KZG Introduces The New GF X Driver

[Tony Covey MGS]

 

KZG, one of the more respected component brands on the market today, just announced their new GF X Driver.

 

The new driver features adjustable weights (7 different weights), but interestingly no adjustable hosel.

 

While attempting to draw differentiation between itself and the major OEMs, my feeling is KZG makes a couple of mistakes.

 

While hinting that major golf companies release too many drivers, the release mentions KZG's 9 different offerings (that allow fitters to select the design that's right for you). 9 Drivers? And somebody else is going to tell me which one is right? That's one of those ideas that's great on paper, but as consumers we like feeling like the buying decision is ours...and mostly ours alone.

 

The bigger mistake, IMO is that the weights in the GF X Driver can only be adjusted by the fitter. That's not all bad, but the next bit really rubs me the wrong way:

 

"It has been proven time and again that when golfers make their own adjustments the results have been disastrous. Golfers tend to adjust their clubs every time they have a mis-hit. After several mis-hits and adjustments, it is impossible determine the correct positioning for optimal performance and launch. And worse, their swing is never in a groove, but rather changing daily with every mis-hit and adjustment"

I get it...or at least I think I get what KZG is going for (our fitters do a better job than trying to self-fit), but how it reads to me is "The average golfer is too stupid to adjust his club the right way. When he tries, he only makes it worse, so rather than let some idiot tinker with the club he just spent $400, we're going to make him go to a fitter to have the adjustment done the right way".

 

To me the message comes across as arrogant and condescending.

 

It also raises larger questions about the reality of custom fitting...particularly with the driver. I've said this before...for all but the very best players in the world, the golf swing is not consistent enough to declare an absolute ideal fit for every golfer. Some days 9.5° will outperform 10.5°. Some days a fade bias will be better than a draw bias. Some days an open face works better than a closed one. Most of us bring a different variation of our swing to the golf course almost daily. Some days we're close to how we think we swing...other days we're way off.

 

As an educated golfer, I'd much rather have the ability to make adjustments to account for what I have that day than to have to go see my fitter every time I want to tweak something. There's a reason why golf companies are now releasing intuitive fitting apps with their adjustable drivers. It's about enabling the consumer, not restricting him.

 

Now I will concede that not everyone understands what the impact of adjustability (real or imagined) is...or should be, but I also strongly believe that one of the worst mistakes a golf company can make is to dictate absolutes to the consumer. While doing it this way is a great way to drive the consumer to a KZG dealer, I also believe it's double-effective at keeping the consumer away from KZG.

 

That's my read on the release. I've included the full release below. Read through it...I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

-----------------------------------------------

 

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (May 15, 2013) - KZG, the #1 Custom ProLineâ„¢, has introduced its new GF X Driver, incorporating Gravitational Force (GF) Technology, which features two strategically-positioned weight portals and a selection of screws in seven different weights. The elegant and sleek, all black GF X's swingweight, launch angle and draw/fade bias can be adjusted 128 ways to optimize any golfer's launch conditions.

 

"KZG is not a marketing company, but rather a bona fide golf equipment manufacturer." reports Jennifer King, president of KZG. "While most major brands bring out one or two driver models per season, usually designed for the masses, KZG offers nine different models to allow a professional fitter the ability to select the design features needed for any given golfer regardless of their skill, size, strength or even budget. The GF-X is an ideal model for those players who require unique adjustments with maximum forgiveness."

 

The 460cc GF X offers optimum power and accuracy. The weight portals are strategically positioned where changes in weight and center of gravity are most effective. The screw weights are available in 1.5, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 gram options. The weights can also be used to compensate for a fade or draw bias. Even spin rates and trajectory are altered by changes in the weights.

 

The adjustments for all KZG clubs are done solely through KZG's network of highly qualified professional fitters. It has been proven time and again that when golfers make their own adjustments the results have been disastrous. Golfers tend to adjust their clubs every time they have a mis-hit. After several mis-hits and adjustments, it is impossible determine the correct positioning for optimal performance and launch. And worse, their swing is never in a groove, but rather changing daily with every mis-hit and adjustment. KZG's GF X removes the guesswork, as a professional clubfitter will ascertain the proper weight combination and adjustments for any particular golfer, leading to confidence and consistency ... and helping the golfer hone his swing into a fine-tuned groove.

 

With the introduction of its new GF-X driver, KZG offers nine different drivers, comprising a wide spectrum of models to suit any golfer, regardless of skill, strength, size or budget.

 

The GF-X has a traditional profile with an all gloss black head with matte black screw portals, a very sexy looking driver.

 

All KZG drivers are custom fit and built with numerous shaft options. Retail pricing varies depending on the options selected, with MSRP starting at $399.

