Unpopular Equipment Opinions

[nvr3putt]

On 4/30/2021 at 9:44 AM, Jamie_Tee said:

Buying a driver based on the results of a website getting lots of people to hit thousands of balls is pointless and won't mean you end up with the best driver for you.

Especially when the results aren't analyzed statistically. Average values are meaningless if the standard deviation is huge.

[MikeW2]

I cannot stand when practice putting greens don’t have holes, only the sticks. I have to putt in my basement all winter without a hole. When I can finally get outside to a real green, I want to hear my ball drop into a hole!!!

[Straphael]

Putter fitting is the most important fitting yet very few know how to do it. 
stop spending 600-1000 on a driver and then get mad that a putter is worth 300-500 guess which one you use more? 
constantly changing equipment is a terrible idea that we all love to do.

[karstens_ghost]

Here's another unpopular opinion...

 

Those of you saying "I go out and play with 5 clubs after work and score the same."

 

- No, you don't. Not consistently.

- If you did, you would only carry those 5.

- It's like remembering all the red lights on your drive somewhere. You don't remember the days when you get all green lights. Selective AF.

- If in fact you do score equally with 5 clubs, you're terrible at golf.

[14max]

Here's another one: "Mizzy" and the (apparently) offensive nickname for Titleist are not the names of those companies.  They are the stupid, lazy byproducts of low-functioning minds.  Now, go cry to your "wifey"...

Edited May 27, 2021 by 14max

[Mitchell]

Chasing ideal numbers on a monitor and hitting a golf ball on a course into optimal position from which to post a consistently good score are two vastly different pursuits.

[bladehunter]

On 5/15/2021 at 10:25 AM, The Mad Bomber said:

Slap my hand because it's not equipment related but...

 

Get rid of handicaps. Regardless of how many shots you think you're entitled to, if you shot 89 and the guy you're playing against shot 77 - YOU LOST. Go hit a bucket and come back when you can shoot 76 and actually beat that guys 77.

Applause 👏!     

[lefthack]

On 5/15/2021 at 8:49 PM, Straphael said:

Putter fitting.

 

I know I'm the outlier here, but the idea of getting "fit" for a putter is hilarious to me. I'm not saying you should just grab one and go (even though that is what you do in mini golf). But paying a pro to tell you what works for you is just silly.

 

Hit a bunch, find one you like and roll it. If you feel better spending $1500 for a boutique putter, or a $6 job like mine is up to you. But it's you making the put, not a pro, not a monitor, you.

 

/soapbox 

 

<edit> what did Phil Mickelson use to win the PGA Championship? It wasn't an arm lock face balanced center shaft mallet. 

 

He was putting left hand low, so there is that. 🤣

 

 

Edited May 27, 2021 by lefthack

[The Mad Bomber]

I saw a dead skunk on the side of the road the other day. Looked like it had been hit by a tank. Had its arse blown right out of it and all over the road.

 

And even that was more attractive than a PING driver with it's stupid turbulators at address

🤣🤣

[SylvesterLundgren]

7 minutes ago, The Mad Bomber said:

I saw a dead skunk on the side of the road the other day. Looked like it had been hit by a tank. Had its arse blown right out of it and all over the road.

 

And even that was more attractive than a PING driver with it's stupid turbulators at address

🤣🤣

Feel like you thought Taylormades M series were inspired by stormtroopers 

[Rosco1216]

Being longer with distance irons isn’t a positive for anyone. 

[COL_B]

A high "descent angle" is not going to be as effective at holding a firm green as spin, so those low spin, high MOI irons are not going to help you score as much as they advertise.

[timbo08]

Haven't read the whole thread so apologies if it has been mentioned but for me since the Anser and MAYBE the 2Ball, putter "technology" is very overrated.  Find something that is appealing to your eye and fits your stroke and call it a day.  Line and speed trump any putter tech any day of the week.  And this is coming from a dude with over 20 putters, so no, I am not encouraging anyone to stop "ho'ing" putters LOL 

[BatcatZA]

Our golf would be better off if we spent less time obsessing about our equipment and gear specs and spent the time in the gym or on the stretching mat.

 

(This may be the quickest time from someone registering to being banned ever)

 

*edit*

 

For all those saying the 60 degree is too hard to hit, I'd have to confirm that. I'd also like to submit that the other 13 clubs aren't especially easy either.

