New Ownership: Matrix Shaft Co. & Dustin Johnson

[nitram]

Matrix have been doing shafts for OEM's for a decade or more. May be coincidental but i thought they dropped off post JC.

 

It's not a coincidence...

[Holy Moses]

If Tiger is in on this and put the TP7HD in to play just to give the shaft and his new company some publicity, it would be a Tigeresque this to do. How many times has he sacrificed his play to make money? Not that the TP7HD isn't a great shaft, but Tiger left the 2017 M2 to move to the 2018 M3 with Twist Face. His driver is the problem (as it has been), but why not just play what works best? He's doing it with his irons and wedges, but why is he weird with the driver? Because the driver sells the most?

[leftygolfer15]

If Tiger is in on this and put the TP7HD in to play just to give the shaft and his new company some publicity, it would be a Tigeresque this to do. How many times has he sacrificed his play to make money? Not that the TP7HD isn't a great shaft, but Tiger left the 2017 M2 to move to the 2018 M3 with Twist Face. His driver is the problem (as it has been), but why not just play what works best? He's doing it with his irons and wedges, but why is he weird with the driver? Because the driver sells the most?

 

Ego plus money from TM to switch. It’s been pretty clear his desire to hit it the longest on tour and he was all over Rory asking him last week about his switch to the Tensei Orange and him picking up 5 mph ballspeed. Who knows, I may be wrong but that’s just my 2 cents from observing from 35,000 ft.

[tickyboy]

The article suggests the pros will have their own 'signature line' which will be available to buy, too.

 

Awesome. Hope the MSRP is around $50.

 

That's cool, but I wonder how many people will actually fit into those shafts?

 

Around one.

[TollBros]

If Tiger is in on this and put the TP7HD in to play just to give the shaft and his new company some publicity, it would be a Tigeresque this to do. How many times has he sacrificed his play to make money? Not that the TP7HD isn't a great shaft, but Tiger left the 2017 M2 to move to the 2018 M3 with Twist Face. His driver is the problem (as it has been), but why not just play what works best? He's doing it with his irons and wedges, but why is he weird with the driver? Because the driver sells the most?

 

Contracted Tour players are required to switch to the new woods within a set period of time. It's contractually mandated.

[Holy Moses]

If Tiger is in on this and put the TP7HD in to play just to give the shaft and his new company some publicity, it would be a Tigeresque this to do. How many times has he sacrificed his play to make money? Not that the TP7HD isn't a great shaft, but Tiger left the 2017 M2 to move to the 2018 M3 with Twist Face. His driver is the problem (as it has been), but why not just play what works best? He's doing it with his irons and wedges, but why is he weird with the driver? Because the driver sells the most?

 

Contracted Tour players are required to switch to the new woods within a set period of time. It's contractually mandated.

 

If that's true, that's a huge mistake on TaylorMade's part with Tiger if he can play a lot better with the 2017 M2

[exitlowandleft]

He never played the 2017 m2...he played the 2016 m2 with a Tensei CK Pro White

[KrazyTrain18]

If Tiger is in on this and put the TP7HD in to play just to give the shaft and his new company some publicity, it would be a Tigeresque this to do. How many times has he sacrificed his play to make money? Not that the TP7HD isn't a great shaft, but Tiger left the 2017 M2 to move to the 2018 M3 with Twist Face. His driver is the problem (as it has been), but why not just play what works best? He's doing it with his irons and wedges, but why is he weird with the driver? Because the driver sells the most?

 

Contracted Tour players are required to switch to the new woods within a set period of time. It's contractually mandated.

 

Not every tour player has the clause in their contract, many top players are switching more frequently nowadays because of the way most courses are setup. Any distance gain seems to be preferred than staying with whats working it seems.

[Holy Moses]

He never played the 2017 m2...he played the 2016 m2 with a Tensei CK Pro White

 

Ah, you are right. And from what I’ve read here the 2016 M2 is the best M series driver TaylorMade has put out.

