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Future of Product Testing on THP

SuperStroke
Well, now that the nuisance is gone...

Esox, the was a heck of a post. I completely get where you are coming from, and you may be right. I am not sure if testers should keep the clubs, now that you mention it. I think the easiest, least head-achey solution would be to donate all test clubs to the First Tee or something.
 
dave1269 said:
I wanted to read through the entire thread before offering my .02, but gave up on page 12 (after seeing the page count flip from 25 to 26).

I am fairly new to THP in that I have only recently contributed by posting.

To me, the issue at hand is that the stakes have increased. As THP grows, the opportunities available also increase. In the early days, a sleeve of balls was a big deal. Today, the site able to offer opportunites that were unimaginable a few years ago: testing entire sets of irons, TMaG Kingdom, Morgan Cup. Last week, we had JB's statement that the best is yet to come...and that's a promise (or words to this effect).

Sadly, as the stakes increase, so do the inevitable consequences. Before coming to this thread, I was reading a large thread on WRX about the Kingdom weekend. One of the participants from WRX sold his new R11 in the WRX classifieds. As I read through the thread, I was hoping to myself that this sort of situation would never happen at THP. Seriously, everyone at THP should go find the WRX thread and read all of it (while it is still available--the moderator just closed it to new posts).

THP may be a unique place, special and caring, etc etc.....It is also unrealistic to believe that those qualities will never be challenged by individuals who feel they were slighted, overlooked, or not given a fair chance.

JB and GG, in many respects THP has become a victim of its own success.

As many have stated, I don't there is anything wrong with charging for shipping when items are sent out for member testing. I do suggest that the shipping charge be a flat rate, based on size, weight etc., regardless of the distance.
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We could do a flat rate but I am not sure if that would be fair to everyone. A perfect example is the THP Umbrellas. That is almost always less than $12 to ship w/in the USA and well over $20 to ship to Canada. Shipping to Australia or the UK would be even more. I want to open up the testing to international people but I do feel that the shipping would have to be a bit more to those areas, especially if the items are large or heavy. But we will cross that bridge when we get there.....which based on this thread could be sooner than later.

pattyblind9golf said:
GG - I totally understand the lack of female audience in reading and also in reviews. When I first signed up to be on the boards, Mr. Blind 9 wanted me to be a man, thinking that people wouldn't take me seriously. I fought this - as I didn't want it to be fake - but there are *many* men, golfers or otherwise, who think women don't know what they are talking about and would never read or trust a women's opinion. I'm sure some men on the boards will be like, "no way, not me!" but I know there are are plenty out there that feel that way, even if they don't admit it.

I guess I was just trying to say, maybe try to get the women that are active on the board some more testing opportunities in whatever way is possible. I know hard goods is NOT a realistic option. But I was hoping that manufacturers might be more willing to give something small (ball marker, glove, even socks, or maybe some reviews from some women only companies like GloveIt!). It sucks to be a woman and be left out of all the cool stuff - but sometimes a little something to test can go a long way in good will for the women. Does that make sense? You never have to defend leaving women out to me. I totally understand. I'm in the (golf) business - and sadly I know that the #s and $ just aren't there in women's golf.

Oh - and I don't mean me personally. I never sign up to test and probably never will b/c I hate the idea of taking away an opportunity for a tester to try something out, when I probably already have access to it in the shop. Ok, and now that I wrote that and realize that I was one of the only women chiming in, so maybe you shouldn't try to get more women's stuff to test, LOL. Ok, so take this comment with a huge grain of salt. Thx GG.
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I 100% agree with you Patty and I would love to have more testing for ladies. However, we have done that in the past. We have done gloves and golf balls and even clubs. In fact KoKogirl is testing the new TM R11 FW wood right now and Mary and golf chick both tested the last golf balls and they have tested gloves. But for the most part companies don't look to push their ladies gear because the market is just too small and a lot of ladies play mens equipment anyhow. So they want to put their money into marketing the men's gear. It doesn't mean it's what I want but, as you know, that is how this industry goes.

JB said:
Thank you everybody for your open and honest discussion today. This is the reason I love THP.
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Yes, thank you all for your honesty and opinions in this thread. This is exactly what we wanted.
 
