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TaylorMade sales decline 28 percent in 2014

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According to a fourth-quarter earnings report from the adidas Group released on March 5, sales at TaylorMade Golf declined 28 percent for the full year in 2014.

In 2013, TaylorMade posted net sales of €1.285 million (Euros). 2014 net sales were €913 million.

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Click the chart to enlarge it.

Read the full report here from adidas Group. 

Major developments in Q4 2014 from the adidas Group:

  • Currency-neutral Group sales increase 6%
  • Strong top-line momentum at brand adidas (+11%)
  • Reebok reports seventh consecutive quarter of growth
  • Group sales in Western Europe, European Emerging Markets, Greater China and Latin America each grow at double-digit rates
  • Comparable Retail store sales up 9% currency-neutral

Major developments in FY 2014 from the adidas Group:

  • Currency-neutral Group sales up 6%
  • Strong growth at adidas (+11%) and Reebok (+5%)
  • Sales at TaylorMade-adidas Golf decline 28%
  • Underlying earnings reach target of around € 650 million
  • Net debt position of € 185 million at year-end
  • Management to propose dividend of € 1.50 per share

Outlook:

  • Currency-neutral Group sales to increase at a mid-single-digit rate
  • Gross margin to be at a level between 47.5% and 48.5%
  • Operating margin to be at a level between 6.5% and 7.0%
  • Net income from continuing operations to increase at a rate of 7% to 10%

Below are excerpts from the report that discuss TaylorMade Golf:

[quote_box_center]In the fourth quarter of 2014, Group revenues grew 6 percent on a currency-neutral basis. Currency-neutral sales in Retail and Wholesale increased 20 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Sales in Other Businesses decreased 16 percent on a currency-neutral basis, due to a double-digit decline at TaylorMade-adidas Golf.[/quote_box_center]

[quote_box_center]In European Emerging Markets, currency-neutral sales were up 16 percent as a result of double-digit revenue growth at both adidas and Reebok. Group sales in North America declined 4 percent on a currency-neutral basis, as mid-single-digit growth at adidas was more than offset by declines at TaylorMade-adidas Golf and Reebok.[/quote_box_center]

[quote_box_center]Revenues at TaylorMade-adidas Golf declined 24 percent on a currency-neutral basis, as a result of TaylorMade-adidas Golf’s ongoing efforts to clean retail inventories and the timing of new product introductions compared to the prior year period.[/quote_box_center]

[quote_box_center]The Group’s gross profit increased 1 percent to € 1.621 billion (2013: € 1.610 billion) in the fourth quarter. Gross margin decreased 2.6 percentage points to 44.9 percent (2013: 47.5 percent), mainly due to negative currency effects as well as higher input costs. In addition, lower product margins at TaylorMade-adidas Golf also contributed to the gross margin decline.[/quote_box_center]

[quote_box_center]Revenues in Other Businesses were down 19 percent on a currency-neutral basis, due to double-digit sales declines at TaylorMade-adidas Golf.[/quote_box_center]

[quote_box_center]The gross margin of the adidas Group decreased 1.7 percentage points to 47.6 percent in 2014 (2013: 49.3 percent). This development was mainly due to negative currency effects as well as higher input costs. In addition, increased clearance activities particularly in Russia/CIS as well as lower product margins at TaylorMade-adidas Golf contributed to the gross margin decline.[/quote_box_center]

The report spoke on the plan for TaylorMade Golf in 2015:

[quote_box_center]In 2015, the adidas Group gross margin is forecasted to be at a level between 47.5 percent and 48.5 percent (2014: 47.6 percent). Higher product margins at TaylorMade-adidas Golf as a result of lower levels of clearance activity as well as a more favourable pricing and product mix at both adidas and Reebok are expected to positively influence the Group`s gross margin development.[/quote_box_center]

Read the full report from adidas Group here.

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81 Comments

81 Comments

  1. R.Conklin

    Mar 26, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    I just bought a set of Callaway X2 Hot irons (last years model) at aver a $200 discount from this year’s XRs. I’m sure there is some samll tweak made to the irons that make the XR’s ever so slightly better, but certainly not enough of a change that it’s worth $200.

  2. Mat

    Mar 25, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    This is proof that you can actually confuse a market. Nike, Vapor and Covert. Ping, G30-SF-LS. Titleist 915 D2,3,4,5,6…

    But TMAG and Callaway, you need a cheat sheet.

    You make 3 versions of head and 2 variants of shaft, per brand, maximum. And you must put your technology in all the heads, or no one will take you seriously. There’s Turbulators on every G30 head. There’s a gap in every Nike head. There’s a slot in every Titleist head.

    There’s different levels of tech in several varieties for Callaway and TaylorMade. In other words, they know their own tech isn’t important. They see right through it. These two are taking the “Android” approach, where Ping/Titleist/Nike are taking the “iPhone” approach. Guess who is winning when it comes to margin?!

