Does brand loyalty affect your game.

[Tashyboy]

Might seem an odd question. But i was looking at the coaches answer to a Question, and his clubs are all brands. woods, irons, wedges and putter. Not not knowing him but having read his knowledgable reponses. He is not tied to one “brand”. So would imagine he has the best for his game.
However, pros are tied to a brand. Is it the best for them. Some thought Rory went backwards when he changed from Titliest.
Which is debatable.
But what about us mere mortals. Does brand loyalty mean that we are not getting the best out of what we are buying. Do we still buy blind on the basis of loyalty.

 

[USER1999]

Regardless of what is in my signature, my current line up is all Callaway, with my mac daddy 2 wedges, and my apex pro irons. I even play with Callaway hex tour balls from 2006.

I hurt my game more come the spring, when my blades come back out, and I go to a non matching set up.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It's a fair point. I have never been fitted but buy what suits my eye. If it is a disaster it goes on ebay, if not it stays in the bag. Something out there could be better but if I don't like the look of it then I'm not getting it. The same applies to those who get fitted I would think. If you like Ping you go to a Ping fitter not a Mizuno one. Mizuno could be the answer to all of your problems, ha ha.

 

[Capella]

I know I am a bit of a heretic here, but I really don't think the difference between the different brands is that great. It will make a difference if you hit blades or forgiving cavity back irons. It might also make a difference, if you hit a driver from 20 years ago or a relatively current one. But I really doubt that it matters much if those clubs are made by Taylormade, Cobra, Mizuno, Callaway or Titleist. Yes, ideally, you'd have a brand independent club fitter who knows all models by all different manufacturers, but I think, a good fitter will make for example a Mizuno club work for you by tweaking loft, lie, shaft etc. Same goes for golfballs. I challenge everyone to tell two three piece urethane balls from different manufcturers apart on feel and performance alone if the logoswere hidden/stripped.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I think many do buy purely from one brand. Its up to them, but I suspect 95% of those who do stick to one brand dont play clubs that best suits them or would give them the best chance to score better.
Their money, their choice.

 

[duncan mackie]

I have no loyalty to any shaft manufacturer, which only leaves the question as to just how fitted I got, and how up to date I keep myself with this regard.....

The answer to there latter question is really the answer to the former...as I have no intention of constantly getting fitted for the exact best combination, and set up, of currently available clubs there's scant point in doing it at all!

I've a number of sets of irons from different manufacturers and a range of shafts in the workshop....every now and then I take a few 7 irons down the range and see if the current bag needs a change (which co-incidentally I did earlier in the week and have swapped out the Rocketbladz Tour irons with KBS T shafts for some old irons with 85g stiff graphite shafts in). Could I get fitted for a set of something else and gain something, probably. Would it change my handicap, unlikely.
So I keep on doing what I feel comfortable doing.

 

[Orikoru]

I have no brand loyalty really. I have a TM driver because I tried a second hand and it was easier to hit than anything I'd used before. I have Callaway Steelhead irons because I tried them out and they felt nicer than the TM M2s or the Ping G400s that I also tried. I have an Odyssey putter because I did a putter fitting and that one gave decent results. I have Cleveland wedges just by opportunity really (bought both individually for what I considered bargain prices). So yeah, no loyalty problems for me.

I don't see it being a huge problem for the Pros either, except if they're using something really stupid - like how Bubba recently won a tournament since he stopped using the Volvik ball, that probably wasn't a coincidence. But I think the best players could still win tournaments with any of the top manufacturer's irons.

 

[drewster]

Guilty as charged your honour !!!! Although conversely there's brands out there that would probably benefit my game that I just won't touch. Naïve - yes, Vain - possibly.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Not really for me, still playing callaway x14, original tight lie wood clubs from back when. All because they work rather than on looks or brand or like.

Changed the putter from Two ball original to a more modern version and very recently to Envroll, the changes were made due to making alignment easier rather than brand.

My driver I have changed from TM 360 to Cobra z+ to 2016 M2HL, I have to confess that the last change was because I liked the look of the M2, rather than the cobra z+ not working.

 

[jim8flog]

As my signature says. No brand loyalty from me. The only things in my bag that match are the 7-PW (Mizuno), the 1 wood and 3 wood, TM M1 and currently the hybrids Titleist 818s.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Definitely someone that is brand loyal and I just like my bag to have a single make in. I know that I am probably restricting my options but its something I've done since I started.

