I get emails a lot asking if it is really necessary to spend hundred of pounds on expensive pieces of equipment. The response to this is unfortunately not very clear.

Well that is not true, in short the answer is no, it is not strictly necessary to spend two hundred and fifty quid on a driver, four hundred pounds on a set of irons, eighty quid on a wedge and and god knows what on a putter.

You could go down to your local cheap sport’s gear seller, I live near one called Sports Soccer which sells Dunlop and Donnay clubs dirt cheap. Then there is also JJB, which sell some reasonably priced clubs. These or similar are both good bets for a solid set of clubs that will not cost the earth.

But how do these compare to more expensive clubs? Well, again the answer is not clear cut. It all really depends on how the club feels to the individual.

In general however, these clubs do tend to perform better in scientific tests. This is not what makes individuals perform better.

In general, people tend to feel more confident when pulling a big name brand out of the bag. It all comes down to game mentality again. The confidence inspired by hitting with the same driver Tiger Woods uses can make a noticeable difference in a player’s game.

So, the main advantage of the more expensive clubs is that they inspire confidence in a player. Of course, as the equipment modernises there are a couple more perks. Some expensive clubs can cure a draw or fade.

By using interchangeable weights the user can set the club up to compliment their swing. This is becoming more and more commonplace, but is at the moment still only available on the more expensive of the bigger brands.

So in conclusions, if you have the resources to go and get some of the bigger brand clubs, I would say go for it. You do however still need to find the right clubs for you. This can only really be done through trial and error.

Your next step should be to go to your local club shop and ask to try some of the clubs. Please do not take advantage of this if you are not even considering buying.

If you can show a genuine interest, they will likely put a piece of duck tape over the face and let you hit some balls. If you can show that you will pay by cash they will likely give you a fair amount of attention and time and may even let you hit with no face protection.

With the credit crunch, big brand shops and ever decreasing number of players, your local shop will bend over backwards and you will appreciate that extra service you get.