biggest OEM golf club "flops"

[Zlim]

Just thought of one...and let me know if you saw more than 2 serious golfers where them in your life time.

 

golf Crocs lol

[Goldenhawk]

For all it's hype, the Grafalloy Epic shaft wasn't as successfull as their Prolaunch Series.

[Got An Itch?]

But the Epic is so very excellent! I surely can't see making a switch! :good:

[Sam-Tee-Time]

How about the MAC Burrows driver with that funny inverted hole in the bottom? I recall demoing it, it was solid, but felt like a brick-on-a-stick, the rep showed me a cutaway, it had a REALLY thick face that made it feel dead. Really ugly as well.

 

[4WedgeBag]

"The Chipper" no matter the OEM, if you make it, it is a flop.

 

 

I'm not joking when I say this, you have no idea how wrong you are, you'd never guess but chippers sell like crazy.

 

 

Sadly I know and without sounding prejudice or ignorant, look at the skill level directly related to the consumers who are purchasing them. You cannot call golfers who bag a chipper skillfull!

 

Learn to use a wedge even if it is a Texas Wedge (yo putta)!

 

Unfortunately, you sound pretty ignorant. Especially considering the number of WRX contributors currently bagging the Niblick.

[iscarter69]

How about the TM putter with the ping pong paddle face? That was certainly a trend which died on arrival.

[4WedgeBag]

i get it. you like your set up. every club has a purpose and you can't think of what to get rid of. you can get on a variety of ways from the bump and run with the 7-i to the masterful flop with an opened up lob wedge. heck, you can even use the toe of the putter when called for.

 

i am talking about the average golfer who gets greenside and either starts with their military golf routine or struggles just to get on and hopefully 2 putt for the bogey. the chipper can save them significant strokes. isn't that what it's about? what do they need four wedges for, especially that lob wedge?

 

I don't carry one, but can't stand the condecension.

 

People are condescending about chippers because they're like training wheels, and the answer is PRACTICE.

 

Higher handicappers need more practice in most phases of their games, and chipping should be one of those phases. A dedicated club for chipping is a band-aid. The kind of shot played best with a chipper is not difficult with other clubs in the bag. It just takes knowledge of lies, what you're trying to do, and practice.

 

But most golfers out there are looking for short-cuts anyway, so let them have their chippers, and let them waste more money every year on equipment that's supposed to replace skill, but doesn't. They probably don't have the separation from club to club to notice a distance gap at any appreciable point in the set anyway.

 

Whatever floats the proverbial boat.

 

 

I'm kinda confused why this is even in this thread. If you could start a company that made chippers, and it sold a bunch of chippers, I'd recommend you do that. Profit is nice.

 

What's to be confused about? People were talking about dud clubs, and the chipper debate started. FYI, chippers are dog sellers. Ask Callaway about their profits on their recent chippers. Bet it's not good news. In fact, I bet there's not a lot of money in chippers PERIOD, and I think that was the point of them being mentioned in the first place, right?

 

 

 

/back to the topic, which apparently was criticizing anything BUT chippers... :fool:

 

Let me retort. You were probably one of those people that said hybrids were training wheels for people that can't hit long irons and the answer is PRACTICE. Of course, I'm assuming you were old enough to drive and buy your own clubs back then.

 

The point is hybrids are now being used even by the pros because they are more forgiving and versatile than the club they replace. The pros don't care about losing their "man card"... only their tour card.

 

I bag the Cleveland Niblick. It isn't just a chipper and can be used for approach shots also. As a result, I don't have a gap in my bag. What I do have is a scoring weapon that is nearly automatic from the fairway and downright scary around the greens. Go ahead and carry four wedges. I'd be willing to bet I use the Niblick more often than you use your gap wedge (or your 7 iron for chipping).

[TempusFugit]

Ping Si 3 driver what a flop!!!

 

Good one. I had the misfortune of playing that driver briefly. By far the biggest equipment snafu that I have personally made. I'm the only one that I know of that ever bought one. A G2 was quickly purchase soon thereafter and in the bag for a number of years.

 

May not be a bigger than the Callaway C4, but a flop none the less. At that level of bad clubs, we may be splitting hairs.

