Are we being "had" by the major manufacturers?

[mefromhere]

Watching the golf for the past few weeks and it seems like almost every break we have the advert for the new Callaway X2 Hot irons featuring the deepest central undercut and thinnest face they've ever put on an iron.

See, that advert has stuck in my head.

But when I actually think about what they are saying I keep coming back to the question, "Has the technology really improved so much that this "thinnest face and deepest central undercut" couldn't have been implemented in the original "X Hot" Irons.

The cynic in me thinks that they could have put this "thinnest and deepest" in the original irons but then they would have to come up with a completely new marketing point for the next development. Instead they simply put a thicker face than they could have and a not quite so deep central undercut as they could have in the original irons and then simply a year later go to the limits of the technology and save themselves loads of R&D time.

What do you think?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

And it has ever been thus. New gimmicks (loft up) and clubs promising more forgiveness and distance. Callaway are doing nothing different with the X2 hot.

 

[Oddsocks]

I think your right, I'm sure they release just enough technical changed to warrant the new release, but hold additional changed back for v2, v3, v4 and so on.

It's smart business..... Give them just enough to feel their missing out and give people a reason to shop,... But don't give them everything,

 

[c1973]

It does seem that TM and Callaway are the biggest culprits when it comes to making these claims. They are all at it to a certain extent though.

 

[Lump]

A bit slow on the uptake?
Next years irons will be more cranked and have longer shafts tied into claims of "longest ever"

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Same with all products and common sense for a company trying to make money.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

The golf industry is no different to any other in this respect.

The OP's comments could equally apply to smartphone, electrical goods , cars or a whole range of other products.

The reason why it seems worse in golf is the frequency of range changes and this is possible due to the relatively low costs of tooling up for new models and the fact that major components sourced from outsde the OEM i.e. grips and shafts remain largely unchanged.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

It's quite simple really, place your current club (driver, hybrid , irons etc ) in a head to head against the new stuff
If it's better, consider if it is worth changing
+5 yards nothing in it, + more then it's tempting
But don't forget dispersion, I'd happily sacrifice 20 yards distance to be on the fairway every time

 

[mcbroon]

If you believed all the claims from various manufacturers, then we'd all be hitting actual forum distances in real life.

we're not and there's a good reason for that - it's all bollocks.

 

[Hobbit]

I think your right, I'm sure they release just enough technical changed to warrant the new release, but hold additional changed back for v2, v3, v4 and so on.

It's smart business..... Give them just enough to feel their missing out and give people a reason to shop,... But don't give them everything,

Not sure of the terminology now but it used to be called planned obsolecence.

So to answer the OP, yes manufacturers do it and have done it since before I first heard the term in the early 70's.

 

[Oddsocks]

If you believed all the claims from various manufacturers, then we'd all be hitting actual forum distances in real life.

we're not and there's a good reason for that - it's all bollocks.

Tactful.... But truthful

 

[SVB]

If you believed all the claims from various manufacturers, then we'd all be hitting actual forum distances in real life.

we're not and there's a good reason for that - it's all bollocks.

LOL

 

[Imurg]

, I'd happily sacrifice 20 yards distance to be on the fairway every time

Use your 9 iron then.......:rofl:

 

[DaveM]

The rules on golf clubs. Limits clubs to certain performance criteria. As most woods and irons are more or less at the limits. It really kidology and gimmicks they are selling you.

 

[michaeljpoole]

Its an interesting debate. Currently I play with a set of Maxfli Revolution irons. They must be 13-14 years old these days. As a 30th birthday treat I convinced the wife to get me a new set of clubs. I have been in for 2 custom fittings both times I have come out incredibly standard (I'm 6ft) and i have tried a number of different clubs. But to be honest i really can't say i have been wowed by anything. I tried a number of sets. I think my favorite so far is Titleist CBs but i feel the 4 iron may be too hard to hit. So if i need to get the AP1s or 2s then the shorter irons feel a touch clunky.

