Victim of form over function?

[Hobbit]

After struggling early in the year with my Callaway X-forged, I'd reached the point when extra stiff shafts were too stiff, so decided on a fitting session and new irons. Changing mid season is something I've always avoided, prefering to change in the autumn and use the winter to get used to the new clubs but it had reached the point that the long irons, down to 5, were becoming poor.

Had a couple of fitting sessions with a decent independant supplier, trying the major manufacturers with the various shaft options. And so I received my new Ping S57's in early July.

The results have been good, and having crept up to 6 it was great to get back to 5. However, even though I've posted some great scores in comps and bounce games, shooting under par gross on several occasions, I just don't like the feel off them or the fact they are butt ugly. The feel thing is not the biggest of issues really but the looks, and they're not shiny shiny, are ....

Am I a victim of form over function? Are your choices partly (subconciously) made by how shiny shiny something is? And will I succumb and go back to a nice forged blade with the right shaft? (probably)

 

[RobbOnTheRock]

For me it's function over form, the diablos are a bit ugly, but I've got bags of confidence in them maybe that's the difference!

Cheers
AndyR

 

[kid2]

Iv never really understood why the look of the back of a club or the head colour determines whether someone will buy them or not....

If you are playing well with them why change just because they are not shiny.....

In fairness the only time anyone see's the back of the club is when its in the bag....And if its a case whereby this displeases some....Then i think that there is a hell of a lot more vain players playing this game than we think........

Im not directing this post solely at the OP....Its more of a general observation...Take my Ping i10's as an example.....Yes they are probably the black sheep of the Ping family....And yes they are Butt ugly in contrast to someting like a forged iron in most manufacturers lines but they work for me....

Iv been playing really well with them for the past 3 months and in fairness there cant be all that much wrong with them if a certain Mr. Westwood is still using them.

Yes i may well change them in the new year but its actually a shaft thing that im after....

 

[Imurg]

You're definitely form over function.
Do you play well with the S57's?
Do you play better than with the X-Forged?
Do they really look any different at address?

I've recently gone from MP58's to Razr X Tour.
The 58's looked good in the bag, looked good at address and were shiny!
The RXT's are not as good looking, look pretty much the same at address, are not as shiny....

But I play as well, if not better with them than with the 58's - first time out with them I shot a 66 gross.
I have more confidence in them, I feel I'm going to hit them better and as for feel - well if I hit one in the middle it really doesn't "feel" any diferent and if I don't then the RXT's feel better and go better.

Time to get away from form over function and get thinking the other way round - if it works, use it regardless of how it looks

nb with the exception of the G15/20 hybrid - that's just butt ugly no matter how well it works...

 

[Matty]

Personally I think it's got to be a balance of the two. If something looks good to your eye it will inspire confidence to strike the ball well using that style of club.

If you can hit absolutely beautiful shots with a pig ugly club, how long will you maintain the level of confidence when essentially you hate what you see when you address the ball and look down?

Surely you have to like the club you are using AND the result it gives you in order to play those on a regular basis. The look of the club is easy to decide on - how it plays takes a little longer. I'm sure we've all tested out clubs in shops or the range that we've liked the look of but that didn't work in the swing - were they bought because they looked the best of the bunch? I doubt it, style was compromised for function but not totally.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I'm a bit of both, I couldn't spend my hard earned money on something I didn't like the look of but I equally wouldn't buy the best looking clubs out there if I couldn't hit them.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm a bit of both, I couldn't spend my hard earned money on something I didn't like the look of but I equally wouldn't buy the best looking clubs out there if I couldn't hit them.

I have to agree. My TM Tp's have a much thicker topline than say the Mizzy range but when I'm over the ball that rarely enters my head. To be honest I would have an issue with a GI like the G20 or the TM Burner. The short irons in particular just look too chunky to inspire confidence. I like the look of the R11's and have hit them really well. Are they any different to my TP's. Not really but I'm thinking about hitting them again with a view to buying them although not a fan of the KBS 90 stock shaft and so may need to go down the C/F route. For me its about can I use them rather than looks. Tried the TM MC and although they have a small cavity like my TP's I couldn't hit them so would never consider them even though they have a smaller face and thiner topline than my current clubs

 

[USER1999]

Que?

I flipping hate this ten character rule.

 

[Golfmmad]

[QUOTE that's just butt ugly no matter how well it works...[/QUOTE]

So's your new Avatar!

 

[Mick47]

Don't understand the obsession with shiney clubs. ok its nice if they look good but I'd use a brick attached to a broomhandle if it worked better. Surely we are trying to play as well as we can not win a fashion parade. Or am I missing something?

 

[kid2]

Don't understand the obsession with shiney clubs. ok its nice if they look good but I'd use a brick attached to a broomhandle if it worked better. Surely we are trying to play as well as we can not win a fashion parade. Or am I missing something?

Us that play with Ping happily know this....

 

[DaveM]

Function over form every time. You only really see the face and top line at address.

 

[Imurg]

[QUOTE that's just butt ugly no matter how well it works...

So's your new Avatar![/QUOTE]

That's as maybe - but I don't play golf with it.

Fragger has 2 of the G15 hybrids - or is it 3? - and I try to look the other way when they come out of the bag....