Major OEM of the Year 2013

[Mr. Desmond]

2013 ...

A great year for equipment.

Great drivers, irons with new technology, slotted and cupfaced fairways and hybrids, new wedges, and still more coming out this year. Adams is coming out with Tight Lies 2013 in August and September - dual slots and more traditional stock lengths. Callaway just pumped out the Optiforce and is pumping out new putters under Odyssey.

The favorites -

Taylormade - R1, Stage 2 fairways and hybrids, Rocketbladz, and some great golf balls. If they could only make wedges... Justin Rose wins a US Open

Callaway is like a machine this year - XHot Driver and Fairways, Xhot 3Deep, Optiforce, and Irons - XForged, XHot and XHot Pros, MacDaddy II, Tank and Versa Putters ... Chrome + Ball ... they keep putting out equipment when it's ready. Phil wins the British, Scottish, and almost the US Open.

Titleist is reliable - gentle evolutions of their equipment. Always good and their selection of shafts keeps getting better. Scott wins a Major with it...

Nike is like the cool guy in town - something new in the Covert and adjustability ... but something goes a little wrong ... its new top player is flailing and their momentum seems flattened. Tiger wins, but not the Big One...

Cobra is golf's bad boy of fashion but Fowler and Poulter fade. The "Fly Driver" and Fairways look good as do the Amp Irons...

Mizuno - Mr. Iron is consistent but the remainder of the line, except for the wedges, is not popular.

Ping - the Engineering firm pops out evolutions of its equipment similar to Titleist - Ping is never edgy, but they are always logical ... well, most of the time. Great kit.

Adams - Hasn't made much noise this year, but the Tight Lies 2013 may be their best addition to the kit - a fairway that gets you out of bad lies? Unheard of .... Word is their irons are very good, too.

Cleveland - Who? The driver gets kudos but if it weren't for Keegan and their wedges, they might fade into the golfing sunset.

__

My vote for Major OEM of the Year goes to Callaway. They are also Comeback Player of the Year.

Callaway is pumping out technology and kit as soon as it's ready to go.

It is Callaway gone wild!

Harry Arnett of Callaway is not only the man who knows too much ... he is everywhere as the Callaway social media spokesman. Callaway is making great use of social media.

They are still pumping out equipment next month. They've gone from also-ran to sniping at Taylormade's heels all the way down the club line ... and now debuting new wedges and drivers at traditional year's end.  Now if they can stop only going for distance and shorten those shaft lengths and get me a D3-D4 swingweight in drivers, fairways, and hybrids, they are the men! Well, they are anyway ... for 2013 ... that's Callaway.

[Dave2512]

My vote goes to Cobra but after playing the 588 TT's for a few weeks I am surprised Cleveland didn't make a bigger splash with that line. The interchangeability is very cool.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

My vote for Major OEM of the Year goes to Callaway. They are also Comeback Player of the Year.

Callaway is pumping out technology and kit as soon as it's ready to go. They are still pumping it out next month. They've gone from also-ran to sniping at Taylormade's heels all the way down the club line ... and now debuting new wedges and drivers at traditional year's end.  Now if they can stop only going for distance and shorten those shaft lengths and get me a D3-D4 swingweight in drivers, fairways, and hybrids, they are the men! Well, they are anyway ... for 2013 ... that's Callaway.

Yup, ditto for me.  The drivers are winners for sure, and while I'm happy with my Ping irons, I loooved the xhot pro irons and the x forged I hit during my visit this last year.

And the scaled back, stripped down iron sets (only offering 4 easy to understand options, rather than, who knows how many they used to crank out) are also a smart move, I believe.  We'll see if they stick to it or not.

[cipher]

I would have to vote Callaway this year.  The wood options and putter options are pretty cool this year.   I love the x irons for this year as well.  Last year I would have said ping with the Anser driver, and the i20 line.  This year it is Callaway for me.  That being said I will stick with my i20's and my Anser driver. Love my new Odyssey Pro #7 though.

[hacker101]

It was Ping for me. I like how there irons are balanced, not over the top with colors they just seemed very clean.

The driver, woods, hybreds and wedges seem to complement each other clean and simple very easy to swing.

In the past Callaway was always my go to, I think I lost interest when they put there uniflex shafts out. But there Xhot line are beautiful for anyone in the market and if the clubs fit. I have not heard a bad word from anyone that i have spoken to regarding there clubs all seem very happy with what they have.

In the end I was lucky enough to be in the market for a whole new set, the G25 was not at the top of my list until I tired them, very happy with Ping at this time.

But i can not take away from any of the above Mr D put up on the voting all great clubs.

[Mr. Desmond]

Even though I play a lot of Taylormade, what I'm going for here is the OEM who made the biggest impact on the industry, and put out new and exciting equipment with technology that helped all levels of golfers. While I acknowledge that Taylormade is a leader, imho, Callaway has made THE major impact of all OEMs this year.

XHot Drivers - Hot, Lively Face with Decent Shafts in XHot and Pro.