  3. Jeff

    Mar 22, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    I guess this is as good as any to share my opinion on where TM has gone wrong. A few years ago when they came out with the RBZ, they had something. I’m not in a position to rush out and try the latest clubs, but I think anyone who follows golf knows they, TMAG made some excellent woods, starting with the burner, and they excited the industry with the RBZ , everyone was thinking, wow maybe they are just longer, I mean look how many Tour players were playing a white driver with a completely different bag sponsor. I was thinking I could gain AT LEAST 17 yards.

    …Then they leveraged that consumer excitement and didn’t so much as flood the market as absolutely drowned the market. I’m only writing from memory but the R-11 I think came next, they threw white paint on the Burner and called it a Superfast (and it was a great golf club) but then so many next gen, R whatevers came out, they all had press releases claiming to beat the pants off the last release, and said something like “if you really care about golf, you’ve gotta have this new club. I think a lot of guys tried to keep up, and they (TM) made some great products, innovations along the way, but it’s almost insulting the way manufacturers claim such massive improvement so quickly. If you read the marketing for new clubs, the $1000 set you bought last year is obsolete. And now Callaway is doing the same thing. It’s no surprise to me the Nike Vapors are so popular, the way they were advertised made them feel like Nike wouldn’t be selling a better set next month. I bought my first PING club past month, I’m looking ahead to Titleist, ping and Nike only because I don’t like a company telling me I bought something obsolete a month after its new.

  4. Plus 1 handicap guy from Scotland

    Mar 11, 2015 at 5:52 am

    In all of this debate a great deal is down to personal choice or brand recognition or brand desirability or whatever. And all of our perceptions are our own; personally I’ve never owned TM irons/woods but do have an unused spider ghost in the garage. Personally I couldn’t buy clubs from a company that sells sneakers (yeah, let’s not forget that adidas is the owner. Couldn’t ever have nike for the same reason..FWIW I have Tom Wishon custom and wouldn’t swap that ‘brand’ for any of the others out there). However, my point is this: the sales figures don’t lie – TM sales retreated by a huge amount and that tells us all we need to know about why the new-idea-product-driven approach won’t work as a medium-term business model whether for TM, Nike, Callaway or any of those others rushing to grab market-share. When all is said and done 99% of players who want to improve their game need to swap the dollars or pounds or euros for proper coaching from a PGA pro rather than chasing the latest product/sales gimmick from TM (Nike or Callaway too).

    • Twice

      Mar 15, 2015 at 1:54 am

      “Personally I couldn’t buy clubs from a company that sells sneakers”

      Titleist is a division of Acushnet is a division of FILA Korea, which also sells sneakers. So what you on about eh, ya silly Scot.

      • Mark R

        Mar 17, 2015 at 8:33 am

        I think it was Tom Weiskopf who once said something along the lines of “Find a set of clubs that suits you and then for no amount of dollars change them. Go out and buy a second set exactly the same so that you can replace the originals when they wear out.”

        This may have been an age ago and he was talking about the professional game of the time. Nevertheless, the same holds true for us hackers today.

        As I said in my comment below, you have to “dig it out of the dirt” – no club will do that for you. Plus 1 Guy has got it right – get some lessons, if you are a beginner or struggling. On that point, I know a PGA Teaching Pro who told me once, that he doubted the value of lessons. They might give you something to work on and a confidence boost for a short time but most pupils, according to him, just don’t work hard enough. You need the “Three D’s” if your game is to improve – Desire, Dedication & Determination. The tools (clubs) you use are relatively less important, unless they are totally unsuitable for your physique.

        I’m not sure that “knocking” adidas for being the parent company of TM has any value. All the major sporting goods companies, including the “greats” of the past – Dunlop, Slazenger, Wilson, Spauling – produced equipment for other sports. The fact that adidas, Puma, Nike & Fila all made their first fortune in “software”, apparel and footwear, is irrelevant. At least they accumulated the funds that way to be able to acquire golf club manufacturing enterprises from their perhaps disinterested or financially challenged previous owners and kept product in the market place to our benefit.

        I don’t doubt that TM and others have some very cleaver people pushing the boundaries of technology but I wonder where the next leap forward will come from, I think probably only in the shaft.

        The constant release of new models has decimated the market for second hand clubs. You get very little on a “trade in”. At least that helps those who cannot afford the latest “magic wand” and who can pick up something relatively new for a lot less than otherwise.

        I don’t pretend to understand TM’s marketing philosophy but I do know that with the majority of product being manufactured in China and The Far East, the ex-factory cost is a fraction of the retail price we are asked to pay. With the major manufacturers at each other’s throats – someone’s going to get hurt and someone is heading for a fall.

  5. cody

    Mar 10, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    the dawn of $600 drivers is coming.

