What does a brand mean to you?

[popey]

Brand means the name on the club and who it was designed by.

It mainly means who my hard earn £££'s pocket will go into!!!!!

[Mr Bogey]

I am totally surprised, I think most responses have been rediculous. How can you put a label on brands that you've never even used? Nike, garbage,have you even tried them? Tiger and others don't use them JUST because they get paid to.
I like some Nike clubs but not others. I like some Titleist clubs but not others and so on and so on.
So you think Callaway sucks? Or Nike, or Cleveland? Is that because you read other peoples reviews or personal experience? What would happen if you tried them and loved them, would you not use them because of a precincieved notion.

[CG031]

hmm...it's interesting, I don't use any titleist, nike, or callaway clubs. I'll ocasionally get a dozen balls from them, but none are in my bag. I love my club, and I use the "less profile" brands...

Ping
Tommy Armour
Cleveland (mostly)
Srixon
Srixon balls and Bridgestone balls is what I prodominatly use.

I like using "smaller market" names instead of the big ones, I have NO IDEA why..I just do.

[Billbill13]

How can you put a label on brands that you've never even used? Nike, garbage,have you even tried them? Tiger and others don't use them JUST because they get paid to.

I'm pretty sure Tiger uses them because they pay him

[Clubswinger21]

Who cares.. its a preference, I dont need to try them because i dont want to.. thats what this thread is about. You take this wayyy to seriously. You defend your nike clubs I'll stick to my brands. You could bash Titleist or Taylormade all day and I could give a rats ass. Its not a big deal that someone doesn't like a brand that you do. Sure Nike's not actually garbage tour players wouldnt use them if they were. Like I said I humoured the guy, I dont think its right to place a label on any brand either. Lighten up, have an oppinion.

[Pete Beau]

Owning a custom club business I deal with this frequently. If the club doesn't have one of the big golf company's name on it- it must be junk. I have many customers, some are single handicap caliper, and they like the component clubs that I make them. Things that make you go hmmmm.

My $.02.

Pete

[Billbill13]

Owning a custom club business I deal with this frequently. If the club doesn't have one of the big golf company's name on it- it must be junk. I have many customers, some are single handicap caliper, and they like the component clubs that I make them. Things that make you go hmmmm.

I can understand that and it almost makes it easier for the consumer.

Who cares.. its a preference, I dont need to try them because i dont want to.. thats what this thread is about. You take this wayyy to seriously. You defend your nike clubs I'll stick to my brands. You could bash Titleist or Taylormade all day and I could give a rats ass. Its not a big deal that someone doesn't like a brand that you do. Sure Nike's not actually garbage tour players wouldnt use them if they were. Like I said I humoured the guy, I dont think its right to place a label on any brand either. Lighten up, have an oppinion.

I guess you dind't find the humor in my post either...relax I agree with you in that everyone has an opinion and a taste for certain things. It did make a good thread though...

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

I'm pretty sure Tiger uses them because they pay him

Uhhh yeah I'm pretty sure too that Tiger plays them because he gets paid. And gets paid

a lot But still, obviously they aren't garbage. Above all else Tiger wants to win. Doesn't Tiger just pretty much tell Nike what to make him anyways? I'm pretty sure they stole a set of Mizuno or Titleist blades and stamped them with the swoosh...

[wtd]

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but Tiger's previous contracts pretty much stipulated that he could play any clubs he wanted to. He recently signed a new one though, so that may no longer be the case. Still, he played Nike's even when he wasn't 100% obligated to do so.

[Toad]

what makes the difference to you? brand or performance or a combination of both?

Performance. However, certain brands, I have found, tend to match what I have come to want/expect in golf equipment. I love Mizuno irons. Scotty tends to make putters that suit my eye and feel. Up until recently Taylor Made drivers/woods looked great at set up...etc. I guess I tend to stick within certain brands cause I am used to them and over the years they have proven consistantly good and suited to my application.

[royalwulff]

I think you should play want you want based on what feels good and you can afford. I play my Nike slingshots not only because they felt good but but I was also able to get this set brand new for $250. There are other brands that also feel good to me but 250 v. 600 is a big difference. When I bought my 3 wood and hybrid I spent untold hours at the shop hitting every brand they had and finally settled on the TaylorMades. My putter is the same as my irons I not only like it but got it used only once for $65. So go find what you like and can afford at the time, don't worry what the rest of us or the pro's play and go have fun on the course.

[Long Knocker]

I think it is important to play the clubs that best suit your own game. The way a club looks at address has become on of the largest areas of consideration for me when it comes to purchasing something new. Bottom line is if you don't like how it looks and/or feels, you shouldn't buy it, regardless of brand name.

