I cannot think of any other sport that produces so many gadgets and pieces of equipment that promise to improve our game - and that clearly fail to do so.
Golfers are suckers for clever marketing. We all want the driver that is going to hit the ball further and straighter, we all want the putter that will eliminate three putts, we all want to know exactly how far we are from the flag. On and on it goes.
So, what are the most overrated pieces of golf equipment? At the risk of upsetting a few people, here goes….
Remote-controlled trolley
I have one simple question: why? Why on earth would you want to spend a fortune on a trolley that comes with a remote control? In my experience, those who own them almost always have no clue how to control them. I have seen them careering into lakes, I have seen them falling over in the rough and I have seen them tearing doing hills with their owner in hot pursuit, desperately trying to regain control.
Brand new driver
You are a 20-handicap club golfer who has been playing the game for years. Do you REALLY believe that a £500+ driver is going to give you extra distance and control over your golf ball? If you do then I am sorry but you need help.
There is no golf club, let alone driver, that will give you guaranteed straight shots. Just look at how many fairways the best players in the world miss!
If you are looking to spend £500 I would suggest that you spend it on lessons. You slice the ball because of your technique, not because of the driver you are using. Remember, too, that the £500 driver will probably be available for about £300 next year when the next new model promising distance and control is launched.
The most expensive putter
Low torque. Anti-twist. Blah blah blah! Can anybody truly justify charging you £500 for a putter? I would suggest not. There is not a putter on the market that will prevent you from taking three putts.
Don’t get me wrong - I am all for getting custom-fitted for a putter. We all have slightly different strokes so it seems pretty obvious that we all need putters that suit our technique. Find a putter that you like. And here’s a helpful hint - look in the bargain bucket first.
Do you really need alignment sticks?
Again, why? When I go to the driving range I use a couple of clubs to check that I am aiming in the right direction. Alignment sticks are a waste of time and money - and take up too much room in your golf bag.
What about a ball retriever?
I am constantly staggered by the number of people I play with who carry a ball retriever. They get anywhere near a lake and then spend ages looking for and fishing out balls. Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to be hitting golf balls that have spent any significant amount of time in cold water. If I hit a ball in the drink I never want to see it again!
Iron covers
We recently asked on Facebook for your views on the most overrated gear and gadgets and several of you identified iron head covers. Hmmmm….I am not sure that I actually agree with this one. I changed my irons last year and bought iron covers for the first time in my life. And I am here to tell you that my irons are as fresh today as the day I bought them.
Animal head covers
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
Oh for goodness sake! When you buy a driver, fairway woods or rescue clubs they come with head covers. So why on earth would anybody want to throw them away and replace them with head covers in the shape of animals? Really! They are a barrel of laughs when they get wet too!
Premium golf balls
As club golfers, do we really want to be using the same balls as tour professionals who swing the club at breakneck speed and generate mind-boggling ball speeds? Almost certainly not!
Rangefinders and GPS watches
The tour pros want to know how far they are from the hole because they know exactly how far they hit every club in the bag. We don’t! But still, we all arm ourselves with rangefinders and watches.
We want to know how far it is to the pin and then we dump the ball into the greenside bunker. And that is because, unlike the best in the business, we don’t know exactly how far we hit each club. We also don’t hit the ball perfectly every time. Obviously!
What do you think is the most overrated piece of golf equipment you can buy?
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