Hi everyone, 

I was reading a great piece of writing from a columnist in one of the leading papers this morning who was talking about the new Lionel Messi football boot that Adidas have just launched. As he very funnily underlined, none of the claims in the ridiculous advertising blurb about the boot can even vaguely be realistic (apparently wearing them will make you as incredible as Messi) but nonetheless, because they are a limited edition they are now trading for more than £3,000 on auction websites! This showed two things: firstly that a limited edition in pretty much anything now means someone will try to make money from them, and secondly, and more relevantly to us, they created such a hype about the boot that some of them will actually have gone to people who will want to wear them. The question is do they actually think they will play any better with them? I don't seriously think so but as the writer pointed out this is more about craving than actual belief.

And so we move onto golf equipment. TaylorMade are very good at this, Callaway are pretty good, PING not so great, Titleist the same, others pretty poor and Nike, clearly, were abysmal! I can liken it to our habits about most things - cars are a good one. I have said here before about the 'sheep' mentality that we possess - we tend to want to be part of the 'flock' so we'll tend to like what others, especially those we perceive as being the in-crowd, like or have. 25 years ago we all wanted a BMW but now it's cool to want an Audi and BMW drivers are all jerks (he writes even when he will shortly be investing in a very beautiful 'Beemer'!!). TaylorMade's marketing has always been aimed at creating a feeling that as so many top players use their equipment, it must be good! Callaway have gone down this line as well, certainly in the past, while others have tried different tacks. Nike failed from the start, and I (ok I have a smug look on my face) told them why right at the beginning. No one is impressed that Tiger used Nike's gear - he'd win with anything. Being the most 'winningest' brand doesn't impress anyone when only five players use their gear.

I heard from a number of reliable sources that the TaylorMade M1 launched to record forward orders. It's a very good driver - very, very light though and not for everyone, and it's also listed at the top of the market at over £400. So again the question is - did the people who rushed to buy them actually believe they would play better with the driver, or was it as a result of the 'craving' that they have created? I would suggest that under scrutiny it's the latter, and is so in the majority of cases.

So as a golf pro I suppose I'm shooting myself in the foot by pointing all this out? Quite the opposite. Those of you who have got to know me, and read my pieces, will know that I have never been one to big-up anything without actually believing in it. If something will genuinely help you then I'll tell you and show you why, and the truth is there are still a lot of you out there who could very much benefit from new technology. You are the people who I would want to help but for the right reasons. (Having said that of course there is nothing wrong with craving 'the new thing' if having that thing gives you a thrill, and you can afford it. But don't kid yourself or others - you want it because you want it, and that's perfectly ok)

The two real advancements in drivers have been the use of titanium and then adjustability. The carbon crown idea that TaylorMade are singing about at the moment was tried twenty years ago, so it's not new. Power chambers and speed slots have been about for ten years and the actual benefits are minute. I want you all to come to me for the correct reasons and then I can really help you. So let's be clear about what is important - you need to have the correct launch angle married to your spin rate which is created by the head type and shaft. That way you will hit the ball as far as you can. Of course if the driver is easier to hit by having a large sweetspot or adjustable weighting, then that will also help to keep the ball straighter, but don't confuse straighter with straight - it's still down to you!

I saw the Titleist 917 driver yesterday in detail and I thought it was excellent, but for the following reasons: Firstly, the D3 is beautiful, really beautiful. It looks fantastic behind the ball (and I won't be surprised at all if this is where we see Rory going next year as it is not dissimilar to the Nike, and he started there anyway). Secondly they have added adjustable weighting to the head so it can be custom fit to your swing. But that's it - I won't try to tell you that it definitely goes further because that is down to the custom fitting. They will of course, but then we come back to the amusing idea that if we had bought every driver that adds 10 yards to us in the last twenty years, we'd be hitting it 400 yards now. I want you to love the look of the club, which is important, and then to want it custom fit knowing that it will then maximise your driving distance and accuracy. Of course if you found a different driver that you found easier to hit then that should be the one you go for. That is the point to trying a few but don't get into the trap of trying everything - you'll just get confused and won't be able to make a decision. Find the ones you like the look of, get them custom fitted and then make a decision.

The above has nothing to do with me selling Titleist by the way, it's just an example. I do have new ventures coming up, which I will let you all know about, but it's more about underlining what is really important, which is how I would like to help you all. As I said there is nothing wrong with just wanting the new thing, we all do it. But if you come to me to be fitted I want it to be for the right reasons. Correct fitting with modern equipment will show you benefits, but I want your expectations to be realistic. Of course, if you just want the latest and 'best' thing out then I can also help you with that - but don't believe all the hype!

If you feel like you could benefit from a custom fitting, and want the best club for your game (not just the one that has the best advert), then please click here to book.