    • Gorden

      Mar 11, 2015 at 3:01 am

      We may see that $600 stock driver sooner then later, have you priced golf grips the last few years? 10 years ago everyone was shocked when Wynn Grips were $6 and $7 dollars and Golf Pride and Lamkin were still $3 and $4 dollars….look now Golf Pride and Lamkin up in the $10 to $15 range right there with Wynn…one of our 4 some just paid $180.00 for top line grips installed, with 13 grips costing $45 for the labor……..

  6. Beacher50

    Mar 10, 2015 at 3:27 am

    So really the problem is that TM over produces the current model, when they know a new model is coming out next month. And thus have to discount the over produced models to clear them.

    I’ll stick with Titleist, the model improvments and releases seem well thought out and more importantly predictable.

    Lastly, I don’t consider golf clubs an investment, they’re a tool to be used and depricatied. But I get it, if waiting a few months reduces the club cost by hundreds of dollars, then why not wait. Investments increase in value, which is very rare with equipment of any type.

  7. CW

    Mar 9, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    When you’ve hit the top, the only way is down. Time to change the business model in light of changing times and reduced participation in golf.

  8. Philip

    Mar 9, 2015 at 10:42 am

    For myself, I have moved from new clubs to buying used at great prices and amazing quality (hardly used) as I want to play golf and not dress golf. The clubs change too much for my tastes.

  9. Pingback: Par 38 (or how a guy in his late thirties learned to love golf… and being healthy.) | Gradon Tripp

  10. Mark R

    Mar 8, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    I don’t have much to add to this “Retail Debate” – I take it as a given that O.E.Ms are at each other’s throats in the dash for market share. More fool the “Gearheads” seduced by all the marketing hype surrounding so-called “new models”.

    I recently retrieved my 2005 Titleist 905S (Grafalloy Blue – Stiff) from the bowels of my garage and restored it to its rightful place in my bag. On Trackman or whatever, never in a million years would a fitter spec this club for me! Yet I hit it every bit as well as anything I’ve tried since it was “retired”. In fact better because I can actually shape my drives again with it, which I could not do with any of the larger headed clubs of 2014/15. You want to hit it further – increase your club-head speed – fact. You want to shape your shots – ditch the max head size drivers.

    My irons are 2010 model Mizuno MP68 – muscle-back blades 3-PW. The heads look identical to a pre-finished head I have from the Hogan factory from the mid-fifties. If you play anything other than blades (and there was a time when that was all anyone played), you are playing game-improver equipment, which is because you don’t trust yourself or your swing isn’t good enough to hit from the sweet spot consistently. So of course you’ll be romanced into trying the newest “wonder iron”, your swing isn’t good enough – you need “help”.

    But Hey! – The game’s all about enjoyment isn’t it? Don’t you think that the manufacturers cottoned-on to that a long time ago?

    Keep looking for that magic wand guys but you might be better off and not just financially by spending your time “digging it out of the dirt” instead of drooling over glossy equipment advertisements.

  11. Prime21

    Mar 7, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    Amazing. TM certainly has something going for them, cause whether the comments are positive or negative, their name produces more discussion than any other brand.
    If you don’t like TM, don’t buy it. Is it really that hard? Nobody wants to hear about their resale value being too low either. You whine that they come out with new models too quickly, but then you talk about resale value? You must be buying clubs often if that is the case. If you keep your gamer in the bag for 5 years, is it worth anything? No. FYI…TM has gone to a 1 year product cycle, so please stop the “every 3 months they release a new line” nonsense. The industry as a whole is slowing down a bit, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that their #’s are down. This is not rocket surgery.
    Taylor Made does what everyone wants, they push the limits on creating new tech to help us all hit a ball longer, and straighter. If you don’t like how they look, feel, sounds, go buy something else. But please stop trolling and making idiotic comments that are based on opinion, not fact. Or…..if you’re such a purist, why not really become a player & play only hickory shafts, blades, persimmon heads, and throw in a gutta percha for good measure. I just hope those persimmon heads are not painted white!

  12. Josh

    Mar 6, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    The whole argument with this is ridiculous, if you like the newest driver better than the one you already have – buy it! If not, no one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to ‘upgrade’. I dis agree with the frequency of release from Tmag, however I bought the SLDR s fairway as it was the best out of the models I demoed?

    • Johnny

      Mar 6, 2015 at 7:23 pm

      You are clearly in the minority…people like you are the reason Taylormade are churning out clubs every 3 months.

