Balls being played at US Open - Where is Titleist?

[Jay-Bird]

Don't believe the hype was said in '88 by the great Chuck D.

[msd3075]

I wouldn't be surprised. Nike has always been a marketing company, not a manufacturing company (true for all of their products, not just golf.)

I remember when Nike came out with its first line of hockey equipment back in the mid 90's. Every piece of equipment was an exact copy of other's designs with a Nike "swoosh" emblem suck on them. Hell, the Nike helmet was EXACTLY the same as the Cooper helmet with nothing more than a Nike sticker stuck over the Cooper logo.

[iacas]

I remember when Nike came out with its first line of hockey equipment back in the mid 90's. Every piece of equipment was an exact copy of other's designs with a Nike "swoosh" emblem suck on them. Hell, the Nike helmet was EXACTLY the same as the Cooper helmet with nothing more than a Nike sticker stuck over the Cooper logo.

Nike bought Bauer in 1994. So I think it's a bit silly to say that - they put the Nike logo on equipment Bauer had already been shipping.

They just recently sold Bauer off to someone else. The division never really made a profit. 1994 date checked with a quick skim of http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/business/22nike.html .

[KingCobra]

I remember when Nike came out with its first line of hockey equipment back in the mid 90's. Every piece of equipment was an exact copy of other's designs with a Nike "swoosh" emblem suck on them. Hell, the Nike helmet was EXACTLY the same as the Cooper helmet with nothing more than a Nike sticker stuck over the Cooper logo.

haha i know. when i first started playing i had a nike helmet that was a bauer 4000 model but with nike on it. damm it sucks nike sold off bauer. i loved that nikebauer stuff. off topic but im still bitter haha.

[msd3075]

Nike bought Bauer in 1994. So I think it's a bit silly to say that - they put the Nike logo on equipment Bauer had already been shipping.

You are missing my point. The helmet I'm speaking of was an exact copy of the same Cooper design that had been around for years prior to 1994. You could buy the exact same helmet design with either a Cooper/Bauer logo or a Nike logo. There was no difference between the two. It wasn't as if all Cooper/Bauer equipment became Nike equipment; both lines had the same designs but were both sold side-by-side. It's much like the "difference" between the Chevrolet Suburban and the GMC Suburban. One just has a different grille. Anyway, back to topic.... To me, Titlesit is like the BMW of the golfing world. While it is one of the best brands out there and is ahead of the game in many ways, many people are blinded by the name/prestige and ultimately end up paying more to get that name brand. They fail to recognize how good and comparable other brands are. Too many people think the 3-series is the best sports sedan simple because that's "just the way it is and always has been" without even understanding how much faster the Infiniti G37 is, how much nicer inside the Audi A4 is, or just how reliable and hassle-free the Acura TL is. Same goes for Titleist and it's competitors. This is NOT to say that Titleist is not a great brand; it's only meant to say that Titleist isn't as high up there and off on it's own as some people seem to automatically think or are blinded to believe.

[ApocG10]

Ya, having been playing hockey for 24 years now (ill be 28 in july), I can honestly say that Nike made a horrible choice in buying Bauer. They had always been low end hockey equipment, and Nike could do nothing to improve it, or so it seemed.

Reebok was a company that really suprised me in hockey, as I would never wear the sneakers they made. Yet their Hockey equipment is nothing short of the best. All of my equipment, besides my skates and half-shield, are Reebok, and I love it. The shield is Oakley, and the skates are Grafs, which Reebok makes nothing to contend with.

[HytrewQasdfg]

Titleist isnt as popular as they once were. Recently, they have been matched and even surpassed by Callaway, Bridgestone and Srixon.

Titleist is still the standard in golf balls everyone else is measured against. That doesn't mean they are the best balls (but you do have to make a darned good ball to keep the top spot as long as they have.)

Last I looked, Titlest had 60% of the golf ball market. They sell more pro-v1s (22% maket share) than Callaway's entire line combined. If 60% isn't as popular as they were once were, what were they in the past? What I could dig up quickly: Titleist: 60% Srixon: 5.6%

[Chilli Dipper]

I don't know of any Nike, Callaway, or Srixon/Cleveland tour staff who don't play their company's balls. TaylorMade isn't quite as insistent about having players who carry their clubs also carry their balls, but their big names (Garcia, Rose, O'Hair, et.al.) probably have to. Titleist is basically the standard for any player associated with a company that doesn't make its own balls, which is I found it odd that Ricky Barnes was using a Callaway ball this week (Barnes being a Wilson Staff player).

