The NEW 2024 Golf Clubs Are A RIP OFF?… But WHY? When buying new golf clubs especially in 2024 budget has ever been more important… but, golf clubs have also never been as expensive. During my reviews of the recent golf clubs releases, Taylormade QI10 Max Driver, Ping G430 Max 10k Driver, Callaway AI Smoke Paradym driver. PXG Black OPs Driver and even to some extent the Cobra Darkspeed driver. So many of you guys commenting have been annoyed and upset by the pricing set by some of these big brands, in this video I talk through why pricing may have gone up… and how you can get a great deal on a driver that can perform great for you for a much better price.
A huge majority of the new 2024 driver range are very expensive and let’s face it seem a bit of a con in today’s video I’m going to tell you exactly why I’m also going to show you a bit of an alternative but may well impress you cuz
It really impressed me hi everyone my name is James Robinson and welcome to this YouTube channel guys if you are new here please do consider hitting that subscribe button today I’m going to talk about the new 2024 drivers and guys I always listen to my comments I always
Look at what you guys have to say and as you can see at the moment a lot of people are starting to say that these drivers are looking far too expensive and pricing people out of the market so today we’re going to talk about that going to discuss exactly why things have
Gone up why drivers are so expensive but also I’ve been shopping at the guys at golf clubs for cash and I found an alternative for £299.99 and the reason why I’ve chosen around 300 is I feel like that’s a good price for a new driver when I was buying
Gold golf clubs when I was growing up the new driver was always around £300 it’s still expensive but it’s not a bad price if you’ve got a little bit of spare money today I’m going to test that driver at that price in the studio show
You just what numbers we can get with it show you exactly what shaft you can get in it as well for that price so the new tailor made Qi 10 Max driver £499 the New Ping g430 Max 10K driver £599 which is quite staggering and quite
Ridiculous to be quite Frank the new pxg driver £549 the new Callaway paradig AI smoke driver £499 you can sort of see where this is going you can sort of see why a lot of you guys have had enough with it as well I’ve never seen so many comments saying
That things are overpriced things are getting silly you always get The Odd Couple of comments when new drivers are released but I’ve never seen so many comments saying the same thing that things are getting getting a little bit out of hand and it’s getting a bit of a
Con and that’s not to say that these drivers aren’t very good it’s not to say these drivers won’t potentially help your game the new tailor made Qi 10 Max is a fantastic driver and really really helps hit good shots but that’s also not to say that it’s not going to miss Fairways like
I’ve done with that one it’s also not to say you can’t get something on a little bit more of a budget that can potentially help your game as well the New Ping g430 Max 10 K driver that costs even more and although it looks fantastic it’s full of Technology it has
A huge tungsten weight in the back and it has lots of inertia um 10,000 G per cm squared I think is the equation it I might be wrong but I’m not that guy it’s a lot of money it’s £569 is the cheapest I’ve seen it and
For Ping I think that’s a little bit disappointing I’ve slipped a little bit there but I’ve still managed to hit the fair away with the Ping so what is the answer should you stay away from the new golf club should you not spend the big money should you go on strike of buying
New golf clubs should you buy a driver from Costco like I did the other day for $199 and see that it performs pretty well or do you delve into the secondhand market and find out what deals you can potentially get for 20099 I got a titless TS3 in fantastic
Condition with a graphite designed T ad di6s shaft for as you can see £299 I honestly think not only does this represent fantastic value but I think it’s actually a really really good driver a really good looking driver a really good feeling driver and a fantastic sounding driver not only that
If you go home and tell your wife you spent £299 you’re not going to be in as much trouble if you spent £ 600 trust me we’ve had these discussions at home so let’s jump in the studio let’s see just how this driver can perform for £299
Let’s call it 300 cuz I think that’s the price that’s a little bit of a sweet spot for you your family and potentially your golf game as well huge fan of how this looks but how does it perform and you see the mega interesting thing is I honestly challenge anybody to
Find a driver that’s potentially better value than this driver at £299 99 with this shaft in it because we all know that driver heads can only come on so far can only go so far and when we talk numbers here on the GOL Sun simulator it’s so important that you understand what
Numbers you are looking for check that out for a ball flight a tiny bit left but that one’s carried 270 yards running up to 290 yards with a driver that’s cost half the price of some of the new big name drivers I’m really enjoying the idea of this really enjoying the fact
