Why does PING not make balls?

[DieHard519]

titleist, nike, callaway, srixon, bridgstone, wilson....do

I'm wondering why PING doesn't make golf balls. Have they ever made balls, or experimented with making them? Just a thought I had when I was out on the course yesterday.

[RJRJRJ]

They used to make some weird multi-colored balls that people collect now. I dont know why they stopped making them though.

[snyper1d]

I remember back when I was in Jr. Golf long time ago, I used to buy one of these balls every once in a while (With snack money from the rents) and play a round with it. Over the course of a couple of years, I probably donated a couple dozen of these to the woods and wanter. Wish I would have held onto them and sold them on the bay.

[varno]

What?!?!?

Those pieces of $%I! are worth something now?

[snyper1d]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.com/Box-12-Golf-Balls-PING-EYE-Bi-Color-RED-WHITE-XMAS-/380110432527?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Golf_Balls&hash=item588058e90f#ht_951wt_1137"]http://cgi.ebay.com/Box-12-Golf-Balls-PING-EYE-Bi-Color-RED-WHITE-XMAS-/380110432527?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Golf_Balls&hash=item588058e90f#ht_951wt_1137[/url]

[XYB34A]

They made golf balls, they sucked. end of story

[Maximilian]

[quote name='justaman5' date='26 May 2010 - 03:56 AM' timestamp='1274842598' post='2467587']
They made golf balls, they sucked. end of story
[/quote]
Those balls were made as a putting practise aid, (this was before the mass drew lines on their balls) not to be used in real play.

[jaskanski]

As mentioned earlier, Ping did indeed used to make balls but they were back in the days when the premium market was duly covered by balata and anything else was as hard as rock. Nowadays, the big players in ball technology have leapt so far ahead, Ping would have to invest a small fortune to catch up and even secure a modest amount of the market share. In the light of recent copyright spats between certain brands, Ping would be well advised to avoid any lawsuits by rival brands technology and performance claims - even if they tried to buy into it. To be honest, it's an already overcrowded market that Ping does not need to try to get involved in. Ping branding usually sells most golf related items, but when it comes to golf balls, they have little chance of shaking off the 'novelty' tag of their early offerings.

[DieHard519]

[quote name='jaskanski' date='26 May 2010 - 05:12 AM' timestamp='1274865147' post='2467963']
As mentioned earlier, Ping did indeed used to make balls but they were back in the days when the premium market was duly covered by balata and anything else was as hard as rock. Nowadays, the big players in ball technology have leapt so far ahead, Ping would have to invest a small fortune to catch up and even secure a modest amount of the market share. In the light of recent copyright spats between certain brands, Ping would be well advised to avoid any lawsuits by rival brands technology and performance claims - even if they tried to buy into it. To be honest, it's an already overcrowded market that Ping does not need to try to get involved in. Ping branding usually sells most golf related items, but when it comes to golf balls, they have little chance of shaking off the 'novelty' tag of their early offerings.
[/quote]

That makes sense. Thanks

[GaijinGolfer]

Another aspect to consider is that most of the golf companies that currently make balls have been golf ball manufacturers or have some sort of in with the rubber industry, whereas Ping does not.

[ckern1]

The majority of Ping's money comes from production of military equipment,....so I doubt they need to sell golf balls haha

[snyper1d]

[quote name='phatalbert' date='01 June 2010 - 11:33 AM' timestamp='1275410027' post='2480083']
The majority of Ping's money comes from production of military equipment,....so I doubt they need to sell golf balls haha
[/quote]

??

[DieHard519]

[quote name='snyper1d' date='01 June 2010 - 12:42 PM' timestamp='1275410546' post='2480097']
[quote name='phatalbert' date='01 June 2010 - 11:33 AM' timestamp='1275410027' post='2480083']
The majority of Ping's money comes from production of military equipment,....so I doubt they need to sell golf balls haha
[/quote]

??
[/quote]

I second that.......??

[ckern1]

WEll thats what I heard from some knowledgeable friend. But googled it and seems like a false alarm.

[Cornbread]

Nowadays, the big players in ball technology have leapt so far ahead, Ping would have to invest a small fortune to catch up and even secure a modest amount of the market share. In the light of recent copyright spats between certain brands, Ping would be well advised to avoid any lawsuits by rival brands technology and performance claims - even if they tried to buy into it. To be honest, it's an already overcrowded market that Ping does not need to try to get involved in. Ping branding usually sells most golf related items, but when it comes to golf balls, they have little chance of shaking off the 'novelty' tag of their early offerings.

 

So then how did Taylormade get intot the ball market? They were a lesser know name than Ping.

All Ping would need to do is buy out another company just like all the other big names have done.

Ping, just like Adams, Cobra, and other have no desire to enter the Golf Ball Market. Their club 'Brand' doesn't need the name advertisement like Taylormade did.

[Cornbread]

[quote name='GoBucky' date='26 May 2010 - 04:06 PM' timestamp='1274908002' post='2469047']
Another aspect to consider is that most of the golf companies that currently make balls have been golf ball manufacturers or have some sort of in with the rubber industry, whereas Ping does not.
[/quote]


Please explain the ties that Taylormade/Addidas and Callaway had/have with the 'rubber industry".
You were talking about Tires and not Condoms, right?