[ApocG10]

I believe until the last year or so, mickelson didnt play callaway balls, or so ive heard. I could be wrong though.

[SpacklersEdge]

He might start after this event!

I hope he does, I will gladly offer him some $$ for his current one. It has only won like 50 events, god knows how much money, and 14 majors!!

[jrwingate6]

Bottom line is.....With all the technology now, all of the major companies are making golf balls that perform as well or better in some cases than the Titleist Prov. The reason why alot of us play Titleist golf balls is because we want to play "the #1 ball in golf".

Just because Titleist pays pro's to play there balls and markets them very well does not mean they make the best golf ball in the world.

[Futuresport]

I don't know of any Nike, Callaway, or Srixon/Cleveland tour staff who don't play their company's balls. TaylorMade isn't quite as insistent about having players who carry their clubs also carry their balls, but their big names (Garcia, Rose, O'Hair, et.al.) probably have to. Titleist is basically the standard for any player associated with a company that doesn't make its own balls, which is I found it odd that Ricky Barnes was using a Callaway ball this week (Barnes being a Wilson Staff player).

eh not suprised about barnes...or any staff player. the wilson balls seem to be all made as super low compression which doesn't really help a tour player who has a higher swing speed from what I've read.

they're ridiculously soft if you haven't tried em yet

[ukalum]

Whomever thought of the name Srixon should be fired immediately. These could be the best balls known to man, but the name screams Hyundai or Kia. 90% of the marketing budget must be spent to overcome the name.

BTW - at a local tournament I receive a sleeve of Srixon balls in the green sleeve. I quickly skimmed the box to determine if this was a high spin ball or low spin, but the box only had inconclusive information. I tossed it in my bag and probably will never think of buying a sleeve on my own.

As a marketing professional IMHO their marketing is horrible from tee to green

[AlCzervik]

Whomever thought of the name Srixon should be fired immediately. These could be the best balls known to man, but the name screams Hyundai or Kia. 90% of the marketing budget must be spent to overcome the name.

Green sleeve is soft feel... I love the name Srixon. It's off the wall and different.

[bIGwIRE]

Whomever thought of the name Srixon should be fired immediately. These could be the best balls known to man, but the name screams Hyundai or Kia. 90% of the marketing budget must be spent to overcome the name.

lol, the green sleeve is Soft Feel... like the big letters on the front of the box say. Sounds like you just have a bias. "the name screams Hyundai or Kia"

sheesh

[mancest]

I don't know of any Nike, Callaway, or Srixon/Cleveland tour staff who don't play their company's balls. TaylorMade isn't quite as insistent about having players who carry their clubs also carry their balls, but their big names (Garcia, Rose, O'Hair, et.al.) probably have to. Titleist is basically the standard for any player associated with a company that doesn't make its own balls, which is I found it odd that Ricky Barnes was using a Callaway ball this week (Barnes being a Wilson Staff player).

I could be wrong, but I thought I saw some Callaway headcovers in Barnes bag....I didn't get to watch his final round, but I swear I saw them on Sunday, which surpised me because of his Wilson gear everywhere else.

[JGulkCG]

Whomever thought of the name Srixon should be fired immediately. These could be the best balls known to man, but the name screams Hyundai or Kia. 90% of the marketing budget must be spent to overcome the name.

head to Japan, Srixon is the leading golf company over there. They must be doing something right. They have always been in the states but have just recently (with the purchase of Cleveland and Never Compromise) started to bring their name to the top of the ranks. It takes time when Titleist whom was originally created for "tour" players. Meaning their equipment was top of the line basically only tour players or very low handicap players could really play. Have an argument against that, ask your sales rep. So when people think Titleist, they think the best. Not a bad plan if you ask me. But other companies are in the mix now. It takes time. A lot of it. But everyone has their own preference, no one club or ball is the best. Just whatever is best for that person. Meaning a Titleisnt could be best for one person, where as a Srixon or Callaway could be best for someone else. Also different companies paying ore money to have tour players play their balls has a say.

[shortstop20]

I could be wrong, but I thought I saw some Callaway headcovers in Barnes bag....I didn't get to watch his final round, but I swear I saw them on Sunday, which surpised me because of his Wilson gear everywhere else.

You'd be surprised how many players with contracts have a couple clubs from other brands in their bag.

Furyk plays a Nickent hybrid for example, with a Srixon headcover on it if I'm not mistaken(pretty common practice on the Tour, more than people would like to think).