  13. dcorun

    Mar 6, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    I’m not someone who plays the same brand year after year. I played one of the first metal drivers TM came out with and had a Burner Bubble for quite awhile (that bronze bulge was something). I ‘ve played them all and did so, because it was the club that worked for me the best at the time. My current driver the RBZ Stage 2 is as good as any driver I’ve played so, TM does make good clubs. Hating TM is a personal choice but, they don’t function any differently than Callaway, Cobra, Nike (Covert and now Vapor) and even Titleist is starting to come out with new clubs in a very short time. I don’t agree with it but, money making is the bottom line. I did see the new CEO of TM on the Golf Channel’s coverage of the PGA Expo. He said he was a lot like the rest of us and was always looking and wanting to buy the latest and greatest so, out came a new club every 3-6 months. He said he realized his mistake and seemed to be saying he was going to tone it down. We’ll have to wait and see but, IMHO, all the golf companies are out to make money which is good old capitalism.

  14. tlmck

    Mar 6, 2015 at 4:02 am

    I have mostly TM in my bag, but it is not due to love of TM. I have had to crank my swing down to senior level due to physical ailments and TM was the only club I tried that fit the bill. This was mostly due to the ultralight M shafts rather than any whiz bang head tech. I can now play 18 holes or hit a medium bucket of range balls pain free. I think TM can thank their acquisition of Adams for a better understanding of the Senior market.

  15. obobgolf

    Mar 6, 2015 at 1:48 am

    Isn’t this really about how to manage YoY stock price performance in a publicly traded golf equipment company? Stockholders in Addidas/TMAG, Callaway et. al. demand QoQ/YoY return on stockholder equity, otherwise they unload the stock. Ping and Wishon (just as an example, not a fanboy) are privately held, family managed companies not beholden to the public (only the golfer marketplace), therefore, they can basically do whatever they want (as long, of course as they make some profit to satisfy the owners/partners, etc. and remain somewhat competitive). Both Callaway and TMAG (as well as any other public stock corporation) believe they’ve had to accelerate their product release/marketing strategies to support stockholder demand for performance. Many, if not most of the folks on this site have some type of 401-K and likely aren’t too happy if they see lousy performance on their personal quarterly reports. My opinion is that the root cause here is more about economic cause and effect of publicly traded golf/sporting goods manufacturers. (BTW, I have no dog in the fight, nor do I work for or own any golf company stock) Just my $.02
    Reply

  16. Booger

    Mar 6, 2015 at 1:10 am

    I can’t believe I had to wait so long for the r15. Had my sldr for well over a year. Release more product, I will buy more.

  17. Marcus

    Mar 6, 2015 at 12:24 am

    GOOD. Any company that puts a sliding weight on their club deserves to go down. “Oh look at us, were gonna stamp a 7 on a 6 iron and see if anyone notices.” GET REAL.

  18. Bobby

    Mar 5, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    TaylorMade is a garbage company. Ever since they started making white clubs, everything went down hill. Before that, they had some nice clubs. r7 tp irons, rossa putters, 425 super quad, 2nd generation burner woods. I am disgusted with this company. They are a joke.

    • Johnny

      Mar 6, 2015 at 7:24 pm

      Agreed…the 2005 TP irons were so sexy back then…now their clubs are skanked up…

    • Fsubaseball21

      Mar 6, 2015 at 7:37 pm

      That’s an uneducated statement. The initial launch of the R11 driver was huge to say the least. When the ROCKETBALLZ line hit the scene it only lead to the biggest financial year any golf company has ever had by a mile! By the way both clubs were White This is that joke of a company you speak of.

      • Johnny

        Mar 17, 2015 at 9:47 am

        I rest my case…thanks for supporting our opinions…

  19. Trevor

    Mar 5, 2015 at 9:05 pm

    Not surprised, TM makes garbage. This fooling with face slots and other nonsense can only go on for so long. I am surprised it went on for this long.

  20. Steve

    Mar 5, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    I am not a fan of Taylor Made’s marketing. I have always liked their woods, but 2 seasons ago, I wanted to get out of TM woods, so I went for a driver fitting on a Trackman. I tried everything they had in the shop, and came away with an R1 TP driver in black (I hate white drivers). Also, Last winter, I was looking for new irons to replace my MacGregor blades with a player’s iron. I wanted to get Mizuno or Titleist, but again, I tried everything, and came away with a Tour Preferred MC/CB combo set. They look good and did exactly what I was looking for (somewhat traditional lofts, but a little bit of size/help/stronger lofts with the 6,5,4 irons). Now my gaps are just what they should be and the long irons are much easier to hit for me.

    Bottom line for me is that TM makes some good equipment. My bag is all TM except for wedges and putter.

  21. simon

    Mar 5, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    Too many models,too confusing to the layman,bad resale value, too much bs in the marketing and many golfers are voting with their wallets.They make good golf clubs but the chase to make bucks is backfiring and they are losing their respectability.Tour pros get paid a lot to play their clubs so is not an argument……would they be playing them if they didn t get paid? no I don t think so.

