Future of Product Testing on THP

[ogiebogie]

I just got done reading the first post and will read the rest of the thread right now. I just wanted to post that I have found the selection process to be quite fair. I was very lucky to be selected for the Wilson Staff Di11's and I hope to do THP proud with a long term review of these irons. That being said I have never been upset that I didn't get picked for something. I was here a while before I got chosen and honestly I was always hopeful to be selected for things but I was never upset when I was not picked. I was always happy for the person selected, definitely a little jealous, but always anxious to start reading the reviews. I mean that is what it was all about I thought. I didn't come here looking for handouts. My initial foray into this forum was because I wanted to read a review on a 3 wood and I was hooked ever since.

Maybe what I can say is that getting chosen for a review is awesome. I was so shocked and so happy I just don't know how to type it out and convey the awesomeness of it. When I got the clubs I was just as happy. Today after having the clubs for roughly a month? I'm just as happy. But honestly it is not just that I was given free clubs and that is the end of it. There is a responsibility to write a review of the clubs. People need to be aware that some time is going to have to be put in in order to do a good job. I know that I play my round of golf and I take a nice amount of notes during the round. I then go home and it probably takes me anywhere from an hour to 2 hours to put together a writeup of the round. I love doing it and quite honestly hope to be involved in more things like this but I don't want people to think that all you do is get free clubs and then write down a few lines about whether or not you like the clubs and thats it. There is a responsibility to do a proper review.

I dont know. I have a lot to say on the subject but I think it will come out wrong simply because I have been one of the lucky ones. I am going to read this thread now and maybe not post some thoughts that will be a little too harsh. Good on you JB & GG for allowing people to hash this out.

I,m gratful that THP has picked you CL and the others [ forgot names offhand } to do a review on these clubs , shows that they have trust in there reviewers why should the just let some Joe Schmoo do a review that has no passion fpr the game .If i have thought that the reviewers for the Di11's were a bunch of jokers i would have never considered buying these clubs
JB and GG do what you think is right it all works out in the end

 

[tnc200]

I think the clubs should be "subject to immediate callback without notice"

Why would you do that? If I get to test something I may need to put a grip I like on it to compare it equally. I can demo stuff and get a good idea if it's something I'd be interested in.

 

[pattyblind9golf]

I agree with Interlooper that having to send back equipment that you dislike might create a positive fake review - by people who are less honest, looking to keep free equipment, even if it's to pass along to a buddy or to sell on Ebay. I like the idea of passing on the equipment when other people are done, in terms of testing, if you are concerned about people signing up just for free equipment.

That being said, I also think that system that is in place now seems to be a good one. A really good point is that these reviews also have the THP reputation on the line. THP needs to be able to pick people who are able to express themselves through writing, and certainly seeing these posters on the forum aids in ascertaining whether or not someone will be a good reviewer. You definitely don't want someone to give just a fluff review. I love the negative reviews as much as the positive ones. Will blind testing/choosing get more negative reviews? That would be an interesting thing to consider (as littlepingman pointed out). I don't surf other golf forums so I'm not sure what is going on on different boards. I am especially grateful for negative reviews b/c I think we often forget as golfers that the latest and greatest is often not the best for our game. I hate the idea of selling stuff to someone just b/c it's hot, and I hope that the reviews on here will be balanced so that people who read them can get a better feel of the equipment/gear they are considering buying.

The one other thing I would say is that it would be nice to see more women review products - whether they be shoes, gloves or other items. Maybe even some clothes? I know that many women are not gear heads (and that our clubs come out later, if they even decide to release a club for us!), but I'd love to see some new gear reviewed by various women in the forum.

 

[rbrown2769]

Your review of the Di11's, and the other reviewers are a great example of why I would like to see the process stays as it. The Mahie reviews are another great example for keeping the process as it.

I just got done reading the first post and will read the rest of the thread right now. I just wanted to post that I have found the selection process to be quite fair. I was very lucky to be selected for the Wilson Staff Di11's and I hope to do THP proud with a long term review of these irons. That being said I have never been upset that I didn't get picked for something. I was here a while before I got chosen and honestly I was always hopeful to be selected for things but I was never upset when I was not picked. I was always happy for the person selected, definitely a little jealous, but always anxious to start reading the reviews. I mean that is what it was all about I thought. I didn't come here looking for handouts. My initial foray into this forum was because I wanted to read a review on a 3 wood and I was hooked ever since.