[NPVWhiz]

This may be the first instance of this type of ownership and involvement structure for a shaft manufacturer that I'm aware of, but my impression has always been that except for just a few exceptions, the arrival of a big name player to get behind a brand is usually the kiss of death. The main exception I can think of would be Norman's involvement with Cobra, and that wasn't as much of a scenario where Cobra hitched their whole wagon to Norman, but Norman had a piece of part of the international business at one point. I'm thinking about Nick Price, Tom Watson at Adams and others like that, where the name player's arrival almost heralded the end of the company. Hogan seems to be the only player that ever made this kind of transition successfully, in that he was able to parlay his playing reputation and demeanor into the core of the club brand, and it worked for the demographic they wanted to target.

 

It seems like all of the stand alone shaft companies have a tough time making numbers that can support a viable entity. Maybe it's that consumers have at least grown wise enough to understand that having DJ's name on a shaft at Dick's sporting goods doesn't have a meaning that would engender strong brand affinity.

 

How many players have stepped in to these scenarios and had it unwind or implode? It seems like the history of the second tier brands in the golf business is littered with these examples. That doesn't necessarily doom this one, but imho it doesn't bode well.

[Mookie91]

If Tiger is in on this and put the TP7HD in to play just to give the shaft and his new company some publicity, it would be a Tigeresque this to do. How many times has he sacrificed his play to make money? Not that the TP7HD isn't a great shaft, but Tiger left the 2017 M2 to move to the 2018 M3 with Twist Face. His driver is the problem (as it has been), but why not just play what works best? He's doing it with his irons and wedges, but why is he weird with the driver? Because the driver sells the most?

 

I don't think Tiger has ever done this. He is using a TaylorMade proto blade instead of anything they market to the masses. He seems to be one of the tour pros that tests clubs to death to make sure they are better than what he is currently gaming and has said as much.

[ForTourUseOnly]

Has anything been actually confirmed on what players are in on this? I don't see anyone on tour using their product consistently

[rgk5]

If Tiger is in on this and put the TP7HD in to play just to give the shaft and his new company some publicity, it would be a Tigeresque this to do. How many times has he sacrificed his play to make money? Not that the TP7HD isn't a great shaft, but Tiger left the 2017 M2 to move to the 2018 M3 with Twist Face. His driver is the problem (as it has been), but why not just play what works best? He's doing it with his irons and wedges, but why is he weird with the driver? Because the driver sells the most?

 

I don't think Tiger has ever done this. He is using a TaylorMade photo blade instead of anything they market to the masses. He seems to be one of the tour pros that tests clubs to death to make sure they are better than what he is currently gaming and has said as much.

 

No, not yet. He still has the Nike designed TGR stamped model.

[Golfingfanatic]

With TW switching to the Pro Orange, surely he is not one of the players. No way he changes shafts again this season imo.

[Anser]

I heard the same thing and the other player is none other then Tiger! Hence why he made the switch back to the TPHD shaft he is using now. No idea if this is just rumor or not but that is what I was told.

 

That would be amazing. I would never have to get fit for a shaft again.

 

Honest question - why?

 

Because they own a percentage of a company? Unless you swing like DJ or Tiger using what they use makes no sense

[Anser]

If Tiger is in on this and put the TP7HD in to play just to give the shaft and his new company some publicity, it would be a Tigeresque this to do. How many times has he sacrificed his play to make money? Not that the TP7HD isn't a great shaft, but Tiger left the 2017 M2 to move to the 2018 M3 with Twist Face. His driver is the problem (as it has been), but why not just play what works best? He's doing it with his irons and wedges, but why is he weird with the driver? Because the driver sells the most?

 

Contracted Tour players are required to switch to the new woods within a set period of time. It's contractually mandated.

 

If that's true, that's a huge mistake on TaylorMade's part with Tiger if he can play a lot better with the 2017 M2

 

He can miss 60% of fairways with a new one just like the old one

[Anser]

It's interesting that Veylix was created because they were upset that Matrix started doing OEM driver deals. It's got to be a good but sad feeling knowing they were right in that Matrix was screwing up.

 

Just curious, why is it a bad idea for a company to do OEM deals?

 

The same reason John Deere didn't want Wal-Mart selling their mowers.

 

It degrades the quality of the brand.

