Kiven J. Molina Blogs

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

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What the Disappointing Q2 Might Mean for Acushnet

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Q2 was tough for Titleist. The question for Acushnet is, what will it take to get things going again?

The numbers aren’t pretty. Acushnet’s Q2 Net Sales are down about 8% on a year-over-year basis. The YOY breakdown looks like this:

Golf Ball sales down 6.6%
Golf Club sales down 21.2%
FootJoy (apparel and footwear) down 5.8%

If you’re looking for growth, the Golf Gear category, which includes golf bags, headwear, golf gloves, and travel gear was up 6.3%.
To put all of this in perspective, it’s important to understand more about the Titleist brand.

For The Better Player

The dedicated golfer has been Acushnet’s primary focus and our proven strategy to address their needs is the key to our ongoing success. – Acushnet President & CEO, Wally Uihlein

Titleist has historically positioned itself as a brand for the better player. It’s strongly focused on the dedicated golfer. We’d define that as the type of golfer that doesn’t leave anything to chance. He’s more likely than the average golfer to invest both time and money in his game. He takes lessons and relies on golf professionals to recommend the right equipment and fit him into it.

That focus, along with a Tour-driven approach to marketing (and sometimes higher pricing) has provided the Titleist brand with an aspirational quality. In consumer marketing, an “aspirational brand” would attract a large segment of the audience that wishes to own their products but for economic reasons cannot. In Titleist’s case, this would also include the fact that its clubs are designed for the better player. That’s not a group all golfers fall into, but it is one most aspire to join one day. The brand strength its position provides has given Titleist the ability to largely ignore the highest handicap segment of the market.

With the emergence of brands like PXG, however, some of Titleist’s price-driven aspirational quality has faded, and with competitive ball offerings cutting into the bottom line, one wonders if it might be time for Titleist to expand its focus, its product offerings, and in turn, its reach in the marketplace.

2^nd Quarter Results for Acushnet

The ball category is Titleist’s bread and butter, so with the March release of a new generation of ProV1 and ProV1x golf balls, most would have expected to see a surge in Q2 ball sales. The numbers indicate that this didn’t happen. The golf ball category was down 5.6% year-over-year, despite an aggressive buy 3 dozen get 1 free promotion almost right out of the gate.

With many of its competitors rolling out high-performance Tour balls at lower price points, there’s reason to believe that consumers are starting to consider whether or not paying upwards of $50.00 per dozen makes sense. The TaylorMade TP5 ($44.99), Callaway Chrome Soft ($39.99), Kirkland Signature (2 dozen/$29.99), along with direct to consumer brands like Snell and Vice have made an impact. No one questions the performance of the category-leading Pro V1, but with similarly high performance available at a lower price, golfers are beginning to question if the cost difference is justified.

If this proves to be the new normal, Titleist will need to find a viable response. The company already outspends its competitors on R&D, and with USGA regulations being what they are, developing another industry-changing ball that’s irrefutably better than what its competitors are putting on shelves seems unlikely. While a price drop on the Pro V1 is possible, it runs counter to the prestige the franchise carries with it. A lower cost Tour offering might make sense for the market, but crafting a narrative that doesn’t infringe on the Pro V1s performance storyline would be challenging to say the least.

Golf Clubs

On the golf club side of the business, sales were down 20.3% year-over-year in the 2^nd quarter. For those of you that don’t know, Titleist practices a 2-year product cycle. Clubs, with few if any exceptions, sell best during their first year on the market. While we applaud Titleist for sticking with 2-year product cycles, we do wonder if it will prove sustainable in a changing market.

In its report, Acushnet states:

Drivers were challenged due to competitive activity, aggressive ad spending and poor weather, which limited fittings.

There’s no doubt that Callaway’s Epic Driver had a massive impact on the market. Titleist’s 917 is far from alone in taking a hit. Like TaylorMade, Callaway is a marketing machine and “aggressive ad spending” is arguably a subtle description, but it’s aggressive because it works, and so it’s unreasonable to expect Titleist can bounce back on the strength of less aggressive marketing from its competitors.
The reality is that Titleist’s club share is perpetually at risk because the company spends the bulk of its marketing budget on the golf ball. While promotions like Titleist Thursdays hint that the company might spend a bit more than usual to ensure the success of its new iron franchise, increased pressure in the ball market could force the company to shift focus and dollars from its club business.