 

[jusme]

Perhaps naive but I'm surprised to seen anyone (discounting those getting paid) who has a bag full of one singular brand. I guess the only question I have is why? The chances that one brand is best fit for you for every club has to be very low. It seems to me that a golfer would be giving up something by doing this. I get the argument that the differences is minimal between the large manufacturers, but minimal improvement is still a benefit at worse.

Basically why does anyone do this?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Perhaps naive but I'm surprised to seen anyone (discounting those getting paid) who has a bag full of one singular brand. I guess the only question I have is why? The chances that one brand is best fit for you for every club has to be very low. It seems to me that a golfer would be giving up something by doing this. I get the argument that the differences is minimal between the large manufacturers, but minimal improvement is still a benefit at worse.

Basically why does anyone do this?

In the very old days (c 1982) it wasn't always the same for me. My first sets of matching irons had different woods, as used persimmon and so had to shop around. When I came back to golf, I was offered a great deal on a set of Wilson irons and matching woods and the die was cast from there and call it loyalty, OCD or whatever, but I still prefer my irons, woods and wedges to be one brand. Undoubtedly there are probably more options that could have helped my game but it is what it is for me now.

 

[HampshireHog]

I can definitely identify with the OCD part, I find it slightly distressing when Woods and Hybrids aren’t from the same set.

The majority of my stuff is Taylormade but I have been fitted for woods and wedges and they performed marginally better than other brands in my hands. Irons I bought in Sale a year after the Woods purely on the basis they were the same model as the Woods. Never owned a TM putter though.

Probably won’t go TM on irons again as I miss not having a 3 iron.

 

[drewster]

Perhaps naive but I'm surprised to seen anyone (discounting those getting paid) who has a bag full of one singular brand. I guess the only question I have is why? The chances that one brand is best fit for you for every club has to be very low. It seems to me that a golfer would be giving up something by doing this. I get the argument that the differences is minimal between the large manufacturers, but minimal improvement is still a benefit at worse.

Basically why does anyone do this?

Probably OCD on my part to be honest but as many say that golf is a game played in the head and that applies to my bag too. There's brands that I just would never put in my bag and wouldn't even use if given free of charge with the full tour options. I know that's ridiculous but my head says otherwise.

 

[hovis]

i can never understand why people need to Have a brand exclusive bag. including the bag itself. to me is a very narrow /closed minded view to take.

the best club makes it into my bag regardless of make.

currently have in my bag

TM
callaway
srixon
ping

 

[Reemul]

I don't like to have a brand bag for clubs I don't play. Really fancy a Ping Hoofer bag, like the base but don't have any ping clubs so won get the bag. At least the bag doesn't affect my game.#

I really want a new bag but as above has to fit my clubs or be a non club brand, not found to suit yet.

I have Callaway XR16 Driver and steelhead woods and hybrids, Benross irons, wedges and Cleveland Putter and Bag.

 

[NorwichBanana]

I play Srixon Driver through to Wedges and an Odyssey Putter. Srixon Bag too.

I didn't look at Taylormade, Callaway etc when looking for new clubs because of price.

I do believe that price is a huge factor when buying golf kit, more so than anything else.

If I can buy a driver that I can hit 240 yards and its Srixon and would cost £300 or I can buy a Taylormade driver that I can hit 250 yards but costs £429 I think I'd rather save the money.

Oh and I'm not sure my golf has been hindered by my choice to play Srixon.

 

[Cue_147]

No brand loyalty from me also... Just using what works (not very often though) and was fitted.

Callaway Driver
Ping 3 wood
Ping hybrid
Cobra Irons
Cleveland Wedges
Scotty Cameron Putter

 

[hovis]

I play Srixon Driver through to Wedges and an Odyssey Putter. Srixon Bag too.

I didn't look at Taylormade, Callaway etc when looking for new clubs because of price.

I do believe that price is a huge factor when buying golf kit, more so than anything else.

If I can buy a driver that I can hit 240 yards and its Srixon and would cost £300 or I can buy a Taylormade driver that I can hit 250 yards but costs £429 I think I'd rather save the money.

Oh and I'm not sure my golf has been hindered by my choice to play Srixon.

or you could wait a year and buy a £450 driver for £200 and it might be better than your srixon