What is Your Ugly Club Threshold?

[Dr RosenRosen]

This isn't a "what's the ugliest club?" thread. Instead, it is a question of how ugly of clubs are you willing to play with? At what point do you simply state: "that club is too ugly. Can't use it." I remember shopping for irons and hitting the Bio Cell Plus irons. I hit them really, really well. However, I couldn't get over how ugly they were. As a reminder:

Other clubs I remember not even trying because they didn't survive the look test - Nike Sumo, Cobra Trusty Rusty Wedge, Ping G20 hybrid, most Taylormade White putters.

What about you? Are you one of those people that can ignore the look completely and play whatever is best for your game? Or must you have the most beautiful blade? Have there been clubs that didn't pass the "ugly threshold?"

 

[ddec]

the ugly club syndrome goes for a lot of putters with me. A lot of other things I can kind of look past if the performance is good. But some of the Versa stuff from Odyssey, White putters from TM, and some SeeMore putters just don't do it for me. The Altitudes were bad in the 3-6, but as you got to the scoring irons they were fine.

 

[fupresti]

I have played with a Odyssey Tri-Ball SRT as well as a Ping Wack-E. My threshold for ugly is higher then most I assume.

 

[Paladin]

Honestly...no such thing. Some clubs just wear their tech on the outside.

I think I game some pretty aesthetically pleasing clubs at present, but before I gamed much chunkier irons. No real difference, IMO. They pretty much all look the same at address. The 4-iron had some stuff sticking out behind the topline at address, but otherwise, it's all good.

I haven't played a white driver (or putter!) and I missed the era of square drivers...but I don't think there's a club that's come out since 2013 that's been so off-putting I couldn't play it if I could swing it straight.

 

[GolfFest]

 

[jlukes]

the ugly club syndrome goes for a lot of putters with me. A lot of other things I can kind of look past if the performance is good. But some of the Versa stuff from Odyssey, White putters from TM, and some SeeMore putters just don't do it for me. The Altitudes were bad in the 3-6, but as you got to the scoring irons they were fine.

Pretty much the same for me.

 

[Trout Bum]

Iron wise it's anything bigger than a scalpel.

Woods wise I just could never hit an orange club heck, any boldly colored club

 

[deuce]

If it helps me, I'll play it.

 

[CBaker]

There are enough good products out on the market that if I don't like the looks, it doesn't even matter how good I hit it. Not happening.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

I generally like clubs to hide their tech in a clean looking package. For example the Apex, Z545, Adams CB3, etc. all hide good forgiveness in a more classic looking head. Same can be said for woods - Titleist's lines and the '14 Big Bertha are examples of doing it right, the Cobra Fly-Z is an example of doing it wrong (IMO, of course).

So for me, it's a balance between looks and performance. For putters however, I absolutely must like what I'm looking down at. Can't game an ugly putter, I've got no confidence.

 

[RadRob]

Agree with you on those Cobra irons. Too much junk in the trunk for me.
Also the current Adams XTD irons. Not grossly ugly, but I can't imagine trying to clean inside the cavity, so I wouldn't own those.

My personal ugly is the following:

 

[RNG]

If it helps me, I'll play it.

I can equate with this remark. There is no level of ugly I won't play if it works

 

[Hawk]

Enough choices out there that I feel like I can enjoy the aesthetic and performance of what I choose to play.

 

[ShanksaloT]

If it looks too "busy" at address I will consider that as "ugly" (Maybe thats why I never got along with the R1?....that huge paint scheme across the top...hmmm)

As for really ugly? Personally the Scotty Cameron Futura or the Ping Craz-E I just find straight ugly...not for me....

 

[bigskyirish]

I was originally going to say that I don't pay that much attention to looks, but I think it's only partially true. I'm probably less picky than some - for example, I don't mind those Bio Cell+ irons at all and swoosh on the Vapor line doesn't bother me. But when I really think about it, I've subconsciously avoided hitting a few clubs because I hate the looks. I've never actually specifically thought, hey I'm not going to try out a particular white driver with a bunch of graphics on the crown because it's ugly; I just haven't tried it out.

 

[golf4life]

I play the Altitudes. Clearly my aesthetic pain threshold is very, very high. But if I was buying new today I would be all over nicer looking clubs that provided the same level of forgiveness, like the Big Bertha irons.

 

[Dave Alvarado]

I don't care what's in the cavity. I'd play those Cobras. It bugs me a bit when the junk is hanging *out* of the trunk. Like Ping Karstens, where you can see metal hanging out behind the top line on a bunch of the clubs. On a 3i or 4i? Sure. On the 7i? Probably not going to like it.

I couldn't do the Adams Ideas. Their iron/hybrid hybrid is just blech.

 

[AG47]

My clubs have to have a thin top line and little to no offset. As long as the head meets those requirements then I will give them a chance.

 

[lcsmrtn]

Up until recently I would refuse to even try a Callaway club as I thought they looked awful. Really chunky irons don't do it for me either. I think forgiveness is available in a lot of "pretty" packages at the moment

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Most high MOI putters and anything from Taylor Made.........

 

[Martsy]

I really won't buy an ugly club...but then again, I guess I have a fairly large threshold, since I didn't mind the bio cells at all (owned them in fact). Ugly clubs out now that I wouldn't buy regardless how they performed? I really can't think of any that pop out...maybe Ping Karsten's, and probably the J815 driver (in red, though I'd have to see in person first).

 

[Tadashi70]

Not a fan of off set clubs or clubs that are several shut.

 

[Barberakb]

I game those bio cells if that tells ya anything...
No such thing for me if it works, looks are secondary to performance.

 

[IceyShanks]

I have played with a Odyssey Tri-Ball SRT as well as a Ping Wack-E. My threshold for ugly is higher then most I assume.

What was wrong with those! I would have gamed either.

 

[Art M]

here is just over the limit even if it means i have to struggle