New driver hype

[willem]

It is unbelievable how much hype the new R11 driver caused in the golfing society. TM realy know how to market a new product. I would like to hear your opinion on new drivers or any clubs for that matter. Companies like TM release atleast two new clubs a year. How much better can the new releases be to the "old" club. Do they realy improve the club or is it the marketing that is improved every six months. I think if I could rate these in percentage it would be 1% better club and 99% better marketing.

 

Yes they have changed the club. The two main changes are the color from black to white and the sound it makes when hitting a ball. I must say that after getting used to the white, I like it. I cant say that I like the sound but that does not realy put me off much. When it comes to being a longer hitting club I cannot say that it is true. Maybe it is longer than the R9 460 because frankly that was a horible club, but its not longer hitting than the R9 super tri.

 

To me the only advantage of the R11 over the R9 super tri is the loft adjustment which is handy when playing in windy conditions a person would like to keep the ball lower. So yes the adjustability I guess makes it a longer club when it can be adjusted to suit the conditions on the course. But on one given day I dont think it is longer.

 

About club adjustabilty.I think the Loft adjustment is great and also the Movable Weight Technology but the face angle adjustment to me does not work. I find that I subconciously change my swing to counter the open face or closed face adjustment because it is something I can see when adressing the ball. This just screws-up everything else and things go wrong from there.

 

Maybe its just me, but like I said in my first sentence.... Its all a lot of hype and clever marketing and I do not think the R11 is realy that much better. it is like the Power Balance bracelets that became so popular last year. Every one has one or wants one but nobody can realy prove that it works. Its all in the mind, and maybe that is all we need. Thinking our balance has improved by wearing this bracelet or that we hit the ball better using the R11 driver

[Tony Covey MGS]

Nobody excels at marketing quite like TaylorMade. More specifically, TM is absolutely awesome when it comes to attracting new players to their brand. When I first started playing I bought into the TM hype machine hook line and sinker (and that was before things really exploded). All 14 clubs in my bag were TaylorMade. Over the years that number has slowly dropped to 1 (although I think it will probably climb back to 2, possibly 3 by the time the outdoor season starts again).

 

Eventually, I think most golfers start to explore other brands. Some don't, however; and by hooking those guys early, TM often creates customers for life. Hopefully those guys will eventually find their way to MGS where they'll discover that smaller companies, with less powerful marketing machines are making equipment that's every bit as good as the majority of what TM, Callaway, and the other industry juggernauts release every season.

 

At the most basic level that last idea is the fundamental driving force that differentiates MyGolfSpy from most everyone else. While most of the writing/reviewing that gets done about golf equipment starts with the premise that everything is awesome, I start with the assumption that it's all pretty much the same. We believe that by setting the bar for excellence higher, it gives the rare piece of stand out equipment a real chance to shine.

[JBones]

I have/had given up on everything TM, because I haven't had any good results with any of their equipment since their Burner Bubble. I say "had" because I discovered the TM Penta TP ball late last year and I firmly believe it is the best premium ball on the market, by far.

 

For me, Cobra is the most underrated of the big companies. They've never really excelled at marketing, instead relying on the equipment to sell itself. I can honestly say, I have NEVER been disappointed with a piece of Cobra equipment. I haven't found a driver in the last two years that can stand up to my S9-1 Pro and I just put my SS 3+ back in the bag and it is about 10-11 years old.

 

I've never been one to buy into hype. I go by results and unbaised reviews, which is what lead me to this awesome site.

[Xamilo]

It is true the R11 has created a gargantual hype around the golf business, and surely it has increased due to the "battle" between the RAZR series and the R11 this year, but I can understand 100% why there has been so much media involved and so much marketing around the new products.

 

First of all, we all know how much "hype" golf got since Tiger Woods got into the golf scene. I don't know about statistics regarding this issue (and if someone wants to correct me, please do so freely), but I'm sure half the people playing golf have not been in the sport for more than 4-5 years (I'd include myself). By 2005-6 all new golfers where looking for their "first" equipment, and the easiest way was to just buy a known brand, because it was easier to play safe. Taylormade had just released the R5 line in 2005.

