Callaway Golf attack ad counters TaylorMade R11 driver launch
by Emily Kay on Feb 4, 2011 1:04 PM EST
Email
Print
February 4 -- With TaylorMade’s much-ballyhooed white R11 and Burner SuperFast 2.0 drivers hitting the market today, does anyone else wonder if this whole bright white club-head craze is much ado about really very little?
Certainly, the marketing gurus at Callaway Golf see it that way. But then again, the Carlsbad, Calif., has no plans to paint its equipment white. Rather, the maker of the new set of carbon-composite RAZR Hawk clubs greeted its rival’s official product launch with a full-page ad in USA Today with the taunting message that its gear offers "Performance over paint."
I had a chance to ogle and try both product lines at last week’s PGA Merchandise Show. TaylorMade did not make it easy, since there was no senior-flex R11 or Burner club to test and, apparently, no women’s R11s at all. As for the white-headed, ebony-faced women’s Burner -- the whitewash did not win me over.
In the interest of full disclosure -- in real life, I use a senior-flex TaylorMade Burner driver, as well as Callaway fairway metals, so I was ready to gush over the new shiny white models.
But back to Callaway, which made a less conspicuous splash at the show with its Lamborghini-inspired equipment. The ad claims the RAZR Hawk can outdrive the R11 by six yards, "and no amount of white paint can cover that up." The Callaway blurb invites you to "view actual test results" on its home page.
Unless you’re TaylorMade or Cobra-Puma Golf, it’s hard to disagree that "paint isn’t innovation," as the Callaway commercial says. If it is, will TaylorMade, which successfully aped Cobra’s all-white ZL driver, follow suit when Cobra-Puma debuts the next-generation stick in Rickie Fowler’s favorite Puma neon orange?
Callaway will release the RAZR Hawk line on February 18.
27 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
wow – now THERE’S news – one club maker is going to say that their clubs are better than another company’s clubs.
And the R11 is a lot more than a paint job. Good lord. Just a little bit of research (aka pulling up the Taylormade web site and reading for 30 seconds) would tell you that the R11 is the most adjustable driver on the market – not just a couple of weight screws.
Callaway didn’t get to push their Octane driver in Orlando because of a lawsuit claiming Callaway stole the name from some junk club company.
Taylormade has some fairly stable reasons for their white paint (less glare and easier alignment against the black face). Claiming that the R11 is a gimmick tells me that either you didn’t do your research, or you’re a Callaway player.
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
Court, it used to be that
the club mfgs. made 3 different models…Open faced, Dead square and Closed face…And they all did the job they were supposed to do…You played what went with your swing…Most Pros had at least 2..(closed and open) that they could take along depending on the course played that week….I have never seen the need to make clubs with heads like Basket Balls….Nor do I feel that we need clubs that can be ADJUSTED…I can remember when a club, and I don’t remember who it was, was Adjustable…It was an Iron, and it was adertised to traveling sales people that they could buy it and go play, and adjust it from say a 3 iron to a 8 iron…That;s when the powers that be stepped in and banned ADJUSTABLE clubs…
As far as a COMPOSITE material…Mazuno made those years ago…I played them, and I always felt that I got at least 10 more yds off the woods….They also had the shafts to go with them…They were called Exer Gold…cost 250.00 each years ago…I have a set in my garage…heads so small you couldn’t hardly see them, muscle back blades…and they were one sweet club….feed back was unbelieveable….It’s the old story…keep building different mouse traps, and you will always find some sheep willing to think they have different mice and need those traps….STUB
STUB
That adjustable club you’re talking about is still made, and you’re right, it IS illegal for competition, but it still gets bought now and then for someone who just wants something to play around with on the road. That particular adjustable club was never really intended for competition – and, as you can see – adjustable clubs are not illegal – you just can’t change them during a round.
Yep – Mizuno made a composite crown set of woods a while back, so did Cleveland – but this is a different composite material – stronger and lighter than anything available back then. It’s a material developed with Lambourghini in mind for their cars.
Yonex used to make a solid composite material driver 20 yeras ago before these supersized frying pan drivers came out. I think it was their ADX line. I had one back around 1990 and they weren’t bad.