Whether or not “poor weather” actually contributed to the lackluster 2^nd quarter numbers is certainly up for debate. Callaway, for example, had an outstanding 2^nd quarter.

The validity of the weather argument can be traced back to the brands’ focus on the better player. Compared with the rest of the industry, Titleist does a greater percentage of its business on-course – and that includes fittings. If the weather is keeping golfers away from the course, then it stands to reason that Titleist would be disproportionally impacted. Also consider that Titleist has less of a presence in big box stores, and unlike Callaway and TaylorMade, has, to date, refrained from selling its clubs direct to the consumer. All of this speaks to a brand that’s heavily invested in green grass, and as a result, more vulnerable to the impact of sustained inclement weather.

While it’s unlikely the 917 will regain momentum, the company sees the release of the new 718 iron family and 818 hybrids as cause for optimism. We will circle back to this later.

Golf Gear

The bright spot in the Acushnet’s Q2 report was in the Golf Gear category where sales were up 6.3%. With the Titleist brand being synonymous with the better player, is that the reason why amateurs are buying up Titleist hats by the dozen? Is there a segment of golfers that hopes to be perceived as being a better player, even if they don’t necessarily have any Titleist clubs in their bag?

The growing strength of the FootJoy Pro/SL golf shoes are great examples of how we continue to fortify our positions on multiple fronts as we work closely with our trade partners to deliver value added products to dedicated golfers. – Acushnet COO, David Maher

Footwear and Apparel

Despite a strong launch and continued success of its Pro/SL shoe, FootJoy (which produces the bulk of Acushnet’s footwear and apparel offerings) saw revenue down 4.1%. This drop was pinned on a reduction in retail store count, in addition to being impacted by US weather. Golfsmith went bankrupt last year and closed 60 stores nationwide before Dick’s bought out the rest. With no small degree of the brand’s success being dependent on brick and mortar, those closures often have the biggest impact on the market leader.

Looking at the larger picture, the retail landscape has, and will continue to change. Those stores aren’t coming back, which was likely a factor in the launch of FootJoy’s online store last year. Moving forward, direct to consumer availability across the entire FootJoy lineup will likely benefit the bottom line.

Success Across the Worldwide Tours

Let’s take a moment to review the current facts as stated in the report. Titleist golf ball usage across the Worldwide Tours is at 72% year-to-date. The FootJoy shoe count across the Worldwide Tours is at 62% year-to-date. Titleist golf balls have won 68% of the events year-to-date across the Worldwide Tours, which was highlighted by Jordan Spieth’s victory at Royal Birkdale with the new ProV1x and 14 Titleist golf clubs in the bag. Justin Thomas has since added a PGA Championship and a win at the Dell Technologies. Titleist can also lay claim to having the #1 Iron, #1 Hybrid, and #1 Wedge on the PGA Tour. This is unequivocal domination at the professional level.

That’s all well and good, but success and usage across the Worldwide Tours doesn’t necessarily equate to dollars earned. While the Pro V1 may still be the ‘#1 ball on Tour’, Tour players aren’t paying for their golf balls or clubs. It does speak to their trust in the Titleist product to earn their living, but at retail, consumers are paying the bill.

Is the current trend just a blip, or does Tour success not translate at the consumer level as it has in the past?

Looking Ahead to the 718 Irons & 818 Hybrids Release

Titleist is through the Prototype and Tour Seeding phase, and its 718 irons and 818 hybrids are ready for retail on September 29^th. This might be the most comprehensive iron launch ever by Titleist. The 718 series includes a strong game-improvement offering in the AP1, a players distance iron in the new AP3, a modern Tour iron in the classic AP2, a technical distance muscleback iron in the T-MB, a small cavity back iron in the CB, and a traditional muscleback blade in the MB. One of these iron models should suit almost any golfer from the beginner and high handicapper to a scratch or plus handicap golfer. Additionally, the price points and affordability vary from an MSRP of $140 per iron in the AP1 to an MSRP of $280 per iron in the T-MB. This is a step in the right direction for the brand; one that reflects its commitment to the better player, while also offering a great selection for its Tour staff and, perhaps quietly, the higher handicap golfer as well. End to end, it’s a lineup that has the potential to do well at retail, but it certainly won’t go unchallenged. Titleist needs a strong launch and plenty of momentum heading into winter if it hopes to bounce back from Q2.

