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Brand Talk - Wilson Staff

SuperStroke
#Cookie said:
I was referring to more of the cavity/sole that we see so often in pics......unfortunately I haven't seen these at address. Oftentimes, the looks of a cavity or sole really wows us at first impression and causes us to want to try them out. Whether that be sexy, sleek, etc.
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Agree here as well. If I didn't happen to be playing with a THPer who had them in the bag, I may never have tried them which would have been a shame. I picked some up and plan to let them battle with the Bertha's for that spot in my bag. Also plan to re-shaft my FG Tour V2's and have some fun with those this year.
 
Gosh I remember how badly I wanted a set of the fat shaft irons. I had just gotten into golf, but I was a broke high school kid so I never got a set of them. Unfortunately, until #PersonalDistance, that was the last time I even thought about Wilson as a golf manufacturer. It has been said already, but growing up I saw them as a box set I could get at Wally.

I think the average golfer still thinks that. heck, before #PersonalDistance I'd say most THPers did and I know I did. I didn't buy the Nexus stand bag because it had Wilson Staff plastered on the side of it. Right or wrong that's how I was. Of course now, thanks to Wilson and THP, I see that they are not at all a Walmart club and if I were in the market for new clubs I would certainly give the new D200 line a shot.

I agree they have a hole to climb out of, and I like the comparison to Cobra a few years back. I am nto sure what they are going to do to get out of the hole, but fortunately for them they have people way smarter than me helping them do it.

I know the guys gaming their gear in Legacy will be impressed and I'm looking forward to hearing their thoughts (heck, maybe I'll get luck and be one of them).
 
For my money, the FG Tour 100s are the best looking irons on the market. The V2s are in the top 5 best looking irons on the market. The M3s, V4s, C100s are all very, very good looking irons. As far as Max GI, the D200s look better than most in that category. There are some legitimate criticisms of Wilson Staff, but looks are pretty far from the top of that list.
 
I really like what Wilson is doing. I will definitely give them a look when looking for new clubs. And they're a great Chicago brand. A bonus!


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Erky said:
For my money, the FG Tour 100s are the best looking irons on the market..
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They sure are!
Wish I had the game for them!
I'd stick to the D200 line though, that with the limited swings I took with them felt like a really good offering.
 
I really like the direction Wilson is headed. Can't wait to see what the future holds for them.
 
PhillyV said:
Isn't that what they are doing though? As noted earlier in the thread, Streelman and Steele are both in the top 25 and Merritt has started the new year playing well.
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I have nothing against either guy or what they play. But neither moved the needle enough to move product. Golfers like to know their golfing idols play what they play or will buy.

Those of us that read what is written on thp know wilson has great product. But outside of that it will take a strong movement to get their product in the masses hands. As I said earlier, it's sad but true.
 
I love hearing that Wilson has a 'world class product' for me. I can believe it, and I can't wait to experience it first hand!

~Rock
 
Michael Vrska is just awesome. Tells it like it is.
 
I think they've definitely got the best line from top to bottom they've put together in years and I liked what I saw from their marketing group. Still think they have a long way to go to break into the next level of premium OEM's from a sales/perception standpoint, but their desire is certainly there. We've been hearing "Wilson Staff is making a comeback" for five years now and some point in the middle there I think they started to lose their way a bit. Put out what I considered to be a few product cycles that were weak. Might have had a great club or two in each line, but as a whole (and especially in metalwoods) they didn't do much for me at all - and at that time I'd have admitted to being as close to a homer for Wilson as I could have been.

If they want to be an iron/ball brand then I think they are in a decent spot, especially when you factor in value. If they want to be a complete line brand then they need to keep at it. They have a big challenge when it comes to perception right now and it's not going to change over night.
 
Michigan Slice said:
I think image is something that Wilson struggles with.
In general I think people think of Wilson as "Box Set" from Walmart clubs.
I hope people give Wilson a try, I hit the D200 irons last weekend and was pleasantly surprised.

Gaining traction in the market I think would be helped by a perception change by the golfing public.
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Totally agree. Nobody thinks of Wilson as a desirable or sexy brand to own. I'm am the only one at my club playing Wilson Staff irons since our female pro left to give it go on the LPGA Tour.
 
I'm not sure how much of the business box sets bring Wilson, but I wonder if for the sake of bringing Wilson Staff back to the forefront they just pull out of the box set business all together.
 
