The next time you go shopping for new clubs, consider the following advice from Worldwide Golf Shops Purchasing Assistant and club expert Nate McDonough…

The first priority should be to pinpoint your specific needs. For instance, a low-ball hitter should focus on new equipment with a low center of gravity to help launch the ball more easily. This criteria alone will eliminate nearly half of the options on the market without having to test every model. It will also ensure that your most pressing need is addressed, which translates to better golf.

When shopping for new golf clubs, focus on the weak spots in your game, because you stand to gain much more out of the purchase.

Always bring something from your own bag with you to establish a baseline for your numbers. This takes the guesswork out of interpreting indoor launch monitors versus the golf course.

The key to expediting an equipment search is defining the goals. If distance is the primary objective, lightweight technology should be a focal point. This means that the adjustable clubs that tend to be heavier can be eliminated. If a lower trajectory is the top priority, the lightweight clubs should be disregarded as they will only increase the frustrations of a high-ball-hitter. Tendencies are the fastest way to eliminate options.

Your necessities should be the only thing guiding the search for new equipment. Once tendencies are understood, you can jump from brand to brand comparing the corresponding technologies.

When you come into a store looking for new clubs, the salesperson will be asking the majority of the questions to start the fitting process. It’s going to sound something like: What clubs do you play now? Do you play steel or graphite? Stiff or regular? Do you miss left or right? What do you like and dislike about your clubs now? What club do you hit 150 yards? With each answer the fitter gets a better understanding for what your expectations are, and what will help to improve your game.

Oftentimes, the final decision is the most difficult, especially when it’s between comparable models offering similar results. In these situations I suggest that preferences should be the determining factor – that is the look, feel and sound of a club. These tend to be the factors that sell themselves.