    • Regis

      Mar 5, 2015 at 8:20 pm

      Hmmm Just saw Patrick Reed playing a white crowned driver today. His sponsor doesn’t make a white crowned driver. Phil did the same thing last year but at least had the crown painted. What do think that means?

      • James

        Mar 5, 2015 at 10:00 pm

        Uhhhhh, Razr X….lol

        • Jon Silverberg

          Mar 21, 2015 at 3:44 pm

          Phil has been photographed playing a TM wood in competition again this winter/spring (Feb-March)…

    • Prime21

      Mar 7, 2015 at 12:05 pm

      Bad resale value? Wow. If you’re looking at a clubs resale value prior to purchase, perhaps you should more about how it works compared to how much it will be worth at trade in. Just out of curiosity, what WOULD the Tour Players play? Sounds like you know a bunch of players, so I’m curious as to what they are telling you. If you don’t like TM, don’t buy their clubs. I don’t see the reason for trolling as you are though. Did a TM club cost you the Club Championship in the 7th Flight this year?

  22. Regis

    Mar 5, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    As soon as I saw the title I knew what to expect. With the current line (R15) being introduced in January 2015 it marks a gap of 18 months since the SLDR was introduced (July 2013). Not 6 months and not 20 minutes. And Taylormade held that MSRP for at least a year. Every time TMAG introduces a technology change they get blasted but like clockwork other manufacturers seem to follow their lead shortly thereafter (Slot technology = Active Recoil Channel) the new D4 (to be released in May 2015 ) has a weight forward center of gravity, and there are rumors about a D5 being released later this year. (Man if I bought that D3 in November for $499 I would be pissed)
    Ping introduces its G30 (with a Turbulator so you can hit it “Bubba Long”) in July 2014 and will introduce its lower spinning G30 LST in February 2015.
    All I’m saying is that I have bought and gamed drivers from every manufacturer but like a lot of knuckleheads I am always eager for try all the new models. My current gamer is the SLDR and that’s because it worked better than the Ping G25 or Titleist 910 which I also owned. From the 2014 ratings from virtually every source, I wasn’t alone. So if you love your Callaway, Titleist, Ping whatever, great, God bless-but to think that your (current) brand is significantly different from TMAG in terms of marketing or performance you have to ask yourself who really the one buying the hype.

  23. J-dawg

    Mar 5, 2015 at 6:04 pm

    Would love to see TM fail completely. The golfing community should be so lucky.

  24. Golfraven

    Mar 5, 2015 at 4:58 pm

    No wonder TM is thinking of outlet stores. Go there now and you will find the R15 range likely discounted already. Ohh well, good times are over. They should gave introduced loyality cards to their buyers. Buy 4 get 5th (driver, etc) free.

  25. Denis

    Mar 5, 2015 at 4:54 pm

    TM made hot and most talked about equipment in recent years. Many of you bought it. TM milked their strategy (smart execs) and ripped the rewards. It is impossible to stop a running train on a dime. They will adjust. Great company.

  26. Denis

    Mar 5, 2015 at 4:45 pm

    I’m not a big TM fan, but ended up having a TM driver every recent year and plan to do it again this year. They have been making the most talked about hottest drivers.

    It is crazy to assume that you can stop a winning business model on a dime and have growth every year. If a company has something working, they should milk as much as you can. Which is what TM have done.

    They will be a bigger company 5 years from now despite these declines than had they adopted la whimper strategy (e.g. release an update every 2 years). You guys are voting with your feet. TM will listen, but many of you did buy TM equipment in recent years, more so than in the years before that. Therefore their strategy was working. It just ran out of steam, but was a success.

  27. Shawn K

    Mar 5, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    Sorry, check that. Gross Margins are expected to be same of increase in 2015, that is more important than Sales. Looks like they actually kept the prices up and will make the same or more profit per item.

  28. Shawn K

    Mar 5, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    I’d be more worried about the lower gross margin. I’m sure this is not all about the sldr driver.
    Though, I got brain washed into buying it and couldn’t hit it. Now have a Stage 2 TP tour I got for $59 with an arp stamp.

  29. Dave

    Mar 5, 2015 at 3:50 pm

    Bought the hype and purchased a 12* (loft up) SLDR, JUNK! Sold it! I had a new R1 tried it, sold it! OK driver I guess! Bought an Optiforce 460 very good driver -Excellent really! Purchased a used BB Alpha it is a rocket launcher, purchased a new set of Callaway XR irons, they really are groundbreaking clubs. I buy and play ALL types of clubs and sell them for a hobby and these new Callaway products are truly different from anyone’s, I tried the Speedbladez, Rocketbladez, R-11 Irons-none of them were better than the R9 irons not even equal really. Callaway just makes better products, Ping and Titleist also without that Toy like appearance! Callaway is lofting their irons up also which is ridiculous, I believe the next move will be back to 38* 5 irons set and traditional lofts! As stated Callaway, Ping and Titleist are just better companies. I own one Taylormade club a Ghost putter that I really do like. Paint it white and land a craze is hardly a long term business plan. The first metal wood and white paint in my opinion is all Taylormade ever contributed.

