Recap: LIVE Q&A with Adams Golf from Wed April 23, 2014

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='TNTlefty' timestamp='1398273439' post='9152343']
from a marketing perspective is Adams targeting a "different" golf consumer than parent company TM? if so, who?
additionally; what are Adams short and long-term goals in the golf club industry (growth/market share/expansion/etc)?

[i]i also asked earlier in the thread if there are any additional co-branding initiatives on the horizon similar to what was done in 2013 with SWA?[/i]


thanks for fielding our questions on WRX (i'm glad to be able to ask a question [i]live[/i]) - really cool!
[/quote]very good questions - thank you. Adams is targeting all golfers who seek more enjoyment in their game (thus easy to hit products for ALL levels of players from Tour to beginners). As for goals - as mentioned in some other answers on this session - it's all about delivering the best Second Shot products on the planet to all golfers. Therefore, gains in hybrids, fairway woods, and irons expected world wide. In regards with more co-branding with Southwest - we have only just begun. Check their twitter feed or you tube channel now - we just launched a video with them and hour before this chat started! Much more to come………- Scott Blevins

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='gprubes' timestamp='1397783060' post='9115535']
With so many different hybird models and options available, what is the biggest factor in releasing a hybrid to the golfing public??

Thanks in advance (if you answer my question) and thanks for taking time to answer question for us GolfWRX'rs!!
[/quote]

[i]Since Adams Golf is the leader in hybrid purchase consideration and the #1 hybrid on tour the decision to launch a new hybrid is different than other products. With other products like players irons, we need to take a close look at the market and see what the golfer needs and what no other company is creating, because we are not the leader in player irons. However with hybrids, since we are the leader, the biggest factors in launching a hybrid is first, what the golfer needs and less about what the competition is doing. The second biggest factor in launching a hybrid is what is doing well on tour. [/i]

[i]It is clear with our current line of hybrids that they either fill clear needs in the market or have been a leading model on tour at some point and work for all golfers. See below for how we position these hybrids. [/i]
[i]New idea hybrid – the easiest to hit hybrid [/i]
[i]Pro hybrid – the #1 model on the PGA, LPGA and Champions tour last week[/i]
[i]XTD Ti – Premium Titanium hybrid for golfers looking for the best of the best[/i]
[i](Michael Fox)[/i]

[Marks23]

Can you comment on the technology and design features in Ernie's prototype xtd irons? What differences between them and the retail xtd irons? Any plans to bring his irons to retail for the more skilled iron player? How do Ernie's irons compare to the classic cmb forged?

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='Marks23' timestamp='1398273473' post='9152353']
Do the stock shafts in the pro dhy and pro mini work equally well in the pro hybrid? How will they differ from the tour red?
[/quote]
We matched the stock shafts (Aldila Tour Red, Blue, and Green) with the head they will perform best in. The Green is the lowest launching...this makes it a perfect pair with the Pro Mini to give it a nice penetrating ball flight. The Blue is mid...the DHy is already a lower launching head so we wanted to give it a little help getting the ball in the air. The Red is the highest launching, making it perfect for the Pro hybrid that is the easiest to hit and give players the most help getting the ball in the air. These shafts will all perform well in each head though, just offer slightly different launch characteristics. I personally play a Tour Blue in my Pro hybrid to help keep the ball flight down a bit.-Matt Neeley

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='MaydayGSXR' timestamp='1398273114' post='9152261']
[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398272904' post='9152213']
[quote name='moymoiboy' timestamp='1397769527' post='9114277']
How interconnecting are Adams club designs and Taylormade designs, for example does Taylomade design for Adam's clubs completely or is it separate like there is Adam's design team and Taylormade's design team? If so do the two teams collaborate together regularly or generally both teams keep to themselves?

