“A good workman never blames his tools.” Yes, absolutely, couldn’t agree more. Stop making excuses. That big slice you just hit, it’s on you. Those slightly thin strikes – your fault. Or is it?
A lot of the time, yes, it will be. As tempting as it is to blame your clubs when you play a poor shot, often it’s simply down to the person holding them. Golf, as we so often say, is hard.
However, sometimes the moaning and constant blaming of gear might be justified. We’re always going to play loose shots – everyone does – but the reason why you’re struggling with a certain shot shape or lacking a bit of distance, it could also have something to do with playing the wrong equipment.
So, how do you know? What are the signs to look out for? Let’s discuss…
1. Your scores aren’t improving
Has your scoring stopped improving?
(Image credit: Getty Images)
You know you’re playing well, because the swing feels good and you’re getting a lot of ‘Nice swings’ from your playing partners. You’re even putting the odd decent round together.
Overall, though, despite feeling as though you’re playing nicely from tee-to-green, your handicap isn’t moving too much; in fact, it might have started to go in the wrong direction.
There comes a time when we level off, and often only a series of lessons and more time on the range will help you get to the next level – but a change of equipment might also unlock something.
2. Your divots don’t look right
(Image credit: Tom Miles)
Next time you hit an iron shot, look closely at your divot (yes, you should be taking divots). You want relatively uniform divots that remove a slither of turf around the width of the sole of the clubhead (like in the image above). If your divots are narrower than this, it could mean that your lie angle is off and that the toe or heel section of the club is predominantly entering the turf.
Take note of how the club feels like it enters and exits the turf too. It should feel relatively smooth with a seamless entry and swift exit, not clunky or feeling like the club bounces or gets stuck. Much of this comes down to technique but it could be that you would benefit from wider soles on your irons if you get quite steep into the ball.
3. You’re lacking distance
Maybe you’ve noticed your playing…
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