You can go and get a driver for half the price as I’ve mentioned outside for me300 is that kind of nice ballpark figure where you could go and treat yourself if you’ve got a little bit of spare cash and 600 500 it’s all just getting a little bit silly isn’t it can
We hit the same shot down the Fairway oh that one’s gone right nothing’s going to stop that still 2,300 beenin but nothing’s helping that one I’m afraid and you still do get an element of adjustability with this driver you still get titless world famous sha fit huzzle where you can
Change the face angle in The Loft you still get a movable weight system here where you can move the bar around in the back look at that horrible last ball flight 159 ball speed though one 162 163 for me is a really really nice ball speed that’s better that’s better go on
And you still get adjustable weight waiting as well you still get this bar in the back where titlists actually don’t do this anymore I don’t know why I’ve quite enjoyed it surely they made a way of maybe making it so you can change it we’ll do our best not to lose that
Screw oh no I can see it we’re fine but you can see here this is if it comes out you can see here this is what you used to get so it’s got 14 G weight in one side and a much lighter side in the other so depending which way you put it
In you can set it draw fade bias let’s keep it in draw bias cuz for me I’m going to try and start it right and then move it back but a really interesting way of doing it titless have now moved to more of a track at the back but that
Was a really interesting way maybe it looks a little bit odd looking at it now maybe people just kept losing that screw and that was why they decided to go against it but if you did want to kind of retr fit yourself for this then you would have the option because let’s face
It you can change the CG you can change the Loft you can change the face angle you can pretty much change everything hello you can pretty much change everything and I’m finding these numbers pretty good pretty comparable to the drivers you do see coming out now for
600b as long as I keep that ball flight down keep the spin rate down and actually provide a decent swing like that one come on just fade a little bit just a touch see there that’s spun a little bit higher it still pitched 265 still running up to 280
Yards and the ball speed’s 160 so for a driver that I’ve picked off the shelf with let’s be fair a really cool looking shaft it’s actually performing quite well that’s going to be a decent one go on 163 ball 1996 spin 275 carry 300 298 feel like this is a really
Really good lesson let’s get back out on the golf course and let’s see if I can make this 300b driver which I think is a really really good price point work out in the cold oh don’t hit that one oh maybe we need 10K or 20K or 30 grand oh dear and
So I hear what you’re all saying James that’s all good and well but why are these drivers so expensive now why are all these new golf clubs so much more expensive and I guess the answer that no one likes to hear is that everything in life is now more expensive isn’t it new
Cars are more expensive houses more expensive things that make the new cars and make the new drivers are more expensive that’s not me sticking up for the brands that’s just me looking at how the economy is hopefully it might go back down or you go and buy second hand
Like we’ve done in this video so guys there you go I think this driver can perform as well as pretty much any new driver on the market if it’s fitted in your specs which you could retrofit you could buy a driver like this take it to
Your local PJ Pro make sure the shaft’s right make sure the loft’s right CU you can adjust it and also make sure the CG is right then maybe spend that extra money on some lessons and I think you’ll probably end up playing better golf than ever guys thanks so much for watching
Smash that subscribe button thank you so much for getting the comments and letting me know what you think and apart from that I’m going to go and play some holes see you tomorrow £299 yes please
50 Comments
It will be interesting to see if direct to consumer brands begin eroding market share of big consumer brands. One of the issues with titliest cobra ping etc is $$$ spent on marketing and supply chain markups. I noticed you playing Tacoma irons this year so you are an example of a better player using direct to consumer brands. If the direct consumer brands can develop a remote fitting process for average players they could do very well
I honestly feel that the average high to mid handicapper is wasting money going for the latest driver. Any improvement is likely to be very minor in my experience. Just but good used or wait until the end of the year when the new model is about to come out. Part of the problem is the poor dollar exchange rate for UK buyers. I bought an original Stealth demo, hardly used as it is a lefty, for £199. No better than my Cobra SZ which is a good few years old now.
There's a lot of contradiction – get fitted, buy second hand etc. I tried the new Qi10 the other day at the driving range – stock shaft didn't work but the shaft in my existing M1 was much better. So buying 2nd hand could be a lottery.
you could get caught out buying second hand that TS3 came as standard with a 8 gram weight not 14 grams like in the one you bought.
