CLICK HERE to listen.In Episode #36 of Golf Gear News, host Bruce Stasch reports at The Newstand on
Pro Athletes Who Are Golfers,
Wie Will Concentrate on the LPGA, and
Maxfli Kills Daly Ad.In the State of the Game we read about
The Cost of Endorsements and She Golfs Too introduces
Lady With 10 Holes-in-One.The Guru rants about the
Idiocy of Draw Drivers & Moveable Weights.We find that Callaway Gets Caught in Non-Conforming Web, and Golf of The Weird learns how to
The Compute Odds of One Women's 10 Holes-in-One.Finally, at Website Spotlight, check out the legal website
Golf Patents.As always, our show is sponsored by
Golfknockoff.com.
Check out our new
Media Kit.
Labels: Callaway, Equipment, Golfweek, Michelle Wie, Moveable Weights, Podcast
The Idiocy of Movable Weights and Draw Drivers
On the Chinese calendar, 2007 is the
Year of the Pig, but in golf, it is the year of the Draw. The first major equipment company to the "Draw-ing" table was TaylorMade with their
r7 Draw. Then Callaway added to their FT line and its innovative square head, but couldn’t help themselves and now offers a
FT-5 in three flavors: draw, neutral and fade.
In 2004-06, we saw the introduction of moveable weight drivers. Then they expanded the concept to irons, hybrids and putters. Now we can move weight around on everything in our bag except maybe our ball retriever.
Lately, to gain a market edge, TaylorMade and Callaway have been
trying to undermine each other's credibility in the media. Creating a controversy of moveable weights versus square heads. This public fight may be good for equipment sales, but it does nothing for the average golfer. Neither of these product innovations will improve a 15-handicapper's game.
You have just blasphemed!! May the legal departments of these companies smite you.**
Not hardly. Changing the configuration of your driver by throwing weight around a club is not going to make a difference to any golfer unless we have a REPEATABLE SWING. If we can't do the same thing two consecutive times, what difference does it make if we can put weight in the toe, heel or anywhere else?
Every golfer wants to improve their game. It's one of those great truths in the universe. Short of outright cheating (a little rule-bending is okay), we are all looking for the next golf magazine tip or Zen moment when everything is right with the golfing world and we shoot that elusive par round.
We are being taken for an expensive ride my friends. Buying that $499 driver isn't going to mean a hill of beans to your game if you can't do the same thing twice. Save your money and buy some lessons. That and your old trusty 360cc driver will help lower your score faster than any of the fancy new drivers on the market today.
**Insert “cover-your-ass” legal babble here.
Labels: Callaway, Moveable Weights, Retailing, Square Drivers, TaylorMade
CLICK HERE to listen.In Episode #31 of Golf Gear News, host Bruce Stasch reports at The Newstand that
Wie is Out for Month with Injury,
Hockey Wants to Emulate Golf and
TaylorMade-Adidas Inks Deal with Chinese.
In the Perfect Fit section we learn about the
R & A's Ruling on Iron U-Grooves.
The Guru Commentary asks the question
Is TaylorMade Losing It's Edge to the Square Driver? She Golfs Too explores
About.com's Top 50 Female Golfers List and Golf Around the World visits Colorado and the
Newest Ice Golf Course.
In Can't We All Get Along a
Golfer is Wanted in Course Vandalism and Golf of the Weird reports on the
Golf Novel That Predicts the Future and the
Only Par-4 Hole on the PGA Tour.
Our Website Spotlight is
Sweet Wood Golf Company.
As always, our show is sponsored by
Golfknockoff.com.
Check out our new
Media Kit.
Labels: China, Equipment, golf, Michelle Wie, Moveable Weights, Podcast, Square Drivers, TaylorMade, Women's Golf
Why Are Golfers So Gullible?
Many will say that "perceived" product innovation drives the golf club market each year. Knowing that, gullible golfers still wait in line to be the first to turn over their money and buy the latest, hottest or most advanced product on the market today.
So, shouldn't it seem ridiculous to Mr. Gullible Golfer that Callaway, the big daddy of equipment, is coming out in 2007 with another "ultimate performance driver based purely on physics?" Obviously not.
I'm not picking on Callaway specifically, but all the equipment manufacturers out there. It used to be that once a year, around October, we'd get to see the unveiling of each company’s new line of golf clubs. Now, we see the cycle repeat itself every six months.
If I may, please refer to Exhibit A: the
Callaway Fusion FT-i 460cc Driver.
Now how is this one different than the others? Wow! It's got a square rear end. And it will come out at $599. Nike is going to have one too!! Last year it was screw weights, first introduced by Taylor Made, now its square butts.
As each new driver hits the market, the manufacturer mentions all the folks that are testing it on tour. Then they talk about the "performance enhancements", "breakthrough technology" and the "unprecendented amount of pre-orders". In the meantime, Mr. Gulllible is salivating at the prospect of getting his hand on one of these. If someone wins with it (perhaps an Annika or Phil), then it becomes the hottest seller....for a while.
Let's see, since 2002, Callaway has introduced the Great Big Bertha, Great Big Bertha II, Big Bertha 454, Fusion, Fusion FT-3, X 460, and now the Fusion FT-i. That’s seven new drivers in FIVE years. With an average sticker price of $399, Mr. Gullible would have needed to spend $2793 to keep up with the Jones since 2002.
That doesn't even include the new $899 set of irons, the $179 putter, the two $149 fairway woods, a $119 hybrid or the $42 Pro V1 golf balls Mr. Gullible’s needed to keep current.
I'm not faulting Callaway. I’m faulting Mr. Gullible the consumer. Instead of actually taking lessons to improve one's game or even playing more than twice a month, Mr. Gullible wants the club to do all the work. Just think, at $125/lesson, he could have 16 lessons with a pro and still have money left over to buy that Callaway FT-i when it shows up on eBay three months later for only $299.
Isn't there a point when a golfer has too many clubs or are we all just gullible equipment-buying fools?
Labels: Callaway, Equipment, Moveable Weights, TaylorMade
CLICK HERE to listen.
In Episode #24 of Golf Gear News, host Bruce Stasch reports at The Newstand about
Tiger Woods: Dream Endorser, Senate Awards Nelson a Medal, Bettor Loses Big on Ryder Cup, and
2nd Swing to Liquidate.Perfect Fit looks at
Moveable Weight Putters and The Guru Commentary rants about how the
Mitchell Golf Program is Found Lacking.
In She Golfs Too we learn about the
Top 10 Golf Injuries and the Component Corner announces the
GolfWorld Top 100 Shop Contest and a
Dumbest Golf Product Contender.In Golf Around the World we travel to
Egypt & Turkey and Golf of the Weird we hear about the
Hamster Adventure.To close out the show's Website Spotlight we play a song from
The Golf Boy.As always, our show is sponsored by
Golfknockoff.com.Check out our new
Media Kit. Next time don't miss the interview with Duffer McDoughall Johansen.
Labels: 2nd Swing, Byron Nelson, Moveable Weights, Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods
