Pending TaylorMade Announcement

[Z1ggy16]

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Lol. One thing to keep in mind is that all of these "letters" (from any company...TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, etc) are sent to us...the retailers. They are intended to hype US up about the product and try to stand out from the others. They are trying to get US to buy the products to stock in our stores/proshops. If that doesn't happen, and we don't get excited to push the products, then their (the companies) sales suffer greatly. Green grass accounts are still one of the largest influencers on the consumer's buying habits...if we aren't excited about them and recommend them or even stock them, those companies feel it big time. It's why they put so much effort into selling us on the products and have reps still visiting us so often...the one's that want to sell equipment, that is.

This makes the most sense to me. I got a fitting last year at a green grass kind of shop and the fitters there LOVE Accra. Rightly so... but I basically hit every Accra shaft available it seemed in lieu of some other brands possibly. I didn't mind because I absolutely loved them, but I would imagine the close relationship between the owner of the shop and the other of Accra has a lot to do with that.

[Cwing]

Rickie is a good signing for them. That stated, I’m not sure it lived up to the hype. Each person will need to be the judge of that.

[GoGoErky]

Rickie is a good signing for them. That stated, I’m not sure it lived up to the hype. Each person will need to be the judge of that.

 

There was no hype. It’s internal memo and for the company it’s big. For the industry it’s also pretty big as most club companies that have a ball too aren’t doing these type of deals and the ones that are(not named titleist or Tiger with Bridgestone)don’t have a Rickie Fowler to market. It’s also just a first of the type for Tm and I expect more either this year or after the tour championship

[chris975d]

Rickie is a good signing for them. That stated, Im not sure it lived up to the hype. Each person will need to be the judge of that.

 

This topic is a dead horse at this point, and it is what it is, but, in reference to hype...if you weren't a member here and read all the (sometimes silly) stuff we post here and just one of the 99 % of golfers in America that aren't on this site, would you have known about this Rickie to TaylorMade ball and glove deal before it actually happened on Monday? The "hype" was created here in this thread by people posting here. I will fully admit TaylorMade's marketing is over the top most of the time, but it wasn't in this case. This was never a public facing hype stunt. It's the same thing all companies to toward the retail channels. There was no hype outside of this thread at all about this announcement. No press releases or commercials with teasers, etc.

[zonadub]

...TaylorMade's marketing is over the top most of the time...

Exactly.

This is the company that promised X yards more for so many years in a row that we should all be driving par 4's now.

[chris975d]

...TaylorMade's marketing is over the top most of the time...

Exactly.

This is the company that promised X yards more for so many years in a row that we should all be driving par 4's now.

 

That seemed to be back under different leadership. Coincidentally...the head of marketing back then at TaylorMade is the guy that's now at Callaway. Which would help explain why, at my level of interaction with them, the two companies have almost changed identities over the past 3-4 years.

[GoGoErky]

...TaylorMade's marketing is over the top most of the time...

Exactly.

This is the company that promised X yards more for so many years in a row that we should all be driving par 4's now.

 

That seemed to be back under different leadership. Coincidentally...the head of marketing back then at TaylorMade is the guy that's now at Callaway. Which would help explain why, at my level of interaction with them, the two companies have almost changed identities over the past 3-4 years.

 

It’s gotten noticeable over the last 2-3 especially as more TM guys have gone over there

[Texas1]

Also, don’t retailers make a lot more money from taylormade balls than titleist balls.

 

If I were a golf club pro shop buy id stock what makes the most money at a golf course

 

I much prefer prov1’s than other balls. Srixon don’t do anything for me. Tp5x not so much either.

 

Closest I’d the Bridgestone but I like the practice prov1 as I know I’ll always lose a few

[paulshack]

They will announce that Taylor has truly never made a club

 

sh1t will be renamed like JeffreyMade or sum

[youraway2]

TM will market it a lot and Titleist only wins in ball counts because they give them away like candy and pay the most players. Reality is most of the top guys don't play Titleist anymore. Why consumers continue to pay $50/dozen for them is mind blowing to me.

 

Because the average golfer falls for marketing. I see it every day. Titleist is the "#1 used ball on Tour" (by way of overall count, of course). That works, and Titleist knows it. That's why they work so hard (aka spend money, give stuff away) to keep it that way. "Top guys" by themselves generally don't move the needle. It's when a whole bunch of Tour players use something and, by simple statistical averages...more guys playing it, equals more chances the company's product is played by a winner. That's what most average golfers notice. That "Titleist balls" win more often than not. I hate that, as I despise selling Titleist balls. But it's the truth. Although I have witnessed that changing more rapidly in the past 3-5 years than I ever have before.

