Club endorsements that undid their Pro

[nosedive32]

On 3/30/2021 at 11:29 PM, 3whacker said:

back in the day if you were a PING staffer you had to play all their irons + putter, you could play whatever putter  and ball you chose.....

 

Fast forward to present day and most equipment companies want their staffers in the whole bag and in some cases the ball too....only guys like TW and a few other can decide and play their ball of choice and putter of choice...I think all these guys can hit it big with their companies driver du jour, and they can find a ball that they can get around the course....But IMO they are all chasing SC when it comes to the flatstick....and no I dont putt with one, I use a 25yr old John Byron that looks like the original Scottsdale Anser, similar to JS putter...

 

I think if DJ and RM could use a Phantom X they would switch tomorrow 

 

If DJ and Rory wanted to use something else for a club or two I'm sure they have the freedom to do so. At least they should.

 

They are plenty of small fish staffers with the odd club or two (sometimes more) from outside of home base.

 

Maybe not though. Perhaps Phil Mickelson is unique in that he was able to be a mega money face of brand guy and still play whatever he wanted when he felt he needed too. There always seems to be an odd club in Phil's bag that isn't from Callaway.

 

Hell at the 2013 Presidents Cup he had 3 - SLDR Driver, Ping Anser Hybrid, Ping Eye 2 XG 64 (My favorite part of the story - Phil has his representatives contact Ping and ask for them to make him an Eye 2 XG 64 and they jump on it.

[zonadub]

On 3/29/2021 at 10:05 AM, KRAMER1997 said:

Fat Rory with Titleist/Jumeirah/Oakley would have 9-10 Majors by now and would have close to 40 wins on tour.

it was getting the hair cut... like Samson & Delilah

[zonadub]

On 3/18/2021 at 10:07 AM, 3whacker said:

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

 

On 3/18/2021 at 4:03 PM, stingerfade said:

Being a jerk takes it’s toll on the soul as well 

remember hearing Judy Rankin say that when her husband got cancer, that Strange was the person who was the first and biggest supporter for her during that time. 

[OBbogey5]

On 3/18/2021 at 9:31 AM, PureStrikes54 said:

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. 

I’ve never forgive him for this. Was it the Titleist 910D2?? And the the 3W was a Titleist 906F2 13*? With the same shaft model for each.. 
 

His US Open win was basically Rory stiffing 7 iron and everyone else bouncing 5 iron through the green. Yeah, it was soft... for Rory! 
 

Rory wasn’t the golfing machine that Woods was. He was a curly haired Irish kid, with the best goddam swing I’ve ever seen. Then Nike, and those those shirts and those stupid woods, and I hated it from the 2013 Abu Dhabi something or other in the middle of the night - on. Rory is always gonna be my guy, but that Nike $200MIL move sucked.

[OBbogey5]

39 minutes ago, zonadub said:

 

remember hearing Judy Rankin say that when her husband got cancer, that Strange was the person who was the first and biggest supporter for her during that time. 

Believe she said that about Tiger too. Judy’s a pearl. 

[mukster]

Entertaining read.

So if I want to crash and burn, buy Callaway gear. If I want to get onto the senior tour, switch to Taylormade🙂

 

My buddy just bought PXG irons.  

Me: Lydia Ko's PXG irons have done her in.

Him recently : Lydia PXG baby!!!!

Me the next tournament: Looks like her equipment dragged her down again.

 

Rory has been sucking the big one with the TM gear for the past while, except for this week, round 2 and 3 so far. Let's see if his equipment holds him up for the rest of the tournament!! 😅

 

Has anyone looked at the stats for people sticking with the same gear and dropping off the planet after a good run?   Anyhow, great thread 🙂 

 

 

[iNeedMoreGolf]

I think we all know its a mix between in your head and something that the new brand and club does differently then the clubs and brands your use to. I have hit a few different brands and i can personally say... i absolutely prefer callaway woods, hybrids and wedges. I can do the irons too but i prefer mizuno. Putter is one club i can do almost any brand as long as it fits my eye and feel.

