There is a very Boring phrases in the corporate consumables world: the breakdown of mundane products. “Oh… what’s that?” I didn’t hear you ask. Well, not too long ago, companies realized that instead of pouring a ton of cash on reinventing the wheel to try to innovate, they could take products by heart and make them… interesting” by changing the way they sell, adding just a little R&D and their own beautiful design. Quickly.
Thanks to the convenience of direct-to-consumer selling, we’ve got things like mattress in a box craze, where a boring mattress is delivered to your door with some fun color decor added to make it stylish. We also have razor companies like Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s seeks to slash big brands like Gillette with cheaper prices, nicer handles and accessories, and lock customers into a postal subscription model for blades.
It was quite successful for somethat’s why Stix want to get in on this direct-to-consumer action, but with a golf club.
The company came up with the idea that most golfers aren’t really that good. The sport is filled with weekend hackers, people who don’t practice enough, or “fair to moderate” players who can at least find their way around a pocket of irons.
The open secret in golf just because you can afford a $1,800 Honma Beres steering wheel doesn’t mean you know how to make it work. Champagne budget won’t help Kool-Aid’s skills. Unless you are very good, it is useless to hit thousands of dollars on a set of clubs. Stix has magnified this, and the company has created what it claims is the ideal set of clubs for new to intermediate players of the game. The build quality is good and the value cannot be ignored. Stix clubs aim to consider a piece of serious equipment that will serve you well on the pitch, but without costing the earth. Is it a winning formula?
Swinging Pretty
Photo: Stix
There’s no denying that first impressions of Stix’s all-black 14-club set were a great one. You get everything from club to putter, including 3 and 5 clubs, hybrid 4, 5 irons to wedges, three additional wedges (52, 56 and 60 degrees) and a club cheat.
They really do look like a part, all stealthy and powerful in the dark, worthy of their Vader. And the wood looks just as good as the iron. It is clear that the titanium and stainless steel tips, as well as the graphite shafts, offer more flexibility and greater clubhead speed than steel. The grip also feels high quality and gives confidence, especially when hitting the ball.
The $185 weather-resistant bag, sold out at the time of writing, is well worth the extra investment, well organized (five-way split and two full-length interior compartments) and weight lightweight (4.5 pounds) with plenty of pocket space (six in all, with a fleece-lined valuables pocket and insulated cooler for mid-round refreshments). It all fits the club’s aesthetic.
The $65 Stix hoods, however, are a different story. Here we have our first clear look at the corners that are cut to save costs. Look and feel cheap. In fact, ugly compared to the rest of the movie. Why the Stix failed here, by design I’m not sure, but it allows one side to fail and is one that I’d recommend leaving it alone and looking for options elsewhere instead.
Skin beauty is only intensive
You’ll need a hood, though, because after only a few sessions with the Stix club, I quickly realized their second and perhaps biggest failure: the black coating. While it looks great on the outside, this luxurious veneer won’t last long. Place the iron tips on the paved surface and when you lift them, you will see a metallic luster through the scratches on the black background.
A few slips through the sand can also reveal scratches. And unless you have a hood that protects your driver, these will pick up on the unsightly signs almost immediately when your sticks rub together as a vehicle pulls away.
