Is brand loyalty stupid?

[GLong]

yes it is stupid.

unless you are sponsored or actually good enough that you want to switch to one brand so that you might be able to get sponsored.

 

[maansmit]

Innova is the only brand I can find in my area so it was all that I carried. I experimented with Discraft buy ordering of their 10 disc misprint packs and was really pleased with what I got. I have converted to using a Buzzz as my primary midrange (previously Mako) and am using an Impact and Flash instead of Innova discs as well. I have a couple Lat 64 discs on order an am anxious to get my hands on those.

The lack of local availability makes it difficult to branch out from Innova as I like to be able to get my hands on the disc prior to buying.

 

[digital]

so many brands, so many discs, so many molds, so many similar flight paths. do whatever suits you.

i'm sure i could find enough discs from dga, discmania, latitude 64, millennium, or whoever, and make a bag exclusively of one brand. but i'd rather not. i'd rather throw everything under the sun. doesn't really help my game but it's fun. and slowly but surely, i'm getting a grasp of what i need. i bag that holds 40 different molds.

 

[mentally_understable]

Why would you limit your game by only throwing discs from one company? If you only throw Innova plastic, or Discraft, you are missing out of a lot of great discs that could really help your game out.

 

[chrishysell]

The reason I started throwing only Discraft was probably stupid but it got me noticed. I learned to play disc golf in NC where everyone threw Innova. No one threw sidearm and no one threw Discraft. I was the contrarian. I wanted to win in a different way than the norm. Once I approached Discraft about sponsorship and they weren't interested. Fortunately they sent a bunch of their sponsored pros to a supertour event and I beat all of them except for Ron Russell. They put in a recommendation and I got the call. I've been throwing Discraft discs for so long that i'll never change.

All good disc golfers can throw any product and get the same results. There is no reason to limit yourself to one product if you are learning the game. Once I bought every available Lightning disc and played with them. They had some discs that had a spot in my bag. I even aced the hole at Winthrop that is now hole #1 as an advanced player in a PDGA event with a Dauntless.

Unless you are trying to become sponsored by a disc manufacturer or just have weird reasons like I did I wouldn't limit yourself to one brand.

 

[Apoth]

Brandy loyalty, in and of itself, is not stupid if there's a logical basis for it. For instance, many people who only throw discraft do so because, not only do they like the discs, but they find them to be more consistent from run to run than Innova. That seems a perfectly valid reason to only throw Discraft. As an aside, I've never heard anyone explain to me the "discrap" hate that some people spew.

With that said, I throw a mixed bag. I have 4 Discraft Molds (mids and preds), three Innova Molds (Yetis, Valks and Destroyers), one Lat mold (River) and one Discmania mold (PD).

 

[snappyfingers]

I have 4 different companies in my bag:

Gateway
Innova
Discmania
Lat 64

Unless it's unavoidable, brand loyalty is for suckers

 

[AirMcNair]

Dave Mac at Gateway said the same thing. Why limit yourself to just one company? Each company has there own niche. With Gateway all you have to do is throw their putters to be sponsored by them. You can throw Innova, Discraft, whatever else you want, just throw their putters. Look at Nikkos bag and you will see.

With me I have been throwing Innova since I started. I have a stock pile of Innova and I like there discs. I have tried almost everything out there but I keep going back to what I throw better and I know.

 

[Mystic1027]

Brand loyalty just seems silly to me. If different brands cover different aspects of your game better, why not use them? Throw whatever works for you.

 

[dagwood112]

I currently have four different companies in my regular bag, so not really brand loyal.

However, since I live less than 30 miles from the Discraft offices I do feel a measure of regional loyalty to them. They have a positive impact on the local disc community and my personal disc experience is better for it.

In practice, this amounts to selecting a Discraft product where the other offerings fail to distinguish themselves.

 

[snowren24]

I throw 4 brands, Discraft, Innova, Lat64, and Gateway. the only brand I would like to cut out is Lat64, but that's just because i would like to only throw American made discs.

I'm not sure if that's a stupid reason or not as I'm not sure where any of the discs are actually produced. I just assume that all Innova discs are produced in California somewhere, all Discraft are produced in Michigan, and all Lat64 are produced in Sweden.

but I do really like the River and the XXX.
I'm thinking about trying a flick to replace the XXX, but I'm not sure anything could take the place of the River.

 

[ian.]

Stupid, yes. Unless you are a pro of course. I go with what best suits my game. However, I do tend to stick with Innova and Discraft, but still support all dg companies if possible.

:thmbup:

 

[Brall]

limiting?

not sure i would refer to only throwing innova or discraft as limiting one's self

those two brands have discs that can cover any throw. i don't see anything wrong with brand loyalty to them. it's not for me but it seems fine.


now if you only throw one brand like vibram, then you can say you're limiting yourself

 

[craftsman]

Discraft plays an active role in course development.
They sponsor the majority of events I play.
They make better plastic (look at vibrams tests)
With the number of local pros and and sponsored events, their discs are waaay cheaper (ten for prem)

 

[mickas]

throw what works for you unless the company is supplying you with discs or paying you...

 

[simpletwist]

No option for me to respond. I don't think its stupid. Its like anything else, some folks won't drive anything but a Ford, or only use Titelist golf balls, It's gotta be Nike running shoes... Brand loyalty is what gets a brand recognition & sustains them. Myself I'm not particularly loyal to 1 brand. I have 5 different brands in my bag.

If "stupid" is the right word, then its just as "stupid" to jump someone's s**t for being loyal especially if its working.

 

[Skunk]

I primarily throw Innova...actually I think that's all I throw. But it's only because it felt more comfortable in my hand as opposed to Discraft when I started.

I'm just at a point where I don't really want or feel I need to learn anything new. But if I were in a casual round I may try something different for fun.

I do have some Discraft, some Gateway, and a Lat 64 disc in my collection though.

 

[UncleSweat]

When I first started I played Strictly Innova. Didn't wanna try anything else, and I wanted everything in premium plastic. NOOB!!!!! I did some research, Tried some stuff out, found molds I liked and molds I didn't like. I currently carry molds from Innova, Discraft, and Gateway. I haven't really given anything else a try lately because I really like the set up I have right now. Eventually I'm sure my game will evolve and with it my disc selection, but thats an adventure for another day.

 

[garublador]

If you think that limiting yourself to one brand has a positive impact on your game you're almost definitely incorrect, but as others have pointed out, many companies have a wide enough range of discs that it probably won't hurt your game too much.

 

[curveball4]

Pay me or give me free stuff then I'll be loyal to one brand