What’s Next for Titleist

We are excited about our upcoming new product introductions and we are looking forward to building upon our brand momentum in the back half of the year.” – Acushnet COO, David Maher

Time will tell what is truly next for the brand, but there are reasons to believe in a rebound in the back half of the year and moving on from there. Again, there is no denying that Titleist and FootJoy make great products, but the market may have evolved to a point where a shift in strategy, or at a minimum, a small change in the status quo is necessary. This might include a move away from the 2-year product cycle on some products, new products at new price points, or perhaps augmenting its better player-driven marketing strategy with something that appeals to the recreational golfer. How does Acushnet do any of that without infringing on its brand identity? It’s no small challenge.

As we said before this journey, while painful at times, as we deal with 450 fewer Golf Balls distribution points and 100 fewer full product line doors reflects the necessary correction of the market that had too much retail square footage, too many golf courses and arguably too many OEMs. We are confident that the U.S. market is approaching a healthier state. – Acushnet COO, David Maher

With Maher’s discussion of fewer golf ball distribution points and fewer full product line doors, it is clear that there has been a necessary correction in the market. OEM’s are going to have to make the most of what’s left, because as I said, those stores aren’t coming back.

The market isn’t growing, so the name of the game is taking up more slices of the pie. As with most businesses, success often boils down to the ability to adapt to a new reality. Just ask Blockbuster what happens when you can’t.

Titleist and FootJoy are well-equipped to address the changing demand in the marketplace, but it remains to be seen if it can fully regain its stride during these changing times.

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Tips on Repairing Bathtub Leaks

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

There are many ways that your bathtub may start leaking or having other issues. Continue reading to learn more about what you can do, including: locating the leak, repairing the faucet and repairing the grout and the tub.

Image Source: Flickr

Locate the Leak
First things first: You must locate the leak before you repair it. It’s relatively simple to determine whether or not your faucet or grout is leaking – just check to see if water is spilling out of either area. To test if the actual tub has a leak in it, wipe the outside until it is completely dry and line the area with newspaper. As you begin to fill the tub up, you’ll want to keep an eye out for areas of the newspaper that start getting wet.

To test the drain, completely fill the tub with water. When it’s filled, carefully listen for the sound of water seeping out. If you hear those sounds and see the water start to decrease, chances are the drain assembly isn’t fully sealed. Source: Rotorooter

Repair the Faucet
Faucets can be one of the easier items in the house to fix. Pressurized water is delivered to your home, and a faucet turns off by creating a watertight seal strong enough to counteract that pressure. A simple washer and seat assembly accomplishes this job, and if your faucet is dripping, one of these two items probably needs to be replaced.

You’ll first need to shut off the water and pull out the faucet. There should be a washer. If replacing the washer doesn’t fix the leak, then the problem is probably in the brass seat located behind the washer. You can fix it yourself if you have the proper seating wrench, but it would probably be wisest to call a professional plumber with all the expertise, tools and parts he needs to come fix it once and for all. The worst thing you can do in this situation is trying to make the leak stop by trying to force the faucet handle shut. The handle is not the problem. Source: HomeAdvisor

Repair the Grout and the Tub
Small leaks in the faucet grout and tub can be repaired using heavy duty sealant. To repair the grout, clean the leaking area and determine the extent of the problem. If the crack on the grout is minor, you may apply sealant on it to stop the leak. To do so, shut off the water supply to your tub and let the grout dry up completely before you attempt to apply sealant on it. After applying the sealant, wait for at least 3 hours before you turn the water supply back on to give the sealant time to dry up completely.