No matter what the outcome of this situation (if thats what you want to call it) it, it wont deter me from coming to THP. I view equipment testing as a honor and privlege and i think most others do as well. As i said before, its just a small piece of THP.
 
Well...20 minutes of typing down the drain...somehow hit the TAB button and it erased my post....
Here is the abbreviated version....

1) First choice is to make people pay for shipping. This is in itself like a donation as GG/JB will not be out of pocket the money for shipping. This could curtail everyone signing up for every test and make some people a little more discretionary on their category of testing...

2) I kind of like the idea of a "stable of proven testers" as well. If most people are here to read the reviews and benefit from other peoples testing/reviews, then having a stable base of competent reviewers/writers is another option...

THP always has contests for free stuff, trips, and other things for people to join in....

My 2 cents

Bama
 
I think you should keep the way you are doing it . If people are complaining all they want are freebies. Dont get me wrong Im new but I love the site and all the great information. I've tried to get some testing stuff and didnt get picked. I didnt cry I read reviews went and bought one and posted my review. You have a great thing going here dont let a few spoiled Apples ruin it for everyone, Thanks for the opportunity to even try and possible test a product.
 
jt2929 said:
No matter what the outcome of this situation (if thats what you want to call it) it, it wont deter me from coming to THP. I view equipment testing as a honor and privlege and i think most others do as well. As i said before, its just a small piece of THP.
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This sums up my opinion perfectly. I know I am very glad to be here and to be able to contribute.
 
I personally think you should leave it the way it is. I was lucky enough to be able to test the Polara golf balls and was thrilled. I took the test seriously and enjoyed doing it. If I had not been chosen oh well. It's not like you owe me something. It is no different then if I play the lottery and never win (get picked). I don't go and wright a letter or complain about. Be glad you were chosen and if not then there will always be another chance. JB you do a great job. Don't worry about anything someone says about not getting pick. Keep up the good work guys. You and this site are Perfect the Way it IS!!!!!!!!
 
dubbledxu said:
I do like the idea of a THP auction benefiting a First Tee type program. I dont know how efficient donating the equipment directly to them would be, since they work with junior golfers first.
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When you are first told you were selected you are given a set of criteria that you must agree to in order to start the testing. One of the things you agree to is that you will send the clubs back to THP at the end if you are not going to use them. If you return them they will be given to First Tee.

Edit: And I completely agree with the paying for shipping. I didn't do it when I got my clubs but I did donate when the Polara ball testing was done. I didn't get selected for that but those shipping costs were going to be huge. I think it is completely fair to have the testers pay for their own shipping.
 
it's unfortunate that members would complain enough for a thread like this to be necessary. if you cannot appreciate what JB and GG have put together here in this fantastic site/forum, then why bother being a member at all?
people need to understand that there are thousands of members out there and certain criteria that needs met for every contest and testing opportunity.
as a "newer" member, (and one that isn't as active as he'd like to be) i will say that it is frustrating not to get picked for events/testing or not to win contests. but i'm not going to give up or badmouth THP...
every day i come back to this forum and am simply amazed at the things that THP does for average golfers.
#The TaylorMade Kingdom Experience, IMO, is the best example of a great contest and a great review/report thread.
the forum alone is enough to keep me coming back. contests/testing are added extras and hopefully after awhile, once i've paid my dues here at THP, i'll have the privilege to be a tester, and give back to the rest of the THP forum community by reviewing those products.

JB/GG....i say keep everything as is. you both and the rest of the THP staff go above and beyond for all the members here.
 
Well since I'm a woman living in a man's world on THP, I accept (but dislike) the fact that most of you guys wouldn't want to read my review on men's equipment even though I play it. In fact, I've had some open and honest discussion about this with someone other than my husband who was blunt with me about the fact that he wouldn't give my review any weight. He even admitted he wouldn't give a woman who was a certified PGA pro much weight. That one kind of shocked me but it is the world we live in, like it or not.

I will say that I think THP should continue handling testing like they do but they should add the requirement that the recipient pay shipping. I do think the tester should be able to keep the equipment once the period is over. Ole Gray is currently testing the R11 7 wood so it would be great if he could just forward it to me when he is finished. :D

I guess I need to quit raving about all my new Cleveland equipment in the Cleveland threads since none of you want my opinion. I still love ya though.
 
