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Your Opinon on Release Cycle and Club Design

SuperStroke
Your Opinon on Release Cycle and Club Design

Strategic release cycles are a way to sell clubs. If you were feeding your kids, it'd be great.

People shouldn't buy golf clubs with resale value in mind. If you do, then buy used, and minimize your hit by 300-500%.


TTing
 
I love the fact that 6-9 months is considered old for a club. The Adams Super LS that I bought last month was $113 new in the plastic. My X Hot 3Deep I got for $117. Just got an almost new Mizuno Mp-650 driver for $81 on ebay.

It's amazing 15 years ago I paid $280 for a Great Big Bertha with a crappy shaft and now I can get dozens of name brand drivers for under $100.
 
I'm indifferent to the release cycles. The more clubs available the better for the golfing public. I'm annoyed by the constant buzz marketing that comes with the frequent release cycles. With the OEMs strengthening lofts for years there's really only one way to increase distance. Work Harder! I've never bought into changing models each year. Is the Rocketball stage 2 that much better than stage 1. How does that correlate with regards to average score? If it could take 1-2 points off my HDCP it would be worth it but I doubt that's the case.
 
I don't have a problem with how often clubs come out. I like that we have so many options but it can be confusing if you don't do a little research before you go to the store. My only issue is the golf stores up here don't carry many options in relation to how many current lines are out.
 
Fourwiggle said:
I don't have a problem with releasing a new product when it's ready for market. I think that's better than holding it waiting for a new season for release. I do wish however that OEMs would give us a peek behind the R&D curtain as to what is upcoming or "in the works". Like someone said earlier, the R&D dept is always working. When a product comes out of R&D and is slated for release to the public, I think they should announce at that time and give an approximate date. I for one do not like buying something and less than a month later something "better", "longer", "speed-ier", "RBZ-ier" or what ever superlative you want to throw out that makes the previous model extinct. Not that I have to have the latest and greatest but if a month ago I purchased the best and this month it's second best, it's frustrating...
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If they give you a sneak peak, they give their competitors a sneak peak and a chance to respond. Even if it is only a month, that month can be a huge advantage for the competitors to come up with something that matches or beats it.

I rather them release the technology they come up with ASAP and not hold anything back (I'm looking at you Apple).
 
O'Carroll said:
I think the educated part is the key. Most non-THP'rs don't know the difference between different releases which makes it easier to complain.

The educated people who still complain? I don't get it.
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I think this goes for most golfers, THP or not. What does it matter if club company A releases 5 wedges in 6 months? Does this somehow cheapen the set you bought in eBay at a discounted price? (Not you particular but in general) some view this as bad and I have no clue why?
Callaway pushed the RFE then the Xhot line and now Optiforce. All have lived up to their hype and all are excellent club. Some have a real issue or personal issue with this like it some how made their clubs bad or obsolete

The real issue as I see it, is that people want to believe the marketing and buy the next best thing. If they took to time to actually work on their games they would realize the clubs are only as good as the person swinging them. Instead of always buying what is new and shiny, work on what is broken and rusty....the golf swing.
 
Tadashi70 said:
The real issue as I see it, is that people want to believe the marketing and buy the next best thing. If they took to time to actually work on their games they would realize the clubs are only as good as the person swinging them. Instead of always buying what is new and shiny, work on what is broken and rusty....the golf swing.
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Bingo. Like shooting fish in a barrel. This especially goes for drivers I think. Everyone wants to hit it far. I played with my dad on Saturday. He was playing awful, but hitting his drives decent. After he hits another decent drive he goes "Man my drives are looking great. As long as my drives are good, I don't really care what I shoot." What!? That's crazy to me.
 
OEM's are there to make money. Whether there is any innovation or not doesn't matter. If they can slap some different paint on the same club and sell it, then more power to them. I'm sure they've figured out that the aggressive release cycles make them the most money.

Caveat emptor. It's up to the buyer to be informed.
 
drp3434 said:
Bingo. Like shooting fish in a barrel. This especially goes for drivers I think. Everyone wants to hit it far. I played with my dad on Saturday. He was playing awful, but hitting his drives decent. After he hits another decent drive he goes "Man my drives are looking great. As long as my drives are good, I don't really care what I shoot." What!? That's crazy to me.
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I understand his sentiment - there is something very satisfying about hitting the long ball even when you're not scoring. I bought 3 new drivers this summer with all of them performing poor to average. I finally spent 5 days hitting 1500+ balls last week and now all of my drivers are performing great. We want to believe its the equipment but deep down inside we know it's all about the swing.
 
I'm indifferent to it. I like talking about equipment and trying new things, so the more the merrier. I get the benefit of going to the store and checking out clubs for 75% off that were released a year ago. You wouldn't know it by looking at my WITB (pretty much got educated after joining THP and got most stuff after that), but I don't care how new or old my clubs are. If it works the best for me, it could be a hickory stick for all I care. With that said, I think OEM's have to be careful, from a credibility, legal and business standpoint, with the rapid releases.
 
I think it's pretty lame when people complain about this. What does it matter how many different types of clubs come out and when. It's a business. Clubmarkers are in it for the money.


Tadashi70 said:
The real issue as I see it, is that people want to believe the marketing and buy the next best thing. If they took to time to actually work on their games they would realize the clubs are only as good as the person swinging them. Instead of always buying what is new and shiny, work on what is broken and rusty....the golf swing.
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Perfectly put. Clubmakers are fully aware of this and that's why they continue to release new clubs. Smart business decision if you ask me.
 
I'm shocked by the majority of the comments here when considering most new release threads are full on complaints.
 
