When to change clubs

[Movingday]

So just like everything, wanting to get some input on what others have done, would do different, think is best etc.

 

1. What time of year are you changing clubs as your kids grow? 

I have always done it in the winter with the idea that gave them time to get used to the change before spring golf starts. For example I sent back my youngest (11) prodig at Christmas and just got them back. 

2. Are you only doing this once a year and just letting it ride through the season no matter the growth spurt?

 

I have always worried it would be detrimental to them to change clubs in the season, but mine are going through their biggest growth spurts currently and wondering if I need to rethink. 
 

I’ll use my youngest as an example again, but oldest (14) is going through spurts similar. Picked up ping prodig in the spring. Played the season with them, hit them well all year. Won his last tournament in Nov, so obviously performance wise no issues. Then I started looking at the charts as I measured him to send them back. We had to add 2 in to his woods and 1.5 in to his irons. It’s probably the same as every year when we changed US Kids when he was younger, just struck me as a bigger deal as they are getting older. 

Here for the knowledge of those that came before me! 

 

[MB19]

23 minutes ago, Movingday said:

So just like everything, wanting to get some input on what others have done, would do different, think is best etc.

 

1. What time of year are you changing clubs as your kids grow? 

I have always done it in the winter with the idea that gave them time to get used to the change before spring golf starts. For example I sent back my youngest (11) prodig at Christmas and just got them back. 

2. Are you only doing this once a year and just letting it ride through the season no matter the growth spurt?

 

I have always worried it would be detrimental to them to change clubs in the season, but mine are going through their biggest growth spurts currently and wondering if I need to rethink. 
 

I’ll use my youngest as an example again, but oldest (14) is going through spurts similar. Picked up ping prodig in the spring. Played the season with them, hit them well all year. Won his last tournament in Nov, so obviously performance wise no issues. Then I started looking at the charts as I measured him to send them back. We had to add 2 in to his woods and 1.5 in to his irons. It’s probably the same as every year when we changed US Kids when he was younger, just struck me as a bigger deal as they are getting older. 

Here for the knowledge of those that came before me! 

 

I am possibly the worst person to input on this, but I don't let anything hold me back from changing out gear for my kids other than cost.

 

To the credit of my kids, they have only suffered from a change when I swap out for gear that may not completely suit them.  I promise not to bore you with too many anecdotes on this, but here are just a couple for both side of change.

 

--My daughter was struggling with her fade (coming over the top) this summer, and there wasn't time for lessons that month with a local tournament series going on.  I bought her a G410 SFT online, and bagged it without even telling her.  We arrive to the tournament, and she's like, "Is this driver SUPPOSED to be in may bag?"  I told her just to roll with it on the range, and I would bag her other driver if she hated it.  The driver was correcting her fade nicely on the range, and she appreciated that.  She put up a personal best that day.  

 

--My son, in this same tournament, ran into some trouble in a fairway bunker near water.  To make a long story short, his gap wedge ended up flying into the water (I wasn't there, but apparently he didn't try to chuck it into the water).  Instant meltdown ensued, and he was withdrawn from the event with one hole to go.  His punishment, after the tournament director talked me out of withdrawing him from the series championship two days after that, was to have his two remaining OEM wedges removed from his bag and those were replaced with his TS3 set wedges.  He shot a personal best at the series championship, and won the event.

 

These are two success stories (behavior excluded), and there are others.

 

One example of an equipment swap not working was putting a Radspeed XB in my daughter's bag without swapping out weights to make it lighter, and keeping too long of a shaft in it before her first 36-hole event ever.  I traded in her F9 jr for the club, so I didn't have a backup--it was a disaster, and the driver was a part of the reason why.

 

Obviously, swapping out gear during non-tournament season is ideal and it allows for further adjustment and tinkering.  However, if you do want to swap gear during tournament season out it is wise to leave yourself a backup plan if the new gear doesn't work out.

[AC168]

I change only for physical reasons and not to help correct swing issues, ie long term-development.  I’ve been changing every time he grows 3 inches or so.  6 inches is the longest I’ve gone.

[wildcatden]

We've only been using USKG irons to date. I change my kid up to the next one when they are around 0.5" taller than the set designates (ex: will move to TS3-60" set when he is 60.5" tall with golf shoes on). 

