Bryson DeChambeau Taylormade Stealth Plus 2 2/2/23 (*** NO LIV CONTENT ***)

[ANimz]

I figured it was coming when he joined LIV.  He will just be a FA now and play what he wants I am sure.  I don't see any major brands signing LIV guys.  Too much negative PR.  Already seeing a shift towards influencers for marketing.  In the era of club fitting, everyone should be going that route regardless IMO, and ignore what the best play.  Tiger's presentation of Toe and Heel shots made me laugh.  

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

On 2/7/2023 at 3:11 AM, Valtiel said:

The problem with that argument is that it isn't possible, practical, or even equivalent. If you decide to "take a stand against China" then you're not playing golf at all and likely throwing away 75%+ of the stuff you own. By this logic anyone saying bad stuff about LIV/SA is a hypocrite because they also use oil/gas. It's a false dichotomy because LIV isn't a necessary product serving a purpose, so talking trash about it isn't some moral stance that requires you to then bring up EVERY other moral issue in the world that deserves attention. 

I didn't realize that morality-based argumentation had a, "But they make convenient products," component.  

 

The marketing campaign against the Saudi government's involvement with LIV, while blithely excusing the far more evil Communist Chinese government's involvement in sport---PGA Tour China is still an officially licensed partner---is one of the more cynical campaigns I've ever seen.  

 

Seems to be working though.  

 

Weren't we talking about Bryson originally?

Edited February 8, 2023 by Jayjay_theweim_guy

[genetic_phreek]

For what it's worth, Bryson is using a driver with the Aerojet headcover as a guitar in his new LIV team promo video. I'm guessing this may have been prerecorded earlier. 

[martymcfly]

On 2/6/2023 at 4:13 AM, Avidswampthing66 said:

Maybe thats just it though.  No knock on LA Golf but, they just aren't playing the shafts which is a little weird and interesting.  Maybe they just can't produce a shaft either of them like.

I've never hit an LA Golf shaft so, I can't speak to their performance.

I play the L series in my t100s and they are spectacular but definetily something outside the norm

[Kyfra]

Good read here. Didn’t see it posted elsewhere.

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/02/09/bryson-dechambeau-visits-ping-further-cobra-puma-sound-off/

[kmay__]

On 2/8/2023 at 8:17 AM, ANimz said:

I figured it was coming when he joined LIV.  He will just be a FA now and play what he wants I am sure.  I don't see any major brands signing LIV guys.  Too much negative PR.  Already seeing a shift towards influencers for marketing.  In the era of club fitting, everyone should be going that route regardless IMO, and ignore what the best play.  Tiger's presentation of Toe and Heel shots made me laugh.  

I also had a laugh at that, his heel and toe strikes are my "great" strikes 😆

[gators78]

33 minutes ago, Kyfra said:

Good read here. Didn’t see it posted elsewhere.

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/02/09/bryson-dechambeau-visits-ping-further-cobra-puma-sound-off/

 

YIKES. In regards to having Bryson on staff:

 

As an executive at one of the ‘Big 4’ competitors said, “We don’t have the manpower to deal with him.”

[BCC1898]

My guess is Callaway were the ones to say "No thanks".

[MikekiM]

I'm curious to see what he does with his irons going forward without a sponsor.  He doesn't exactly use irons that he can just grab off the shelf and test like every other tour pro.  The weight and lie angles are so unique due to the single length aspect.  Will be interesting to see how he gets support for those.

[me05501]

Cobra's endorsement approach seems to lean into players who approach the game differently. BDC fit into that quite well with his mad scientist persona. They're probably on a lookout for the next hot young player with some unique and memorable gear needs. 

 

I'd also argue that Cobra is a little less dependent on staff players than some other OEM's. Their products are just different enough to stand apart in the marketplace. Having a few staff players on the major tours is probably enough. They only need to show that they're making tour-worthy gear. 

 

It's a little surprising they never went all in on the Champions Tour. Seems like that's a one-way street though as evidenced by Tour Edge and Adams. 

Edited February 9, 2023 by me05501

[BagofToast]

Delete 

Edited February 9, 2023 by BagofToast
Wrong quote

[BagofToast]

12 minutes ago, MikekiM said:

I'm curious to see what he does with his irons going forward without a sponsor.  He doesn't exactly use irons that he can just grab off the shelf and test like every other tour pro.  The weight and lie angles are so unique due to the single length aspect.  Will be interesting to see how he gets support for those.

I see Artisan in his future, plays the wedges so they could probably help him with irons. 

