I’m an unapologetic GolfWRX reader and forum member.  If you’re a golf nerd, it’s simply the biggest resource for golf information on the internet.  The one area I always thought they lacked in, however, was their “non-forum” content.  Over the past two or three years though, that has changed and I’m all in.  (I’m not too insecure to admit that the world is big enough for multiple golf media outlets, let’s be realistic here.)  One morning I received my daily “Morning 9” email and was made aware of Ryan Palmer appearing on Jonny Wunder’s Gear Dive Podcast.  Apparently, the information was so appealing to my fellow golf nerds that a transcript of the interview was demanded requested.  You can find that transcript here.

The whole thing is fascinating to a guy like me, but the section about how Palmer plays without a club deal was very interesting.  In short, Ryan Palmer thinks the modern club deal is too prohibitive to most players and is actually worth it for very few.

Well the problem today is, you’re having to sign the full bag. … So it’s just, guys, are not wanting to sign away every club in their bag. I mean, for me, I got an Odyssey putter, Vokey wedges, Srixon irons, TaylorMade woods.

…

Guys don’t realize, you sign a $400,000 contract with whoever…Go finish top 10 twice, and you’ve made it, you’ve made that money. So it’s almost, that’s my approach, and, you know, Mike Chisholm, my manager, close personal friend of mine first, but, we talk about it all the time. And, to me, and he knows, there’s more money to be won on the golf course then there is off the golf course when it comes to equipment.

Sure, bigger names probably carry bigger dollar amounts that make it worth it, but a lot of them also likely have a bit more wiggle room in their contract because the brands want those big names winning on Tour.

The other gem I liked was Ryan Palemer’s candid insight into how he switched from Titleist to Srixon irons:

I ran, I don’t know which year it was, um, they sent, I don’t know if it was when the 12 or 14s, when they came out. They sent me like, two or three sets, and they sent Stricker two or three sets as well. That was all, they told me, this is all we have left. And so, they just kind of, they finally played theirselves out.

We were at BMW this year and James Mackay and I, and my coach, Randy Smith, we were on the range, and I had a Mizuno set made, I had these 785s made. And, we hit a bunch of balls, different shots. Low, right-to-left, left-to-right, high, and with the Srixons, I hit every shot the way I wanted. And so I was playing so bad as it was, I played the Srixons the final round at BMW. And then, didn’t look back, because I hit a lot of shots I wanted, the yardage control, everything I wanted that day. And then James and I both agreed, I told James, I’m comfortable, let’s just take them. We took them to Malaysia, and Korea, and Vegas so, it’s worked out.

The podcast is very interesting if you’re a real-deal gear dork like us, but at the very least, the transcript is worth the read.  Head over to WRX and check it out in its entirety.