Your Questions for... Mark King - CEO of TaylorMade

[CMAC]

Looking the PGA tour stats, Dustin Johnson Has the following:

2008 Avg Dist 309.7 Fairways 53.05%
2009 Avg Dist 308.3 Fairways 55.4%
2010 Avg Dist 308.5 Fairways 56.35%
2011 Avg Distance 314.2 Fairways 57.17%
2012 Avg Distance 310.2 Fairways 56.3%
2013 Avg Distance 305.8 Fairways 53.36%

Question: In the 5 years since Dustin Johnson joined the tour his average driving distance is 0.2m less than what it was on his first year on tour without much gain in accuracy. Your marketing for all of your recent releases appears to suggest he is hitting the ball further with every TM release. Are you deliberately misleading your customers?

Those are some interesting figures, would love to see some comments on them.

Im sure he will quickly become a politician and swerve the question.

Imo the Burner is still the best

hasn't the ball changed a lot, so maybe its nothing to do with the clubs. I think big Jack even said it's the one major factor in golf distances

 

[One Planer]

hasn't the ball changed a lot, so maybe its nothing to do with the clubs. I think big Jack even said it's the one major factor in golf distances

Veryt true,

Wouldn't the player used in the example only use a ball that gave them better stats?

Why would he want to lose distance?

 

[john0]

I can't recall TM releasing a new ball over the last 6 years and advertising it as not going quite as far as last years model

 

[richy]

Veryt true,

Wouldn't the player used in the example only use a ball that gave them better stats?

Why would he want to lose distance?

Someone who wanted to put a 3 wood shaft in a driver head maybe?

 

[Deleted member 1147]

If an amateur golfer decided to get a new driver, and asked your opinion on what they should get. Would you suggest they go to a fitting centre and try all brands, or would you just tell them to get a TaylorMade?

James Robinson
Derby

 

[CMAC]

I can't recall TM releasing a new ball over the last 6 years and advertising it as not going quite as far as last years model

does he use a TM ball?

 

[bluewolf]

Someone who wanted to put a 3 wood shaft in a driver head maybe?

Or someone who suffered a back injury in early 2012 that kept him off the Tour for 2 months and may have resulted in a restriction to his original swing?

 

[SaintHacker]

Could a high handicap player hit your new tour preferred blades? And if so could you send me a set to prove the theory?

Paul Houghton
Southampton

 

[el marko]

Is the speed pocket really what its cracked up to be? I would really like to see 2 versions of the Rbladez/speedbladez side by side one with the speed pocket one not and prove that there is more distance.

 

[MikeH]

some great questions here folks, should be a good interview!

One thing to note on the DJ driving distances is that these are average drives over the season not longest drives hit during the course of the season - its taken from data on 2 holes each week where MOST players use driver but really long hitters like DJ dont always use driver even on these holes

TM would base all their performance claims on data gleaned from tour players hitting on the range (measured by trackman/flightscope/GC2 type devices) with a technician tweaking away at loft and shafts and and year on year, new product vs previous product the tour player will almost certainly hit the new product longer

However will that mean you hit an SLDR longer than you'd hit a R9 super tri both with stock stiff shafts... thats a different question!!!

 

[Imurg]

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However will that mean you hit an SLDR longer than you'd hit a R9 super tri both with stock stiff shafts... thats a different question!!!

And one which you should pose to him Sir!

 

[GB72]

When is this interview due to appear in the magazine Mike as this one is lined up to be a real corker, especially if TM are up front with their replies.

Also, I know it is not TM but is part of the same company so would it be out of order to see if there was any comment on the potential damage being caused by Adizero Tour Shoes as this has been a real hot forum topic or any chance of putting it to Adidas at the Orlando Golf Show?

 

[GB72]

I can't recall TM releasing a new ball over the last 6 years and advertising it as not going quite as far as last years model

I am sure I do, there was mention of a ball to go alongside the Lethal that did not travel as far but spun more. I think it was going to be called the TM 'Short and Curly'.

 

[MikeH]

When is this interview due to appear in the magazine Mike as this one is lined up to be a real corker, especially if TM are up front with their replies.

Also, I know it is not TM but is part of the same company so would it be out of order to see if there was any comment on the potential damage being caused by Adizero Tour Shoes as this has been a real hot forum topic or any chance of putting it to Adidas at the Orlando Golf Show?

Hi Greg
this is scheduled for our May or June coverdated issue (Daly was Feb so not as far away as it sounds)
valid question on the adizeros - will see if I can get a view from them

 

[SGC001]

Tungsten was used in clubhead design decades ago and then was brought back fairly recently. TaylorMade used to make a bag called the Vor-Tech, this was a V shaped Trolley bag with front facing pockets, it was able to accommodate a considerable amount of kit and seemed to pack both easier and into less space in the boot. Are there any plans to relaunch it it or make another line incorporating some of those design features?

 

[Swinger]

Given that governing bodies "will be nonentities within 10 years” according to you, do you think you are bigger than golf?

Steve Tilley, salisbury aged 14 and 3/4:thup:

Haha. very good mate. Only just spotted this.

 

[User20205]

Haha. very good mate. Only just spotted this.

You could be famous in the next mag:thup: 'benross staff player puts the boot in to TM GM'