For small leaks on the body of your tub, you may use heavy duty waterproof sealant to stop the leak. To do this, clean the tub thoroughly, then mark the areas that need repairs. Apply an ample amount of sealant on the cracks and let it dry for at least 3 hours. Once the sealant is completely dry, use fine grip sand paper to remove the extra sealant and smooth out the surface of the tub. Source: DoItYourself

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

The post Tips on Repairing Bathtub Leaks appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.

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Tuesday, September 12, 2017

PXG Sues TaylorMade for Patent Infringement

Per Bob Parson’s Twitter account, PXG has filed a lawsuit in federal court against TaylorMade Golf, citing “many” patent infringements resulting from the company’s new P790 iron. While neither TaylorMade nor PXG has offered any official statement, one has to think the basis for the suit has to do with the injection filled, hollow-body construction that is the foundation of most PXG products. While PXG uses thermoplastic elastomer and TaylorMade uses a TPU-based SpeedFoam, if the patents are broad enough, the material won’t matter. This case will likely boil down to process and construction, not the material composition of the goo.

Through the proverbial grapevine, MGS has learned that PXG anticipated this day would come, but it would have been impossible to foresee which OEM would step far enough over the line to prompt this response from Parson and PXG.

Some knee-jerk pundits and keyboard jockeys will (and already have) falsely label Parsons a “jerk” or “bully” based on the limited information shared in his tweet. Not that the Twittersphere is a place where people ever cast false aspersions, but let’s be clear - Bob Parsons had to do this, if for no other reason than to make it abundantly clear, he’s not going to be pushed around by any company, big or small. His entire golf business is built on this technology, if somebody else can use it, it’s a problem.

Failure to protect the defining technology upon which PXG clubs are based would invariably open up the floodgates; leaving the technology free for any OEM to mimic or copy without fear of recourse.

With Parsons pursuing a suit, a line has been drawn in the sand. In protecting the primary asset, Parson’s removes any doubt as to his position or the lengths he’ll go to secure the viability of PXG’s defining technology.

Moreover, it’s a proxy statement within the industry of David defending himself against Goliath. Often smaller (by market-share) OEM’s can’t swallow the massive legal costs necessary to engage in what could be a prolonged, and costly, legal process. Financial resources don’t pose the same issue for Parsons. Should PXG prevail, it would be a massive blow (and more than a little embarrassing) to TaylorMade’s efforts to regain momentum after losing its position atop the industry this year to rival, Callaway.

That said, it’s reasonable to think a drawn out legal battle is exactly what TaylorMade’s new owner (private equity firm KPS Capital purchased TaylorMade for $425 Million in May) wants to avoid – and should it want this matter to disappear quickly, that would likely work in PXG’s favor. If the irons go away, I suspect the lawsuit does too.

The upside for TaylorMade, and indeed the risk for PXG is that consumers may link the two technologies. If PXG is viewed as the same as TaylorMade, its perceived performance advantage would be significantly and perhaps irreparably diminished.

There’s also a possibility PXG could bring suit against retailers distributing TaylorMade’s irons, a maneuver which could put both entities (TaylorMade and retailers) in a difficult and unenviable situation – and because PXG isn’t sold via the same channels, it’s a less complicated move for Parsons. Regardless of the legal path Parson’s takes, it would be a mistake to underestimate his business acumen or passion for his company.

To be certain, golf companies sue or threaten to sue, each other with alarming regularity. To no small degree, the action itself cements PXG’s position within the industry. It’s now part of the status quo.

The truth of the matter is that sometimes the claims made in lawsuits like this are valid, sometimes they’re about little more than attention getting, and in other cases, about leveraging nonsense to gain a competitive advantage. Which this will prove to be remains to be seen.

More information as it becomes available.

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How to Make Almond Milk (Recipe + Variations)

Almond milk is a healthy and inexpensive alternative to conventional dairy that you can easily make at home! Statistics show that many people are choosing dairy free milks and other products due to allergies, concerns about sourcing or just taste preference. Why Make Almond Milk? Like virtually every other food or drink, almond milk is both less...

