My New Golf Clubs Helped Me Take 10 Shots Off My Handicap In A Year!
Golf Monthly news writer Jonny Leighfield has greatly reduced his handicap index in 2024 without taking a single lesson, but by making another significant change...

In November 2023, not long after I'd generated my first official Handicap Index, I was playing off 28.5. Fast forward to November 2024, greatly helped by a highly uncharacteristic 81 recently, my WHS Index dropped to 17.7.
I hadn't undertaken a single lesson in that time and I was venturing out to more new courses than I probably ever had. The difference - as far as I'm concerned - is two-fold.
Firstly, I've been playing a little bit more. Nothing crazy, but certainly enough to help create rhythm and momentum, maybe 30 rounds in 12 months compared to 15-20 before that. And secondly, I had accrued 10 new clubs which were all at least a decade younger than those they had replaced.
The Nike Method Converge putter I was bought for my 21st birthday remains in the bag, as does my Wilson Staff package set sand wedge from before that. Oh, and how could I forget? The lob wedge is a Wilson ProStaff Oversize created well before the turn of the millennium, purchased from a charity shop in North Wales for £1. That is known to occasionally get me out of a jam, still.
At this stage, I'd like to point out that I have been sporadically playing golf throughout much of my first 30 years on this planet, initially going to Saturday morning junior lessons at the same golf course in Swindon that European Tour legend and two-time Ryder Cup winner, David Howell honed his craft.
Jonny Leighfield using the Nike Method Converge putter
However, that is where the similarities end between Mr Howell and I, with the Sky Sports Golf broadcaster remaining an excellent player alongside his increasing popularity behind the mic, and my technique - in all areas - requiring plenty of work since giving up the aforementioned lessons before my teenage years.
Nevertheless, instead of investing in lessons as an adult, I did what many misguided amateurs do and blamed my lowly ability on the tools I was using. Although, as I'm about to hopefully explain, my theory has arguably been proven correct.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
The majority of my new clubs arrived just before Christmas 2023, as I decided to treat myself after surviving the first few months of my new job at Golf Monthly. My Wilson Staff package set irons were struggling as it was, given they arrived in my possession pre-2014 at the latest, and I felt that if I was to stand any chance of closing the gap on my talented bunch of colleagues - in terms of WHS Index - something had to be done.
So I wandered into an independent golf shop in my hometown and spoke to a couple of staff members, and we collectively decided that starting with a new set of irons - rather than going the whole nine yards - was the best course of action, initially.
I had a two-hour fitting session of sorts where I used multiple different brands with several varieties of shaft and club head before settling on some TaylorMade Stealth game-improvement irons. I was very tempted with a similar set of Mizuno irons, but while the ceiling was slightly higher in terms of distance, I felt the Stealth's gave me a touch more wiggle room for error (and, boy, do I need it).
Having picked them up on my drive to a nearby course so that I could try them straight away, I noticed the results immediately. With my old clubs, a rare good strike from the 7-iron was sending the ball 138 yards. But the new TaylorMade Stealth the same club was going circa 155 (distances measured via Arccos).
Towards the upper end of my bag, the fresh 4-iron was allowing me to take on 180-yard shots that I'd never previously been able to try. My old set consisted of a 5-iron and 4-hybrid, but the latter was only helping the ball go 170 at most on a good day with the wind behind. I should say, the results with said 4-iron were pretty poor at first, but once I practiced a bit more, the consistency increased significantly.
Having new clubs with dramatically updated technology in the head was breathing new confidence into my body and allowing me to relax while over the ball - safe in the knowledge that a steady swing would propel the ball forward with real purpose. Everyone knows it, but being relaxed while hitting a shot results in a much better strike more often than not.
Ever since then, I actively enjoy pulling an iron out of my bag because I know that - while the result will seldom be perfect - I now have the capability to find the target more a little more consistently.
But while the change in my game due to new irons is one thing, the biggest catalyst behind a drop in Handicap Index has undoubtedly been a new driver.
Jonny Leighfield using his old Wilson Staff package set 3-wood
Pre-2024, I had been using a package set driver that was not helping me tackle my slice whatsoever. How rude. I say 'using', I'd given up on it so long ago, 3-wood had long been my choice of weapon off the tee. Consequently, that was restricting me to 200 yards maximum straight away - with the wind behind on a good day.
