Two weeks ago I went to the Fall PGA show in Las Vegas. I was there to see if there were any new training devices and meet with a couple companies. At this show the focus was on club technology, training aids, and clothing. I was a little disappointed in the lack of big name companies that participated in the show. However, what it allowed was the smaller, up and coming companies to show off their product line and get some much needed attention. I was fortunate to interview most of these lesser known companies and I was impressed how each one thought their company was superior to the rest. I know they are supposed to be that way because it is their company. Each company would tell me the research study that proved their product was the best. I was a little confused to interview 8 companies and they all had research studies to show they were the best. What is a consumer supposed to do?

The mental game requires a player to have confidence in their equipment and there is no shortage of outside organizations to tell you why you should be confident in the equipment. I tried all the different clubs and they all were fine, except the performance of a club is predicated on the person who is using it. If you talk to the companies it seems like their club will fix all the problems that us golfers experience. When selecting your next set, don’t get caught up in the hype, test it for yourself. Does it make you better?