biggest OEM golf club "flops"

[TimeToFly]

[quote name='littlejohnnyd' post='2061839' date='Nov 13 2009, 04:47 AM']I played witha set of BeCu Zings for a few years and had some of my best golf days, but damn they were ugly!

Flops
Tear Drop Putter ( I used one for 18 months).
Bullet Hollow Point, the driver with a big hole in it. Then they had to put a sole plate on them so they conformed.
[b]Oddessy wedges, remember these? Had high spin insert and yes they did spin, straight into the air and you would need a new ball everytime you hit it[/b].
K1 driver that Sam Torrance endorses, or did. [/quote]


lol, i still have one of the Odyssey wedges thats still in its original plastic. ive never even hit the thing. its 61º

[Ronzo]

It's a wedge!

 

It's a wood!

 

It's two..... two........ two clubs in one!

 

How on earth could a club named the Wedgewood flop?

Because they forgot to paint it blue.

[mat562]

Ben Sayers knocked out a series of high lofted woods back in the 80s. Right up to a 13 wood if I remember correctly. I remember having a look at a couple that were in the bag of a lady member once and they were remarkable things - not dissimilar to that abomination above.

God only knows what the situation is that requires the head of a wood and the loft of a 9 iron, but images come to mind of all sorts of injuries if some pocket battleship took a real cut at it with one of those 13 woods.

[Onebulldogs]

[quote name='Bilbo99' post='2061860' date='Nov 13 2009, 06:24 AM'][quote name='Richie3Jack' post='1426366' date='Jan 15 2009, 12:27 PM']Wilson Fat Shafts
Tommy Armour E.Q.L.



3JACK[/quote]


[quote name='maggot' post='1426567' date='Jan 15 2009, 02:05 PM'][quote name='arkstorm' post='1426534' date='Jan 16 2009, 07:51 AM'][quote name='drstroud' post='1426263' date='Jan 15 2009, 02:40 PM']Since the obvious have been stated, I'll throw in the TM Bubble Shaft. Yeah, it's not a "club" but the shaft does attach the "club"head! [/quote]

[quote name='Richie3Jack' post='1426366' date='Jan 15 2009, 03:27 PM']Wilson Fat Shafts
Tommy Armour E.Q.L.



3JACK[/quote]

Couldn't disagree more. We're talking about "flops" here which to me means items that didn't sell.

Taylormade's Bubble line sold like crazy back in the day. Also, the Fat Shaft line put Wilson back on the map in terms of golf equipment and also sold pretty well back in their day. In fact, I know plenty of people who played both.

As for chippers, they're not for everyone but the concept isn't a flop. I hear they are excellent sellers.
[/quote]

I can think of at least 25 members at my club STILL playing the Wilson Fat Shaft.

[/quote]

I and my brother are two that still play Fat Shafts. Bro has the original fat shaft that have "Wilson Staff" on them. I bought the next generation which was the "Deep Red" line which was also very popular. Went with the Wilson's because the were $200 cheaper than the closest competitor and felt indestructible. I still play them and they still preform awesome and I have demoed many many newer clubs that just didn't justify a $500 investment. The woods, however, were out of the bag the next year.
[/quote]

As you stated, you got your Fat Shafts for $200 less than the "closest competitor." From the company's perspective, that is the definition of a flop. Flops sell at a discount. Successes command premium prices.

At one point, Wilson Staff irons were THE IRON that all the best players wanted to have they commanded a premium price. With the FatShaft's, Wilson Staff's became a volume product that sold at places like Walmart.

By largely dropping the FatShaft gimmick, Wilson has slowly been rebuilding its stature.

[Cberry]

callaway diablo driver for sure, TM 09 burner just didnt live up to the 07, id consider it a flop

[deeviant]

[quote name='jsgolfer12' post='2059883' date='Nov 12 2009, 08:13 AM']zinger won with head irons, corey pavin won the US open at shinecock with VAS irons and woods. never forget that 4 wood he hit to win the tournament

[b]someone has mentioned sonartec, you obviously never owned one. some of the best fairways ever made.[/b] i dont have a count but dozens of PGA tour players were playing those and putting other manufacturer's headcovers over them.

how about the killer bee with the "bull - whip - shaft?"[/quote]

Hear, Hear

[Australian_Blade]

C4 was the worst sounding and performing driver ever! My brother in law had one and it was horrible!

I had some people I know play with the Diablo and they killed the thing....Never personally hit one though.

[Lefty Cat]

[quote name='Obsessotron' post='2059730' date='Nov 12 2009, 02:57 AM'][quote name='TimeToFly' post='2056714' date='Nov 10 2009, 05:09 PM']soon: Nike Method putters, hehe [/quote]

Agreed!
[/quote]


Says the guy with no putter in his bag.