Edited May 27, 2021 by BatcatZA
Edit

[tehuti]

There is no virtue in playing with unforgiving clubs. The easier to hit consistently, the better. I don't care what they look like (within reason, of course).

[blues72]

On 4/5/2021 at 2:27 PM, sadclevelandsports said:

 

I'm of the opinion the mizuno shaft fitter coupled with a head you like is sufficient for 99% of people out there. 

Preach brother.  I’m also of the opinion that forgiveness isn’t nearly as forgiving as it’s made out to be.

[RCGA]

Club reviews on YouTube that only focus on launch monitor results in a simulator are extremely boring and are less informative than simply reading the OEM's spec sheet. 

 

Once I see the simulator, I tune out. 

[dubbelbogey]

On 5/15/2021 at 8:09 PM, nvr3putt said:

On 4/30/2021 at 7:44 AM, Jamie_Tee said:

Buying a driver based on the results of a website getting lots of people to hit thousands of balls is pointless and won't mean you end up with the best driver for you.

Especially when the results aren't analyzed statistically. Average values are meaningless if the standard deviation is huge.

 

And determining a "winner" based on a few hundredths difference in strokes gained is also statistically meaningless.

[bladehunter]

2 hours ago, dubbelbogey said:

 

And determining a "winner" based on a few hundredths difference in strokes gained is also statistically meaningless.

Especially when stokes gained doesn’t help quantify feel.  Feel matters.  

 

18 hours ago, tehuti said:

There is no virtue in playing with unforgiving clubs. The easier to hit consistently, the better. I don't care what they look like (within reason, of course).

Eh.  Matter of opinion.  Kind of like is there virtue in fighting bare hands vs with weapons or gloves.  Matter of opinion.  

[bladehunter]

19 hours ago, COL_B said:

A high "descent angle" is not going to be as effective at holding a firm green as spin, so those low spin, high MOI irons are not going to help you score as much as they advertise.

Bingo. Spin is control.  Control is scoring.  It’s that easy. I’ve yelled this. Seniors and low speed players should find the most spin ball and iron combo they can. Then learn to control that.  They all want this high traj low spin bomb irons.  Fun in the air. Then they see it hit nice and disappear over the back.  I don’t get it. 

 

hint- the shortest combo distance wise on a monitor is likely the most spin.  Or close about.  

Edited May 28, 2021 by bladehunter

[mgoblue83]

2 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Bingo. Spin is control.  Control is scoring.  It’s that easy. I’ve yelled this. Seniors and low speed players should find the most spin ball and iron combo they can. Then learn to control that.  They all want this high traj low spin bomb irons.  Fun in the air. Then they see it hit nice and disappear over the back.  I don’t get it. 

 

hint- the shortest combo distance wise on a monitor is likely the most spin.  Or close about.  

 

I'll add to this post by saying that low speed players need MORE loft in every club instead of the jacked lofts they can barely get in the air. If a low speed player couldn't keep a 28 degree 5 iron how are they supposed to keep a 28 degree 7 iron in the air?

 

It's just a joke and it's not just a rant about jacked lofts. If you can't keep the ball in the air with speed or higher loft/spin then you will actually end up hitting it shorter on every course except baked out hard pan. 

[llamont]

Apologies if this unpopular equipment opinion is duplicative since I didn’t read through 12 pages of prior posts. 
 

Contrary to popular WrX Equipment Mythology...most avid golfers, excluding elite amateurs and/or professionals, will not wear out the grooves on their wedges within a year or more from regular play/practice. This is a (more) recent big data (ie, OEM administered launch monitor) endorsement to move product. 

Edited June 5, 2021 by llamont

[Mudguard]

On 5/16/2021 at 2:25 AM, The Mad Bomber said:

Slap my hand because it's not equipment related but...

 

Get rid of handicaps. Regardless of how many shots you think you're entitled to, if you shot 89 and the guy you're playing against shot 77 - YOU LOST. Go hit a bucket and come back when you can shoot 76 and actually beat that guys 77.

 

That's cool, but think of the price of your annual subs when all those on a ten or greater leave golf as they can't compete...