 

 

Well I had a Si3 with Graffaloy Blue for a while, and this thing was the most reliable and straight piece of equipement that ever made my bag. Looked ugly, like most Ping stuff back then, but did I regret giving in to my obsession for change (especially when things seem to go well) and selling it for a miserable $100 in like new condition.

[Dire Wolf]

i get it. you like your set up. every club has a purpose and you can't think of what to get rid of. you can get on a variety of ways from the bump and run with the 7-i to the masterful flop with an opened up lob wedge. heck, you can even use the toe of the putter when called for.

 

i am talking about the average golfer who gets greenside and either starts with their military golf routine or struggles just to get on and hopefully 2 putt for the bogey. the chipper can save them significant strokes. isn't that what it's about? what do they need four wedges for, especially that lob wedge?

 

I don't carry one, but can't stand the condecension.

 

People are condescending about chippers because they're like training wheels, and the answer is PRACTICE.

 

Higher handicappers need more practice in most phases of their games, and chipping should be one of those phases. A dedicated club for chipping is a band-aid. The kind of shot played best with a chipper is not difficult with other clubs in the bag. It just takes knowledge of lies, what you're trying to do, and practice.

 

But most golfers out there are looking for short-cuts anyway, so let them have their chippers, and let them waste more money every year on equipment that's supposed to replace skill, but doesn't. They probably don't have the separation from club to club to notice a distance gap at any appreciable point in the set anyway.

 

Whatever floats the proverbial boat.

 

 

I'm kinda confused why this is even in this thread. If you could start a company that made chippers, and it sold a bunch of chippers, I'd recommend you do that. Profit is nice.

 

What's to be confused about? People were talking about dud clubs, and the chipper debate started. FYI, chippers are dog sellers. Ask Callaway about their profits on their recent chippers. Bet it's not good news. In fact, I bet there's not a lot of money in chippers PERIOD, and I think that was the point of them being mentioned in the first place, right?

 

 

 

/back to the topic, which apparently was criticizing anything BUT chippers... :fool:

 

Let me retort. You were probably one of those people that said hybrids were training wheels for people that can't hit long irons and the answer is PRACTICE. Of course, I'm assuming you were old enough to drive and buy your own clubs back then.

 

The point is hybrids are now being used even by the pros because they are more forgiving and versatile than the club they replace. The pros don't care about losing their "man card"... only their tour card.

 

I bag the Cleveland Niblick. It isn't just a chipper and can be used for approach shots also. As a result, I don't have a gap in my bag. What I do have is a scoring weapon that is nearly automatic from the fairway and downright scary around the greens. Go ahead and carry four wedges. I'd be willing to bet I use the Niblick more often than you use your gap wedge (or your 7 iron for chipping).

 

 

I really like how you set up the "you probably badmouthed hybrids" strawman, then KNOCKED IT RIGHT DOWN! What a mighty blow! You sure showed me.

 

Too bad you're wrong. I've owned hybrids, and I still have one. I used to use one in place of all my fairway woods (not my irons), which allowed me to bag more wedges for the scoring shots. Since then I've improved my distance control through PRACTICE, and don't need as many wedges, so I'm adding the last step which is more versatility in the fairway woods for tigh par 4s and 2nd shots on par 5s.

 

So I don't carry a gap wedge anymore. Why? PRACTICE. :man_in_love:

 

The bottom line is a chipper is a SUBSTITUTE club for something you should learn how to do with any number of other clubs. Hybrids are replacements for HARD TO HIT clubs. A chip shot is not hard to hit compared to a 3 iron. One can chip with just about any club in the bag, not just a 7 iron. Why?

 

PRACTICE.

 

I guarantee there isn't a shot you can hit with a chipper that can't be hit with another club in the bag just as well. BUT AS I SAID, (and which you should know since you think you know so much about me) WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT, BUDDY. If you want to carry a chipper, knock yourself out. But let's not pretend like it's something other than a SPECIALTY CLUB that's a substitute for learning a skill, or that how much YOU use it makes it a vital tool that's better than the other clubs in the bag IN GENERAL.

