Is there still life in old equipment or should we all carry the latest gear

I've written this article based on something I read recently in golf digest. Since i'm out of the game for a few months I seem to be reading more and more about it to fill te void not playing and practising has created and find this to be something of interest especially when you consider how much the average golfer spends each year on new drivers, fairway metals etc in a bid to take advantage of the most technological game improvers or is it just all marketing hype. So here goes hope you find this as interesting as me (maybe i'm just sad and trying to hard to get my fix):

When new equipment is launched were fed all the marketing hype about the longest driver, highest MOI/COR, more forgiving and lightest yet etc etc. Were also fed marketing that players on tour are using ths latest equipment in their own bids to get the most from their games, whilst this maybe true of some players it certainly isn't all of them doing so, so is it essential to use the latest offerings from the manufacturers.

Recently, players on the Champions and PGA Tours have given evidence to the fact that older driver technology can still be just as effective as the latest offerings from their sponsors. Tom Lehman has won twice this year using a 2005 model TaylorMade r7 Quad. Lucas Glover won at the Qual Hollow club using the 2008 model Nike SQ Sumo2, and David Toms' victory at Colonial came with a 2010 version of the Cleveland Launcher DST, ok so this latest winner had a more recent Driver than the others but it doesn't end there.

Recent majors too have been won using older technologies. Both Glover and Stewart Cink won majors in 2009 with the Nike SQ Sumo2, Graeme McDowell's year last year we all know about, with wins at Celtic Manor, the US Open at Pebble his epic Ryder cup etc and all this done with a 2006 model driver, the Callaway FT-3.

If i delved further into this no doubt I could come up with even more examples like Lee Westwood who despite the K15 logos on he sports he still carries in his bag and uses the 2008 Ping G10 driver which recently in a poll of 100 drivers (in another mag) came out as No1 performer for distance and forgiveness, ahead of its new bigger brothers the G15 and K15, which has led many Ping players to leave this in there bags.

So this leads me to ask you guys is new technology so far ahead of older clubs that we should all change or is there still life in the old dogs yet?

2 newclubs out claiming to be longer than ever the new TM offerings of both Burner and R11, well this is true in that its the longest shaft they've ever produced, that will make you hit it longer but for most also harder to control and another the Cleveland Launcher XL270, lightest driver on the market again it will make you longer as it will improve clubhead speed, but can you hit it straight consistently enough to take advantgae of the extra clubhead speed!

I'll finish off here with the 10 clubs the Golf Digest guys compiled as a hot list of older clubs still good for use and let you draw your own conclusions (note the 10 are not 1-10 of which is best but just 10 of the best older clubs you probably wouldn't be wasting money on if you took a punt on one)

1. Taylor Made R5 Dual (2005)
2. Taylor Made R7 Quad (2005)
3. Callaway X 460 (2006)
4. Ping Rapture (2007)
5. Ping G10 (2008)
6. Taylor Made Burner (2009 model)
7. Cleveland Launcher DST(2010)
8. Callaway Fusion FT5 (2007)
9. Nike Sumo SQ2 (2007)
10.Cleveland HiBore XL (2007)

Mav,

Good points raised, I still have the 09 Cleveland Launcher in the bag and prior to that had the R5 Dual (still in the garage), and to be honest I cannot see me changing the driver anytime soon i have tried out a number of newer drivers and personally havent felt or seen any better results to tempt me.

Same goes for the wedges, I have CG12's in the bag which do need replaced but so comfy with them not keen on the change and don't see where any new wedges will have a significant improvement on what I already have apart from a bit more spin due to the grooves rapidly disappearing on the CG12's (and I now play for this lack of spin anyway)

As for Irons currently playing MP62's which again not the most modern of technoology but is there really anything out there that will make a significant difference over them?

I recently switched back to my Callaway X14 Pro series which are at least 7 or 8 years old now and I'm still using a pair of Cleveland 588 wedges that I bought on my first ever trip to the USA in Feb 2001. I've tried lots of other clubs and wedges since buying these but not found anything that works better.

On fast greens I can still knock in a few putts with my Acushnet Bulls Eye.

i played with the same irons for about 20 years. in fact i had my most successful year just before i replaced them. so there's definitely life in some old dogs.

When my clubs were stolen last year I had wait a while for the replacements I had ordered so my bag in the interim period was filled with old equipment which was a Titleist Starship driver, a Lynx Boom Boom 3 wood, set of Mizuno TP9 blades and a couple of old TM wedges. Whilst I lost roughly 1 clubs distance with the irons and say 10yards with the driver and 3wood they felt fantastic and lost no accuracy what so ever, if anything I was more accurate due to smaller sweetspots making me commit to each shot.

I think this is apparent to with the above examples whether they be Lehmans 5year old Driver, Toms Cleveland or D4S's x14s simply if somethings comfortable and works for you, why does it need be the latest technology. I think too many people getting hung up on extra distance and higher moi etc that instead of using what they got and practising they expect the clubs to make up for their short comings I am generalising here of course this does not apply to all or most but to some.

Up until about 2 years ago, I have always played with my fathers hand-me-downs. There never seemed to be a reason to buy a new set. Father was an ex-pro, so he always used pretty good clubs and there was plenty of life left in them for me. So about every 4 years, a new set of irons and woods would come my way - the Wilson Staff fluid feels seemed to take for ever, but eventually they arrived - as did the Maruman blades, 2 sets of imported Rogues and the Titleist.

The Titleist irons did not really survive the years well, rusting over quite quickly and they have gone to the great club boneyard. However, I still have the Marumans and both sets of the Rogues - in fact I am playing with the Rogue oversize irons at the moment and they have got to be 20 years old if they are a day. They need regripping, which I will do soon, and I might get a mate to look at a refurbish and check of the lie, loft and spine.

I started off by saying up until 2 years ago - I actually bought a complete new set of everything 2 years ago Forgans - I know, I know...........now!

They were horrid. I could hit the ball, but they felt lifeless in my hands and they have been relegated to the loft, every single one of them. The driver nearly got a repreive, but in the end I decided it just wasn't worth it.

I have been a bit of a butterfly with drivers over the last few years, hopping about from one to the other. I also was unsure as to what to use in the fairway wood line. This has now been sorted I think, I seem to be quite happy with a Lynx prowler with draw bias, a 1 iron and a lovely little King Cobra 5 wood.

Putters!!

Lots of them scatterd about the place. At the moment my Scotty teryllium has chosen me. But I recently bought, for presentation purposes, a hand made, lead weighted, wooden headed putter with a hickory shaft. I felt I just had to try it, and I have to say, it felt lovely and may well get a full outing yet!

So from the above, I guess you can glean the fact that I really have no time for manufacturers speak and will not be heading down the route of 'all the gear - no idea' just yet.