Thanks!
[/quote]

Good question. The R&D/design teams at Adams Golf and Taylormade are totally separate and actually not a lot changed in this area since the acquisition. We do collaborate on a regular basis and what this means is we typically go out to Carlsbad at least once a quarter and during that meeting both of us share our upcoming product lines and product positions. - Justin Honea
[/quote]

Does either one of you (Adams or TM) feel that you (Adams) should be leading the R&D for hybrids or any other club related to the "2nd shot" since you guys already have already made such an effort to be as effective as possible in that aspect. You've already got momentum and proven trust in the hybrid sector, so does Taylormade want to feed off that and allow you to take more of a lead in that department?
[/quote]

<Justin Honea> Great question but there are a lot of factors in play here. Short answer is we have to maintain separate identities even in the hybrid sector and it would be hard to share resources and do this. I do think Taylormade can leverage some of our hybrid technologies moving forward.

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='jcorna01' timestamp='1397785140' post='9115775']
Thank you to Adams for taking some time for us. I bought a set of CB3 irons over the Winter and I am really enjoying them! Not to mention they are some of the best looking irons out there. My question:


Although I live in the U.S., I have often heard that the availability of Adams products is extremely limited elsewhere in the world, particularly the U.K. Does Adams have a marketing strategy going forward to increase brand awareness worldwide? How do you envision the addition of Ernie Els to your team impacting this effort?
[/quote]

[i]One of our biggest factors in signing Ernie was his worldwide appeal. Prior to our acquisition by Taylor Made we had a distributor model which has limitations on what you can do with the brand. Now, we have subsidiary companies (already set up to sell and market other brands like Adidas and Taylor Made) and so we now have dedicated product, marketing and sales teams to grow the brands utilizing the infastructure already in place. Since we have moved to this model we have moved to the #1 hybrid model on the European Tour and as an example in other regions have moved to a #1 hybrid position on the Asia and Korea tours. Regarding Ernie’s impact, we have already felt it. For instance, our followers on Twitter are up 746% since his signing and many are following from regions around the world. - Scott Blevins[/i]

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='mikshan' timestamp='1397787066' post='9116041']
I am an older (51) golfer and my bag is nearly Adams from top to bottom. With your advertising it seems that you are targeting an older golfer such as myself. Was this an intentional demographic target that will continue, with Taylormade aiming for the young'ens, or will your marketing go wider? You guys make fantastic clubs and I hope that all golfers consider your clubs when looking for a new addition to their bag.
[/quote]

[i]Our target market is anyone who seeks more enjoyment in their game. Our products are easy to hit, a lot of fun to play, and work for some of the best players in the world like Watson, Els, Perry, Langer, etc. as well as high handicappers. Thank you by the way for the support!- Scott Blevins[/i]

[MaydayGSXR]

[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398273267' post='9152303']
[quote name='MaydayGSXR' timestamp='1398272670' post='9152177']
I've read the the goal of your R&D is to get ahead of the times, and make quality tour level clubs (some of your clubs are on tour long before they ever see retail). Are you guys solely focused on getting your clubs in the bags of tour players, with the hopes that it's success will trickle down to the public for sales? Or are you starting to look more into fitting a variety of types of players (with your different options and styles in hybrids, driving irons, etc)?
[/quote]
Our strategy for hybrids is to maintain our position as the #1 hybrid on tour. To do this we need to have frequent testing with prototypes with the best players in the world to make sure the products work for there games. We also use tour as a testing ground for new technologies to ensure that we can one day get the products in play on tour. This strategy and product development plan is only the case for our tour level products and hybrids. All other products are designed through looking at market need, market opportunity and technology to help normal golfers make the game easier. Most of the products we create are for the mid-handicap and high handicap golfers, which tour product and development wont work for.
[/quote]

That makes a lot of sense, as the "general" public of golfers will look at hybrids as iron replacements (easier to launch, more forgiving, etc) so I guess it would be extremely important to ensure the public can get those clubs that will work for them (rather than having to try tour level clubs which may have poor results).

Being WRX, I'm sure you're aware that a majority of members can/will only hit tour spec items but for an average golfer such as myself, is there a general direction in your line that I should be heading? Or should the local fitter/salesman easily know what would work best for me. Specifically, I've seen someone ask for the best gap club between 4 iron and 3 wood, and they got a good response. I'm in a similar situation and I'm debating a 4 hybrid, 5 wood, or driving hybrid to fit between 3 wood, 3 hybrid, and 5 iron.

