Frank and Valerie,
It is the middle of the season and I am playing as well as can be expected but wondered if I should be thinking about getting a new set of clubs?
Am I missing out on the advances in technology and is my game suffering because of my older set? My irons are three years old but I do have a five year old driver.
I read your putting tips every week and your putting book is one of the best investments I have made in my game. Together they have helped me putt better than ever with my Frog.
Jamie
Delaware
Jamie,
Thanks for the comments and I am pleased that you are enjoyed our putting book. We have been getting similar comments from many of our Frankly Friends and others who have read it.
Now, let me address your question about a new set of clubs.
Jamie, first let me say without doubt that there is nothing more important than having confidence in your clubs and if you like what you presently have and have made good friends with your clubs then don’t change a thing.
If you feel you want to change and upgrade your set, please do it for the right reasons.
1) The wrong reason is believing that a new set will change your flawed swing. A lesson is probably what is required and/or a little more time on the range. Only after you improve your swing should you start thinking about a new set.
2) Technology in irons has not changed enough in the last three years to make any significant difference to your performance. You may want to look at a new driver but not if you like the results from what you have now.
3) If you feel your clubs are holding you back, and you have not made really good friends with your present set, and you are losing confidence in this set then YES start looking around for a new set.
4) It would be advisable if you decide to get a new set to get it fitted properly. An expert fitter – and I mean an expert – is essential, and try to get your fitting done outdoors on the range if possible. Things change a lot when you get on the course and see the flight so try to see this in real life.
5) Be sure to choose a set, and specifically a driver, that results in greater accuracy NOT distance alone. A shorter driver length will keep you in the fairway more often and on average your overall driving distance will improve, as will your scoring.
Jamie, I hope this helps
Frank
Have you recently bought a new set of clubs? Let us know how they have helped you by sharing your comments below….
franklygolf 
One of golf’s toughest lessons is that you can’t buy a better game. But you can sneak up on it! I’m a garage tinkerer, but this plan can also be done with a local club builder (with probably more precision).
Years ago, Callaway tried a 6-club set for the casual (female) player: a tee club (3W), a fairway club (7W), a mid iron or two (7, 8), a pitching wedge, and a putter. Nice bag, probably even a glove and a sleeve of balls. Nice concept, didn’t’ really sell well. Most bogey golfers can get around most courses in bogey without embarrassment with such a set.
Start with steel shafts–look for uniflex. Get a driving iron (21 deg), 4,6,8,PW (about 8 degree gaps), and your choice of a sand wedge and a putter. Start with inexpensive grips–this is an experiment. Total expense at most online component dealers will be under $150. Books and charts about building and measuring clubs are pretty easy to find. Epoxy glue, grip tape, a tubing cutter, and some sandpaper are cheap. Assemble the clubs and play. If you need a 5 iron, choke up an inch on the 4. Learn to knock down an 8 into the green.
You will learn more about your own game in this way than by buying a thousand bucks worth of name brand clubs. If you have a local pro who’s willing to work with you, use him or her. Build a game, not an inventory.
I agree with Jamie of Delaware. Since reading the Fundamentals of Putting and purchasing an original Frog putter, my putting has improved enormously.
Thank you Frank and Valerie.
Bob
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
I had been using a 6 year old 460cc driver and decided to go for a new adjustable … I was fitted for a slight draw and 12.5 degrees of loft … I am very happy with the results much straighter and about 10 more yards
I was recently fit for a new set of irons. My old set was ten years old, had undergone one reshafting, but it was time. The new set is a bit more forgiving and thanks to the way in which iron lofts have been jacked I gained a club almost instantly, not really, but you know what I mean. It took my playing partners about four rounds to figure it out, at first they thought that I had gotten longer. Regardless, the clubs are easier to hit, more accurate on well struck shots and as I’m starting to get comfortable with them I’m gaining some confidence back that I had lost.
I bought a new set of Taylor-Made clubs to replace my Yonex clubs that were 7 years old, I am back to my old clubs with a greater appreciation and respect for the clubs, it’s nice to have new friends but the old are tried and true; at least for me and seem to work better after a few month layoff, perhaps the old clubs were tired and needed the break, oh I also had a tune-up lesson that really helped, seemed I had a small sway that was corrected. Go figure, i play year round at least two times per week 9 holes.