[Tighthead]

Lefty Cat - by Staffies are you referring to dogs?

[Bonneville85308]

[quote name='Yepyukon' post='2059041' date='Nov 11 2009, 07:17 PM']Cobra Golf Balls....absolutely a flop[/quote]

Either they were the biggest flop of all time or made prior to 1990 or so, because they're the only thing mentioned on this thread that I've never heard of.

[jsgolfer12]

AJ Tech were the gripless shafts someone mentioned. I remember my college coach had one in his Biggest Big Bertha.

[Harrowgolf]

[quote name='iscarter69' post='1437105' date='Jan 20 2009, 04:53 PM']How about the TM putter with the ping pong paddle face? That was certainly a trend which died on arrival.[/quote]

TM Nubbins......this is my go to putter when I am struggling.

[Bonneville85308]

When I got the Edwin Watts catalog in the late 1990s they used to have a section with all of these weirdo clubs, like the Alien and Carbite sand wedges, the Ping Chippo, the Knife, various 13- and 15-woods, etc.


[quote name='Hateto3Putt' post='2062009' date='Nov 13 2009, 09:27 AM']It's a wedge!

It's a wood!

It's two..... two........ two clubs in one!

How on earth could a club named the [b][color="#ff0000"]Wedgewood[/color][/b] flop?
[center][/quote][/center][center]


[/center]

[Roland]

Ping Si3, Cobra orginal x speed drivers, any macgregor wood of the past 5 years the list is endless

[arcticreaver]

i'm going to say that for 2009, callaway was the company with the most flops. i mean, damn, the diablo? DIABLO? are you (callaway) kidding me?? the series is like a plague. and by sticking the "big bertha" to the diablo line, they basically killed the big bertha brand name. i not sure why they keep going with the square head driver that retails for like 400 bucks or so when they first came out. callaway needs to find a way to boost their drivers because the fusion technology and the new diablo is just killing them. no wonder taylormade does so well in terms of drivers and fairway woods, they really don't have that much of competition. true the burner 09 driver failed, but i think it still sold way better than the diablos. callaway buy this get that free deals killed the brand as well. and now with their $100 off iron deal is probably just killing the x-22 irons. great irons but i think golfers who already have the x-22 would be pissed that they have a way better deal now than when they first got them. i've never seen callaway offer so many deals for their products and it seems like they are desperate to clean house of their inventory or whatever.

callaway golf = biggest FAIL of 2009. period.

[schwollo]

[quote name='cherokee8215' post='2064398' date='Nov 14 2009, 05:02 PM'][quote name='Yepyukon' post='2059041' date='Nov 11 2009, 07:17 PM']Cobra Golf Balls....absolutely a flop[/quote]

Either they were the biggest flop of all time or made prior to 1990 or so, because they're the only thing mentioned on this thread that I've never heard of.
[/quote]


lol
I remember those..circa 1997/8 or so right? They were actually pretty good..there was a big article in GD about who would come out on top as they entered the market..Cobra/TM/Callaway..

[BIRD]

callaway fusion irons . .LOL callaway C4 for sure! any scotty putter thats not a blade/"normal" mallet, Nike blue chip putters. . felt like plastic

What happened to Maxfli??

[wdwfan78]

Having worked in golf retail for the late 90's, I remember all of these horrible clubs. I used to work for Ram/TearDrop/Tommy Armour doing demo days. I loved my TD21 putter.

As for biggest flop, I have to go with LiquidMetal. We had a demo device with a ball bearing that was supposed to showcase its technology. I dont think I ever sold a single piece of that junk. And the T1000 irons were pretty bad. The Callaway Hawkeye irons were a close second.

[ABgolfer2]

One club that might be on the list one day features Laser Milled grooves and Zip grooves.

Hopefully if manufacturers go to 5* gaps in their iron sets, we can add "Gap Wedge" to the list.

[dlygrisse]

how about the original line of Nike drivers, horrible sound/feel and you needed 12* of loft to get the ball airborne. [attachment=509620:_BhN3Usw...nRRg___3.jpg]

[PreppySlapCut]

I'm baffled as to how many people are labelling the Diablo line as terrible. Have half of you even hit them? The 3 wood is literally one of the best fairway woods I've ever hit. The hybrids are solid. The driver (all three versions) are very good for their target player.

