We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Genuine Question For THPers

SuperStroke
Status
Not open for further replies.
I've got the majority of my Morgan Cup bag still in play, and will likely have these in there for a while. The only clubs that I've taken out are those that I really had trouble with - and one of them is in the process of being replaced with the same club in a different loft to fill gaps. The other is being lent to another THPer to make better use of it than I could. The putter isn't currently in my (hypothetical, since we've got 4 feet of snow on the ground) gamer bag, but it's sitting in the staff bag ready to be rotated in.

I think given what Cleveland/Srixon provided with getting prerelease clubs in our hands to play months before people had even heard of them, I do feel a bit of a duty to get the word out on the equipment. But, if it turns out there's a club that you got as part of an event that just absolutely doesn't work for you, I do think that it makes sense to take it out of the bag.

Something definitely wouldn't feel right about dumping the entire bag on eBay after though. Plus, I love the fact that I can look down at my bag and be reminded of one of the best weekends I've ever had.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I think if you get into an event that offers a full club deal then you should play those clubs for the next year. I've always thought this but it's never been established. I've always felt it to be a slap in the face to your sponsor and thp if they aren't gamed. The whole point of the morgan cup and legacy is to push your sponsor. It wasn't written in stone but I always saw it as an unwritten rule.

The 14 club deal in the one glaring difference between thp events. If your in the event for the golf and to make friends, sign up for an invitational. If you get into event and receive a full bag and don't play it, you're there for the free gear. I've always felt that way and will.

Too many get left out that would trumpet their sponsor for a set of clubs and do so for a good bit. But others get in and take the gear with nothing in return or disappear all together.

I know.poeple say I can't game.what they gave me, it's not for me. I don't buy it because people on thp that get into events switch gear all the time. The issue is they just don't like what they got. I get that but there, imo, is still an obligation to your sponsor and thp.

I know I'm in the minority on this and lets be clear pass no judgement on those that sell their gear right away. It's yours to sell. it's not a rule so have at it. But there needs to be somethjng in place for a Q and A about the huge bag of gear you just got handed.
Click to expand...


I remember having this very discussion with you about your R 11's. When I asked you why you still played them you had said out of gratitude and a sense of obligation to TM and JB for giving them to you to test. That made a pretty big impression on me about your character that day not that that means much, but it's certainly a trait I wish I had more of.
 
Genuine Question For THPers

Agree with a lot that has been said.

A full bag deal I would give a very long go with. Maybe a year, if one or two clubs out of that mix didn't work after say 4 or 5 rounds and was hurting my game, I might make a change then.

I have a driver from event two years ago that I don't play regularly, but because the event was all expenses paid, I don't feel right in selling it or giving it away.

But that's just my personal opinion.
 
It comes down to the person. Personally if I were in an event like the #Grandaddy or MC I wouldn't move the gear. I'm sure I would move on to other stuff, but that original gear would be kept because it reminds me not only of the event, but also the memories. I'm sentimental like that & I know most are not.

That being said I know life happens & gear has some monetary value that can help some in tough spots.
 
I've always felt a personal obligation to play that equipment until the OEM comes out with something else. Nobody has ever told me to feel that way, but it's just sort of what I feel is right. Game the gear and talk about the gear (pros and cons) as often as possible and when the new stuff comes out feel free to look forward to trying that, same OEM? Great but not required necessarily.
 
jlukes said:
Freddie - you seem very passionate about your stance, but is this a case of do as I say, and not as I do?
Click to expand...
Explain what your asking. I still have and game both sets I received in the MC I was in. with the exception of the J40 woods and Callaway driver.

I have sold off pieces of each set that have sat in my garage or given it to another thpr to use. I'm passionate about this because I see people just take take take without any regard. Guys have commented that they would cherish a bag given to them and that's how it should be. You know far before the event that your getting 14 clubs and for.most, I stress most, you get to choose what you want. There are situation, rare in the grand scheme, that your sponsor doesn't give two flips about you and pushes their stuff on you. I say, you get what you put into it. I wouldn't expect a guy to play gear from a sponsor that really showed no interest leading up to said event. But if your sponsors rolls out the red carpet, you better pull up your big boy pants and game that gear for a good bit.
 