Maybe what I can say is that getting chosen for a review is awesome. I was so shocked and so happy I just don't know how to type it out and convey the awesomeness of it. When I got the clubs I was just as happy. Today after having the clubs for roughly a month? I'm just as happy. But honestly it is not just that I was given free clubs and that is the end of it. There is a responsibility to write a review of the clubs. People need to be aware that some time is going to have to be put in in order to do a good job. I know that I play my round of golf and I take a nice amount of notes during the round. I then go home and it probably takes me anywhere from an hour to 2 hours to put together a writeup of the round. I love doing it and quite honestly hope to be involved in more things like this but I don't want people to think that all you do is get free clubs and then write down a few lines about whether or not you like the clubs and thats it. There is a responsibility to do a proper review.

I dont know. I have a lot to say on the subject but I think it will come out wrong simply because I have been one of the lucky ones. I am going to read this thread now and maybe not post some thoughts that will be a little too harsh. Good on you JB & GG for allowing people to hash this out.

 

[the boss]

Why would you do that? If I get to test something I may need to put a grip I like on it to compare it equally. I can demo stuff and get a good idea if it's something I'd be interested in.

i think he ment if they was to be sold on, on here

 

[Snap Hook]

I agree that they SHOULD be sent back to THP or to another THP'er who will use it. But I SERIOUSLY disagree with this statement: "But if they don't like it and won't continue to use it, then they should have to send it back." Forcing the return only of products that people don't like and won't use will inevitably lead to situtations where testers are bullcrapping their reviews so they won't be forced to to send it back. I personally would/will return to THP or give to another member, and I would hope this would be the consensus among everyone. But by forcing it, you are creating a reverse incentive for dishonest reviews. The testing is built on honesty... why create a HUGE incentive to be dishonest?

From what I have read... I believe that a couple of us just misunderstood the first post.

yea His post, could have been worded a little better...... But his intentions were not meant to mean that THP is policing it's testers in a manner that induces Good Reviews. I'll take back what I said.

They can not like the product. That is fine by me. But the biggest point of the testing, is to use the equipment and answer forum member questions on the product. If Member X receives a fairway wood and hates it and decides to never use it anda thusly never test and give feedback on it, they should pass it on to another member with will give feedback on the club.

If they are not going to use the club, they should not keep the club. The point is to use and test the equipment. Not to receive and never use it. Being selected as a tester requires actually testing the equipment.

That's not what you said in the earlier post that caused the confusion. I DO agree with what you said here. But a Member who recieves the club, reviews it (Good OR bad), then decides to not include it in their bag, should not be FORCED to return the club. Personally I think he SHOULD, but he shouldn't be forced to thats all.

 

[Bridges]

Why would you do that? If I get to test something I may need to put a grip I like on it to compare it equally. I can demo stuff and get a good idea if it's something I'd be interested in.

But sometimes you cant put an aftermarket grip on there. I wanted to do it to the mashie to see if it helped me out any and wasnt allowed to change the grip (from the company themselves)

 

[blugold]

I definitely agree with this; we misunderstood your first post. If they are not going to actually test the product, they shoudln't have signed up in the first place.

yea His post, could have been worded a little better...... But his intentions were not meant to mean that THP is policing it's testers in a manner that induces Good Reviews. I'll take back what I said.



That's not what you said in the earlier post that caused the confusion. I DO agree with what you said here. But a Member who recieves the club, reviews it (Good OR bad), then decides to not include it in their bag, should not be FORCED to return the club. Personally I think he SHOULD, but he shouldn't be forced to thats all.

Yeah original post was very poorly written. If the tester reviews and tests for 3 months and hates it, I don't care if they put the club through a wood chipper. As long as they are actively testing the club for 3 months.

 

[ddec]

But sometimes you cant put an aftermarket grip on there. I wanted to do it to the mashie to see if it helped me out any and wasnt allowed to change the grip (from the company themselves)

which I didn't completely understand. I think it would have been great to see if a heavier grip would have fixed your issues with the club. I'm sure Cleveland had their reasons as to why though.

 

[JB]

which I didn't completely understand. I think it would have been great to see if a heavier grip would have fixed your issues with the club. I'm sure Cleveland had their reasons as to why though.

And in many cases it is allowed. However part of the Mashie and Miyazaki shaft is that they come with the grip on them. It was the rules setup by the company. They are different for each testing.

 

[TC]

Does the reviews themselves need to be written by folks who:

1. Have been on THP longer, thus have more of a presence?
2. Have proved that they can handle the task of testing (which entails putting up pics, answering questions, bumping the thread, long term testing, etc)?

