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Technology Advancement and the Your Bottom Line

SuperStroke
Hawk

Hawk

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This is kind of a part two to this thread - http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?37924-Product-Cycles

It's sort of continuation of the topic, but different enough that it might be best to keep them separate.

Marketing tells us that every generation of equipment is an improvement and that our bottom lines (score/performance) will benefit from buying it. Do you find this to be case?

I see a lot of questions from people saying - should I upgrade to the newest product from a company (often when their current club is a year or less old) and I often wonder where that pressure/need comes from. Experience has shown me that equipment is very similar from year to year and from company to company, assuming that a person takes time to get fit.

Do you believe that buying the latest version of a company's irons will take you to the next level in your game? Or, do you just like to have the newest things?

We are a pondering group of people here and I'd like to know what the driving force behind that is.
 
I do think that newer equipment has benefits. But those benefits won't help anybody who can't consistently make contact.
 
This is a very interesting topic that I will enjoy following in. I am always fascinated on buying/building/marketshare conversations.
 
i think sticking with something that works for you is more important than having the newest thing. although i'm horrible when it comes to putters the rest of my bag stays pretty close to the same over the season once i find something that i know works well for me. i really am happy with my R11 irons i wouldn't plan on getting new irons or driver again this year if it wasn't for the Morgan Cup. i did just upgrade my wedges but that was just because they were worn and i replace them close to once a year. putters well thats my weak spot. but not usually for the newest technology as it is trying new putters and models to see what i like and what does work for me. I think my game would be worse if i changed equipment more often. cause i would always getting used to new clubs
 
I think getting newer equipment can help, but not if they arent fit for you. I mean not sure if buying new irons every year will help your game if they arent the right ones for you... As for release dates/product cycles, I can't blame companies for trying to make money. Is it frustrating to buy clubs and have new ones come out a year later? Of course, but if the companies are making money how can you say its a bad thing? Companies are in business to make $$
 
I think it would probably help a little bit. Companies put a lot of money towards R&D and it must make some difference. That said, it is just fun to have new toys. Even if it will barely help at all, having the newest thing is fun.
 
I feel that as soon as you buy something new, you have confidence in it for the first few rounds. Once the confidence wears off, we are often in the same situation. At least the older club likely has a comfort level already associated with it, and that is something that is hard to build with a new club. I think that relationships/comfort with clubs is something that is hard to replace. However, new marketing/"technology" is testing these boundaries.
 
I dont really buy into hype of marketing. I dont believe something will legitimately add 17 yards without tweaking loft. Which IMHO is just fooling the public. I go with what feels good and sounds good. and I am results driven. I am also not a homer for distance. I see so many people that are distance homers...I would just prefer to be in the fwy. Now Belbin is another story
 
I definitely do not believe any particular club will make my scoring that much better, with the exception of maybe a driver. And I say that with a caveat.....namely that drivers do tend to get the most research and improvement, so a new driver versus a 5 year old driver may actually be a noticeable improvement to my scoring. Everything else, no, probably not. I still rock my 12 year old irons, and I do just fine with them. I've tried other irons, and see no noticeable difference in performance.

But in the end, marketing is a powerful thing. I learned that from Mad Men. Just sayin.'

~Rock
 
Getting fit for what you swing is paramount in this conversation, IMO. I'd think that a fitted player, even with older equipment, will perform better than jumping at the newest stuff and buying it off the shelf. Will newer technology help an average golfer? I'd actually lean towards no, just because the average golfer isn't fit for their clubs, and marketing "distance gains" seems to be with low-capper or robot testing in the fine print.
 
Posted this in the Product Cycle thread, but it fits here as well:

To me, it's like everything else in the world today. Whatever your buy will be outdated tomorrow. Electronics, cars, golf clubs, etc. There is really nothing that can be done. I don't get the guys that switch equipment every year. I guess if you have the disposable income, then more power to you.
 
One-T said:
I dont really buy into hype of marketing. I dont believe something will legitimately add 17 yards without tweaking loft. Which IMHO is just fooling the public. I go with what feels good and sounds good. and I am results driven. I am also not a homer for distance. I see so many people that are distance homers...I would just prefer to be in the fwy. Now Belbin is another story
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I pretty much agree with this. I haven't bought a new club in a while, and apart from wedges I'd be surprised if I change anything in the next few years. I think the tech has caught up to the rules to such an extent that any possible gains to be had by new equipment is very marginal at best.
 
I was thinking about this on the way onto the office. I think technology over the last three maybe four years has made a huge difference in the game of golf. It has made golfers play one level maybe two over their actual skill level.

I don't know how much more advanced we can get with the limitations on COR. I will say that I think the shafts of today are light years ahead of what they used to be. A good shaft can make all the difference.
 
jank1434 said:
I feel that as soon as you buy something new, you have confidence in it for the first few rounds. Once the confidence wears off, we are often in the same situation. At least the older club likely has a comfort level already associated with it, and that is something that is hard to build with a new club. I think that relationships/comfort with clubs is something that is hard to replace. However, new marketing/"technology" is testing these boundaries.
Click to expand...