KellyBo said:
Well since I'm a woman living in a man's world on THP, I accept (but dislike) the fact that most of you guys wouldn't want to read my review on men's equipment even though I play it. In fact, I've had some open and honest discussion about this with someone other than my husband who was blunt with me about the fact that he wouldn't give my review any weight. He even admitted he wouldn't give a woman who was a certified PGA pro much weight. That one kind of shocked me but it is the world we live in, like it or not.

I will say that I think THP should continue handling testing like they do but they should add the requirement that the recipient pay shipping. I do think the tester should be able to keep the equipment once the period is over. Ole Gray is currently testing the R11 7 wood so it would be great if he could just forward it to me when he is finished. :D

I guess I need to quit raving about all my new Cleveland equipment in the Cleveland threads since none of you want my opinion. I still love ya though.
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For me, it is not an issue of sex. Well, I guess it is, in part. I give significant weight to reviews done by women, but I also understand that women play a little differently than me. Different swings, ect, so I factor those in when taking opinions from a female golfer.
 
WOW, just read through 29 pages and almost 430 posts about this subject, you guys have been busy today. LOL In all serious a great topic and kudos to JB for putting it out there and wanting ( and getting ) some great discussion on the subject. There obviously has been alot said so I am going to be brief and give my thoughts on some topics discussed earlier.

Equipment testers - I think the people who are on staff as equipment testers do an excellent job bringing information and their thoughts on the various items to the masses here at THP. I also think that when "regular members" get the opportunity to test an item, they should definately put they full effort behind the task or pass and not accept the responsibility. Using myself as an example that was how I looked at the couple of opportunities I have been given here first to test the yellow e6 golf ball and then and most resently getting to test and report on the Mashie. I like what someone had posted about added more testers and align them in categories based on abilities and I would cross this idea with another of passing forward the testing item between the testers. If you had 3-5 testers in each category (Low, Mid, and High handicap) you could get a better pool of information out to the forum.

Shipping charges - I have no problem paying for shipping charges if that is the direction JB and GG feel is best for THP, and this might defer those looking for a quick free gift.

Complaining People - I think it might of been JRod who posted this ( my head is spinning a bit with all I have read here in the last 40 minutes.) but I think alot of the issues with the way people are acting lately is a result of the way this site has been growing and the means by which it has been growing. Recently TC got up on the soap box and went off on how not alot of people were siging up for a particular contest or something along those lines. I think with all the posting that has ben done on FB and other places to get people to join, in addition to getting alot of people who have joined this site for all the right reasons, I think there have ben a few who joined for the wrong ones and those are the people who are complaining about not getting what is "theirs" and it just might be becuase they do not understand the thinking behind what THP is.

Before I forget, it does make me proud as a member of this forum that such passion has been shown today by alot of people on this thread. It shows me that I was right when I joined tis forum and it still is the place I am proud to talk about every day to whomever will listen to me, golfer or otherwise!
 
KellyBo said:
Well since I'm a woman living in a man's world on THP, I accept (but dislike) the fact that most of you guys wouldn't want to read my review on men's equipment even though I play it. In fact, I've had some open and honest discussion about this with someone other than my husband who was blunt with me about the fact that he wouldn't give my review any weight. He even admitted he wouldn't give a woman who was a certified PGA pro much weight. That one kind of shocked me but it is the world we live in, like it or not.

I will say that I think THP should continue handling testing like they do but they should add the requirement that the recipient pay shipping. I do think the tester should be able to keep the equipment once the period is over. Ole Gray is currently testing the R11 7 wood so it would be great if he could just forward it to me when he is finished. :D

I guess I need to quit raving about all my new Cleveland equipment in the Cleveland threads since none of you want my opinion. I still love ya though.
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I don't think that no one wants to read your opinion, in fact I think most if not all of us on here have a huge respect for you and your thoughts and experiences with golf. And to be honest someone would be a fool not to listen to what you have to say. You take your golf game more seriously than most of the people on this forum. You play more than most and you are so dedicated to golf and improving your game. You are a true asset to this forum and to anyone who is looking for honest feedback on equipment. But I do think that it can be hard for men to listen to what a woman has to say because we play this game differently. One of the biggest factors is with our bodies. We are built differently so we do things differently and often times feel things differently. My old golf instructor used to tell me that all the time. She used to be on the LPGA tour and she always told me that we may be able to play just as well or better than a guy but we do play the game differently.
 
