Why do pros play with old golf clubs?

As you may have seen, some of the best players don’t always play with the latest equipment. So why do pros play with old clubs? 

We’ve seen players use a previous generation of a driver or set of irons but why do the pros choose not to upgrade? 

Well there is a number of reasons for this, number one is fear and number two is they like it so much they just can’t let go of it. 

There are some classic examples of it as well. 

Tommy Fleetwood was with Nike and, in 2016, Nike had stopped making clubs, withdrawing from the golf club market. However, Fleetwood continued to use the Nike VR Pro blades in 2018 and even had a moment where he was looking for more clubs.

He even asked Paul Casey if he could buy them off him which was rejected because they were so rare and hard to find. 

Another player who refused to switch his irons for ten years was Matt Fitzpatrick. He used Ping S55 irons from 2013 up until 2023, when he switched to the Ping Blueprint S, winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He then switched to the Titleist T-100 in 2024 because of the better leading-edge grind.

Brooks Koepka won the 2018 U.S Open and still uses a TaylorMade M2 HL 3-wood and the Nike Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron which has a huge cult following and is also a rare club to get your hands on these days. 

Collin Morikawa was another who held on to his TaylorMade Sim driver before trading it in for his TaylorMade Qi10 MAX. 

Brian Harman used 2019 Titleist 620 CB irons to win The Open and continues to do so, whilst Wyndham Clark also used the 620 CB irons to win the US Open.

Just the one Nike Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron. Difficult to count Nike because they no longer have an equipment staff and the gear is sporadic. pic.twitter.com/WDuKOjTleU

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) August 14, 2018

Many players take a while to switch from something new, especially if they are used to what they play and like how it performs. Others will switch straight away and see the benefits of new technology. 

When it comes to us, the everyday golfer, there is always new technology available from the latest brands. Whether it’s drivers, irons or wedges, the tech in the latest models will stand out even if you have clubs which are ten years old.

But if you like something enough and don’t want to change it, make sure you buy another one just in case or you might end up like Tommy Fleetwood, searching eBay for hours or trying to persuade your friend to sell you theirs. 

If you want more from us, why not head to our YouTube channel? It’s the best place to find out how the latest new golf gear performs, along with some other fun stuff.

James Tait is bunkered’s Gear Editor. Want to know how the latest Callaway driver, Vokey wedge or Scotty Cameron putter performs? He’s the guy to ask. Better yet, just watch his videos on the bunkered YouTube channel. One of the biggest hitters in the UK, James also competes on the World Long Drive circuit and is a descendent of former Amateur champion Freddie Tait.

Gear Editor