
LeftySean said:
Price has always been a major consideration for me, but I am now far more inclined to get fit and buy what is best for me, even if if it is the $499 newer model with a shaft upgrade.

An extra $100, or even $200 is, for me, worth the extra satisfaction of hitting better drives, and knowing that my driver is giving the best chance possible.
Click to expand...

I would fit into this category.
 
Yes and no (how's that for waffling). Historically, I do not buy the latest-and-greatest; instead choosing to go with a prior model (or used "new" model) and spend more on the shaft. However, I am leaning towards a driver fitting in the near future, and if I do that, anything "reasonable" will be considered. The key consideration, cost-wise, would be driver + shaft, if there is a significant additional cost for the shaft that fits me.
 
Price does come in to play but performance outweighs price. If a club I am testing is more expensive, but outperforms the next best option, I would lean more towards the performance. Unless the price difference is extreme, which is difficult to quantify. +$100 is doable.

Now, some of the off the rack shaft upgrades are insane. My 913 D2 and AD DI6s price tag was $799 at the World Golf Village tour stop. I purchased the D2 w. diamana and bought the DI from the BST. Made same set up for like $550ish.
 
I dont normally buy a new driver upon its release but if I did, price would be a factor. I just cant see paying $399 for a new driver, even if it has an upgraded shaft with a fancy brandname on it. Last winter I was considering buying a Cleveland driver and just couldnt justify going for the Black over the Classic.
 
Last edited:
It didn't use to matter, back when I had a decent income. It was about fit first and will likely get back to that soon. Right now, price trumps all.
 
Unfortunately price drives me choices more times than not. At least now Im weighing all options and getting numbers ahead of time that fit the driver I can buy in my price range.
 
If I was planning on buying a newly released driver, I don't think price would play a part. It would all be about performance.

That being said, I normally don't buy newly released clubs.
 
I think price is most likely the biggest factor for me. I personally won't spend $400+ on a driver if the performance gain is relatively small. So for myself, I need to really see a performance gain (whether it's distance or consistency) to pull the trigger on a new driver.
 
Price is a key consideration for every club in my bag, not just the driver. Everything I play is used, typically is either last year's model or late in the season at the newest. I'm also willing to be very, very patient to try and find a head/shaft combo that I want in the condition and price point that I'll accept.
 
Performance is first and foremost. It's got to work better for me (not some pro) than what I have. Otherwise no reason to switch.

Once that's established, it becomes a question of how much better it performs than what I have or a cheaper alternative. If it seems like a game changer, performs and has the right look and feel, I'll pay. If it's a bit of an improvement, I'm likely to wait for a price drop.

I rarely buy drivers yearly - I average more like every other year.
 
Absolutely it does. I consider price and value in every purchase I make.
 
I would say no, I usually have researched drivers here on THP and narrowed my search down to a top 4 or 5, so I know the prices going in. I am looking for performance over anything else. I hit them all on the launch monitor and chose the one with the best numbers.

I buy mine at the PGA SuperStore so I then have a 30 guarantee, real play on the course is then the determining factor. Yes, I have returned a purchase i n the past and then stepped down to the second choice by the launch numbers. It was a keeper the one time I felt I did not get the performance out of my original purchase.

I usually keep a driver 12 to 18 months so while resale is not huge, I do recoup some of the price of my purchase.
 
I would say so.

I find that the price of the driver has little to do with how well I hit it so I generally start looking on the cheaper end of things.

Plus I'm willing to give up a few yards of distance and some accuracy for $200 savings or so.

I mean I hit Scrap Irons $300 driver awful and my $125 driver a whole lot better but even if I hit his slightly better I'd still stick with mine just for the cheaper price
 
Price is a huge factor for me. It pretty much makes all my buying choices for me. Yes, I have aftermarket shafts and top-line stuff, but almost all of it was purchased second hand or as individual pieces then put together. My irons was a gift, thanks Mom and Dad...haha.
 
Price is a slight consideration. I currently have a driver that is a few model years older and I hit it just fine. I know when the time comes to replace it, whether because of necessity (i.e the new models give me better numbers) or simply the shopping bug, I'll be paying in the upper $400 range (stock shafts usually get replaced). I put money aside ahead of time so when that time does come, the money is there! I prefer not to wait for the "current" driver to no longer be the "current" driver when I purchase it. I prefer owning the "current" driver for a couple months before it's no longer "current" then skip a few models before repeating the cycle.
The exception to this is if there's an AMAZING sale because a new model comes out - like 60%+ off... Then I'd consider purchasing a non-current model.
 
Price is a big factor... especially when you start adding up changing shafts to fit you. Prices drop on drivers so quickly these day's it's hard to pay full price anymore.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top