Direct to consumer ball news....
Et Tu Brute?
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That was my thought when I saw the thread.
Also in today's news...
1) That Tiger Woods kid is really something
2) Cubs finally won a World Series
3) General Francisco Franco is still dead.
pilot25
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No. Information came out yesterday. To others credit, its not totally new but its eye opening for me and clearly for others. If Ball X is made exactly as Ball Y and their price points are $30 apart it is concerning. The differences among the DTC balls are minor and the fact the manufacturing process QC doesn't allow for consistency even in a box of balls tells me there is no way an individual can say, "Oh these Snells really perform well for me vs. XX brand." They are the same ball and one of the balls someone hits might be completely out of spec. Unless someone hits thousands of the same exact ball with the exact same swing you don't know what you are getting from DTC balls. In fact, you are getting the same ball with a different name on it with the same manufacturing QC problems because they are from the same factory where the process is by the same individuals who make every other DTC ball.
Et Tu Brute?
Well-known member
What exact "Information" is that? As erock points out, the fact that Foremost in Taiwan makes lots of DTC balls was published to much hoopla in 2015 (and was known by lots of people before that). When THP, MSG and various other places keep rehashing that year after year it doesn't comprise any new "Information".
I agree with this statement.
alexped2393
Member
Someone directly asked this question to the 'research' company and didn't get a reply in regards to costco balls.
4) The internet might be here to stay.
Sorry - had to do it. Yeah, this isn’t news but I also think it’s good for more people to know about it.
And if there is new information, I’m certainly hoping to learn.
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I have really enjoyed playing the Elixr and look forward to hearing what response (if any) they give you, but I will still play the ball regardless as it is well made and performs.
Not really surprised at all. I read somewhere that only 3 companies completely manufacture their own balls. I know Titliest and Srixon were 2 and I think the other was Callaway. The rest outsource at least some of the manufacturing.
Et Tu Brute?
Well-known member
I just love the constantly repeated attempts to gin up some outrage over the "secret" of what factory makes which cheap golf ball. Kind of like the eternally recurring threads wanting to know, "Does Ping still make all their clubs in USA?". Followed by howls of disbelief that an American institution like Karsten would actually source stuff from Asia instead of having the Solheim kids casting and grinding putters in Phoenix.
I don’t think you can over look Bridgestone here.
It is just a reality that a few guys that want to launch a golf ball likely can’t do it on their own right away. If they are really successful, maybe that changes but I don’t see the issue with lower cost, good balls.
I am not overlooking anything. I am simply sharing what I read in an article. I also said I was not sure on the third but thought it was Callaway. It could have been Bridgestone. But there were several companies, Taylormade for example, that while they do some manufacturing on their own, it is mostly just finishing and cores or other covers are outsourced.
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- #39
It is more than 3. The 3 you mentioned all do. Bridgestone does completely. TaylorMade does for some of their balls.
Ball factories are not cheap, so outsourcing to a factory that has the setup makes a lot of sense. It makes complete sense for the rubber companies to make balls for others, as Bridgestone did for Nike for a number of years.
I tested the Lightning balls for THP years ago. I remember this lawsuit and they went out of business, but the ball performed.
Et Tu Brute?
Well-known member
Welcome to life in the 21st century. Consumer products are made in whole or in part anywhere the dollars work out most favorably for a given price point and quality target. That's the reason we can buy golf balls immensely better than anything on the market 25 years ago and buy them for a price that wouldn't have paid for cheap distance rocks in 1995.
I'm certainly not pining for the day when a bunch of companies were making lumpy rubber-bound wound balls designed to be tossed after a couple holes and charging the equivalent of $8-10 a ball in today's dollars.
I'm certainly not pining for the day when a bunch of companies were making lumpy rubber-bound wound balls designed to be tossed after a couple holes and charging the equivalent of $8-10 a ball in today's dollars.
JB - do you have any info about OnCore? My company puts on charity golf events for STEM scholarships, and OnCore was a big sponsor in 2017. They donated a lot of balls, and that's how I got to try the Elixr. To me it plays just as well, if not marginally better than some of the big boys I've always played with. Mostly Bridgestone, Srixon, and Titleist.
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From what I have been told, by them, they do not do their own manufacturing.
They did tell me they design their own golf ball however.
pilot25
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Of course you can. All you need to do is call the Asian company, order a few thousand and tell them to stamp your logo on it. "Molten Lava balls, hotter than the ProV1." Throw up some adverts and buy ad space on golf websites. Its exactly what many of these DTC companies do.
-CRW-
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I think the "new" information is that multiple DTC companies have offered the exact same golf ball with their logo slapped on it. I was aware that they were outsourced, but assumed that they would at least have their own specs - even if it amounted to minor differences from one brand to the next.
This is a separate issue from companies like Costco buying overstock and slapping their name on the ball. But I think there is an integrity issue there if they pass it off as their own ball rather than the Nassau Quattro overrun they allegedly were. There are still people that think Costco designed that ball and are wanting to know when they will have more...That's doing a disservice to the consumer. BUT, I'm sure Costco could care less about the golf consumer.
This is a separate issue from companies like Costco buying overstock and slapping their name on the ball. But I think there is an integrity issue there if they pass it off as their own ball rather than the Nassau Quattro overrun they allegedly were. There are still people that think Costco designed that ball and are wanting to know when they will have more...That's doing a disservice to the consumer. BUT, I'm sure Costco could care less about the golf consumer.
Agreed. This is nothing new. It's very important to take a step back and ask different questions:
1) If all/most DTC golf balls are the "exact" same ball, then why don't they test the same in independent ball tests? Does this mean the testing method is flawed?
2) Which golf ball brand is being left out of the conversation, and where did that ball finish in a recent test?
3) Based on your answer to #2, why did that happen?
4) Based on the answers to #2 and #3, where does that ball brand manufacture their product? (Hint: not in house)
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Is that a disservice to the consumer, or an opportunity for the consumer to educate themselves further?
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A disservice IMO because most of the golf consumers in the world aren't like us online golf fanatics.
pilot25
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I haven't followed golf in years so this is new to me. Also there are new golfers getting into the game everyday. Not everyone follows golf equipment news as rabid as people on here.
Everything is new to some and should be exposed over and over as long as there are companies who are stealing patents and getting around the system by manufacturing balls out of the country. Then marketing the balls to people as comparable but cheaper because they get around the middle man.
I wonder what Titleist's legal fees are per year having to litigate their patents over and over and how much of that cost is into each ball. Sadly the two sleezy Vice owners are going to walk away with millions even after Titleist puts their company out of business. Everyone wins but the consumer.