Thoughts from "The Show" Part 1

I have just returned from Orlando, where the weather was predictable, the food at International Drive restaurants better than ever (no, really) and the food inside the cavernous hall impossibly bad and expensive. And quite why Reed Exhibitions and the Convention Center still seem incapable of providing more than 16 chairs for the 42,000 visitors to sit down is still a mystery. Okay, enough of the rant - It was a great show!

There was a real buzz around the hall this year and that augers well for the forthcoming golf season. There were really 2 shows this year. Nine hundred and ninety nine exhibitors were in the aircraft hanger know as Orange County Convention Center and TaylorMade Adidas Golf were in a "booth" that was big enough to have its own zip code. Once inside the TMaG extravaganza, having been scanned (actually Compuserv did a first class job of misprinting 90% of the badges, so I doubt anyone was scanned correctly!) visitors were treated to a veritable feast of fun golf activities and shopping opportunities. Mark King, the CEO of TMaG was clearly making a statement about the company's intentions for the year and he is continuing to build off the stellar year of the white R11 driver. Although I don't like the Rocketballz name (I do like RBZ) the 3 wood, hybrid and driver are great looking and at a $100-$150 cheaper price point than the R11 they are going to shift container loads of them.

On the cool products side I saw a hosts of good things including the TRUE Linkswear shoes, Callaway copper finish wedges, G-Fore golf gloves, Smathers and Branson belts and hats, Seamus Golf headcovers and new designs of Tin Cups.

Of course I also saw the usual array of products worthy of a spot on "the ridiculist"- a piece of cloth you stick on your head to stop sweat getting onto your golf cap, a golf tee that you stick in the ground and then unscrew to the correct height, a rubber mat with a logo that you jump up and down on to make a logo in the bunker. It will be surprising if any of these will be at the 2013 show and yet one has to admire the spirit and passion with which these inventors enter the golf business.

Let's hope the buzz at this years show continues through the sell in to the trade and to the season's real opener in April!

The PGA Merchandise Show - 3 Trends for 2012

Here we go again, another PGA Merchandise Show or simply "The Show" as it is called in the business. As product launch cycles have been completely turned on their heads by TaylorMade, we already know what to expect to see at the show, which is a shame. However, that's the commercial reality we live in and with the advent of social media and sites like GolfWRX and Golfspy posting pro range pictures (all supported and even paid for by the major manufacturers) there is very little at the show that we haven't seen. Hopefully some of the lesser known manufacturers with smaller budgets will give us a few cool surprises. I'll keep my iPhone close at hand and will post the best I can find.
Here's what we expect to see at the show and three trends we expect going into the season.

1. Long Putters. We are not a fan of the long and belly putters and the R&A and USGA have dropped the ball once again on equipment and the pros are taking advantage and so can you. In February all the major manufacturers will roll out the new long shafted versions of the old standbys - Mr. Solheim must be spinning in his grave at the prospect of a long shafted Anser!

2. Color in the golf bag. TMaG's hugely successful White driver, the R11 now has an "S" stuck on the end, but really the only change is it is 20cc bigger. It will continue to dominate the pro ranks and I'm sure many amateurs will also trade up this year, now that the gimmick factor has dissippated. Look also for colored grips from mainstream manufacturers like Lamkin and the continuing pimping of golf clubs, started by Scotty Cameron. This will continue across the brands and already Cleveland has stepped in with their Never Compromise putter line and also are extending this into their wedge program. I have green initials on my Callaway wedges, so I am all for a little pimp!

3. Long 3 woods. The unfortunately named TMaG Rocketballz (read my earlier blog here) got the ball rolling claiming extra yardage and Callaway followed suit with their 3 wood. It's not too hard to get more distance if you change the launch angle by making a 3 wood 13 degrees instead of 15 degrees - it's practically a driver! The TMaG groove (obviously not patented by Adams when they brought it out a couple years ago) is cool looking and  I look forward to hitting it, but I suspect these are going to be easier to hit for the long ball pros than your average amateur - less loft for amateurs is not generally a good thing as many struggle to get the ball in the air. Time will tell.

What NOT to ask at The PGA Merchandise Show - Redux!

The PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando is just around the corner and we are in final planning for clients and meeting schedules. Last year I wrote about "What not to ask at the show" and it's worth revisiting with a couple of updates. Some have remained the same - No's 1-4 - please, please avoid asking these!,  No. 5 is still in play, No. 6 - there have been some improvements, notably the "moving ball at address" rule, No. 7, the answer was millions and this year people will be buying a white 3 wood and No. 8  - substitute the name Titleist with Adams.