 

Just curious, why do you despise selling Titleist balls?

 

I just don't think they make a good product, especially compared to the other premium balls on the market. And I really hate the arrogance of the company. But ProV1s are one of those balls that you almost "have" to stock...although I've stopped for the since about the end of summer as an experiment of sorts, and I've shifted some ProV1 users to Srixon and Taylormade.

You "have" to stock, wonder why?

[chris975d]

TM will market it a lot and Titleist only wins in ball counts because they give them away like candy and pay the most players. Reality is most of the top guys don't play Titleist anymore. Why consumers continue to pay $50/dozen for them is mind blowing to me.

 

Because the average golfer falls for marketing. I see it every day. Titleist is the "#1 used ball on Tour" (by way of overall count, of course). That works, and Titleist knows it. That's why they work so hard (aka spend money, give stuff away) to keep it that way. "Top guys" by themselves generally don't move the needle. It's when a whole bunch of Tour players use something and, by simple statistical averages...more guys playing it, equals more chances the company's product is played by a winner. That's what most average golfers notice. That "Titleist balls" win more often than not. I hate that, as I despise selling Titleist balls. But it's the truth. Although I have witnessed that changing more rapidly in the past 3-5 years than I ever have before.

 

Just curious, why do you despise selling Titleist balls?

 

I just don't think they make a good product, especially compared to the other premium balls on the market. And I really hate the arrogance of the company. But ProV1s are one of those balls that you almost "have" to stock...although I've stopped for the since about the end of summer as an experiment of sorts, and I've shifted some ProV1 users to Srixon and Taylormade.

You "have" to stock, wonder why?

 

Because the average person falls for successful marketing more than successful performance. See it almost everyday. Example being...fitting someone into a Mizuno or Srixon club(s) that they see instant positive results with...but despite that, they will STILL often times ask me to order them something from TaylorMade or Callaway instead.

 

The average golfer, just like the average consumer, is easily swayed by marketing. And Titleist spends the most on golf ball marketing and promotion than anyone, at least they have traditionally. I haven't seen numbers in a year or so.

[rkelso184]

Stats don't lie

 

Rickie ball vid on TM Instagram has 166k views.... There new driver teasers weren't even close.

 

Rickie putting an orange dot on a ball has 18k likes while tiger bombing a driver has only 20k... Out of the last 50 post it's the 3rd highest and only been up days....

[imakaveli]

Good for Rickie I guess...

[jpintoca]

Tiger: Expectations for 2019 'way different' than last year-https://bit.ly/2DwtKQ4

[The General]

it's all very rocketballszy

[Choclab]

I actually just read pretty much this entire thread, not knowing how it would turn out.

 

So TM just wants the young Rickie sheep? Because TM's ball prowess was already proven to me with Rose and DJ and Rahm and Sergio. Seeing those guys play the TM ball actually meant something to me. Rory switching from Titleist to TM was a much bigger story IMO. I don't see where Rickie adds a single thing as far as credibility.

[grm24]

Rory switching from Titleist to TM was a much bigger story IMO.

Rory switched from Titleist to Nike.

[GoGoErky]

Rory switching from Titleist to TM was a much bigger story IMO.

Rory switched from Titleist to Nike.

 

And had a lot of callaway including ball before signing with TM

[Choclab]

Rory switched from Titleist to Nike.

I meant the golf ball. Thought that was obvious from the rest of my post.

 

And I didn't know Rory was under contract with Callaway. My bad.

[theboypinoy]

Rory switched from Titleist to Nike.

I meant the golf ball. Thought that was obvious from the rest of my post.

 

And I didn't know Rory was under contract with Callaway. My bad.

 

I don't think Rory was ever under contract with Callaway; just had a period where he predominantly played their things prior to signing with TM

[youraway2]

OK, maybe I missed it, did they make an announcement?

[MattyO1984]

OK, maybe I missed it, did they ™ make an announcement?

 

Nothing worth worrying about.

[aliikane]

it's all very rocketballszy

 

That was the worst marketing campaign for TM I have seen. "That was Rocketballszier". Really?

[aliikane]

Rickie is a good signing for them. That stated, I'm not sure it lived up to the hype. Each person will need to be the judge of that.

 

It says a lot about the TP5X because apparently (from the article I read), Fowler approached TM about the ball and wanted to test it. It wasn't Taylormade approaching Fowler about the ball. After a lot of testing by Fowler he was getting almost a club longer with the TP5X on his irons and a few yards more on his driver than ProV1X and it was holding it's line better in the wind.