Spend your spare £300 on a Hackmotion and still have enough spare for a Ping G10 driver. Win win scenario, improve your game and play a driver that is both long and forgiving. I will never pay more than £250 for any driver, I’m not good enough to justify any more even off a 9 handicap
Anything north of £300 for a new driver is total nonsense!! I'm fed up with all the big brands. I got fitted for a PXG 0311 for £229!! This has vastly changed my driving performance. Retro-fitting is great. However the brands know that golfers have herd and snobby mentality so they take full advantage.
I never thought I would see a Ping Driver cost more than a Taylormade Driver
The new cobra darkspeed looks fantastic. $550 maybe not worth it.
But what hasn't gone up in price? Everyone had jumped on the bandwagon! You'd have to start on the price of a loaf of bread if you wanted to drop the prices on everything! Trade in your used clubs, we all know you have a couple driver's sitting around, probably a set of irons, just get some money for them. Everyone has to have a new car, new truck, toys! Just cut back on some things!
I was able to pick up a used Stealth 2 Plus with Ventus TR shaft for $250 from Global Golf. That's less than the shaft alone costs new and that is crazy.
The new PXG Black Ops driver is $650!
£599 for a new basic driver with a stock shaft will soon rise to £600-£1000 when you get custom fitted for a different shaft. That's getting on for 1/2 or 1/3 etc of your annual club memberships……
So much for the pros and others talking about "growing the game".
It's pricing people out of the game
I sale my old clubs before I buy new golf clubs.
I hope whoever is currently hitting my next G430 driver is going to take care of it over the next couple of years.
Glad to see you’ve come round to my way of thinking. New irons and woods are ridiculous prices, the consumer is really paying for the huge sponsorship the manufacturers give to already wealthy professional players. Good for you James👍
I buy but then upgrade at Sheffield pro golf and they give good prices. This keeps costs down if you want the newest stuff. I’m settled in my bag at the moment so will be a few years before I change things.
A couple months ago I bought a Rogue ST Triple diamond for $205 "almost new" condition from Callaways pre-owned site. Head was in shrink wrap.. why pay 3 times that?
As soon as the new lot came out I grabbed a Cobra Aerojet for £299.99. I absolutely love it.
Everyone out there can get 20 more yards out of their current driver!! All you have to do is hit the ball in the center of the club! I just saved everyone 600 dollars! Your welcome
The shaft on that ts3 is worth $299 alone.
Your spot on again james..drivers are way too expencive..ive just brought a new rogue max stil in plastic for £300..result..
Idk after watching this video seems like the newer more forgiving clubs are definitely better. You hit that titleist horribly. Sprayed it all over the place. You smoked the only drive you hit with ping right down the middle.
Does all this mean you will not be putting one of the new drivers in your bag then James
You don't have to spend £300 to get a good driver never mind £5/600.
I picked up a Srixon ZX7 with a Small Batch Riptide shaft for £149.99 from Golf Clubs 4 Cash and it's as good as anything I have tried.
There's always bargains out there if you don't want to spend silly money.
The more money and the more sponsorships these manufacturers give to their players, the more the equipment goes up. The pro players are not paying a dime for their equipment or balls. Not to mention the dollar amount, they also get paid. Manufacturers pass those costs to us. We are their number 1 consumer of their products, but we get the lesser quality. Tiger and Rory use these drivers as well as other sponsored peos. Do you think you are playing with the same equipment? You're not. Their equipment is held to a much higher quality control standard than the driver you buy. Not to mention the other custom aspects of their equipment you do not get. There are many videos and interviews that break this down even further. Now you can pay 5500 minimum to go to the kingdom and get the same treatment. But how many everyday golfers can afford to do so?
You can get yourself a new set of irons for the cost of one driver. Ridiculous
Would you recommend upgrading the ping g430 LST to the 10k James?
Last year I hit the new Paradigm and the Stealth 2. I also hit the 2 year old Sim Max 2 just as far and way more consistently. $300 vs $600 – I went home with the Sim Max 2. When you talk to these golf reps and find out how many of these new drivers are given away for free or end up as demo clubs and truly understand the marketing costs of advertising on TV, you'll never want to pay full retail for these new clubs. It's all a money grab.
