How Golf Monthly Tests Products

When it comes to buying new golf equipment, be it a new driver or a pair of the best spikeless golf shoes, the wealth of choice on offer can be overwhelming. Golf Monthly has proudly become your first port of call when it comes to giving you crucial insights into how the latest releases perform, how they compare to their predecessors and where they stack up in relation to the competition.

The quality of Golf Monthly's reviews and buyers guides is built upon a rigorous testing procedure as well as the knowledge and experience of the test team that has a sterling reputation in the industry, known for delivering the key insights you want to know in a concise, easy-to-digest manner.

Our commitments to you are:

• The products we review are tested by competent club golfers – we believe that's more useful than the opinions of PGA pros or robots.
• If we say we've reviewed a product, that means we've used it out on the golf course and hit it on a launch monitor where applicable.
• Manufacturers can't pay for a good review – we tell it how we see it.
• From the latest launch monitors to shot tracking technology, we will always endeavour to use the best technical equipment to assess performance.

It's worth mentioning that everyone's golf swings and style choices are different, so a club or shoe that works for one golfer might not work for another. Please keep this in mind when reading our reviews, much of the content is subjective but based on years of experience in every field.

We also try and verify manufacturer claims about performance details such as 'five yards longer than its predecessor' or 'improved grip', where applicable. If it's not possible, we'll refer to these features as 'manufacturer claims'.

Who tests products for Golf Monthly?

The product testing is headed up by technical editor Joel Tadman, ably assisted by digital editor Neil Tappin. They are experienced golf writers with low single-figure handicaps and have been doing this for over 25 years between them. The team also includes former tour player Sam De'Ath and Dan Parker.

With so much new golf equipment hitting the shelves every year, Golf Monthly has established a new category leadersapproach to develop experts in different areas of the market. Each category has a small team of reviewers testing products and working under an experienced lead writer who themselves are consistently testing new products to hit the market. Golf Monthly also has two US-based product testers in Scott Kramer and Mike Bailey, both bringing a wealth of experience to the team, to help cover the vast market in America.

By dividing golf equipment into categories, the team are in a better position to compare between brands, identify stand-out products and trends and offer game-improving buying advice. Below is a list of categories and their leaders:

Drivers, Golf Balls & Package Sets: Neil Tappin
Fairway Woods & Hybrids: Sam De'Ath
Utility Irons & Putters: Martin Hopley
Irons, Tech & GPS/Lasers: Joel Tadman
Wedges: Andrew Wright
Women's Golf Gear: Alison Root
Shoes, Bags & Trolleys: Dan Parker
Apparel: Sam Tremlett
Training Aids: Mark Townsend

Where are the products tested?

Before testing, the Golf Monthly team will usually attend product launches and meet with the manufacturer's R&D experts to understand the new technology. 

The Golf Monthly team is spread around various locations in the UK and US. As such, there are a wide variety of different golf venues used for testing products, both indoors and outdoors. The team also uses the latest technology, be it the Foresight Sports GCQuad, Trackman 4 or Full Swing Kit launch monitor, to gain quantifiable insights into club performance.

How does Golf Monthly rank products?

Golf Monthly reviews have a five star rating system. No product that receives less than 3 stars will be published. Golf Monthly doesn’t rank products within its buyers guides, but it will reference stand out features and link to individual reviews for those who want a deeper dive into how a product performs.

Golf Monthly Star Rating Guide

5 stars - Stands out from its competitive set by tangibly looking, feeling and performing better. Has innovative new technology that delivers on all attributes a golfer looks for with no significant weakness, at a price that offers value for money.

4.5 stars - Delivers a high level of all-round performance that matches the best of its competitive set in all areas and has minimal weaknesses of relative insignificance or that are subjective to the user.

4 stars - Performs to a high standard in multiple areas of consideration but falls short against competitors in the category in areas golfers typically consider important - be it looks, feel, performance or value.

3.5 stars - Didn’t perform to the level of products that lead their respective categories. Has some plus points but enough negative points to be of concern and that need referencing around the design, how the product looks/performs or the value on offer.

3 stars - Somewhat delivers what is expected but broadly offers a disappointing user experience. Lacks modern technology and resulting performance. Questions over build quality, durability, looks and performance.