C-Mac13 said:
Perfectly put. Clubmakers are fully aware of this and that's why they continue to release new clubs. Smart business decision if you ask me.
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can be smart and overall I agree. But it could back fire with a growing army of haters (I use this loosely) or people not keen on multiple releases from anyone OEM in a short period of time. I feel that the fans far out weigh the non fans so OEMs will continue to release clubs when they see fit. As long as there is a demand they will fill the quota. And god forbid they start producing crap, then all will be lost.
 
Ill be the first to admit it. When I'm at the course and I get paired with someone I don't know or me and my buddy get paired with a random twosome, first thing I look at is their golf bags. For some reason, and maybe it's all the marketing out there, my first impression is 9 times out of 10 based on what's in the bag. Now that obviously quickly changes once we start playing but I'm just as guilty of buying into the whole "your a better player if you have better clubs" thing. But that's most of the time not the case at all
 
Tadashi70 said:
can be smart and overall I agree. But it could back fire with a growing army of haters (I use this loosely) or people not keen on multiple releases from anyone OEM in a short period of time. I feel that the fans far out weigh the non fans so OEMs will continue to release clubs when they see fit. As long as there is a demand they will fill the quota. And god forbid they start producing crap, then all will be lost.
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I could see that happening. As a TM geek I find enjoyment in listen to the "haters". The SLDR is a perfect example. I don't see it any differently than other OEM releases yet I have heard a lot of negative comments.
 
I really don't have a problem with more releases. I think it give the public more options. But if you buy clubs on the basis of resale value, then you my friend are chasing a dragon.
I buy a set of clubs every few years and do pretty well with them.
Then I start looking at the newest technology and after some trials, I buy what fits my game.
I think a lot of the complainers are the egotists that want to be the guy on the course with the "Latest offering" by company X. . .
 
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An aggressive new release cycle doesn't bother me one bit. I rarely buy the very latest clubs out there so it benefits me when someone "needs" this years clubs and sells last years at firesale prices.
 
drp3434 said:
Bingo. Like shooting fish in a barrel. This especially goes for drivers I think. Everyone wants to hit it far. I played with my dad on Saturday. He was playing awful, but hitting his drives decent. After he hits another decent drive he goes "Man my drives are looking great. As long as my drives are good, I don't really care what I shoot." What!? That's crazy to me.
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It's not actually that crazy. If you are going to tell your friends about one shot you had during your round, what sounds more impressive? I hit a x yard drive striped down the middle, I hit a 30 ft putt or chipped within 2 ft from 50 yards. Just examples, but usually the drives people find most impressive. So he might be happy to hit really solid drives compared to having a good putting or chipping day.
 
Wongstongs said:
It's not actually that crazy. If you are going to tell your friends about one shot you had during your round, what sounds more impressive? I hit a x yard drive striped down the middle, I hit a 30 ft putt or chipped within 2 ft from 50 yards. Just examples, but usually the drives people find most impressive. So he might be happy to hit really solid drives compared to having a good putting or chipping day.
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I dunno about you, but long drive stories are as hard to listen to as bad beat stories in poker
 
Wongstongs said:
It's not actually that crazy. If you are going to tell your friends about one shot you had during your round, what sounds more impressive? I hit a x yard drive striped down the middle, I hit a 30 ft putt or chipped within 2 ft from 50 yards. Just examples, but usually the drives people find most impressive. So he might be happy to hit really solid drives compared to having a good putting or chipping day.
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I want to tell my friends about my low score...
 
Wongstongs said:
It's not actually that crazy. If you are going to tell your friends about one shot you had during your round, what sounds more impressive? I hit a x yard drive striped down the middle, I hit a 30 ft putt or chipped within 2 ft from 50 yards. Just examples, but usually the drives people find most impressive. So he might be happy to hit really solid drives compared to having a good putting or chipping day.
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I'll take ' 30' putt ever day with my SeeMore m5 for eagle over an everyday long drive. Everyone hits it long but not everyone has short game or makes putts
 
Tadashi70 said:
I'll take ' 30' putt ever day with my SeeMore m5 for eagle over an everyday long drive. Everyone hits it long but not everyone has short game or makes putts
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Yes, but you are an edumacated golfer. If I tell my friends who don't golf that much/don't golf, they won't care how many big putts I sank. They just want to know how far I can hit it. New drivers being released all the time and being the most hyped clubs capitalize on that.
 
Wongstongs said:
It's not actually that crazy. If you are going to tell your friends about one shot you had during your round, what sounds more impressive? I hit a x yard drive striped down the middle, I hit a 30 ft putt or chipped within 2 ft from 50 yards. Just examples, but usually the drives people find most impressive. So he might be happy to hit really solid drives compared to having a good putting or chipping day.
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So long as you yelled "Pow!" really loud when you hit it.

As for the high pace of new equipment, I rather like it. It's creating a buyer's market for 2nd and 3rd generation equipment faster. As a result, for someone like me who has bought a grand total of two clubs new at a store, a faster cycle means that the old hat equipment clogging up warehouses is still objectively newer than it would be with a slower release cycle. Hooray, bargains!
 
Jman said:
A companies job is to make $$$ and I like new shiny things.

Win-win!

Seriously though, I'm one who has never understood the big brouhaha about release schedules. The companies R&D neeeeever stops, so if you design something better, release that sucker IMO.
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If I gained every yard with my driver that OEM marketing has claimed over the past 10 years, I would be hitting the ball 733 yards off the tee............

It is all marketing. Way toooo many people think they have to have the "latest and greatest" with little thought given as to whether or not it is right for them and their game. Got to give the OEM's credit for the crafty marketing we see today. Comes with being a public company and the pressure to turn a profit.
 
I didn't buy myself a new driver this year but I love the fact that there are so many that have come out. I will always put my r11 up against any other club that has come out to see if it is better, and I found one in the covert but it just was not enough to pull the trigger.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
 
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