If I'm not the most confident long iron hitter, would a driving iron benefit me? Or do you need to be a decent long iron hitter to effectively use a driving iron? Thanks in advance for an opinion, the 14th club slot has been eating at me lately, heh.

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='bosox24' timestamp='1397788253' post='9116249']
The XTD irons feel EXPLOSIVE and give huge distance. How does the ballspeed off the face compare with the other "distance" irons on the market in testing?
[/quote]

I’m glad you are noticing the improved distance. Historically, Iron design has been one of the least innovative clubs in golf. Most companies have strengthened their mid to long irons to attempt to show distance gain. We knew there were other ways to improve the club design. Until recently, compared to drivers and other hollow golf clubs, face speed (or COR) of an iron has been relatively ignored. In just one generation of club design at Adams which is a good representation of where irons in the market were at that time, Adams was able to increase the CT (characteristic time) by nearly 100%. This was collectively done, through improved materials, thin face, cut-thru slot in the sole and cross cavity design. - Justin Girard

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='PingDrv00' timestamp='1397788475' post='9116283']
What is the story behind the back of the new XTD irons? They look like a something from the Terminator movie.
[/quote]

At Adams, we work hard (industrial designers and engineers) to make sure we work together to insure an eye catching but functional cavity design. Functionally, the Cross Cavity design serves multiple purposes.
By pulling mass away from the face, you are able push the center of gravity deeper creating an improved gear effect that a traditional iron design struggles with. A deeper center of gravity, helps keep off center shots more online improving dispersion.
When creating a high CT/COR iron, it is necessary to decrease the face thickness and incorporate a cut-thru slot design. Unfortunately, the sound at impact changes when you do this. To counter this effect, we used the cross cavity design to add a rubber “pressure piston” behind the center circular badge. This rubber piston is compressed against the back of the center of the face where the face deflects the most that we refer to as the oscillation apex. What the rubber plunger does is reduce the duration of the sound and improve the feel to create a hot but crisp sound at impact. - Justin Girard

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='dukediv2011' timestamp='1398273800' post='9152423']
[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398273680' post='9152399']
[quote name='dukediv2011' timestamp='1398273362' post='9152329']
I recently bought the XTD forged irons. Why did y'all decide to use a 4 hybrid in the stock set instead of a 4 iron?
[/quote]
Good question! We feel that better players need help too, so why not put the #1 hybrid model on tour in our player's set? With a majority of PGA Tour players having at least 1 hybrid in the bag it just made sense. Keep in mind that via custom order you can get that 4 iron if you are interested! -Matt Neeley
[/quote]

Thanks for the response. Any reason why you used the Matrix shaft in the DHy instead of the Tour Green like in your other hybrids?
[/quote]
The Aldila Tour series are in our newest hybrids...the Pro DHy, Pro Mini, and Pro. The Matrix was a great performing shaft in the original DHy, but we wanted to offer and easy to use flight system for our newest hybrid line...Red=High Launch, Blue=Mid Launch, Green=Low Launch.-Matt Neeley

[Brianbigoats]

What goes into the shaft choice for a particular product iron/Hybrids/Metal woods

[carpergolf]

Are All adams driver shafts and taylormade driver shafts interchangeable?

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='MikeC732' timestamp='1397788469' post='9116281']
How does Adams choose which stock shafts to use in they're woods & hybrids?
[/quote]

[i]This is the perfect time for this question because between this week and last week we will meet with 6 of the top shaft manufacturers to start to determine what shafts will go in the 2015 line of products for Adams Golf. [/i]
[i]The process for choosing a shaft for a product typically goes as follows. However keep in mind this is a general process overview as there are a number of more meetings, steps and tests I’m skipping over.[/i]
· [i]We provide almost all the shaft manufacturers with our product plan for 2015, which includes the position of each product, the target market for each product, our desired weight ranges and the cost of the product. [/i]
· [i]A couple months later the shaft guys come back and present the shafts, which they feel will go best for each project.[/i]
· [i]Based on how we feel these shafts will work with the product, Justin will typically then request structure samples of each shaft for his team to test. [/i]
· [i]After we have all the test results the product, design and development teams will have discussions about the shafts which tested well for the golfer we are targeting with that club. We will discuss the performance along with the brand strength of the shaft and the overall coolness of the shaft. [/i]
· [i]Then we will run a few cosmetic samples and show our top choice or top two choices to our leadership team to get the okay.[/i]