Optiforce - Ultralite Driver and Fairway

XHot Fairways, Hybrids - Cupface Technology to the masses.

Tank Putter - heavy head, shaft, and longer length with counterbalanced weights to steady the nerves, at a balance point of a "regular" putter.

Versa Putters - easier to see square.

Irons - XHot and Pro - thin faced spring effect without the slot.

The point being, no matter which OEM you like, look at the impact that Callaway has made this year, and how it will force other OEMs to step up their game.

Weird thing is that over the years, I had a bag full of every OEM listed above.

[Dave2512]

No doubt Callaway offered a lot across the board but I don't think all their innovations were as good as others, specifically their irons. If it has to be based on the entire line I think they had a great year. But I think some of the smaller names made a splash with certain clubs e.g. Cobra's Cell woods and hybrids. I don't think any of them hit it out of the park with all their 2013 equipment. Some really haven't made their mark other than being a popular iron set or whatever. Most of the guys I see have a mixture of clubs due to certain brands excelling with certain clubs.

[newtogolf]

Callaway is definitely Comeback Player of Year and I'd say OEM of 2013 too.  They almost blew simplifying their product lines with the FT-OptiForce but their X-Hot woods, Versa putters and simplified iron strategy has proven they still know how to make and market good golf equipment.

The introduction of the 3Deep and Prototype utility iron is a result of input from their pro's which shows they are capable of thinking outside the box.  The 3Deep continues to be my driver because of it's accuracy and distance.  The Mack Daddy wedges have the potential to replace a lot of Vokey and Mizuno wedges in peoples bags if they are close to as good as the claims Callaway is making.  I like the Versa putters but not enough to replace my SC yet, though the Versa #9 BWB is very close to earning the spot.

My take on the other manufacturers.

• Titleist - new woods are getting great reviews but continue to be marketed towards better players.  The 2 year staggered release schedule for irons and woods makes it difficult for them to dominate when they're competing against TM and Callaway who seem to have 6 month - 1 year product life cycles.  Vokey wedges are great sellers but seem to be losing some of their luster as Callaway, Mizuno, Scor, Edel, Cleveland and Scratch have  caught up with sole and bounce options and possibly surpassed them.   Scotty putters continue to be the Mercedes Benz of putters but even they are seeing more competition from Callaway, TM, Ping, Nike and niche companies like Betti, Edel and SeeMore at the high end.
• Mizuno - same problem as Titleist - product life cycles are designed to maintain consistent business revenue year after year not dominate the entire market.  Seems the HP reviews are mixed but the MP-64's were very well received despite the lack of a left handed version.  I like the Mizuno T4 wedges but will be giving the Mack Daddy's a test when I can.
• Adams - seem to dominate the hybrid market - but don't seem to get much love from serious golfers in other areas.  I'm sure TM will help them out on the driver side and their hybrid/iron sets do well with beginners and seniors.   Will be interesting to see how TM manages Adams going forward and what technology is exchanged between the two.
• Cobra - definite push with Rickie Fowler leading the charge for the younger demographics.  Drivers and irons that come in different colors to match the Puma apparel will be a hit with fashion conscious college players and 20-somethings.  Problem is most college kids can't afford new gear and Puma golf shirts and shorts so it will be interesting to see how much sales success they have by end of year.  I've never owned any Cobra clubs so I can't comment on their quality but the fact I've never considered buying any of their equipment when I've tried all of the others is a statement about their overall marketing strategy.
• Nike - seemed to gain some traction with the Covert woods, but don't see many people playing their irons.  I tested the Covert irons before I bought the JPX-825's and didn't like how they looked or felt.  Nike had a great chance to dominate the industry and younger demographics but Rory has thus far been a no-show.  Good thing they have great golf apparel and Tiger Woods.
• TM - King and his marketing team are geniuses, they may have played out the Rocket-X concept too long.  My golf buddy loves his Rocket Bladez irons and hits them long but he didn't even bother looking at the Stage 2 woods or R1 because he didn't feel they offered any benefit over his RocketBallz woods.   Another friend who owns a golf store said TM equipment has been very slow moving compared to Callaway.  Reps are at a bit of a loss as to why the new products haven't been as popular.  Will be interesting to see what they come out with next year to rebound with.
• Ping - slow, steady and always reliable.  Ping seems to have replaced Callaway as the long standing anchor of the industry.  Very consistent product lines, good marketing, good equipment but just a bit boring.  Ping products appear to be evolutionary, not revolutionary so they never get that big hype push that some of the others do which has to hurt their sales numbers.  The G25's and i20's got great reviews but the problem with the i20's peeling their outer layer has caused some quality concerns.  Their Anser irons are considered overpriced by many and the S5X irons seem to be going the way of their K irons given their popularity.  The kings of club fitting have many loyal customers but they need to freshen their brand if they are going to attract new and younger golfers.  Adding Michael Phelps to their lineup along with Guthrie, Horschel and Ernst was a good move on their part to add some youth to their lineup.
• Cleveland - forgot about them, had to come back and edit post to add them which says a lot about the brand, easily forgettable except for their wedges.  588 RTX wedges have gotten good reviews but rest of line is lackluster.  Good thing Keegan Bradley reps them or people might not even know they make irons and woods.  Cleveland would be a good acquisition for Nike or TM.

