Club endorsements that undid their Pro

[iNeedMoreGolf]

Man i need to fire everyone and junk all equitment and restart my whole golf everything and play like a hack until i can shoot low scores again. I just shot 65 at augusta yesterday... i hit one chunky though on 7... hence the restart...

[Scotty1140]

First thing that popped in my head was Bubba going to Volvik. That was an instant mess.

 

I wonder at what point did he say to himself "oh f*** what have I done"?

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Scotty1140

[jokerusn]

8 hours ago, nsxguy said:

 

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. 

Brooks went to Nike before they stopped making clubs - https://www.golfwrx.com/344332/nike-signs-brooks-koepka-tony-finau-and-12-others/.  Either way, he went from Titleist and started winning majors.  Usually it's the other way around - they win on Titleist clubs and stop when they leave.

[HateTheHighDraw]

Boyd Summerhays made a really good point on the Golf.com podcast, based on his personal experience.  He had a particular ball flight and club face/path pattern that his driver (I believe he said Taylormade 510) accommodated, namely he would hit it slightly off the toe to straighten out his ballflight.  Then he "took the money" switched to another brand driver, which didn't perform the same off the toe, and he nearly lost his swing.  

 

Most brands have a particular design ethos, whether it be CG placement, face shape/size, sole grind etc... that simply fits certain players and do not fit other players.  For example, for me personally, I simply cannot hit Callaway irons due to the sole shape/turf interaction.

[Cakalacman]

I think by all means an equipment change can cause you a learning curve. I however think some of these guys get a huge endorsement deal and just fall off their game a little bit. That to me is one of the sad things about pro sports today and the money these guys get paid across the board in all sports. There are rare breeds like Tiger or LeBron or Brady or Trout that continue to dominate their game after large sum endorsement deals. Most just have it made financially and the extra hour of practice get shoved to the side for a PR appt or to go have dinner with the wife and kids. Equipment yes can impact it but I think a lot of it can be complacency and this has been coming for decades with the money they get. JMHO and it's worth about .02. 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Cakalacman

[Ironman_32]

I think about this in two ways (1) what did we really expect from players going forward (2) at the end of the day, its about getting paid, doesn't matter if its from playing or from a club deal ( to most).

 

Meaning, for all the guys who have held a tour card, not many have won multiple majors. So if thats the barometer, and if someone wins one, its not a like a puzzle that once its figured out they have the "code". Do we really expect some of these guys to go a on a tear, or have sustained greatness? I think of guys who've switched, like Zach Johnson or Rose, but then there are guys similar to them who haven't switched like a Jason Day who also fell off. Think of a guy like Jim Furyk, really good, switched a couple times, when he was ranked three in the world I don't think the equipment was holding him back from over taking Tiger and Phil.

 

Take Corey Pavin, wins the '95 Us Open, made $350K. Speculating here, but maybe he thinks he's not really going to win another major, this might be the height of his career, so why not take millions in endorsement money. Maybe he'll win another major, but may he's looking around on the range at events and thinking, I was lucky to win one. 

 

That said, it can affect guys in some ways. Bubba with volvik was a bad move, margins are so thin out there if you don't have the highest level of confidence in your equipment you're slamming your trunk. 

[RainShadow]

11 hours ago, dhen9 said:

PXG fan here, but where is Lydia Ko?

Her results have been improving.

Her downfall was Leadbetter.

Edited March 18, 2021 by RainShadow

[MattyO1984]

1 hour ago, jokerusn said:

Brooks went to Nike before they stopped making clubs - https://www.golfwrx.com/344332/nike-signs-brooks-koepka-tony-finau-and-12-others/.  Either way, he went from Titleist and started winning majors.  Usually it's the other way around - they win on Titleist clubs and stop when they leave.

 

He had one Nike Club in his bag versus four Titleist clubs and a Pro V1x when he won the US Open in 2017...you could argue that going back to the Titleist ball helped him win that US Open and the next three majors that came along for him.

[MattyO1984]

Rose to Honma was such a strange one. Signed up and won almost immediately. Makes me think that with him it was in between the ears that caused the problem and not the clubs. Surely it the clubs were that junk, there is no way that he is picking up any wins at all or was as as good as Tiger and able to win with inferior equipment?!

[dhen9]

3 minutes ago, RainShadow said:

Her results have been improving.

Her downfall was Leadbetter.

Really glad to see her getting tv coverage on Sat/Sun. again

[VNutz]

Nick Watney had a promising 5 win career going when he switched from Titleist to Nike. Game immediately went sideways and has been more of a journeyman since.

