After the big guys, what's left?

[Paladin]

I sort of imagine the top 3 brands of putters as being Odyssey, Scotty Cameron, and Ping. If you count in TaylorMade as taking some portion of the putting industry...what's left? We see so many startup/boutique putter companies, far more than we see going into any other sector of the golf industry (though there have been a lot of new balls coming out of late it seems). Count in the smaller companies that have been around for awhile or simply aren't major players on the putting scene (Cleveland, Rife, SeeMore, etc.) and it just seems like an extraordinarily crowded market.

I have to wonder, what percentage of the putter market do those companies outside major manufacturers fight over? I mean, hypothetically any time a player goes to buy a new putter (and it's pretty often, statistically) they could buy a putter from any manufacturer, but the dominance of the largest 3 or 4 companies both in sales and tour presence indicates that they're also taking the lion's share of new sales.

So what percentage, roughly, is left after the top 3 or 4 companies take their share of the putting market? It's just something that's been rattling around in my brain of late after seeing some of the new equipment that's been coming out, largely since I joined THP and saw the myriad of putter companies in existence already, as well as new organizations popping up.

 

[Jman]

Not much. Not much at all.

And SC doesn't have as much share as you would think, its Odyssey and then everyone else.

 

[Paladin]

Not much. Not much at all.

And SC doesn't have as much share as you would think, its Odyssey and then everyone else.

I'm aware that Odyssey really does run away with the market, but I factored in tour presence as well as actual sales, whether numerically or the perception of how often they're seen on the top of the leaderboard, in my own estimation.

 

[JB]

There is roughly 150 million dollars in retail putter sales a year. Globally it gets close to doubling that.

 

[Jman]

I'm aware that Odyssey really does run away with the market, but I factored in tour presence as well as actual sales, whether numerically or the perception of how often they're seen on the top of the leaderboard, in my own estimation.

Tour presence and sales they do run away with it all.

 

[Jman]

There is roughly 150 million dollars in retail putter sales a year. Globally it gets close to doubling that.

The Japan market is NUTS.

 

[JB]

The Japan market is NUTS.

I worded that first post poorly.
The US has 150 million dollars in retail putter sales give or take.
Globally that number jumps to almost double that (last I saw it was like 270 million).

 

[Jman]

I worded that first post poorly.
The US has 150 million dollars in retail putter sales give or take.
Globally that number jumps to almost double that (last I saw it was like 270 million).

I knew what you were saying/wording. Its crazy to wrap ones head around really.

 

[tequila4kapp]

Is SeeMore doing enough to be comparable to TaylorMade as maybe a Tier 2 type company (in terms of sales) or are they still more in the boutique type range?

 

[JB]

I knew what you were saying/wording. Its crazy to wrap ones head around really.

The US is still doing more than half of all putter sales. The craziest part of all that is last I saw, the average "tenure" of a putter for a golfer is about 5 years.

 

[JB]

Is SeeMore doing enough to be comparable to TaylorMade as maybe a Tier 2 type company (in terms of sales) or are they still more in the boutique type range?

OMG no. Its not even close.

 

[Jman]

Is SeeMore doing enough to be comparable to TaylorMade as maybe a Tier 2 type company (in terms of sales) or are they still more in the boutique type range?

Still boutique, TM sells a surprising amount of putters, like, a lot.

 

[Jman]

The US is still doing more than half of all putter sales. The craziest part of all that is last I saw, the average "tenure" of a putter for a golfer is about 5 years.

Proving yet again that #Internetgolfers are insane with their gear obsessions and changes.

 

[fairband]

The US is still doing more than half of all putter sales. The craziest part of all that is last I saw, the average "tenure" of a putter for a golfer is about 5 years.

For every putter fanatic I bet there are 10 golfers who have never or very rarely change putters. I bet I have as many putters as all my golfing buddies combined. And most of them are shocked when I bring a different putter out, they can't even fathom buying a new putter.

 

[Paladin]

Guess it depends on who is crazy. Internet golfers for changing too often, or regular people for so rarely looking for something better/different.

 

[MPlefty]

Guess it depends on who is crazy. Internet golfers for changing too often, or regular people for so rarely looking for something better/different.

I have a feeling you and me will not like the answer to that question

 

[Jman]

I have a feeling you and me will not like the answer to that question

Neither.

We all have our own way, putters are like art to me, I love them all. To others, the art is having that one trusty go to that they can lean on at any time on the greens. Both right answers.

 

[tahoebum]

There is roughly 150 million dollars in retail putter sales a year. Globally it gets close to doubling that.

Wow, that is not very much. A completely different industry, but for comparison Apple had over $2.4 billion in revenue from the iPhone 6 in the first 24 hours!!

I'm guessing after the top 5 putter manufacturers, all the other companies are fighting for less than 15% of that $270m market.

 

[Darren37]

For every putter fanatic I bet there are 10 golfers who have never or very rarely change putters. I bet I have as many putters as all my golfing buddies combined. And most of them are shocked when I bring a different putter out, they can't even fathom buying a new putter.

I can't see my self hoarding clubs like many do. Just doesn't make sense to me wasting money on several putters or clubs for that matter. Perhaps boredom? One putter isn't going to make a player better and I wonder if a player thinks because they can't make putts that upgrading a putter will help their game. Poor analogy but that's like me shooting hoops and laying bricks and buying a new basketball hoping for a different outcome.

 

[JB]

Wow, that is not very much. A completely different industry, but for comparison Apple had over $2.4 billion in revenue from the iPhone 6 in the first 24 hours!!

I'm guessing after the top 5 putter manufacturers, all the other companies are fighting for less than 15% of that $270m market.

Selling to the world vs selling to golfers is a bit different. Budweiser and Marlboro sell more than putters too.

 

[Jman]

I can't see my self hoarding clubs like many do. Just doesn't make sense to me wasting money on several putters or clubs for that matter. Perhaps boredom? One putter isn't going to make a player better and I wonder if a player thinks because they can't make putts that upgrading a putter will help their game. Poor analogy but that's like me shooting hoops and laying bricks and buying a new basketball hoping for a different outcome.

I own 30+ and I can putt well with them all. Some of us buy them and "hoard" them for the most simple of answers, we like to.

Everyone has their own way.

 

[JB]

I can't see my self hoarding clubs like many do. Just doesn't make sense to me wasting money on several putters or clubs for that matter. Perhaps boredom? One putter isn't going to make a player better and I wonder if a player thinks because they can't make putts that upgrading a putter will help their game. Poor analogy but that's like me shooting hoops and laying bricks and buying a new basketball hoping for a different outcome.

Its very different actually. Despite what too many believe, a different putter shape, weight, face or any combo of the above will absolutely offer different results.

 

[jlukes]

Some people collect watches. I collect putters.

It's not like you can wear two watches at the same time

 

[tahoebum]

I own 30+ and I can putt well with them all. Some of us buy them and "hoard" them for the most simple of answers, we like to.

Everyone has their own way.

I have 25+ after selling several the last few years and putt no better with any of them than I do with the Bullseye putter I started with in 1978. It's a sad story, really!

 

[Jman]

Its very different actually. Despite what too many believe, a different putter shape, weight, face or any combo of the above will absolutely offer different results.

Bingo. Weight, balance, MOI, can make a HUGE difference for someone on the greens.