Wilson Golf - What To Expect In 2006

[SirShanksAlot]

We’re back… actually I’m back. SirPutts is off galavanting around the countryside on his mini holiday so you’re stuck with me. We’re going to continue with our 2006 preview with a look at what’s to come from Wilson Golf.

The Company

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… Wilson Golf is on the road back to greatness. The company once owned the golf market but really fell to the wayside in recent years. Other companies forged ahead with new and exciting technologies while Wilson fell behind. So how do you revive a company? You go back to what worked. The best thing that Wilson did was reintroduce the Staff line… a line that people recognized and felt comfortable buying. They then developed products that combined traditional looks (something that the Staff line was always known for) with new technology. The company added a few PGA staff players to increase brand recognition and the new products did very well. 2006 looks like it will be an exciting year for Wilson.

The Products - What We Know

Wilson has basically laid it all out for us to see… the 2006 line was up on their website earlier in the fall. The line features some brand new items along with a collection of clubs that are slightly tweaked verisons of 2005 models.

Let’s start with drivers. There are two new drivers in the 2006 Wilson line. The Pd6 (410CC) and Dd6 (460CC) clubs both feature sole weights designed to manipulate ball flight. Both clubs look great and should give Wilson a solid combination in the driver category. The Td5 driver should stick around and provide customers with an option in a lower price point.

I’m actually pretty excited to see the new Pf6 and Df6 fairway woods. The sole weight idea is carried through into these woods and these clubs offer a traditional look blended with new technology. The new Dh6 hybrid has a real “Nickent 3DX” look from above and is a huge improvement over last year’s version.

Wilson now has an iron for everyone. The new Ci6 iron is directed at the mid handicapper… a market that sometimes gets overlooked. It features some game improvement technology… but not too much. Add the current Fi5 and Pi5 (both designed for the better players) into the mix, throw in a redesigned Di6 (designed for the higher handicapper) and you’ve got a good selection of irons. The company will also have two different wedges available that should be a good complement to their irons.

Watch for the Kirk Currie putters to return along with a new Wilson Staff line. The Kirk Currie putters were nice but many of my customers found them a bit expensive. The Staff line should give these people something else to consider. The Staff ball line will stay fairly small and will feature 3 different balls each targeted at a different market.

Products - What Might Be On The Way

I think one of the biggest questions surrounding Wilson Golf as we enter 2006 concerns the company’s focus. There have been a few rumors floating around talking about how Wilson plans on focusing on the “big box” market and abandoning the Staff line. I don’t think it makes any sense at all. They’ve worked very hard to rebuild the name… why would they walk away from it now? If only we could talk to someone fairly high up at Wilson Golf and set the record straight… oh wait… stay tuned for that one. I’ll be very curious to see what happens on the endorsement side of things… and whether Wilson goes after another name on the PGA Tour.

We haven’t heard much on any new products that may be coming down the pipe but another golf ball and/or hybrid would make sense. The company targeted the middle handicapper with their Ci6 iron and a “Cx” ball would be a great complement. It also seems a bit odd that they have a “P” (Performance) driver and fairway wood and a “D” (Distance) driver and fairway wood but only have a “D” hybrid… just a thought.

Wilson should continue their steady growth in 2006. My customers are slowly warming up to the Staff name again and sales should start to pick up once the new products arrive. Only time will tell if the company can get back to where they once were but they have made some good strides in the right direction. Well… that’s it for another day. I’ve got a few housekeeping notes before I go though. First off… thanks for all of the email. SirPutts has been answering some while he’s on vacation and I’ve replied to a few too. Next up… I was looking at my calendar the other day and it looks like I should be free to update through most of next week. Many of you will probably take the week off to get prepared for Christmas but be sure to check in with us now and again. I think we’ll try to update right until Christmas Eve. And finally… a good friend of mine has been working really hard on his new golf instruction website and I told him I’d pass the address along to all of our readers. The site looks very good and it’s worth a look. Check out The Golf Drill Guru and fix all of your swing problems! It’s bed time for me… have a great day and we’ll talk to you soon.

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