This is purely speculative. Its still selling at 399.00 over a year later. This tells me its moving on store shelves.
TaylorMade Golf - A Struggle At The Top?
This is purely speculative. Its still selling at 399.00 over a year later. This tells me its moving on store shelves.
Agreed, but wouldn't the SLDR irons occupy a space more similar to the Burner Tour/RocketBladez Tour irons? I would still imagine the SpeedBlade line, or their SGI lines will always be the top sellers.
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- #28
The Stage 2 in my opinion is one of the inventory issues.
I also disagree on the SLDR irons, although I hope I am incorrect.
That could be a number of factors, but I do not believe the driver has been the issue at all. The rest of the line has proven to be difficult however.
CAA_Beat
Active member
Sorry a bit late to this piece, been a busy day at work.
Very well written and thought out article. I think you hit on all the key reaons for TMAG's slump. I personally believe the success of Big Bertha took a huge chunk of the share. I have no stats or proof to back this up, and if Callaway has released earnings or something that say that already, then I guess I'm just being Captain Obvious. But I think the BB and BB Alpha release were a homerun.
Very well written and thought out article. I think you hit on all the key reaons for TMAG's slump. I personally believe the success of Big Bertha took a huge chunk of the share. I have no stats or proof to back this up, and if Callaway has released earnings or something that say that already, then I guess I'm just being Captain Obvious. But I think the BB and BB Alpha release were a homerun.
You of course are more intelligent and in tune with the issue at hand so I believe you. I do wonder had they let the Stage 2 line continue instead of even introducing the JetSpeed would they be in better shape? I see a lot of Stage 2 fairway woods in the wild, just curious if they were full MSRP purchases or discount rack closeout buyers.
CAA_Beat
Active member
I've heard that from knowledgeable retail guys as well, guys who have made a living doing this, not the high school kid working a summer job.
Some have also said the Tour Preferred line this year wasn't popular or playable for the masses (although I picked up the CB's and have loved them) so I wonder if the lack of a True GI iron release early in the year hurt as well.
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That is a very interesting question. I often wonder if they had done that with RBZ, which was one of the best selling metal woods ever.
Golf 'N Gator
Formally HoosierGolfer
I think all the OEM's are shooting themselves in the foot to some degree. New clubs come out and they are best thing ever, and four months later a new line comes out and they are the best thing ever, and four months later a new line comes out and they are the best thing ever, and four months later a new line comes out and they are the best thing ever, and four months later a new line comes out and they are the best thing ever, and four months later a new line comes out and they are the best thing ever........and on and on and on and on.........
I am also not a big believer that release cycles are hurting their sales. THP, WRX and others are a vocal minority. I think the real issue is people just don't have the time to commit to golf as much anymore. Golf hasn't gotten more expensive in the last 20 years. Maybe disposable income has dropped, but I think that golf is affordable enough that people would play more if it was more conducive to their lifestyles.
As much as they get panned for their release cycle, they released their last premium driver a year ago. While they have a new color and a non adjustable version, it is still their premium driver.
I think one of the biggest things that did the Jetspeed line in was the SLDR. The SLDR was moving in a different direction that kind of let the Jetspeed behind. Didn't help either that the name was terrible as were the commercials but I think the biggest factor was the message that the SLDR was far superior to everything else, including their other products.
I think one of the biggest things that did the Jetspeed line in was the SLDR. The SLDR was moving in a different direction that kind of let the Jetspeed behind. Didn't help either that the name was terrible as were the commercials but I think the biggest factor was the message that the SLDR was far superior to everything else, including their other products.
Nice job Josh. My question, as other companies were seeing a decline of 4-8% Taylormade reported 32% increase is sales?? Fast forward to the recent developments from Dicks sporting goods citing overstock of inventory (specifically TM) as a major cause of their revenue decline. Is it conceivable that the numbers reported by TM were actually deceiving investors as their "sales" were merely forced inventory onto retailers and not to end user? Curious to see how all this plays out.
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Not sure I agree at all, but can you explain further? JetSpeed is very similar to SLDR. Adjustable driver with similar CG placement. One of the major differences was going back to long and light which was something they panned previously.
