Have driver prices gone insane?

[mitchdoc]

WAS only about 3 or 4 years ago where a premium driver was 400$. Often you could get a Cobra or Srixon model at say 350$

The new Stealth, TSI3, Rogue ST, Ping G425 are all going to retail between 550 and 580$!!!

Let's be honest are there improvements? yes. Are they enough to trade your 3 or 4 year old club and pony up these crazy amounts?

To me I just can't see it.

 

Rick Shiels compared the Sim2 to the new Stealth. Effectively no performance difference. Right now in Canada the price difference is more than 200$ dollars. and that is for a 2021 club.

I can get last years cobra  for 300$ Canadian less. I think manufacturers are going tobe sorely disappointed when people just go and buy reduced price drivers from 1 or 2 years ago and these sit on shelves until end of year sales.

 

Love to hear all your opinions. Think most purchases will be FOMO.

[third-times-a-charm]

Yes they are insane. No of course they arent better. 

 

If you want it, buy it. If you dont or cant, then dont. Prices will come down as soon as they stop selling them.

[elwhippy]

Discussed this last night in our local store. Stealth is £499. First Big Bertha Titanium drivers were £499. Difference is a new set of irons was 3-pw or even 3 to SI and cost £600. A specialist wedge was £70 and a carry bag was £60. Cobra spooked the driver market with their big selling .86 COR models and other manufacturers had to hold back price rises. Not saying TM aren't milking it but people were queuing up to use £500 drivers over 25 years ago. 

[lefthack]

They aren't any more insane than they have been the last 20 years. Some new drivers have always been crazy. 

 

I am looking to buy my first new driver at the end of this year when it comes out. But I only paid $80 for my M6 head on ebay, so the fact a new one is $400 doesn't impact me. 

[benclab]

They're back to their 1998 prices. Great Big Bertha and 975D were all 500 new.

 

Also, no one is forcing consumers to buy the new ones.

[copegolfer]

The "My stealth" and the like are expensive, yes. 

But overall pricing, no. 

 

I remember back around 2000-2003 or so, new titleist drivers were around 400-500 bucks. 

 

So given the time frame of 20 years, $100 on average isn't that big of an increase comparatively speaking.

 

CP 

[tobybear]

The Ping ISI Tec debuted around $600 if I remember correctly when it was first launched so when you factor in how long ago that was - were actually only getting back to that point and are still technically lower.

 

[Gsea]

7 minutes ago, benclab said:

They're back to their 1998 prices. Great Big Bertha and 975D were all 500 new.

 

Also, no one is forcing consumers to buy the new ones.

What has gone insane is the used market. I bought a used 975D back in the day that was 2 yrs old for less than 100$. Try that with a 2 yr old Taylormade or Callaway today.

[aquapig]

Supply and demand is a funny thing.

 

 

[gs1184]

I was very lucky to find my Sim2 Driver slightly used for $399. 

 

Drivers have indeed gotten more expensive over the recent years.

[aggie182]

They're pretty crazy, for sure.  I have always been a "last years technology" kind of purchaser when it comes to my clubs.  It's being felt there too.

[Toybota]

Hence why I'm always one or two generation behind.

I'm too cheap to pay for full MSRP when I know I can get 50% off in 1-2 yrs. 

 

My latest bag consists of:

Sim Max

915F

XR hybrid

I15/I10 Irons

 

[MattM97]

Does no one factor in inflation? @benclab mentioned the Big Bertha and 975D were $500 in 1998 would be $855 today. 

 

The other thing is who's upgrading drivers every year? I get wanting the newest thing but don't expect improvements. Use the new Rogue ST and the previous Rogue as example, if you got the original Rogue new in 2018 and are planning on upgrading to the Rogue ST in 2022 that obviously a 4 year gap and you'll probably see improvements between those two. 

[drumdude96]

I bought a Sim2 Max at the end of last year for $330 with a Smoke Green 70.  Slightly used, but in good shape.  That's still more than I wanted to spend, but hopefully the performance warrants the price. 

[me05501]

Never forget that the OEM's are MARKETING companies as much as technology companies. 

 

A major part of their strategy w/r/t drivers is to be able to continue selling the old model alongside the new model for a season or more. They roll out the new model at $549, slide last year's model down to $399 and the model from two years back still sells for $299. All three are profitable because the manufacturing cost is probably less than $80 per driver if not less. 

 

Meanwhile they've persuaded us to keep paying $800 for a set of 6 irons when the same money used to buy 8. Fill those extra spots in your bag with a $175 wedge at one end and a $299 hybrid at the other. 

Edited January 19, 2022 by me05501

[Skhacker]

If you can avoid the marketing and temptation of the latest and greatest, buy new but prior generation. I wanted the Sim2 Ti fairway when it came out but knew if I could wait 10 months and play what I have, I could get it new for almost half price. $300 cdn now as compared to $529 cdn a few months ago. 

