Bryson "The Driver Sucks"; Cobra rep follows up on their side

[MaxEntropy]

I'm not a fan of BAD, at all, and this is yet another episode that does not change my mind. I really like the analogy to F1 (win on Sunday, sell on Monday) - especially with the prima-donna drivers that won't accept fault for anything. Bryson having a bad time getting a good driver? Maybe he's not communicating well enough to the R&D guys? Maybe he's not as smart as he thinks he is so he is speaking nonsense to the tech guys who really understand engineering? Who knows, but it was not a very professional way to air his grievances.

[Berg Ryman]

1 hour ago, 03trdblack said:

F1 drivers blame their cars all the time whether it's really a mechanical issue or not. It pushes engineers to make the car better and better and that eventually trickles down into the regular cars we purchase. 

Nothing worse than 2 laps in from the Hamilton radio... "Guys, I'm losing the tyres"

[thechrisgibbs]

1 hour ago, bens197 said:

I mean, we have 9 handicaps on this forum who tinker with clubs as much as some Tour players.  

I feel attacked hahaha

[PMookie]

In his recent shaft testing he had significantly better results with another company’s shaft: straighter and kept the length, but he keeps using the LA GOLF one. This from Cobra Tour Van rep!!!!

[thechrisgibbs]

1 hour ago, 03trdblack said:

F1 drivers blame their cars all the time whether it's really a mechanical issue or not. It pushes engineers to make the car better and better and that eventually trickles down into the regular cars we purchase. 

Also, loved this analogy, but I'm not sure any benefits to him will trickle down to me as I can push myself to 170MPH Ball speed, but am a LONG way from 200MPH! 

[bens197]

49 minutes ago, GolfSpy_TCG said:

I feel attacked hahaha

AHHHH!

I'm a 6.4 trending up to a 6.8 and I've dropped close to 3 grand on clubs this year...I'm including myself as well

 

[Hook DeLoft]

It sounds like he wants the driver to  somehow account for his misses.  When Ben Hogan couldn't keep it on the golf course in his early career, he changed his swing.

[Jonny_Crash]

Looks like he apologized already:

 

Edit:  I like the comments it picked up.. haha

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by Jonny_Crash

[russtopherb]

That's not an apology.

That's an "oh crap I'm very close to costing myself a LOT of money so I better have my agent write something for me ASAP" statement.

[Golfspy_CG2]

4 hours ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

This is a good point.

That said, his caddie got on the bag knowing what he was about as well.

I will add this, because I had to look it up: Bryson is almost certainly bringing money into Cobra on irons:

Source: https://mygolfspy.com/cobra-radspeed-irons/

Yeah. I was going to post that info as well.  When I attended the 2021 RadSpeed launch they really went into detail talking about how one length sales are growing at unexpected numbers every year.

They aren’t going to sell 5 degree drivers   But they are selling a ton of OL irons.  
 

I think it’s fair to say Bryson exposure of OL irons is more important to Cobra than any iron played by any other Tour Pro. Because they are all essentially the same thing   One Length is an entire product of its own, that no other major company offers    
 

Cobra needs Bryson, like him or not   I suspect this is a bit of a speed bump that both sides will get over. 
 

All that said, I’d pay a lot of money to be a fly on the wall in Koepka’s rental house tonight  

 

[TBS]

4 hours ago, Middler said:

I can’t imagine publicly dissing a primary sponsor, that’s just wrong. But that’s just one more bullet for my long list of reasons I don’t care for Bryson. I wouldn’t even look at much less buy anything associated with Bryson. But I know many people like him, and that’s just ducky.

When the rep and his caddie from last week goes on record saying he has outbursts like an 8 year old, you know he's insufferable. But at what point is too much. We are only seeing a small glimpse of how he acts in private and what his sponsors and entourage put up with. From the GolfWeek article-

“It’s like an 8-year-old that gets mad at you,” he said. “They might fly off the handle and say, ‘I hate you.’ But then you go. ‘Whoa, no you don’t.’ We know as adults that they really don’t mean that and I know that if I got him cornered right now and said, ‘What the hell did you say that for,’ he would say that he was mad. He didn’t really mean to say it that harshly. He knows how much everyone bends over backwards for him, but it’s still not cool.”

4 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Just to quickly add my two cents in. I think he is unhappy with the wrong company... In the last two majors I've seen him loose grip on footwork several times slipping as he is trying to swing for the heavens. Considering if that happened to me I would end up on my face or whiffing on the ball completely I would say his driver is doing a respectable job. If I was him I would be looking at a more stable shoe that will not allow this to happen and so he can have the assurance he will have his footing when swinging at his incredible speeds. 

I like this take better. But also, what's next... Hypothetically, He would then have "the best shoes" and still only hit 4 fairways in a round where he used multiple clubs outside of driver. Does he blame the shape of the tee boxes? Dew point? Grips? Glove? Underwear? I think I just want him to take responsibility for not playing well. I feel like this is golf psychology 101. Control what you can control and accept the bad shots. If he has a miss-hit or foot slips swinging at his 100%, maybe he can swing at 90% and still hit it 20-30 yards past others. 

What he has done is incredible, but at what point will he realize that his plan is not perfect?