[i]Adams has always prided itself on using “Real Deal” shafts in our products and that’s not going anywhere. Shaft selecting is fun because we make it a point to play at least one round with each of the products we are considering for a new product. Yesterday we got to try the new Project X shafts and tomorrow we are all playing with the new Aldila shafts. (Michael Fox) [/i]

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='rtraudt' timestamp='1398273506' post='9152361']
Another quick question. What is the selection process like for determining stock shafts for a given club? For example, how did you decide on each of the new ATX Tour shafts for each of the new Pro hybrids?
[/quote]

<Justin Honea> We start looking at shaft options about 8 months prior to launch. We always want the shaft to compliment the head design which is why we meet with shaft supplier on a monthly basis to discuss our product plan, technology and performance expectations. We always look at “Real Deal” shafts first and the only reason we would not do a real deal shaft would be cost or bend profile. We think there is a lot of equity in having a real deal shaft in our product and we have received a lot of great feedback by offering real deal shafts in most, if not all of our programs. The decision to use the Aldila ATX series was a pretty simple one because it matched up perfectly with our hybrid story. Tour Green = PRO 9031 (lowest launching, lowest spinning), Tour Blue = PRO DHy (mid launching, mid/low spinning), Tour Red = PRO (mid/high launching, mid spin). The shaft and heads were a perfect match.

[Brianbigoats]

Will the Cross cavity be have the same in the forged iron as it does in the GI irons?

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='JTK37' timestamp='1397787682' post='9116145']
What gains in ball speed can we expect in the '14 Pro with VST vs. the previous Pro models (A12 etc) pre VST?

As Adams was the first to move CG closer to the face with VST and spin rates fell while launch angles increased thus adding distance, did lofts of hybrids need to be tweaked to gap better with irons?
[/quote]

The main difference is cut thru VST in the 2014 PRO hybrid and you can expect up to a 3mph increase in ball speeds when compared to the pro a12 hybrid.
The short answer is yes. Adams is the leader in hybrid-iron technology so all of our integrated sets (sets design with hybrid) are specifically tuned for loft and length to ensure proper gapping between clubs. If you are playing a competitors iron set and are trying to add one of our hybrids I would recommend getting fit for the right loft to provide the distance you are looking for. Most players are looking for a hybrid to go a certain distance to fill a gap between their shortest wood and longest iron. - Justin Honea

[MaydayGSXR]

[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398274010' post='9152465']
[quote name='MaydayGSXR' timestamp='1398273114' post='9152261']
Does either one of you (Adams or TM) feel that you (Adams) should be leading the R&D for hybrids or any other club related to the "2nd shot" since you guys already have already made such an effort to be as effective as possible in that aspect. You've already got momentum and proven trust in the hybrid sector, so does Taylormade want to feed off that and allow you to take more of a lead in that department?
[/quote]

<Justin Honea> Great question but there are a lot of factors in play here. Short answer is we have to maintain separate identities even in the hybrid sector and it would be hard to share resources and do this. I do think Taylormade can leverage some of our hybrid technologies moving forward.
[/quote]

Awesome, thanks for the response. It sounds like there still may be a good bit of red tape wrapped around the two entities, but that is probably a very good thing. Hopefully TM is able to benefit from your designs behind you, and that you're able to continue leading the way. There's no denying that everyone is watching you when it comes to the "2nd shot"!