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Conceivable? Posssibly. But being a company structured the way they are, I am not sure where it would get them. I tend to believe the numbers are fairly accurate.
tgtt
Well-known member
Exactly. As I alluded to in the other thread, the limitations on clubs has them handcuffed and they've done all they can do until rules change or new materials come along. I mean we are seriously excited about turbulators and gravity cores. Both are kind of a necessity because club head speed and optimal launch condition are the only way to get more. I see companies going to one adjustable club priced between their current premium and secondary lines with annual or even 2 year releases.
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This is not accurate. They have done all they can do at the center of the face only.
Then add the ability to help more golfers with new adjustability with in the fitting frame (which was mentioned).
We heard the same thing 5 years ago and it was incorrect then too. The end of 2008 saw the exact same thing being said and the reason it is not accurate is because a lot has happened since then in terms of what is coming out. Both in terms of forgiveness and much more. Take the drivers from 2008 and now or even 2011 and now and compare where they have gone in terms of finely tuning. Whether that be in altering spin lower and higher, improving forgiveness, changing weight to be lighter due to materials.
There is still more that can be done and companies are absolutely not going to subscribe to less releases. The releases were never the issue, the inventory was/is.
Playdough
Hi.
Great read Josh. Someone compared TM to Apple. I disagree with that. I compare TM to the old Motorola. TM has had some great older lines, Moto had some great older lines. Moto then came out with the Razr flip phone in 2004 and had huge record breaking growth. Best selling mobile phone in history. I believe it might still hold that record. At some point every mobile phone company sold it and the market was flooded with them. Even the pay as you go carriers. And then continues to remake it and changes the name but makes them worse. By 2008 Moto's phone divison was bankrupt and on the street to get gobbled up my Google for pennies. Everyone in the industry during that period of time points to the Razr as the biggest downfall for Moto. I see some large similarities with TM. TM hits a home run with the R11/Burner Superfast/R11S/RBZ line of metal wood and has record growth. Floods the market with them and then continues to relaease new and improved and better versions to some and worse for others. And restes on what got its growth going...now they are down double digits for 2 quarters and the end is no where near in sight. I could go on from a retail insider point of view to how I feel they are choking themselves with inventory issues but I'm not sure how well what I deal with day in and day out crosses over to what I see as a consumer in the store.
Josh, are sales measured by when the company sells to a retailer or when the item is actually purchased by a consumer?
I know the video game industry measures their sales by sales to retailers, not by purchases by consumers at retail
I know the video game industry measures their sales by sales to retailers, not by purchases by consumers at retail
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Its done by both. Golf Datatech actually is linked in with the point of sales software transmitting data when sales take place.
Brianbigoats
Active member
I think the over stock at Dicks came from the thought that the Jetspeed would be just as popular as the RBZ had been and would sell similar # and when it flopped like LBJ they were holding alot of inventory
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This goes back longer than JetSpeed for this instance however. Stage 2 and R1 were tough on some. At least in terms of the full line. They had huge retail buy ins and those retailers are left with a lot of product. Then came SLDR, JetSpeed and SLDR S. Each with massive buy ins at the retail level. SLDR S is one of hte most puzzling I have seen to date. I understand needing a $299 price point driver, but the entire product is baffling from some points of view.
Light and Long was probably the first thing that turned me off about it, but I don't really remember any of the loft up talk being applied to the Jetspeed. Maybe it was and I missed it. It is probably my perception but not the message they were trying to send but it seemed like Jetspeed was more of the same just you will get more ball speed and SLDR was about the new CG and a different way of doing a driver that nothing else was like.
tgtt
Well-known member
They alter spin higher and lower to try and achieve optimum launch numbers and using lighter materials to increase swig speed. As far as increased forgiveness I'm sure that's minimal but there. TMAG still uses the very old inverted cone and Cobra still E9 (or whatever). No MAJOR changes there. COR maxed out so we saw better shaft options and now it's COG placement all to achieve ideal launch. That's all they're chasing IMO and with adjustability they only need one club. Just my take on things.