1. Are you having a good show? The answer is always, yes
2. When did you get here? The show starts on Thursday, so as always everyone gets into town on Wednesday!
3. When are you leaving? Always a strange one that one - didn't I just get here!?
4. Where are you staying? Your chance for oneupmanship...just say The Peabody and move on.
5. When will Tiger regain his Number One spot in the much maligned World Rankings?
6. When will the R & A and USGA meet and finally change the 18th century rules that govern a 21st century game?
7. Just how many people will buy a white driver?
8. Who is buying Titleist?


See you there! Bring comfortable shoes!

TaylorMade - Marketing 101

You have to hand it to the west coast dudes at TaylorMade Golf, because once again they have come up with something that has the golf world buzzing. Over the last few days it's been hard to avoid the name of their new club in the chat rooms and online golf sites. ROCKETBALLZ! Yes, you read that right, Rocketballz! That's the crazy name that allegedly came through their R & D department and some how stuck as the club went into production.

Personally, I think the name is awful and the "RBZ" on the bottom of the club would have been better, but the name generated the PR they were looking for, so good luck to them. What I do like is the look of the club and like everyone else, the possibility that it will hit the ball that little bit further is intriguing. They are claiming 17 yards, which I did find doubtful and upon investigation found that was with a launch monitor under ideal conditions. Still, even 5 or 10 yards will appeal to most club players.

TaylorMade has always been a company willing to "put it out there" and I particularly like the way that they have engineered a scenario in which they "own" the color white in golf clubs. They weren't the first in the game (white clubs existing 80 years ago and remember John Day using a white Cobra in his 1991 PGA Championship win) but they are now the undisputed number one driver on Tour and each and every contract player is recognizable on the tee with their white golf club. There were many sceptics when the R11 came out, but the sales numbers don't lie and the RBZ is a natural line extension that will keep white front and center in the game.

It's oficial - Tiffany owns light blue, The Masters owns green and now TaylorMade owns white.

Cleveland knows Marketing! A Titanium Retro Driver!

The folks at Cleveland Golf have come up with a cool idea! A retro titanium driver! What's that you say? Take a look at this 50's style all titanium driver with a paint job reminiscent of a Hogan driver. I have yet to see it in person and as it doesn't launch until 2012, we'll have to wait for the Orlando Golf Show in January. The epitome of cool and a great idea from CEO Greg Hopkins and his team!

The year of the Trues!

Truly, it was the years of the shoes shown above, TRUE Linkswear. A terrible pun, but the best new shoes on the market!

These are shoes you can actually use straight out of the box without getting blisters and they feel like your old slippers from the first tee to the eighteenth green. I've been a Footjoy Classics (now Icon) user for 25 years, but 2011 has changed all that.

First came Freddie at the Masters and the Ecco Street shoes. I bought them, I liked them but the white suede "tips" proved to be a nightmare to keep clean. I hoped someone could do better and they did! I had high hope for TRUES as I know Rob Rigg from his great efforts to encourage golfers to get walking again through thewalkinggolfer.com.

The TRUE booth at the January PGA Merchandise Show was a zoo which augured well for them in 2011. So, I tried the black and white version and they were a revelation. Comfortable right out of the box and allowing me to "feel" the golf course. I swear my bunker play is better now I can actually feel (that word again) the sand.

I just returned from 5 days golf and wore my TRUES every day through rain and shine - including 36 holes at Winged Foot in 5 hours and 40 minutes! They were perfect, so much so that I ordered a white pair (above) for the last couple of games of the year and next season. At $159 they are exceptional value.

So good on you Rob (and Sean), you have created something very special. The fact that all the big boys are jumping on the bandwagon and creating "me toos" confirms you have a success on your hands. 

Let 2012 be the year of continued walking in TRUES! ....And my Classics? Gone....all of them to goodwill or into the trash, anywhere but on my feet! You can read more here on their website.

How Not To Present Using Powerpoint

I have just returned from a conference where I was blown away by the quality of the powerpoint presentations used by sane, successful, well respected, professional people. The wind was more hurricane, than zephyr! None and I mean none of these folks knew how to present effectively using the standard powerpoint application.
The most common error was simply reading the information on the slide, even though everyone knows humans read quicker than they speak (so the audience is always ahead of the game). Second was using font sizes so small that 90% of the over 50s audience found it impossible to read and third was the usual array of nervous mumbling, lack of clarity and simply straying off the point of the slide.

There are many great articles about how to use the ubiquitous PPT, none in my opinion more relevant and on point than the one written by former Apple and now Enchantment evangelist, Guy Kawasaki.

