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Brand loyalty adverse effects?

SuperStroke
Prior to my becoming active on THP about 1.5 years ago, I was a strict Mizuno irons (ever since Hogan went under) and Cleveland metals guy. Just recently changed out my bag and went with Callaway metals and Srixon irons for my first brand changes in many moons. THP opened up my eyes, for the better, to exploring other options
 
Wilson Staffer said:
I kind of agree with this topic. I love Ping equipment and have sets of irons dating back to 84' and still game the G5's on th occasional Sunday for kicks. My current gamers are the C100's and have always admired the look and playability of Wilson irons. The thing about Wilson Staff and Ping is I would never play anything else from Wilson Staff other than their irons because theyve always made really quality, solid iron sets. I don't like their drivers, Fairway woods, hybrids or anything else for some reason and have always gone back to ping in that category. I like Adams hybrids because they feel the best not because they're popular on tour. Invest in other companies that best suit your game. You'll have more fun.
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Have you tried any of Wilsons new stuff? Or are you already discounting their lines (ex irons) based on past experience?
 
I am a Taylor Made fan and have played their clubs for years. I would not have a club in my bag if I couldn't hit it regardless of the manufacturer of the club, I agree with a lot of the guys here most major OEM's make clubs that can fit just about everyone. If I honestly found something that out performed my Taylor made clubs I would switch but so far I have not found that to be the case and I do try all of them. I am still looking for a fairway wood I can actually hit But that's really not the clubs fault...
 
Sox Fan said:
Prior to my becoming active on THP about 1.5 years ago, I was a strict Mizuno irons (ever since Hogan went under) and Cleveland metals guy. Just recently changed out my bag and went with Callaway metals and Srixon irons for my first brand changes in many moons. THP opened up my eyes, for the better, to exploring other options
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I am liking Callaway woods more and more every year. Unfortunately I am big on the looks of the clubs as well as performance, and I couldn't get into the looks of either of the X hot woods lines. Got better with last years Big Bertha Alpha line, and now I am loving the V series and 815 lines.
 
Girardcorp said:
Have you tried any of Wilsons new stuff? Or are you already discounting their lines (ex irons) based on past experience?
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I pondered their FG tour fairway wood but I'm not sure if I'm ready to kick the 20 dollar maxfli out of the bag just yet. Lol. Just kidding. Im not saying their other offerings are bad they're just not for me. Yeah I've hit the FG driver....super loud at impact. Loud and metallic noise echoing through the valley. I would play a duo ball though.
 
I do want to try that d200 driver as well when released. Not sure about the d200 irons....maybe a little too much offset for me. My misses are left.
 
Wilson Staffer said:
I pondered their FG tour fairway wood but I'm not sure if I'm ready to kick the 20 dollar maxfli out of the bag just yet. Lol. Just kidding. Im not saying their other offerings are bad they're just not for me. Yeah I've hit the FG driver....super loud at impact. Loud and metallic noise echoing through the valley. I would play a duo ball though.
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The FG impression (sound)is one shared by many. I heard this first hand at #personaldistance and did think it was pretty loud. This was definitely not the case with the D200 I have. It's one of the best sounding I've ever owned. I presume when the m3 replacement comes out it will likely have the sound fixed.
 
cbaker2882 said:
I am liking Callaway woods more and more every year. Unfortunately I am big on the looks of the clubs as well as performance, and I couldn't get into the looks of either of the X hot woods lines. Got better with last years Big Bertha Alpha line, and now I am loving the V series and 815 lines.
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2 years ago, I would have never dreamed that a Callaway club would have made it's way in my bag. Every one I picked up in stores had a closed face and I just couldn't see myself ever going down that road. The V Series fairways were incredible right out of the box and I feel confident that the 815 will be just as incredible after a few more times out get the feel of it.
 
Girardcorp said:
The FG impression (sound)is one shared by many. I heard this first hand at #personaldistance and did think it was pretty loud. This was definitely not the case with the D200 I have. It's one of the best sounding I've ever owned. I presume when the m3 replacement comes out it will likely have the sound fixed.
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Yeah..agreed. Wilson Staff keeps bringing it and when I see scratch golfers gaming their WS blades it inspires me to continue to work towards that goal. Irons are probably the one aspect of equipment I stick with the longest. I played those G5's for almost 8 years and they're still nice to game on occasion. Also...these C100 irons are very durable. The black mirror pvd finish is like new on my set after at least 100 rounds.
 
I'm open to trying any club...if it works, it's in the bag. I do have some preferences.

Until this year I never rolled anything but a PING putter. I rolled the current one I have better than any others. Took me a while to get past that.
 