[Pleasedwith3putts]

There were a few times during the first two rounds when Fowler kept up with Rory and Adam which got me thinking he had found some yardage since last year. Could be the driver, the ball or the fact he hit the gym but keeping up with those guys is a good achievement.

[GMR]

Rickie is a good signing for them. That stated, I'm not sure it lived up to the hype. Each person will need to be the judge of that.

 

It says a lot about the TP5X because apparently (from the article I read), Fowler approached TM about the ball and wanted to test it. It wasn't Taylormade approaching Fowler about the ball. After a lot of testing by Fowler he was getting almost a club longer with the TP5X on his irons and a few yards more on his driver than ProV1X and it was holding it's line better in the wind.

Think what he said is he was picking up a club total distance on the holes he played with the new ball, accounting for the gains he was seeing on the drive and approach combined. Goal not to nitpick (so please don't take it that way) and that's certainly nothing to sneeze at, but having tested most of the balls out there (including the TP5/X), I just wouldn't want anyone reading to think it's realistic to pick up a whole club of distance on approaches from a simple ball change. FWIW my experience with the TP5X lines up with Rickie's...maybe 5 yards off the tee and another 5 yards on the approach in total shortening the hole up by around one club.

[SAM_PGA]

FWIW... Titleist's PGA Tour ball count has gone from 72% in 2018 to 78% in the new year. The golf ball is the lone factor that pros are very reluctant to switch so either Ricky likes what he sees for HIS game or possibly a prelude to what is next on his horizon equipment wise.

 

I played with Ross Fisher in the FedEx St Jude in 2013, he had disappeared off the radar after a stellar Ryder Cup appearance and multiple wins. I asked about his equipment change to Nike and he said it wasn't the clubs... it was the ball. Took him 2 years to find a ball that he preferred and it ended up being a proto Nike ball that only Tiger was using at the time.

[GoGoErky]

FWIW... Titleist's PGA Tour ball count has gone from 72% in 2018 to 78% in the new year. The golf ball is the lone factor that pros are very reluctant to switch so either Ricky likes what he sees for HIS game or possibly a prelude to what is next on his horizon equipment wise.

 

I played with Ross Fisher in the FedEx St Jude in 2013, he had disappeared off the radar after a stellar Ryder Cup appearance and multiple wins. I asked about his equipment change to Nike and he said it wasn't the clubs... it was the ball. Took him 2 years to find a ball that he preferred and it ended up being a proto Nike ball that only Tiger was using at the time.

 

He’s awhile away from his contract being up with cobra and he doesn’t sound like he is planning to leave as he likes his clubs and the relationship.

 

Not sure who broke up with who but from what I’ve read he really likes the ball and had talked to Rors about it last year

[SAM_PGA]

FWIW... Titleist's PGA Tour ball count has gone from 72% in 2018 to 78% in the new year. The golf ball is the lone factor that pros are very reluctant to switch so either Ricky likes what he sees for HIS game or possibly a prelude to what is next on his horizon equipment wise.

 

I played with Ross Fisher in the FedEx St Jude in 2013, he had disappeared off the radar after a stellar Ryder Cup appearance and multiple wins. I asked about his equipment change to Nike and he said it wasn't the clubs... it was the ball. Took him 2 years to find a ball that he preferred and it ended up being a proto Nike ball that only Tiger was using at the time.

 

He's awhile away from his contract being up with cobra and he doesn't sound like he is planning to leave as he likes his clubs and the relationship.

 

Not sure who broke up with who but from what I've read he really likes the ball and had talked to Rors about it last year

 

Time will tell! If he doesn't put a V on the board this year I'd be surprised if he sticks with the ball...

[CheckJV]

FWIW... Titleist's PGA Tour ball count has gone from 72% in 2018 to 78% in the new year. The golf ball is the lone factor that pros are very reluctant to switch so either Ricky likes what he sees for HIS game or possibly a prelude to what is next on his horizon equipment wise.

 

I played with Ross Fisher in the FedEx St Jude in 2013, he had disappeared off the radar after a stellar Ryder Cup appearance and multiple wins. I asked about his equipment change to Nike and he said it wasn't the clubs... it was the ball. Took him 2 years to find a ball that he preferred and it ended up being a proto Nike ball that only Tiger was using at the time.

 

He's awhile away from his contract being up with cobra and he doesn't sound like he is planning to leave as he likes his clubs and the relationship.

 

Not sure who broke up with who but from what I've read he really likes the ball and had talked to Rors about it last year

 

Time will tell! If he doesn't put a V on the board this year I'd be surprised if he sticks with the ball...

 

He is looking pretty good at the moment. But he’s been there before at this tournament. Be quite a time to win with the ball switch.