Preface: I haven't read all 15 pages of this thread, if I repeat somebody else, I apologize.

I would say keep it as is. As the site gets bigger you will have more and more of the people who are around just for the freebies. Have a few "canned" responses ready for these people..... From what I have heard you have built this site and wonderful group of people by sticking to your gut intuitions and having integrity. Do what you think is right and odds are you're right.

Question: Is "being active" measured on # of posts only? I spend a decent amount of time on this forum, but only post when I feel I can contribute or ask an intelligent question. No "empty calories" in my forum dinner.
 
First, it has taken me over three hours to read this thread and I have to say, that of all the forums I'm active on, only on THP would this type of open and honest discussion be happening (well, there is the roadie forum... but I digress). Thank you JB and GG for the open nature of THP you have created that has allowed so many folks here to voice their opinion.

Second, I have been lucky enough to be selected a few times to be a tester for products. I didn't feel like I "won" anything nor did I enter specifically to "win" anything because it was free golfing stuff. I threw my name into the ring because it was a product I was genuinely interested in, was excited to test and try out, and wanted to share my opinion and answer any questions that may have come up as a result of my review, good and bad. Because I was brought to this forum by honest user reviews, I looked at the opportunity as a way to give back to THP and other people who may be looking for honest reviews. It was, as several have pointed out in previous posts, an honor to be selected.

Third, I don't think that we need to change anything in the way the testing is done; except to say that I would be willing to pay for shipping of test/demo gear if selected in the future.

Have there been some folks who have signed up and ended up on the tester list that didn't take their job seriously and/or didn't even bother to write a review? Yes, and those people have been dealt with in a fair fashion by JB and GG, both privately and by not being picked again. Are there some reviews that are half baked and/or too critical or congratulatory? Yes, and if you read enough of their reviews and posts you probably already know when you see the review what to expect. Do I think that a certain number of posts, time on the forum, level of understanding of English spelling, grammar and syntax should be used as criteria to be a tester? No, the main reason for THP, as JB and GG have stated ad nauseum at several points in this thread, is to provide an open and welcome community of people who not only golf but want to live the golf lifestyle. Which, if my FIL was correct, is to act as ladies and gentlemen on and off the course, enjoy the game no matter what level you play at, and to have respect and honor for the game, the history of the game, the rules of the game and the people you play the game with no matter what.

Which brings me to my forth and final point, in any given online community, there will be those who are active, helpful, insightful, passionate, and truly interested in helping the community grow and prosper. Unfortunately, there will also be those who are disruptive, vengeful, mean spirited, small minded, and who get their jollies by disrupting the community with drama and complaints. In the 20+ years, I've been involved in online communities, growth typically means that for a short time, the people who are part of the later group will rise up, jump up and down, and generally cause a ruckus. In the groups that have continued to be true to the principals they were founded on, these little hiccups have passed and the groups have grown stronger. In the groups that these little upsets have caused wide sweeping changes to the way the groups were run, there has been a marked drop off of the former group of folks and eventual disintegration of the group.

I would hate to see the few vocal folks who have come here to complain or insinuate that the way testers (and contest winners) are selected, or an event is filled in any way change the very reason so many of us came to and eventually joined THP and help create this "family", the unbiased broad forum testing by real golfers.
 
GolferGal said:
I don't think that no one wants to read your opinion, in fact I think most if not all of us on here have a huge respect for you and your thoughts and experiences with golf. And to be honest someone would be a fool not to listen to what you have to say. You take your golf game more seriously than most of the people on this forum. You play more than most and you are so dedicated to golf and improving your game. You are a true asset to this forum and to anyone who is looking for honest feedback on equipment. But I do think that it can be hard for men to listen to what a woman has to say because we play this game differently. One of the biggest factors is with our bodies. We are built differently so we do things differently and often times feel things differently. My old golf instructor used to tell me that all the time. She used to be on the LPGA tour and she always told me that we may be able to play just as well or better than a guy but we do play the game differently.
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I disagree...at least as far as equipment testing goes. A woman's review of a golf ball or clubs is just as valuable to me as a man's.
 
