Equipment brands you stay away from?

[BIG STU]

On 8/5/2022 at 8:43 AM, mvhoffman said:

Ive had a mix batch of names in my bag for years.  Started with component companies, moved to Cobra and was very content for a few years until getting some Ping irons in the bag.  The inbetween years were a mix of MacGregor, Tommy Armour, Taylormade, Titleist, Mizuno, Adams.  Last season after falling in love with the SIM2 I thought I was done.  SIM2, Adams fairway woods, Ping irons, Vokey wedges... it was a great set up.  Fast forward to the end of the season when I was looking for a TM hat on ebay and all of a sudden the 2014 Tour Preferred MC irons popped up.  The deal was too good to pass up.  Literally in the most club marked up time a new listing selling a mint set of these 4-P for under $300, so I jumped on it.  I hit up the BIN 3 minutes after they were listed.  I matched them with the matching wedges and now a Spider putter.  I guess I turned into a TM fanboy

I have those same TM CBs with Steelfiber 95 shafts. Those are great sticks for CBs--- They are back ups and this sounds funny they are back ups to 3 sets of Macgregor blades. I had a chance to sell them the other day but declined. I like them ok and you never know I may want to play a stipulated event again and they are after all legal

[BIG STU]

On 8/5/2022 at 11:14 AM, alittleoverpar said:

I am pretty brand agnostic.  Over the years, I think I have probably played at least one club from every major brand.  I search for clubs that work for me regardless of brand.  When I look in my bag right now, I see mostly Callaway, but that hasn't always been the case.  I can't say that there is any major brand that I would avoid.  But I will avoid clubs that don't look and/or feel right to me, regardless of brand.

Thank You glad to see another brand agnostic person like myself on here. Yeah I play what works for me. I could care less about release cycles or if the owner shoots Elephants or is bossy etc. Now even if I am a dyed in the wool Macgregor and V-Steel man I am not afraid to try something else regardless of the brand if it fits my eye

[BIG STU]

On 8/5/2022 at 4:53 PM, TwistedSister said:

You must be using Haig Ultras then!

Good one!!! I dont think Macgregor sponsors any LIV golfers either. BTW hope you do not get offended but I have been for some time referring to TM Twist Face Drivers as "Twisted Sister" same as I call Callaway Jailbreak "Jail Bird Technology". I still have a M-6 I am on the fence on still experimenting with from time to tme

[TwistedSister]

2 hours ago, BIG STU said:

Good one!!! I dont think Macgregor sponsors any LIV golfers either. BTW hope you do not get offended but I have been for some time referring to TM Twist Face Drivers as "Twisted Sister" same as I call Callaway Jailbreak "Jail Bird Technology". I still have a M-6 I am on the fence on still experimenting with from time to tme

My moniker comes from the rock and roll group. 

[T.B.]

On 8/5/2022 at 7:46 AM, WristySwing said:

For me, it's Srixon/Cleveland.  The V-Sole just does not work for my swing at all despite the fact I love the idea, shape, and performance of the 500-series products and the Utilities always being rockets for me in testing.  I just know outside, it ain't going to work.  I've tried 565, 585, and ZX5 and its always the same, the V-Sole gets stuck for me.  Which is interesting because it is the exact opposite of what should happen.  I am not good enough for the 7s or the blades, so unfortunately, I am between a rock and a hard place.  I've never hit more irons in a demo session fat than with Srixon stuff.  Cleveland wedges are also fine, and I actually hit the original RTX great, but they look like spoons to me.  Something about the super rounded toe and slightly rounder leading edge throws me off.

 

PING on the other hand, it seems every iron they've ever made that has a thinner sole is like the golfing God's gifts to my hands.  One of the best irons I ever had were S57s and I am currently strongly testing the i59 and i525.  i500s also gave me the best numbers I have seen out of an iron in a long time.  Did I order them, of course not 🤣

I got a set of Srixon irons a couple years ago really cheap and couldn’t hit them at all.  Everything fat.  It took a good year for me to really get use to the V- sole. I’ve have them in and out of the bag.     Now I’m not sure I would play any other irons.   

[RH82]

Another one for me is New Level. The owner is too snarky and ignorant for me to give that company another penny.

[WristySwing]

3 hours ago, RH82 said:

Another one for me is New Level. The owner is too snarky and ignorant for me to give that company another penny.

 

Story time, please!  I do find him a touch full of himself at times, fwiw.  I think he's just overly passionate.

