5 Golf Myths That Are Costing Kiwi Golfers Money

Newer equipment can genuinely be better. A newer driver may offer better off-centre performance, more stability, a better launch and spin fit, or better adjustability. A newer iron may bring a head design that suits you better, a different loft structure, or more forgiveness. A wedge change can solve a real gapping issue, worn groove or face condition, or a bounce and grind that never suited you.

What newer doesn't automatically do is fix a club that was already suitable. Replacing a perfectly good driver purely because a new model launched may achieve very little for you specifically.

The useful question isn't how old is this club, it's what problem is this purchase actually solving? If you can't answer that clearly, the upgrade is probably being driven by release year rather than by anything you'll notice on the course.

Forged versus cast is a manufacturing question, not a quality or forgiveness ranking. It doesn't automatically tell you the head size, the ability level it suits, or whether you're looking at a blade or a forgiving cavity back.

Modern iron categories include forged blades, forged cavity backs, forged players-distance irons, forged-face game-improvement irons, cast game-improvement irons, and multi-piece constructions that mix materials. The Callaway Apex DCB is a forged, genuinely forgiving cavity-back iron. Titleist's T350 incorporates a forged face inside a game-improvement design. "Forged" appears on both ends of the forgiveness spectrum.

Don't buy a used iron simply because the listing says FORGED. Look at the actual head design, the forgiveness, the lofts, the sole, the shaft and the condition instead, that's what actually determines whether a set suits you. Our Forgiving Irons vs Blades guide covers how to read those characteristics properly.

Premium golf balls are not restricted to high swing speeds. That's a common assumption, but tour-level balls work across a wide range of swing speeds, not just fast ones. Ball choice can affect flight, long-game spin, short-game spin and feel for golfers at any speed.

None of that means the most expensive ball on the shelf is automatically the right one for you. A golfer who loses a lot of balls each round may reasonably decide a premium ball isn't worth the cost. Another golfer may genuinely value the short-game spin, the feel, the flight or the consistency enough to justify it. Price alone doesn't settle which of those you are.

Choose the ball from the performance you want and what you're comfortable spending, not from the idea that expensive means better or that tour balls require tour speed.

You don't need to be a low-handicap golfer to benefit from fitting. Beginners and higher-handicap golfers can benefit from having basic specifications checked, including length, lie, grip size, loft, shaft, head type, launch and dispersion. But that doesn't mean every beginner needs to pay for a full-bag fitting before buying an inexpensive first setup.

Fitting becomes more compelling once you're spending significant money, your standard specs clearly don't suit you, you have persistent launch or dispersion problems, you're genuinely stuck between two specifications, you're considering an expensive upgrade, or you want evidence that new equipment is actually improving something rather than just looking newer.

If you're building your first set, our Beginner Guide is a practical starting point, and our Shaft Flex Guide covers one of the specs most worth getting right.

There's no universal wedge setup. Start with the actual loft of your pitching wedge, any AW, GW or UW already in your iron set, and the actual carry gaps between them, then add wedges below that to fill the gaps that genuinely exist. Roughly 4° to 6° of loft separation is a useful starting point, but it's not a rule, your carry gaps matter more than hitting a neat number on paper.

A golfer with a 42° PW has a different gapping problem from someone with a 46° or 47° PW. Copying "52, 56, 60" onto either bag without checking what's already there can leave you with an overlap in one spot and a gap in another. The count isn't the point. The gaps are.

Our Wedge Guide covers how to build a setup from your actual lofts rather than a generic formula.

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Before You Spend on Golf Equipment, Ask These Five Questions

This is the framework behind all five myths above.

None of this is an argument against buying anything. It's a way of making sure the money goes somewhere you can actually explain.

Focused FAQs

Are old golf clubs still good?

They can be. Age alone does not tell you whether a club fits or performs well.

Are forged irons better than cast irons?

Not automatically. Forged and cast is a manufacturing distinction, not a simple quality or forgiveness ranking.

Do slower swingers benefit from premium golf balls?

They can. Premium golf balls are not restricted to high swing speeds.

Should a beginner get fitted?

A beginner can benefit from fitting, but a full paid fitting is not mandatory before every inexpensive first-set purchase.

Does everyone need a 60° wedge?

No. Build from the lofts and carry gaps already in the bag.

Will new golf clubs lower my scores?

They can help if they solve a real equipment-fit or performance problem, but buying newer equipment does not guarantee lower scores.