Brand Name or Generic Golf Equipment?
For years debates have raged on about whether to use generic or brand name equipment in golf. Multi-billion dollar corporations spend millions of dollars each day to say that only their name – and only their name – should go on a product, and therefore you must use it.
Question: how much more value do you get from a brand name than from something generic? This issue is not at all new to golf (or any sporting industry) and it will probably won’t end with this short article. Here’s the takeaway, if you’re just starting to learn how to play the game, generic equipment should be more than enough for your needs.
Before you rush off and buy thousands of dollars in golf gear and assorted golf paraphernalia (and know this, golf can be a very expensive hobby…if you let it), develop and hone your muscle sets first. This takes time and it’s a gradual process if you’re able to build up to it.
Once you feel pretty confident and skilled in the sport, get some clubs custom fitted to you. The difference between amateurs and pros is that the pros are constantly looking for every possible edge and advantage they can get on the game. That’s why they get paid to hit a ball far on a golf course. They get paid to be the best and to know the right equipment to use. If they don’t they don’t make the tour cut.
So, when new technologies come out, the pros are the first to try it out and review it accordingly. You might consider watching what they tend to gravitate towards. It could be a good indicator of the quality of the equipment. You will pay dearly for that quality but it is available.
When you are first starting out, the clubs you got at the garage sale or the thrift store, if they are in sufficient working condition, should suffice for your game. And again, until you decide that golf is for you, generic should be more than sufficient.
Probably the best piece of advice we can give at this point is for your golf instructor (you do have a professional golf instructor, don’t you?) to recommend when you are ready to buy better products. He/she knows your skill level and whether those graphite shafts will make more of a difference in your game. They’re are the pros; they know the nuances of the game and where you should be within the framework of the game.
Here’s what you should do, ask somebody objective – someone completely outside of your normal network of friends and family – to determine the kind of equipment you will need. Then it’ll be okay to treat yourself to that snazzy Ernie Els designer golf shirt!
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