[H-Blade]

Sometimes it is best to stick to what you are good at... If making everything was the answer then all the automakers would build their own tires etc...

[Skydiver22]

[quote name='dm289' date='01 June 2010 - 07:12 PM' timestamp='1275448362' post='2481425']
Sometimes it is best to stick to what you are good at... If making everything was the answer then all the automakers would build their own tires etc...
[/quote]


Thats pretty much it... I played in a PING employee tourney a couple of years ago and on the putting green a bunch of us were talking to John Solheim and somebody asked him this exact question. His reply.... If we can't design the best ball, I don't want to fight for second best. PING is all about putting out the best product available, not product saturation.

[snyper1d]

Another aspect to consider is that most of the golf companies that currently make balls have been golf ball manufacturers or have some sort of in with the rubber industry, whereas Ping does not.

 

 

Please explain the ties that Taylormade/Addidas and Callaway had/have with the 'rubber industry".

You were talking about Tires and not Condoms, right?

 

I would try a sleeve of Trojan 6-piece balls.... I can see the marketing campaigns now- "Protection" against hazards

[Randiesel]

"Balls"... A Trojans worst enemy!

[SweetTeaGolfer]

Taylor Made bought out Maxfli to get into the ball industry then sold it to Dick's I believe. They sold everything but the Noodle to dicks. Could be wrong though. Then they got Dean Snell from titlist to design the new balls.

[XYB34A]

no the ball wasnt designed as a putting aid. people actually played those balls in the 1980s. they were basically the same thing as a titleist DT. surlyn wound with two colors. they were ok if you were drunk as a skunk or stoned out of your head when u played golf. if u liked to see the colors spin.

i will soon be 50 years old, and have played golf since 1973, i remember them well. [u]They stunk[/u].

[Maximilian]

no the ball wasnt designed as a putting aid. people actually played those balls in the 1980s. they were basically the same thing as a titleist DT. surlyn wound with two colors. they were ok if you were drunk as a skunk or stoned out of your head when u played golf. if u liked to see the colors spin.

 

i will soon be 50 years old, and have played golf since 1973, i remember them well. They stunk.

I am 27 and have been playing since 1989, I remember them quite well too! I even had one as a keychain. At least the pro on the course where I learnt to play had me practicing putting with them and said they where not meant to be used in real play. Maybe different marketing here in Europe compared to the States, or maybe he was just a smart guy. I don't know.

[hi voltage]

Another aspect to consider is that most of the golf companies that currently make balls have been golf ball manufacturers or have some sort of in with the rubber industry, whereas Ping does not.

 

 

Please explain the ties that Taylormade/Addidas and Callaway had/have with the 'rubber industry".

You were talking about Tires and not Condoms, right?

 

I would try a sleeve of Trojan 6-pieceinch balls.... I can see the marketing campaigns now- "Protection" against hazards

 

Fixed it for ya!

[big67]

Just played with some guy today that had a orange and yellow one.

[Pingdom]

I can't remember if I read it in Karsten Solheim's book, or if the guide said it during the tour of the Karsten facility - whichever it was; it was implied that the decision to drop the golf ball line was made when the company was refocusing their business strategies. Instead of devoting the time, energy, and money on their golf balls, Karsten decided to discontinue the golf balls and focus their resources on what they did best - golf clubs.

Though the two-colored balls were a novelty, their regular white golf balls (CT374, Ping Zings, and a some others I can't remember) were a golf proshop staple. I don't remember them being more popular or less popular than any of the competitors' offerings. I also remember that the Ping rep in our area didn't like the bi-colored balls, so he didn't bother encouraging the proshops to buy them.

Last year, around Christmas, a lady in California bought a sealed box of a dozen of gold/black at a tag sale. She's opened the box and sold just one so far - for $250.

[madison78]

why would they? That would be a loss. Why compete with Titleist, Srixon, Callaway, and Bridgestone? Just my two cents.

[storm319]

[quote name='SweetTeaGolfer' timestamp='1275697862' post='2487003']
Taylor Made bought out Maxfli to get into the ball industry then sold it to Dick's I believe. They sold everything but the Noodle to dicks. Could be wrong though. Then they got Dean Snell from titlist to design the new balls.
[/quote]

They bought Maxfli for the patents so they could be used to create their own ball line. Callaway did the same thing by purchasing Spaulding Golf (Top Flite/Hogan/Strata). TMaG only sold the Maxfli brand name to Dick's, still controls all patents and the Noodle brand name.

[Onebulldogs]

[quote name='SweetTeaGolfer' timestamp='1275697862' post='2487003']
Taylor Made bought out Maxfli to get into the ball industry then sold it to Dick's I believe. They sold everything but the Noodle to dicks. Could be wrong though. Then they got Dean Snell from titlist to design the new balls.
[/quote]
They sold the Maxfli brand to Dick's but kept all the patents. Cally bought Top Flite for the patents.

Without Patents, Ping would need to farm out its golf balls like Nike does.

[miket_81]

Oh I think that there are enough people that are so far up Ping's rear that they would play them even if they weren't quite as good as some of the others.. They would still be very good and most of all they would say PING on them...

It would be interesting if all of the balls out there had to start from scratch name/brand wise... I wonder if Titleist would be as popular as it is now....