Continue Reading...How to Make Almond Milk (Recipe + Variations)

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Shadow Activity: Build the Blocks to Match

Click here to read Shadow Activity: Build the Blocks to Match on Hands On As We Grow

This match the shadow activity might be my new favorite activity!

It incorporates so much into one activity… but only if you want it to!

I’ve been wanting to try shadow tracing for a long time with the kids.

I struggle though because anytime I want to do it we never seem to have sunlight pouring in the windows. So for this shadow activity we used a flashlight.

I’ve tried to do shadow activities before with a regular flashlight and had to tape it in all different angles… not an easy task.

This time I used this new multi-function flashlight from our sponsor, Energizer®, and it worked perfectly for our shadow activity.

The Energizer® Multi-Function Light with Light Fusion Technology™ has a built in tripod to stand it upright and a tilting head to get the perfect shadow!

Setting up your shadow matching activity

I taped a long piece of butcher paper to our floor with painter’s tape (you don’t want the paper to move! Or things will not match up later).

I did this underneath a table and draped blankets over two of the sides to darken the area a bit since it was daylight. You could try doing it in a darkened room or wait until nightfall.

To get this shadow activity started, I built the first tower.

And set up the multi-function flashlight on a chair to cast the perfect shadow.

I went on to trace it, but this is definitely something a preschooler can do to practice handwriting!

This part was all completed before I called Louis to join me.

I really wanted to focus this shadow activity on matching the shadow again by building the blocks to match it. But if you have an older child, or your child has already done the activity, they might enjoy the setup process, too!

Time to get building!

So this is where it gets fun. I knocked over the tower I built and we started over!

I kept only the blocks I used out and set the rest aside so there wouldn’t be too much to choose from.

Louis got right to work building the blocks to match the shadows that I traced on the paper.

We noticed a few things when he rebuilt the tower:

Colors don’t matter with shadows
Shadow sizes don’t always match the block sizes, depending on the angle of the light
And cylinders and rectangle blocks leave the same shadow

Cool learning, huh?

I loved the thoughtfulness and focus Louis had as he built!

A block slightly off made a big difference in the shadow, especially the higher up it got!

We did this a few times, moving the chair and the Energizer® flashlight each time to cast a shadow in a different place on the paper.

The biggest rule is to not move the light after the initial tracing has begun.

If the light gets bumped, the shadows won’t match up again, and there will be frustrated kids and parents. Trust me.

Louis took turns building a tower and his own shadows too.

I think this one ended up looking like a haunted house.

Then he knocked the tower down and swiped the blocks away.

And started the process again to match the shadow. Placing each of the blocks in just the right spot.

Getting started is the hardest.

So Louis would start building the block tower, but I adjusted the base of the tower to make sure the shadows were spot on (because if they’re not, the rest of the tower ends up way off).

This matching shadow activity is fantastic for spatial skills. But also just basic knowledge of shapes.

It’s great for hypothesizing and testing to see what works, and trying again when it doesn’t.

A shadow might look like a square, but it’s really a rectangle that makes that shadow.

Let’s try to find out!

Keep the building going with 44 block activities for preschoolers.

If matching the shadow is a little too difficult, or advance, you can simplify this activity to just matching the block towers like we’ve done in the past.

Or just make this a shadow activity to trace the shadow! Tracing is fantastic for pre-writers to practice their handwriting skills. And this is a fun non-worksheet way to do it.

Like I mentioned earlier, the Energizer® Multi-Function Light with Light Fusion Technology™ made this activity easy to do anytime, anywhere. The tripod legs made it easy to prop up on a chair. Seriously. I was taping a flashlight in odd positions before this. I didn’t realize the racket it would be. And the tilting head made is super easy to adjust to get it to shine right on the blocks to make the shadows.

Learn more about what lighting will work best for you at Energizer®.

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Will Golfers Find Value in Callaway’s “Ultra-Premium” Epic Star Lineup?

Today Callaway Golf has officially announced it’s Epic Star lineup, and OMG, I can’t wait to read your comments.

The Star franchise isn’t so much new as it is new to you. Like our USA version of the Epic, the Epic Star has occupied the #1 Driver spot in the Japanese market for most of 2017. That’s relevant here because the demands of the Japanese market aren’t dissimilar from those of our senior market.

