Jman

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So, an incident yesterday of classic troll proportions has made me want to make this thread and see where everyone's minds are at here.

Is there really any bad equipment being released? What makes a piece of equipment bad, that it doesn't fit you? What about the people that it DOES fit, is it still "bad" because it doesn't fit you as an individual?

Just curious to see some conversation here.
 
Bad equipment....no. Brand loyalty, perceptions, and egos make a piece of equipment better or worse IMO. Being. Guy who snubbed his nose as so many things in the past....bad equipment is more about lack of knowledge and poor attitude
 
Bad for me does not equal bad equipment, bad equipment is equipment that does not do as claimed for anyone.
 
I believe there are gimmicks in the equipment market but mainly from counterfeiters or otherwise. Most of your serious golf companies put out a comparable product limited by current usga standards which leads to more conformity across the board. The difference you see are in marketing and the eye of the beholder which may be an important factor to the ones using the equipment. Just my uninformed two cents of the top of my head.
 
I think the only "bad" equipment may come from QA issues, which would be incredibly rare. Other than that, the amount of phenomenal equipment being released is insane right now. It's a good time to be a golfer!
 
Bad for me does not equal bad equipment, bad equipment is equipment that does not do as claimed for anyone.

Very true buddy. How rare is it for the arrow to be worse than the Indian? It seem usually a result of improper fitting leads an Indian astray.
 
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Just for clarity here, there is no right or wrong answer IMO. I'm just genuinely curious how people think and from what angle they see things.
 
I don't know if there is really "bad" equipment, per say. With technology the way it is today, there might be a small company that doesn't have the tech in their R & D to get the best specs in their clubs. A small company with a small operation budget might not have the top of the line milling equipment like Callaway or TaylorMade. So, because of that, the equipment they produce might be just a touch, say, less forgiving than Callaway.
For me, it's perception and look along with brand loyalty, and I won't deny that. I've been a Callaway guy since 1993, with the exception of a small stint with Mizuno when I was in there PUD program. With that said, I've hit TaylorMade clubs and my brand loyal side of my brain tells me, they don't feel right, they don't look right. When in reality, the numbers are probably similar to my Callaway clubs, but I perceive them as inferior...trying to find faults somehow. That's all me, and if I had some sort of blind test, I might choose a TM over a Callaway, but it is what it is.
 
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No, every major OEM is putting out great equipment. It's just we play a game where no two swings are alike so its difficult as a consumer to accept that its swing flaws that cause errant shots, not equipment.
 
I have honestly never thought any OEM equipment is bad. Counterfeit and knockoff? Perhaps. Bad? Might not fit my eye, or my style, or my preference for looks.
But, as others have said, just because I don't like it, or don't game it, does not make it "bad".
 
Good thoughts Jay, I get where you're coming from for sure there.

My whole thing with this is the perception that there isn't enough negativity out there about clubs, but what should garner negativity? Something may not fit me at all, but I can still analyze if it is doing what it claims and what portion of the spectrum that it will fit and be really good for. Just some thoughts I have rolling around in my head of things that make me go hmmmm...
 
Bought a set of irons last year and played my best round ever with them. After about six months some of the irons began to have surface rust on the back side. I would say this was a second tier company, have never seen a Ping or Callaway or other major brands do this. Traded them before it got worse, it's a shame because I liked the way they hit. I call that a bad club
 
Bought a set of irons last year and played my best round ever with them. After about six months some of the irons began to have surface rust on the back side. I would say this was a second tier company, have never seen a Ping or Callaway or other major brands do this. Traded them before it got worse, it's a shame because I liked the way they hit. I call that a bad club

Now THAT take for classifying bad (quality control), I can definitely get. Did you contact the company?
 
No. There is really no bad equipment. Maybe dissapointing equipment. Something that didn't match our expectations. But I can't remember anything that was just bad. Especially since everything I have felt was lackluster has had its fans here.
 
Nowadays, no. Every company is putting out some awesome equipment across the board. It may not work best for your swing, but one man's trash is definitely another man's treasure.
 
Didn't contact, from what I've been reading they have enough problems.
 
Didn't contact, from what I've been reading they have enough problems.

Interesting, still might be worth a shot dude. Ya never know.
 
I would say one's perception of "bad eqipmemt" is based off either word of mouth or bad experiences. As I can tell most companies spend a great deal of money and time on R&D to succeed in this industry. Not everyones swing is perfect 100% of the time, if the club allows your misses to be somewhat playable it may be worth trying out more. Many options in heads, shafts and even grips these days finding the right option is worth the effort
 
I don't think any OEM is releasing any Bad products some might not work for your swing but i bet someone else really loves it
 
I don't think any of the OEMs are putting out bad equipment.

Too the contrary actually.

Especially if you read forum reviews on this site... It seems like everyone loves every club :)

Aside from shafts (that are more player specific) it seems like any good player could manage/score fairly well w/ any club head.

Everyone has preferences obviously but I think we have come to a point were there is a yearly diminishing return in advances. (meaning that clubs have improved so much from a decade or 2 ago that improvements from year to year are minimal across the board and over all makers)
 
Bought a set of irons last year and played my best round ever with them. After about six months some of the irons began to have surface rust on the back side. I would say this was a second tier company, have never seen a Ping or Callaway or other major brands do this. Traded them before it got worse, it's a shame because I liked the way they hit. I call that a bad club

Funny you mention Ping because I believe they had an issue with the I20's rusting.
 
Good thoughts Jay, I get where you're coming from for sure there.

My whole thing with this is the perception that there isn't enough negativity out there about clubs, but what should garner negativity? Something may not fit me at all, but I can still analyze if it is doing what it claims and what portion of the spectrum that it will fit and be really good for. Just some thoughts I have rolling around in my head of things that make me go hmmmm...

I think you pose a great question Jman. I don't think it's any secret that I spin the ball a bit more than average but I'm not sure I've ever blamed the club for not fitting my swing..

Can we be subjective without being callous or self righteous about golf clubs? I think we can. That's why I refuse to place "me" or "I" in one of my reviews. It's not about me.

I think it's incredibly easy to bash equipment and I'm not sure there's a club on the market I couldn't slam for something. I prefer to focus on what's great about each piece of equipment I come across, and apply what sector of the market that club is geared towards.

Also, if I hit a ball on 80% of a driver face and a majority of the shots are relatively straight, I'm proooooobably going to deem it forgiving.
 
Bad Equipment?

Wait wait wait, so no calling out a club for paint color even though it performs?

#Dontmissthepast
 
I think every brand is probably good. Nike was just the cheapest for me to afford. Other brands were just out of my budget.

I've hit great shots with no name starter golf set clubs. My ace was with a no name branded 3 wood for crying out loud. So it's not so much the brand that matters
 
I was going to say no but then I remembered the EZ Forged and MP54's those were bad something was really off with the launch in those in thing's.
 
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