Will be interesting to see how the year finishes but right now Callaway seems like the clear winner.

[GaijinGolfer]

Nike for the Covert driver.  Cavityback woods are long overdue.  Callaway?  Meh.  Not impressed.  They simply caught up to where everyone else was at a couple years ago.

[cipher]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Ping - slow, steady and always reliable.  Ping seems to have replaced Callaway as the long standing anchor of the industry.  Very consistent product lines, good marketing, good equipment but just a bit boring.  Ping products appear to be evolutionary, not revolutionary so they never get that big hype push that some of the others do which has to hurt their sales numbers.  The G25's and i20's got great reviews but the problem with the i20's peeling their outer layer has caused some quality concerns.  Their Anser irons are considered overpriced by many and the S5X irons seem to be going the way of their K irons given their popularity.  The kings of club fitting have many loyal customers but they need to freshen their brand if they are going to attract new and younger golfers.  Adding Michael Phelps to their lineup along with Guthrie, Horschel and Ernst was a good move on their part to add some youth to their lineup.

I had this problem and must say I was very concerned about it.  Ping handled it well though for me, and I must say I have not heard of any issues with them this year.  It sounds like that issue was corrected.  But still you bring up a valid point.  I am always checking mine out to make sure they are not doing it again.

Originally Posted by GaijinGolfer

Nike for the Covert driver.  Cavityback woods are long overdue.  Callaway?  Meh.  Not impressed.  They simply caught up to where everyone else was at a couple years ago.

I almost went with Nike because of the woods, but to me they did not offer enough this year in the irons or flat sticks to get my vote.

[Slice of Life]

Clubs bought this year:

TM RBZ Stage II Driver

TM RBZ 3 wood

TM RocketBladez Irones

Ping 52 wedge

TM gets the nod from me. Have never hit a Callaway that I've liked...I know that puts me in a small minority, but just never gel'd with them.

I liked the Ping G25 irons I tested out too, but got a better deal on the TM ones, could have gone either way. Driver and 3 wood though, no contest.

[LettucePray27]

Even though the taylormade R1 is the beat piece of equipment that I bought this year and it has taken my game to a different level, I will have to vote Callaway. Their impressive r&d; has left a huge foot print in this years marketplace with top notch products for players of all skill level

[RonTheSavage]

The fact that we are even having this conversation says alot. Last year I bet most guys would've said TM hands down. If we're going on impact this year I gotta give it to Callaway, they've done an awesome job re-establishing themselves as a major player. I think TM has taken a step back towards the pack a bit, and it's showing since they lowered their prices across the board VERY soon after the stage 2 and R1 releases. Gotta love Ping though, they are the San Antonio Spurs of the golf industry, not flashy but very effective.

[Mr. Desmond]

I gave Cobra serious consideration as Impact OEM for pics of Blair O'Neal... but we're talking equipment. Yeah, she has some, but we're talking OEM. Yeah, hers are OEM. I can't get out of this loop....

And then Cobra/Puma signed Holly Sonders ... not OEM, but adjustable for loft and lie. Technology, gheez .

Okay, I throw the gauntlet to Callaway's head geek, Harry Arnett -- sign a Callaway Hot Woman !

You missed Winn McMurray - apparently, she's pinging along with Phelps.

Maybe the other hot chick of TGC - Lauren.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

I gave Cobra serious consideration as Impact OEM for pics of Blair O'Neal... but we're talking equipment. Yeah, she has some, but we're talking OEM. Yeah, hers are OEM. I can't get out of this loop....

And then Cobra/Puma signed Holly Sonders ... not OEM, but adjustable for loft and lie. Technology, gheez.

lol

[RPMPIRE]

I think Callaway did a good job all around this year so I'd vote for them. They've always made good irons for all skill levels and coupled with their marketing, they really made a comeback in the last two years.

I would place Nike a solid second place just for their Covert line. The performance and distance gained with their driver was enough to pull the Titleist out of my bag.

[geauxforbroke]

I voted Callaway. I hit their X Hot 3 Deep at Golfsmith this weekend. I was hitting it a good 20-25 yards longer than any other 3 wood there.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

I voted Callaway. I hit their X Hot 3 Deep at Golfsmith this weekend. I was hitting it a good 20-25 yards longer than any other 3 wood there.

I'm thinking about ordering the "3Deep"with the "normal" 55g XHot shaft as a "safe" driver. 43.5 inches, 13 and 14.5 degrees. I would not use it from the turf, not enough speed or good lies - but it may serve a role on certain holes where fairway is a necessity. Will demo the 70g shaft first, of course.

I like it that when Phil speaks, they listen, and they bring it to market. Same with Ernie's Versa Tank, which I expect to see in a month or two...