[aerospace_ray]

These are some funny and very good comments in this thread. I just think he needs to make his mind up is he going to swing like the long driver folks or use his intellect and actually think for a change about going all out every tee-shot. Not like he can't reach every green in regulation on tour with like a hybrid off the tee with his length . Seriously he really needs to work on those wedges and throttle back on the driver. But what do I know I would give anything to hit it as far as him. Hopefully he and Cobra will find happiness with a driver model. 

[Scott33]

8 hours ago, TBS said:

What he has done is incredible, but at what point will he realize that his plan is not perfect?

I think you’re absolutely right, he can dial down his driver, still it past everyone, and think his way around the course and probably do pretty well.  Unfortunately in his apology, he states he is “relentless in the pursuit of improvement and perfection” which makes me think he may not change.

[Middler]

14 hours ago, Jonny_Crash said:

Looks like he apologized already:

13 hours ago, russtopherb said:

That's not an apology.

That's an "oh crap I'm very close to costing myself a LOT of money so I better have my agent write something for me ASAP" statement.

An apology would be fine if it was more the exception rather than the rule. Wore thin a long time ago. He mouths off and apologizes too often, grow up and act professional. Eight year old indeed…

[sixcat]

I have been openly critical of Bryson for a number of years now. I am firmly NOT in the camp that he is good for the game. The "mad scientists" routine is tired and played out. Real physicists have openly mocked his shtick and the guy doesn't even have a college degree. Something even DJ has! Speaking of the "mad scientists" routine, Brandel Chamblee's comparison last night to Steve Jobs was absurd!!! Nothing out of the ordinary for Brandel to be absurd but this one may very well be his most ridiculous.

The following is purely speculation on my part. I believe Bryson exhibits some very real Autism Spectrum tendencies. His aloofness, unwillingness to take ownership in his own mess, and consistent blame of others for his shortcomings are glaring. He's obviously very immature and something of a "petulant child." I'm just starting to believe there may be a little more to it than that. 

Just imagine, over the past year, he has had very public run-ins with a cameraman, two rules officials, imaginary fire ants, a fence, Brooks (who is also childish), his own caddy, his own sponsors (Rocket Mortgage & Cobra), his own equipment, and tournament volunteers. It is very possible, Bryson could go from US Open champion in 2020 to losing several sponsorships, caddy, and management team in 2021. Bryson would, in my opinion, greatly benefit from having someone around him that isn't afraid to call him out on his bulls**t. 

 

 

[Lacassem]

13 hours ago, russtopherb said:

That's not an apology.

That's an "oh crap I'm very close to costing myself a LOT of money so I better have my agent write something for me ASAP" statement.

Wait cant you say anything you want these days as long as you publicly apologize?! (Insert sarcasm through sentence)

This is whats wrong with 99.9% of anyone that is high profile. Just pretend to apologize and all is forgiven.

[TBS]

57 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

Wait cant you say anything you want these days as long as you publicly apologize?! (Insert sarcasm through sentence)

This is whats wrong with 99.9% of anyone that is high profile. Just pretend to apologize and all is forgiven.

At this point, I was hoping he would have just doubled down in his apology. Bryson - my agent fees are low. Feel free to have your people reach out to my people.

Here is how I would have Bryson “apologize” - "I was frustrated after a bad round yesterday and that impacted how I responded to the question. I'm sorry to Cobra. I love you and thank you for putting up with me. I'm not happy with my driver right now, when you are a superhuman, you have to have super clubs, technology is not evolving as fast as I am. It's a good problem to have, I guess. By the time I'm 130, with 250 mph club head speed, I know Cobra will have a driver that is forgiving but can still get me 380 on miss-hits and 450 on center strikes. Thanks to all my sponsors (insert list of sponsors)."

[Lacassem]

1 minute ago, TBS said:

At this point, I was hoping he would have just doubled down in his apology. Bryson - my agent fees are low. Feel free to have your people reach out to my people.

"I was frustrated after a bad round yesterday and that impacted how I responded to the question. I'm sorry to Cobra. I love you and thank you for putting up with me. I'm not happy with my driver right now, when you are a superhuman, you have to have super clubs, technology is not evolving as fast as I am. It's a good problem to have, I guess. By the time I'm 130, with 250 mph club head speed, I know Cobra will have a driver that is forgiving but can still get me 380 on miss-hits and 450 on center strikes. Thanks to all my sponsors (insert list of sponsors)."

Super backhanded with the "superhuman, you have to have super clubs"  Apologizes and then takes another shot at the equipment while boasting how awesome he is.

[alfriday101]

I find two aspects of this situation interesting.  1.  Cobra's response.  I cannot remember a sponsor ever calling one of their fold "an eight year old" and stating he said something "so stupid." 

2.  Bryson has talked about his "brand" and how he has to protect his brand.  What kind of a brand is he cultivating with his ridiculous feud with Brooks and lashing out at Cobra-- bitting the hand that feeds him.  

 

I'm glad Bryson is in the game.  I tried single length irons a few years before I had ever heard of BAD.  I liked the concept but hated the heads of the ones I tried.  I hoped that some day a company would offer more of a players iron in single length.  Cobra, Stirling and Edel, plus others, now offer much better single length irons, in large part, because of BAD.  (I play Edel and played Cobra for a couple of years.)  I would love to read BAD's contract with Cobra and see what provisions are in there regarding BAD's behavior.  

[MattWillGolf]

Brooks Koepka post round interview today. " Drove the ball great. Love my driver."