Hopkins Golf

[whiskey golf]

The black finish looks really good.

[SPY ZINGER]

looking forward to the interview! heard about hopkins wedges before, but don't know too much about them. love all the different grind options they offer through their website!

Here was the interview Snoopy: http://www.mygolfspy.com/hopkins-golf-custom-wedges/

 

I just added the new black head to this thread rather than start a new one.

 

HCKY: Very true but still reasonable comparatively. By the way, thinking of organizing a MN outing at a local loud and rowdy over Christmas break. You in?

[BIG STU]

It is an interesting marketing concept. For me I cant tell much from the pictures I am one guy that has to have the actual product in hand to feel to evaluate it. I know he is getting started but I wonder in the future if he will have franchised fitting and building centers trained in his methods and procedures. I do applaud his efforts though and I am impressed with his customer service on returning wedges if they are not compatable for you. The prices do not seem out of line for the product to me. I wish them all the success in the world

[Rickles]

I remember when the article was originally written they said they had plans to sell higher lofts such as 62 and 64 degree wedges. I've been looking for a new 64 and was waiting to see if Hopkins would release one. The have a black finish now but I want the higher lofts. I guess I'm the only one.

[hckymeyer]

Here was the interview Snoopy: http://www.mygolfspy.com/hopkins-golf-custom-wedges/

 

I just added the new black head to this thread rather than start a new one.

 

HCKY: Very true but still reasonable comparatively. By the way, thinking of organizing a MN outing at a local loud and rowdy over Christmas break. You in?

I'm listed as "day to day" for any outings.  Got a newborn and an almost 3 year old now so getting out is going to be harder for a while.  It all depends on time and location.

 

Any interest in trying to get the MN guys together for a simulator round up at Bunker over the winter? 

[SPY ZINGER]

I'm listed as "day to day" for any outings.  Got a newborn and an almost 3 year old now so getting out is going to be harder for a while.  It all depends on time and location.

 

Any interest in trying to get the MN guys together for a simulator round up at Bunker over the winter? 

Yes, but we need to do it at Inside Edge...they are fans of everything MGS.  It's in Eden Prairie though.

[hckymeyer]

Yes, but we need to do it at Inside Edge...they are fans of everything MGS.  It's in Eden Prairie though.

Eden Prairie's not too bad, I'm thinking that could work.

[SPY ZINGER]

Kind of a neat promotional video describing the Hopkins - UPS strategic partnership:

 

[mr_divots]

Not a big fan of this arrangement. UPS is a large beheamoth of a company. Things that make them bigger, and make Greg's pockets swell more, just aren't all that exciting to me. Centralized profit in the economy is a problem.

 

Working for UPS now zinger? Job change?

[Paul S]

Not a big fan of this arrangement. UPS is a large beheamoth of a company. Things that make them bigger, and make Greg's pockets swell more, just aren't all that exciting to me. Centralized profit in the economy is a problem.

 

Working for UPS now zinger? Job change?

Easy there.

[L.I. Rich]

Not a big fan of this arrangement. UPS is a large beheamoth of a company. Things that make them bigger, and make Greg's pockets swell more, just aren't all that exciting to me. Centralized profit in the economy is a problem.

 

Working for UPS now zinger? Job change?

 

What?  What's a decentralized profit?

[revkev]

Big or small I'm for the innovator when his innovation has merit. It's a great concept and using ups as his primary work force is a part of it.

 

I'd give it a like and wish him well.

[Blade]

Big or small I'm for the innovator when his innovation has merit. It's a great concept and using ups as his primary work force is a part of it.

 

I'd give it a like and wish him well.

Same here. Thinking out of the box is a good thing.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

I little unclear on the concept. Is Hopkins using UPS as a distribution/fulfillment house? If so that seems pretty smart - the big companies have reps and pay good money for their retail space. If the ups partnership helps the little guy compete, then good for both of them!