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='billdcatt40' timestamp='1397794446' post='9116867']
As a high handicapper in my late 40's....how would your hybrids improve my game over my 3 W?
[/quote]

This is a tricky answer. I would probably not recommend a hybrid over a 3-wood unless you can’t hit you 3-wood and are looking for a club that is easier to hit. Hybrids are designed shorter in length for more control, easier to launch the ball in the air and easier to hit from every lie than a fairway wood. What I would recommend is a hybrid for the gap that is created between your 3-wood and your longest iron. I would assume there is a large gap here and hybrids are much easier to hit than long irons. - Justin Honea

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='tbowen19' timestamp='1397795331' post='9116919']
I've never played an Adams hybrid...What do you think separates your hybrid from the competition? Pros and Cons
[/quote]

Good question. We feel that we are the leader in hybrid technology for a couple of reasons. 1) we are the #1 hybrid on tour and most of the players are not paid to play our hybrids 2) VST technology 3) upside down technology which allows us to get the CG lower than hybrids on the market which allows us to fine tune the launch and spin characteristics better than anyone else 4) we design hybrids for every player type (better player, game improvement, super game improvement). Most companies have one or two hybrids that are very similar in design and performance but we set ourselves apart with options for every player……lower launching/lower spin (PRO 9031), mid launch/mid spin (PRO Dhy), high launch/mid spin (PRO), high launch /low spin (XTD), high launch/mid to high spin (new Idea) plus many more. 5) look – we have a decade of hybrid development under our belt and have spent countless hours fine tuning the shapes of our hybrids to fit the eye of the player. I spend a lot of time with our engineers fine tuning the shape and look of our product because I think this is just as important as everything else. - Justin Honea

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='ericpaul2' timestamp='1398273336' post='9152317']
[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398272684' post='9152181']
[quote name='hayzooos' timestamp='1398272595' post='9152165']
[color=#282828]Any truth Adams was/is thinking about doing some sort of MOI matching/fitting for their irons? I think this would be a great way to differentiate yourself if you even offered the option. [/color]
[/quote]

This is a great and interesting point. MOI in irons often gets under looked when communicated to the consumer. The volume (cc) of the head and how efficiently the mass is placed inside this volume is what determines the MOI value. Even though we don’t have a specific fitting system in terms of MOI, our iron lineup ranges from a compact, but very playable forged iron in our XTD forged set to our new IDEA Hybrid-Iron integrated set. Each set is targeting a handicap and ability range specific to the playability of the irons which MOI plays a great deal into. For the New IDEA Hybrid Iron set, where MOI plays a significant role in the playability, we have a patent protected design that we refer to as the “ABC” patent which lets us have three different club types based on volume (and thus MOI) that allows us to integrated the appropriate amount of MOI into each hybrid and iron to help the golfer through their entire set.
[/quote]

This reply missed the point entirely. Question was about MOI matched club fitting as an alternative to conventional swingweight fitting.
[/quote]

The actual MOI matching of an assembled golf club (about the shaft), is an interesting concept that can help the golfer turnover the golf club more consistently through the set. Unfortunately, we have found that a golfer is more sensitive to the consistency of the swing weight of the golf club than they are to matching the moment of inertia about the shaft. Because of the effect of matching MOI can vary the swing weight and overall weight of the golf club, it unfortunately is trumped by the traditional constant swing weighted set.

[joey2aces]

I just bought a G25 hybrid 20*. What would you tell me are the advantages of switching out to the Adams?
thanks for your time

[Brianbigoats]

How does the pro design differ fron the Tour Only LSP last year other than color ?

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='MJP22' timestamp='1398273578' post='9152381']
Adam's golf has never been shy about pushing the aesthetics of the club, espeically the woods/hybrids with slots and aerodynamic ridges on the crown to improve performance. How do you try and balance the performance vs look, if at all? Has there ever been any apprehension on a clubs look even though you beleive in the performance it generates?
[/quote]
As engineers, we want to give you guys the best performing golf clubs possible. That being said, there is certainly a balance between that and the aesthetics we place on the crown. There have been some designs that have been great from a performance standpoint but so ugly we wouldn't even think about releasing them! These prototypes get refined to be a bit more pleasing to the eye and that is the product that you see on the shelves.-Matt Neeley

[painicus]

Any thoughts on bringing back the Boxer Technology? Or was that just a flash in the pan for that small point in time, has your company ever regretted joining a flash in the pan craze like square-tech?

