...well Michael let me first congratulate you on that insane ricochet tee-off on St Andrews no. 1, that you posted up on the WGT forums (i'm sure it was you anyway), and inform the rest of the PP forum that we are in the company of quite some player here in mmikkeelee - one of the finest WGT has to offer as a matter of fact.... 
the first thing you'll notice is that's the 10.5 version of the R11 (I think the other comes in as a 9), I'm not even sure what the 10.5 is actually referring to such is my golfing ignorance (inches, ounces....anyone??), other than to say 'it's the bigger club head version' and as such it's really easy to get a good hit on the ball with - even me, lols!!! so the advice from the shop assistant was good advice for me. I could not tell ya what the difference is between this driver and an average rated one, and probably very little for anyone as novice as me - i'm guessing it's a few extra yards of distance when you have a consistent and reliable swing right??
All I can say about my R11 is that it's simply marvelous!! when you hit the ding in real life with that thing the ball is on it's way in to a low earth orbit!!! and the higher pitched 'crack' sound it makes is akin to the pleasure you might get driving a corvette - you just know it's 'that good' when you hear how it sounds, lols 
I had never hit a ball on a driving range in my life before I got hold of that R11 but I was still managing to touch on 200 yards with a swing akin to captain caveman!!! - god only knows how far it would go if I could play golf 
There are times when I sit thinking 'drats deena why did you buy that well-expensive driver when you should have invested more in to the wedding business', then we get a good sale, the business is safe for another month and I go on the field with the R11 to celebrate, and then I have no regrets at all, none whatsoever - if you can get one get one because it's the dogs b***cks and well worth the coinage, I'm guessing a good driver offers the ultimate exhilaration as opposed to a well grafted iron set or weighted putter?? I mean the Rossa sits just cosy in the relaxed clasp of your hands and that weighted putter head gives a well satisfying 'buffer' feeling as it strokes the ball but copmpared to that force that you feel go all the way down your forearm whejn you know you've just hit the best you are capable off - well how can you beat that!!!
In answer to your original question - I reckon it's probably a lot easier to play with top equipment as long as you get the right head size suited to your ability and I wouldn't let anyone put me off buying something I really wanted anyway, 'yankee jim' said i'd just look like a chump hitting an R11 a puny 200 yards at best and I just replied 'yeah but I look like a chump hitting MY R11 jim' - that's adolescent insecurity, who cares who's looking - I just wouldn't let anyone effect my tendency to go and totally spoil myself rotten sometimes - would you 
can't wait for the rainy season to stop so I can go out and smash my R11 all over the cattle fields, lols, there is a golf course nearby but I need to be able to hit the ball consistently so I don't embarrass myself/ get turfed off their fairways for digging up turf. lols, that's where I am with it - all the equipment, zero skill 
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