 

Couple of years later they released the R7 line and the almighty new "Burner" line. All new golfers where just about to buy their maybe second set of clubs after playing for a year with used or basic equipment. I remember dreaming about owning the new R7 Draw, because I thought I had found the perfect fix for my horrible slice (was never able to get my hands into one. It was way too expensive for my budget and by the time I could afford it, the slice was gone ). This made Taylormade the easiest choice regarding golf equipment, increased by the fact the new generation of hackers was already paying attention to the tour and sitting down to watch the tournaments where Taylormade drivers where all around. Again, Taylormade was the easiest choice.

 

Years have passed, and those "new players" who kept playing, started to notice there where 30 other OEM brands and 15 component companies which could provide maybe a better experience than Taylormade did. Don't get me wrong, Taylormade makes excellent golf equipment, but maybe there where cheaper things which could adapt to your game with much more ease. People started frequenting the golf forums, asking for advice on equipment, etc.

 

This brings us to 2011. Economical Breakdown last year, Tiggy not longer being the hype in golf, etc, have made it more difficult for people to start playing golf, and again, I don't know about stats, but I'm sure much less people are getting into the game than 5 years ago.

 

This brings the mayor OEM brands to a problem. First the "old players" stick to their brands they love (PING, Titleist, W/S, TM, Callaway, etc), and won't change their club for the newest "hypest" product to save their lives. The not-so-old players, the ones I was speaking about no longer believe in the hype and have found other OEM companies they can buy their products from, or have realized their TM product they want so badly can be purchased in six months for half the price. This leaves the big OEM with their "power niche" in the very few people taking the game, which seems to be not enough

 

It was easier to just throw a product some years ago. Even if they didn't advertise, everyone was expecting the new TM Driver release 3 months before it happened. The products where back ordered even before people knew what the heck they where actually buying.

 

Today, things just don't work as easy. People know COR, MOI, volume, etc have been taken to the rule's limit. SOme have understood the new driver really doesn't offer any newer technology than the driver released two weeks ago nor the one released 6 months ago, and arguably the one released 1 year ago.

 

What's the only thing you can do to justify people buying a $500 new driver they might be able to try in six months for $199 and won't perform better than their last purchase? MAKE A HUGE HYPE ON YOUR PRODUCT! Try to create controversy, try to create expectation.

 

I actually think Callaway and Taylormade are not really "battling" but rather finding a way for people to at least go and try their products.

 

If there is controversy about their product, if there is dispute, people will be encouraged to just test both drivers and make an opinion of their own. In the meanwhile, maybe one of both excellent products will end up in the bag of any of the people "demoing" them, making it profitable for Taylormade and Callaway at the same time.

 

So here is my reason on why so much hype about this year product releases.

[TheHacker]

It's very interesting that hype tend to be build up around one club - the driver. Indeed it is called the driver because it drives all the hype. Puns intentional.

[willem]

It's very interesting that hype tend to be build up around one club - the driver. Indeed it is called the driver because it drives all the hype. Puns intentional.

Yes, the driver drives my bank manager (my wife) up the wall too. I have to buy 2 new drivers every year because every new driver that is released is "so much better" than the last years model that I must be stupid not to upgrade. Well that is what the OEM's say anyway! ha ha ha

[Justin66]

Yes, the driver drives my bank manager (my wife) up the wall too. I have to buy 2 new drivers every year because every new driver that is released is "so much better" than the last years model that I must be stupid not to upgrade. Well that is what the OEM's say anyway! ha ha ha

 

 

That'll probably not help with the life span, as well! LOL!

 

I used to get caught up in all that hype crap, but honestly, there's really little difference. The only variable left to play with is center of gravity location and even that can be overdone. I have an FT-3, FT-5 and FT-9 and I hit all three of them the same distance. Same with my SuMo 5000 and Sasquatch. Same with my Acer XK, but THAT'S my gamer, because I'm not feeding the OEMs another freaking cent until they do something about making the game more affordable.

 

OEMs aren't looking out for our best interests, they're looking out for their shareholder's best interests. That's why there's three different models roll out in one year: a 430cc version with all the bells, a 460cc version minus the weights and a 460cc version with all the bells and whistles and a mean paint scheme. Why couldn't that have been done that with the first model? Because they know people are suckers.

[Matt Saternus]

As Canada Bill Jones said, "It's immoral to let a sucker keep his money."

[MmmmmmBuddy]

As Canada Bill Jones said, "It's immoral to let a sucker keep his money."

caveat emptor pal....