What determines the cost fluctuations between brands.

[moogie]

I see, and take your point.

Now let me throw a slant on it.

Mizuno are big, probbly mahoosive in Japan.

So why do the super rich of Japan buy Miura, Hakusa and Vega as opposed to the cheaper Mizuno?

Simple answer is the same reason people in the UK choose to play PING, Titleist, Calaway, Mizuno, TM as opposed to Dunlop, Slazanger.

The can afford to are probably brand loyal and feel they have a superior product.

Gareth, disregarding all the other High end Jap gear, the Mizuno brand is still very Big in Japan
But
And its a Big BUT, they have a Completely different range of Mizuno products for the Japanese marketplace, as they are prepared to pay more for a better product, its a status thing over there, heres a couple of examples

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIZUNO-JA...30277915621?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e552b3be5

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIZUNO-GR...30754540775?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e7193f4e7


Heres the Top end of the Ridiculous scale

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONMA-BER...30531474718?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e64483d1e

Would hate to hit a stone in a bunker with one of these..........!!!

 

[MashieNiblick]

Is this something which applies more to specialised clubs like putters, wedges and drivers?

A set of top of the range forged irons from any of the main manufacturers seems to be around the same, whether big sellers like Titleist, TM, Mizuno or Nike, or lesser promoted brands like Cleveland or Bridgestone.

 

[One Planer]

Gareth, disregarding all the other High end Jap gear, the Mizuno brand is still very Big in Japan
But
And its a Big BUT, they have a Completely different range of Mizuno products for the Japanese marketplace, as they are prepared to pay more for a better product, its a status thing over there, heres a couple of examples

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIZUNO-JA...30277915621?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e552b3be5

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIZUNO-GR...30754540775?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e7193f4e7


Heres the Top end of the Ridiculous scale

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONMA-BER...30531474718?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e64483d1e

Would hate to hit a stone in a bunker with one of these..........!!!

This was my point in my previous thread.

If you consider Homma and Maruman to be the crem de la crem in the Japanese market, you could (Disregarding price) liken them to the more readily recgonised"Big" brands in the UK (TM, PING, Titleist et al). Mizuno, based on price, would be the equivilent of Dunlop

Like I said previously. People buy, in most cases what they can afford. It's all about perspective.

If Japans super rich want to pay $30K for a set of irons that they can well afford, fine. When you put it into perspective it's no different than Joe Blow paying £500 for a set of PING over here.

 

[Oddsocks]

Or do they use their putters as a lost leader to get people to consider other products, almost a door opener

 

[Cherry13]

Gareth, disregarding all the other High end Jap gear, the Mizuno brand is still very Big in Japan
But
And its a Big BUT, they have a Completely different range of Mizuno products for the Japanese marketplace, as they are prepared to pay more for a better product, its a status thing over there, heres a couple of examples

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIZUNO-JA...30277915621?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e552b3be5

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIZUNO-GR...30754540775?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e7193f4e7


Heres the Top end of the Ridiculous scale

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONMA-BER...30531474718?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e64483d1e

Would hate to hit a stone in a bunker with one of these..........!!!

Least its got free p&p....

 

[Wolfman]

Hi Oddsocks, i have the Ping Scotsdale Anser 2 with insert

They are superb and as good as the milled range for half the price

I use mine in the summer on faster greens, but drop back to my Rossie in the winter

They have a nice weight too, compared to the standard cast Anser which is too light in my opinion

Plus it looks cool in black, try one

 

[drawboy]

To answer the OP the reason you pay more for the Ping over the Cleveland is the fact that Ping designed the thing originally. I've said this for years. Ping innovate, Scotty, Cleveland, and all the others imitate. It really is that simple. Oh and before all the scotty fans jump down my throat with the better materials tighter tolerances bunkum I say Yes you can spend on that kind of thing when you did nothing but copy someone's design in the first place.
How many of Scotty's tournament wins have been with one of his own very very ugly designs such as this beaut!

 

[chrisd]

To answer the OP the reason you pay more for the Ping over the Cleveland is the fact that Ping designed the thing originally. I've said this for years. Ping innovate, Scotty, Cleveland, and all the others imitate. It really is that simple. Oh and before all the scotty fans jump down my throat with the better materials tighter tolerances bunkum I say Yes you can spend on that kind of thing when you did nothing but copy someone's design in the first place.
How many of Scotty's tournament wins have been with one of his own very very ugly designs such as this beaut!