First off it is an incredible gift. No two ways about that.

My question is does this gift come with a full fitting? I am not, and never will be, the gurus of clubs that many here are. But I have been learning a lot about what works for me, and it has built some brand loyalty in two specific places right now as it pertains to clubs - shafts (KBS Tour) and grips (Lamkin). I have learned that I do not care for a heavy club head in my swing, I need it to be pretty balanced (that's where the shafts have come into play for me). Also I have a very different approach to my equipment than pretty much everyone else here in that I have an all-iron bag.

My personal answer would be that if the gift of a set of clubs came with a full fitting and customized options based on the fitting, then it is likely that these clubs would suit me well and likely be even better for me than my current gamers. This would lead me to playing it longer, maybe as a permanent replacement. But if it was a set of clubs that came with limited optimizations or just "off the rack", then the chances rise that my current gamers may be better suited to me and I would go back to those.

One thing I feel confident in saying is that I cannot envision a circumstance where I would sell those gifts. If nothing else, they are a reminder of what would assuredly be a time full of memories. So even if they sat in the corner of my office as an aesthetic piece, they have value in that alone.

Does that make sense at all?
 
JB said:
Let me follow this up with the fact that in most cases, THPers are the ones choosing their own equipment in these instances right?
Click to expand...
I'd say yes and no. Yes, they get to pick the best option for them from a given sponsor or line of clubs, but that doesn't mean that is optimal for them. Also, picking clubs without trying them doesn't guarantee you made the right choice.

For me, I don't feel an obligation to play them, but continue to because they are best to me, and I think that is what the OEMs would like to see. If we play our gear out of obligation, then it is less of a comment on their quality than if we play them because they are better. From a gratitude standpoint, I will continue to evaluate Bridgestone clubs first before other offerings in the future, and if there are two similarly performing clubs I will go with BSG, but if one of their clubs doesn't work for me, I'm not going to game it due to loyalty at the cost of my game.
 
Getting an entire set of clubs for free directly from an OEM in a THP event would be something special. So regardless of how long I gamed a certain piece of that equipment, I could never part with any of it. It would be a memento of that event and something I'd always keep.
 
h0ss66 said:
I agree with this 100%. I haven't been selected for any THP events or testing, but my gut was a one-year rule would be the norm. Again, not an obligation from THP, just a reasonable understanding between the forum and the member.
Click to expand...
My passion tend to get the best of me. I think the gear should be given the same look you give stuff you purchase. A year is extreme but I was trying to make a point.
 
Share some feedback on everything, even after you quite playing it (if you do) and play what works for you imo.
 
I would say that you need to give it time. You don't get new equipment right away and immediately see a turn around. Even if you buy it yourself, there has to be time to adjust unless you know in your heart that this item is not going to work for you. To me I would have to give it a thorough testing which for me would be a about one or two months.
 
A year is a long time. Some of the sponsors may have had several new releases in that time-

I had the opportunity to play in a few events last year that provided full sets of irons. The manufactures worked with us on specs and opened up their custom options, which was above and beyond. Both events have been over 12 months ago and still have the clubs. They aren't my gamers due to being selected for an iron testing, and enjoyed those more, but have played random rounds with them recently.

I will thin the herd eventually, but I felt I owed it to the companies & THP to keep them and enjoy them.
 
Hawk said:
Share some feedback on everything, even after you quite playing it (if you do) and play what works for you imo.
Click to expand...

Short sweet and exactly my thoughts buddy
 
I am very appreciative of Cobra and SeeMore for my MC bag. While I am still gaming some items I am not gaming others. As soon as I got selected I began gathering the clubs I would be getting come MC time. I went through 2 sets of Bio Cells prior to arriving in Myrtle Beach. For myself I found that to be a small part of my MC journey. I continue to rep my sponsors and I always will. I also like to try and rep the other companies that do great things here. As for myself I will never sell any piece of equipment that I received from the MC. I will always cherish those items
 