Technology must have improved but the fact is I dont really need the added distance on my irons. I was at the range again today with my Maxfli's and they still do feel so sweet when you hit out the middle and have a fair amount of forgiveness. I was hitting the 4 iron better than any new iron i tried.

Would i get a few more yards from a new iron? Oh i am sure. But at what cost? Would i lose all feeling?

Going a bit off topic here. But the point I am trying to make if you have a good set of irons from a few years ago for the amateur golfer i honestly don't think you will see huge differences. There is no magic cure outside of lessons

 

[Siren]

But don't forget dispersion, I'd happily sacrifice 20 yards distance to be on the fairway every time

Its not the club, because thats brand new........

 

[Scooby999]

Great thread, it's the engine that drives the club not the club itself pmsl. Longest club we have ever made my arse. I have the best part of a grands worth of kit in the bag and I still chop round to a 15 handicap and it has nothing to do with the clubs it's because I am inconsistent with my swing! Give the same kit to a pro and he would most prob go round in scratch!

but we are all kids at heart and love a new bit of shiny, keep living the dream

 

[MadAdey]

I think the the question should be,.................

why are people gullible enough to believe the crap that the manufacturers keep telling us?

i have the JPX 825 Pro irons, they do not go any further than my MP33 blades at I had before. The only difference is you can get away with a bad swing with the JPX. Do I hit the ball any further with my R11s Than I did my original R7? No, but I hit it more consistently, so I suppose if you took an average of the driving distances then the r11s would probably be longer. But one out of the middle was just as long.

To to be honest who cares what the manufacturers bring out every year claiming that it can do this and that, we all know it is a big con. But if someone is either that stupid to believe the claims, or that shallow enough that they need the latest clubs then that is their problem and the manufacturers are playing on these people.

 

[Khamelion]

Each year new clubs come out and the lofts get cranked to dupe the unsuspecting/gullible punter into thinking the new shiny is the best thing since the last new shiny.

I've got some Mizuno 825 JPX Pro irons, the loft of the 9 iron is the same as the loft of a set of Wilson X31 irons I have which are 46 years old. No idea what shaft is in the Wilson's bar it being steel, but I hit the 46yr old 7 the same distance as my 4month old 9

So over nearly half a century iron technology has moved on, with undercuts, speed pockets and better forgiveness, but had the lofts stayed the same, had a circa 2014 5 iron still had the same loft as a circa 1968 5 iron, would there be that much difference in the length achievable?

 

[Hacker Khan]

Its an interesting debate. Currently I play with a set of Maxfli Revolution irons. They must be 13-14 years old these days. As a 30th birthday treat I convinced the wife to get me a new set of clubs. I have been in for 2 custom fittings both times I have come out incredibly standard (I'm 6ft) and i have tried a number of different clubs. But to be honest i really can't say i have been wowed by anything. I tried a number of sets. I think my favorite so far is Titleist CBs but i feel the 4 iron may be too hard to hit. So if i need to get the AP1s or 2s then the shorter irons feel a touch clunky.

Technology must have improved but the fact is I dont really need the added distance on my irons. I was at the range again today with my Maxfli's and they still do feel so sweet when you hit out the middle and have a fair amount of forgiveness. I was hitting the 4 iron better than any new iron i tried.

Would i get a few more yards from a new iron? Oh i am sure. But at what cost? Would i lose all feeling?

Going a bit off topic here. But the point I am trying to make if you have a good set of irons from a few years ago for the amateur golfer i honestly don't think you will see huge differences. There is no magic cure outside of lessons

The major advances have probably been in forgiveness than distance. If you compare the distances you get when hit out of the middle with a club with the same loft and shaft length from 15 years ago to today you'd probably not see much increase. But for the average golfer there's probably a lot more chance of you getting near that difference with current clubs than those of 15 years ago.

As regards to the 4 iron CB being too hard to hit what about substituting it for a hybrid?