[KRAMER1997]

Tiger went to Taylormade and got spinal fusion a couple months later/might not walk again. Before Taylormade Tiger could walk and had 0 spinal fusions (too soon? 😬)

[mcskow]

Bubba is the exception with the Volvik switch, but the issue always seem to be the irons. Tiger could play with anything but I think the reason his equipment transitions have been smoother is that each company makes their version of his irons for him. Other players have to adapt, at least more than he does. The fact those versions sell like crazy helps, too.

[Ghostwedge]

13 hours ago, wlittle1274 said:

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

That's your perception, he hasn't won with them but he's not starving.

[Ghostwedge]

7 hours ago, iNeedMoreGolf said:

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.

Uh...TW has ONE putter, you have three rotating. Lot of putters could infiltrate your lineup if you let them.

[dalehead]

12 hours ago, jokerusn said:

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 

Edited March 18, 2021 by dalehead

[nsxguy]

3 hours ago, jokerusn said:

Brooks went to Nike before they stopped making clubs - https://www.golfwrx.com/344332/nike-signs-brooks-koepka-tony-finau-and-12-others/.  Either way, he went from Titleist and started winning majors.  Usually it's the other way around - they win on Titleist clubs and stop when they leave.

 

So Brooks was playing Nike for all this majors then ?

 

Guess I was reading the title of the thread,,,,,,,,,,,

 

And apparently, in 2017 when he won his first major he was playing Mizzy irons,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, https://www.golfwrx.com/426832/brooks-koepka-witb-2017/

 

What ev.

Edited March 18, 2021 by nsxguy

[Evolved]

13 hours ago, JackpotJohnny said:

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

Release the putter

[PureStrikes54]

This might get flamed but Rory from Titleist to Nike comes to mind relative to his dominance and talent level prior to the move. I'm talking the entire fitness journey, entirely changing his image by getting ripped, and swing becoming more compact and less flowing as a result.

 

The 2011 US Open and 2012 PGA Championship wins were just absurd examples of dominance over the field with a combined 16 strokes over the field. Closest thing we've seen to Tiger 2000. The Open Championship and other PGA win weren't even close to as impressive at a combined 3 strokes. I remember right after the Nike signing the level he was playing at vs. his best was just an insane fall off. Have to wonder what his resume would have looked like staying with Titleist and not going so all in on fitness which changed the swing significantly and seems to have created a couple year adjustment period. 

[iNeedMoreGolf]

1 hour ago, Ghostwedge said:

Uh...TW has ONE putter, you have three rotating. Lot of putters could infiltrate your lineup if you let them.

I mean i mainly use one but if i get bored i can switch without having any issues. Tiger has tried alot of putters the last few years so it sounds like he searches for something sometimes  that can be a backup.

[Scotty1140]

21 minutes ago, Evolved said:

Release the putter

 

LOL wow I totally forgot about that. That was probably the most obnoxious demand for a putter release I think we've ever had. 

[3whacker]

Curtis Strange went from playing MacGregor VIP's to Maruman and never won again

[stingerfade]

14 hours ago, dhen9 said:

PXG fan here, but where is Lydia Ko?

Searching for a new caddy 

[adeangelis]

I'd say on a smaller scale, Rickie changing to his TM ball has been an overall disaster...I know he has a win or 2 with it, but yikes...

[stingerfade]

2 hours ago, mcskow said:

Bubba is the exception with the Volvik switch, but the issue always seem to be the irons. Tiger could play with anything but I think the reason his equipment transitions have been smoother is that each company makes their version of his irons for him. Other players have to adapt, at least more than he does. The fact those versions sell like crazy helps, too.

Rickie went to taylormade ball and has sucked 

[Ferguson]

Brian Barnes - Petron to Armour  

[TiScape]

 Bubba Watson Volvik. When he went back to the Titleist ball it was like he was a different player. Coincidence, between the ears... Who know. But there was definitely a resurgence. 
just saw I was late to the party on this take. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Back to my coffee...

Edited March 18, 2021 by TiScape

[MUNIGRIT]

15 hours ago, jokerusn said:

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.

Or from Nike to Mizuno irons and started winning majors. 

[RainShadow]

4 hours ago, VNutz said:

Nick Watney had a promising 5 win career going when he switched from Titleist to Nike. Game immediately went sideways and has been more of a journeyman since.

Back injury......

[Megakarl]

1 hour ago, adeangelis said:

I'd say on a smaller scale, Rickie changing to his TM ball has been an overall disaster...I know he has a win or 2 with it, but yikes...

I gotta think his “33 revisions” trying to find his set of irons has had a lot to do with that too. He was one of the primary examples in my mind when I asked the question, but he has had a ton of variables to go along with the club changes