What To Look For in 2016

2015 is behind us, the PGA Show is behind us, heck, even the first 2 months of 2016 – and hopefully the bulk of winter – are behind us too. The lion’s share of new gear has been announced, and most of that has trickled its way to store shelves.

So what happens next?

When it comes to the equipment companies, you know the drill . We’ll see some limited edition gear around The Masters, and then again around the US Open. Things will really heat up again in earnest sometime in late summer.

But this time of year…early (very early) spring is traditionally a quiet time for equipment releases, but that doesn’t mean you should tune out entirely. When it comes to the biggest names in golf, there are plenty of things to keep an eye on, and talk about.

Here are the products and business storylines we’ll be watching between equipment releases.

Callaway

Products: With XR (and XR Pro), and a new Chrome Soft ball in stores Callaway should be settled for the next little while. Beyond what’s on store shelves, there’s a St. Patrick’s Day-themed MD3 coming later this month, new Odyssey putters are always a possibility, and the XR Sub-Zero driver that Phil Mickelson used at Pebble Beach could materialize when the product stories need freshening.

Big Picture: Callaway finished 2015 the #1 company in golf for total hard goods (anything with a grip) market share. That’s right…Callaway. #1. That’s a pretty big deal, which leads me to a pretty big question.

What now?

And that’s really just the beginning of my questions. Can Callaway continue its surge? Can it even sustain its current market position, or is this the year Callaway takes a step back?

There’s only so much market share to go around, and there’s an argument to be made that Callaway may have already topped out. TaylorMade most certainly has designs on reclaiming a bit of the metalwood and iron markets, and PING certainly doesn’t want to give up what it has either. The upside for Callaway is that #2 in the wedge category is ripe for the taking, and there’s probably a point or two more to be gained in the ball category.

And then there’s the question of raising awareness.

How many more YouTube wonders, Instagram sensations, pseudo and real celebrities can Callaway enlist to help promote the brand? Are we approaching maximum saturation? I hope so…or maybe I hope not. Regardless, it’s fascinating to watch.

I’d normally be skeptical about Callaway’s ability to sustain, let alone grow the momentum, but Harry Arnettt and his team continue to be both relentless and unpredictable – and it continues to pay off (even if the stock price remains a talking point for some). As a company, the new Callaway swings often, and whiffs rarely. Already in 2016 Callaway has kicked off projects with Vice Sports and Golf.com. And you know…there’s still that whole Boeing thing too.

Callaway has cemented its place as the first truly modern golf brand. And while I don’t see that changing, it’s fair to wonder aloud how much Mr. Arnett has left in the tank.

Is there realistically any more room left for improvement?

Cobra

Products: Cobra’s 2016 irons, drivers, hybrids, and most of its fairways are in stores now. New Tour Trusty wedges are on the way, as is the first mainstream adjustable utility iron, and Rickie’s non-game-improvement Baffler fairway. Those last two, while arguably niche, are intriguing nonetheless.

Big Picture: Pound for pound Cobra has arguably the most complete driver lineup on the market right now (even if F6+ is a little pitchy). Fairways and hybrids are solid (or better), as are the irons. The point is that nothing should be holding Cobra back, at least not from a product standpoint.

Cobra’s roadblock (and maybe its scapegoat) has always been the marketing budget, but this year that’s supposed to change. One of the big talking points coming out of the PGA Show is that PUMA (Cobra’s parent company) is finally going to spend real money on the kind of shameless self-promotion that powers its competitors in the golf space. In some respects it could prove to be the ultimate test for the brand. Money has always been listed as the primary reason why Cobra has struggled to get its message across. That should no longer be an excuse.

With a bigger budget to work with, will this season be different?

Nike

Products: For a major release, the Vapor Fly series launched as softly I’ve ever seen. Early buzz has suffered…that is to say I’m not hearing anything…like nothing. Method Origins putters are coming, along with apparel and footwear offerings that, depending on your perspective, are either bold, modern, fun, or just kinda weird. Expect more releases – at least on the footwear side – as we move through the season.

One final note: do not underestimate the new ball.

Big Picture: Man…face value, there’s some weird stuff happening at Nike, but believe me when I tell you that Nike has been building up to this for the last couple of years (that doesn’t make it any less weird, I suppose). This is as close to authentic Nike as we’ve seen from the golf division to date. That is to say, it’s not Nike Golf anymore, it’s just Nike. That means a bolder, more aggressive approach that’s barely concerned about what’s traditional and expected, and more focused on what’s possible when convention is defied.

