We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Why TaylorMade Should Not Release A New Driver

SuperStroke
Really good piece. Completely agree. this is my first year really paying attention to the production cycles of clubs. However I feel like the m1 was as close to a home run as they could have asked for and to come out with a cheaper version would only take away that momentum that they have bully.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think the twice a year release cycles are a bad idea in general, so I have to agree with this.
 
Glad people took the time to read this one. It was fun to write and I think those that read it saw that it was not a negative TaylorMade piece, nor a negative release cycles piece. Just a look at why I believe the timing is wrong for a new product.
 
After reading this, I ended up at the golf store tonight, talking TM with the store manager.

Supposedly he has been told the new line, will be ~$500 Canadian, and there won't be "made for shafts", only TP offerings with premium shafts.... and of course I took this with a grain of salt. I'll believe it when I see it.
 
JB said:
Glad people took the time to read this one. It was fun to write and I think those that read it saw that it was not a negative TaylorMade piece, nor a negative release cycles piece. Just a look at why I believe the timing is wrong for a new product.
Click to expand...

Definitley didn't get that impression. It was well written and some details to back up the reasoning. If I was in TM marketing and saw this I would use it and present it to the team for serious feedback,and brainstorming
 
#Cookie said:
Nice article Josh. And it makes perfect sense.....focus on what is working at the moment and take the opportunity to learn from recent lessons learned.
Click to expand...

I agree. Well said!
 
I dont know if there is anymore new technologies to come out.
 
Great article and I really wish TM would listen to you. I am a big TM fan and bought the M1 as soon as I could I would like to see them get on sound footing again before they release any new products.
 
ShanksaloT said:
Great article Jb and you hit the nail right on the head - nearly 7 drivers in less than a year is a bit outrageous...
Click to expand...

7 Drivers released in less than a year? Don't think so. TM are on a basic 2 model 12 month driver lifecycle with an overlap release schedule...start of the year and mid-year. Aeroburner and R15 were released for 2015 with M1 being the 2015-2016 model released mid year. The replacement to the Aeroburner line will be released Jan or Feb probably then the replacement to the M1 will follow in Aug/Sept. 2016.

They are not doing anything different here from what Callaway are doing. Indeed Callaway over the last couple of years has accelerated product releases more so than TM in a bid to try and flood them out of the #1 spot. Bertha, Bertha alpha 815, Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond, Bertha Alpha 816, Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond, XR, Great Big Bertha...

Not disagreeing that companies should perhaps slow down the release cycles and work on managing inventory better but come on, Callaway is every bit as bad in this area as TM is...maybe even more so in the last couple of years when I've lost track how many damn bertha models are available...my local golfsmith and golf mart are every bit as swamped with old callaway drivers as they are with old TM drivers!
 
ScottyW said:
They are not doing anything different here from what Callaway are doing. Indeed Callaway over the last couple of years has accelerated product releases more so than TM in a bid to try and flood them out of the #1 spot. Bertha, Bertha alpha 815, Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond, Bertha Alpha 816, Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond, XR, Great Big Bertha...

Not disagreeing that companies should perhaps slow down the release cycles and work on managing inventory better but come on, Callaway is every bit as bad in this area as TM is...maybe even more so in the last couple of years when I've lost track how many damn bertha models are available...my local golfsmith and golf mart are every bit as swamped with old callaway drivers as they are with old TM drivers!
Click to expand...

You forgot the V Series As well ;)
 
ScottyW said:
7 Drivers released in less than a year? Don't think so. TM are on a basic 2 model 12 month driver lifecycle with an overlap release schedule...start of the year and mid-year. Aeroburner and R15 were released for 2015 with M1 being the 2015-2016 model released mid year. The replacement to the Aeroburner line will be released Jan or Feb probably then the replacement to the M1 will follow in Aug/Sept. 2016.

They are not doing anything different here from what Callaway are doing. Indeed Callaway over the last couple of years has accelerated product releases more so than TM in a bid to try and flood them out of the #1 spot. Bertha, Bertha alpha 815, Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond, Bertha Alpha 816, Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond, XR, Great Big Bertha...

Not disagreeing that companies should perhaps slow down the release cycles and work on managing inventory better but come on, Callaway is every bit as bad in this area as TM is...maybe even more so in the last couple of years when I've lost track how many damn bertha models are available...my local golfsmith and golf mart are every bit as swamped with old callaway drivers as they are with old TM drivers!
Click to expand...
After some digging I discovered Taylormade actually released 12 drivers in 2013:

1. Taylormade R1

2. Taylormade R1 TP

3. Taylormade R1 - Black

4. Taylormade R1 -Black TP

5. Taylormade RBZ Stage 2

6. Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 TP

7. Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 Tour

8. Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 Tour TP

9. Taylormade SLDR

10. Taylormade SLDR TP

11. Taylormade Jetspeed

12. Taylormade Jetspeed TP

If that isn't poor marketing / inventory management I don't know what is...

