Reality strikes the golf market and TaylorMade in particular.

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Dan2501 said:
Even if you knew whether you wanted Jetspeed or SLDR it's still not easy. Say you narrow it down to SLDR, there's 5 different versions of the driver, plus 2 mini drivers, 2 fairway wood varieties, and 2 hybrids. That's 11 different clubs between driver and hybrid in 1 kind, that's without looking at the Jetspeed range, or last years gear. It's ridiculous.
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That's not strictly true - the 3 'models' of the SLDR (white, normal and S) are the same product, just one is grey, one is white and one doesn't allow you to change the loft AKA is £100 cheaper. The technology isn't different - the results from all 3 are the same. Unless you particularly HAD to change loft in your driver regularly, buying the SLDR S is no different from buying the white or grey one.

The mini driver, personally, I think is a phase. It'll come and go. Unless all the tour pros start using them, which only lefty Phil has done in the past and I'm not sure if he still uses one now?

I actually think TM have finally taken hint and stuck with 1 model that clearly works. After all, when have they ever celebrated another current models 1st birthday??
 
I agree with a great deal of what Ethan says. There are too many models from most manufacturers. Where do you start. If I wanted a new driver and booked myself in for a custom fit session I may have an hour, 2 at most. If the retailer stocks all of the main brands, I am not even going to be able to give each model a try let alone work out which is the one I want then try all of the various shaft and loft options. I like the model that benross apply, 3 drivers aimed at distinct groups with the ability to fine tune the best head for you with various shaft options, simple.

I also feel that part of the issue is that the golf market has developed a cycle that people have become wise to. Basically, with a number of brands, you can look for the retail price to drop by about £50 for every couple of months of release until it bottoms out between £99 and £149. People now know how much they want to pay for a new driver and can anticipate when it will drop to their desired price point. Shops do not want a rack of drivers that people will only pay £99 for and so need to order less stock with the hope of clearing it before the big price drops.

At least a number of the bigger companies are part of a wider sporting group that can absorb some of the losses until the golf market improved. I would be more worried for the companies that make nothing but golf gear. I would have thought that a couple of bad years for them could be fatal.
 
MetalMickie said:
So TM's sales are down 18% in the last quarter and 27% I believe over the year.

Adams Golf facility in Texas is to be closed with everything being absorbed into TM's California HQ.

No new product launches for time being whilst attempts are made to shift existing stock.

It would appear that even the US market is reacting negatively to short lifespan products.

Perhaps the industry as a whole will now come to its senses and realise that we are not all prepared to buy new clubs with the knowledge that they are likely to be superseded in only a few months.

Whatever, as far as TM is concerned it is certainly a different story to the promises of world market domination heard from their senior executives only a few months ago.
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I don't give a stuff if a company brings out a new range of clubs months, weeks or days after I've bought my new shineys - they are tools not status symbols - and they are expendable.

For comparison I used to see people whinging on photography sites about new camera releases soon after they purchased their new toy - I buy a new camera pretty much each year because they improve quality very quickly at times (particularly in my field - football photography) and I make money from selling photographs - if I was just taking pictures to impress my mates I could do it with one of the ten year old cameras I have in the loft - they are just tools - the skill is in the person not the lump of metal.
 
I think part of the issue is that golfers are realising that the new releases aren't much of an improvement over last years if any improvement at all. How much better is the g30 driver than the g25 ? Better than the g15 probably but I suspect it's marginal over the more recent model and probably not worth the £300 outlay. If every driver released in the last 5 years really did make us all longer and straighter we'd be out driving Rory by now. The sldr is different in that it's been marketed as something different, it's about loft etc so more likely that more people have tried it.

We all fall for marketing and advertising at some point but I think generally we're becoming more suspicious and cautious
 
dufferman said:
That's not strictly true - the 3 'models' of the SLDR (white, normal and S) are the same product, just one is grey, one is white and one doesn't allow you to change the loft AKA is £100 cheaper. The technology isn't different - the results from all 3 are the same. Unless you particularly HAD to change loft in your driver regularly, buying the SLDR S is no different from buying the white or grey one.

The mini driver, personally, I think is a phase. It'll come and go. Unless all the tour pros start using them, which only lefty Phil has done in the past and I'm not sure if he still uses one now?

I actually think TM have finally taken hint and stuck with 1 model that clearly works. After all, when have they ever celebrated another current models 1st birthday??
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Well, adjustability is quite a big difference. Isn't that like considering some different cars but one of them is a convertible and the others aren't?

Anyway, the SLDR S has a different shaft as well, which adds another difference. i think TM would be better doing what Cobra do with the BioCell, selling one specification but different colour schemes. If you can hit the blue one you can safely opt for the same spec in red.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
You are having a laugh surely. Apart from the cost why on earth would you bother changing your clubs that regularly - you won't have had a chance to actually understand them and work out how best to use them. Got my current set in 2007 and the thought of changing them hasn't entered my head.
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What he said. I would imagine that only the most gullible change their clubs every 2-4 years!
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
You are having a laugh surely. Apart from the cost why on earth would you bother changing your clubs that regularly - you won't have had a chance to actually understand them and work out how best to use them. Got my current set in 2007 and the thought of changing them hasn't entered my head.
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Thanks SILH!!!!!

3 different drivers, two sets of clubs this year and now you tell me

Also, you are at odds with what Callaway reckoned when the wanted me to get more distance! :mmm:
 
Unfortunately for the Adams guys, this is what happens in business when a company gets bought, eventually they will rationalise R&D, Production, Distribution, back office etc etc etc. Why have two teams doing ultimately the same job?

