Luke Donald had a different head cover than the club he was using........Tiger had a different head cover than the club he was using. How is Luke Donald being "deceiving" and Tiger isn't?
OK, read my post again, league. Read it again. I said it was deception by Tiger/Nike (and you quoted me as such).
To tell the truth, if someone is choosing their clubs because some pro is using them, and they expect the same results just by using that club, it really explains a lot about why some people believe politicians when they are running for office.
So why no outrage at Tiger's deception? He gets fried for everything else
Huh? I don't really have any outrage towards Luke Donald either. I simply called both of them deceiving. Nothing wrong with stating facts. Here's another set of facts, however, which I sort of mentioned in my other post. Tiger's been using that putter for longer than Nike has been making putters. Common sense and deductive reasoning by anyone who follows golf on a semi-regular basis tells them that the Nike headcover is bogus. Anyone who loves golf also knows what a Scotty Cameron looks like. Now I love golf, but I honestly have not bought any new clubs in probably 2 or 3 years and have not even seen a Sonartec club on the rack since the most I've gone to golf shops in the last 2 years was to look at the golf ball selection. So I probably could not tell a difference between a Sonartec or Mizuno 3-wood if I saw it on TV.
As the OP pointed out, Sonartec is more of a true startup (whereas Scotty Cameron is a trusted brand). Nike and Tiger can go right ahead and attempt to deceive people into buying a Nike instead of a Scotty Cameron. Most real golfers would prefer a Scotty Cameron, regardless of whether Tiger is using one or not, for the simple fact that SC is proven in the putter market and Nike isn't. With Donald, he's using a lesser known brand (from what I've heard they make great clubs) and advertising the more well-trusted/known brand. Either way, consumers should be smarter than to buy based on what the pro's supposedly have in their bags. As someone else pointed out, even if it is the real club, it's tweaked so much that buying it off the rack you're paying a ridiculous price and probably getting a lot lower quality club in the first place. I've bought quite a few clubs straight off the rack, but I've been lucky with it (Cleveland wedge, Vokey wedge, Taylor Made driver, etc.) for the most part (bought a Callaway VFT driver a few years ago that turned out to be a big mistake LOL). And if Tiger is using a Nike putter cover, it isn't the first time he's hidden the true identity of his clubs. I heard back when he first "switched" to Nike blades, they were actually Titleist or Mizuno blades (both made by KZG) with a Nike logo on them. In this case, anyone crazy enough in this day and age to buy blades off the rack shouldn't be buying Nike since they are a big-money startup. They've got big money, but no reputation. If you're gonna buy blades, go with Titleist, Mizuno, or Hogan.
Advertising and Dollars go together. I was really unaware of this happening until I recently heard that Geoff Ogilvy's driver is Titleist with a Cobra sole plate. Yes, Geoff is sponsored by Cobra and the almighty Dollar has won again with the major beneficiary being the Pro. Good luck to Geoff but a little deceitful I would have thought !
I'm not pointing the finger specifically at LD, Tiger or anyone in particular. The point I am making here is that this is an accepted practice when I don't think it should be. I wouldn't even care if they used a generic headcover with their sponsors name on it. But to use a headcover specific to another club is just plain wrong and I don't understand why they would do it other than to promote and sell more clubs.
Here's my proof:
How many posts on here and forums on other websites are dedicated to what the pros are using? Some even have pictures of their bags at the range. It's also why there are 'what's in the bag' segments on tv, on websites (look at the golf channel's website or the pga site), and even during golf telecasts. Look at the commercials lately for Cobra driver winning the US Open and FT-3 winning the last few majors, Titleist the number one ball used on the pga, R7 the number one driver on tour, etc. etc, etc. Pure and simple. What they use sells...or should I say what we think they use sells?
An excerpt from that article which perfectly proves my point that more people buy what they think the pros are using and with the kind of money that is being thrown around here for marketing this is big deal for the manufacturer:
Quote:
The survey is the life-blood of the golf equipment companies. It provides them with the necessary information to successfully market their products to the public.
For example, In its advertisements, Cleveland Golf boasts that its wedges are number one on the PGA Tour - used by more players than any other. Cleveland Golf knows this, for fact, because of data provided by the Darrell Survey.
Sales is the key thing out here," said Steve Mata, a Titleist Tour representative. "I like to say without being a significant part out here on the PGA Tours, it definitely helps sales."
Azinger says the information collected by the survey can be vital to any golfer who's in the market to buy equipment.
"If I was the general public and I wanted to know what was the best product going right now, what were the best irons, what were the best woods, what were the best putters, I would look at the Darrell Survey. And I would say if the majority of players are using this club on the PGA Tour and that's what they do for a living? Well I'm going to have to go try that club out."
It's getting where the tour players are beginning to resemble the NASCAR drivers...all covered in company logos. Some of those Nascar boys look like they walked into a label factory covered in glue and it blew up. The cars look even more absurd. Unfortunately, sponorship is the name of the game in that and most other sports these days. I guess the next phase is logo tatoos on their foreheads. It's gotten so bad you can't even go fishing anymore without being in a boat next to some yahoo covered with labels. I don't mind a company logo on a cap or something, but covered with them? Give me a break! But in this day and age, I guess it's the norm. It still looks absurd to me. But when they try to deceive, that really makes me sick.
Advertising and Dollars go together. I was really unaware of this happening until I recently heard that Geoff Ogilvy's driver is Titleist with a Cobra sole plate. Yes, Geoff is sponsored by Cobra and the almighty Dollar has won again with the major beneficiary being the Pro. Good luck to Geoff but a little deceitful I would have thought !
They are the same company. Titleist and Cobra are owned by Acushnet.
This kinda reminds me of Forrest Gump...... when they want to pay him for saying he always plays X Brand Ping Pong paddle. " Mama said it was just a little white lie and wouldn't hurt nobody".
OK, let's look at this objectively. I think everyone here can agree that no single OEM has a corner on producing the best clubs throughout a set. Some companies make better drivers/fw woods while others make better irons or wedges. We won't even get into discussing the various brands of putters.
Is it fair to ask a Pro to play ALL the same OEM clubs in his bag? I don't think so. Should Sonartec get a little publicity for Pros using their clubs? Absolutely. BUT, if Callaway/Nike/TM are gonna pay me a **** of money to put their headcovers on my clubs, I am all for it. Unfortunately, until Sonartec and other companies can pony up some money, big OEM headcovers will still be on Pros clubs. These guys are out their trying to make a living (quite well a living I might add).
I will put dirty, holey, moldy tube socks on my clubs if someone will pay me a few 100K to.
ADD: I play TM primarily and I couldn't really tell you which Pro's play TM.
Last edited by leaguegolf : July 30th, 2006 at 11:26 PM.
Reason: Inappropriate Language
July 29th, 2006, 09:59 PM
He gets fried for everything else
Linear Mode
Similar Threads
