TaylorMade continues its surge

How TaylorMade made its move

WSJ's J.P. Newport talks about how TaylorMade used innovation and hype to surged ahead in golf club sales despite the recession. Callaway inertia and its TopFlite misadventure helped TM get the lead.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324900204578286173274533026.html

I've got Callaway irons and driver, and last year's RBZ for FWs and hybrid. I'm leaning toward Callaway, hope they rebound.

Man they were really blitzing the TV this past weekend on the ATT coverage. About 10 different pros all proclaiming "I play a distance iron" (Rocket Bladze), and the 'bucket' brigade or whatever with the bright yellow hats.

Man, I'm glad I don't driknk the big brand kool-aid; I would be paying for all that garbage.

Local golf store owner said he sees the Rocket Bladez irons doing well.  He also said most people that come in don't like the graphics on the Stage 2 and R1 woods nor have they seen any distance improvement so they haven't been moving as fast as he or TM hoped.

As someone who's relatively new to golf (just started playing "for real" this past summer), I don't really have any background with any of the OEMs. But I'll say that after seeing a lot of the TM ads on TV and online, they're actually a bit of a turnoff to be honest. I think the whole facepaint thing is a bit goofy - perhaps that's good, TM is thumbing their noses at the notion that golf is stuffy and old fashioned, but the facepaint and the yellow bucket hats and the criticism they've received over their Rocketbladez claims and the driver graphics are all things that actually turn me off of their brand.

I think Phil's glowing praises of Callaway's new clubs will, in the short term, do more for Callaway's sales than TM's slightly out of the box advertising and promos.

I totally see that. I like the concept of the stage 2... grabbed it off the rack at dicks the other day and set up... put it right back. I could never look down at anything but a solid color. But the Bladez... i've heard nothing but great things about them.