Twelve rules to live by for new equipment

Bill Simmons’ first “NFL Playoff Manifesto” was published in January 1998, and I never read it. That column appeared on his old website before his days at ESPN, before I started reading his columns and listening to his podcasts on Grantland and The Ringer. Written for people who love football and love to gamble on football games, it is filled with advice you never want to forget, such as, “Never, ever, EVER back a crappy QB on the road,” and “Ignore final records and concentrate on how the team finished the last five or six games of the season.” He’s updated it several times over the years, and I glanced at it during last season’s NFL playoffs.

What does this have to do with golf equipment? It’s early September, and while there’s been a heat wave seemingly baking everyone across the United States this summer, hopefully, you have been playing and enjoying your gear. But with fall right around the corner, prices on new equipment may start dropping soon to make room for 2023 arrivals. Many brands release new woods, irons, wedges, putters and balls in January, which is just four months away, but others historically have dropped new products in September and October so that shops in the Sun Belt and Southwest have new gear to offer golfers who tee it up year-round.

With that in mind, I give you Golfweek‘s first Equipment Manifesto, a list of advice every player should keep in mind when he or she is thinking about purchasing new gear. It may not win you as much money as Simmons’ 2018 Rule No. 1, “Beware of the ‘Looked a Little Too Good the Previous Round’ team,” but I promise it can help you make smarter choices at the pro shop.

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If you have a double-digit handicap, you should not carry a 3- or 4-iron, and your 5-iron should be on a short leash.

Cobra LTDx hybrid (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Golfers who typically shoot around 85 or above are rarely strong iron players, so why carry the most challenging irons? Find a range or practice facility with TopTracer Range or TrackMan Range, hit several 4-irons and see how your average shot flies. Then hit a hybrid club with the same loft and see how much higher, straighter and farther the average hybrid…