GolferGal said:
I don't think that no one wants to read your opinion, in fact I think most if not all of us on here have a huge respect for you and your thoughts and experiences with golf. And to be honest someone would be a fool not to listen to what you have to say. You take your golf game more seriously than most of the people on this forum. You play more than most and you are so dedicated to golf and improving your game. You are a true asset to this forum and to anyone who is looking for honest feedback on equipment. But I do think that it can be hard for men to listen to what a woman has to say because we play this game differently. One of the biggest factors is with our bodies. We are built differently so we do things differently and often times feel things differently. My old golf instructor used to tell me that all the time. She used to be on the LPGA tour and she always told me that we may be able to play just as well or better than a guy but we do play the game differently.
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I know GG, I was just kidding really. My game is nothing compared to the men. I can be hitting a 5 wood from the same spot some of them are hitting 9 irons. It makes me sick to be 150 out and see them use a PW. I would give anything to have their strength. I read about the M3 going 205-210 and laugh when I hit mine. Quite a big difference and I know it. I hold no grudges at all and completely understand how it is. I love this game, this site, and will continue to post my reviews on the clubs I play.
 
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Oregon Golfer said:
Preface: I haven't read all 15 pages of this thread, if I repeat somebody else, I apologize.

I would say keep it as is. As the site gets bigger you will have more and more of the people who are around just for the freebies. Have a few "canned" responses ready for these people..... From what I have heard you have built this site and wonderful group of people by sticking to your gut intuitions and having integrity. Do what you think is right and odds are you're right.

Question: Is "being active" measured on # of posts only? I spend a decent amount of time on this forum, but only post when I feel I can contribute or ask an intelligent question. No "empty calories" in my forum dinner.
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Being active is a lot of things. It's not about having the highest post count but about having quality posts in golf threads. We love that people chat in the random and off topic but when it comes to reviews that is not the spot companies are looking in. If you are actively posting about the ongoing golf discussions, testing, reviews etc that would be considered active. There are definitely a lot of factors that go into being active but that is a good example for you.
 
KellyBo said:
Well since I'm a woman living in a man's world on THP, I accept (but dislike) the fact that most of you guys wouldn't want to read my review on men's equipment even though I play it. In fact, I've had some open and honest discussion about this with someone other than my husband who was blunt with me about the fact that he wouldn't give my review any weight. He even admitted he wouldn't give a woman who was a certified PGA pro much weight. That one kind of shocked me but it is the world we live in, like it or not.

I will say that I think THP should continue handling testing like they do but they should add the requirement that the recipient pay shipping. I do think the tester should be able to keep the equipment once the period is over. Ole Gray is currently testing the R11 7 wood so it would be great if he could just forward it to me when he is finished. :D

I guess I need to quit raving about all my new Cleveland equipment in the Cleveland threads since none of you want my opinion. I still love ya though.
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Well I have to say that this is not the first post i have read about someone not wanting a womans report on a piece of equipment and I think it is bunk. You ladies keep writing and I will keep reading. I value your opinion as much as any guys. Ok now back to the OP.
 
KellyBo said:
I know GG, I was just kidding really. My game is nothing compared to the men. I can be hitting a 5 wood from the same spot some of them are hitting 9 irons. It makes me sick to be 150 out and see them use a PW. I would give anything to have their strength. I read about the M3 going 205-210 and laugh when i hit mine. Quite a big difference and I know it. I hold no grudges at all and completely understand how it is. I love this game, this site, and will continue to post my reviews on the clubs I play.
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Hey KB. Not Pitching wedge from 150, 9 iron :D:cute:
 
I think the testing should remain as it is, however I do agree that to defer shipping costs to those of us who test is not a bad thing. I have tested two different golf balls, one that I like in the B-330 RX and one I hated with the Polara. I will say being a left hander, it would be good to have clubs for us to test, but I do know that some companies make limited editions of left handed clubs. Keep up the great work JB and GG, you guys have a great site here and I have found it to be quite helpful when wanting to find out about new products.
 
royalwulff said:
I will be happy to join Sean!
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I love to hear that. And we will continue to do as much testing of ladies gear as we can and include women in the testing as much as we can. I own this site so trust me I want to see more women here and actively involved in the forum discussion.
 
Well I posted early on in this thread and then it went to town. I will say this if I need to pay shipping to test fine by me. I will be happy to go with whatever JB and GG decide, they have not steered this site wrong yet.
 
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