[Blade]

I little unclear on the concept. Is Hopkins using UPS as a distribution/fulfillment house? If so that seems pretty smart - the big companies have reps and pay good money for their retail space. If the ups partnership helps the little guy compete, then good for both of them!

UPS actually assembles the clubs. I wouldn't have thought of that scenario.

[L.I. Rich]

I little unclear on the concept. Is Hopkins using UPS as a distribution/fulfillment house? If so that seems pretty smart - the big companies have reps and pay good money for their retail space. If the ups partnership helps the little guy compete, then good for both of them!

Assembly too if I'm not mistaken...

[BestGrips.com]

Personally, I'm not a fan of the concept. Hopkins takes pride in the fact they have nothing to do with the manufacturing of their product. I am completely the opposite.

 

Besides after using UPS for shipping for 4-5 years I wouldn't use them for anything. Someone in Memphis took home a lot of product from us.

[furu]

"3.4 trillion variations". And only 99.99999% of those are different colour paint

[revkev]

"3.4 trillion variations". And only 99.99999% of those are different colour paint

True on both yours and his account. Hey he's a marketer.

[Jondagcl]

I have no problem with this being made in a UPS facility.  Most of the clubs we buy get tweaked in factories much more suspect than a UPS hub in Memphis.

 

My bigger question would be why not supply local shops with demo versions of a handful of your wedges and then the shop orders from you and they get a %.  That does put a middleman back in the picture which is against their model I suppose.  But they would have no inventory, so you can still drop ship everything.

 

I'm not opposed to playing a club from a manufacturer that is off the beaten path, but I don't really want to order one sight unseen.  Sure you can return it and play that game over and over again.  But who wants to do that with a wedge?  I'd like to demo a few at a store, choose the one like and then order it.  It'll be bad enough that once you find the wedge you want you can't walk just out of the store with it.  But at least you'd know what you are getting.  Then you can add your favorite colors, stamps of snowflakes and your initials 45 times.

[L.I. Rich]

I haven't been in there in a while, but an indoor facility near me was offering to get me fit into Hopkins wedges; they had quite a few demos to hit.

[Jondagcl]

I haven't been in there in a while, but an indoor facility near me was offering to get me fit into Hopkins wedges; they had quite a few demos to hit.

That must be a rogue retailer offering the service because on their site, under "Help" they indicate that they are a web based business that skips the middle man and retail.

[MarcKilgore]

Are you guys serious? UPS workers assemble the clubs before shipping? Am I the only one that finds that totally bizarre? This kind of flies in the face of being professionally fit, and having clubs expertly made by trained craftsmen. Maybe UPS knows a hell of a lot more about club building than I give them credit for. I don't even trust them to ship a box without something going wrong.

[Blade]

Are you guys serious? UPS workers assemble the clubs before shipping? Am I the only one that finds that totally bizarre? This kind of flies in the face of being professionally fit, and having clubs expertly made by trained craftsmen. Maybe UPS knows a hell of a lot more about club building than I give them credit for. I don't even trust them to ship a box without something going wrong.

I remember seeing a video about it when I first heard about them. They set up a club building section in the building and trained certain employees to do it specifically. Very unconventional for sure. Seems to be working I guess.

[mnfats95]

I was considering a set of these before I decided to go the PING route. I thought it seemed like an easy way to get the club built the way you wanted it for a decent price.

 

Obviously I can't comment on the quality of the club, but it seems to me that the vast majority of clubs today are probably assembled by people that are trained to slap them together in the most efficient way possible. Unless you are going to a local shop where the guy who fit you is actually putting the club together I'm not sure where the "trained craftsmen" comes into play.

 

Since the components are made somewhere else and I'm sure even the grinds are pre fabricated I don't see what the difference is between someone in an assembly line somewhere and UPS putting them together is?

 

Even if the grinds are done to order you could have a few people trained to do that quick enough or even hire someone who isn't a UPS employee to do it.

 

Either way, while you don't get the benefit of someone fitting you for them, you can always send them back in 30 days if you don't like them and try a different configuration. If you already know what fits you then even better.