Edited January 5, 2023 by wildcatden

[Movingday]

@wildcatden @AC168 If he grows and your due for the next size in mid June you’re making the switch right in the middle of tournament season?

 

 

[leezer99]

I would buy anything for my son but he's 14 and won't let me change anything except for buying new wedges but they've got to be exactly the same as the ones he has.  Currently plays the original T100's and the P-8 are damn near smooth at this point.

 

He's still gaming his epic flash sub zero 3 wood with a stiffer and slightly longer shaft than when he originally got it.

 

He is very much of the mindset that it's the Indian and not the arrow.

[Movingday]

1 minute ago, leezer99 said:

I would buy anything for my son but he's 14 and won't let me change anything except for buying new wedges but they've got to be exactly the same as the ones he has.  Currently plays the original T100's and the P-8 are damn near smooth at this point.

 

He's still gaming his epic flash sub zero 3 wood with a stiffer and slightly longer shaft than when he originally got it.

 

He is very much of the mindset that it's the Indian and not the arrow.

Yeah I’m not talking about not wanting buy them new clubs. I’m talking specifically about growing out of clubs and when to make those changes. Biggest question is our people moving to longer clubs right in the middle of the season if the kid hits a spurt or are they waiting until the off season? Not because of money, but because of the time to adjust to longer clubs

[leezer99]

2 minutes ago, Movingday said:

Yeah I’m not talking about not wanting buy them new clubs. I’m talking specifically about growing out of clubs and when to make those changes. Biggest question is our people moving to longer clubs right in the middle of the season if the kid hits a spurt or are they waiting until the off season? Not because of money, but because of the time to adjust to longer clubs

 

I'm not sure why you're asking then... I assume you are wanting to change because their performance has dropped off and you think new clubs will fix it. If that's the case then why let them continue to struggle with improperly fit equipment? If they are still having success with their current lineup, then why change? 

[Medson]

20 minutes ago, leezer99 said:

If that's the case then why let them continue to struggle with improperly fit equipment? If they are still having success with their current lineup, then why change? 

I agree. The options are pretty simple, it is just which ones you'd like to go with. 

 

In my past experience, it usually takes couple of weeks to get used to the new equipments. However, every time we made a major change, we always ended up inadvertently introducing some bad swing habits that took a long time to discover and fix. Since we always make the switch during non-peak season, we can take the time and patience to get the problem fixed. Personally, I'm very hesitant to switch when we are very close to peak season. 

[Movingday]

26 minutes ago, leezer99 said:

 

I'm not sure why you're asking then... I assume you are wanting to change because their performance has dropped off and you think new clubs will fix it. If that's the case then why let them continue to struggle with improperly fit equipment? If they are still having success with their current lineup, then why change? 

Sorry man, Guess I didn’t explain it well enough. I guess I’m more after do you think leaving them in shorter clubs during the season (even if they’re playing well) could cause long term effects on their swing? Is the risk of that greater than the risk of screwing them up mid season by introducing longer clubs? Obviously if there are performance issues then changing at that moment makes sense

[tiger1873]

First off if your kid is under 15 you should not worry about playing a season or rankings over having the correct fittings.

 

I learned when you ask the questions you are asking it means you need to buying adult clubs and now focus on buying shafts or using extensions to keep them at the correct length.    There is not much of a adjustment if you're just extending shafts or changing to another shaft.  You should almost see an immediate improvement if you are doing it correctly.

 

When a kid is growing you will find it's not easy to keep them fitted correctly. It's also ok to make mistakes since the only way to do it is by trial and error. We all been there and have horror stories and success as well.  What I learned is buy heavier and stronger shafts then you think you need. Don't go crazy just don't worry about clubs until there standard length clubs. 

 

Once they can handle regular length clubs go out and get a good fitting for them and then focus on seasons and rankings.

Edited January 5, 2023 by tiger1873

[wildcatden]

1 hour ago, Movingday said:

@wildcatden @AC168 If he grows and your due for the next size in mid June you’re making the switch right in the middle of tournament season?

 

 

 

 

Hasn't happened to us yet. But the move from one USKG set to the next has been pretty easy.  It's not a hard and fast rule. And all of this has been occurring for me while my kid is young and tournament results have little meaning.  I'll also note that the decision to switch is his decision not mine unless something truly egregious was happening (not sure what that would be). The "his decision" to switch for us started when he was 9 if I recall correctly and happened when he went from Tour Series 51 to 54. Now on 57's and he has a decision soon again.