Confidence is the key. They keep making new clubs and selling them on our doubts with our game. No other sport has this phenomena... Missing free throws in basketball, dropping fly balls in the outfield, or dropping passes from the QB never lead to buying new equipment. This game is so hard, and there is always some aspect of it that we aren't happy with or that needs improving that leads us to believe maybe a new club will help and there is ALWAYS an option from at least one company that we believe could help.
 
This is a question that I have struggled with for a while, especially not having the bank account to back up the latest/greatest, was I missing out on something amazing by playing with "old" technology? I was playing with Titleist DCI oversize+ irons, an old nickent hybrid, and a callaway biggest big bertha and playing well...until I decided that I needed to upgrade. My game has been a rollercoaster this year to say the least, and I feel (in part) that it was due to my rush to get new technology and be sold by marketing rather than taking the time to get properly fit, just buy whatever I could afford that was "newer."

I am now (with the help of the info on THP) re-evaluating my whole bag, doing thorough research into my options, and going to get properly fit for my next setup. I was sold once by marketing and the quest for newer and better and it won't happen again! I'm now looking for "best for me and my game"
 
This is a tricky question, I enjoy having the latest and greatest equipment, but that doesn't always equate to performance. But I also find that newer equipment tends to improve on the previous version especially if it's fit for your game. I will say that I like to try ever piece of new equipment but it doesn't' always find it's way into my bag.
 
Let's talk drivers, since they tend to be so alluring, yet so quick to find their way to the used bin.

The more time goes on, the more I think that results we can/do see from drivers are very similar. With fitting as comprehensive and technologically advanced as it is, I'm almost certain that most people could find a combination from every company that delivers them results they are looking for. The big factor is cost and availability of fitting and shafts. This doesn't take brand preference, looks, sound, or other subjective feelings into the equation, of course. Agree or disagree?

Example would be that you can add spin/launch to a low spin/launch head with the right shaft and vice versa.
 
I seem to fit better into the 'older' line of drivers that are high spin. So many of the newer drivers these days seem to be low spin or very low spin, I havent found a new one I hit better than my older SuperTri. I do agree with Hawk though, where a full selection of shafts could change that, but off the rack, there seems like a trend toward low spin.
 
I agree Hawk. Some will like sound/feel or more forgiveness in certain areas, but with proper fitting, someone could find something to hit well from every company to an extent.
 
JB said:
I agree Hawk. Some will like sound/feel or more forgiveness in certain areas, but with proper fitting, someone could find something to hit well from every company to an extent.
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Forgiveness is an interesting one to me because it's so often based on perception. I do agree that you can match a head to a swing based on lateral or vertical forgiveness though.
 
ddxu said:
I seem to fit better into the 'older' line of drivers that are high spin. So many of the newer drivers these days seem to be low spin or very low spin, I havent found a new one I hit better than my older SuperTri. I do agree with Hawk though, where a full selection of shafts could change that, but off the rack, there seems like a trend toward low spin.
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Low spin is a pretty popular marketing term these days.
 
I'm one of those people that like to have new things, but know that it's not always going to help my game. I did buy a Callaway Razr Fit driver a month or so ago when I was hitting a Ping i20. The reason I bought it was after hitting the Razr Fit, I was consistently longer and just as accurate with it. This will probably be my last driver purchase for a couple of years. I try out as much new equipment as I can every year, but normally only when I have a noticeable advantage do I replace something or if my equipment is over 5 or so years old, I may get something new just to get something new. I'm hoping to change my irons out next year. I've had them for several years now and am just wanting to upgrade to something new.
 
bhilton said:
I'm one of those people that like to have new things, but know that it's not always going to help my game. I did buy a Callaway Razr Fit driver a month or so ago when I was hitting a Ping i20. The reason I bought it was after hitting the Razr Fit, I was consistently longer and just as accurate with it. This will probably be my last driver purchase for a couple of years. I try out as much new equipment as I can every year, but normally only when I have a noticeable advantage do I replace something or if my equipment is over 5 or so years old, I may get something new just to get something new. I'm hoping to change my irons out next year. I've had them for several years now and am just wanting to upgrade to something new.
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I like new stuff too, bhilton. In fact, I'm typing all this while pondering a complete retool of the lower portion of my bag.
 
Hawk said:
Forgiveness is an interesting one to me because it's so often based on perception. I do agree that you can match a head to a swing based on lateral or vertical forgiveness though.
Click to expand...

You are absolutely correct. It is measurable though and wish more did that.
 
I am not sure that the technology can change so much from one year to the next to warrant changing equipment just for that reason, however, I think that every 3 years is probably a good time to upgrade your equipment and take advantage of some of that technology.

Honestly, I think one of the biggest ways to improve your game right now is through the shaft technology, so if you have one of the adjustable drivers released in the last couple of years that you hit well, you can take advantage of new shaft technology very easily.
 
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