    • adam

      Mar 5, 2015 at 4:10 pm

      I’ll agree that TM products are on the decline, especially their irons, but the R9 lineup has been and will continue to be great for a lot of golfer. I, myself, game the R9 Superdeep, 2009 TP irons, and have tried the supertri driver out a few times with solid results. Callaway has stepped up their game tremendously but with negative consistency for myself. Much more distance, but dispersion was quite the issue. Both BBA and 815 were huge numbers (+20 or more yards total on some) but without the consistency, I can’t take the Superdeep out of the bag. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

  30. Jim

    Mar 5, 2015 at 3:32 pm

    If you walk into a PGA Superstore, Golfsmith, Galaxy Golf, etc., and walk over to the Ping section, you will find their G30 clubs introduced at the end of last season for full price. You will also find their G25 clubs introduced two years earlier at reduced prices. You will also find G20 clubs introduced four years earlier, also at reduced prices. You may even find several G15 models, again at reduced prices. If you move to the TaylorMade isle, you’ll find two, three or even four iterations of their clubs, all introduced within the last 12 months. Their blizzard of new model introductions has severely damaged the “TaylorMade” brand in my humble opinion.

    I am not a TaylorMade hater by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, when I purchased my Ping G25 driver a year ago, I retired (but still have) an R7 driver. My son will only play TaylorMade products, but because he is 24 and without a lot of extra expendable income, still plays Burner metals and irons that I purchased for him as a graduation present. And like most young guys his age, he still pumps that Burner over 300 yards consistently.

    My decision to purchase Ping G25 metals and Titleist AP1 irons last year came after a lot of research, which also included Callaway, Mizuno, Adams and Tour Exotics products, but not TaylorMade or Nike. In my mind, TaylorMade has cheapened itself considerably with its Marketing strategy and I just feel the quality of their products is not on par with the others I considered. If Taylormade slowed down their Marketing campaigns and took on a new strategy of building quality rather than quantity, I believe many would return as loyal customers.

    • R.Conklin

      Mar 26, 2015 at 2:06 pm

      I have to disagree with you comment about PGA players. I’m not sure you realize it, but golf club manufacturers pay players to play their products, so typically whoever offers the player the best contract is the company who’s products they play. You don’t really think Rory swithced from Titelist to Nike because he thought they made better clubs? He switched because Nike offered him a huge contract to play their clubs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying one club is better than the other, I’m merely saying that the clubs the pros play are based more on which golf club company will pay them more, rather than which club is better.

  31. Wisconsin Terrapin

    Mar 5, 2015 at 3:00 pm

    Seriously. I have a bagful of Titleist and was looking at moving to irons instead of hybrids. Local store only had a single 4 and 5 TMAG (Rocket Bladz) (LH). Couldn’t hit the 4 iron, thinking maybe I’m doomed to hybrids. The 5 didn’t have a lot of loft. Then I checked later – 20 degree 4 iron and a 23 degree 5 iron. Will the next longer TMAG irons have a 19 degree 4 iron? Can’t compare these to the AP1 27/24 degree irons I was looking for. With Ping and Titleist – I got into golf 6 years ago, and I can still relate to G/I and AP1/2 irons and only 2 generations newer available. I can get feedback from real users before looking at the latest versions. And still can get custom fitted not buying left over rack models.

  32. Speedy

    Mar 5, 2015 at 2:52 pm

    Lots of wisdom in these comments, but my goodness, what took some of you so long to find the anti-hype religion?

    Four months ago, I bought my first new set of irons in twenty-something years, because the grooves were wearing out. My replacement set of irons is a premium set that is still retailing for around $1200. Got ’em as demo/near-new for $650.

    Similar stories for woods, wedges, putter. All premium, and all keepers.

    One last word, jacked-up lofts and extended lengths have gone almost as far as they can go. Or, have they? hee hee

    Okay, this is really the last word for now. I quit the overpriced Titleist golf ball. I buy other premium balls as sales dictate.

  33. Tom

    Mar 5, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    I’ve been playing TMAG equip for 7 years. I feel totally taken advantage of. There’s no loyalty they provide to me for being a loyal customer. Instead, they release new product on top of new product and they don’t bother to tell me, so I feel slighted. I don’t want to do this anymore… I love my TM gear but not gonna be buying more.

    • Thedude

      Mar 5, 2015 at 8:19 pm

      ha….so you love the equipment….but now your feeling are hurt……LOL!!!