It’s your basic smashing barriers kind of story. Frankly, I’m not sure the market is even a little ready for it, and I’m sure some will be outraged by some of what Nike puts out there, but I also believe change is an inevitability.

How will the golf world react to a Nike Golf that might be a solid decade ahead of the trends?

PING

Products: The new G-Series is just hitting retail now. Expect i-series to linger for another season or so. Anser and S irons both have the potential for a summer refresh, and there’s always the possibility of PING supplementing its metalwood lineup with something un-G, but it’s also fair to say the team is more than content with what they have right now.

Wouldn’t you be?

Big Picture: Like Titleist, PING is entirely brand-focused. It knows who it is as a company, and with that comes very few surprises. If its stuff wasn’t so consistently good, PING would just be boring. The biggest open question; can G duplicate the retail success of G30?

While I’m most impressed by PING’s new fairway lineup, the driver remains where stories are made. G offers a bigger upgrade than we normally see in a one-and-a-half -year cycle, but I suspect PING may have a consumer fatigue issue of sorts on its hands. G30 attracted both converts and loyalists alike. G is good, but I’m less than convinced that it can match G30 golfer for golfer and dollar for dollar.

I temper all of that with the reality that G30 surprised basically everybody, and I suppose G could do the same. I’d still wager on a small dip.

If that happens…who gets the lion’s share?

TaylorMade

Products: In case you haven’t heard (or seen the hats), the M family is complete. Metalwoods, irons…everything. Other than some putters, and a new finish option for the EF wedge, the company is done for the next little while. Responsible release cycles remain part of the company plan. We’re so far removed from the new driver every 6 weeks stuff that it’s entirely past time to stop talking about it.

Big Picture: Looking through my industry guy eyes; M1/M2 is TaylorMade’s best 1-2 punch since the combination of R7 SuperQuad and the 07 Burner. Seriously, this is the most complete TaylorMade driver offering in nearly a decade, but predicting consumer response is a bit like trying to guess when DJ will win a major. The early returns are positive, but TaylorMade isn’t automatic anymore.

Still, I like where the company is with its metalwoods. I like the irons too, but I’m more tepid on the consumer response. With iron market shares lower than its been in quite some time, TaylorMade needs a big year in the category, and I’m not sure that’s going to happen.

The marketplace is more competitive than ever, and as we start 2016 in earnest, everybody has fresh product on the shelf. I’ll give the initial edge to the M FaM1ly, but if another G30-like surprise emerges from the shadows, TaylorMade will likely be its biggest victim.

The bigger story is the potential for the company to be sold – although it’s far from a certainty. We’re watching this situation very closely and will have more to say in the coming days.

There are positive signs, but does TaylorMade have what it takes to fully rebound?

Titleist

Products: We’ve already got new Cameron putters, and new Vokey Wedges too. Late summer should bring us new metalwoods (presumably 917 Series). As always, I wouldn’t expect much in the way of surprises from Titleist – although movable weight is a possibility. Slow and steady has proven lucrative for Titleist.

Big Picture: Take the potential for a TaylorMade sale out of the discussion, and Titleist may offer the most fascinating story in the golf equipment world this season. 2015 was a bit of a down year for golf’s most profitable company. Signs suggest there could be an effort underway to modernize the Titleist brand. There’s already been some shifting of personnel, and we’re hearing whispers that the company feels it needs to expand its reach beyond the current Titleist demographic.

That said, don’t look for anything crazy to happen. This is still Titleist. Its identity is built (and justifiably so) largely around trust (both at the consumer and retail levels), so loyalists should have no fear of Titleist going completely rogue. What I’m talking about here is a re-invigoration effort of sorts…a company more willing to embrace the realities of today’s market without compromising the integrity of its brand.

It’s no simple challenge, and I expect that whatever comes of it will be subtle. Can Titleist be both different and the same?

Bonus: The Olympics

It’s a fairly obvious statement say that golf in the Olympics is an unprecedented event. How will the industry respond?

Apparel scripting stories have already emerged and I’m certain that some retail-release footwear will be in the offering. I’d be positively shocked if there isn’t a significant amount of Limited Edition Olympic-themed hardware available too.

My guess is the Olympics will be a relative non-factor from a sales perspective, but it’s also something I expect brands will have a lot of fun with, and hopefully do some really cool things around.

Can any company capitalize more than any other to an extent that it actually matters?

What Did We Miss?

You tell us…what big golf equipment/golf equipment company stories do you see emerging in 2016?