[Bizzle80]

I just had a guy in our pro shop throw 2" extensions in my daughters Flynn irons and wedges. Hard to find actual extensions for the narrow shafts, but he actually took old graphite shafts, cut the tips off and epoxied them into the butts with new grips.

 

She didn't even notice the change, but the extension was overdue as she grew a few inches in the fall. Now I just have to remind her to setup farther from the ball. anyone's kids have this challenge as they grow? I think visually she was used to seeing ball at certain depth, but needs to setup farther now.

[Medson]

22 minutes ago, Bizzle80 said:

Now I just have to remind her to setup farther from the ball. anyone's kids have this challenge as they grow? I think visually she was used to seeing ball at certain depth, but needs to setup farther now.

All the time ...

 

What I should have done is to pay more attention to my kid's setup. If I see an issue, I should have corrected it sooner. Kids are super adaptive. They can figure out a way to swing the clubs no matter what, and it is very easy to introduce bad habits if not monitored closely. 

[AC168]

Having the benefit of playing junior golf as a kid and having a nephew who was / is really good in college, I don’t think most tournaments 14 and under are relevant.  I would change during tournament season 14 and under for sure.  For older kids, I’d change a month or so before the heart of the season.  Using an oversimplified examples let’s say there is a 60” fit set and a 63” set and your kid is 62”.  I’d probably buy the 63” set, cut down the lengths, adjust lie angles, and buy some lead tape.  Problem with kids (at least mine) is that they adjust to the equipment.  The equipment needs to be right for them and not vice versa.

[tiger1873]

3 hours ago, AC168 said:

Having the benefit of playing junior golf as a kid and having a nephew who was / is really good in college, I don’t think most tournaments 14 and under are relevant.  I would change during tournament season 14 and under for sure.  For older kids, I’d change a month or so before the heart of the season.  Using an oversimplified examples let’s say there is a 60” fit set and a 63” set and your kid is 62”.  I’d probably buy the 63” set, cut down the lengths, adjust lie angles, and buy some lead tape.  Problem with kids (at least mine) is that they adjust to the equipment.  The equipment needs to be right for them and not vice versa.

.

The best thing you can do to get measurements is search online.  The link below is from wishon golf and is a pretty good place to get the proper fitting for a junior if you are doing custom clubs.

 

https://wishongolf.com/junior-fitting-information/

Edited January 6, 2023 by tiger1873

[MikekiM]

Since I do all my own work I'll modify the clubs throughout the season (Jan-Aug).  Lengthening, loft/lie changes, grip changes.  I don't usually make large changes like shaft or club head changes until the season ends.  Sometimes I might change one club or two, but not usually too much.  If i"m changing wedges, it's always just the heads for fresh grooves.

 

[leezer99]

6 hours ago, Medson said:

All the time ...

 

What I should have done is to pay more attention to my kid's setup. If I see an issue, I should have corrected it sooner. Kids are super adaptive. They can figure out a way to swing the clubs no matter what, and it is very easy to introduce bad habits if not monitored closely. 

PGA - Posture / Grip / Alignment

[leezer99]

1 hour ago, MikekiM said:

Since I do all my own work I'll modify the clubs throughout the season (Jan-Aug).  Lengthening, loft/lie changes, grip changes.  I don't usually make large changes like shaft or club head changes until the season ends.  Sometimes I might change one club or two, but not usually too much.  If i"m changing wedges, it's always just the heads for fresh grooves.

 

You bend clubs as well? I don't have a loft / lie machine but will change shafts, grips, etc. on my own.  I think every kid should be able to change their own grips.

[MikekiM]

16 hours ago, leezer99 said:

You bend clubs as well? I don't have a loft / lie machine but will change shafts, grips, etc. on my own.  I think every kid should be able to change their own grips.

Yep, I have a Mitchell machine.. picked up the tool a few years ago when we were experimenting with adult wedges for the first time.  Realized they weren't even close to working without bending them.  Kid helped me regrip a couple of this clubs just last week.  I'll be damned if he doesn't know how to do it himself soon.