  34. Jeff Goodman

    Mar 5, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    Although many have pointed to trade-in value of TM clubs as being a reason for their downturn I believe the club value is only a result of a poor marketing approach. There is no way golfers are going to buy a new driver, 3 wood, or set of irons more than once a year, even once a year is a stretch. What has happened is that the consumer has realized that there is in fact so little change between each of the models TM pumps out, that they are no longer buying the clubs at the frequency TM is producing. The result is obvious, a market flooded with products from TM that have to be reduced in price to sell, and pissed off consumers who paid top dollar just a few months earlier. TM will either have to change their marketing approach (Product cycle) or they will eventually go under or sell.

  35. Easy

    Mar 5, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    4 letters sum it up:
    SLDR
    The least forgiving TM driver ever. Bad idea from the start

  36. Johnnie McFarland

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    Are there really golfers that buy equipment at first blush based on marketing? That’s a rhetorical question. Even if you go and try it out, is it really that much better for the price that you pay at first blush? But I guess if you’re the guy that has to have the latest and “greatest…”

    • Doubleace

      Mar 5, 2015 at 5:13 pm

      What’s with you guys who think it’s a sin to buy the latest and greatest? I worked long and hard, and scrimped and saved so that one day I could buy what I wanted and I can now afford. Why does it disturb some folks. Could it be a little envy ?

  37. Greg Muncy

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:50 pm

    Nothing they make is as good as my RBZ

  38. Matt

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    I gave up on TM drivers last spring after being loyal for tears…I mean years. The constant “new groundbreaking technology” got old and I too hated seeing my coveted purchase worth half in less than 6 months from debut. The equipment is good, don’t get me wrong, but others have caught up and don’t have the release schedule TM seems to. Let’s be honest, we are all a little envious of the guy sporting the latest/greatest and putting it past us by 5-10 yards, but are selling to run to the pro shop and lay down that kind of cash 2-3 times per year? Nope. Everyone could benefit their company and their users by moving to something like Titleist’s schedule…and I only play their wedges, so am not really that biased towards them…it just makes sense. Pack the tech into one Big Bang and then go back looking for the next versus one release for every little gram of weight redistributed or 100 RPM’s removed from spin rates, etc.

  39. AC930

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    This is kind of funny that I see a huge Adidas shoe advertisement in the background of this negative news for Taylor Made – Adidas. The downfall will continue for Taylor Made in 2015.

  40. Danny

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    -28%ier

    • DK

      Mar 9, 2015 at 10:11 pm

      Winner. We can all go home now, that comment is priceless.

  41. Martin

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    This 28% drop after a similar drop last year, probably off close to 50% from the 2013 results.

    Not good whether you are a TMAG fan or not.

  42. GodSpeed

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    I was going to comment on this, but what I was going to say has been echoed enough already.

  43. Adam

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    If the folks at TM had a clue, they’d read the comments on this board and completely change their approach. TM spends more money on marketing than all other manufactures combined (made that up) but they’re beholden to QoQ, YoY, growth that flies in the face of the reality of the game. This is an utter failure on their C level execs and I would suspect that they’ll be moving on soon as the writing was as clear as can be yet they ignored every sign.

  44. AZ Golfman

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    I buy cars that hold their value, not golf clubs

  45. chuck stone

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:12 pm

    Stop paying the pros millions to play the clubs, then lower the price

  46. moses

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:10 pm

    Before everyone decides to throw TM under the bus for their business strategy what were the declines (if any) at Callaway, Titleist, Ping, etc. It is likely the whole market was down and not just for Taylormade. It truly is perplexing that the smartphone you purchase today will be near worthless in a couple of years. The same goes for high end digitial cameras from Canon, Nikon, cars, and especially appliances. It is so comical that there is a discussion on the resale value of golf equipment as to the reason why TM suffered a sales decline after growing so much over the years. It’s natural over the course of many business cycles to have a down year.

    • Adam

      Mar 5, 2015 at 4:21 pm

      You’re comparing technology to golf clubs? There is your problem and Taylor Made’s.

      There is a life cycle with tech. There isnt anywhere near the same depreciation in usefulness with golf clubs. Tech needs to maintain its position relative to other devices and their use. Golf is pretty much stagnant.

      TM has created this mess on their own because they are chasing growth where the market is flat. That’s their problem, not the industries.

  47. RG

    Mar 5, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    It has gotten to the point that if you go out and buy the new TaylorMade model you will be laughed at. Not because of the club but because that club will be $150 in 3 months when the next 2 new models are released.

  48. Ken

    Mar 5, 2015 at 12:57 pm

    With the introduction of the newest and best yet equipment every 20 minutes, TM has done a great job of confusing potential buyers. And the steep price drops equate to a slap in the face to the early innovators. Shotgun marketing!

  49. Joemc2

    Mar 5, 2015 at 12:57 pm

    What do you expect when you have a NEW whatever every 6 months and then try selling off the last NEW whatever for 2 years. My 4 year old TM driver is just as good today as what they offer now. The BMW crowd that has to have they latest and greatest whatever is not big enough to maintain this business model…………..Basic business and sales training needed at the top of this outfit.

