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Marketing - Do you buy into the hype?

SuperStroke
I don't buy into the whole "Product X is 19 yards longer than the one 6 months ago, and 38 yards longer than the one 12 months ago" and so on. I have owned 2 drivers over the last 6 years. A Cleveland HiBore (the original HiBore, with the "cutting edge" scooped out crown) and the 910D2, which I opted for, simply for the simplistic look and how it performed for me, not for it's "bells and whistles". My irons. 3 sets in 7 years, with the current ones I am gaming, I knew nothing about, until I hit them and again, I went simplistic over bells and whistles.
 
Otoh, I have avoided certain products because I thought it was just hype, only to find it was actually pretty good.
 
I fall for TM & others marketing all the time. "longer...straighter...more distance...improve your game...more forgiving...trust your game to us..."

They know how to hit my bank account but after 3 years or so of golf I'm started listening more to other knowledgeable golfers and less to the new shiny stuff in the magazines and online.
 
3 years ago, I usually hit it 25 yards past my most regular golfing buddy. If I count right, my buddy has gamed seven different drivers in that time. Every time he switched he swears he gained 7-10 yards. I gamed the same driver those 3 years. I still hit it 25 yards longer than he, and I have not gained one inch off the tee. You do the math....
 
Hawk said:
Honestly, I don't take much stock in what Maltby has to say about golf clubs.
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I think there's some method to his madness - I only look at specific values. Also from the irons that I have played and used, which are a lot, they seem pretty in line with his measurements. At least what I take from it and consider forgiving vs. unforgiving. Like anything else out there, even fitting systems, there will be doubters.
 
m-910 said:
I fall for TM & others marketing all the time. "longer...straighter...more distance...improve your game...more forgiving...trust your game to us..."

They know how to hit my bank account but after 3 years or so of golf I'm started listening more to other knowledgeable golfers and less to the new shiny stuff in the magazines and online.
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You just can't say no to inverted cone technology. . .
 
sleuth said:
I think there's some method to his madness - I only look at specific values. Also from the irons that I have played and used, which are a lot, they seem pretty in line with his measurements. At least what I take from it and consider forgiving vs. unforgiving. Like anything else out there, even fitting systems, there will be doubters.
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For some reason I don't see him much differently than any other company that sells clubs, but I can be skeptical at times. You are correct that there will always be doubters with just about anything! For the record, I love the DPC's and I do see why they are considered be a pretty forgiving club. Far more than the R11's and just barely under the RAZR XF? I guess that's hard for me to grasp.
 
What else would I spend my money on?
 
It's clever marketing that gets us interested in a product and if that doesn't, it's word of mouth from a friend who did buy into the hype.

Sure, some of it is hype to catch our attention, how else will some learn about a new product or innovation? It's weeding through hype and legitimacy that's the fun process.

Personally, I think it keeps innovation moving forward and some really great products have come from it. How easy are fittings now that you have adjustable drivers. I think we get more bang for our because of this hype and innovations than we have in the past. In the end, consumers win.

Great topic, Hawk. I enjoyed reading everyone's feedback.
 
I don't think that I do. I cant stand and will not play a white driver or a white putter unless they are flat out better than every other piece of equipment out there

The ball I used up until the MC 2.0 came along was the Burner Tour. Only reason I play that ball is because of the blind testing done here.

Irons are my main weakness but even with those, I don't feel that I buy into hype. I hit a ton of balls with any iron before I ever lay my cash down



Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
 
Hawk said:
For some reason I don't see him much differently than any other company that sells clubs, but I can be skeptical at times. You are correct that there will always be doubters with just about anything! For the record, I love the DPC's and I do see why they are considered be a pretty forgiving club. Far more than the R11's and just barely under the RAZR XF? I guess that's hard for me to grasp.
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I look at 3 values in particular - VCOG, MOI, C Dimm. These 3 values are very telling of the size and location of the sweet spot.

The reason the R11 appears to be more 'unforgiving' is that the CG is so high up in the club. Thus it's harder to get the ball in the air, and you'll lose a lot more yardage with thin shots (typical amateur miss). According to Maltby the Razr XF has everything going for it - low CG, huge MOI, and the sweet spot is located further away from the hosel almost like it's designed for toe shots (another amateur miss).

