Titleist Making a Habit Of Leading the Club Count on Tour Each Week

[MattyO1984]

Take a look at the Tour WITB pictures when they are back up and running and you will see that there a lot of guy who using their irons but walking around with something else emblazoned on the tour bag.

[Whereismydivot]

You can look at it another way. Titleist is a "players club", or always has been. Most mere mortal people can't get in a race car and drive it properly. Only the very talented can. Titleist clubs to me are like that race car. Tour players possess that talent. Last season we had a Demo Day with Titleist. I couldn't hit them as well as my clubs. I had blades in my bag from the 70's through the 90's and wish I still could hit them properly. Titleist are the best looking clubs out there, next to Mizuno, at least from my perspective, yet I don't have any. My wallet out votes my ego on this one.

[Ferguson]

 

 

KPS strategy, not a TM business perspective.

[Catty]

I think the "players club" is a bit of a overblown myth. I play with my 30 year old Titleist tour model blades. I have a modern set of cavity backs that I was fitted with and my game went backwards. Been using my blades again for the past two years and haven't hit it better. I play all the irons through to 3 iron. I think people talk themselves out of hitting them because of the image that they are not good enough to play them.

[2bGood]

I am in the clickie camp when it comes to Vokeys. 11/14 clubs Titleist, but I have gone to their wedges yet. I admit have not tested their recent offerings as I bought extra edges when the grove run changed and I have not worn them out yet.

[iutodd]

You see Vokey wedges everywhere on tour. And obviously the ProV1. And obviously Scotty Cameron. Those three names are brands in their own right.

The rest of the stuff I’m sort of surprised they are “leading” I guess but when you have that much penetration into those other areas is it really that surprising? Like if you use their wedges (and a ton of guys seem to do so) wouldn’t you at least think about the PW/9/8 irons? And they clearly have a big budget and presence on tour so I’m betting the experience week to week is solid - like if you needed something tweaked or regripped or whatever. And if you’re going by there all the time for wedges or putting stuff or balls or whatever...like it’s natural to be curious about other stuff. Aren’t we all hos deep down?

But I also don’t put a ton of stock in what the pros play.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

I don't think most of us --forum readers-put much stock into what the pros play when it comes to what we play.

But I can absoluty tell you it does to the average --non forum reaadijg--player. We see it all the time in our shop.

[iutodd]

^I don’t doubt it one bit. Which is why they advertise so damn much!

[Carolina Golfer 2]

And it definitely pays off. Last I looked, and granted it's been a couple months but they have like 45% of the retail market on balls sold. Next highest was 21% by.

In our shop there are two models of balls that make up 80% of our sales. ProV1 and whstever value pack like 24 Chaos for $25 is out there.

Everything else makes you the other 20%

[976-Evil]

Now, how do you know 100% certain they aren't being paid under the table?

Like when Brooks won and titleist subtley marketed his win with the ball? You think there wasn't compensation when he was winning?

[MattyO1984]

If they were paying him it would be to advertise with him front and centre. You used to see it back when Tiger was winning majors regularly. Titleist and Scotty would have something out there to say the winner of the Open played with a Scotty Cameron. They would never name him. If they were paying him, I would be certain that they would be doing it so they could expressly name them.

[dalehead]

Exactly. Saying “Tiger (or Brooks) won with our equipment” requires some kind of contract, presumably with payment. Saying “The winner of the US Open played our equipment” doesn’t.

[smashdn]

If money was no object what would your bag look like?

The perception (mine anyway) is that TM has the hottest drivers. I don't use them because I don't care much for the looks of them and I like the performance I get form current driver (Titleist 913).

For woods I don't see any brand really dumping a bunch of investment into "making the best woods in golf." I'd pick anything that worked for my needs, I use an old Adams as evidence of that.

Irons, would you really grab a Titleist iron first? For a pro I got to think that a big part of the puzzle is having tour trailer support at the tournament and having the guys there and elsewhere to build you a club or set of clubs when needed. Maybe that is why Titleist shines? I'm not anti-Titleist irons just that if I had the capability I would play something like an Endo forged iron, Miura or National Custom type offering. I am of the mindset that about 90% of the stuff on the back of irons is for marketing. (Same with the bottom of the club when it comes to drivers.)

Wedges I think Vokeys are some of the best.

Putters are a feel and confidence thing. If a SC is your thing that's cool. I don't see them being head and shoulders over others - until you need them tweaked and now you are back to tour trailer support. I've hit some SC's over the years but never really found one that was head and shoulders better than others. I use a ping B60 in the copper color and Bettinardi blade with Ben Hogan stampings, a BH-something.