I don’t mind the idea of adjustable clubs like we have today. We amateurs don’t haev the locked in swings that the pros have . Our swings change a lot over a year…oh heck…sometimes from hole to hole. The adjustability, including shafts interchangability, gives people a chance to play around with things to find what works for them. Manufacturers can’t make a solid club that fits everybody exactly – these are just their way of helping us find something that works best.
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
by the way – I know the history you’re talking about. What bothers me is the lopsidedness of Emily’s post. No attempt to explain that the R11 is not just a paint job and that this is just advertising – which could have sparked a fun conversation about equipment and advertising. Instead, it just looks like she’s either shilling for Callaway or doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
LOL
Taylormade drivers out-sell all others at our stores. I still use a small head Persimmon Taylormade tour burner with a steel shaft. I’ve tried all the BIG HEAD drivers of every flavor and color, but I always go back to my old school driver.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body" jumpn
Court I wished i had known you were going to the show again this year
I would have had dinner with ya. Next time
"pain is only weakness leaving the body" jumpn
I thought you were in Ireland already.
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
I was at the show....
half a day last wed, all of thurs and half day friday. Flew out here to Ireland on Monday. I was suppose to leave a week earlier but one of my partners asked me to hang back for a meeting at the show on Wed. Demo day is always fun.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body" jumpn
DANG ! We skipped demo day this year – decided to play the Marriott course at the Faldo Institute Tuesday, then Lake Buena Vista on Wednesday in the morning and had enough of that cold wind by the time we got done. We went to see David Mills on Wednesday to see his new putters for this year instead of heading to Demo Day.
Did you see the bubble gum girls wandering around ? Imagine Christina Kim in a spandex body suit.
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
Which one ? I put up an 88 at the Faldo course in 20-30 mph winds. Then an 85 on a very soggy Lake Buena Vista course – windy and sloshy took a bit of fun out of that round – but we enjoyed it anyway. They had tornados in the area the night before. Crazy storms.
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
Thanks. We got to play with a former PGA Tour pro by the name of Bob Friend. He had a lot of rust on his game the first 6 or 7 holes, then just started showing us the difference between a hack like me, playing with a scratch player…and a pro. By the 17th hole, we were opening our wallets to him and his partner – heads held low. (lol)
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
While the white paint certainly seems like nothing more than a gimmick to me, one cannot really argue that TaylorMade is the leader in club customization.
www.ChicagoDuffer.com
You might be surprised – the slightly matted white does get rid of the sunny glare you get off of the black drivers. Can’t speak to the alignment claim yet.
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
The white drivers
will end up dirty and scuffed to death after one season with the average golfer.
JMHO
"pain is only weakness leaving the body" jumpn
I like the contrast between the ball and the Driver head.
Mine is black. I look at the ball anyway, not the head. I remember back in ‘94 I think, a fellow player bought a ceramic driver. It was white. These things didn’t catch on here, no one liked the colour amonst us either.
The face is black, so you still have the contrast. Their R&D people say that the white body with the black face helps with alignment.
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
I wouldn’t be surprised if by next year you can special order drivers with your choice of crown colors. For a nominal fee, of course.
by TwoNuse on Feb 4, 2011 7:56 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
that could be an idea – better get it on paper with your name on it so they can pay you for it.
Fathom the odd hypocrisy that the government wants every citizen to prove that they have health insurance, but people don't have to prove they are citizens.
Yeah......I can hear it now.....
I want to order one of them R11 drivers with the Twonuse Golf Creations paint job…….can I get it in mauve….with cute snow bunnies??? How much???? Oh….well, better be real NICE snow bunnies.
The Saints ARE the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS...until February 6th....get over it!....WHO DAT!......:)
good lawwwdy , just back from the pub
2:30 am here. mmmmmmmmmmm Rum was very good tonight, prolly not so much when I get up tomorrow.
I’d like to order two of them custom color drivers please, yeah and put them on STUBS tab.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body" jumpn
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Have a golf story tip? Contact editor Charles Boyer and he will follow the story! Thanks!
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
