The Disruption of the Golf Ball Market Is in Full Swing

Already know all the information revealed in the article but still a good read. Thanks for posting.
 
Sox_Fan;n8877994 said:
Already know all the information revealed in the article but still a good read. Thanks for posting.

My thoughts exactly. Many avid golfers are still unaware of Dean Snell. I find myself explaining the Snell ball I game at least a couple times a month. It would be interesting to know how much share of the total golf ball market companies like Snell and Vice have taken in the last 5 years.
 
tahoebum;n8878013 said:
My thoughts exactly. Many avid golfers are still unaware of Dean Snell. I find myself explaining the Snell ball I game at least a couple times a month. It would be interesting to know how much share of the total golf ball market companies like Snell and Vice have taken in the last 5 years.

Me too. I’m always telling the Snell story when other players notice my ball.


The main reason I posted the article was that a topic we routinely debate passionately on this forum made it to the international business mainstream news. I thought that was pretty cool. You know, we are like on the bleeding edge of golf geekery.
 
ddec;n8877785 said:
damn do I still owe you one?

dude takes jinx way too seriously


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tahoebum;n8878013 said:
My thoughts exactly. Many avid golfers are still unaware of Dean Snell. I find myself explaining the Snell ball I game at least a couple times a month. It would be interesting to know how much share of the total golf ball market companies like Snell and Vice have taken in the last 5 years.
I have educated many on the Snell balls at my club also and have given away my fair share so people can try them. It makes me smile when I happen to find one off the beaten path knowing that somebody else in my sleepy little town in south GA plays them.
 
wubears71;n8878057 said:
Me too. I’m always telling the Snell story when other players notice my ball.


The main reason I posted the article was that a topic we routinely debate passionately on this forum made it to the international business mainstream news. I thought that was pretty cool. You know, we are like on the bleeding edge of golf geekery.

Meeting you in person, I definitely don’t get the golf geek vibe. Then I see you hit a ball and I see the geek.


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wubears71;n8878057 said:
Me too. I’m always telling the Snell story when other players notice my ball.


The main reason I posted the article was that a topic we routinely debate passionately on this forum made it to the international business mainstream news. I thought that was pretty cool. You know, we are like on the bleeding edge of golf geekery.

I Finally had a good golfer friend of mine as my opinion on these balls. He asked about those “shell” balls. It’s a start.
 
Sox_Fan;n8878093 said:
I have educated many on the Snell balls at my club also and have given away my fair share so people can try them. It makes me smile when I happen to find one off the beaten path knowing that somebody else in my sleepy little town in south GA plays them.

A likely story...
 
This really is the same story that is reported over and over, which is that the internet changed the landscape of retail sales forever. Brick and mortar retail is gushing blood as a result of Amazon, and other DTC marketing, all of which was made possible by the internet.
 
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Tenputt;n8878467 said:
This really is the same story that is reported over and over, as a result of the internet. Brick and mortar retail is gushing blood as a result of Amazon, and other DTC marketing, all of which was made possible by the internet.

Exactly. The message boils down to, "Hey guys, there are waaaaay cheaper ways to buy golf balls than paying 50 bucks for Pro V1's at the pro shop of your course". That was true for a decade-plus before Dean Snell ever founded his own company.
 
Its a story we have heard before for sure, and obviously some in-roads will be made. But, being DTC will always limit the level of acceptance, and play, that these golf balls have.

People here, on forums like this, are the outlier, the educated, where most people buy golf balls in stores or at the course.
 
-CRW-;n8878100 said:
If Callaway doesn’t do something miraculous in the next few months, I think the DTC share of the market will get a little bigger and Callaway’s will get a little smaller.

This was posted recently on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yyQ1-h1Iz/?igshid=1bwbi8zwzirxm

Not pictured: hundreds of other cut open Chromesofts with centered cores.

The article was very very much a 10,000 foot view of the current DTC market for people who may not follow the golf market as closely as most do here, which is what was clearly intended.
 
-CRW-;n8878100 said:
If Callaway doesn’t do something miraculous in the next few months, I think the DTC share of the market will get a little bigger and Callaway’s will get a little smaller.

This was posted recently on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yyQ1-h1Iz/?igshid=1bwbi8zwzirxm

What that post doesn’t say is that the golfer who posted that used that ball over winter exclusively in their garage and it’s a 2014/15 chromesoft, not a current model. I’m sure they’ve addressed it since 2014
 
Jman;n8878498 said:
Its a story we have heard before for sure, and obviously some in-roads will be made. But, being DTC will always limit the level of acceptance, and play, that these golf balls have.

People here, on forums like this, are the outlier, the educated, where most people buy golf balls in stores or at the course.

Yes and golf is still a rich man’s sport with average household income of around $100k but I’d guess the average at many of the private clubs is more like $250k +. Most of the guys I play with are in their 50’s or 60’s and can certainly afford $50 a dozen for balls. They aren’t going to be easily swayed off their brand preference for golf balls any easier than they are from their favorite car whether it’s a Mercedes, BMW, or Lexus. They think I’m somewhat nuts or cheap for playing Snell’s, lol!
 
ddec;n8877557 said:
I'm not going to lie, and maybe it's because I've been pretty informed on this issue already, but that came off as nothing more than a puff piece to me. Not saying there is anything wrong with that, puff pieces have their place in pretty much every medium. And just in case someone thinks I am hating on the DTC balls, just know that I have played the Elixr for a majority of the season.