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
 
ScottyW said:
7 Drivers released in less than a year? Don't think so. TM are on a basic 2 model 12 month driver lifecycle with an overlap release schedule...start of the year and mid-year. Aeroburner and R15 were released for 2015 with M1 being the 2015-2016 model released mid year. The replacement to the Aeroburner line will be released Jan or Feb probably then the replacement to the M1 will follow in Aug/Sept. 2016.

They are not doing anything different here from what Callaway are doing. Indeed Callaway over the last couple of years has accelerated product releases more so than TM in a bid to try and flood them out of the #1 spot. Bertha, Bertha alpha 815, Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond, Bertha Alpha 816, Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond, XR, Great Big Bertha...

Not disagreeing that companies should perhaps slow down the release cycles and work on managing inventory better but come on, Callaway is every bit as bad in this area as TM is...maybe even more so in the last couple of years when I've lost track how many damn bertha models are available...my local golfsmith and golf mart are every bit as swamped with old callaway drivers as they are with old TM drivers!
Click to expand...

You are missing one of the biggest issues however as was pointed out in the article.
According to the retailers themselves, there are far less inventory issues with one brand than the other.
If a company releases 50k drivers and then replaces it when its nearly gone and another company releases 500k drivers and then releases another one before half the inventory is gone, it brings on this problem. While I am sure there are local stores that have issues with many brands, it is simply impossible to extrapolate that nationally and be accurate. The good news is that those numbers are out there and the article was dealing in facts based on those numbers.

FWIW, you are also forgetting about the SLDR S, but that is neither here nor there. (and lets not forget the Adams launches).

Callaway has released more drivers than TaylorMade in the last 24 months. I dont believe anybody disputed that nor should they. What they have done is managed the inventory better and released when the next was gone, rather than making more of the same model, which is what TaylorMade did.

There is a reason why in the past 12 months the Dicks Sporting Goods report only mentioned one brand when having their negative financial letter and call about moving to a smaller golf footprint and letting go employees.

This is not a Callaway vs TaylorMade article. Its not even a negative TaylorMade article. Its an article talking about how they righted the ship product wise and should run with it while its back in the #1 spot.
 
I read as far as new technology. I haven't seen it.
 
JB said:
You are missing one of the biggest issues however as was pointed out in the article.
According to the retailers themselves, there are far less inventory issues with one brand than the other.
If a company releases 50k drivers and then replaces it when its nearly gone and another company releases 500k drivers and then releases another one before half the inventory is gone, it brings on this problem. While I am sure there are local stores that have issues with many brands, it is simply impossible to extrapolate that nationally and be accurate. The good news is that those numbers are out there and the article was dealing in facts based on those numbers.

I'm not doubting the validity of your argument but I'd love to see the numbers you are basing your article on. And let's not forget that judging a company's number of inventory turns as a measure of the total performance of their total inventory management system can be misleading. Like I said before, TM has actually started to pair back the number of product releases while Callaway continues to increase. TM is now pushing 2 driver lines a year with a 6 month overlap between release schedules. That's less than Callaway who may very well supply less product to the retailers with every individual product release but who in turn also supply more new product releases to the market than anyone else. Hence, in aggregation, the total numbers of drivers pushed out to the retailers by Callaway is the number to monitor and why every store I visited has just as many "old" cally drivers on the floor as they do TM.

FWIW, you are also forgetting about the SLDR S, but that is neither here nor there. (and lets not forget the Adams launches).

I also forgot to include Callaway's V series but like you say, neither here nor there.

Callaway has released more drivers than TaylorMade in the last 24 months. I dont believe anybody disputed that nor should they. What they have done is managed the inventory better and released when the next was gone, rather than making more of the same model, which is what TaylorMade did.

That may or may not be true but again it doesn't actually solve the saturation problem retailers are dealing with. The key point you make here that I take issue with is "and released when the next was gone". They release regardless of whether the product is still there or has gone. Golfers are not buying up every driver release from Callaway to the point where they sell out in turn prompting Callaway to release more product. My local Golfsmith still has racks of X2 Hot drivers neatly stacked next to the GBB and to a degree that's the same as every other store I've been in this year. Callaway may well manufacture less with each new product but in turn release more new products. In the end, the retailer still has to deal with the same problem he faces with TM saturation.

There is a reason why in the past 12 months the Dicks Sporting Goods report only mentioned one brand when having their negative financial letter and call about moving to a smaller golf footprint and letting go employees.

Dicks Sporting Goods is a risky example from which to generalize. They have had many business problems over the last few years. I believe their relationship with Adidas and the various terms of their contracts with Adidas were such that Dicks has never enjoyed a "harmonious business relationship".

This is not a Callaway vs TaylorMade article. Its not even a negative TaylorMade article. Its an article talking about how they righted the ship product wise and should run with it while its back in the #1 spot.
Click to expand...

In my opinion, you make some good points on an important issue but it kinda reads one sided and negative against TM regards their prior product and inventory strategy. Comparing and contrasting to other manufacturers would have strengthened the article I think. And I say that not being Anti-Callaway or Pro-TM in the slightest. I use clubs from both manufacturers and enjoy doing so. One other area that I also think could be covered is the post-retailer / discount strategy and in this instance Callaway's excellent CPO program can be highlighted as a great example of how to shift old lines at discount and take the pressure off retailers (and yes, a lot of the "like new" clubs sold thru CPO have never actually been used...). Obviously TM has also tried to respond in this area with their own online CPO program and have also introduced new bricks and mortar outlet stores placed around the country to funnel off old product that is clogging up the shelves of the retailers. Will it be effective? Who knows, but from the retailers perspective it's a step in the right direction.
 
