Any questions you want to put to the new CEO of TaylorMade

[MikeH]

Hi all
12 months ago we asked for your questions to put to then CEO of TaylorMade adidas Golf, Mark King and them were some crackers in there. The result was a Q&A interview that I know a lot of you enjoyed reading as Mark King didn’t shy away from the tough questions you asked
Well at next week's PGA Merchandise show I'm interviewing the guy who took over from King towards the end of last year, Ben Sharpe.
Ben is an English guy (he played hockey for GB in the Sydney Olympics) in his 40s and was head of TMaG over here before going to the US to work on the adidas and Ashworth brands before moving in to the hot seat.
I'm looking to include a few questions from the GM forum so here's your chance to put Ben on the spot
The interview is next Thursday so you've got a few days to think up some good ones!
By way of extra incentive I'll send a prize to those forumers whose questions we end up featuring

 

[pokerjoke]

Like you Ben I have a 7 year old son who loves golf.
Do you think TM will bring out a kids range of clubs and golf equipment.

What do you believe golf needs to do to bring youngsters into the game and what's TM plans to assist in this.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Dick's Sporting Goods in the US were the largest retailers of TM and also Callaway equipment (the manufacturers who probably are perceived as having the shortest release cycles) and last year they fired more than 500 PGA pros. According to ESPN Golf, My Golf Spy and others one of the reasons they did this was because of 'too many products flooding the market' Does TM accept this as one of the reasons, and do they feel that the release cycles are doing the retail industry harm in the long term? Or is it just a case of the retail market shaking itself out a bit and the retailers providing the best service will always survive?

Does TM get frustrated when initiatives such as Hack Golf in which TM were heavily involved seems to be sidelined by the golf industry?

Do you feel that golf will become more of a niche sport soon, mostly played at an amateur level by middle aged to elderly people, and not one of the major sports if the current rate of decline in participation and membership continues?

What are your plans for the Adams Golf brand in the UK?

 

[Hacker Khan]

Most publications and commentators generally agree on the best courses in the world. But could you name me a club or resort in the UK and/or US that you would highlight as somewhere that other courses should emulate if we are to get more new people playing the game?

 

[One Planer]

Taylormade have always been known as aggressive marketers of their new products.

With Callaway, Nike and a few others now following suit with more aggressive marketing and frequent product releases, how does Taylormade plan to stay ahead of it's competitors within the golf industry?

Gareth Phillips
Stoke-on-Trent

 

[colint]

How much improvement in a clubs performance do you need to see before justifying the release of a new model ?

 

[mikepops]

It's often said that despite all of the advances in equipment and ball technology, the average handicap amongst normal golfers is the same as it was many years ago. Has a reliance on technology led to a decrease in the skill level of the average golfer? Or has it allowed less gifted players to take up the game?

 

[CMAC]

1) What's the one 'biggest change' or 'biggest difference' you want to make as the new CEO?

2) TaylorMade marketing over product release dates gets some (unjustified in my view) criticism from many quarters, how would you answer that?

 

[Val]

What steps are you making to get closer to Titleist in the golf ball market to become the No 1 ball in golf?

(I assume as previous you want names and areas so... )

Martin Clarke
Lanarkshire

 

[Piece]

Assuming you play TM clubs: what if you were handed, say, a Nike Vapor driver and hit it 25 yards further. Would you sneakily put the Nike into play or stay with TM?

Matt Bunner
Godalming, England

 

[Rooter]

Do you think the quest for increased distance is now lowering and R&D will now be focussing on forgiveness and consistancy? Obviously with face slots in irons and the movable weights on the R15 this has been huge for taylormade and I believe a huge benefit for the handicap golfer with very little (if anything) said about extra distance (read original RBZ launch and extra 17yards)

also, how long for the market to follow?


Scott roots
Newbury, Berkshire

 

[Hacker Khan]

Do you think the quest for increased distance is now lowering and R&D will now be focussing on forgiveness and consistancy? Obviously with face slots in irons and the movable weights on the R15 this has been huge for taylormade and I believe a huge benefit for the handicap golfer with very little (if anything) said about extra distance (read original RBZ launch and extra 17yards)

also, how long for the market to follow?


Scott roots
Newbury, Berkshire

Yup, I wonder how long it will be before say Ping follow TM and offer clubs with a high level of forgiveness and consistency (cough cough G range since 2007 ish), and do not get hung up on silly claims of extra distance.

Nick Johnson
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire

 

[TheCaddie]

Since joining Taylormade, what has been your proudest achievement?

Ronnie Gunson
London

 

[Rooter]

Yup, I wonder how long it will be before say Ping follow TM and offer clubs with a high level of forgiveness and consistency (cough cough G range since 2007 ish), and do not get hung up on silly claims of extra distance.

Nick Johnson
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire

Cough cough g30 ls tec..

 

[drewster]

How do Taylor Made select their Brand Ambassadors and is it likely that Dustin Johnson will be retained ??

Andy Barrett, Lincolnshire

 

[Imurg]

Why the return to white headed clubs with the R15/Aeroburner when the previous ranges(SLDR/Jetspeed) were mainly black and silver?

Ian Murgatroyd
Aylesbury
Bucks

 

[richart]

Are face slots here to stay, or just a gimmick ?

Richard Hart
Farnham
Surrey

 

[Imurg]

Why no face slots on the RSI 9 iron or wedges...?

Ian Murgatroyd
Aylesbury
Bucks

 

[Maninblack4612]

Your marketing information on the R 15 tell us to space the weights apart for forgiveness. This I can understand. But it also says place the weights together for power. My "A" level physics tells me there is no difference in the way the club acts on the ball between having all the weight concentrated around the centre of gravity and each weight an equal distance from the centre of gravity. Surely, if you want a "neutral" setting on the driver, there's no advantage to be gained by putting all the weight behind the ball, much better to have it as far away as possible from the centre of gravity in order to maximise the M O I.

 

[hines57]

What do you see as the most urgent i) technology and ii) business issues that you need to address? Is there anything really breakthrough that we are likely to see in product this year?