[subrew]

As mentioned a few pages back, the new Edel SMS and SMS Pro seem like a great fit.  I was just scanning their specs (they list raw head weight and weight with the normal 2-8-2 weight configuration.  With the number of available additional weights, I think it would be possible to get a set of 3-PW or GW the same head weight, centering around a 6 or 7 iron.  IIRC, he also tends to play quite high swingweights, which is helpful for trying to get the 9 and PW light enough to match a set. 

 

Getting the 3i and 4i heavy enough might be a trick, but the three weights could also be replaced by a back pad of XXgrams that secures into the weight port threads.  Create something like a bolt on rear weight pad to turn the 3i and 4i into a higher launching club.  Could probably even build out a 16-17* 2i for a specialty tee clubs, using a 3i as a base. 

 

They also have the ability to get quite upright, which he needs.  

[Holy Moses]

There’s too much money on winning a LIV tournament for Bryson to want a big equipment deal. Go back to Edel. Artisan wedges. SIK putter. He’ll make more money that way.

[doc52]

5 hours ago, gators78 said:

 

YIKES. In regards to having Bryson on staff:

 

As an executive at one of the ‘Big 4’ competitors said, “We don’t have the manpower to deal with him.”

 

Cobra has a very small team compared to other OEMs. It may come across as a dig, but they really don't have that many folks in general.

[PittShark]

27 minutes ago, doc52 said:

 

Cobra has a very small team compared to other OEMs. It may come across as a dig, but they really don't have that many folks in general.

I disagree - if it weren’t a dig, the person would have said “we don’t have the resources to accommodate his needs fully”, or something vanilla like that (and it likely would never have been quoted).  To use a term like “deal with him” absolutely infers something.  Also not sure I follow your logic - if Cobra has the small team, how were they able to handle it for awhile but the OEM’s you say have a bigger team cannot?

[doc52]

27 minutes ago, PittShark said:

I disagree - if it weren’t a dig, the person would have said “we don’t have the resources to accommodate his needs fully”, or something vanilla like that (and it likely would never have been quoted).  To use a term like “deal with him” absolutely infers something.  Also not sure I follow your logic - if Cobra has the small team, how were they able to handle it for awhile but the OEM’s you say have a bigger team cannot?

 

To my knowledge Cobra has one representative that interacts with their Staff players frequently. Other OEMs have larger teams and put more effort into their Staff player relationships (They push gear through their pros more than Cobra).

 

I think Cobra did the best job they could with the workforce they have to make the partnership with Bryson work, but he is the most demanding Staff player out there when it comes to equipment. A larger OEM might have been a better fit from the start, since there would have been more resources to better accommodate his equipment needs. In the end, it just sounds like there was frustration over final communications between both parties, hence Cobra's language.

[Holy Moses]

Cobra still waiting on LIV for months to accept Bryson’s new contact is a bad look for LIV unless they want their players to essentially represent LIV only. LIV owns their players’ media rights and they haven’t come to an agreement with Cobra yet according to the Golfweek article.

[gators78]

2 hours ago, doc52 said:

 

To my knowledge Cobra has one representative that interacts with their Staff players frequently. Other OEMs have larger teams and put more effort into their Staff player relationships (They push gear through their pros more than Cobra).

 

I think Cobra did the best job they could with the workforce they have to make the partnership with Bryson work, but he is the most demanding Staff player out there when it comes to equipment. A larger OEM might have been a better fit from the start, since there would have been more resources to better accommodate his equipment needs. In the end, it just sounds like there was frustration over final communications between both parties, hence Cobra's language.

To be clear that quote was not from Cobra, but one of the “big” competitors (assuming the big four crowd is Titleist, Taylormade, Callaway, and Ping). 
 

It’s also not just equipment companies.

 

Cobra’s R&D team and tour staff invested more time and effort with DeChambeau than arguably any brand has for one of its ambassadors. As an executive at one of the ‘Big 4’ competitors said, “We don’t have the manpower to deal with him.”

 

Cobra hasn’t officially closed the door on its endorsement deal with DeChambeau, but it appears to be a sad ending for a dysfunctional relationship that began with much promise. DeChambeau said he shed tears when the first batch of Cobra single-length irons were presented to him. He put them straight into his bag and commemorated the moment by signing the frosted glass wall in CEO Bob Philion’s office in permanent ink: “The day the game changed, July 13, 2016.”