  50. Max

    Mar 5, 2015 at 12:55 pm

    After all the hype the SLDR got, I honestly saw maybe 3 of them on the course last year. That said, I just bought a mega-discounted SLDR for fun!

  51. grumpity

    Mar 5, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    FWIW, not that anyone cares, but I have just sold my last taylormade club and switched to Ping. They make good stuff, but the average golfer cant take such a steep loss. Iron sets that were $999 new are now $175? Golf is already an expensive enough sport much less have a club manufactorer depreciate your clubs by releasing a new line every few weeks. Sorry TaylorMade, this one is on you.

    • Connor

      Mar 5, 2015 at 1:02 pm

      I couldn’t agree with you anymore, this is why I stick to Titleist. I know exaclty when the new product line will come out… you get what you pay for. It really is on Taylormade, thats what they get.

  52. Redbird

    Mar 5, 2015 at 12:51 pm

    Take note Callaway.

    • Bob

      Mar 5, 2015 at 1:38 pm

      Actually, Callaway has seen sales and market share increase over the past year. Go do some research before make a comment on someone else’s business

      • Doubleace

        Mar 5, 2015 at 5:07 pm

        I agree! I have played TM since their first metal wood. I tried switching to oyher brands (Callaway, Titleist, Cobra, etc), but always returned To TM. As of late I feel cheated by a company that sells a club for three or four hundred dollars, only to release yet another within six months. Too many clubs flooding the market, all claiming to be the latest and greatest technology, and within a year two or three more claiming the latest technology. I have finally switched to Titleist, woods and irons, but still using my TM fairway woods. Don’t plan on purchasing any more TM clubs in the near future.

  53. michael

    Mar 5, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    Had a friend purchase a set of taylormade irons within 2 weeks they were on sale at a 200.00 dollar discount plus a free dozen golf balls. He told me he would no longer do business at a pga stupid store or taylormade.
    Can’t blame him.

  54. DatSliceDoe

    Mar 5, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    I see it everyday in retail. Someone wants to demo the R15 TP for $500, but that same person also sees the SLDR TP for $250 and the Jetspeed TP for $150 and usually they leave with another brand entirely, or last years TMAG driver. You cannot have groundbreaking tech every single year and then charge half that the next year for the same tech+1 weight. Sad to see TMAG in such a state, but they brought it on themselves. Consumers aren’t THAT stupid. They do their research, and cannot be duped year after year.

    • docx

      Mar 5, 2015 at 1:55 pm

      They’ve Released “The Greatst Driver ever made – No, seriously – This time we really mean it” 9 times in last 6 years. RUN BY IDIOTS. all hype and advertising. 0 quality control

  55. ken

    Mar 5, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    Attention Taylormade execs…Your company makes good equipment.
    Now…..Your company has lousy marketing and even worse timing.
    Your company put out to market too many new lines of clubs in too short of a period of time.
    Your company has also held prices too high based on supply and demand.
    Your company reps should tell their retailers to lower prices on ‘older models’ of clubs to clear the market of them.
    Then run a sale on the newer equipment. This would cut supply, limit choices, increase interest( lacking right now) and allow for full price purchases on the newer lines.
    If people have a variety of choices from the same manufacturer, they will find it harder to choose. Others will simply wait until the initial period of newness in the market and then purchase at a discounted price….
    You are listening to the bean counters instead of your target market. The slide in sales proves that out.

    • JE

      Mar 5, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      Uh, with all due respect, I don’t think you really understand what Marketing does. TM’s Marketing has been stellar and completely broke new ground in this industry.

      You may disagree with their overall business strategy but to call out Marketing as “lousy” is misdirected.

      • Jon Silverberg

        Mar 21, 2015 at 4:07 pm

        I’m sorry, but that’s just not true…the campaign for the Jetspeed line was terrible*, and they sold many fewer drivers, fairway woods and hybrids than they should have, based on the quality of the equipment…I know three local pros who played the Jetspeed driver in competition last fall, after it was discontinued by TM, because they said it was longer than anything they had ever played…that’s true for me, too, and for the FWs and hybrids as well, which are both longer and more consistent…the R15 and Aeroburner are not longer…
        *marionettes? speed police? I haven’t bought anything based on an endorsement from a marionette since Howdy Doody and WonderBread…

  56. Johnny

    Mar 5, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    No surprising to hear about this. They put this on themselves. After years of putting out multiple models in a calendar year people are fed up of having their new club purchases becoming obsolete a few months later and decided to wait it out until it gets discounted.

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Whats in the Bag

Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX

3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.

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Whats in the Bag

Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5

  • The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!

3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X

Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.

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Equipment

Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

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As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

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I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

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