Pro's-golf equipment

[motteler621]

Got a question for you guys. Why is it that we are concerned about finding the right driver, irons etc out there among all the different brands that fits our swing,, when the pros use all the same brand equipment that they are sponsored by?

They usually use the players line from the brand that sponsors them but they dont seem to concerned about other brands equipment that would fit them better in certain areas. I know they get fitted for those clubs but just wondering.

[golfro]

because pro's clubs arent the same clubs that we buy retail.

brands will alter heavily and customize each iron, driver, etc to accomodate for the pro's needs. what use do they have in looking at other brands when their sponsor can replicate their exact needs and suit their needs?

[motteler621]

because pro's clubs arent the same clubs that we buy retail.

Ic, but how much can they alter a design. I know most of the pros that are sponsored by Titleist use the 909 driver, what do the pros have done to them to alter them?

[Kieran123]

Because it's not always the equipment, its the person swinging the club.

[motteler621]

yea it just seems the pros are soo good that they dont really need to use specific stuff. They just go with the brand that sponsors them. I mean Tiger uses all Nike equipment and Ive heard nothing good really about Nike balls on this forum but yet he uses them.

[golfro]

Ic, but how much can they alter a design. I know most of the pros that are sponsored by Titleist use the 909 driver, what do the pros have done to them to alter them?

they can alter the design quite a bit. Take Nike for example. The SQ Dymo is 460cc but they created a 380(?)CC driver for pro's with a more traditional shape , shallower club face, etc. Some sponsors go as far as to simply repainting a prexisting brand driver with their own logo and over all look. What you see on TV is not always so. A driver in a pro's hand is not the driver you swing in store.

Club head weight, shaft difference, etc all go into effect. Sure the "design" might not change but like Kieran123 said, its not about the equipment, its the person swinging the club.

[golfro]

yea it just seems the pros are soo good that they dont really need to use specific stuff. They just go with the brand that sponsors them. I mean Tiger uses all Nike equipment and Ive heard nothing good really about Nike balls on this forum but yet he uses them.

No offence to a lot of people on this forum...but most golfers wouldn't even tell the difference between a range ball and a prov1 ;) Let alone, pro's don't even notice the difference. I take every single thing posted on this forum with a grain of salt.

Technology these days has enables all companies to produce products that are pretty much on par with eachother. No one driver is "better" than the other. The rest is personal preference. Luckily for pro's, brands will meet the pro's personal preferences for them.

[sean_miller]

Check out WITB videos on youtube. They get new drivers in their personal specs, but often will use the same fairway woods for years. They switch out wedges because they wear them out (literally - not imaginary like some posters here), and their irons are custom made and not likely available off the rack to the average consumer.

Who cares what they use anyway? I don't check what raquet and shoes Nadal and Federer are using before going to play tennis with the wife, why should I do something similar before playing golf?

[motteler621]

Check out WITB videos on youtube. They get new drivers in their personal specs, but often will use the same fairway woods for years. They switch out wedges because they wear them out (literally - not imaginary like some posters here), and their irons are custom made and not likely available off the rack to the average consumer.

yea Ive watched quite a few WITB, I like to watch those. I know if I had a sponsor in the pros I would want Titleist tho

[James_Black]

No offence to a lot of people on this forum...

You can feel the difference.

You mightn't be able to notice the difference between the premium balls but don't insult people, it's not that hard to feel the difference between a rock and a pro V.

[Kieran123]

I look at what's on sale or on clearance....then pick from them, the stuff that feels the best. I am sure theres $400 drivers and $1000 iron sets that might feel better, but that's way too much money for me

My entire setup cost me under $800 including the bag.

I could not, in a million years, justify buying the latest and greatest.....unless I was a multi millionaire....probably still wouldn't anyway.

[Ruckus]

The pros use equipment to optimize their game. In all honesty, if you've made it on tour, you can use a hickory shafted persimmon driver and still break par on most courses, but they use available technology to hit it 350 instead of 290. Tiger can switch to an Hippo clubs tomorrow and, after enough practice, not completely embarrass himself.

[golfro]

You can feel the difference.

It was exagerated to get the point through but the fact remains, there was a study done where they compared unmarked ProV1's and a cheaper alternative (forgot what brand it was) and pro's were not able to tell the difference between the two after playing a round. Funny thing is, same study was done on amateurs and many of those who swore by ProV1's actually preferred the cheaper alterantive.