 

 

 

[kekoa]

I'm scared to even measure my son's clubs as they might be totally off.  When new stuff comes out, we normally go .5 to 1 inch longer from the prior set.   In our case, its the arrow and not the indian.  😊

[Movingday]

Thanks for all of the replies. Some good info and opinions in here. 
For the record, I have all of these conversations with his coach, it’s just nice to see get other opinions. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum and I always seem to take a little nugget or two from each thread. 
 

[mogc60]

It depends for me. If his wedge is 1/4” short I don’t worry about it until the off season. I’m constantly checking that my sons clubs feel right to him. Obviously measuring length is simple but how does it feel to him. Too light, too heavy? This past year mid season he started saying his driver felt really light and he started missing it all over. It was borderline getting to short so I pulled the shaft and got one a hair heavier and an inch longer, his driving improved immediately. I err on too light and too short vs too heavy or long

[tiger1873]

On 1/5/2023 at 2:17 PM, Bizzle80 said:

I just had a guy in our pro shop throw 2" extensions in my daughters Flynn irons and wedges. Hard to find actual extensions for the narrow shafts, but he actually took old graphite shafts, cut the tips off and epoxied them into the butts with new grips.

 

She didn't even notice the change, but the extension was overdue as she grew a few inches in the fall. Now I just have to remind her to setup farther from the ball. anyone's kids have this challenge as they grow? I think visually she was used to seeing ball at certain depth, but needs to setup farther now.

 

Yes I have seen the same thing,.  Their setup, swing and everything keeps changing.  The basic stuff stays the same but having them do regular lessons on a schedule is a big help at this age to keep everything in sync.

[mrshinsa]

Our son went adult clubs at 12yo, 60".

He's 15 now, and since then then we've replaced clubs at least once a year, mainly due to his growth spurt and him getting faster and stronger.

His shaft progression has been following:

senior flex graphite -> regular flex graphite -> stiff flex light steel -> stiff flex steel -> x-stiff flex steel.

 

We've never had to lengthen any of his clubs, and can't understand why people are messing with it.

If a kid is requiring a 1" extension, his/her SS has probably outgrown the shaft anyway.

 

When people say golf is expensive, they really have no idea about pubescent junior golf.   🙄

In fact, I'm ready to order for yet another set of clubs this week.  

 

To answer the OP's first question, in the ideal situation or the best time to purchase is in the off-season + after new stuff hit the shelf, like RIGHT NOW.  

Of course this might not be possible since kid might hit the spurt mid-season.

 

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by mrshinsa

[wildcatden]

20 hours ago, mrshinsa said:

Our son went adult clubs at 12yo, 60".

He's 15 now, and since then then we've replaced clubs at least once a year, mainly due to his growth spurt and him getting faster and stronger.

His shaft progression has been following:

senior flex graphite -> regular flex graphite -> stiff flex light steel -> stiff flex steel -> x-stiff flex steel.

 

We've never had to lengthen any of his clubs, and can't understand why people are messing with it.

If a kid is requiring a 1" extension, his/her SS has probably outgrown the shaft anyway.

 

When people say golf is expensive, they really have no idea about pubescent junior golf.   🙄

In fact, I'm ready to order for yet another set of clubs this week.  

 

To answer the OP's first question, in the ideal situation or the best time to purchase is in the off-season + after new stuff hit the shelf, like RIGHT NOW.  

Of course this might not be possible since kid might hit the spurt mid-season.

 

 

 

 

What was his first set of adult OEM iron heads and shaft?  Still playing the same brand?

 

Have you used the same iron heads across multiple shafts? Or having to replace the iron heads seasonally (or yearly) due to wear and tear?

[mrshinsa]

20 hours ago, wildcatden said:

 

 

What was his first set of adult OEM iron heads and shaft?  Still playing the same brand?

 

Have you used the same iron heads across multiple shafts? Or having to replace the iron heads seasonally (or yearly) due to wear and tear?

 

We started out with GI irons, and with each club went more players.  

Never kept any one club long enought to wear them down

 

[Goldenhawk]

When my oldest was around 11, he grew so much that he went through 3 sets of irons and three or four reshafts of the driver and woods.  He only won once that year as opposed to the 3-4 wins he gets.

Edited January 14, 2023 by Goldenhawk