[T.B.]

I know very little about New Level.  I’ve seen a couple guys with their irons , but know nothing about the company.  I’d like to  hear some of the stories.  Lol. 

[schaperb90]

Callaway and TaylorMade 

 

They are marketing companies. If you have to try to sell me on your product with the cringe commercials, YouTube videos, product names, crazy distance claims, constant new products etc, I immediately don't trust it. 

 

 

[bluedot]

I have 4 different brands in my bag, all fitted by the same guy.  
 

He’s a TM staffer, but has never put a TM club in my hands during a fitting session, not once.  Take that for what it’s worth.

[Albatross Dreamer]

On 9/23/2022 at 9:12 AM, BIG STU said:

Thank You glad to see another brand agnostic person like myself on here. Yeah I play what works for me. I could care less about release cycles or if the owner shoots Elephants or is bossy etc. Now even if I am a dyed in the wool Macgregor and V-Steel man I am not afraid to try something else regardless of the brand if it fits my eye

Same. If it helps me play better and I like how it looks I don't really care about the logo.

[Jab3384]

Bombtech Golf

[golfinbrad]

For me it is TaylorMade.  They are awesome at marketing, but their quality control is not good or at least in my experience.  All things being equal, I prefer support companies that still are fulling (production and assembly) in the US.  That number keeps getting smaller.  However, it means something to me, especially the older I get.

[Jack Pearsall]

 

Cobra, decent enough...but gimmicky too. Ricky Fowler. Orange.

 

tour edge, everything JP has bought has had suckage

 

Ping. the size, the bounces, turbulators, they look decent these days but never got on. The sound. Liked a putter for a month. Bubba.

 

Wilson. Garish. Golfsmithy....Hated them and the whole bloody dynapower nonsense. The brand is dead to Jack Pearsall. DEAD!

[djohnsonx]

TaylorMade and Callaway. I'm sure they perform just like every other brand out there. I just don't believe the hype machine.

[mgoblue83]

9 hours ago, djohnsonx said:

TaylorMade and Callaway. I'm sure they perform just like every other brand out there. I just don't believe the hype machine.

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

When I handle the woods they give off cheap and low quality construction vibes. Same vibes I get from PXG. 

 

[4bees]

ping, cant ship stuff on time (but yet keep releasing new $hit) and the sound of their products is downright awful

[Tiptx1122]

I've always had good luck with shipping times with PING, not the fastest but good customer service but the Military rebate system needs to be improved as I don't want 3-4 different virtual credit cards as I turned in a sales slip for my irons, then my driver then my 2 fairway woods. All the sales slip was turn in all at once but got 4 different sales slips. That won't keep me from buying PING equipment as Titleist and Mizuno don't even have Military rebates.

 

Now for a brand I will most definitely stay away from in 2023 is the new Callaway Great Big Bertha line as I saw a video where the person testing it said it was the worse performing driver he has ever hit. Everything else Callaway makes is so much better as they should have never used the Great Big Bertha name

[Vlade15]

On 11/14/2022 at 6:40 PM, Jack Pearsall said:

 

Cobra, decent enough...but gimmicky too. Ricky Fowler. Orange.

 

tour edge, everything JP has bought has had suckage

 

Ping. the size, the bounces, turbulators, they look decent these days but never got on. The sound. Liked a putter for a month. Bubba.

 

Wilson. Garish. Golfsmithy....Hated them and the whole bloody dynapower nonsense. The brand is dead to Jack Pearsall. DEAD!

You and I must be opposite people.  I disagree with everything you said.  Minus the dislike for Bubba.  We can agree on that.

[Midway Nole]

I have Cobra, Titleist, Callaway, and Taylormade in the bag. Have had Ping and Mizuno in there before.
 

I’m generally brand agnostic. Titleist would be the one I’d avoid going forward. Their nickel and dime-ing on custom orders is absurd. You can order a $400 wedge and they’ll still up-charge you for a basic KBS Tour shaft and MC grip.

[nitram]

Cobra - I bought an L4V (in 2007??) and really liked it but nothing since has been worth hitting.

 

Vokey - Really enjoyed the 200-SM4's but nothing since.

 

Cleveland - Preferred Cleveland wedges but hasn't been the same since Roger left the company and I've never been tempted to buy anything else.

 

Nike - The Sasquatch/Sumo showed me all I needed to see about their clubs although I did bag some VR Pro wedges a decade or so ago.