When I first found THP I felt like the only voice for Wilson Staff.This thread and the Personal Distance event are indications that they are making inroads at least to the core audience.Tim Clarke made the point on GC that they are making money.It is clear that they have a multi-year plan.Like all plans the market causes you to adjust. I think the FG m3 woods are an example. They seem to be committed to following their plan.
The most significant thing they must do is to increase golf club distribution in the USA.It would seem that as product gets better the focus goes to driving the sales force to get product in the key stores. My guess is that they will hit their growth targets.Only something like Fat Shaft Two would prevent them from a steady climb for the next few years. I thought I had read they were getting out of the box set business.
 
annsguy said:
When I first found THP I felt like the only voice for Wilson Staff.This thread and the Personal Distance event indications that they are making inroads at least to the core audience.Tim Clarke made the point on GC that they are making money.It is clear that they have a multi-year plan.Like all plans the market causes you to adjust. I think the FG m3 woods are an example. They seem to be committed to following their plan.
The most significant thing they must do is to increase golf club distribution in the USA.It would seem that as product gets better the focus goes to driving the sales force to get product in the key stores. My guess is that they will hit their growth targets.Only something like Fat Shaft Two would prevent them from a steady climb for the next few years.
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Why not game any WS clubs or balls? You don't have a single one in your signature
 
PhillyV said:
I'm not sure how much of the business box sets bring Wilson, but I wonder if for the sake of bringing Wilson Staff back to the forefront they just pull out of the box set business all together.
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I'm not sure they want to get out of the boxed set business either. I think they recognize the struggle to differentiate between the W/S and "plain" Wilson lines.
 
I do have a Nexus bag and play Duo and FG Tours.They should show up on my signature.Honestly it is only because I am in-between jobs.I don't play as much as a lot of the folks on THP but love product.
 
captaincaution said:
I'm not sure they want to get out of the boxed set business either. I think they recognize the struggle to differentiate between the W/S and "plain" Wilson lines.
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But if something like box sets are 90% of the reason for the negative perception, why not eliminate that from the brand all together
 
While not a tourney anyone besides a golf nut would follow, Paddy Harrington did win recently on the Asian tour & he did it with the new Infinite Southside putter.
 
PhillyV said:
But if something like box sets are 90% of the reason for the negative perception, why not eliminate that from the brand all together
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The simple reason is that it makes money. I mean, they have bosses at Wilson and at Amer Sports. As much as I am sure they want to be perceived as a bigger player for the hard core golfer, they also want to make money. Their recreational line must sell a lot of clubs.
 
Shakey said:
While not a tourney anyone besides a golf nut would follow, Paddy Harrington did win recently on the Asian tour & he did it with the new Infinite Southside putter.
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That is pretty cool, wasn't aware any pros had any of the new putter line in play yet.
 
PhillyV said:
But if something like box sets are 90% of the reason for the negative perception, why not eliminate that from the brand all together
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I think they sell the box sets because they make money. Otherwise they would have dropped them years ago IMO.

I think their name brand would be better off if they eliminated the name "Wilson" from the box sets & branded them with one of their other trademarks like Pro Staff or Ultra.
 
Hawk said:
I think they've definitely got the best line from top to bottom they've put together in years and I liked what I saw from their marketing group. Still think they have a long way to go to break into the next level of premium OEM's from a sales/perception standpoint, but their desire is certainly there. We've been hearing "Wilson Staff is making a comeback" for five years now and some point in the middle there I think they started to lose their way a bit. Put out what I considered to be a few product cycles that were weak. Might have had a great club or two in each line, but as a whole (and especially in metalwoods) they didn't do much for me at all - and at that time I'd have admitted to being as close to a homer for Wilson as I could have been.

If they want to be an iron/ball brand then I think they are in a decent spot, especially when you factor in value. If they want to be a complete line brand then they need to keep at it. They have a big challenge when it comes to perception right now and it's not going to change over night.
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Hawk, would you say though, since Vrska's first release with his input (guestimating it was 2013's because I imagine 2012's releases were pretty much sewn up when he arrived in Oct of '11) that they have trended upward in solidness? (<--- Made that word up) or do you feel the weaker releases were before he had input into a full cycle? Just wondering your opinion.
 
jdtox said:
Pretty cool...does he not carry a driver in the bag? Or does he not use a Wilson driver? Seems like a few clubs missing from that WITB.
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IIRC, he bags a TM driver.
 
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