 

Otherwise, wouldn't you see them all over the tour (like hybrids)? Or has the tour just not caught on to the value of the chipper yet? :beruo:

[arkstorm]

This thread has derailed into a discussion on the merits of chippers. But apparently there are those who buy them, so they don't really qualify as a flop in concept.

[Dire Wolf]

I personally witnessed people actually purchase MacTec drivers (twice). Still a flop. :lol:

[stcjones]

The PING ZING 2 irons, while excellent clubs on paper, nearly put PING under.

 

 

Can you please post a link to the stats on this statement? I have Never heard this before and would have to read it to believe it........not doubting you, just would like to see where you read this info.....thanks!

[mat562]

My understanding - via friend at Ping UK - is that the going got particularly dodgy after the launch of the original Zing irons.

 

Hot on the heels of the rampant success of the Eye2/Eye2+, it was always going to be a tough act to follow, but the outlandish design didn't bowl people over and, combined with early durability problems with the original KT shafts, they caused the bean counters at Ping a few sleepless nights. People were expecting something very special; a sort of 'Super Eye 2', but what they got was a truly odd design with, let's be honest, a shape that only a mother could love. As such, they weren't flying off the shelves.

 

The Zing 2 were better received - probably because the initial alarm at an outlandish weighting design had had the edge taken off it by the MkI iteration, and because the look at address was somewhat more conventional - but it's true to say that Ping's success in the iron market took a big knock that took them several years to bounce back from.

 

I haven't got any figures to hand, but I'd be willing to have a small wager that the Zing irons would stack up as the worst sellers that Ping have knocked out in the last twenty five years.

[Goldenhawk]

How about the MAC Burrows driver with that funny inverted hole in the bottom? I recall demoing it, it was solid, but felt like a brick-on-a-stick, the rep showed me a cutaway, it had a REALLY thick face that made it feel dead. Really ugly as well.

 

 

LOL. That ugly driver actually appeared in Time Magazine as one of the great technology developments for the year....I think it was 2004 or 2005.

[Banker]

My 1st thought was the Burrows golf line. I still have a burrows mallet that has the cutout center in it.

 

Next up was the VAS irons, what about the ceramic headed Cobra driver with the red shaft that Daly won the '91 PGA with, it was a quick up & gone too, right?

[touch]

Ray Cook Titanic irons...I think they were bigger in size than the t100's from Tommy Armour.

 

Cameron Detour Putters..UGH you goofed Scotty.

 

 

Titleist 907 drivers.

[dlygrisse]

My understanding - via friend at Ping UK - is that the going got particularly dodgy after the launch of the original Zing irons.

 

Hot on the heels of the rampant success of the Eye2/Eye2+, it was always going to be a tough act to follow, but the outlandish design didn't bowl people over and, combined with early durability problems with the original KT shafts, they caused the bean counters at Ping a few sleepless nights. People were expecting something very special; a sort of 'Super Eye 2', but what they got was a truly odd design with, let's be honest, a shape that only a mother could love. As such, they weren't flying off the shelves.

 

The Zing 2 were better received - probably because the initial alarm at an outlandish weighting design had had the edge taken off it by the MkI iteration, and because the look at address was somewhat more conventional - but it's true to say that Ping's success in the iron market took a big knock that took them several years to bounce back from.

 

I haven't got any figures to hand, but I'd be willing to have a small wager that the Zing irons would stack up as the worst sellers that Ping have knocked out in the last twenty five years.

Well said, I heard basically the same story from someone in the industry years ago. The launch of the I-3 line basically saved the company from impending doom, it all started with Karsten Solheims arrogance with the launch of the Zing. He basically had the attitude that if he made it people would buy it, and as it turned out products like the TA 845's , Titleist DCI took over the market, much more traditional design, high quality and the forgivness was perceived as at least equal. The other issue they had was not jumping on the metal wood bandwagon. Then they debuted the horrid Ping Zing 2driver, a club that is def. one of the biggest OEM flops ever.

 

 

[WSunograd09]

Definitely agree on the Wilson Spine, I tried it a couple times and simply didn't like the sound, shape and setup. I have a Fybrid 3 and whether or not they sold/sell well, I like it a lot, a lot more consistent than the Callaway it replaced in my bag.