 

Less than seven years later, DeChambeau may have the financial resources to hire his own personal equipment rep to dial in his bag or even purchase a boutique equipment maker to address his equipment demands. But Cobra joins the likes of swing coach Mike Schy and caddie Tim Tucker who had enough of DeChambeau’s shenanigans and eventually decided it would be best to part ways with the mercurial talent.

[hammergolf]

The guy will never be happy with his equipment because he thinks he knows more than the engineers that have been making clubs since before he was born. The Cobra tour rep is right when he said Bryson’s looking for miracle clubs.

[USMgolfer1]

9 hours ago, MikekiM said:

I'm curious to see what he does with his irons going forward without a sponsor.  He doesn't exactly use irons that he can just grab off the shelf and test like every other tour pro.  The weight and lie angles are so unique due to the single length aspect.  Will be interesting to see how he gets support for those.

He played Edwl before signing with Cobra. Could see him possibly going back maybe?

[bcflyguy1]

5 hours ago, doc52 said:

 

To my knowledge Cobra has one representative that interacts with their Staff players frequently. Other OEMs have larger teams and put more effort into their Staff player relationships (They push gear through their pros more than Cobra).

 

I think Cobra did the best job they could with the workforce they have to make the partnership with Bryson work, but he is the most demanding Staff player out there when it comes to equipment. A larger OEM might have been a better fit from the start, since there would have been more resources to better accommodate his equipment needs. In the end, it just sounds like there was frustration over final communications between both parties, hence Cobra's language.

It’s not a lack of resources issue; never has been. The issue was and still is the player and his demands that cannot be met. The driving at speed analogy used in the article is an apt one.

 

he refuses to take responsibility for his own performance and instead blames his gear and those who engineer it and produce it specifically for him. That requires a particularly malignant brand of narcissism.

 

Jertson and co. would have been well advised to tell him to pound sand when he showed up at the Ping facility. They don’t need that mess.

[Holy Moses]

6 minutes ago, bcflyguy1 said:

It’s not a lack of resources issue; never has been. The issue was and still is the player and his demands that cannot be met. The driving at speed analogy used in the article is an apt one.

 

he refuses to take responsibility for his own performance and instead blames his gear and those who engineer it and produce it specifically for him. That requires a particularly malignant brand of narcissism.

 

Jertson and co. would have been well advised to tell him to pound sand when he showed up at the Ping facility. They don’t need that mess.

And I highly doubt any OEM is going to give Bryson the money he will want until LIV proves they can bring in far more viewers than they have up until this point. Due to LIV team advertising, will the hat be sponsored by LIV in front? Will the golf bag be open for the sponsor? 

[bcflyguy1]

1 minute ago, Holy Moses said:

And I highly doubt any OEM is going to give Bryson the money he will want until LIV proves they can bring in far more viewers than they have up until this point. Due to LIV team advertising, will the hat be sponsored by LIV in front? Will the golf bag be open for the sponsor? 

That’s just the cherry on the icing on the cake of how radioactive he is…and it’s a massive cake.

 

High cost, high risk, low to no potential dividend. Hard pass, cheers.

[My2Dogs]

I thought I just read that Bryson is now trying out Ping drivers.  Dating TM didn’t last long.  

[TiScape]

2 hours ago, My2Dogs said:

I thought I just read that Bryson is now trying out Ping drivers.  Dating TM didn’t last long.  

Makes sense If he’s a free agent and can play whatever he wants. 

[FifeRiviera]

These youtube golfers really drive interaction on this site. 

[Tiptx1122]

Who doesn't want a driver that they can hit all over and anywhere on the face and still find the fairway. TaylorMade out and now it's PING. Him and Buba would make a good pairing but it would be bad for PING as the 1st bad driving day well,  I hope he get interviewed. I don't see him ever going back to Cobra and Cobra would be dumb to sign him. They should go after Justin Rose as he does or is now playing their irons. I think with him and who he signs with will be the big topic in golf and a big mistake for whoever does sign him. I sure hope whoever does sign him doesn't put up with his BS. I don't ever see him regaining the high status/level he once was at as no one can swing that hard and not feel the consequences. He is still young and his body is already starting to break down already

[ga_pike]

8 hours ago, My2Dogs said:

I thought I just read that Bryson is now trying out Ping drivers.  Dating TM didn’t last long.  

 

The way I read that was his coach uses their facility and while Bryon was there, he tried their stuff.  Which makes sense as a free agent.  I don't think he'd have done that unless he was already there for other reasons.  

[Avidswampthing66]

We all know Cobra bent over backwards for him and he still let loose some of the most childish and self-centered comments I've ever heard.  What a total d bag.