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Golf News & Opinion
Talk about a leap of faith!
March 15 2008 - In response to the USGA change to the Rules of Golf allowing for
adjustability of clubs three of the most prominent club manufacturers have
announced drivers with user-replaceable shafts…some coming prepackaged
and others as individual components.
The idea from the USGA’s standpoint is to provide the flexibility to amateur players
in the specifications of their clubs for the conditions (wind, course conditions, etc.)
that are available to touring professionals in the company tour vans. If it’s a little
windy and they want a lower ball flight, pull the old driver shaft out and put in a new
one, all in a matter of minutes.
The question is however how many weekend warriors are going to first pay up to
the price of approximately two new drivers to have that flexibility in driver
configuration. Indeed Sean Toulon, executive vice president of TaylorMade Golf
when asked about the market potential responded they just didn’t know, “We’ll
have to wait and see.”
Granted the investment for the companies jumping into this segment is probably
not all that great. The club heads and shafts are in the line up already with some
modifications to accommodate replacement of the shafts but this does seem to
be a less a “own your own tour van,” as Nickent is promoting and more an effort to
just be first…whether it’s an area to which they even want to go.
So time will tell. This latest idea for equipment optimization may be just what the
club companies need to boost sales or could be a retailer’s inventory nightmare.
Callaway I-Mix
FT-i or FT-5 club head
Shafts - Aldila, Fujikura, and Mitsubishi Rayon
Attachment – locking hosel
MSRP FT-5 club head ($435) FT-i club head ($500)
MSRP Shafts $185 to $435
Nickent Evolver
4 DX club head
Standard Shafts
Attachment – Bore-through shaft with sole screw
MSRP Package of club head and two shafts $479
TaylorMade Select-Fit
r7 CGB Max club head (features 3 movable weights)
Shafts – 75-gram Fujikura Rombax, 65-gram Mitsubishi Diamana White Board,
55-gram Matrix Ozik XCon
Attachment – Bore-through shaft with sole screw
MSRP Package of club head and three shafts $999
March 15 2008 - In response to the USGA change to the Rules of Golf allowing for
adjustability of clubs three of the most prominent club manufacturers have
announced drivers with user-replaceable shafts…some coming prepackaged
and others as individual components.
The idea from the USGA’s standpoint is to provide the flexibility to amateur players
in the specifications of their clubs for the conditions (wind, course conditions, etc.)
that are available to touring professionals in the company tour vans. If it’s a little
windy and they want a lower ball flight, pull the old driver shaft out and put in a new
one, all in a matter of minutes.
The question is however how many weekend warriors are going to first pay up to
the price of approximately two new drivers to have that flexibility in driver
configuration. Indeed Sean Toulon, executive vice president of TaylorMade Golf
when asked about the market potential responded they just didn’t know, “We’ll
have to wait and see.”
Granted the investment for the companies jumping into this segment is probably
not all that great. The club heads and shafts are in the line up already with some
modifications to accommodate replacement of the shafts but this does seem to
be a less a “own your own tour van,” as Nickent is promoting and more an effort to
just be first…whether it’s an area to which they even want to go.
So time will tell. This latest idea for equipment optimization may be just what the
club companies need to boost sales or could be a retailer’s inventory nightmare.
Callaway I-Mix
FT-i or FT-5 club head
Shafts - Aldila, Fujikura, and Mitsubishi Rayon
Attachment – locking hosel
MSRP FT-5 club head ($435) FT-i club head ($500)
MSRP Shafts $185 to $435
Nickent Evolver
4 DX club head
Standard Shafts
Attachment – Bore-through shaft with sole screw
MSRP Package of club head and two shafts $479
TaylorMade Select-Fit
r7 CGB Max club head (features 3 movable weights)
Shafts – 75-gram Fujikura Rombax, 65-gram Mitsubishi Diamana White Board,
55-gram Matrix Ozik XCon
Attachment – Bore-through shaft with sole screw
MSRP Package of club head and three shafts $999
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