DO OEM'S DISCOURAGE KEEPING EQUIPMENT FOR YEARS?

chrismikayla · December 25, 2016

Pros as you all know usually play the newest model of equipment particularly the irons. Are most pros required to change with new releases?

Rosales · December 25, 2016

Why do you think Taylormade quit making grips for its bubble burner clubs 15 years ago.

Sun Devil · December 25, 2016

From a business standpoint. Yes.

cgasucks · December 25, 2016

From what I observe, OEMs would love to see their staff tour players play their latest and greatest but wouldn't mind them playing their older clubs.

Some past examples from the top of my head (they've gone to playing newer stuff since then)..

Lee Westwood (Ping G10 Driver, Zing 2s for the longest time)

Tom Lehman (R7 Superquad)

MtlJeff · December 25, 2016

Well, yes. They are in this to make money.

JonnyKrasnodar · December 25, 2016

Nike - McIlroy and his VR blades.

KYMAR · December 25, 2016

You must have missed the "play that R7 driver until the face caves in!" TM ad campaign.

jrwingate6 · December 25, 2016

Didn't Tiger and Rory play with Nike irons (VR Blades) from 2009

mgholda · December 25, 2016

Adding the year to their nomenclature is a way for you to think your current club is out of date when the calendar changes.

JohnKHawk · December 25, 2016

I do think the major golf companies push to try & sell you the newest, latest, greatest offerings. I know last year I spent a small fortune on clubs. Bought a lot of new clubs & some older clubs.

I found some of the older clubs I bought worked just as well as new clubs that were actually fit for me.

So with that being said, this year I'm going to limit myself to 2 new drivers, TM M1or M2 & Callaway GBB Epic & the Cobra King F7 fairways & hybrids. That is pretty much all I have in my sights right now.

NoTalentLefty · December 25, 2016

and we are stupid enough to think we need it.

boggyman · December 25, 2016

Cleveland 3 wood from the '06-07 era going nowhere till the face caves in!

The Chicken Connoisseur · December 25, 2016

Yes. I think that's why all woods have black faces that show more wear after 3 rounds than normal silver clubs in 3 years. Hate it

linkerpan · December 25, 2016

Equipment companies are on this to make money so they need people to buy new clubs in order to stay alive. They have to promise more distance and or more accuracy every model. They pay not only players to entice you but forum members that keep mentioning the virtues of the new equipment. Is on you to define if you want to change and convince yourself you need new equipment.

Knowing all that I accept I buy new clubs every year because I like variety and is cheaper a set of clubs than changing a girlfriend.

msd71 · December 25, 2016

Even Ping doesn't use its nuclear-proof tumbled finish anymore.

BYK · December 25, 2016

Absolutely, for suckers just like us.

Oldplayer · December 26, 2016

From what I observe, OEMs would love to see their staff tour players play their latest and greatest but wouldn't mind them playing their older clubs.

Some past examples from the top of my head (they've gone to playing newer stuff since then)..
Lee Westwood (Ping G10 Driver, Zing 2s for the longest time)
Tom Lehman (R7 Superquad)

Seriously!! Westwood played the Zing's. Wow! I know he likes the cbs but the Zings would have to be the pinnacle of the old school shovels.

Yes. I think that's why all woods have black faces that show more wear after 3 rounds than normal silver clubs in 3 years. Hate it

I like the black faces on drivers. You can see just where on the face you hit the last drive from.

bluedot · December 26, 2016

In the 1920's, Alfred Sloan of GM figured out that pretty much everybody who could afford a car at that moment had already bought one, and that most of them had bought a Model T from Henry Ford. So he figured out that the trick going forward was to get people who already had a car to buy another, newer car. The design of the Model T hadn't changed a bit over the years, so Sloan decided to change the styling of his cars, specifically the Chevrolet, every few years, even if the basic engineering of the cars was little, if any, different than the previous model. By 1929, Chevrolet has passed Ford as the largest selling model in the US.

This lesson has not be lost on manufacturers since, including the manufacturers of golf clubs. In fact, it is perhaps MORE true of a product like a golf club because it is so incredibly durable. I don't think you'll ever see an ad campaign for a new golf club that says that it's the last one you will ever need to buy.

So, yeah, OEM's discourage golfers from keeping equipment for years.