SaffaClint said:
I came across a thread discussing how deep brand loyalty runs and it got me thinking. I know there are some people out there that are strictly brand X gamers and would never even consider any other brand. I wonder how many people are "sabotaging" their own games because of blind brand loyalty?
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I'm brand loyal, but I don't feel it is in any way sabotaging any part of my game. Most all the major OEM's have several lines of clubs geared at certain levels of players and I while I have played other brands, Callaway has all I need really although I still hate clubs with the thin new grooves, so I might be going back to much older irons in 2015.

I have lots of reasons to be loyal to Callaway and it is more than just high quality products and great customer service.
 
I don't sabotage my game through brand loyalty. Quite the opposite. I sabotage my game because I change equipment every two weeks.
 
Dr RosenRosen said:
I don't sabotage my game through brand loyalty. Quite the opposite. I sabotage my game because I change equipment every two weeks.
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Hahaha represent. I have forbidden myself from changing drivers unless something goes horribly wrong for exactly this reason...just couldn't get in a groove when I gamed a different big dog every round.
 
Dr RosenRosen said:
I don't sabotage my game through brand loyalty. Quite the opposite. I sabotage my game because I change equipment every two weeks.
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Amen brother!
SkiBumGolfer said:
Hahaha represent. I have forbidden myself from changing drivers unless something goes horribly wrong for exactly this reason...just couldn't get in a groove when I gamed a different big dog every round.
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Yeah, I've taken this vow too. We'll see how long I last.
 
I'm by no means an equipment guru. But it seems to me the major brands make something for everyone. I know that my game in particular struggles with user error not equipment. I think must high and mid cap players are the same way. That being said I like callaway equipment, logo etc.
 
I think its possible to adversely affect your game, like if you are all in for a certain brand, but that season's offering doesn't complement your game.

For lack of a better example, SLDR & my game do not mix. If I was all in with Taylor Made and was obsessed with only playing their brand, I would have had a rough year trying to play that driver all.
 
I think brand loyalty can not necessarily adversely affect your game, but not necessarily give you increased performance that one might expect. I found this to be true last Spring. I had been playing Ping irons for several years with a set of i15s most recently in the bag. So I naturally assumed the i20s or 125s would be an improvement an probably in the past I would have just popped for a set of one of those based on that assumption. However, I decided to do a box store fitting and the newer offerings gave me no performance increase. The guy I was working with said, "Why bother upgrading". Had I upgraded to the i20 or 125 irons I would have a nice new set of irons but for what reason other than to satisfy an itch.
 
I was the one who started the thread about brand loyalty.

I believe the assertion that many have made that all the major OEM's are making quality products. It seems you can't make a disastrous decision by going with any particular brand. You may very well gain an edge with one driver or set of irons over another, but it's not like you'd be killing your game. When I feel I've outgrown my G20's I will look at Ping first. In my case, it will be more because of brand familiarity than brand preference as I haven't swung enough clubs in my life to know what truly works best for me. But I doubt I'll be doing myself a disservice if I only swing clubs with Ping logos on them. Same with (insert any OEM here).
 
I dunno. Based on a few rounds with the SLDR and Jetspeed, yea I'd be in big trouble if I was stuck with either.

But, with the yearly refresh (if not more frequent) that could all change.
 
I'm a bit late to this thread but I'm also late to THP. I find myself in agreement with much of what has been said - there is sense to even some contradictory posts. Itake a slightly different slant though. Brand loyalty is unlikely to bring any golfer undone but brand snobbery can damage the industry itself. Refusal to try a truely innovative quality product from a lesser brand because they are brand X may well lead to brand X's demise. Taken more broadly, brand snobbery may eventually lead to the big guys getting bigger, less choice on the market and less innovation. If a manufacture went broke because they make rubbish, fair enough but if it's because too many wouldn't give them a go, that would be sad. It annoys me silly that one magazine can rate a club high on performance, looks, quality and whatever but because it has less demand, it is marked down. That just keeps the big guys big and the small guys small. I will now dismount my soap box.
 
I'm not sure how we can say what is good for someone's game. What works for one may not work for another. Staying loyal to a brand is fine I don't think it effects one game in a measurable amount. I've always felt you have to get to certain level in skill yo tell the difference between one club to another. Until one has a repeatable swing, it would matter if they played X or Y. The same swing flaws will be seen in both.
 
I don't think there's anything wrong at all with brand loyalty and I think with all the quality gear out there now, just about every company has something for every personality or skill level. I personally think it's more damaging to criticize what people prefer to play no matter the reason they play it, it alienates people and the game's not about that or what someone thinks another person should be playing.
 
Trout Bum said:
I don't think there's anything wrong at all with brand loyalty and I think with all the quality gear out there now, just about every company has something for every personality or skill level. I personally think it's more damaging to criticize what people prefer to play no matter the reason they play it, it alienates people and the game's not about that or what someone thinks another person should be playing.
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In the end I'm sad to say. People will judge people for for the things they have or don't have rather than there's on they are.
 
As long as you're fit properly, there's not a lot of damage you can do. However, a 22 playing Miura is probably not a good idea...
 
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