I agree with alot that has been said already. Speaking for me personally from the MC as an example, the Mackdaddy 2 wedges just never suited my game. I purchased one before the event to get a feel for it and just never was able to get along with them. As soon as the event was over they went into the spare bag. As the equipment as a whole, I feel like the there is an obligation to provide feedback on the equipment for the general masses here on THP because not everyone is a scratch golfer or a sub 10 HCP. It is great to see someone of similar ability's feelings on a particular club. The more feedback the better. Dont forget, these companies dont just give clubs to us because they like us, its a business decision so that they can get some feedback from a wide variety of golfers and I think we owe that to them. Whether thats a month or a year, I think if you can look at yourself and say you gave it an honest effort, that's all that matters. What you do with the clubs is your own choice as they are your clubs. I will say that it does irk me something awful when people just up and disappear immediately following an event. Makes you question their motives for ever being in the event in the first place.
 
Scarnici said:
I am very appreciative of Cobra and SeeMore for my MC bag. While I am still gaming some items I am not gaming others. As soon as I got selected I began gathering the clubs I would be getting come MC time. I went through 2 sets of Bio Cells prior to arriving in Myrtle Beach. For myself I found that to be a small part of my MC journey. I continue to rep my sponsors and I always will. I also like to try and rep the other companies that do great things here. As for myself I will never sell any piece of equipment that I received from the MC. I will always cherish those items
Click to expand...
Agree with that last bit. If the MC club gets replaced it goes back into the MC staffer to be on display.
 
i have conflicting thoughts on this, which probably speaks to why jb said there's no right or wrong answer.

one part of me agrees with freddie that there is an obligation to a sponsor that goes above and beyond to participate in the event, and gives you free stuff!

but the other part of me says that my obligation is to my own enjoyment of the game more than gratitude to a multi-million dollar company. whether that means i should throw my hat into the ring to participate in one of the events in the first place is a different topic.

if my feet were put to the fire, i'd probably err on the side of giving the equipment a fair shake for a year, then switching if i wasn't happy or wanted something new and shiny. if something ended up being completely miss-fit or i lost all confidence with it and needed to make a change, i would offer the bag and equipment to other thp'ers for free as a way to "give back" like the original sponsor did.
 
For the people that sell the equipment right away, please note that it would be probably be much cheaper to just buy the equipment than to pay for the event, pay for travel, and pay for other travel expenses. Doesn't make much sense to me why people would bother investing so much time and money into an event to only turn around and drop off THP and/or sell the equipment immediately afterwards.
 
I am leaning towards the Panda philosophy on this one. As someone who got to experience this first hand, you work your tail of for your sponsor and to just leave them soon after you get equipment just doesnt seem feasible to me. I will be the first to admit that I am not playing every piece of equipment I received from a sponsor last year but most of it has stayed in the bag and will continue to do so.
 
im grateful for all the effort and wonderful things that THP does and the sponsors of the events. I personally would feel obligated to give the full bag as much play as possible. 1. this gives time for a full and genuine review 2. its usually newer equipment and i like playing with new shiny things. 3. IMO not giving it a full chance is disrepectful to the sponsor.

Everyone has their own thoughts and even after playing this equipment and maybe moving on I would hoard it as a keep sake until the wife stops the hoarding.
 
jlukes said:
For the people that sell the equipment right away, please note that it would be probably be much cheaper to just buy the equipment than to pay for the event, pay for travel, and pay for other travel expenses. Doesn't make much sense to me why people would bother investing so much time and money into an event to only turn around and drop off THP and/or sell the equipment immediately afterwards.
Click to expand...

Not all events.
The Grandaddy is completely free of costs and is one of two events that have offered a full bag of equipment.
 
JB said:
Not all events.
The Grandaddy is completely free of costs and is one of two events that have offered a full bag of equipment.
Click to expand...

That's the absolute exception and I couldn't imagine anyone disappearing from THP after #TheGrandaddy.
 
jlukes said:
That's the absolute exception and I couldn't imagine anyone disappearing from THP after #TheGrandaddy.
Click to expand...

And I know that has been brought up, but lets try to keep this thread about the topic at hand rather than the comings and goings. It's clear that this is something that people have thought a lot about, whether on one "side" or the other.
 
I am positive, if I was lucky enough to get that as a prize I would rock them until the wheels fell off. I mean just going by the Callaway event that just happened, being fit for a set of clubs, that would be awesome.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top