Quite frankly they bank on golfers Ego's and snobbery to want the latest stuff all the time regardless of the cost.
PxG sales are always good. I picked up a 2022 0211 10.5 driver from £199.00 in January last year. Might not be custom fit, but a lesson and some practice on the range has me hitting it 250-260 yards
Im a mid handicap and have owned a few different modles ,taylormade, callaway, srixon and cobra drivers but this year's core Qi10 for me has been the best in the area of dispersion and excellent forgiveness im getting mine Saturday. But that's just me go out and hit the new ones and find out what works for you. Mabye the older ones work good for you .
In absolute agreement with you James but golf seems to be on a high right now so it is a victim of it's own success and while ther are people willing to pay these extortionate prices the manufacturers have no need to lower them. I don't have an answer to this but all we can do is hope that someone listens to all the concerns.
Why is no one mentioning the heel to toe MOI legal limitation of 2006? I think this 10k MOI thing is really misleading, I appreciate it’s taking the whole face into consideration (rather than heel to toe) but still, I feel It’s just a marketing scam to raise the bar on prices. I think this will open up the used market even more. I actually prefer clubs that are a few years older, much better value.
Well spoken James the new woods and irons are fabulous but the prices are crazy. The only brands offering great value are Cleveland and Wilson. The big brands for a full bag are now costing between £2800 to £3300 for a full bag of 14 clubs and remember that like a car they depreciate heavily.
Yeah. I got my Cobra LTDx in blue at a golf show used for $208. It'll be a while before I give that thing up. It's a beast.
So why did you go for a pxg custom fit and definitely agree with you these companies will have to put the prices down
I agree that the prices are ridiculous. I wanted a new driver, (at least new to me) so I got one, Found a SIM 2 MAX, great deal. You can get an entire set of decent irons for what they are charging for the club you only hit maybe 14 times per round.
I'd love to get a driver off the 2nd hand market. My issue with that is the fact that you can't easily find someone to fit you for that driver. Most of us don't have a launch monitor nor the knowledge to fit ourselves for a proper shaft for a used club 🙁 So, there are a fair nu,ber of us who are willing to pay the exxtra money to get a new fitted driver.
I went and hit the QI10 max over the weekend, and I was hitting last year’s Paradym about 20 yards farther and it’s 200 cheaper!
James: things get more expensive, that’s economics
Also James: maybe the price will come down, who knows.
Three years at LSE down the drain for me then.
All of the new drivers are good Im sure but you can take a 5 or more year old driver and get a new shaft and itll be just as good as any of the new ones. Get fit to your shaft, thats what makes the difference anyway.
IMO the top end manufacturers are going to price themselves out of the market…(it's getting to the stage that 2 clubs cost £1000 ) the only ones who benefit from the latest/greatest clubs are those who are sponsored….
The least expensive driver to own is the one currently in your golf bag. Alternatively, consider updating your driver's shaft via a fitting and potentially updating your driver settings to align with your new shaft as a way to maximize your current driver's distance and accuracy potential. It will cost you much less than a new driver and you gain a fitted stick as your gammer. .
Have seen a video showing breakdown of taylormade driver price….cost of driver to TM $75 retailers markup $150……the rest is manufacturers profit R and D etc….
getting silly is right. people should revolt and stop buying these clubs. work on your swing buying new clubs every year is not the answer
C'mon James, the manufacturers have to recover at least some of the tens of millions of dollars they pay tour pros to use their merchandise. Where else will they recover that money from?
James I agree the price on the new drivers are obscene. They are great looking and have tech, but my theory is having more sense than money. I bought last year's PXG driver and sold my stealth 2.
Would really like to see a comparison between the ping g400 max vs g430 max 10k.
The problem with the cost I have last year’s paradym which I am happy with but if I want to trade in I would only get 200 dollars on trade in value so I would have to pay 400 dollars out of my pocket so I’m not upgrading now they said last year’s paradym was there best driver ever so it’s not worth buying paradym smoke driver
Just bought a Paradigm X ex demo (looks like it's hardly been hit) for £199. Came from a pro shop and he even put my desired shaft flex in it.
I was able to pick up a tsr3 a few months ago for 350$ shipped to my door. It was used and in great shape.