Golfers spend money because they want to get better. It’s a simple formula: invest in your game, lower your scores. At least, that’s what the industry wants you to believe. Sometimes it works, but not always.
The truth is that there’s a lot of gear golfers buy that never actually moves the needle, either because it’s misused, misunderstood or just not a good fit in the first place. Knowing what’s worth it (and what’s not) can save you a lot of time, money and frustration.
Alignment sticks (Used incorrectly or not at all)
Alignment sticks are everywhere. They’re versatile and cheap. Unfortunately, owning alignment sticks doesn’t automatically make you any better at alignment.
They won’t magically fix the swing path or setup just because you put them in the bag.
The problem is that without a structured drill, like a parallel target line setup or using them for gate and swing plane drills, you’re just guessing. Tools are only as good as the plan behind them. If you’re not going to use alignment sticks correctly and spend some time learning drills that work, don’t buy them.
Stat tracking (without analyzing)
A premium stats platform won’t improve your scoring average on its own. Golfers sign up for systems like Arccos, DECADE or stat-powered apps expecting that tracking data will fix their flaws.
Here’s the problem: if you never analyze the info or use it to guide decisions, you’re wasting money.
Tracking stats is incredibly helpful if you want to lower your scores. If you don’t know how to analyze it, you may as well stick with old-fashioned handicap tracking. You’ll be able to see your scores trend up and down but you won’t have the details you need to apply it to your next practice session.
Putters that feel good
Are you still stuck on the idea that the putter has to feel good for you to start making more putts?
We observed throughout testing in 2025: the putters with the best feel aren’t the ones making the most putts. In our zero-torque putter test, the best-performing model, L.A.B. Golf’s OZ.1i, dominated on short, medium and long putts.
It wasn’t chosen for sound or softness. It was chosen because it got the ball in the hole.
Plenty of good-feeling putters ranked near the bottom of the test. The point here is that putting is all about the ball going in the hole and, regardless of how it feels, you need a putter that works.
Low-spin drivers and balls (That you can’t launch)
“Low spin” is a golf buzzword and it gets in the heads of amateur players that low spin is necessary to play great golf.
For many golfers, especially mid- to high-handicaps, low spin can be a distance killer. Players with lower swing speeds tend to need some spin to keep the ball in the air and maintain carry distance.
Many low-spin drivers and balls are built for fast, consistent swings that already generate enough launch and strike quality. Without a launch monitor and data, it’s easy to buy spin reduction you didn’t need in the first place.
“Forgiving” drivers that don’t fit your swing
Forgiveness sells. Unfortunately, most golfers define forgiveness by marketing, not results. Just because a driver has a big footprint, draw bias and “MAX” in the name doesn’t mean it’s more consistent for you.
In MyGolfSpy’s 2025 driver test, some of the most consistent performers for low and mid swing speed players weren’t the so-called high-MOI models. The PXG Black Ops XF and Sub 70 859 were among the most forgiving, but so was the Callaway Triple Diamond, a “tour” head.
What matters is consistency in launch, spin and strike pattern. If you’re blindly buying what’s marketed as forgiving without checking your data, you’re not getting something that will make you better.
Final thought
Buying gear with good intentions isn’t the problem. Assuming that things you buy to help your golf game will help, without testing, tracking or a plan, is. If you want to get better, stop throwing money at gear that might work and start understanding the process of what makes you a better golfer.
albatrossx4
12 months ago
Special alignment rods are a joke, you see some for as much as 50 bucks, when you have 13 others already in your bag or if you are too vain to put a club down, Home Depot etc has snow markers for about 2 bucks