What’s In Your Bag?

 

Golf, one of the greatest games ever invented; enjoyed by millions of people across the world. With advancements in technology and designs, golf clubs have evolved into complex equipment that was completely unimaginable in just a few decades ago. Twenty years ago golfers would go to the store and purchase a set of clubs that feels good to them. These clubs were put together on an assembly line through the use of a product focus strategy that yielded high volume and low variety. As the game evolves over the past couple of decades so have the taste of golfers and the production process of golf clubs manufacturers.

 

Got Ping!

Founded in 1959, Ping Golf has become a powerhouse in the golf industry. They are well recognized by their innovation in custom club making. When Ping introduced their fitting system 10 years ago, they offered golfers with custom made clubs based on their physique and swing type. This was made possible by utilizing a repetitive focus strategy in their production process. Ping would make different clubheads with various lie angle and offset, shaft with different length and flexibility, and grips of different diameters. By measuring a golfer’s physique and analysis his swing, Ping is able to use the data to create a unique set of clubs by combining various components already manufactured. Ping’s production process is similar to that of Harley Davidson, where modules are combined to form many output options. Although Ping’s production process costs more than the traditional continuous flow process, it gives them a competitive advantage that is well worth.

Click here for more information on Ping’s fitting system: http://www.ping.com/fitting/5steps.aspx

 

Is not your daddy’s old club!

As other manufacturers try to gain competitive advantage in customization, a new evolution in club making has begun. TaylorMade just launched their new R-series driver, which embodies full customization while maintaining a low cost continuous flow production process. The R11S Driver offers loft, clubface, and center of gravity adjustments by having tuning devices build within the clubhead. This innovated design allows golfers to adjust the club to a specification suitable for them, and changes to previously set specification can be made again at any time. In terms of production process, TaylorMade only has to manufacture one type of clubhead, which greatly reduce production cost. Of course, the production of such elaborate clubhead requires additional research and development, and the cost of each clubhead is more than the traditional non-adjustable clubhead. But in the long-run, utilizing a continuous flow process will be less expensive in meeting market demand of customization.

Click here for more information on TaylorMade R11 Series Driver: http://taylormadegolf.com/taylormade/R11S-Driver/DW-JN721,default,pd.html?start=1&cgid=taylormade-drivers-r11s

 

The R11 series by TaylorMade is a great example of achieving customization while maintaining a low cost continuous flow production process. Do you know any products that can also do that?

 

 

Works Cited

Ping. (2012, 07 09). Custom Fitting. Retrieved from Ping Golf: http://www.ping.com/fitting/default.aspx

TaylorMade. (2012, 07 09). R11S Driver. Retrieved from TaylorMade Golf: http://taylormadegolf.com/taylormade/R11S-Driver/DW-JN721,default,pd.html?start=1&cgid=taylormade-drivers-r11s

 

6 thoughts on “What’s In Your Bag?

  1. What a great example of customization. Any professional golfer is well aware of how important a fitting of a golf club there is. This is also a great example of a job shop in a way. Each player has a unique swing that will require a unique club. I wonder what their production process is like and their costs? I bet that the demand is high. Golf is such a popular sport.

  2. Dell used this as a production method for a long while, and rode it to great success in the technology industry: cheap, customizable computers that can be built to spec for each customer. It worked well until customer purchasing patterns migrated to preferring a physical interaction with their technology before purchasing it.

    I’m a life-long golfer, and the above strikes me as a lot of marketing aimed at golfers to make them spend more on clubs, or buy clubs more frequently. After all, if your mechanics aren’t good, no club in the world is going to make that ball fly straight off the tee!

  3. I think golf companies are trying to get the idea to customers that “these clubs were made just for you”. By allowing customers to pick their options it makes them feel more like the professionals who get custom fit golf clubs. The idea of getting custom fit golf clubs without getting fit by a professional was a great way of utilizing mass customization. With the demand of golf on the rise, coming out with these minor details in a golf club has helped the golf industry.

  4. Golfing is probably the hobby I am most competitive at. While there are other companies that allow for “customized” clubs. Ping’s “dot” system is by far the best and offers the most options. While companies such as Titleist, Taylor Made, and Cleveland do offer clubs that can be fit to the swing of each player Ping will allow you to do this and after time if your are unhappy with the clubs they will refit you. I prefer Titleist clubs yet the next set I purchase will most likely be Ping. They are high quality and are usually one of the industry leaders in innovation.

  5. That would change the game alot becuase golfers can only carry a certain amount of golf clubs at a time or they would be penaliesd and have points deducted. Carry one of these and you have zero clubs on hand but one club at a time becuase it needs to be assembeld. No golfers might be more interesting to watch not for me I prefer basketball but I would probably like the customization.

  6. I am not a golfer, nor do I know much about the sport, but I found this to be very interesting. While it may be more expensive in terms of research and development, I think the company will ultimately benefit the company due to mass customization. I also think the product will do well in the market. Even though the clubs may be more expensive than regular old golf clubs, they seem to be more convenient.

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