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Clubs that came as a surprise? You didn't want to like it, but it just performed?

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Bullitt5339

Bullitt5339

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I'm sure this has happened to most people who like to demo clubs, but I want to hear the stories. Have you ever just picked up a club that wasn't on your radar at all and it performed so well that you had to have it? Or was there a club that was so ugly or sounded so horrendous that you wanted to hate it with a passion, but it ended up outperforming everything else?

And the big question: Did you buy it?

I have had that experience 3 times that I can remember off the top of my head:

The Cobra Bio Cell + Driver - I went to demo new drivers a couple years ago and took out all of the new top of the line drivers, the 2014 Big Bertha, SLDR, etc. They handed me the Bio Cell +, and I have to be honest, I hated the look of it. White borders with a silver blob in the center? I just didn't find it attractive at all. It ended up outperforming everything else for the day, so I bought it and ended up with it in the bag until last week. It just didn't seem so ugly after I hit it so well.

The Wilson D200 hybrid - I had never even given Wilson Staff a thought, but we were at PGA SS and I was just grabbing hybrids off the rack to hit and they had the D200 right there. It outperformed every other big name hybrid I had hit by a long shot. I thought it was a fluke, so I went back and hit it again the next day and had the same results. For some reason, I still haven't bought it although I should have a long time ago.

The Taylormade Aeroburner Driver - This was almost the same story. I didn't even give it a chance, I didn't even want to hit it at all. I ended up hitting it and hit it better than any of the more expensive drivers. I didn't want to like it, I wanted to hate it, but it performed and was in the "Make an Offer" section, so I offered $80 and walked out with it.

What clubs have you wanted to hate, but ended up buying or you should have bought?
 
Aeroburner mini for me. Being 6'7 I'm used to getting all clubs lengthened, so pretty much laughed off a shortened driver before I picked it up. Was surprised when I only lost 10 yards off the distance of a full size driver and the accuracy went up noticeably. After I got the TP mini driver, 3 wood and hybrid came quickly after.
 
All of my scenarios have gone the other way. Clubs I really wanted to like but they were just no dice for me.
 
The cobra putter was a good example of this for me. Didnt want to buy it but couldnt not keep it after my first round with it
 
After I had hurt my shoulder, I was looking for a milder driver to hit. I hit several used ones in the bargain bin at local pro shop & driving range.

Hitting Cobra clubs in the past, never appealed to me. The few I've hit were lousy.

I hit the Cobra ZL Encore, and it was great. Super long and accurate. Adding a Voodoo shaft helped even more.

Now that I'm almost 100% healed up, my Cleveland is back in the bag.

The Cobra is still there, in case I need it again.

Jack
 
The R1 for me. Hated the looks of it, almost refused to hit it during a fitting, then finally did and bought it and gamed it for quite a while.

The SLDR probably too, as hitting this in stock I couldn't stand it, but was then fit into another shaft it made a world of difference for me.
 
For me the Adams black super hybrid, I was not in love with the high toe. But the club flat out performs, is my most reliable

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Have only played it for 3 rounds but really surprised by the performance of the Mizuno JPX EZ hybrid (new version). Nice high ball flight that so far is slightly fade biased, which I prefer. Now the club says demo on the shaft so it likely means that a new one won't perform the same way!
 
I don't know about "didn't want to like it", but my Wilson putter was a huge performance surprise. It's a sleeper for sure. Even my coach can't leave it alone when he sees it--he always rolls a few putts with it and talks about how great it feels.
 
That's an easy one.

The Titleist DCI Starship 3 wood. I didn't want to like it, but it I almost couldn't miss it!

starship.jpg
 
Altitudes.

Wanted to HATE them, but I freaking adored them.
 
Bettinardi BB54. Hated the way it looked, but it flat out performed for me.
 
Nike covert 2.0. Never considered nike as serious contender. Last year, I was at golfsmith to kill some times. After hit bunch of new drivers, I found myself walked out with nike covert tour 2.0. This thing flatout performs and felt right for me. I ended up buying nike fairway woods too
 
My irons. Ping S55 didn't think much of how they looked never owned ping clubs and really hate some of their tour staff but damn I picked them up and started to hit them and fell in love with each time I went to test them.
 
Nike Sumo Squared strong 3 wood. Fugly but it was the only fairway wood in my bag for over 5 years and got twice as much use off the tee as my driver.
 
The irons in my bag - Adams CMB.

3 years ago I had to replace my irons as my bag was stolen. I was pretty much set on replacing my Titleist 710 CB/MBs with the same but decided due diligence was called for and I tested just about every other club in the players category but never even considered Adams. On the day I was looking to finalize and buy a set, I was waiting for the "fitting" guy to find something at the PGA Superstore and happened by the Adams display and saw the CMBs. They had just been out a few weeks and I didn't know anything about them but really liked how they looked so gave them a whirl. It was a Holy Sh*t! moment for sure. I hit four shots on the simulator, they were all between 185-187yards with a dispersion of 3 yards to either side of center AND felt great - SOLD!! Still going strong ...
 
Jman said:
Altitudes.

Wanted to HATE them, but I freaking adored them.
Click to expand...

This

A buddy of mine had nothing but good things to say about them. I finally found a 6i demo for $15 at Golfsmith. And that is all she wrote. Immediate 5 stroke improvement that I maintained since switching to them.
 
For me it is the number 9 putter. I have always been a straigh shaft guy and just did not like the look of the number 9 at first. After rolling it though I am hooked. Now I just need to find a new milled number 9 for sale :)

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sposey013168 said:
For me it is the number 9 putter. I have always been a straigh shaft guy and just did not like the look of the number 9 at first. After rolling it though I am hooked. Now I just need to find a new milled number 9 for sale :)

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Click to expand...
I'm glad to have influenced you in a positive way. For once.
 
The 2013 Mizuno JPX Fli-Hi hybrid/iron replacements. Honestly hated the way they looked and never thought they would work for me but now they are some of my favorite clubs in my bag. they are just so easy to hit for me and really really consistent.
 
tpluff said:
I'm glad to have influenced you in a positive way. For once.
Click to expand...
You are always a positive influence on me. Why do you think I adopted you

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For me it's jetspeed hybrids. I know they aren't popular and some don't like them at all but they treat me surprisingly well! Im still really interested in the m1 and apex but when it comes down to it, I could game these for awhile and not have any issues. Maybe I'm crazy lol
 
I don't know about not wanting to like it, but this one is way better than expected! A very pleasant surprise because it just flat out performs!

So good, it kicked my beloved 12* Tour-issue SLDR 430 out of the bag.

Check out the pic below...

sldr c sole.jpg
 
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I am pretty open to liking anything, although if I hear a club before hitting it and it doesn't sound right to me, I'll have a hard time personally with maintaining play with it.

I guess maybe the altitudes, although I never spent an extended amount of time with them. They look absolutely ridiculous but flat out perform in every situation. It's hilarious.
 
musicmaster6921 said:
The 2013 Mizuno JPX Fli-Hi hybrid/iron replacements. Honestly hated the way they looked and never thought they would work for me but now they are some of my favorite clubs in my bag. they are just so easy to hit for me and really really consistent.
Click to expand...

Oh - this is a good one. I cringed when they guy at the demo day handed me one, but ended up leaving with one in hand.
 
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