Looks/feel vs. Performance

[TiScape]

Reading the posts recently about Ping drivers being the most forgiving but having (to most) a horrible sound. And P790s being very forgiving but having (to most) horrible feel/sound got me thinking. It’s apparent that most of the clubs that offer the most help aren’t the most visually or audibly (feel) appealing. So do you opt for the club(s) that don’t look or sound as good to possibly help your score, or do you choose the club(s) that you love the look and sound/feel of and possibly sacrifice a few strokes? Personally I choose looks and sound/feel. It’s important to me that I really like the look and feel of my clubs. And since I don’t make my living playing golf, it makes the decision easy for me. That said, realistically how much more forgiving is a 425 MAX than say a TSi2? Not much. Definitely not nearly enough to tolerate the sound/feel of the Ping. I think the irons are where there is more of a difference. P790 or SIM2 irons are definitely “friendlier” than say Miz 925 Tours or Srix ZX7s. So with irons I opt for something in the middle like a Ping i210, Miz 925 Forged or Miz Hot Metal pro. There have been a couple times where I’ve said screw it and decided I’m just gonna buy some stupid easy to hit GI irons and just go have fun… They lasted about 2 rounds max! Haha. I found bad swings still produce mostly bad results and the little bit of juice gained wasn’t worth the squeeze. Where do you stand on the issue?

Edited May 6, 2021 by TiScape

[Davidv]

I hate the sound/feel of my new Ping425 sft  but the performance is there so in time I am confident the sound/feel concern will be a non issue as long as it performs.

[PNW]

I definitely consider looks/feel/sound when choosing but don't limit to this. 

 

For drivers, there are enough good options in each category that I don't think you need to settle if you prefer looks/feel/sound of another. Don't like the sound of Ping 425 Max? How about Sim2 Max? We're a bit spoiled these last few years for drivers and woods. Maybe you like the address (looks) of one more and it makes you feel more confident. Good reason to consider it. 

 

So many great iron options that blend in between categories now that you don't have to force yourself into larger GI/SGI clubs if you really don't like them.

 

It kinda annoys me that people on this site feel compelled that they have to caveat "I don't make pay my mortgage from golf" to justify preferences. Professionals are the extreme minority. if you're a bogeyish golfer who prefers the look and feel of a single piece forged CB over a larger GI then just play them. Nothing wrong with that. If you prefer the SGI then great. I'd be surprised if scoring changes materially beyond a stroke or two per round. If you have more fun with the CB than that's why we're playing the game. 

 

 

[TiScape]

Just now, PNW said:

Don't like the sound of Ping 425 Max? How about Sim2 Max? 

My son has a SIM2 MAX. While it sounds worlds better than the Ping, it still produces a dead thud sound IMO. Even when pured, it sounds to me like it was missed. 

[daveltb]

Not used to the sound of my Sim Ti 3W yet, but the performance and looks remind me my hearing isn't that great anyway.🦻🏻

[PNW]

5 minutes ago, TiScape said:

My son has a SIM2 MAX. While it sounds worlds better than the Ping, it still produces a dead thud sound IMO. Even when pured, it sounds to me like it was missed. 

 

Epic Max? Radspeed XB? TSi2? Those are just the big brands. I guess my point is, lots of options in a performance category to suit preferences beyond only performance. 

[TiScape]

1 minute ago, PNW said:

 

Epic Max? Radspeed XB? TSi2? Those are just the big brands. I guess my point is, lots of options in a performance category to suit preferences beyond only performance. 

Yes I play TSi2. Great performance, forgiveness and sound! 

[PNW]

17 minutes ago, TiScape said:

Yes I play TSi2. Great performance, forgiveness and sound! 

 

I've been considering the TSi2 3 fairway 🙂 

[iNeedMoreGolf]

Im here to tell you.. unless anybody is a self admitted really bad golfer... the gi irons arent going to reroute a really badly pusher puller hooked sliced shot. Like its been said your not looking at more then 2 strokes unless your a guy that duffs everyshot lol if anyone is thats ok... heres a orange and a little tropthy. Anywho... i prefer feel and looks over maybe just maybe a stroke or two.

[MattM97]

I think it depends on the club, like I don't mind the look and feel of the Ping woods at all, kinda enjoy them honestly. But other clubs it really depends, if it works I can get use to it but depends how bad the look is and same for sound. Like if a bombed a Nike Sumo dead center that sound may be too much. 

[PNW]

19 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

Like if a bombed a Nike Sumo dead center that sound may be too much. 

 

On the plus side, it announces to the rest of the course field that you just bombed your driver!

[Pepperturbo]

It's simple to me.  I have to like the way a club looks and sounds at impact, as well as how it behaves with my swing mechanics. 

 

There is NO vs. performance measurement regarding golf equipment.  I have NOT found one golf club that demonstrates performance without an engine or should I say, solid swing mechanics.  If you have a good swing you can make any club perform.  If you have a lousy swing, doesn't matter what equipment you have in your hands, it's not going to perform well.

 

No matter who's behind the wheel, the true meaning of performance is the new GT3.  Sorry, I was having a moment... 😛

 

 

[mogc60]

Looks, feel, sound all matter a lot to me. The club has to fit my eye and has to sound right. I think almost all clubs made now are great performers so the difference in performance is purely choice based on design anymore. I’ve tried clubs that perform great but don’t look right or sound right to me and I move on to the next. 

[Aviador Naval]

Feel (sound) is more important to me than looks.  In clubs where there is little performance difference/advantage in the design feel plays a big part in my choice - e.g., putter, wedges, short irons, driver.