[Greg_B]

15 hours ago, OBbogey5 said:

Rory wasn’t the golfing machine that Woods was. He was a curly haired Irish kid, with the best goddam swing I’ve ever seen. Then Nike, and those those shirts and those stupid woods, and I hated it from the 2013 Abu Dhabi something or other in the middle of the night - on. Rory is always gonna be my guy, but that Nike $200MIL move sucked.

 

The Nike Curse strikes every time.

[Scotty1140]

21 hours ago, OBbogey5 said:

I’ve never forgive him for this. Was it the Titleist 910D2?? And the the 3W was a Titleist 906F2 13*? With the same shaft model for each.. 
 

His US Open win was basically Rory stiffing 7 iron and everyone else bouncing 5 iron through the green. Yeah, it was soft... for Rory! 
 

Rory wasn’t the golfing machine that Woods was. He was a curly haired Irish kid, with the best goddam swing I’ve ever seen. Then Nike, and those those shirts and those stupid woods, and I hated it from the 2013 Abu Dhabi something or other in the middle of the night - on. Rory is always gonna be my guy, but that Nike $200MIL move sucked.

Granted that 2013 seemed like an adjustment period, but he did win half of his majors with Nike equipment the very next year. 
 

Edited May 9, 2021 by Scotty1140

[Retsdon]

On 3/18/2021 at 6:17 AM, JackpotJohnny said:

Ledbetter killed ko not the equipment. 

😄😅😄 Funny you should mention him. I'm currently moving house,and sorting through stuff today I came across a  Ledbetter boxed DVD set. It hasn't seen the light of day for a good few years because the last one I watched, on the short game, somehow induced a shank into my shot repertoire that took me fully 18 months to get rid of. And even now, I'm thinking I shouldn't be talking about it. Pure poison...

[golfortennis]

On 5/8/2021 at 2:11 PM, zonadub said:

 

remember hearing Judy Rankin say that when her husband got cancer, that Strange was the person who was the first and biggest supporter for her during that time. 

 

I have asked several times in this forum for people to give their personal examples of Strange being a jerk.  I've mostly gotten crickets.  

 

I mean, he might be, but he also subscribes to theory of why does an adult want another adult's signature on something that isn't a contract or a check?  SO maybe these guys got turned down for an autograph and it has left a scar.

[OBbogey5]

5 hours ago, Scotty1140 said:

Granted that 2013 seemed like an adjustment period, but he did win half of his majors with Nike equipment the very next year. 
 

He sure did. He definitely figured it out. Talent will do that for a player. It’s just a personal preference on my part. I hated the Nike switch the second I saw the deal online. Was never a Nike Golf guy..

[turles20]

I heard on a podcast from a Nike Tour Van worker, that initially when Rory switched in 2013 they fit him into the wrong ball. Rory was then hesitant to switch balls in the middle of the season. The tour van worker said that was the main reason that Rory had a subpar 2013.

[NetBogey]

On 3/18/2021 at 12:15 PM, 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 feel like Rickie was kind of sucking right before the ball change too. I think he’s due for a full equipment change. Might need a bag full of Taylor made clubs. 
 

cobra hasn’t been the company they used to be when they were a part of acushnet. 

[grm24]

6 hours ago, bryceyf said:

I feel like Rickie was kind of sucking right before the ball change too. 

Rickie changed balls at the start of 2019. Had a win and 2nd place finish in his first 4 starts playing the TM ball along with other good finishes throughout 2019. His poor play really started in early 2020 after the TOC. Has played poorly since. 

 

BTW his results at the end of 2018 while still playing the Titleist ball suggest he wasn't sucking as your words suggest. See the facts. This information easy to find.

 

[elwhippy]

Insisting on using a brutally hard to hit gimmicky set of blades is more the reason. Look at your peers Rickee and notice what they are hitting. Hard to blame the TP5. 

[Mustard_Tiger]

Steve Stricker has been mentioned multiple times--when he signed with Taylormade for the 1997 season. However, switching from his Peerless irons to TM wasn't the major problem. It was his switch from the Callaway Big Bertha driver to a Taylormade driver that ruined him. It was so bad that when he looked down at his driver he had no idea where the ball was going to go. It was so bad that TM gave him permission to put the Callaway back into his bag mid-way through the season.