The majority golfer in Japan is one who doesn’t generate a ton of swing speed, and like golfers over here, he craves more distance, sometimes desperately so. Japanese consumers aren’t adverse to dropping comparatively big bucks in search of a few more yards either, especially if the club’s aesthetics are adequately audacious. That’s where Epic Star’s gold paint comes in.

Lightweight, distance focused, and blinged-out in black PVD (irons) and gold, Epic Star is a Japan Spec product brought back to the USA. Callaway is game to find out if what sells over there can find a receptive, though admittedly niche market in the USA – and I suspect its competitors will be watching closely.

The Star Audience

In simple terms, the Epic Star is designed for players looking for an ultra-premium experience in a lightweight package. The obvious translation is that it’s intended for slower swing speed players who have near PXG-level money to spend on golf clubs.

The performance story is simple; less weight equals more distance. To that end, compared with the standard Epic lineup, everything in the Star family is lighter and by extension, faster. Heads tweaked, shaft weights, grip weights, and even sliding weights, all reduced. Where Epic is adjustable, the Star line is glued.

With all of that weight-savings comes a higher cost, and so here’s your punchline.

Driver: $699.99
Fairway Woods: $399.99
Hybrids: $299.99
Irons: $300

In case there's any confusion, that's per club pricing.

I know…I feel like a dramatic pause might be warranted, but for now, let’s accept that Ultra-Premium doesn’t come cheap and move on.

Epic Star Driver

As we’ve touched on already, the story here is weight savings. That’s not to say Epic Star isn’t loaded with Epic technology. Jailbreak (ball speed), Speed Step Crown (aerodynamics), and Adjustable Perimeter Weighting (shot shape correction) are all included.

Callaway's goal was to keep everything that makes Epic, well…Epic, while reducing the overall weight of the club. To that end, Epic Star's sliding weight has been reduced from 17 grams to 11. The stock shaft, a Japanese made, Ultra-Premium Grand Bassara from Mitsubishi, weighs in at 39 grams* (sorta). Additional weight is saved by using a narrower diameter Golf Grip J200 grip (previously only available in Japan). Finally, by eliminating the adjustable hosel, Callaway saved yet another 7 grams.

All of this speaks to the larger story of more distance derived from lighter weight and ultimately more clubhead speed.

The Epic Star Driver is available in 10° and 12° models.

Retail Price - $699.

Epic Star Fairway

Unsurprisingly, the story of the Epic Star fairway, and really, the entire lineup, mirrors that of the driver. Weight is saved through a lighter shaft, lighter grip, and a glued hosel. Prices are raised because of….frankly; I’m not sure.

The Epic Star fairway is available in three lofts (15°, 18°, and 21°).

Retail Price - $399.

Epic Star Hybrid

Simply put, the Epic Star is an Epic hybrid, only lighter…and stronger (lofts)…and longer (shafts). As with the driver and fairway, the core technology is the same. You’ve got a Hyper Speed face cup, a Triaxial carbon crown, and a Tungsten MIM’d standing wave for optimal CG placement.

Adjustability is out (weight savings) and a lightweight (50 gram) Bassara shaft is in.

Noteworthy are the stronger lofts – 18° (#3), 20° (#4), and 23° (#5) and the longer shafts. I’ll save you the hassle of looking it up; subtract one from the club designation and the lofts match the standard Epic, eg. Epic’s #2 is Star’s #3 and so on.

Retail Price - $299

Epic Star Irons

Rounding out the lineup is the Star variant of the already ultra-premium priced Epic irons. Filed under Yup, the technology, which includes Exo-Cage construction, MIM’d Tungsten-infused standing wave, and a light weight hollow hosel is consistent with the standard Epic Iron.

The notable differences are the stock shaft, where Callaway is using the ultralight (and ultra-premium) 55-gram Grand Bassara. Callaway is stating that the Epic Star is more strongly lofted than the Epic, and while that’s technically true by the numbers, what Callaway has done is bump the loft spec by a full by a club.

