He'd still be better off getting better quality, slightly older clubs. Technology does move pretty quickly, but £200 on clubs that are 2 years old will still buy better technology than a (relatively) cheap new set - he'd be able to get what was top of the range.
I still use irons (Pings) that...
Has he looked for a decent set 2nd hand? There are plenty of knob-end golfers out there that buy the latest clubs every 5 minutes in the hope of buying a lower handicap, so you can pick up some real bargains.
He might even end up spending less than £200 and could put the difference towards a...