[arcticreaver]

[quote name='PreppySlapCut' post='2128187' date='Dec 16 2009, 02:31 AM']I'm baffled as to how many people are labelling the Diablo line as terrible. Have half of you even hit them? The 3 wood is literally one of the best fairway woods I've ever hit. The hybrids are solid. The driver (all three versions) are very good for their target player.[/quote]

i've friends in some retail golf shops and the diablo has been crap in terms of sales in retail from what they told me. i've hit them as well, easy to hit but i don't see what's the big deal with them other than the fact that they are super ugly.

and if i remember correctly, callaway had an promotion where you purchase a callaway driver and for $1USD you get a fairway wood. the choices were diablo fairway woods, ft fairway woods, and i believe the x hybrids. a sign of a huge fail.

[ajgoodal.704]

Does anyone think the FTI-Q will make it on this list? Considering they have the FTI-Z ready for the retail in the spring only a year after the Q's release.

[toc]

[quote name='arcticreaver' post='2128713' date='Dec 16 2009, 01:03 PM'][quote name='PreppySlapCut' post='2128187' date='Dec 16 2009, 02:31 AM']I'm baffled as to how many people are labelling the Diablo line as terrible. Have half of you even hit them? The 3 wood is literally one of the best fairway woods I've ever hit. The hybrids are solid. The driver (all three versions) are very good for their target player.[/quote]

i've friends in some retail golf shops and the diablo has been crap in terms of sales in retail from what they told me. i've hit them as well, easy to hit but i don't see what's the big deal with them other than the fact that they are super ugly.

and if i remember correctly, callaway had an promotion where you purchase a callaway driver and for $1USD you get a fairway wood. the choices were diablo fairway woods, ft fairway woods, and i believe the x hybrids. a sign of a huge fail.
[/quote]

Tough economic times impacted all OEMs. TaylorMade, Cleveland, and Nike all offered the same type of "buy the driver, get the fairway for free (or for $1)" deal this year. The bigger sign of the Diablo's apparent lack of success is the rather quick reduction in price point.

[Titleist87]

[quote name='Roland ' post='2065285' date='Nov 15 2009, 08:26 AM']Ping Si3, Cobra orginal x speed drivers, [color="#FF0000"]any macgregor wood of the past 5 years [/color]the list is endless[/quote]

The last line (MT) are great woods.

[arcticreaver]

[quote name='timinsprings' post='2128739' date='Dec 16 2009, 10:16 AM'][quote name='arcticreaver' post='2128713' date='Dec 16 2009, 01:03 PM'][quote name='PreppySlapCut' post='2128187' date='Dec 16 2009, 02:31 AM']I'm baffled as to how many people are labelling the Diablo line as terrible. Have half of you even hit them? The 3 wood is literally one of the best fairway woods I've ever hit. The hybrids are solid. The driver (all three versions) are very good for their target player.[/quote]

i've friends in some retail golf shops and the diablo has been crap in terms of sales in retail from what they told me. i've hit them as well, easy to hit but i don't see what's the big deal with them other than the fact that they are super ugly.

and if i remember correctly, callaway had an promotion where you purchase a callaway driver and for $1USD you get a fairway wood. the choices were diablo fairway woods, ft fairway woods, and i believe the x hybrids. a sign of a huge fail.
[/quote]

Tough economic times impacted all OEMs. TaylorMade, Cleveland, and Nike all offered the same type of "buy the driver, get the fairway for free (or for $1)" deal this year. The bigger sign of the Diablo's apparent lack of success is the rather quick reduction in price point.
[/quote]

true that but i would also like to add that even with that promotion, sales didn't raise like the retail stores had hoped for, at least from the point of view from my friends that work in golf shops.

callaway didn't exactly make a good looking club either, it's pretty ugly. i think most of us can agree that we like good looking things such as, cars, girls, and even golf clubs. callaway failed in terms of first impressions, which i believe is key in products and especially new products.

but in terms of callaway woods, from drivers to hybrids, they have been a fail for years already. well, my opinion anyways.

[ajgoodal.704]

I didn't think the 09 Burners were a flop, but maybe thats my bias since I play one. If anything, 09' in general was a flop for the OEMs. Lots of good deals and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has tried to help revive the economy on all new stuff this year.

[wfrogge1]

I like the Vokey 64 myself... I can hit some big flops with it.

[wfrogge1]

[quote name='mn723' post='2060486' date='Nov 12 2009, 03:05 PM']I remember Arnold Palmer pushing some sort of gripless shaft during the mid-90's.

I also see Cameron's Kombi putter becoming a flop[/quote]


Man I remember that Palmer shaft.... Odd indeed

[KevCarter]

Too late for the Kombi to be a flop. It will run it's course like all models, but it got a lot of use. I was amazed how many professionals used it at the National CPC last year.

The gripless shaft was made by AJ Tech. I tried to find a pic but couldn't.

Kevin