This same argument is heard in all product circles; is Ford better than Chevy, is Dodge better than Ford, etc....

[Jeepthrills]

Going back about 10 years ago, I was chosing between the Burner Bubble and the Callaway Big Bertha. At that point I liked the feel of the Bubble. For whatever reason, I just became and anti-Callaway guy. It was probably because of the cost factor initially. There stuff was just so expensive.

here's another question. Would certain players make you want to buy or not buy a companies stuff? For example, I don't like Cleveland because of Vijay. I only bought my wedge because I couldn't get as good of a deal on a Vokey in the loft I needed. Also, it was used so I didn't directly put money in Vijay's pocket. I don't like Sergio, even though I still like Taylor Made. Phil has helped to cement my feelings about Callaway. Although I like Ernie, Anikka and Charles Howell. Titleist is funny. Other than Adam Scott, they don't really have any big names now that Ernie left. I am more drawn to them for the quality of the name and the confidence that it instills, regardless of who they have on staff. Nike is Nike. People either hate them or love them. I love their clothes and shoes. I had one of their drivers and it was a fine club. I would have stayed with the brand if not for getting a 983K on trade. I think Nike is sports. They made the brand/athelet connection what it is today. They have had the most successful pairings in sports history. They have Jordan and Basketball, not to mention LeBron. They have Tiger in golf and they did great in the 90's with Agassi in tennis. They are the best at branding their products and people and are the reason that companies spend millions to secure names.

[bSd]

Nice topic. The answer for me is "combination". It's a fight between my discrimination of some brands and my loyalty to others, trying to factor in ONLY the performance of the clubs. Personally, I am biased against Callaway and Cobra, a bit against Ping also. For Callaway, like many have said, I view them as a MAJOR game-improvement company. I can't tell you the number of times I've been on the range watching some guy brag about his new Callaway wood/iron and knowing that the man knew NOTHING about golf and only about brand names. Future apologies, but I'm 21, and whenever I see a middle-aged man (you can choose what age that is haha) on the range hacking at balls, he TYPICALLY has one of two common factors.

1) He's just some guy who loves to play golf and has some ancient bag of clubs. (Possibly persimmon lol)

2) He's got Callaways.

So yeah, in my opinion, I view them as "lesser" clubs when you reach a certain level. I'm biased, so is everyone else

Cobra? I had a bad experience with their offset driver about 6-7 years ago, never recovered since.

Ping? Like everyone has said, I kind of view them as the distant relative of Callaway, just not as popular.

That being said, I DO prefer and am biased in favor of Titleist, Clevland Wedges (haven't ever played with anything else, love them), and a tiny bit towards Adams, just because they never get any love from people out there.

[Toad]

The answer for me is a very strong...I dont give a flip who plays what anymore. =) I chose my set based on what I like...whoever played my sticks on tour...at the club...etc had no bearing in my mind at all.

Ping? Like everyone has said, I kind of view them as the distant relative of Callaway, just not as popular.

Thats very interesting to me. When I was playing my best and most golf...in the mid to late 80's...Ping was the stuff man. I distinctly remember a buddy of mine getting a set of Eye2's and instantly thinking "damn! now hes going to be even tuffer to beat". I had always thought of Callaway as 'old men clubs'. In that same frame of time to me...the only folks I saw with Callaway were older folks...if memory serves the older Callaway clubs were some of the first widely available with graphite shafts which was real popular in my area with the older players. My days of Ping envy are long long gone as has my view of Callaway clubs changed drasticly...but its interesting to me how I percieved them and how that perception is so different to others I have spoken with. =)

[Lemay427]

nothing. play what your mind tells you is the best. confidence is the key

[kevntri]

I wouldn't even think of looking at a club due to the fact a pro is playing it.
They are no where near the same as the off the shelf items. I seen Vjay's numbers on his Hi-bore. 7.5* loft and six degrees open or something like that.....

[mRogers88]

it means a lot.

to me, theres a reason theres brand names.. and the other ones are off brands.. thats no mistake. off brand companies arent being "unfairly discriminated against". they choose to make the products they make.

callaway, taylormade, titleist, cleveland, nike, even adams.
-they are all going to produce quality products. there is reason to think otherwise. yea they may flop every now and then but its just like buying anything else in the world. are you going to buy goodyear, bridgestone, yokohama tires, or "Pep Boys Premium Grade Tire" .

sure you may get the same "performace" from the guys at wilson or acuity or some of the less expensive/known brands. but in the long run they are made 'cheaper' so you will see that within hte wear of the club.