Loft for loft, the Star’s 4-iron matches the Epic’s 18° 3-Iron, 5 matches 4, 6 matches 5 and on down we go until we get to the Star’s 39° PW, which necessitates a 44° AW, and a 49° GW. Everything provided by Callaway suggests the same heads with new paint and new numbers stamped on the sole.

Why would Callaway do that?

Lower lofted heads within any variable length set weigh less than the higher lofted ones (a 3-iron head weighs less than a 4-iron head), and reduced lofts produce more distance. Incidentally, the same rules apply with the aforementioned hybrids.

Remember, the Epic Star story is 99% weight and distance (and 1% gold paint).

Length differences aren’t as cut and dry. Again, by the numbers, they’re longer, but the Star’s 4-iron is shorter than Epic’s 3-iron, despite identical lofts, while short irons are longer than the loft-equivalent Epic. The progression isn’t consistent, but differences range between 0 and ½” on a loft for loft basis.

It may sound a bit unwieldy, and I have real concerns about green stopping power, but we also shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the target audience isn’t a guy who sprays the ball, it’s the guy looking to gain distance perhaps by any means necessary. Within that field of view, Callaway’s loft switcharoo, coupled with the new (and Ultra-Premium shaft) shaft does make everything lighter, and that’s the ultimate goal here.

Retail Price: $300 (per irons)

My 2 10 Cents

Other than the Grand Basara shaft, I can find nothing in what Callaway has conveyed that justifies so much as a $1 price increase over the current Epic line. Frankly, Epic Star should probably cost less. Unlike its closest competitor in the premium for seniors space, XXIO - which can at least make the argument that every aspect of its product has been engineered for the target audience - Callaway appears to be repainting and repurposing for a new audience, rather than doing any actual re-engineering for it.

What’s the justification? It's the shaft, and you might be getting it.

Aftermarket cost for the Grand Basara is about $500 – and unlike most of Callaway’s other stock options within the Epic metalwood lineup, this one appears to be the real deal version. There is an argument to be made for added value, but I wonder how many fitters out there routinely fit their senior clientele into $500 shafts.

Is value added where it isn’t needed actually value?

If weight is the argument, then yes, lighter is often better for seniors. With that said, I’d be remiss not to point out that the aftermarket Grand Barasara 39 has an actual weight of 43 grams in Lite flex and 45 grams in regular. For the sake of comparison the Diamana Green M+40, which is one of the stock options for the standard Epic and should produce similar launch characteristics, has an actual weight of 44 grams in light and 45 grams in regular.

You tell me: Is Made in Japan craftsmanship, ION plating, and 1-gram weight savings enough to justify a $200 price bump in spite of the loss of adjustability?

I’m not sold on the ultralight grip either. While the weight savings offered by the narrow diameter J200 grip fit perfectly within the Epic Star story, I’m not sure how well it fits the target demographic. The reality is that as the mythology around grip sizing has been torn down, we’re seeing seniors move to bigger grips, which often prove more comfortable for arthritic hands.

I’m similarly unimpressed by the Epic Star hybrids and irons. To be sure, I’m not questioning the performance of any portion of the current Epic line, but again, a significant cost increase over what’s been on the market since February is attributable only to a lighter shaft, lighter grip, and some manipulation of the numbers stamped on the bottom of the club. The engineering and the technology are the same. The numbers, the paint, and of course, the ultra-premium shaft are what’s different.

Does any of that completely justify the price bump?

The upside here is that Epic Star will have limited distribution; customer fitters and green grass, so the overwhelming majority of Epic Star buyers will be fit into the club, and will presumably walk away with a club that performs well for them. For any game Epic Star changes for the better, it’s worth every penny.

That said, I’d wager that most could do every bit as well for a two to three hundred dollars less. Whether that’s a standard Epic with a lighter weight and a less than ultra-premium shaft (regular premium should work just fine), or something like Cobra’s senior-focused FMax line depends on the golfer...and the fitter.

It’s your money, spend it however you’d like - always, but at the very least, understand what it is you’re buying.

The Callaway Epic Star lineup is available beginning September 29^th. For more information, visit CallawayGolf.com.

from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/2xtdcqq