[Naptime]

I don't have a pro's youth, fitness, skill, coordination, practice hours or access to free stuff so doesn't really matter to me what they play. Their game is to mine as auto racing is to the three legged race at a picnic. What I would love to see is a tournament where the pros are given $1000 to spend at a retail or online store (including used gear) to assemble the clubs and balls. No access to a personal club tinkerer. Any club fitting is at the retail place. I don't doubt they would still score better than the GolfWRX forum community, but maybe not quite as low as usual. Or it won't matter at all.

[gators78]

I really want to like Titleist because they legitimately have the coolest logo in golf, but I've never had luck with their stuff. Fairways were decent, the 710MBs were nice, I've been underwhelmed multiple iterations on Vokeys, and the 910D2 driver might be the worst driver I've ever used. Yes, I know I'm wrong here.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

It's funny, I have a single digit friend who constantly tells me, he's not good enough to play Titleist. I tell him that's an old take from the 80's an 90's. I hover between a 15 and 18 and play almost a full. Bag, the T200 and T300 are very playable, The TS2 driver won the best overall driver in the M G S Driver testing I believe, maybe 2nd behind, MAVRIK.

The 816 hybrid of two years ago was the easiest hybrid I have ever hit to launch high and straight, even easier than PING's. Give the new stuff a try if you haven't. I agree with you on the 910 as well as 905 and 975 drivers as well.

[dalehead]

The stars of the PGA Tour of the 2030’s are already on the radar of the major manufacturers, Titleist, TM, Cally, Ping. They will follow them through AJGA and college and build relationships with them, including free equipment. Deals with college coaches also come into play. This paves the way to sign them to contracts when they hit the big time. Don’t hate the companies that are good at what they do. Companies like Miura, Honma, and many others don’t have the resources and US organization to play with the big boys. The boutique brands wind up in the bags of equipment junkies like WRX’ers. That’s why they are boutique brands.

 

[mahonie]

I have seen the photograph of TW with Miura-san holding a blank of what looked like a Mizuno MP29...some guy from Titleist was standing in the background.

[mahonie]

Titleist pretty much sponsors the PGA Tour in the UK (or so it seems). Yet you rarely see any Titleist equipment out in the wild. Clubs are pretty much dominated by Mizuno and Ping with Callaway mentioned in despatches and Srixon seems to have the ball market sewn up. Mid-table but pushing forward steadily are Wilson Staff. In our pro shop a couple of years ago, Ping was outselling Titleist by 2 to 1; Wilson Staff was outselling Ping by 3 to 1...Titleist got dropped after 12 months.

[forrester_fire]

They also pay a ton of guys to use their equipment. Look at their tour roster on site page; over 313 "brand ambassadors" spread over the various men's tours. For reference, Mizuno has 34 across all tours...including the ladies.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

And did you notice 95% of those were ball only contracts.

[Pepperturbo]

Seeing the stats the OP provided doesn't surprise me. I have been almost 100% Titleist equipment guy twice in my golf life, for lengthy periods too. I didn't plan it either, just worked out that way. Last time I played all Titleist was when they introduced 670MB's 2003 (20 tour players had 670's in the bag) till 2006 when I switched to Callaway till 2017 when I switch to Titleist 716CBs. TS2 is close to the best and 620 MB & CB series are maybe their best irons. Though they dominate the ball market, they have a hellava stable of top pros and lower level pros.

Titleist makes darn good equipment for all sorts of people, with focus on better amateurs and tour pros. Management was wise to maintain and develop Scotty Cameron and Vokey, which made a full bag and owner Fila Korea is doing right by the brand. Seems Titleist has always been an OEM that didn't spend the bank on advertising. Titleist is kinda like Porsche - users quietly promote the product. As opposed to TM which is loud on tour and heavy consumer merchandiser to attract retail. It's a great brand.

[forrester_fire]

And did you notice there's a filter? Brand Ambassador...not ball-only...313 of them. 1,153 total if you include the ball-only guys.

[Pepperturbo]

@Carolina Golfer 2 - You are correct.
What many consumers don't see are all the pro users that have contracts wtih other OEM's. Consequently, equipment choices are masked or painted to appear like their OEM equipment contract providers equipment. This is often stipulated in their contract too. Happens a great deal with shafts as well, painted to look like an OEM stock shaft when it's really aftermarket. The count of these users is so difficult to determine, survey is not possible.

[forrester_fire]

Why shouldn't we "hate" them? Who do you think ultimately pays for all of the free gear and sponsor dollars they dole out to elite amateurs and pros? The smaller OEMs then have to follow suit in pricing, lest their equipment be seen as inferior.