[lefthack]

8 hours ago, Mudguard said:

 

That's cool, but think of the price of your annual subs when all those on a ten or greater leave golf as they can't compete...

 

Are you REALLY competing, though? I'm not used to being spotted points in any other sport because I suck at it. And if you are getting spotted points, how competitive are you? 

[Mudguard]

3 minutes ago, lefthack said:

 

Are you REALLY competing, though? I'm not used to being spotted points in any other sport because I suck at it. And if you are getting spotted points, how competitive are you? 

 

Of course you're competing in one sense. My father is retired and might break 80 once or twice a year. Should we not play together because he can't beat me? Or we simply play along side each other whilst trying to focus on our own gross?

If you're at a club of say 500 and the Saturday competition each week was a gross medal only, how would that go?

I think golf is unique because people of different abilities can actually have a competition. 

[llamont]

@lefthack and @Mudguard

I believe that y’all are both right. On one side, playing handicapped games makes the game superficially competitive which can be fun and entertaining between players of different playing abilities. But on the other hand, playing handicapped games brings out cheats and sandbaggers when there’s something, aside from pride, at stake...at least from my experience. One such experience was a few years ago when I played in a league at a local course. At the league’s season-ending 18 hole tourney, more than a handful of “14+ handicap” players showed up and posted 80 or better on a course with a slope rating of 72.5/126. There were grumbles calling bu11sh!t but that’s just a part of the system I guess. 

[lefthack]

20 minutes ago, Mudguard said:

 

Of course you're competing in one sense. My father is retired and might break 80 once or twice a year. Should we not play together because he can't beat me? Or we simply play along side each other whilst trying to focus on our own gross?

If you're at a club of say 500 and the Saturday competition each week was a gross medal only, how would that go?

I think golf is unique because people of different abilities can actually have a competition. 

 

So if I claim to be a 10 handicap and shoot legit par on Saturday, am I on fire or am I a sandbagger looking for an easy win?

 

I don't keep score and don't have a handicap. I can shoot pretty close to par, but I enjoy playing golf, not keeping score. I'm not TRYING to compete because I'm aware I suck. I also don't claim to have a low handicap to sound cool or inflate it to "compete".

 

So to me, a handicap makes little sense. 

[Mudguard]

2 minutes ago, lefthack said:

 

So if I claim to be a 10 handicap and shoot legit par on Saturday, am I on fire or am I a sandbagger looking for an easy win?

 

I don't keep score and don't have a handicap. I can shoot pretty close to par, but I enjoy playing golf, not keeping score.

 

So to me, a handicap makes little sense. 

 

Well one thing about this website is that there is a healthy skepticism of handicaps in general. Where I'm from and where I've played, most golf is played by members of clubs (golf is pretty cheap here). Casual golf while on the rise doesn't represent the bulk of golf played. So it means that most rounds are handed in for handicap purposes, and if someone doesn't put the score in properly, they're called out.

 

On the other hand, if you're in the US, and you have leagues or casual games, then I can understand the skepticism about playing in net events. Golf is also unique in that you 'share' the court with other players. Not like tennis where you could have two newbies playing on the court beside two pros and it not being an issue.

 

If you don't keep score and you don't have handicap then you're not playing golf. You're getting some practice or doing some exercise.

[Mudguard]

23 minutes ago, llamont said:

@lefthack and @Mudguard

I believe that y’all are both right. On one side, playing handicapped games makes the game superficially competitive which can be fun and entertaining between players of different playing abilities. At the league’s season-ending 18 hole tourney, more than a handful of “14+ handicap” players showed up and posted 80 or better on a course with a slope rating of 72.5/126. There were grumbles calling bu11sh!t but that’s just a part of the system I guess. 

 

It might be part of your system. Believe me, there will always be sand baggers, but at least their score goes in and ruins their chances for awhile. 

[lefthack]

3 minutes ago, Mudguard said:

 

If you don't keep score and you don't have handicap then you're not playing golf. You're getting some practice or doing some exercise.

 

I try to get my ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible. Just because I don't write it down doesn't make it any less golf. 🤣

 

What does your handicap gain you? Do you get a discount if you are a high handicapper so you can buy better gear? 

 

You are correct in a sense when I'm at the club it's basically practice. I'm by myself with a cart and a hand full of balls trying to make shots.