Was Adams Golf underappreciated?

This thread has me reminiscing of a competitor brand - Nickent. I preferred Nickent hybrids and was sad to watch their ultimate demise.

Enjoyed the Nickent Great Hawks (GH Plus), knock off of the Callaway X series back in the day. Loved them. Although, it's so much easier hitting todays 3 and 4 hybrids.
 
Lots of great thoughts in the forum thread. Let me ask this as a follow up.

Could the brand be reborn (despite a new owner) and instead of launching overpriced boxed sets or Adams Blue, Red, etc come with innovation in the hybrid or FW wood space and be successful?
Absolutely, I think they should follow Hogan’s blueprint and go DTC. They have heritage products that give them a reason for being. Even when I saw this thread this morning my initial thought was, not again! But the fact is Adams worked for a lot of golfers. Focus on the great stuff and it would grow into something again.
 
Lots of great thoughts in the forum thread. Let me ask this as a follow up.

Could the brand be reborn (despite a new owner) and instead of launching overpriced boxed sets or Adams Blue, Red, etc come with innovation in the hybrid or FW wood space and be successful?
Are we talking under the TM umbrella still?
 
Are we talking under the TM umbrella still?

I guess either way. They could sell them I guess or could relaunch the brand.

Maybe the better question is does the brand still have equity in the name?
 
I guess either way. They could sell them I guess or could relaunch the brand.

Maybe the better question is does the brand still have equity in the name?
I think if under the umbrella and brought as a hybrid and utility only option with the marketing of TM behind them, absolutely it works, and works well. Fairways need to be left alone, TM passed anything Adams ever did as soon as RBZ came out there, I don’t think there is even a place for tight lies now.

Outside of it, oof, I think it would be really hard because it would have to be D2C and would be hard pressed to mot fee like an infomercial brand offering only hybrids and utilities.
 
Outside of it, oof, I think it would be really hard because it would have to be D2C and would be hard pressed to mot fee like an infomercial brand offering only hybrids and utilities.

Why would it have to be a Direct to Consumer brand?
 
Wouldn’t that be an interesting experiment for TM to go DTC with Adams. I wonder if old molds of whatever you use to build head still exist. I assume loyal Adams users want their old favorites first prior to updating too much.
 
Why would it have to be a Direct to Consumer brand?
Because it would take brass balls to reintroduce into a limping market a new entity/brand without the backing of the monster that gobbled them up in the first place and get anywhere.

Adams made legendary and groundbreaking clubs. But in all facets the industry has passed them by with modern applications. I also fail to believe if they did come back they’d have anything resembling a solid R&D working ahead to produce products that compete.

If still in the TM umbrella, that outlook changes.
 
Why would it have to be a Direct to Consumer brand?
My two cents. Retail is too hard for them to just re-enter easily. DTC cuts some cost I assume and gets the product back into the marketplace. Is TM today capable of running two retail brands? Perhaps they could be a Club Champion house brand or have an onsite demo deal at Top Golf. Thinking way outside the box.
 
Because it would take brass balls to reintroduce into a limping market a new entity/brand without the backing of the monster that gobbled them up in the first place and get anywhere.

Adams made legendary and groundbreaking clubs. But in all facets the industry has passed them by with modern applications. I also fail to believe if they did come back they’d have anything resembling a solid R&D working ahead to produce products that compete.

If still in the TM umbrella, that outlook changes.

I guess you could say that. I think you could just as easily say they get sold off to a group that hires R&D.
You might be right, but I’m not sure. I think the brand has some equity, although I dont think TM will be offing it anytime soon.

Their “demise” was at a time when the industry was changing and they lost their CEO, R&D and tour players all at once and at that time TaylorMade was a who’s who of marketing and product people. A good example of this, is think about how bad a place Callaway and Cobra were in during this time too. Cobra then gets sold off to PUMA from Acushnet and Callaway hires the former Adams CEO and the rest is history.

I’m a believe that a club like the Tight Lies has a place for a very large segment of golfers though, so I might be in the minority on this forum.
 
My two cents. Retail is too hard for them to just re-enter easily. DTC cuts some cost I assume and gets the product back into the marketplace. Is TM today capable of running two retail brands? Perhaps they could be a Club Champion house brand or have an onsite demo deal at Top Golf. Thinking way outside the box.
It doesn’t have to be a full brand though, no? Would be easy enough for TM to make Adams a hybrid and utility company and it operates fully under TM and not standalone in any way. I still believe this is what TM should have done when they acquired Adams, the Adams hybrids had and honestly still have a better name and reputation than the TM ones, imo.
 
My two cents. Retail is too hard for them to just re-enter easily. DTC cuts some cost I assume and gets the product back into the marketplace. Is TM today capable of running two retail brands? Perhaps they could be a Club Champion house brand or have an onsite demo deal at Top Golf. Thinking way outside the box.

Being that Callaway is part of the ownership at Top Golf, I dont think TaylorMade will be housing clubs there haha.

I genuinely think that this brand specifically with shelf space has success. I will compare it to Wilson since they were previously viewed as targeting similar customers. Wilson Staff as a brand without shelf space would be a very tough sell.
 
I guess you could say that. I think you could just as easily say they get sold off to a group that hires R&D.
You might be right, but I’m not sure. I think the brand has some equity, although I dont think TM will be offing it anytime soon.