 

Here's a Chicago Tribune article from 1997 that describes his pain. It also mentions Mark Brooks and Corey Pavin having problems with new club companies.

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-06-04-9706040044-story.html

 

and here's another story from that year:

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-07-02-9707020021-story.html

 

I liked this quote from 1997. It's pure Steve Stricker for those who have followed his WITB over the years (which changes at a glacial pace).

 

"I'm not a player who likes change. I like to find something and stick with it."

 

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Mustard_Tiger

[Greg_B]

2 hours ago, Mustard_Tiger said:

Steve Stricker has been mentioned multiple times--when he signed with Taylormade for the 1997 season. However, switching from his Peerless irons to TM wasn't the major problem. It was his switch from the Callaway Big Bertha driver to a Taylormade driver that ruined him. It was so bad that when he looked down at his driver he had no idea where the ball was going to go. It was so bad that TM gave him permission to put the Callaway back into his bag mid-way through the season.

 

Here's a Chicago Tribune article from 1997 that describes his pain. It also mentions Mark Brooks and Corey Pavin having problems with new club companies.

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-06-04-9706040044-story.html

 

 

I had forgotten that after Nick Price signed his ill-fated deal with Atrigon which never actually amounted to him playing their clubs for very long, he took a new deal with Goldwin. I had a Goldwin driver and liked it, and I thought their irons were interesting, but I don't remember Nick using them for very long either.

[hammersia]

On 3/18/2021 at 7:52 AM, 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.

where does that leave those of us who’ve never found anything that works?

[hammersia]

On 3/18/2021 at 8:26 PM, mat562 said:

And Colin Montgomerie.

 

After several years as a world class player with clunky, cavity-backed Callaway gear, tried Bernhard Langer's Hogan ball in practice at the Ryder Cup and went Hogan-happy with a set of blades and the ball to boot. After playing some awful stuff, he quickly found some Yonex gear that evidently fitted him much better.

Colin went through loads of different gear with no problem. I remember early nineties he had Wilson Ultra 45s, then he was one of the first with a full graphite set, some orange shafted horrors, probably won with those as well. He could still thrash all of us with a walking stick. 

[JaNelson38]

5 hours ago, Mustard_Tiger said:

Steve Stricker has been mentioned multiple times--when he signed with Taylormade for the 1997 season. However, switching from his Peerless irons to TM wasn't the major problem. It was his switch from the Callaway Big Bertha driver to a Taylormade driver that ruined him. It was so bad that when he looked down at his driver he had no idea where the ball was going to go. It was so bad that TM gave him permission to put the Callaway back into his bag mid-way through the season.

 

Here's a Chicago Tribune article from 1997 that describes his pain. It also mentions Mark Brooks and Corey Pavin having problems with new club companies.

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-06-04-9706040044-story.html

 

and here's another story from that year:

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-07-02-9707020021-story.html

 

I liked this quote from 1997. It's pure Steve Stricker for those who have followed his WITB over the years (which changes at a glacial pace).

 

"I'm not a player who likes change. I like to find something and stick with it."

 

 

 

Yep.  Strick's equipment change with his Peerless irons also created lots of sore feelings with Arnold Palmer, which took years to get over....he almost never played Arnold's event in Bay Hill after he turned his career back around and became a top-ranked player again.  I think he finally came back the year before Arnie passed.

 

Not sure if it was referenced earlier as I havent gone through the whole thread, but Steve penned an article for The Players Tribune a couple years ago basically saying that changing equipment he was used to as a young player for money pretty much wrecked a decade of his career, and he wishes every day he could go back and not do it.  The catalyst for him changing equipment and trying to change his game was when he was paired with Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach, and Tiger basically evicerated him off the tee.  Very similar to Rory's initial chasing of Bryson's distance.

Edited May 11, 2021 by JaNelson38

[JaNelson38]

Just now, JaNelson38 said:

DP

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by JaNelson38

[smturner1203]

On 3/29/2021 at 11:05 AM, KRAMER1997 said:

Fat Rory with Titleist/Jumeirah/Oakley would have 9-10 Majors by now and would have close to 40 wins on tour.

