For all golfers, this is a fun time of year as we begin to see new models of golf clubs being introduced and made available for purchase in the new season. New drivers that are longer and straighter (maybe), irons that will turn you into a GIR machine (sure, they will), putters that make everything — the list goes on and on.

As a 40-year club designer and an old “ad guy,” the equipment ads that really rile me up are those that make claims that they simply cannot deliver on. I view marketing as an honorable profession, but I take offense to advertising that goes beyond fun and ventures into fantasy.

We all strive to make our products as good as they can be for the golfers we have designed them for. There are lots of good products out there, but too many companies cross the line with their claims, so you should be somewhat pragmatic as you sort through all the buzz and hype in whatever category you are shopping.

As a 30-year wedge designer, I take particular offense to a current advertising campaign by a major wedge brand that claims they can fix “chunks and skulls.” Sorry guys, we club designers have no influence whatsoever on your swing. If you hit it fat, we can’t help you much. Same for catching it right in the eyebrows. No club design exists that can fix those things.

All we designers can do — whether it be with a driver, fairway, hybrid, irons or wedges — is help you get better performance out of the shots hit around the primary striking surface of the face of the club. Period.

We designers can’t fix your early release or over-the-top move. Your tendency to look up occasionally is yours alone, as is your occasional chunk/fat swing. That slice move or snap-hook tendency is about your fundamentals and swing path, not the club you have in your hands.

I will allow that good custom-fitting can help you get the club face to the ball more consistently, but it can’t prevent your worst swings from cropping up now and then. Even tour professionals cannot hit it the way they want every time. You will see some of the wildest misses imaginable every week on television, and these are the best players in the world!

So, as you begin thinking about what to add to the bag this season . . . what new “secret weapon” should find its way into your line-up, let me offer some suggestions gleaned from a lifetime in the game and a life in the business:

1. Define your goals for any new club purchase. Is it distance? Accuracy? A combination of the two?
2. What are you willing to give up in order to get something else? Would you trade a few yards of distance off the tee for more fairways? Or would you sacrifice a bit of accuracy for a few more yards? How about more control with your irons? Or is it to hit them longer that you seek?
3. Are you looking to improve your lag putting or is it the short ones that drive you crazy? [I am a firm believer those two goals should cause you to approach putter buying differently.]
4. With your wedges, are you looking for a different trajectory? Better distance control? Improved turf interaction? Versatility? So many things to consider . . .

But here’s my best advice for buying any new golf club – don’t trust a single demo session on the range or into a net!

You need to put any contemplated golf club purchase to the test on your course (or courses), hitting the shots you face every round. Your swing will be slightly different on the range or in a hitting bay than it will be over the few hours through a round of golf. Only a few rounds on the course will show you whether this new club is worth the investment.

And if the store where you shop won’t let you do that, find another one who will. It’s your hard-earned money and eBay is full of barely used clubs that didn’t live up to the demo experience.