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='joey2aces' timestamp='1397789269' post='9116377']
It's been just over 2 years since TM bought Adams. What has been the biggest and most noticeable benefit from the M&A?

Forgive my ignorance but are the TM adapter sleeves for the jetspeed or sldr compatible with the Adams xtd?

Thanks for yiur time in this and formthe opportunity to put one of the best hybrids in my bag.
[/quote]

[i]The first recognized benefit was the discount on adidas shoes and apparel. That was awesome! [/i]
[i]One of the notable business benefits from the partnership with TaylorMade and adidas has been the infrastructure they have set up internationally. Due to the cost of establishing a business in offices around the world, Adams needed to use a distributor model to sell products globally. A distributor models means we sold product to one guy who then sold our products to all the accounts in the country. An example is Adams will sell all our products to one company in Canada who then hired his own team to sell all of the brands he owned one of which as Adams. This is a great way to initially get your brand out globally, but it is a difficult model to grow your brand. With the partnership with TaylorMade and adidas global we can utilizes the office and infrastructure that they have set up globally to make it affordable for Adams to move away from a distributor model to a subsidiary model where we can have our own sales, product and marketing people in each country to help grow the brand. With this new focus, inside the first two years we have been able to already take the #1 hybrid position on the European Tour and Asian tour. We are also quickly approaching the #1 position on the Japan tour.[/i]

[i]On the product side one of the biggest benefits to the partnership is that we no longer need to worry about infringing on TaylorMade’s patents. All companies have a collection of patents which block companies from doing certain things. Most of these patents are very broad and very detailed and can make making golf clubs difficult at times. It takes our patent attorney almost two months to clear a design we are creating to ensure we aren’t infringing on anyone’s patents. While we haven’t really used any of TaylorMade’s technologies directly, it is nice not to have to worry about infringing on their patents during our design process. I’m sure TaylorMade would say the same thing about our collection of patents and that having one less company to worry about infringing on their patents only makes it easier.[/i]

[i]Our newest adjustability sleeve on the XTD line of products is compatible with the Jet Speed and SLDR products. We did this primary because the bit used in the wrenches for adjustability was almost common for all companies, but in 2013 Adams was one of the only hold outs with our triangle design wrench. Because golfers couldn’t easily find an Adams wrench to use on our products, especially at retail, golfers weren’t utilizing our adjustability. The easiest way to change the bit quickly was to use a similar design to TaylorMade’s sleeve. (fox)[/i]

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='wdwfan78' timestamp='1397795419' post='9116927']
Adams seems to go above an beyond with shaft pairings in their equipment. From the C-Taper as a stock shaft in the XTD forged and the Aldlia Tour Series in the Pro's, I am curious if shaft choice is a factor in the design of the clubs during the R&D phase or is it something that is factored in after design is complete and you are trying to respond to the market after the fact.
[/quote]

[i]The part which starts the development process and is constant through is the target golfer for the product. If a product is for better players with higher swing speeds you design the product with a plan to put heavier and stiffer shaft in it. You need to establish this before you create the product to ensure when the product is done you are hitting a desired swing weight. We do not have a particular shaft in mind when designing a product as we want to keep ourselves open to the best shafts available. However as we stated in a previous question we make the shaft decision pretty early in the development process and are working on this right now for our 2015 line of products. (Fox)[/i]

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='mikes919' timestamp='1398273797' post='9152421']
[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398273456' post='9152349']
[quote name='mikes919' timestamp='1398273051' post='9152241']
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions! I put this one back on page 1, I'd be very interested in your response:

For Justin Honea- I saw in a previous interview that you said the new XTD driver has the hottest face in golf because you hold such tight manufacturing tolerances. Does Adams use any special manufacturing processes to enable these tight tolerances? Or have you figured out new ways to design around traditional manufacturing methods?