Came here to say this. Those were the days. 

[smturner1203]

On 3/30/2021 at 8:01 PM, benthegolfer said:

Funnily enough it seems like both of these companies have staffers switch the whole bag (including putter, wedges, driver) when they switch. Taylormade seems to have a few more guys playing an oddball set of wedges or putter at least. 

If I remember correctly, John Rahm was adamant about NOT doing the full bag until he was comfortable. And allegedly he shot 59 in his first round at home with the full set. 

[JaNelson38]

Strick's article from 2016.

 

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/2016-6-16-steve-stricker-golf-letter-to-pga-tour-professionals

 

 

Once I started to make a name for myself on Tour, some pretty exciting things happened. Every person I knew wanted to advise me on how to conduct my finances. Different tournament officials began asking if I wanted to play in their events. I started making money with endorsements. I began chasing all the things that were suddenly available to me because I was winning.

It was all happening so quickly, and it sidetracked from my game.

Despite having won twice in 1996, I signed with a new sponsor and switched equipment for the following season. Looking back, that was the genesis of my struggles. In subtle ways I began to change the very game that had carried me to the highest level of golf. That was a huge mistake.

 

[NetBogey]

16 hours ago, grm24 said:

Rickie changed balls at the start of 2019. Had a win and 2nd place finish in his first 4 starts playing the TM ball along with other good finishes throughout 2019. His poor play really started in early 2020 after the TOC. Has played poorly since. 

 

BTW his results at the end of 2018 while still playing the Titleist ball suggest he wasn't sucking as your words suggest. See the facts. This information easy to find.

 

I guess my point was more about cobra, not so much the ball as others were staring. I’m sorry if I offended you using the word sucking. He only has 1 win years 2016- 2018, and 2 for years 2016-2021. And that was the facts I was using about “sucking”.  Maybe I should have used the term not

being able to close in tourneys those years except for 2 wins. 

Edited May 11, 2021 by bryceyf

[iNeedMoreGolf]

4 hours ago, hammersia said:

where does that leave those of us who’ve never found anything that works?

Either too picky or too bad at the game lol sorry just being honest. Theirs so much equitment and variations out there that something should fit everyone by now. Their is not one club on the planet that is ever going to make each shot go exactly where you want it and have looks and feel you want. The game would be so boring if everytime i wanted to hit to my spot it happend lol. I want to hit shots i want... but i also want to know when it was me not the club and 99% of the time it is us. All we are looking for out of clubs is feel, comfterbility and looks... otherwise we move on to the next set to try and find it... or... we are just hoes.

[golfortennis]

3 hours ago, JaNelson38 said:

 

Yep.  Strick's equipment change with his Peerless irons also created lots of sore feelings with Arnold Palmer, which took years to get over....he almost never played Arnold's event in Bay Hill after he turned his career back around and became a top-ranked player again.  I think he finally came back the year before Arnie passed.

 

 

 

Did Palmer push him to the irons?  Curious as to the backstory here.  Never heard that part of things.

[mizuno player]

On 5/8/2021 at 2:11 PM, zonadub said:

 

remember hearing Judy Rankin say that when her husband got cancer, that Strange was the person who was the first and biggest supporter for her during that time. 

He gets a bit of a bad rap. Close friend of mine knows him well. Said he isn't what people think. But them again he knows him! 

[grm24]

13 hours ago, bryceyf said:

I guess my point was more about cobra, not so much the ball as others were staring. I’m sorry if I offended you using the word sucking. He only has 1 win years 2016- 2018, and 2 for years 2016-2021. And that was the facts I was using about “sucking”.  Maybe I should have used the term not

being able to close in tourneys those years except for 2 wins. 

No worries the word sucking didn't offend me LOL! The numbers as I stated earlier in this thread show his game really going down hill at the start of last year. He played well in 2018. Not sure how much you can put this on Cobra. Rickie gets anything he wants from them. I really wonder how much the ball switch from Titleist to TM has played a part in this. How much have swing changes caused this? Maybe he's peaked. Who knows for certain. It's a multi-layered issue where these is no one catch all reason.