I don't know if about, say, 10 years ago, your Average Joe could get their hands on the type of equipment that the pros played with at the time. It just seems like back then you could get clubs that were close to what professional golfers had, but never the same. Just replicas and/or knockoffs.
Nowadays, any Joe Schmoe can get their hands on every piece of equipment, apparel, shoe, glove and bag that the pros have. I wonder if this has created a greater following in the game of golf.. when someone can say "Hey, this is the exact same driver that Tiger uses", that makes them feel pretty damn good. Now obviously a lot of pros have specialized prototypes that club companies make exclusively (ie. Els, Tiger, Phil, Watney, Fowler), but there are still a large number of professionals that have equipment that you have available to buy off the rack right now.
You should never buy a piece of equipment just because you saw a pro on TV use it, though. You will never be able to hit a 8.5* driver with an X-stiff shaft 300+ yards when you've got a club head speed of 88mph and you hit the ball knee high. Everyone should be properly fit for every club in their bag. If you really want to be like a pro golfer, take the time to call up your head professional and set up a fitting for driver, fairway woods, hybrids (all amateurs should have at least 1 hybrid in their bag), irons, wedges and even a putter.
As for me, I like to read reviews, try-out the equipment on the range AND on the golf course. On occasion, I'll take a chance and make a purchase without demoing it first. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Live and learn.
So ... what's in MY bag right now?
Driver: Ping G15 9* - Project X 6.5 69-gram stiff
Fairway: Ping G15 4-Wood 17* - Ping TFC149 75-gram stock stiff
Hyrbid: Tour Edge XCG3 Exotics 3-hybrid 18* - Fujikara Motore Exotics 80-gram stiff
Irons: Ping i10 4-iron - Ping AWT stiff
Ping S57 5-PW - Project X 6.0 (D4 swing weight) stiff
Wedges: Ping Tour-S Chrome 52*-12, 56*-12, 60*-10 - Project X 6.0 wedge stiff
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 34"
Rife Barbados Limited Series 34"
Please, for your sake, before you buy any club, go get fitted and get the exact right match of club for you. Call your head professional today! Okay, well not today because it's 10pm, but do it tomorrow sometime. But not during the Masters because this is a Holy week. So don't do it tomorrow. How about next week? Sure, you've got time next week.
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