 

My dad had a Cameron Detour- the Newport style with the weight attached on the flange, he couldn't ever adjust to the weight; he bought it from a Titleist rep that he worked with, and wanted to give it a shot; but wound up ditching it in favor of a Ping Redwood.

 

Maybe not the biggest failure, but what about the TM V-Steel? I've never played with anyone who had one, and rarely have seen them in stores.

[obsessedgolfer]

Definitely agree on the Wilson Spine, I tried it a couple times and simply didn't like the sound, shape and setup. I have a Fybrid 3 and whether or not they sold/sell well, I like it a lot, a lot more consistent than the Callaway it replaced in my bag.

 

My dad had a Cameron Detour- the Newport style with the weight attached on the flange, he couldn't ever adjust to the weight; he bought it from a Titleist rep that he worked with, and wanted to give it a shot; but wound up ditching it in favor of a Ping Redwood.

 

Maybe not the biggest failure, but what about the TM V-Steel? I've never played with anyone who had one, and rarely have seen them in stores.

The V steel was huge but it was out like 3 or 4 years ago thats why they are not in stores. They are also huge in the asian market check it out www.tourspecgolf.com

[QuigleyDU]

anybody ever heard of bullet golf? they had great irons like the hollow points, 357s they had a hollow point driver that was the ulglies driver ever.

 

oh and the c4.

[JD3]

My 1st thought was the Burrows golf line. I still have a burrows mallet that has the cutout center in it.

 

Next up was the VAS irons, what about the ceramic headed Cobra driver with the red shaft that Daly won the '91 PGA with, it was a quick up & gone too, right?

VAS were awful looking for sure, kind of like the alien's ship in "War of the Worlds." Sadly, their shelf life was extended when Corey Pavin won the US Open with them.

[Greg_B]

I like offbeat stuff. So naturally I own a Goldwin XLS driver from about 10 years ago. Loved it at the time and it was as long as anything I had tried at that time. Used it for a few years and was sorry the company failed, because I liked their irons too. Also own a MacTec fw which is a great club. Meanwhile around the same time in the early 90s a good friend bought a set of Slotline "Copper Classic" irons -- I have never seen another set before or since -- that had a very heavy feel for iron heads that were the size of an old Wilson 1200GE, very small. Also in the discard bag down in the basement is a Spalding TopFlite fw from 1989 or so with the "Precursor" shaft, which had a graphite section under the grip that was mated to a steel shaft for the remainder. The 5W head is ridiculously small by today's standards, but that club stayed in my bag for many years and was always a favorite because it worked so well.

[arkstorm]

What about HONMA clubs ?

 

By what measure are Honma clubs a flop? They're like the Rolls Royce of golf clubs, gold trim and all. They are geared toward the Asian market and are one of the best selling clubs in Japan where they are seen as a status symbol.

 

You don't see them a whole lot, but they are by no means a flop.

[mat562]

Very true.

 

Honma clubs sell like hot cakes in the far east and to golfing Liberace-types.

[cj1203]

Titleist D1

[roberthd]

An earlier poster said Adams drivers were flops. Well, maybe sales-wise, but most of the drivers are solid performers, and their new Speedline has the hottest buzz of anything out there. They may have a hit, who knows.

 

Let's see...Cleveland makes a chipper (way more than a chipper, actually). Odyssey makes a chipper. Now Adams makes a chipper. Hmmm...do I notice a trend? Flop? Not...

[JD3]

Not that these were from major OEMs, but some of the biggest infomercial flops I recall:

 

- "The Controller" driving iron

- "Magnetix" Driver from Next

- "The Hammer" driver (easily the cheesiest infomercial of all time)

[touch]

Nike putters

Always a flop...any year, and any model.

[HoosierGolfer]

The C-4 driver from Callaway gets my vote. I still have mine but it was a dud. Good topic though.

[EQTMTJKY]

C-4 driver from Callaway. Took one out on a demo and put it away on the 3rd hole and used my 3 wood the rest of the round.Just bad all the way around.