[driveandputtmachine]

Very Brand agnostic here myself.  I WILL NOT play Titleist.  Started as a kid, everyone else played them so I played something else.(Balls, drivers, putters, irons, I went somewhere else).  Then as an adult had a run in during my putter days with their legal department.  I have to be absolutely dead in the place where the club is to try a club, let alone hold onto their product.  I refuse to buy new from them on the one club I have.

 

TM - I have a mini driver, because well it works.  I haven't liked a driver of theirs since the R510TP.  I also have a Sim DHY that really works.  Had a set of P790's that I sold to a buddy, they only lasted four rounds with me.  Haven't tried their wedges.

Cally - I have hit some drivers(Epic Max LS for almost two seasons), fairway woods have been dead to me after the steel-head lineup, and the lack of adjustable hosels now, blah.  I do have a UW which has been really good.  I want to try their wedges, have always been a Roger Cleveland fan.  I haven't been wowed by any irons, they look good, just never lined up.

Ping - no issues, just nothing has fit me great from them.  Current backup driver is G410 Plus, had a Ping G400 Max I loved for a long time.  I wanted to love a set of i210's I had but they were just OK.

Mizuno - the sole grinds and I do not get along in the irons.  The STZ-220 was nice but too spinny.  New wedges are good.

Srixon - LOVE their irons, have a set in my backup bag.

Bridgestone - Have J40CB's in my Backup, backup bag.

Cleveland - Always have at least one of their wedges, nothing else.

Putters - Will try anything, but prefer to use smaller companies products as I can more easily get what I want.

 

PXG - here we go.  The brand I KNEW I would never own anything from. 

1. Well the GEN 5 driver sale a few months back (299 US) caught me off guard.  Ordered it, knowing I had a 90 day return policy.  Straight as my Old G400 MAX, less spinny.  Not going back.

2. On a whim I ordered a forged wedge, first ever full face wedge.  I like it, and since I ported the crap out of hit removing weight it wasn't going back anyway.  Just as good as my Cleveland.

3. 0317ST Irons and Gen 4 0311 T long irons.  Well these came out and looked sick, my ball striking had gotten really good, so I decided to try the blades 7 down.  However I needed to order a couple more sticks to get a even cheaper deal.  KNowing again that I could return if I didn't like them.  I ordered them online, and then called in to get the SW's right and measured WITHOUT Grips, and they came in right on spec.  Thought I would toss the shafts and go with my recoils, but the Elevates have been pretty good.

[NewDecadeMultiCompound]

i don't like the sound of any of the current ping offerings, but apparently the new G430 woods have a much more satisfying sound. Will definitely try to demo, as I'm loving the looks of their new fairway woods

[TKS]

I have forgiven all the OEMs for the year.

The hardest is Titleist and Callaway for driving ball prices into the $50 range. Still, no Callaway balls nor Volkey wedges.

[LeoLeo99]

On 8/5/2022 at 12:43 AM, WasatchBogey said:

PXG….No doubt they probably make good clubs, but I can’t take the Parsons shtick, over the top claims, etc

New driver for $119 changed my mind.  

[BallerNate]

For me it’s PING and Cobra. They are the only major OEM’s that I’ve never purchased any products from.

 

I’d buy their equipment if I felt like it was the best fit for my game, but the looks and design of their clubs just don’t fit my eye or taste much for whatever reason.

[MP-69er]

I would never buy a new Scotty at this point, just too mass produced and the price has gotten the point I would much rather (and have ) spend my money with some smaller boutique putter makers that actually add a unique look. Not just some copy paste with a T in a circle lol.

[ohioglfr]

I have an aversion for Tailormade.  Didn't like the way they managed the Adams acquisition.  Loved Adams woods and hybrids.

 

[pmang]

Callaway and Taylormade. They devalue their products yearly by too many releases. I appreciate companies that move releases out to every 2 years, Ping, Titleist etc… 

Edited November 24, 2022 by pmang

[St Jimmy]

I was always a Ping guy and disliked Taylormade. 

Fast forward 15 years and my last Ping club (G425 LST) just left the bag for a Stealth.  

I actually have three Taylormade clubs in the bag now.

 

Life is strange. 

 

 

*edit- The 425 LST might make a comeback.  I don't like having less than 6 brands represented in my bag. 

**edit- It's back.  Too cold to fully experiment with something new.  

Edited November 30, 2022 by St Jimmy