Yes sales are down too, could be the Tiger effect, it certainly has hit TV ratings. But in short, its how companies make profits, If sales are down, you must lower your costs. Its simple economics. Remember that they are a business owned by a global behemoth who have shareholders to keep happy.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
You are having a laugh surely. Apart from the cost why on earth would you bother changing your clubs that regularly - you won't have had a chance to actually understand them and work out how best to use them. Got my current set in 2007 and the thought of changing them hasn't entered my head.
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muttleee said:
What he said. I would imagine that only the most gullible change their clubs every 2-4 years!
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Must be a lot of gullible golfers on this forum then going on what I see on here about "new shinies" ;) :D.

Personally I generally keep my clubs much longer than that. Had one set of Mizunos for 12 years.

Be interested in whether there is any info about how often regular golfers do change their clubs.
 
Rooter said:
Unfortunately for the Adams guys, this is what happens in business when a company gets bought, eventually they will rationalise R&D, Production, Distribution, back office etc etc etc. Why have two teams doing ultimately the same job?

Yes sales are down too, could be the Tiger effect, it certainly has hit TV ratings. But in short, its how companies make profits, If sales are down, you must lower your costs. Its simple economics. Remember that they are a business owned by a global behemoth who have shareholders to keep happy.
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Not just the Adams guys. 15% cut in employees worldwide for TM means there will be other casualties.

The whole thing reminds me of the motor-cycle trade in the early 80's when the Japanese manufacturers completely overestimated the size of the European and, in particular, the British markets.

Too much product chasing too few customers.
 
Old guard of golfers dying off in greater numbers than new young golfers taking up the game - and -

golf is a discretionary spend at a time when incomes have fallen in real terms. Not exactly the conditions for market growth !!
 
I've got to agree with what is being said about too many items in the market from just one manufacturer. When it comes to drivers they should have a total of 3 models. 1 at the average golfer looking for distance and forgiveness (ie SLDR), 1 for the player that wants, a smaller head, lower spin, easier to shape (ie SLDR 430) and a budget model (ie TM JETSPEED).

the amount of different sets of irons is ridiculous too:

TM - 4 different TP models, the SLDR and SpeedBlade.
Mizzy - 4 MP and 4 JPX currently in the range.

When I was younger and got my dad got me my first high end set of irons this is what I had to choose from:
Titleist - DTR & DCi
TM - Burner & Burner Tour

The choice in woods was:
Titleist - DTR & PT
TM - Burner & Ti Burner

For anyone who cares I got the PT metals in 8* and 15* and the DCi 2-PW. I would love to take that set out for a game again.
 
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MadAdey said:
I've got to agree with what is being said about too many items in the market from just one manufacturer. When it comes to drivers they should have a total of 3 models. 1 at the average golfer looking for distance and forgiveness (ie SLDR), 1 for the player that wants, a smaller head, lower spin, easier to shape (ie SLDR 430) and a budget model (ie TM JETSPEED).

the amount of different sets of irons is ridiculous too:

TM - 4 different TP models, the SLDR and SpeedBlade.
Mizzy - 4 MP and 4 JPX currently in the range.

When I was younger and got my dad got me my first high end set of irons this is what I had to choose from:
Titleist - DTR & DCi
TM - Burner & Burner Tour

The choice in woods was:
Titleist - DTR & PT
TM - Burner & Ti Burner

For anyone who cares I got the PT metals in 8* and 15* and the DCi 2-PW. I would love to take that set out for a game again.
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Titleist DTR! My first set of real clubs... And my claim to fame. I had the first set of graphite shafted DTR woods in the UK
 
Just to add some clarity on a couple o' tings within the thread. Obviously, not going to get involved in this convo but thought it was worth being factual about a couple of things for people that weren't aware:

TM Current Drivers:

SLDRs (only new driver released in 2014)
SLDR (released in 2013, with white option added after demand this year - same tech, different colour)
JetSpeed (again, released in 2013).

Shaft in SLDRs and SLDR is the same. There is a 430 head available in the SLDR but this is a super low-spinning head and not intended for the majority of golfers, just an option for those that require it.

There are 'TP' versions of these drivers, but the heads remain the same. The difference is the upgraded shaft, and the hosel needs to be a touch wider to accommodate the non-standard shafts - these include the TM 'made for' TP shaft as well as others such as the shaft in Rick G / Fundy's drivers.

TM Current Irons

Tour Preferred MB / MC / CB (released January 2014)
SpeedBlade (released in 2013)
SLDR (released summer 2014 through custom build only)


Like I say, not intending on jumping in with regards the rest of the thread but just thought I'd try and add some info on what the current range of products actually are. If anyone would like to know more, feel free to DM me or drop me an email :)
 
chrisd said:
Thanks SILH!!!!!

3 different drivers, two sets of clubs this year and now you tell me

Also, you are at odds with what Callaway reckoned when the wanted me to get more distance! :mmm:
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"You hit the ball further by hitting it better" - John Jacobs

Strikes me a lot of us golfers are just a bit lazy and want their instant gratification of longer off the tee or more consistency without actually putting any work in to improving their game. And their scoring improves and they think and tell all that they are a better golfer with the new kit. Nope. They just scoring better.
 
MashieNiblick said:
Must be a lot of gullible golfers on this forum then going on what I see on here about "new shinies" ;) :D.

Personally I generally keep my clubs much longer than that. Had one set of Mizunos for 12 years.

Be interested in whether there is any info about how often regular golfers do change their clubs.
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I have owned my Irons for 10 years and not a chance of swapping them. I like them way too much.
 
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