How long until ...

[Stuart81]

I was talking with a member today and we were discussing how long it will be before Pro shops etc just stock Heads, Shafts and grips separately allowing the customer to put together their choice of set/iron make up.

 

I know there are specialist places that do this but when will it hit mainstream shop floors? I would say that when it does TM will be the first major company to roll it out in about 2 years. As that way Pro shops can just buy in the components and if a new head is launched they can just order a few in at a cheaper price meaning less expenditure for the Pro/club, knowing they have a great choice of shafts and grips already in stock.

 

Stuart

[JBones]

It probably will never happen, for a number of reasons. We have been discussing this a lot over the last couple days here, http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/5363-club-options-and-pricing-are-killing-me/.

[Stuart81]

JBones

 

True but when Cell phones first hit the high street the seals we get today we would have been sent to the loony bin if we had mentioned them back in the day?

 

Keep the faith, one day 1 of the big companies will do it and blow the market wide open, remember they can still make huge mark ups on shafts not everyone has a huge selection of shafts/grips in their garage

 

Stuart

[GolfSpy Tim]

wonder if/when TM might try and pull an Apple type location

[Justin66]

The I-Mix from Callaway was one such model that failed. Personally, I think it was implemented wrong... why the h3ll have one head, a "normal" shaft and a "high-launch" shaft, when the average golfer should stick to one?

 

There's the cost that's involved, as well. Retailers would have to stock a BUNCH of heads, shafts (at all, or almost all, pricepoints), grips, ferrules/adaptors and "disposable" clubmaking stock (tape, solvent, epoxy, swing weighting materials, etc.). That's an inventory and cost nightmare- especially those high-end shafts that might just sit there for the whole year.

 

You may see pricing changes, as well. Let's say the average cost of the head is $200. The average cost of a shaft is $100; grips, $4. Right now you're over the current cost by $4- which could be worse since my head cost is just a number and I'm not going to even attempt to find the average cost for ALL shafts and grips- this is just an example, after all. T

 

here's also the adaptor or ferrule that needs to be bought, the fitting, labor and "disposable inventory" (epoxy, tape, solvent, etc.) costs that need to be covered. Do you HAVE to have a $300 shaft, or is one that plays the same for $50 acceptable (though it isn't the "it" one someone at your club uses)? Is the retailer going to be honest with you, or try to strong-arm you into a "premium" shaft to help unload said high-cost inventory? Do you go with the $10 grip, or the $3 model? Which ones will "The Boss" let you have, or will you have to forsake your dignity for what you want? The higher-end stuff might not be available at the time of purchase (who would want to stock tons of that stuff, from a cost perspective? Those that want to go bankrupt)... are you willing to wait?

 

There's too much going on for this to even be close to feasible- it is definitely NOT like a cellphone store. Not that it's a bad idea- far from it. Just right now, with the way golf costs are, it just isn't a sound business model.

[Tony Covey MGS]

The I-Mix from Callaway was one such model that failed. Personally, I think it was implemented wrong... why the h3ll have one head, a "normal" shaft and a "high-launch" shaft, when the average golfer should stick to one?

 

There's the cost that's involved, as well. Retailers would have to stock a BUNCH of heads, shafts (at all, or almost all, pricepoints), grips, ferrules/adaptors and "disposable" clubmaking stock (tape, solvent, epoxy, swing weighting materials, etc.). That's an inventory and cost nightmare- especially those high-end shafts that might just sit there for the whole year.

 

You may see pricing changes, as well. Let's say the average cost of the head is $200. The average cost of a shaft is $100; grips, $4. Right now you're over the current cost by $4- which could be worse since my head cost is just a number and I'm not going to even attempt to find the average cost for ALL shafts and grips- this is just an example, after all. T

 

here's also the adaptor or ferrule that needs to be bought, the fitting, labor and "disposable inventory" (epoxy, tape, solvent, etc.) costs that need to be covered. Do you HAVE to have a $300 shaft, or is one that plays the same for $50 acceptable (though it isn't the "it" one someone at your club uses)? Is the retailer going to be honest with you, or try to strong-arm you into a "premium" shaft to help unload said high-cost inventory? Do you go with the $10 grip, or the $3 model? Which ones will "The Boss" let you have, or will you have to forsake your dignity for what you want? The higher-end stuff might not be available at the time of purchase (who would want to stock tons of that stuff, from a cost perspective? Those that want to go bankrupt)... are you willing to wait?

 

There's too much going on for this to even be close to feasible- it is definitely NOT like a cellphone store. Not that it's a bad idea- far from it. Just right now, with the way golf costs are, it just isn't a sound business model.

 

Everything Justin said and...

 

If you look at the state of "Fittings" at Big Box stores (while there are certainly some exceptions, general quality is lacking). There's no way I would want to rely on those same stores to provide club building services as well. Really the best we should hope for in this regard is a reasonable in-stock inventory of alternative shafts for interchangeable systems. Even then...if you accept our (MyGolfSpy's) assertion that most guys would be better served chopping an inch plus off their drivers, even inventory won't completely solve the problem.

 

Having said that...there already exists at network of fitters/builders that have access to major OEM equipment at the component level. A good example would be Club Champion in the Chicago area. They stock parts from the OEMs, and will custom build whatever configuration is called for.

 

We might see a few OEMs start to publicize a preferred dealer network, but that could run the risk of alienating those dealers for whom the bulk of the business is off-the-rack.

 

Really what we're talking about here is the Miura model (no such thing as a "stock" option), and essentially it's the same model used by Wishon, Swing Science, KZG and others. And really...the OEMs want to distinguish themselves as much as they can from component brands (the last thing they want is for the consumer to come around to the idea that big OEM and component offerings are similar). This is probably reason enough why the current way of doing business (stock shaft, upgrade by order only) won't change.

[Jgolf]

Everything Justin said and...

 

If you look at the state of "Fittings" at Big Box stores (while there are certainly some exceptions, general quality is lacking). There's no way I would want to rely on those same stores to provide club building services as well. Really the best we should hope for in this regard is a reasonable in-stock inventory of alternative shafts for interchangeable systems. Even then...if you accept our (MyGolfSpy's) assertion that most guys would be better served chopping an inch plus off their drivers, even inventory won't completely solve the problem.

 

Having said that...there already exists at network of fitters/builders that have access to major OEM equipment at the component level. A good example would be Club Champion in the Chicago area. They stock parts from the OEMs, and will custom build whatever configuration is called for.

 

We might see a few OEMs start to publicize a preferred dealer network, but that could run the risk of alienating those dealers for whom the bulk of the business is off-the-rack.

 

Really what we're talking about here is the Miura model (no such thing as a "stock" option), and essentially it's the same model used by Wishon, Swing Science, KZG and others. And really...the OEMs want to distinguish themselves as much as they can from component brands (the last thing they want is for the consumer to come around to the idea that big OEM and component offerings are similar). This is probably reason enough why the current way of doing business (stock shaft, upgrade by order only) won't change.

 

Why would associating yourself with a component brand be a bad thing?

[Tony Covey MGS]

Why would associating yourself with a component brand be a bad thing?

 

It's to the bigger OEM's advantage to create as much distance and differentiation between themselves and component companies. There's a reason why you seldom see components sold in the same places as big OEM gear. Most golfers know that components (and clones too I suppose) cost less than similar offerings from the big golf companies. As long as the big guys maintain the separation it creates a perception that it's not just price, but also quality that is lesser.

 

If the big guys were to adapt a similar model to component companies, they'd essentially be saying, "we're just like them". And to justify that higher price point, it's important to maintain the suggestion that their products are nothing like component products.