Is It The Golf Clubs Or Something Else?

Once, when asked his opinion about some latest and greatest golf club, Lee Trevino said, "It's not the arrows.... it's the Indians!" In other words, "It's not the clubs, it's the swing!" Trevino is one of my favorite golfers. His swing is not even close to picture perfect, yet he is one of the all-time greats of the game. I remember hearing stories of how, in his early years, he would use things like coke bottles and shovels for his clubs and continually win bets from guys playing with the best golf equipment money could buy. There was a scene in the movie Tin Cup, where Kevin Costner was doing the same thing.

There is no denying the dramatic improvements in golf technology in recent years. Both the golf clubs and the golf ball have been tremendously improved. Hitting the ball farther and straighter is much easier for the average golfer. The clubs are more forgiving and the the golf balls are more aerodynamic. But the best golf clubs and golf balls available can only do so much.

Take the lowest ranking PGA tour pro or even Nationwide tour pro and give them a beat up set of 20 year old clubs and match them up with a weekend golfer using golf equipment costing thousands of dollars. I'll put my money on the pro swing every time.

So instead of spending your hard-earned money on the latest super driver or 62.875 degree lob wedge, maybe you should consider some good golf instruction. There are many options ranging from zero cost online golf tips to week-long golf schools costing more than a thousand dollars. And in this case, the old adage of "You get what you pay for," rings true.

You can take the no cost advice from the web or even your golfing buddy. Then take it to the driving range and hit a large bucket or even two. But this approach has a couple of drawbacks. First, you are not likely to be focused on your golf game during that hour or two. You will probably be distracted with thoughts of work or family. Second, you will most likely be practicing poor habits. Without professional supervision and guidance, you will just be repeating and perfecting a "bad swing."

I would suggest taking that money you were going to spend on that new set of irons and finding a five or seven day golf school. You will be away from home and work where you can focus on your game. And you will have the individual attention of a professional instructor. So instead of perfecting that repeatable bad swing, you will perfecting a sweet one.

Remember - "It's not the arrows... it's the Indians!"