[HarborMike]

Combination of many factors have driven up the price. This includes inflation, supply issues, increase operating and overhead expenses, and COVID impact just to name a few. However, I’m only really seeing big hikes with the top OEMs (Titleist, TM, Callaway) and probably a few others missing from this list. These companies carry the biggest operating expenses and marketing budget as well as most players under equipment contracts. Other companies are still selling around $400 price point that are just a good if not slightly better or worse than the top OEMs mention above such as Cobra, Mizuno, (even PXG drivers). For example; think the new Mizuno ST-Z/X 220 drivers are going to release MSRP at $449 (that’s $150 cheaper than the Stealth). Again, no one is making anyone buy a brand new major OEM driver. If price is an issue, there are many more offerings or you can wait a year or two and get the current offerings at a discount brand new. Unless USGA and R&A eases up on their driver build restrictions, you’ll only see marginal gains year to year.

[RCGA]

I buy exclusively used. The key is to look at stuff that's 2-3 years old; lots of discussion, at least 50% off retail. 

 

 

[R5Two]

Like most have said market will set the price. I am very fortunate that I can afford an new driver every year (or more often lol) along with the country club membership, etc. 

 

However, also like most have said I have a choice and I am out. I love my SIM 2 and there is too little difference for me for the price. 

 

I don't want to afford it anymore lol. 

[BCULAW]

Saddest part of the industry right now is the price increases, though I would argue we’ve seen it affect the other clubs more than the driver. 
 

When I first got heavy into the gear game in 2005 or so, a new wedge was $69-89. Putters were mostly sub-$100 and a Cameron might run $250. Iron sets were all sub $1G, and usually hovered in the $800 range for forges flagship products, IIRC. I They’ve now all nearly doubled since then, but my salary hasn’t!  Ha ha!!  It’s a hard pill to swallow. 
 

And, of course, no one is forcing me to buy. And I don’t buy nearly as much as I used to, which is why it is sad to me. It was a hobby I truly enjoyed (club tinkering), but it is becoming harder and harder to justify. 
 

I will say that PXG has become a far more attractive brand to me because of this new pricing model. 

[Roody]

That's why I'm still rocking my Titleist 915D. And I got that used in 2016 for $180. 

[phizzy30]

Not to mention that you if want a custom shaft, they charge 150+, essentially driving it up 700+ dollars.  Supply and demand folks.  Also, people are still willing to pony up the dough. 

[Henning]

1 hour ago, lefthack said:

They aren't any more insane than they have been the last 20 years. Some new drivers have always been crazy. 

 

I am looking to buy my first new driver at the end of this year when it comes out. But I only paid $80 for my M6 head on ebay, so the fact a new one is $400 doesn't impact me. 

…and the M6 is still a very good Driver imho…

[amace04]

1 hour ago, mitchdoc said:

WAS only about 3 or 4 years ago where a premium driver was 400$.

No it wasn't

 

 

Drivers today are cheaper than they were 5, 10 or 15 years ago.

 

Stealth has an MSRP of $579

In 2013 the SLDR came out with an MSRP of $500.  Adjusted for inflation, that's $598.40

In 2004 the R7 Quad came out at $600.  That's $885 today

Same year, the Great Big Bertha II came out for $500.  That's $737 today

 

 

 

 

[amace04]

You guys remind me of the "When I was your age you could get a loaf of bread and a dozen eggs for a nickel" crowd.

 

Price of goods across the board has increased substantially.  Driver prices are no exception.  They are no more expensive today than the were 20 years ago.

[lefthack]

16 minutes ago, Henning said:

…and the M6 is still a very good Driver imho…

 

It's the D Type and I really don't notice a draw bias. It seems to work well and the only reason I got it was the price. 

 

These will be in lefty by the end of the year, so I'm waiting to replace woods for now.

 

 

[cgasucks]

1 hour ago, lefthack said:

They aren't any more insane than they have been the last 20 years. Some new drivers have always been crazy. 

 

 

Exactly.  I remember when I first started golfing in 2000, the most expensive driver from a major OEM sold at that time was the Mizuno 300s (same model that Vijay Singh used to win the 2000 Masters) was for like $1K CDN and I remember vividly in 2007 at my local Golftown a First Edition R7 Superquad TP in a display case for $700.

 

Both of those drivers I have in my basement for a lot less than their retail price.

Edited January 18, 2022 by cgasucks

[m3fuz]

I remember buying the R510 shortly after it came out and that was by far and away the most I had spent on any club to date.  But that stayed in my bag for several years before I purchased a used Titleist driver.  Clubs I buy tend to stick around (my basement has my old V-Steel FWs and RTG588s) for some time, even if I'm not playing them at that exact moment.  Because of that, I do try to buy used as often as possible, but I will purchase a new club every now and again.  

[BirdieBob]

 

Don't be upset....buy PXG for $299 (and betta than SIMs)!!

[* BASED ON 3RD PARTY TESTS COMPARING 0811 X GEN4 AND SIM2 DRIVERS, AND 0811 XF GEN4 AND SIM2 MAX DRIVERS.]

Edited January 18, 2022 by BirdieBob

[Mustu]

It's really interesting reading this thread.  I had no idea drivers were $500 20 years ago.  I started playing golf maybe 12 years ago and started buying anything but hand me down clubs 10 years ago.  Back then I'd buy last year's model and recall spending around $250 for a driver (though my memory could be wrong).  Sounds like prices went down a lot for some reason and are now back to where they were 20 years ago.