Their “demise” was at a time when the industry was changing and they lost their CEO, R&D and tour players all at once and at that time TaylorMade was a who’s who of marketing and product people. A good example of this, is think about how bad a place Callaway and Cobra were in during this time too. Cobra then gets sold off to PUMA from Acushnet and Callaway hires the former Adams CEO and the rest is history.

I’m a believe that a club like the Tight Lies has a place for a very large segment of golfers though, so I might be in the minority on this forum.
That was a dark time in the industry, companies just floundering for sure.

I think Tight Lies could appeal to the older demographic in green grass situations, but I’m not sure you’re going to love product based on offering a super low profile, accuracy, and a fairway that spins in the greater ego driven market full of low spin monsters now, ya know?

I’ll to the day I die believe TM missed a golden opportunity when they acquired Adams, round just avoiding the patent infringement lawsuits that seemed to be possibly looming.
 
And I love this convo!
 
That was a dark time in the industry, companies just floundering for sure.

I think Tight Lies could appeal to the older demographic in green grass situations, but I’m not sure you’re going to love product based on offering a super low profile, accuracy, and a fairway that spins in the greater ego driven market full of low spin monsters now, ya know?

I’ll to the day I die believe TM missed a golden opportunity when they acquired Adams, round just avoiding the patent infringement lawsuits that seemed to be possibly looming.

Low spin fairway woods are good in some hitting bays. I still believe that in areas like the Villages and East Coast FL where the golf sales are massive compared to most states, a club like that could be very well received. It hits their nolstalgia of picking up the game, etc.
 
Low spin fairway woods are good in some hitting bays. I still believe that in areas like the Villages and East Coast FL where the golf sales are massive compared to most states, a club like that could be very well received. It hits their nolstalgia of picking up the game, etc.
Is that niche area enough to make it worthwhile though? But I guess that would depend inventory control and such.

I firmly believe a lot could benefit from a fairway like the very last iteration of the Tight Lies that was released, from the sole, to the low profile, to spinning to get airborn which most golfers just flat struggle with. I just think in a market if bombers where Callaway and TM are creasing fairways with legitimately driver ball speeds it’s a super hard and niche sell.

It’s fun to play what if though. I love it.
 
Is that niche area enough to make it worthwhile though? But I guess that would depend inventory control and such.

I firmly believe a lot could benefit from a fairway like the very last iteration of the Tight Lies that was released, from the sole, to the low profile, to spinning to get airborn which most golfers just flat struggle with. I just think in a market if bombers where Callaway and TM are creasing fairways with legitimately driver ball speeds it’s a super hard and niche sell.

It’s fun to play what if though. I love it.

Is it worthwhile? Genuinely don’t know. If its not though, I would think brands like Wilson and a few others should probably just stop. I would take it one of two ways.

1. Bargain but not too cheap pricing. Market direct and bold with stop paying full prices, this is not for all golfers, this is for the right golfers.

2. Price it crazy high, and say ”it cost more to make so here ya go”. But the design still has to be targeted specifically for that segment and explain why. That segment is getting smarter and you can tell high launch, etc.

I think both have and could work, assuming the marketing is tight.
 
Is it worthwhile? Genuinely don’t know. If its not though, I would think brands like Wilson and a few others should probably just stop. I would take it one of two ways.

1. Bargain but not too cheap pricing. Market direct and bold with stop paying full prices, this is not for all golfers, this is for the right golfers.

2. Price it crazy high, and say ”it cost more to make so here ya go”. But the design still has to be targeted specifically for that segment and explain why. That segment is getting smarter and you can tell high launch, etc.

I think both have and could work, assuming the marketing is tight.
Time to bring back XTD, get that Extreme Time and Dollars mojo going :p
 
when I think of Adams, I think of some great hybrids I used to have, and the Big Break
 
If you check out @Jman thread about clubs that were ahead of their time(https://www.thehackersparadise.com/...ir-time-your-list.8917074/page-2#post-9248408) you will find more than a few mentions of Adams Golf. Looking back at things now, do you feel like that brand was underappreciated for the products they put out? Where do you think things went awry for them?

Underappreciated up until when TM bought them.

(I bought their first set of irons in mid-90's ... nothing groundbreaking, but the Tight Lies made them. They had good faiirways, hybrids and drivers)

What went awry? They sold to TM. But good for shareholders who cashed out.
 
It doesn’t have to be a full brand though, no? Would be easy enough for TM to make Adams a hybrid and utility company and it operates fully under TM and not standalone in any way. I still believe this is what TM should have done when they acquired Adams, the Adams hybrids had and honestly still have a better name and reputation than the TM ones, imo.
I think TM would still be worried about marketing Adams hybrids at the expense of selling their own brand. A way out thought but maybe Market Tight Lies under TM in the manner Callaway did with Apex. I still prefer the DTC route for Adams but just offering ideas.
 
I think TM would still be worried about marketing Adams hybrids at the expense of selling their own brand. A way out thought but maybe Market Tight Lies under TM in the manner Callaway did with Apex. I still prefer the DTC route for Adams but just offering ideas.

I have actually wondered why this hasnt happened yet. Granted the last Tight Lies was just bad, like really really bad. With that said, good marketing, already shelf space in place and a solid design and you add an option with a specific target.
 
I have a set of cast A4's GW through 5i heads that I'd give away if there are any takers. The faces/grooves are somewhat worn. They were my first set of name brand clubs that I bought used from Ebay. I really liked them both aesthetically and for the forgiveness.
 
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