I had one of those!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

To answer the OP the reason you pay more for the Ping over the Cleveland is the fact that Ping designed the thing originally. I've said this for years. Ping innovate, Scotty, Cleveland, and all the others imitate. It really is that simple. Oh and before all the scotty fans jump down my throat with the better materials tighter tolerances bunkum I say Yes you can spend on that kind of thing when you did nothing but copy someone's design in the first place.
How many of Scotty's tournament wins have been with one of his own very very ugly designs such as this beaut!

They may innovate but I've had a lot of Ping putters in my time and I've never owned a putter that felt as good a my current Scotty. It may be an imitation, but it's an improvement on the real thing

 

[Luulox]

Which is all very true, but the Phaeton is restricted to 155MPH, same as most VW, BMW Mercs. Why buy a car limited to that when it's capable of 200MPH+?


Congratulations you win the silliest Comparison of the year award. Name one time 200mph as come in more handy than 155mph on a British road. Mine has 160mph on the clock but it does not mean i will ever get near it or need it
Cheers
Pete

 

[drawboy]

They may innovate but I've had a lot of Ping putters in my time and I've never owned a putter that felt as good a my current Scotty. It may be an imitation, but it's an improvement on the real thing

What model have you got, I think it'll be a Ping rip off.

 

[One Planer]

Congratulations you win the silliest Comparison of the year award. Name one time 200mph as come in more handy than 155mph on a British road. Mine has 160mph on the clock but it does not mean i will ever get near it or need it
Cheers
Pete

When did I ever say it would?

The comparison in terms of the thread was Maurman vs Mizuno, the like for like example was Bentley vs VW. Same engine, different badges, mahoosive difference in price tag.

It wasn't a literal, nor performance, nor real world comparison.

Would you have preferred it if we had compared a hand cooked meal by Heston to a supermarket microwave meal?

I also agree that the iconic Anser putter is possibly the most copied putter in the history of putters.......

However

I would also add to that that other brands have innovated the design further (Scottys sole weights spring to mind) which no doubt adds to the R&D costs, but should, IMO bear little on the price we pay as the consumer (as per the OP).

In terms of the OP, I think it's one of the best threads we've had on here for a while and look forward to the continued debate :thup:

 

[drawboy]

I would also add to that that other brands have innovated the design further (Scottys sole weights spring to mind) which no doubt adds to the R&D costs, but should,

I think Ping beat him to the weights in the anser putter too with the IWI in 2008, could be wrong but probably not. There is no R&D costs when you take an item, take a mould of it them knock your own out with different paint, it's free.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

However you slice it and dice it, the end result is the same. This is business and the big boys are only interested in how much they can screw out of the public.

If you want to do a simple side by side comparison, then I can compare my forged Orka blades with my previous set, Mizuno forged blades. Nothing between the two sets in terms of quality, performance or finish. But the Orkas were 2/3rds of the price of the Mizunos because a) they are not a 'trendy' brand and b) they don't spend millions on overpaid tour pros.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

To answer the original question then surely a load of it must come down to R&D and advertising. If you look at brands like MD, they make wonderful gear at a fraction of the cost of say TM or Callaway. However they spend a fraction of the costs on advertising in particular and don't pay players huge fees to endorse their products.

In terms of putters, it is so subjective. I was lucky to get my current putter the milled odyssey protype tour #9 at a huge discount (£160 instead of £220) but I also tried a Wilson putter that had a tag of £39.99 which was like a wand. It is not the price tag that dictates what suits it is how many times you need to hit it to get it in the hole.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

It is not the price tag that dictates what suits it is how many times you need to hit it to get it in the hole.

Amen to that brother :thup:

 

[Kellfire]

I think Ping beat him to the weights in the anser putter too with the IWI in 2008, could be wrong but probably not. There is no R&D costs when you take an item, take a mould of it them knock your own out with different paint, it's free.

Why don't you have a Big Bertha driver, drawboy? The R11 is just a long drawn out copy...

 

[Oddsocks]

To answer the original question then surely a load of it must come down to R&D and advertising. If you look at brands like MD, they make wonderful gear at a fraction of the cost of say TM or Callaway. However they spend a fraction of the costs on advertising in particular and don't pay players huge fees to endorse their products.

In terms of putters, it is so subjective. I was lucky to get my current putter the milled odyssey protype tour #9 at a huge discount (£160 instead of £220) but I also tried a Wilson putter that had a tag of £39.99 which was like a wand. It is not the price tag that dictates what suits it is how many times you need to hit it to get it in the hole.

So why didn't you opt for the Wilson

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

...a fool and his money being soon parted?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

So why didn't you opt for the Wilson

Because the odyssey was also like a wand and the Wilson was a blade and I wanted a mallet. If I didn't already have a ping Anser in reserve for the summer or when the stroke gets better again I would have got the Wilson at the same time