How much difference does the equipment make?

On Friday I was playing a round at Bognor GC and just for abit of fun one of my playing partners and I decided to swap drivers for a hole. He was using a Hippo 460 driver which incidentally I sold to him about 2 years ago for about £20, I in my wisdom had bought it and was then told by the pro that I was having lessons with that is wasnt really much good to me. I am currently using a R7, 9.5 loft and a stiff shaft which I have consistently hit over 300 yards and with a best of 370 yards. He went first and to be honest it didnt make a huge difference, he usually hits it fairly straight about 200 yards and his didnt differ a great deal. I then took his and into the wind I hit it as straight as an arrow 290 yards, I have to say I was surprised especially as it had a regular graphite shaft and was really whippy.

So does equipment really make that much difference?

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Leepy

Driver: Taylormade R7 9.5 stiff
4+ wood: Callaway steelhead 3
Rescue club: Taylormade
Irons: Mizuno MP-32 stiff shaft
PW: Cleveland 900 series
SW: Cleveland 900 series
LW: Cleveland CG10
Putter: Odyssey 2ball steel insert blade
Ball: Callaway HX Tour Black

Yes. It does.

From a basic, banal standpoint: If you swing right, and I give you lefthanded clubs, you won't score well.

To go one step away from ridiculous; If I give you a 6° driver with a XXX flex shaft, how well do you think the average golfer would hit it (by average, I mean aggressive downswing at 90 MPH)

I can set you up with 2° open drivers, and watch you fight a slice all day. I can put a 5° closed driver in your hands, and watch you fight a hook. But if you figure out how to compensate, you'll hit moon balls - as the effective loft will be 5° higher than whatever the loft is.

Lets take another scenario - a little less drastic, a lot less likely (to the degree I'm about to showcase, but it's certainly there):

Take your iron set. They're set for, lets say, 4° loft gaps from the factory. The tolerance is +/- 2° for loft. So, if the 3 iron is 2° weak, and the 4 iron is 2° strong, then you have two clubs that go the same distance. Lets do the same for the 5 and 6 - weak and strong respectively. Now, not only do they hit the same distance, but you have a 2 club difference between your 4 and 5 - 20 yards for the sake of an argument.

How about hitting a belly putter when you're used to a 32"? Or a broomhandle? Any clubs that are too short or too tall for that matter? Sure, you can learn to hit them, but are you going to be as effective as having equipment that fits you properly?

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True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

How do you know if you are playing the appropriate flex of shafts? I am currently playing stiff shafts in both my irons and woods. I was told by a pro who gave me a playing lesson that due to my swing speed and my strength (even though I have a smooth swing) to stick with stiff shafts.
He said a regular flex will increase my trajectory and decrease my distance. When looking at irons another pro said I can go either way.

Any suggestions on what type of shaft to buy with a new set or irons?

IMO, there are two ways to go about it: Trial and error (my preferred, but I'm a club ho), or getting your numbers down in a launch monitor (or hitting ton's of demos from a clubfitter shop).

Without seeing your swing, or knowing your swing speed, I cannot make a suggestion as to a shaft that may benefit you.