Perhaps an owner of the J40 DPC can vouch for this, but according to Maltby's measurement it should be easy to hit into the air and get a good trajectory, it should have a large sweet spot, and more located towards the toe. So the logic is that it's forgiving because you won't lose as much distance on thin shots, or toe shots.

I'm in no way a Maltby fanboy btw. I just use his measurements as a place to start for my own equipment testing. I find it very useful to look at.
 
Some hype I guess, but mostly if a club's looks catch my eye. Claims like 17 yards or Phil knocking one over a Vegas fountain don't draw me in.

I like to play clubs that look good to me, or if the looks interest me I might try something because it's different. I played an FTi because it was square and liked it. I played the triangular Titleist and liked it. I like the R11. I pretty much always just bought irons right off the rack out of the limited lefty choices until I got to have some input with my The Morgan Cup TM CB irons. Even those I picked because I like the looks and knew they were supposed to be a little more forgiving than the other forged offerings. When offered the R11s at the last minute I didn't change because I liked the look of the CBs better.

So if pretty or different is hype, then I buy in somewhat.

Kevin
 
Years ago, marketing would get me. Not now but I will fall victim to hype. If a huge amount of people on the web rave about a particular product, I'll be intrigued enough to research and experiment.
 
I am not going to point any fingers, but I think the marketing hype has actually confused some of the ATV wedge testers, so that they are raving about things that don't make sense. But, if the wedge is working for them I guess no harm is done.
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I'd really like to hear more on this, without the names being dropped. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so if I'm saying something that's just flat wrong I'd like to know about it.

I think marketing drives me in many way's and I'm kind of happy that it does. Marketing gets me excited to entertain a new product, I may or may not buy it and you can bet I will run it through the ringer testing it out, but I like the excitement these companies build into their push for market share. Hell, who don't get excited when you see a cool new car advertised, or for many it's the McRib at Mcd's, (yuk). Marketing works, even if it's just top of mind awareness.

Everyone has a trigger, these companies just look for the one's that connect with the largest share of their buying demographic. Tiger, Fowler, Norman, Poults and couples are a few of the most recent that really turned a ton of cash, before then Jack and Arnie really set the trend, but none of them could do it without marketing.

Now that Lee Westwood is moving to America, I hope he does a huge beer endorsement. I'd buy into that!
 
thedue said:
I think marketing drives me in many way's and I'm kind of happy that it does. Marketing gets me excited to entertain a new product, I may or may not buy it and you can bet I will run it through the ringer testing it out, but I like the excitement these companies build into their push for market share. Hell, who don't get excited when you see a cool new car advertised, or for many it's the McRib at Mcd's, (yuk). Marketing works, even if it's just top of mind awareness.

Everyone has a trigger, these companies just look for the one's that connect with the largest share of their buying demographic. Tiger, Fowler, Norman, Poults and couples are a few of the most recent that really turned a ton of cash, before then Jack and Arnie really set the trend, but none of them could do it without marketing.

Now that Lee Westwood is moving to America, I hope he does a huge beer endorsement. I'd buy into that!
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Very well put Duey!
 
It depends. The hype of the rocketballz turned me off. When that club hit the tube I knew it was going to be the first choice of driver for every spoiled boat shoe wearing daddy funded frat kid in America. That sort of hype certainly sends me running from clubs. I'm an outgoing funny guy but on the course I'm quiet and meticulous and don't need anything that screams look at me or grabs attention.

The media hype is not what draws my attention but rather the hype of certain reviews. Some clubs you can just tell are going to be great because they are being hit by people at demo days/trucks and everyone has nothing but good things to say about the club. That is the type of hype I look for.
 
sleuth said:
I look at 3 values in particular - VCOG, MOI, C Dimm. These 3 values are very telling of the size and location of the sweet spot.

The reason the R11 appears to be more 'unforgiving' is that the CG is so high up in the club. Thus it's harder to get the ball in the air, and you'll lose a lot more yardage with thin shots (typical amateur miss). According to Maltby the Razr XF has everything going for it - low CG, huge MOI, and the sweet spot is located further away from the hosel almost like it's designed for toe shots (another amateur miss).