 

About KZG

Founded in 1994, KZG offers its equipment only through the finest fitters and teachers in the industry. KZG makes great equipment, but it is their professional fitters and teachers who make it unbeatable. By partnering with the true professionals who have the skill, integrity and passion to really help improve a golfer's game, KZG has catapulted to a position of prominence in customized golf equipment.

[furu]

Absolutely arrogant. Can't believe they're saying this. Have some faith in your customers! I think golfers who buy KZG are a lot more interested in equipment and know more than the average golfer.

 

Is it just me or do a lot of the smaller companies spend too much time telling us that we're stupid because we buy the big brands? Not sure if you've got the same saying in the USA - but I'd say that they're trying to talk their product up by talking others down.

[Tony Covey MGS]

Is it just me or do a lot of the smaller companies spend too much time telling us that we're stupid because we buy the big brands? Not sure if you've got the same saying in the USA - but I'd say that they're trying to talk their product up by talking others down.

 

Unfortunately this is a recurring problem among some smaller brands. Unable to draw any real distinction between their own product and the mass produced product from the big boys they often resort to either telling us:

 

1) Everything is the same, so you might as well buy my custom clubs

2) The big guys are just marketing companies, I spend all my money on R&D...(the implication is that they spend more on R&D than big golf companies, which is basically absurd). Yes...big companies have big marketing budgets, but they also have MASSIVE R&D budgets as well. The two are not mutually exclusive.

 

You seldom see a viable argument for a small component brand. Mostly it's arguments against bigger companies.

 

I will say that one of the exceptions I've encountered is Steve Almo from Geek Golf. I've spoken with him a few times about his drivers, particularly the No Brainer we had in for our big driver test. Steve strongly believes that heavier is better, and so he's engineered his driver heavier than the just about anyone's.

 

Is he right? Hell if I know, but he's one of the few that will concede that off-the-rack actually fits a good number of golfers (Steve throws out 60%), and that his clubs are more suited to the 40% for whom off-the-rack doesn't work.

[GolfSpy Dave]

GF X made me think "X Girl Friend"

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

I get what they're trying to say -- they're probably not altogether wrong, but boy, talk about telling your customer "you're not good enough!" I'm no genius, but I've been in the marketing end of my business long enough to know that you never want to give your customer the impression that your stuff is too sophisticated for the average Joe, or that somehow they're not equipped to make adjustments. Hell, when I guy it, it's MY freaking club - if I want to adjust it, let me!

 

It comes across as arrogant, but it sounds more like a very bad marketing justification for either an inability or refusal to design/manufacture an adjustable head.

 

 

 

[Super Tuna]

Honestly, this is nothing new from KZG. Even some of their more well respected dealers will tell you what a pain in the behind they can be. There's also the crap they gave Indacup after they had their flooding issues.

 

I'm all aboard the fitting train, but I really dislike the whole "golfers are idiots who can't do anything themselves". I'm just waiting for someone to add "including swinging the club" to that. I mean golfers are idiots otherwise Ping wouldn't have to make their driver loft 2* higher then standard on average, but I also think there's a big difference between being an idiot due to one's ego vs the loft on their driver and being an idiot as to screw a weight in wrong and damage the head. This release sounds more like the latter.

[Moecat]

Kind of a misguided attempt at truth in advertising.

 

Had they taken a more humorous approach, it may have been better.

 

For example ...

[whiskey golf]

I understand what they're saying but they definitely don't word that right. Sounds arrogant as you guys have mentioned already.

[drbloor]

The don't-let-the-golfer-adjust-it policy has been in place since their first adjustable offering, I think, so it actually predates the emergence of tune-your-own clubs offered by the big names.

 

Company ownership is infamously nutty (actually, "psychopathic" seems to be the more common perception), so I doubt they much care about the perception they create with their messaging.

 

Good clubs, though.

[Bob Pegram]

On 5/16/2013 at 8:39 AM, drbloor said:

The don't-let-the-golfer-adjust-it policy has been in place since their first adjustable offering, I think, so it actually predates the emergence of tune-your-own clubs offered by the big names.

 

Company ownership is infamously nutty (actually, "psychopathic" seems to be the more common perception), so I doubt they much care about the perception they create with their messaging.

 

Good clubs, though.

The history of KZG can explain (but not justify) this policy. The company waS founded in 1994 by Jennifer King and her husband. He died early on. She is not a golfer. I used to work for a Top 100 rated independent club fitter named Leith Anderson. He sold KZG, but got fed up with trying to deal with her unresonabble attitude and stopped buying their heads. It is too bad because the clubs are high quality, but the leadership is unreasonable.

[03trdblack]

Holy 8 year old thread revival from the dead! 

[Bobber]

Jennifer King is a piece work. Her middle names could very well be Arrogant and Condescending. Let’s just leave it at that.