People's minds do funny things when they WANT to believe something. Amateur's spend way too much time (and money) determining the right equipment for them and their minds convince them this or that is better when they don't even know what they prefer. Don't take it as an offence. Take it as a compliment if you truly can distinguish equipment, then hats off to you.

[sean_miller]

No offence to a lot of people on this forum...but most golfers wouldn't even tell the difference between a range ball and a prov1

An excellent comparison. I hit 50 balls to a green with pin at 81 yards last week (part of a hole-in-one contest - I qualified for the final - woot). The green past the pin was like a moonscape - you had to hit the ball past the pin and spin it back since the soft range balls spin so much when hitting off a mat. I tried different shots with all my wedges and the result was the same - too much spin. They're limited flight range balls, but with wedges they fly about the same distance as a regular ball. They do actually feel a bit like a Pro V1.

[WUTiger]

yea it just seems the pros are soo good that they dont really need to use specific stuff. They just go with the brand that sponsors them. I mean Tiger uses all Nike equipment and Ive heard nothing good really about Nike balls on this forum but yet he uses them.

One thing we may be missing: Equipment makers work with the pros to come up with ideas for club design. So, pros like Phil M. give lots of suggestions about how to improve clubs, or new varieties to make.

Also, the pros have very well tuned swings. For them, if a wedge is 1° too flat in lie, they will notice it. Most of us probably won't, because our stance and swing are not as stable. But, if our stance calls for 2° flat lie, and we have 1° upright clubs, we would notice it. And, as sean_miller and others have said, I find the WITB segments - especially the video clips - very interesting.

[golfro]

An excellent comparison. I hit 50 balls to a green with pin at 81 yards last week (part of a hole-in-one contest - I qualified for the final - woot). The green past the pin was like a moonscape - you had to hit the ball past the pin and spin it back since the soft range balls spin so much when hitting off a mat. I tried different shots with all my wedges and the result was the same - too much spin. They're limited flight range balls, but with wedges they fly about the same distance as a regular ball. They do actually feel a bit like a Pro V1.

Yea there is a range here in Seattle where instead of a grass field, it's all green turf. I can hit a wedge off a matt and at first bounce, i swear it, the ball will bounce backwards.

When i was getting my driver fitted, I was waiting for this guy to finish hitting different drivers into the net... I sat there watching him for a good 30 minutes, listening to him talk to the salesman about how this one feels "just a tad softer" and that one feels "a bit more harsh" and this one feels "like it launches off the face" Bull. His swing was all over the place with absolutely no consistency so how the hell is he able to determine what feels like what when each shot feels different since they're all hitting at a different place on his club face? In the end, he walked away with the Taylormade R9 (of course because it is marketed as one of the technolgically advanced drivers out there, and he'll be damned if he doesn't feel like the ball really takes off). I'm not saying not everyone can tell the difference...but a lot of times, we all have a way of convincing our own minds that one is better than the other because either some pro uses it or because its popular. I'm guilty of it. I still find myself reaching for the Pro V1 only because everyone says they're the best. I still find myself looking at all the expensive Titleist gear thinking to myself that they're "better quality" and that my game will improve if I get Titleist. It won't.

[motteler621]

One thing we may be missing: Equipment makers work with the pros to come up with ideas for club design. So, pros like Phil M. give lots of suggestions about how to improve clubs, or new varieties to make.

yes they do work with some pros on the design but they end up with one design that doesn't nessacarly fit all the pros they sponsor

[ohiolefty]

To weigh in on the ball controversy...

I'm not sure what 'study' is being referred to about the golf balls, but to say that you couldn't tell an unmarked ball from the ball you play is preposterous to me.

The practice facility I use has a magnificent short game area...but with range balls to use. After I hit balls, I then go to the short game area and spend a lot of time. With the range balls, you get a completely different interraction and spin. I look at where the ball lands and how the first bounce looks (checky, high etc.) but I pretty much ignore where the ball ends up. Why? It's completely different from the ball I play.

Except for with a driver, fairway or hybrid, I'm not sure that any decent golfer COULDN'T tell the difference between balls. You couldn't PAY me to play a round with a rock - it's a different game. If I wanted to play that way, I'll build a time machine and go back to 1992.