Category: Bag Drop

Looking for the Long Ball? Think 3-Wood

For most golfers, the driver is like Michael Vick: Thrilling, but often unpredictable. The majority of us would be better off with a less flashy, more Tom Brady-like club: The 3-wood.

Bag DropNext time you’re at the driving range or practice tee of your choosing, take a quick look at what most of your fellow players are doing. A couple might be hitting wedges. A handful will be on the putting green. But without doubt, the majority of the players will be banging driver. Chicks dig the long ball, right?

But what should most golfers do if they want to add yards to their drive? Put the driver away. That’s right. Clubbing down to the 3-wood is the way most golfers can take it deep off the tee.

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Here Come the Second-Generation 460cc Drivers

I’ve already noted that big steps forward in driver design have been made difficult by the 460cc size limitation. Here’s a look at how three top equipment manufacturers have come up with new products that replace exisiting 460cc drivers.

Bag DropThree highly anticipated drivers have recently been unveiled. The Ping G5 and Cleveland Launcher Ti460 drivers are already available at some retailers, and the Nike SasQuatch driver is expected in shops before Thanksgiving – and is getting a big push from Nike.

So these drivers are bigger and bolder than their predecessors, right? Oh, wait, all three models are replacing drivers that were already at the 460cc maximum imposed by the USGA and R&A. There goes a big selling point. Can drivers be better without being bigger?

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2006 Gets An Early Start

Golf equipment manufacturers are already bringing next year’s new products out today. This is another prime example of the sea change that has taken place in the golf industry over the past decade.

Bag DropSure, the calendar still reads September 2005. But from a golf equipment perspective, let’s agree that the 2006 model year is off to a brisk and early start. How is it that some of next year’s hottest clubs are already in golf shops by Labor Day?

Back in the olden days (let’s say 1995 for a ballpark figure), new products predominantly were announced at the PGA Merchandise Show in at the end of January. Every major manufacturer would introduce its lineup for the year, making for a golf equipment lover’s dream week. Rumors would build up in the days before the Show, and the companies would spend millions outdoing each other with increasingly splashy parties and golf outings.

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What the Real Golfers Are Playing

You’ve heard of the Darrell Survey? Well, this is the Donald Survey, also known as “what the people I played with on my vacation had in their bags.” It’s enough to make a few people in Carlsbad cry.

Bag DropThe big-name golf equipment manufacturers spend millions of dollars every year to promote their wares. But how much of what the average golfer plays can be considered “brand-name” or “pro-line” equipment? Even on vacation, The Bag Drop never stops working for you. Read on to see what my extremely non-scientific survey discovered about what’s really in the bags of some very average golfers.

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Your Guide To The OEMs, Part 3

The golf equipment business is a crowded, cutthroat place. To help you make sense of it, I’m giving you my interpretation of how the top companies in the biz relate to one another.

Bag DropSo far, we’ve examined six of the top original equipment manufacturers in golf today: The Big Three of Acushnet, Callaway and TaylorMade-Adidas, and the Next Three of Cleveland, Nike and Ping. This week, The Bag Drop takes a look at a couple groups of golf companies that find themselves looking up at those six brands.

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Your Guide To OEMs, Part 2

The golf equipment business is a crowded, cutthroat place. To help you make sense of it, I’m giving you my interpretation of how the top companies in the biz relate to one another.

Bag DropIn the first part of this series, we took at look at the Big Three: Acushnet, Callaway, and TaylorMade-Adidas. This week, we look at a trio of companies jockeying for position and the chance to make the jump to join the Big Three atop the industry. I call these companies the Next Three, and they are Cleveland, Nike and Ping.

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Your Guide To OEMs, Part 1

The golf equipment business is a crowded, cutthroat place. To help you make sense of it, I’m giving you my interpretation of how the top companies in the biz relate to one another.

Bag DropHave you ever thought about all the golf club companies out there and said, “Sheesh! I can’t tell the players without a scorecard!” If so, I have two things to say to you. First, welcome to the Bag Drop. You’re my kind of person and I’m glad you’re here, even if you sound kind of dorky saying “Sheesh!” like that. And second, here’s your scorecard.

Read on to see part one of my three-part series on the top original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the market today.

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Is This the Beginning of the End?

Golf’s governing bodies have clamped down on technological advances in drivers. With every manufacturer pushing up against the newly established limits, does that mean we’ve reached the era of non-differentiation?

Bag DropI was struck by a recent posting on a golf forum. The poster claimed to have just tested six new drivers, all from different manufacturers, on the course. He hit dozens of drives before reaching an unsettling conclusion: All six drivers hit the ball the same distance. In the era of USGA performance limitations, have we already reached the point where there really isn’t much difference in drivers?

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The Midseason Report

This week, the Bag Drop takes a quick look at this year’s equipment from a hands-on perspective.

Bag DropThe 2005 golf season is reaching the midway point. What better time to stop and evaluate some of the clubs that have made it into my bag so far this year? Without further ado, let the mini-reviews begin!

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