However, having explained my relative struggles at the top end of the bag to a couple of my colleagues, I later found myself in possession of a Srixon ZX5 driver, a PXG 0211 3-wood, and a TaylorMade Stealth 2 3-hybrid (yes, I am completely aware of how fortunate I am to be in this position). Those three deliveries made my aim of reaching an 18 Handicap Index a very real possibility all of a sudden.
I had gone from very rarely hitting the ball a total of 200 yards off the tee to regularly landing it 220, and those numbers were only increasing during the summer months.
Once I became used to the extra-stiff shaft of the PXG (which I cannot speak highly enough of, by the way), that club became my favorite one in the bag, just in front of the aforementioned driver, due to its confidence-inducing consistency.
And that was really the key in helping lower my handicap. I'd gone from having absolutely no trust in one driver to knowing that if I set up correctly, it would produce a fair result. The same is true with the 3-wood. It's true with all of my new clubs, actually, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the updated equipment has been transformational for my game.
As an aside, new clubs actually made playing the same courses I always had done slightly different as I was hitting into greens from different yardages and possibly even carrying bodies of water or bunkers that I hadn't even bothered to try and take on before.
Once I had clubs I could trust, my scores began to trend in the right direction and my WHS Index continued to drop. So much so, it took me less than 12 months to achieve my initial handicap goal and record the lowest round of my life.
I don't think it's necessary to constantly be chasing new clubs as the technology will only help you so much. But there is something to be said for investing in fresh tools at most every five years as the difference will be more more obvious.
Plus, if you combine those new clubs with the occasional lesson, who knows where you could end up? As for me, learning how to properly swing each club has to be next on my list if this recent path of enjoyment is to continue...
Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Joaquin Niemann. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.
-
Amanda Sambach Facts: 10 Things To Know About The College Golfer
The University of Virginia's Amanda Sambach has been a keen golfer since she was five - here are 10 things to know about her
By Mike Hall Published
-
Tommy Fleetwood Holes Out For Los Angeles In TGL Overtime But Atlanta Drive Secure Tight Win
The Los Angeles Golf Club player produced a moment of brilliance in overtime against Atlanta Drive GC, but it wasn’t quite enough to secure the team a third successive win
By Mike Hall Published
-
Everyone Should Have This Club In Their Bag (But No-One Does)
The set make-up for many golfers seems to be set in stone but there's a case to be more creative with the clubs you choose for your bag, starting with this one...
By Joel Tadman Published
-
Meet The World’s First Smart Putter Used On Tour That Costs Over $1,000
Lemerle Golf integrates advanced technology and exceptional craftsmanship to create a revolutionary data-tracking putter
By Sam De'Ath Published
-
What Is The Difference Between A PW, AW, GW, SW And LW?
Your scoring clubs often have letters stamped on the soles. Here's what they mean and how each wedge differs...
By Michael Weston Published
-
5 Big-Name Players That Have Already Switched Putters In 2025
As the PGA Tour season hots up, it’s time to take a look at which players have replaced their trusty putter to try and make a fast start
By Sam De'Ath Published
-
I Built Bryson DeChambeau’s US Open-Winning Golf Bag And Entered A Pro Event! Here’s What Happened…
PGA Professional and equipment expert Joe Ferguson let his curiosity get the better of him and entered a pro event playing a full bag of Bryson’s actual clubs… He couldn’t win, could he?
By Joe Ferguson Published
-
What Golf Clubs Did Bobby Jones Use?
The great Bobby Jones, winner of the "Grand Slam" in 1930, had names for his wooden-shafted clubs, as many players of his era did
By Michael Weston Published
-
The Equipment Every Female Golfer Needs... But Often Overlooks
Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins explains why many golfers are missing out on equipment that will add enjoyment and improve their game
By Katie Dawkins Published
-
The 7 Golf Brands And Products That Impressed Me At The PGA Show
With almost 400 exhibitors at the PGA Show, our women's editor selects some brands and products to look out for in 2025
By Alison Root Published