Thanks again Adams!
[/quote]

<Justin Honea> We took what was already established and create new processes and new check points that no one else in the industry uses. This process costs a lot to setup and adds a lot of cost to each driver but it is well worth the money when we see the smiles at demo days! The majority of drivers off the production line are never checked for CT which means you could grab one with a 235 CT or one with a 250 CT. Would you knowingly buy the slower driver on the shelf?!? We have the Hottest Face in Golf and we are very proud of this! When the idea was pitched to our suppliers there was a lot of resistance because it would require a lot more time on the production line as well as a high reject rate but our Engineer Manager – Metalwoods (Alex Berger) took on the challenge and flew to Asia and created a new production process that we plan to carry forward on the next driver launch.
[/quote]

Wow, great! I didn't expect that anyone would be checking CT 100%. I'm sure you have a solid manufacturing plan in place or you wouldn't be moving forward, but I'm curious how you handle the reject problem with so much value in each head. Can you rework drivers for CT?
[/quote]

<Justin Honea> We have 4 CT checkpoints on the finishing line so actually every driver is checked a minimum of 4 times. We set our bandwidth slightly wider at the first check point then we start tightening it up until we are within a tight tolerance (7microseconds) at the upper end of the USGA limit. If the driver is above the limit at any point in time it is rejected (to my bag!) because there is no way to decrease the CT but if it is below the bandwidth for that checkpoint it is kicked out of the line and started over. Long and short it is better to be on the lower side of the bandwidth starting out then we can dial in the CT as it proceeds to the final 3 checkpoints.

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='Marks23' timestamp='1398273963' post='9152457']
Can you comment on the technology and design features in Ernie's prototype xtd irons? What differences between them and the retail xtd irons? Any plans to bring his irons to retail for the more skilled iron player? How do Ernie's irons compare to the classic cmb forged?
[/quote]

Both sets are being used by the best players in the world! Kenny Perry loves the current XTD iron while Ernie Els is currently rocking the XTD Tour irons. The differences will be in the shape. Relative to XTD cross cavity iron, the profile will be more compact with less offset while incorporating the same Cross Cavity design. Relative to the CMB iron set, the XTD Tour iron is a slightly bigger profile with a little more forgiveness due to its size and cross cavity design.

-JG

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='Brianbigoats' timestamp='1397796247' post='9116977']
Why were the three different ATX shafts chosen this year for the hybrids and what goes into shaft choice on new products
[/quote]

[i]We chose the Aldila ATX shafts in this years line of Pro hybrids first because with our three different Pro hybrids, we wanted to produce three different launch conditions for each product. The second reason is because the ATX hybrid shafts are the #1 on the PGA tour and had a lot of buzz. Whats great with the ATX line is you can order the Tour Red, Blue or Green in any of our Pro hybrids in custom at no up-charge to get the right flight and shaft for you. (Fox)[/i]

[i]What goes in to choosing a shaft was answered in a Previous questions and we have listed below:[/i]

[i]The process for choosing a shaft for a product typically goes as follows. However keep in mind this is a general process overview as there are a number of more meetings, steps and tests I’m skipping over.[/i]
· [i]We provide almost all the shaft manufacturers with our product plan for 2015, which includes the position of each product, the target market for each product, our desired weight ranges and the cost of the product. [/i]
· [i]A couple months later the shaft guys come back and present the shafts, which they feel will go best for each project.[/i]
· [i]Based on how we feel these shafts will work with the product, Justin will typically then request structure samples of each shaft for his team to test. [/i]
· [i]After we have all the test results the product, design and development teams will have discussions about the shafts which tested well for the golfer we are targeting with that club. We will discuss the performance along with the brand strength of the shaft and the overall coolness of the shaft. [/i]
[i]Then we will run a few cosmetic samples and show our top choice or top two choices to our leadership team to get the okay.[/i]

[i]Adams has always prided itself on using “Real Deal” shafts in our products and that’s not going anywhere. Shaft selecting is fun because we make it a point to play at least one round with each of the products we are considering for a new product. Yesterday we got to try the new Project X shafts and tomorrow we are all playing with the new Aldila shafts. (Fox) [/i]