Major OEM of the Year 2013

[cipher]

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.

How did it compare with your driver?

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by cipher

Quote:

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.

How did it compare with your driver?

I didn't have my driver with me. I don't put a whole lot of stock in the yardages on the Golfsmith launch monitors because you can monkey with a lot of things that can skew the numbers. I started out hitting an Adams 15* (don't remember which one). They were about 245ish on average. I hit a Ping, Titleist, Nike, and TM. They were all around 245-250 with relatively similar trajectory. Then I hit the Callaway. The first one was 282 on the same trajectory as the others. I thought it was a misread, so I hit it again. This one was 278. On average, I was hitting it 270-280 off the deck. I'm not sure it would translate to that kind of distance on the course, but on the same launch monitor, it was substantially longer than the other 3 woods I hit.

[teed off]

Originally Posted by 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.

Wow! Very in depth review,

IMO the "clear winner" is the manufacturer that takes your money out of your pocket.