Callaway does it. Why cant TMAG? Funny, I dont recall THP calling out Callaway for it.
 
Badger_Golfer said:
Callaway does it. Why cant TMAG? Funny, I dont recall THP calling out Callaway for it.
Click to expand...

It has nothing to do with release schedules and is actually a positive article on TaylorMade and their new product. Its hard to call bias on someone from an article when the comment is not even pertaining to what was written in the article.

I can assure you that if the article was written about too many releases, then any company releasing the most would have been mentioned. Being as though the article had nothing to do with release schedules and how many per year are released, it would not make much sense to comment on another company releasing a lot of drivers, since in the last 18 months, nobody has released more than Callaway.
 
ScottyW said:
In my opinion, you make some good points on an important issue but it kinda reads one sided and negative against TM regards their prior product and inventory strategy. Comparing and contrasting to other manufacturers would have strengthened the article I think. And I say that not being Anti-Callaway or Pro-TM in the slightest. I use clubs from both manufacturers and enjoy doing so. One other area that I also think could be covered is the post-retailer / discount strategy and in this instance Callaway's excellent CPO program can be highlighted as a great example of how to shift old lines at discount and take the pressure off retailers (and yes, a lot of the "like new" clubs sold thru CPO have never actually been used...). Obviously TM has also tried to respond in this area with their own online CPO program and have also introduced new bricks and mortar outlet stores placed around the country to funnel off old product that is clogging up the shelves of the retailers. Will it be effective? Who knows, but from the retailers perspective it's a step in the right direction.
Click to expand...


The article is not an anti TaylorMade article and its certainly not a Callaway vs TaylorMade article as has been said previously. In fact its quite positive about them recapturing marketshare and glory by releasing a quality product. I also believe that some people have brand loyalty and bias and thats cool too. But if they take a second to find the information out there, over the last 2 years, they will see that the article is not only accurate, but that also shows that release schedule and inventory have virtually nothing to do with each other.

Here is what I wrote in the comments section of the article responding to a different person and sums it up very clearly.

If a company releases a widget and only produces 10 units and they sell out and they repeat these steps 10 times a year, the same people yelling about releases would be doing just that. Compared to a company that releases 1 widget and produces 20,000 of them and then releases another one before the previous sold out.
 
Hopefully people are actually reading the article, its not at all anti TM or anti anything for that matter. Its a discussion of TM regaining momentum based on focusing on the popular club they have on their hands now and it risking an overextension which has been the root of recent struggles.

I know there's this desire for some to belive there is an anti TM bias, but its not true. As golfers, which we all are, a successful TM is good for us all. I know I want to see them get their mojo back. Heck, even as a die hard believer in companies providing options for different spectrums I think another release right now for TM is a risky endeavor with the success of the m1 they have right now.
 
Last edited:
Very well written piece. Thanks JB! Totally agree!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I thought the article was ver well written with several great points. I agree with that point of view.
 
I wish people would actually read articles.
Heck Josh and I discussed some points about the article and did not agree 100 percent on all points, but it was good discussion.
And never once did I think this article was a bash on TM, I actually thought it was an article that said some good things about TM, basically you have a product that moved the needle a lot, so focus on that instead of launching some watered down version of the same club.
 
We were posting at the same time :D

I think some people just do not actually read :(

Jman said:
Hopefully people are actually reading the article, its not at all anti TM or anti anything for that matter. Its a discussion of TM regaining momentum based on focusing on the popular club they have on their hands now and it risking an overextension which has been the root of recent struggles.

I know there's this desire for some to belive there is an anti TM bias, but its not true. As golfers, which we all are, a successful TM is good for us all. I know I want to see them get their mojo back. Heck, even as a die hard believer in companies providing options for different spectrums I think a other release right now for TM is a risky endeavor with the success of the m1 they have right now.
Click to expand...
 
it's so interesting how people read differently, or don't read the article at all. It's about how the M1 has given TM a boost, a light at the end of the tunnel. Would releasing a more budget friendly driver blur that light, make it brighter, or have no noticeable effect? It's not an anti-TM article.
 
ddec said:
it's so interesting how people read or don't read the article differently. It's about how the M1 has given TM a boost, a light at the end of the tunnel. Would releasing a more budget friendly driver blur that light, make it brighter, or have no noticeable effect. It's not an anti-TM article.
Click to expand...

I actually took it as a very positive article for TM saying they have a chance to right the ship if they handle their current situation correctly. The M1 has been a huge hit...ride that a little.
 
cbaker2882 said:
I actually took it as a very positive article for TM saying they have a chance to right the ship if they handle their current situation correctly. The M1 has been a huge hit...ride that a little.
Click to expand...

Completely agree - and it mentioned that they have solid products at different price points as a boon to consumers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top