 

The question becomes, is selling a zillion more at lower margins worth that result.

[gioguy21]

anser comin in guns blazing this morning ---

[ws6]

 

The same reason John Deere didn't want Wal-Mart selling their mowers.

 

It degrades the quality of the brand.

 

The question becomes, is selling a zillion more at lower margins worth that result.

 

Agreed, imho the 8620 cast wedges did the same thing for Scratch.

[Anser]

The same reason John Deere didn't want Wal-Mart selling their mowers.

 

It degrades the quality of the brand.

 

The question becomes, is selling a zillion more at lower margins worth that result.

 

Agreed, imho the 8620 cast wedges did the same thing for Scratch.

 

They were DOA anyway as are all boutique brands like that but it helped speed up the watering down for sure

[Tzoid]

With TW switching to the Pro Orange, surely he is not one of the players. No way he changes shafts again this season imo.

 

The Rumors people start crack me up..... Tiger is absolutely playing the Mitsubishi Tensei Pro Orange 70TX and talking about how the driver and fairway wood shaft has "fixed" things . If he's a partner in Matrix the other partners should buy out his shares and kick his arse out.

[autronicdsm]

I bet Tiger wishes now he stuck with Matrix lol

[Anser]

One of these days you guys are gonna realize pro's don't sell equipment

 

Anyone who's spent 10 minutes in golf retail knows this. The idea people would buy shafts cuz of who the company is owned by or what shaft some pro plays? rofl

 

Someone on this forum might but if ALL the people on this forum got together they'd be 1% of the 100 shooters walking in Dicks tomorrow looking at golf clubs.

 

Of course, now someone is going to reply with "why do they pay them to endorse clubs then" and on and on it goes.

 

An amateur golfer buying a driver shaft because Dustin Johnson is using it is a little like my wife buying Victorias secret and thinking she's going to look like Alexandra Daddario.

[rgk5]

One of these days you guys are gonna realize pro's don't sell equipment

 

Anyone who's spent 10 minutes in golf retail knows this. The idea people would buy shafts cuz of who the company is owned by or what shaft some pro plays? rofl

 

Someone on this forum might but if ALL the people on this forum got together they'd be 1% of the 100 shooters walking in Dicks tomorrow looking at golf clubs.

 

Of course, now someone is going to reply with "why do they pay them to endorse clubs then" and on and on it goes.

 

An amateur golfer buying a driver shaft because Dustin Johnson is using it is a little like my wife buying Victorias secret and thinking she's going to look like Alexandra Daddario.

 

You and I have been preaching this for years. If a pro's endorsement sold equipment Nike would still be in business after Tiger's astounding 79 wins. I'll repeat that in the last 15 years I can not fill one hand with the number of customers who have said:

 

"I want the putter/driver/irons/wedges that Player X uses."

 

Even less for what shaft Player X is using.

[Anser]

One of these days you guys are gonna realize pro's don't sell equipment

 

Anyone who's spent 10 minutes in golf retail knows this. The idea people would buy shafts cuz of who the company is owned by or what shaft some pro plays? rofl

 

Someone on this forum might but if ALL the people on this forum got together they'd be 1% of the 100 shooters walking in Dicks tomorrow looking at golf clubs.

 

Of course, now someone is going to reply with "why do they pay them to endorse clubs then" and on and on it goes.

 

An amateur golfer buying a driver shaft because Dustin Johnson is using it is a little like my wife buying Victorias secret and thinking she's going to look like Alexandra Daddario.

 

You and I have been preaching this for years. If a pro's endorsement sold equipment Nike would still be in business after Tiger's astounding 79 wins. I'll repeat that in the last 15 years I can not fill one hand with the number of customers who have said:

 

"I want the putter/driver/irons/wedges that Player X uses."

 

Even less for what shaft Player X is using.

 

And if they did, why would someone want a shaft Tiger was using? He hits less fairways than most guys on this forum. He's a terrible driver of the golf ball and always has been. He had other virtuoso talents like up and down and putting but driving? If he could sub in almost any other guy in the field to hit his tee shots he'd be a threat this weekend.