Kawasaki's 10, 20, 30 rule is simple

10 - No more than 10 slides.
20 - No more than 20 minutes.
30 - Font size no smaller than 30 points.

The poor chap has sat though literally thousands of pitches, so he know what he's talking about.
Watch Guy Kawasaki's 2 minute video here - the investment will pay dividends and yes, when we present, we stick to his guidelines. There's also a great book on the subject, which you can get at amazon called Presentation Zen. You can buy it here.

Authenticity in Golf Marketing. How some companies get it and the Golf Channel still doesn't!

To be authentic in golf communications is critical. Golf is a game full of intricacies and nuance and the use of it in advertising and marketing is no less important. You would think companies using golf in their marketing would get that, wouldn't you? Well, in many instances they don't and the agencies they use are also clueless.

You would think the Golf Channel would get it right? Wrong! I have blogged previously about their awful Golf Now ads and the recent spots have not improved. They still lack authenticity. The actor clearly isn't a golfer, his terminology, his movement around the golf course, his use of a cellphone to book a tee time while his opponent is putting - we understand, it's supposed to be satirical - it isn't and it undermines the campaign.

To see a company using golf authentically in an ad take a look at the wonderful Zyrtec ad. Allergy drugs are not an obvious choice to associate with golf (particularly with a mother and daughter) but here it is pulled off with aplomb. Not only can the actors play, they look comfortable around the game and the closing shot of them walking is a joy! Great job by McNeil-PPC.

When you see further examples of the good, the bad and the ugly in golf advertising please let us know.

The LPGA - What's going on?

These are interesting times on the LPGA, to put it mildly! Blindsided by the Chinese as they lose an event, weak TV coverage of the outstanding Solheim Cup event and now the dabacle over Lexi Thompson.

The best news on the LPGA seems to be Lexi Thompson's stunning 5 stroke victory at the Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville, AL. And the result of the 16 year old's win would be what? - an exemption onto the struggling Tour that needs all the good news it can get? Oh no, way too easy. The Commish has said she is too young and the rules state players must be 18 years old to compete. Big news..she is already competing and it will surely only be a matter of time before Commisioner Whan throws the rule book out of the window and creates a special exemption for the most exciting player to come to women's golf in many years. No doubt a plethora of lawyers (What is the collective noun for lawyers?) are working on all the documents as we speak. The sooner this decision is announced the better. Thompson withdrawing from Q school would seem to suggest that she has already had the nod and the LPGA is waiting until after the Solheim Cup to make the announcement.

Mmmm, The Solheim Cup scheduled the same week as the Tour Championship. Interesting! I guess at least with the Irish venue the time difference will work in their favor, but it still has no network coverage, which is a great shame. I was at the first Solheim Cup at Lake Nona and at least another 3 of them since then and it's a great event and deserves more. You can see it on the Golf Channel surrounded by Big Break 33 and horrendous Golf Now ads.

3 Golf Products That Should Be Outlawed

1. The Long Putter. There has been win after win this season and even Phil has now seen fit to jam the long putter into his belly. But that doesn't make it right does it. Once again the games overseers, the USGA and R & A have been out maneuvered and outpaced by the game's manufacturers. And they only had 20 years to make a ruling on this one! If anyone doesn't think that anchoring the putter to the body doesn't provide an advantage then they haven't tried it. Again, it doesn't make it right and it sure isn't pretty to watch. I was at a junior event recently and saw quite a number of young girls and boys with these 40 inch monster putters. One more instance of the purity of the game vanishing before our eyes or is just a fad...let's hope it's the latter.

2. Range finders. I know I have waged war on these before, but I'm very specific about when and where it is acceptable to use these and when it is not. Professional golfers or caddies really needing to know the yardage to the exact spot for a tournament - no problem, fire away. Amateur golfers with handicaps, playing on the weekend, with a busy tee sheet - problem, stop! These people can't hit the ball the distance that they expect 95% of the time and yet they still insist on knowing the exact number of yards to the pin. They slow up play and look like idiots having spent two minutes working out a yardage and then 2 seconds hitting it 123 yards when the distance was 176!

3. Metal Spikes. When softspikes first hit the market 20 years ago, they were a great idea with horrible execution. Players slipped silently onto their behind, but at least they didn't spike up the greens. Fast forward to 2011 and the various plastic cleat brands on the market (softspikes is the generic, but not the brand leader anymore) are great - they grip, you can wear them indoors and they don't spike up the greens or tees. Most clubs have banned metal spikes now, so it just needs the professional tours to finally join the party and the century and force its players to make the switch.

I know this is just the tip of the iceberg. Email me with anything else you think should go into the old club barrel!