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The Psychology Of Equipment Purchases

SuperStroke
Good article. One question though, who's FlightScope numbers were those? 115 club speed, goodness.
 
-CRW- said:
Good article. One question though, who's FlightScope numbers were those? 115 club speed, goodness.
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Not all that crazy, Fup is a strong swinger, hell Philly and I also put up those #'s in Cali.
 
Damn good read Fup. I enjoyed it.
 
Very good article. I think it seems to be true for so many things that we just get attached to something once we are vested, golf equipment included. And the feeling that we need to back or defend it more than if didn't own it and we're looking at it from a more distant view.
 
Excellent read and I couldn't agree more!
 
I think you hit the nail on the head with the justification of purchase. There were times in the past where you couldnt get me to admit i was wrong about a purchase if you put a gun to my head. Golf is funny that way. Well done Fup that was a really solid read.
 
Good article, well done Fupy.
 
Interesting read Fupy, thanks for that

If we take your Titleist ball example, I have never played the Pro V1 (although I do have a sleeve of them in the house) because of the price tag compared to the other balls I have played and seen good results from, so I guess you could say I am biased against them, not because they are supposedly the number one ball, but because I won't pay their prices compared to others

Now that may change if I try the sleeve and absolutely love them and see better performance from them, but I find it hard to justify spending that amount of money on something that may last a single hole if I hit a bad shot. I know that could be said of any ball but I do think the cost of things plays a big part in our decision processes as well
 
great article, fup, thought provoking.
 
Nice article. I think it is inherent in human nature to justify our choices, be it golf or any other part of life.

That's also why I like these forums, because these allow the cream to rise to the top with all the ideas and opinions thrown in.
 
Great article fupresti. I was one in the past that would absolutely not look at anything from Taylormade because of it's popularity and I considered it overrated. I would defend my equipment against them to the death. Once I got over it and opened up I realized they have great equipment and now know to not discount any brand. (I'll still defend what I game though!)
 
Really enjoyed that, and it's spot on. Play what you like, and what fit best for you.
 
Good read that made a few really interesting points that have me thinking about why I choose what I choose at times....
 
Good read. Once I understood you can not buy a better game, I have changed my way of thinking when it comes to new clubs.
 
David - very nice article!

I wonder how much psychology would be helpful to truly interpret consumer behavior re: golf club purchases. Way more than I know, that's for sure!!
 
Good write up. Golf equipment is definitely emotional purchase and people can get very opinionated about their gear.
 
Before 2012 I never considered Callaway. Not because of any dislike for them but because my brother in law plays Callaway (and has since the early '90s). I just wanted something different than what he had. Funny that now it's my go-to company!

I don't think it is just golf equipment, but anything we buy, especially if we drop some major coin on it, that we don't like it when people tell us what we bought is junk, or not as good as such-and-such.

I know that when I make a major purchase, I research the carp out of it and read as many reviews (I take more stock in bad reviews than good reviews because I want to know anything that can go wrong with something}. Sometimes the bad reviews are ridiculous grousings about the product, and a lot of times they are complaints about something when that something is clearly stated in the descriptions. But oftentimes they are legitimate negatives about the product that you really want to be made aware of. I read the good reviews too, but sometimes those can get a bit ridiculous as well.

This was a fun article for me, thanks for letting us read your thoughts, David!
 
That was a good read and a lot of truths in that article.

There's just too many different pieces of equipment out on the market to try every single one of them, let alone have a true numbers comparison between them all. We all have our own way of mentally narrowing the pile down to 2 or 3 to truly compare before purchasing, it's just the way it is. For some of us it's the THP Reviews, for some it's brand bias, for some it's the marketing, for some it's what pros are using etc etc. It's an emotional purchase and we want everyone to love what we love.
 
The Psychology Of Equipment Purchases

Love this article! Favorite of recent memory! Well done!


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Was a good read. Especially enjoyed the part about those whom have a bias against a company. Worked in a shop, which for the most part had a heavy Titleist presence and some golfers refused to purchase from us because of that. Their money, their choice, but always funny to listen to their reasoning behind it.
 
That was a really, really good read. It is funny how in Golf consumers get emotionally tied to the company that produces their equipment, but that shows a pride in what they have.


Well done, I enjoyed reading your thoughts here.
 
Kirkland Signature thread got me thinking this was due for a timely bump.
 
That was a good read. It's interesting that the "justification of purchase" section is what seemed to hit home with a lot of people. I'm actually the complete opposite. I'm reluctant to buy anything until I try it out and have good results on at least two different days. Then after I do buy it the first bad shot has me thinking that I'm no better off than with whatever I had before. I don't overlook flaws, or the fact that something isn't right for me. In fact, flaws are just about all I see. I have a real bias toward the negative when it comes to golf.

The part that was most descriptive of me was the tendency to discount certain manufacturers. I shy away from Titleist and Ping because I don't like some of their business practices. For some reason I found myself hitting a used Titleist driver in the store the other day, and having pretty good results. The price would have kept me from buying it regardless of brand, but I would have had a hard time buying it at any price because it was a Titleist.
 
Pride and Prejudice
What if you have made your purchase and you have the data that shows the club you purchased was the right fit. The simulator or launch monitor gave you the results you were looking for: Launch angle, spin rate, ball speed, all coalesces into maximized yardage. But what if others don’t see what you see? They are clearly wrong because you saw the numbers yourself! What is so difficult to believe and accept with regards to the performance of other companies’ equipment? When does the prospect of another club being better for a person become problematic to you and your choices? With so many options at retail for shafts, lofts, grips, etc., it is not unreasonable to assume that many different golf swings will produce many different results. What happens though when options are considered different then our own, we become angry and argumentative. We treat golf equipment like we would our political affiliations and this toxic relationship spills over into public forum creating conflict. Do we let individual performance establish blanket statements towards other companies and products?
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I love this, there are so many opinions and it's very easy to get butt hurt when someone doesn't see what you believe, happens to me often and I feel like I always have to defend or justify myself repeatedly even though I've been fit for them and hit them very well.

Perception
 
There's a lot here for sure. Nobody wants to be the guy who spent $400 on a club that is widely viewed as 'crappy' so he will try to defend his purchase.

I'm reminded of the Seinfeld episode where George needs everybody to like him. It's not enough that the club works great in your hands, you want everyone to think it's great too.
 
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