 

As clubs get longer and have less loft (mid-long irons, hybrids, fairways), I have to accept my own limitations and focus a bit more on performance differences from design characteristics.  Fortunately, even in this category, there are plenty of options from which to choose that feel and look good.

[MelloYello]

I think the majority of clubs are fine and then there's that mysterious 5-10% of clubs that fall into the "eww" category.

 

I think most people have a club or two on their list of "wouldn't touch that" but generally don't use feel (i.e. sound) to select what they're going use. 

 

Just like the golf swing, there are corridors. As long as a club's aesthetic is close, the determining factor will be performance. How wide your personal corridors are depends on your own skill / mental hang-ups. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by MelloYello

[puttingmatt]

My preference is for smaller footprint clubs,

Woods as well as irons. Forged for feel.

Performance is all me, find the center of the club  more often than not. Very repeatable swing.

[JJgolfwrx]

You will find that sound and feel are closely connected. 

 

Of course you could just use hotmelt to deaden the sound. 

[GLF4EVR]

There have been many studies where sound & feel are very closely related.  Myself, I am old so feel to me is more important that performance.  I started playing again in my late 40's.  The "largest" game improvement irons that I had were the Callaway X16's pro select.  I kind of stagnated with them at one point.  Ended up going with a forged cavity back.  Just being able to feel where I was actually hitting the ball on the club face was a big step forward.  Now the being old part comes into play. Back in the early 70's had a set of H&B Citation irons & Wilson Staff irons.  So I found that I was much more comfortable with having the smaller sized iron head behind the ball.  So for me feel & performance equate to the same thing. 

[TiScape]

24 minutes ago, JJgolfwrx said:

You will find that sound and feel are closely connected. 

 

Of course you could just use hotmelt to deaden the sound. 

Absolutely. Why when I’m talking feel I typically write ‘sound/feel’. I’ve talked to a couple guys that have hot melted their Ping drivers and have said it only helped “slightly”. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by TiScape

[lvgolfer962]

Looks is number one for me.

Ideally I’d love for it to feel great and perform great, but I’d give a slight edge to performance over feel

[Ri_Redneck]

I have tried a crap ton of different clubs and NONE of the tech has ever made a big enough difference to take my current players out of the bag. As long as the clubs match your swing, the tech doesn't really matter that much. I hit Ping drivers just as good as my Cobra & Mizuno drivers, but I just don't like the way they look. Callaway and Titleist also hit well, but I don't like the way their adapter works. I don't like the black & white of the TM drivers. 

 

As for irons, I like a thin sole with very little offset. If there was a high MOI iron head that had those two characteristics, I'd be playing it. But there's not, so here I am playing great golf with my blades and being just as happy as a clam.

 

BT

[RogerinNewZealand]

Bought a cool JDM Sonartec driver 5 years ago...then i hit the tin can.....i sold it fairly soon after...got a 917d3 recently...its just normal and great at what it does.Feel,Sound,and it Works are keys to not being Sold Fast!

 

Re Pepperturbo .....

..gt3s etc

they all spin eventually😱 

[dmeeksDC]

17 hours ago, MattM97 said:

I think it depends on the club, like I don't mind the look and feel of the Ping woods at all, kinda enjoy them honestly. But other clubs it really depends, if it works I can get use to it but depends how bad the look is and same for sound. Like if a bombed a Nike Sumo dead center that sound may be too much. 

Yeah, no hard and fast rules for me but if it sounds and feels horrible I’m not going to keep it no matter how it performs. Why? Too many options that work just as well and also sound and feel great. Not a purist. I don’t care about forged vs cast and I also enjoy the feel of Ping irons such as the iBlade, s55 and i210, However, to me the sound and feel of a well-struck shot is a big part of the enjoyment I get from golf. 

[Multipass613]

Play the most forgiving clubs that you love looking at. When you're on the 18th tee staring at par to break 90, 80, 70, etc. you want to be looking down at something that suits your eye and you feel comfortable with.

[chippa13]

No club is ugly if it puts the ball where I want it.

[ThinkingPlus]

Lowest score wins.  Tools, not jewels.  Performance is all that should ever matter.

[nostatic]

20 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

 

No matter who's behind the wheel, the true meaning of performance is the new GT3.  Sorry, I was having a moment... 😛

 

 

 

7 hours ago, RogerinNewZealand said:

 

Re Pepperturbo .....

..gt3s etc

they all spin eventually😱 

 

Trailing throttle oversteer is a feature, not a bug. 🙃

Edited May 7, 2021 by nostatic

[BlkNGld]

For me it's not an absolute... there's a bit of a sliding scale.  

 

Am I willing to trade off some looks and feel for performance?   Yes.

 

Am I willing to give up some performance for looks and feel?   Yes.

 

I suspect others feel the same it's just a matter of "how much".

[me05501]

I care about the look/sound/feel of some clubs more than others. 

 

It's a primary consideration for irons. Maybe it's because I practice with them far more than the other clubs in my bag. Maybe it's because I rely on them as the primary indicator for where my swing is at the moment and what I should expect from my other clubs. There's nothing in golf that feels better than a flushed iron shot, and I'm never going to play clubs that can't give me that rush. 

 

Hybrid, fairway wood, meh who cares? If they do their job I'm happy. I don't go chasing the magical feel of a flushed hybrid. But irons...I need that feedback and that feel to chase after. 

[phizzy30]

Performance is always numero uno in my book.  I can get past looks and sound as long is it flat out performs on trackman and more importantly out on the course.  You're right in that there is minimal forgiveness between the MAX line of drivers and the regular or "low spin" versions.  For me it's all about ball speed, then dispersion, spin and launch angle.