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What is the role of the OEM?

A bit off topic, sorry, Just trying to follow the OEM thinking here. I see OEM as manufacturers who make product sold by others. i.e. car part manufacturers who may produce headlights for Ford F250's and Dodge pu's. I just buy the ford truck and know nothing of the OEM.

Or are we talking about Calloway or Ping etc.. I have no idea if they manufacture all their offerings or if bits and bobs are manufactured somewhere and maybe assembled domestically, but they have more of an impact on the sport than the OEM who manufactured those two rods in an epic head. Other than that guy or gal who started out in his basement, and is still controlling their start up, large corporations are in it to make money for shareholders, executive and stock holding staff

If they determine free fitting will sell more clubs, they will increase the price and provide "free " fitting. JMHO
 
Tadashi70 said:
You know as well as I do, demo days are not accessible to everyone

OEMs could train the staff at the big box store.

No I would not pay an additional $100.

It’s like Titleist Thursdays. You went got fit for free and bought irons. All OEMs could do this.
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Titleist Thursdays are their demo day and they were only offered at a couple locations per account so not real accessible and and also only offered for a handful of hours so they may only get 6 people fit that day. I agree depending on where one lives a demo day either doesn't happen or some may have to drive a good distance to find one.

I like the idea of having big box store employees better trained but with the number of oem and those lines there still is going to be a gap in knowledge one would get from either regional sales rep or demo day rep.

I don't know how many accounts each rep has in a territory but between the sales rep and their demo day staff some of which are part time there is probably 3 people to cover 10+ accounts. Demo day season around here is usually mid/late march to June and then again for a month or so in the fall. Do OEMs extend this to the whole golf season? If so or even if they schedule more fitting days that costs money and having talked to a couple reps they have a budget around demo season. So if they extend it that cost has to come from somewhere.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I’d argue they helped a great deal. Football cost what $50 bucks. You can walk into Walmart and buy one. More dads have tossed the foot ball with their sons then have played a round of golf. Even boys with no dads could get a football and learn to catch and through. .
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Tl;dr, It's not up to the manufacturer. Parents, friends and pros are more influential than a golf club manufacturer.

Longer version-

Spalding made a football and you can go buy one and play it in your backyard for $40. They didn't pay cities to build stadiums so they can sell more footballs (ie. They didn't spend billions to make millions). In the end, a football, a yard, a street, an alleyway and friends...

Clubs are more expensive, a bag, you need to get to the course, you have to pay to play, you have to practice (pay again), buy balls and tees (pay again!)...
You need to drive to a course, so most golfers won't START golfing until they're 16 at least, unless a parent is into it and takes their kids along.
Even local parks have basketball courts and baseball fields, to use for free, but they don't have driving ranges ($) or practice greens ($ to maintain daily).
A basketball is $30. A glove and baseball is $50-100.

Theres a lot less expensive sports equipment for kids. Get them hooked at a young age. After school we'd come home, do homework and be out in the backyard by 5 playing till dark. Playing with friends was always better than being silent on a course.
 
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