Perhaps an owner of the J40 DPC can vouch for this, but according to Maltby's measurement it should be easy to hit into the air and get a good trajectory, it should have a large sweet spot, and more located towards the toe. So the logic is that it's forgiving because you won't lose as much distance on thin shots, or toe shots.

I'm in no way a Maltby fanboy btw. I just use his measurements as a place to start for my own equipment testing. I find it very useful to look at.
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I wont turn this into a Maltby thread, but his bias against certain companies is well known and frankly pretty ridiculous.
 
JB said:
I wont turn this into a Maltby thread, but his bias against certain companies is well known and frankly pretty ridiculous.
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Rhymes with TM? Oh wait...
 
"I am not going to point any fingers, but I think the marketing hype has actually confused some of the ATV wedge testers, so that they are raving about things that don't make sense. But, if the wedge is working for them I guess no harm is done."

thedue said:
I'd really like to hear more on this, without the names being dropped. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so if I'm saying something that's just flat wrong I'd like to know about it.
Click to expand...
thedue said:
I think marketing drives me in many way's and I'm kind of happy that it does. Marketing gets me excited to entertain a new product, I may or may not buy it and you can bet I will run it through the ringer testing it out, but I like the excitement these companies build into their push for market share. Hell, who don't get excited when you see a cool new car advertised, or for many it's the McRib at Mcd's, (yuk). Marketing works, even if it's just top of mind awareness.

Everyone has a trigger, these companies just look for the one's that connect with the largest share of their buying demographic. Tiger, Fowler, Norman, Poults and couples are a few of the most recent that really turned a ton of cash, before then Jack and Arnie really set the trend, but none of them could do it without marketing.

Now that Lee Westwood is moving to America, I hope he does a huge beer endorsement. I'd buy into that!
Click to expand...

Great post Due! I was also curious about the comment in green as it puzzled me. If myself or any tester is way off line, then we are providing a poor service to the companies and consumers we are testing for. With that said, the beauty of marketing is to have people from off walks of life and experience with golf products, provide their honest and unbiased personal opinions.
 
Truth! Why I don't take everything full value. Thought I'd see what others think about it here!
 
I apologize for freaking out the ATV wedge testers.... but I don't want this thread to go off in the wrong direction. I don't think anyone commenting in this thread made any of the comments I found odd. I really only picked on the ATV test because it is very recent, and because I actually tried out one of those wedges myself so I'm familiar with the product.

I think marketing hype taints a lot of equipment reviews, and not just on this website, at least in the early stages. If you are swinging a new club that has some highly promoted technical feature, and you hit good shots with that club, then it is natural to assume the technical feature has contributed to the good shots. There could be a variety of reasons you hit good shots with that club, many of which may be unrelated to the technical feature in question. The club might fit you better, there could be other less promoted features of the club that make it better for you, or you might have just gotten lucky and hit good shots because you expected to.

With respect to the ATV wedges, specifically, I really like the shaft and grip -- so much so that I am getting the same shafts and grips installed on my Vokey wedges. The big technical innovation, though, is the sole design. I have read comments (not necessarily from the official testers) such as "the club has no bounce"; "You don't have to worry about whether you have the right bounce"; or "TM takes the guesswork out of bounce." The club obviously has bounce, and that bounce may not be perfect for every golfer in every situation, they have essentially just designed a "grind" into the bounce. The real question is whether that sole design enables one to hit shots that could not be hit with a similar wedge having a more conventional sole --- and whether the design of the sole is actually the reason for the difference.
 
Gaijin_Golfer said:
I think we're all vulnerable to marketing to a certain extent. I try to take everything with a grain of salt, try out stuff the Im interested in and decide for myself what I like and what I dont.
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Unless it's Mizuno talking about how awesome their forgings are.
 
The answer for me is of course yes, but I don't think thats a bad thing.
 
I honestly don't think it affects me much. I can't even remember the last time I bought a club new in the store.
Never used a white putter or driver except just testing one out in the store.
I like looking at all the new stuff and trying it out but I usually wait a year until I can buy it at half price.
 
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