Boy, did they just find this out? I think GolfSpy had an article about this last year! I thought sure they would have mentioned the lawsuit that Titleist / Acushnet (sp?) filed against some DTC manufacturers, including Costco who was selling their Kirkland 4pc ball at like half of the cost of the Prov1 and outperformed it.

Lets face it. There are a lot of very good golfers who don't want to have to think about picking the right golf ball and will just stay with the market leader, in this Titleist, instead of even considering a DTC ball.

I can tell you this. On my trip to Maui a month ago, I took 2 sleeves of the Snell MTB-X and gave one to the playing partners I was assigned. They were playing ProV1, ProV1X, Callaway Chromesoft, and one other. After playing the MTB-X, that I gave them, they all wanted to know how to get it. I think the DTC companies could be a lot more disruptive if they were more aggressive on their marketing campaigns but I have a feeling they are so busy filling orders they don't have time to think about marketing too much. Those of us looking to improve every part of our game, including the game ball we play, will continue to look to the DTC balls to save a few dollars without giving up performance.

Our game ball may not get the game recognition that a ProV or Chromesoft might get, but I'll let the performance speak for itself. The Snell MTB-X is a game changer for those willing to try it.
 
double00;n8878356 said:
Interesting article - thanks for posting. It motivated me enough to pay $3.99 shipping for a free sleeve of Elixr's.

Really like the Elixir and played it for a couple of months. I then went back to the Snell MTB Black only to realize that the Elixir was costing me some distance. Then tried the Snell MTB-X and found that I could get even more distance, better spin into approach shots and wedge play, and buying 6 dozen at a time save me even more money.

Elixir is still a great ball and I really liked the feel of it. It would definitely be my 2nd choice.
 
I've bought 2 dozen Vice Pros this summer and have been playing them exclusively in Tournaments. They have worked outstanding for me. I even gave away some sleeves of new ProV1s, I had leftover, to people I appreciate. I'll be purchasing 5 dozen Vice Pros eventually. I don't lose a ton of balls and could probably afford ProVs, but why? I'll spend that money elsewhere. The Vice goes just as far, feels the same in the short game, and flies as it's supposed. to I'm certain the same goes for Snell. I've never had a problem with a Chromesoft, but not sure I'd pay full price for them.
 
jjfcpa;n8878612 said:
Boy, did they just find this out? I think GolfSpy had an article about this last year! I thought sure they would have mentioned the lawsuit that Titleist / Acushnet (sp?) filed against some DTC manufacturers, including Costco who was selling their Kirkland 4pc ball at like half of the cost of the Prov1 and outperformed it.

Lets face it. There are a lot of very good golfers who don't want to have to think about picking the right golf ball and will just stay with the market leader, in this Titleist, instead of even considering a DTC ball.

I can tell you this. On my trip to Maui a month ago, I took 2 sleeves of the Snell MTB-X and gave one to the playing partners I was assigned. They were playing ProV1, ProV1X, Callaway Chromesoft, and one other. After playing the MTB-X, that I gave them, they all wanted to know how to get it. I think the DTC companies could be a lot more disruptive if they were more aggressive on their marketing campaigns but I have a feeling they are so busy filling orders they don't have time to think about marketing too much. Those of us looking to improve every part of our game, including the game ball we play, will continue to look to the DTC balls to save a few dollars without giving up performance.

Our game ball may not get the game recognition that a ProV or Chromesoft might get, but I'll let the performance speak for itself. The Snell MTB-X is a game changer for those willing to try it.
I think the MTB-X is a fabulous ball. Fast and high spinning.
But, I just dont feel they are priced low enough to really take off and "disrupt" the market.
 
ArmyGolf;n8879953 said:
I think the MTB-X is a fabulous ball. Fast and high spinning.
But, I just dont feel they are priced low enough to really take off and "disrupt" the market.

Kinda feel like the DTC forces people to play their stuff if they want the discount on them so it’s a double edged sword - you want a lower price point, you have to buy couple dozen which means you’ll be playing their stuff for a while.


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ArmyGolf;n8879953 said:
I think the MTB-X is a fabulous ball. Fast and high spinning.
But, I just dont feel they are priced low enough to really take off and "disrupt" the market.

I know what you mean. When you don't get any exposure on the PGA Tour and don't do any TV advertising on the Golf Channel, the only chance you find out about the Snell balls is via word of mouth from another golfer or via a forum like this. It's unfortunate because Snell is probably the pinnacle of all the DTC golf balls. I don't know about you, but I can't stop talking about it.
 
jjfcpa;n8878615 said:
Really like the Elixir and played it for a couple of months. I then went back to the Snell MTB Black only to realize that the Elixir was costing me some distance. Then tried the Snell MTB-X and found that I could get even more distance, better spin into approach shots and wedge play, and buying 6 dozen at a time save me even more money.

Elixir is still a great ball and I really liked the feel of it. It would definitely be my 2nd choice.

Good Information - I have not tried the Snell. Will give the MTB-X a shot. Do they have a free golf ball promotion?
 
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