I guess my question is this: would you rather read a review from someone you "know" on THP or from someone you don't?

 

[c_ault]

Again, I disagree. I do not think that people need to come on and tell someone their review is terrible but I do think they could use some words of encouragement and say "Hey man, I am glad you like xyz or I interested in why you disliked xyz can you elaborate some more on that?" I want there to be more discussion and I want to have the readers express to the testers what they want to read. No one can improve on their reviewing skills if they don't know what people are looking for. I would strongly encourage people to comment on reviews and let the reviewer know what they liked and disliked. Of course always doing it in a civil way.



Exactly and maybe that tester doesn't know that they aren't providing the type of information that the readers are looking for. We should be helping everyone to give the best feedback possible. It's not about criticizing it's about encouraging.

I don't know if I'm ever going to catch up with this thread but wanted to agree completely with those comments about supplying honest feedback to the testers. Being a first time tester I am wondering what more I need to write or explain, or if I need to change my writing style to better get my points across, or if there are questions I can answer better. Positive or negative as long as it is constructive it is welcome either on the board or PM. :rockon:

 

[the boss]

Does the reviews themselves need to be written by folks who:

1. Have been on THP longer, thus have more of a presence?
2. Have proved that they can handle the task of testing (which entails putting up pics, answering questions, bumping the thread, long term testing, etc)?

I guess my question is this: would you rather read a review from someone you "know" on THP or from someone you don't?

i dont really care as long as i can relate to there review and take from it what i need.

 

[arydolphin]

I don't think I can add much more to this thread, as there have been a lot of good points already. Just a few things on my mind:
*I think the VIP idea is not a good one. When I first discovered this forum, it was because I had read reviews of various clubs, and it led me to join the forum. However, in my initial time on here I didn't post all that much because I was figuring out how the flow worked on here, and also found that there was a "core group" (for lack of a better term) of posters that carried a lot of the conversations on here. Now that I've been active in this forum for a while, I've found that THP is a very open environment, and people can post tons of opinions without worrying about being shouted down or anything like that. I feel like having a VIP group would take away from that open feeling, and be more exclusionary on the whole.

*If you test a club and don't want to keep it afterwards, I definitely agree with the "pay it forward" idea. My thought is that you got the club for free, you shouldn't be able to profit off of it. One of the guys from the "other forum" that was at the Kingdom in California on the weekend before last already sold the R11 driver that he got fit for! To that forum's credit, the guy is rightfully getting called out for that, and I would expect the same to occur here. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but that's just my opinion.

*Perhaps the eligibility for testing clubs could have increased post numbers in terms of posts within the last month and total posts, that may weed out some people that aren't very active on here. But I think that having testing available to everyone is something that makes this place special. That being said, people should realize that you have a responsibility to provide feedback when you are testing, and no one is entitled to getting a chance to test. I haven't been picked for anything to test, and I'm not bothered by it at all.

 

[TC]

i dont really care as long as i can relate to there review and take from it what i need.

Is it easy to relate to someone who actively posts, thus you get a sense of their game and their personality, or is it easy to relate to someone who is more of a lurker?

 

[Bridges]

Does the reviews themselves need to be written by folks who:

1. Have been on THP longer, thus have more of a presence?
2. Have proved that they can handle the task of testing (which entails putting up pics, answering questions, bumping the thread, long term testing, etc)?

I guess my question is this: would you rather read a review from someone you "know" on THP or from someone you don't?

Thats a good point, and to be honest. I would say id rather have someone that I "know" or has experience doing reviews rather than someone new. BUT that doesnt mean the "new" reviewer cant provide a good review.

Kind of like companies and hiring people. They usually take the one that has done it before because they have more experience.

 

[blugold]

Does the reviews themselves need to be written by folks who:

1. Have been on THP longer, thus have more of a presence?
2. Have proved that they can handle the task of testing (which entails putting up pics, answering questions, bumping the thread, long term testing, etc)?

I guess my question is this: would you rather read a review from someone you "know" on THP or from someone you don't?

I think that active membership breads familiarity with a member, while quality posts and activity foster the confidence that the tester will do well with the task.

 

[tnc200]

But sometimes you cant put an aftermarket grip on there. I wanted to do it to the mashie to see if it helped me out any and wasnt allowed to change the grip (from the company themselves)

Ok, I get that. I guess I'm just curious why thainer would want an immediate callback policy. I mean THP wants testers to test and review the clubs. So give them some leash to do so. I'd like to think THP would be pleasantly suprised at where the test clubs end up. Be it in a testers bag, first tee, or play it forward type thing.

