Club endorsements that undid their Pro

[Megakarl]

An interesting and oversimplified question for my first post:

 

Have you seen a contract signed by a pro with a new brand or model of club that seem to have corresponded with a massive change in performance? The examples that spring to mind for me are mostly negative, but changes for the better are equally welcome. 

[MikeW2]

If memory serves me right, Corey Pavin had a rough go of it when he switched or PRGR back in the day.

[iNeedMoreGolf]

Tiger to nike...great 

Sergio to callaway bad... 

Theres been a few guys that have gone callaway and just done terrible and i dont understand why? Rham just went callaway and im curious what happends but its strange. Most of the time the change is for the worse. Justin rose to honma anyone? 

I dont particularly think its the brands fault i just think the feels are slightly different and it gets too hard in the players minds.

[blblco02]

Mark brooks from hogan to callaway in 97

[OGrads13]

I'm a fan of their clubs but a lot of PXG players struggle after the switch. ZJ & CH3 some quick examples I could think of.

Edited March 18, 2021 by OGrads13

[btyh]

3 minutes ago, OGrads13 said:

I'm a fan of their clubs but a lot of PXG players struggle after the switch. ZJ & CH3 some quick examples I could think of.

Because pxg is the complete opposite of titleist 

[mcputter]

Payne Stewart to Spalding back in the day. Switched club and ball at the same time which is always riskier. I remember reading that he said he lost two clubs distance in the irons because he was spinning it so much. I think the ball was that Tour Edition that Greg Norman kept spinning off the front of the greens.

[JungleJimbo]

2 hours ago, Megakarl said:

An interesting and oversimplified question for my first post:

 

Have you seen a contract signed by a pro with a new brand or model of club that seem to have corresponded with a massive change in performance? The examples that spring to mind for me are mostly negative, but changes for the better are equally welcome. 

@Megakarl:Welcome to GolfWRX & nice first post! 🙂 

 

The one +'ve that springs to mind = Bryson & his WristLock putter?  (arguably this putter = more +'ve impact, vs Bryson's single-length irons?)

FWIW... although PRGR often gets linked to Corey Pavin's subsequent downturn in performance...
i think PRGR makes fabulous clubs! 

---
Various examples of -'ve shifts (e.g. per the Links below)

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2221591-ranking-the-5-worst-equipment-changes-by-a-pga-tour-player
 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by JungleJimbo

[wlittle1274]

I mean it’s ZJ to PXG and it’s not really close is it?.. Dude has been literally irrelevant since that deal 

[Lefty_13]

Bubba to Volvik almost ended his career 

[dhen9]

PXG fan here, but where is Lydia Ko?

[Christen_The_Sloop]

The bleacher report article is interesting. It's hard to know in some cases whether it's the clubs or whether desire, in the case of Strange, is the biggest factor. Look at a guy like Faldo. He did little wrong between 87 and 92, caught fire again in 96 and after that nothing. We know it wasn't clubs. 

 

Funny that guys like Price and Pavin also nosedived around the year 1997. 

 

Someone like Stewart it was pretty clear. He changed clubs and then dropped off. He changed back and found his form, but it also coincided with some serious life changes. Maybe the life changes were brought on by seeing the light of a one piece Japanese forging? 

 

I think players have been a lot more careful about changing clubs since this time and you certainly don't see dramatic changes like Janzen or Steward made. The industry itself is a lot more careful in what it brings to market. 

 

 

 

 

[wlittle1274]

3 minutes ago, Lefty_13 said:

Bubba to Volvik almost ended his career 

This is sneakily a great one 

[Christen_The_Sloop]

Just now, dhen9 said:

PXG fan here, but where is Lydia Ko?

 

probably getting more plastic surgery.

[Arizonalefty59]

Justin Rose! 

[jokerusn]

Mickelson wins his first masters, signs with Callaway and wins 4 more majors.  

You could argue that Brooks went from Titleist to Nike and started winning majors.

[enfuego]

Molinari to callaway after he won the open and had a great 2018 as a free agent. I will say he switched and immediately won the 2019 Arnold palmer and had a shot on Sunday at the masters.. Maybe tiger killed him and not the switch in clubs

[JackpotJohnny]

46 minutes ago, dhen9 said:

PXG fan here, but where is Lydia Ko?

Ledbetter killed ko not the equipment. 

[JackpotJohnny]

Also Rory took a huge dive right after he signed with Nike. 

[KC13]

Spencer Levin and Callaway.  “Took the money”... 

[tobiasjd]

Harris English was on an awesome upward trend.  Then left Ping for Callaway and fell off the map.  Back to Ping and in the top 20. 

[enfuego]

10 minutes ago, JackpotJohnny said:

Also Rory took a huge dive right after he signed with Nike. 

In 2013 right after the deal, yes it was not good. But 2014 was obviously great though with 2 majors, and a couple wins in both 15&16 with a FedEx. Maybe if he doesn't change he doesn't waste a year in 2013.

[nsxguy]

59 minutes ago, jokerusn said:

 

You could argue that Brooks went from Titleist to Nike and started winning majors.

 

I'm missing something here ain't I ?

 

Brooks went to Nike after they stopped making clubs ?

 

Nike stopped making clubs in 2016. Brooks won his first major in 2017. 

[Woodridge]

....

Edited March 18, 2021 by Woodridge

[JackpotJohnny]

1 hour ago, enfuego said:

In 2013 right after the deal, yes it was not good. But 2014 was obviously great though with 2 majors, and a couple wins in both 15&16 with a FedEx. Maybe if he doesn't change he doesn't waste a year in 2013.

Let’s be clear here, we could blame the equipment change but Wozniacki was the real reason for the downturn in 2013. As soon as he called it off and got back to focusing on golf, he caught fire. 

Then he turned around and did it again, and still hasn’t been completely back since. 

[spike]

Justin Rose to Honma, didn't last very long,gave up on them

[Nard_S]

3 hours ago, mcputter said:

Payne Stewart to Spalding back in the day. Switched club and ball at the same time which is always riskier. I remember reading that he said he lost two clubs distance in the irons because he was spinning it so much. I think the ball was that Tour Edition that Greg Norman kept spinning off the front of the greens.

I remember those balls. Crazy spinning. Think you can add Norman here because he lost several tournaments having too much spin on the ball. His play was compromised by them.

[Thayneil]

1 hour ago, spike said:

Justin Rose to Honma, didn't last very long,gave up on them

They make great clubs though

[iNeedMoreGolf]

One things for sure... if you find brands, clubs, a ball, a coach or even a swing that works for you.... DO NOT CHANGE IT. If anyone has done this you know the outcome. I refuse to play any other driver brand then callaway. Everything else feels wrong. Ball hasnt really shown me enough to say wow i must stick to this certain one... but then again im no pro. Putter is a realll deal must stick to. I have 3 putters that work wonders for me and nothing i put then against so far can bounce them out of the lineup. Just look at tiger with his putter.

[sk33tr]

I have to laugh at this post because 90% of the time, its between the ears. Talk to the guys in the trucks and its the same with switching to the latest release. These guys are so talented and you can present all of the data, hit every window but they can't deal with the slightest change. Then you have the guys that fall into slumps between heaters and its the equipment's fault. Then they keep switching and searching, then they're too lost. Finally, some OEM's have initiated the separation because they've had their belly full. BTW, what is not mentioned is the coach. Taking a player down the wrong path and chasing something they're not. Again, its not really the equipment but to save themselves they have to blow up everything to re-find themselves. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Every name mentioned above falls into one or more of the buckets I've mentioned.

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by sk33tr