 

[Hanks]

I like this idea as well....I think the big issue with this is that there aren't a lot of women on the site so the target audience may affect what vendors send. Regardless of whether GG is a part owner of the site who maintains great relationships with these vendors. I'm not being sexist here Patty I'm just trying to think from the standpoint of a co.

Hope this makes sense

I agree with Interlooper that having to send back equipment that you dislike might create a positive fake review - by people who are less honest, looking to keep free equipment, even if it's to pass along to a buddy or to sell on Ebay. I like the idea of passing on the equipment when other people are done, in terms of testing, if you are concerned about people signing up just for free equipment.

That being said, I also think that system that is in place now seems to be a good one. A really good point is that these reviews also have the THP reputation on the line. THP needs to be able to pick people who are able to express themselves through writing, and certainly seeing these posters on the forum aids in ascertaining whether or not someone will be a good reviewer. You definitely don't want someone to give just a fluff review. I love the negative reviews as much as the positive ones. Will blind testing/choosing get more negative reviews? That would be an interesting thing to consider (as littlepingman pointed out). I don't surf other golf forums so I'm not sure what is going on on different boards. I am especially grateful for negative reviews b/c I think we often forget as golfers that the latest and greatest is often not the best for our game. I hate the idea of selling stuff to someone just b/c it's hot, and I hope that the reviews on here will be balanced so that people who read them can get a better feel of the equipment/gear they are considering buying.

The one other thing I would say is that it would be nice to see more women review products - whether they be shoes, gloves or other items. Maybe even some clothes? I know that many women are not gear heads (and that our clubs come out later, if they even decide to release a club for us!), but I'd love to see some new gear reviewed by various women in the forum.

 

[TwoSolitudes]

I was aware of the conversation and I know it was blown out of proportion. It's all good.

Thanks for your thoughts on the matter lpm.

I feel like a big asshole right now. I suppose my wording or my sentiments were completely taken the wrong way. I don't like offending anyone. I'd like to believe that I'm one of those guys that anyone can come to with a question about anything. Goes to show how heated we can get over things. I think that a few of you have made some fantastic points and I certainly shouldn't discount anyone's efforts when it comes to a review. Like I said, I am just privy to more information than others when it comes to shipping costs, and when it comes to what it costs THP to stock their store, and what it costs for THP to host the dinner at the Outing.

Sorry again.

It's all good TC. Anyone who has been on this site more than a month knows you are one of the good guys.

 

[CharlieMoy]

In most cases you can get the specs to test equally. It just ensures that the people have the club, and that they wont sell the club

Why would you do that? If I get to test something I may need to put a grip I like on it to compare it equally. I can demo stuff and get a good idea if it's something I'd be interested in.

 

[ddec]

I think it would be great to see some more women testers for equipment too. I think that is a great idea.

 

[coolbreeze]

Does the reviews themselves need to be written by folks who:

1. Have been on THP longer, thus have more of a presence?
2. Have proved that they can handle the task of testing (which entails putting up pics, answering questions, bumping the thread, long term testing, etc)?

I guess my question is this: would you rather read a review from someone you "know" on THP or from someone you don't?

Whether its right or wrong I don't know but yes I would rather read a review from someone I "know" on THP.

 

[the boss]

Is it easy to relate to someone who actively posts, thus you get a sense of their game and their personality, or is it easy to relate to someone who is more of a lurker?

now you say it like that thats different. as with a regular poster you know when there being sincere. i have been posting on here for almost my whole golfing career all 5 months of it. as a 22 handcapper i would find a high 20 handicapper review more helpfull than a scratch golfer who finds the club stupid eay to hit or ball easy to keep straight. if any of that makes sence

 

[Thechosen1]

Does the reviews themselves need to be written by folks who:

1. Have been on THP longer, thus have more of a presence?
2. Have proved that they can handle the task of testing (which entails putting up pics, answering questions, bumping the thread, long term testing, etc)?

I guess my question is this: would you rather read a review from someone you "know" on THP or from someone you don't?

But there are people such as myself that would just love to get to review a product, even if it were just Tees. I have read plenty of reviews and I have enough knowledge as an amateur golfer where I know what people want to hear from their clubs. Just cause new people have low post counts, or even haven't donated doesn't mean they haven't been looking at the site for some time. Or even some people just love the site as it is now and want the best for other people.

EDIT: Heck I would review my own clubs, my own bag, my own balls before getting the opportunity to review a new product.