INTRODUCING – uDesign by Callaway Golf

// Growing Trend – Now Available For The Driver

About 3 years ago in a radio interview I was asked what I thought would be the “5 Biggest Trends in the Golf Equipment Industry Over the Next 5 Years”.  The first on my list was no shocker for the radio host…it was adjustability across a broader spectrum of products. But #2 seemed to surprise him…I told him it would be the customization & personalization of just about every piece of equipment in golfers bags. I told him he is going to be shocked at how much different golfers gear will look in the coming years.  The trend was already catching on in many other industries.  And yeah sure…golf had dabbled in it a little bit with some of the boutique putter brands…but 3 years ago not many people would have imagined what would be in store for the rest of the clubs in the bag.

Since that time the golf world added some C & P to wedges (Vokey WedgeWorks & Cleveland Golf’s – MyCustom Wedge)…and from the rumors I’m hearing a few of the other BIG golf companies now have more products slated to allow golfers to add their personal touch to drivers and even irons in the next couple years.

// Callaway Launches uDesign – 1st Mass Personalization Option For Drivers

Which brings me to what is being launched today by Callaway Golf.  They’re calling it uDesign™.  First products won’t ship until May 1st…but out of the gates it will allow golfers to customize & personalize their new Callaway RAZR Fit® Drivers.  Now employees won’t go on record with this but it sounds like this is only the start of things to come from Callaway Golf. The uDesign™ system features an online interface, that allows golfers to select their own color choices on RAZR Fit’s clubhead and grip, as well as custom shaft models and a few other custom configurations.  There will be more than 70,000 unique possibilites with the uDesign™ online tool.  And the cost for the customizations will run you $50 (not including shaft upgrades of course).

// Will This Catch On?

Now all this sounds like a pretty cool new option for Callaway Golf fans…but my concern when I first heard the news was…is this just going to be swept under the carpet and forgotten about after a couple weeks like some of the other things Callaway has done in the past.  Or would they actually give this the attention it needs like a Taylormade would with the “White Drivers” or the “Rocketballz” product launches.  Because let’s be honest…having a good idea is one thing but actually making it something golfers care about is another.  And not many people do that better than TM.  I mean seriously they make people care about hearts on hats, the number 17 on shirts and white paint on the top of drivers for god’s sake.  Something almost no one would care about if any other company released it.

// Next BIG Thing For Callaway?

So how can Callaway do this?  Well…the main difference right now between the previous #1 brand Callaway & the new #1 golf brand Taylormade isn’t quality of their product.  Because if we’re being 100% honest here…Callaway might have a better product line from top to bottom.  The difference between the two is simple…it’s all about “Tour Player Presence”.  Tour players are and most likely will always be the most influential part of the “Pyramid of Influence” in the golf industry.  For whatever reason…if golfers see Joe Blow on tour winning with a purple driver you can bet your ass your gonna see more purple drivers in consumers bags the following week.  And I bet if Taylormade deployed their army of staffers with purple drivers at next weeks tournament…it would prove my point.

Taylormade deploys that army of pro players with what some might consider ridiculous pieces of technology almost on a weekly basis nowadays…but it works.  Just ask those thousands of readers that told us “RocketBallz” was the stupidest name they had ever heard…and the ones that told us it would be the biggest flop they ever produced.  Well guess what….

So…can Callaway make this the next BIG thing?  Or will it be something you’ve already forgotten about when they next major rolls around?  Well…from what we have heard so far they’re definitely going to make a big splash with this and it’s going to get a lot of media attention.  Sounds like your gonna see a lot of their staffers customizing and personalizing their RAZR Fit® Drivers in all kinds of ways in future events.  Don’t be surprised to see Phil Mickelson and others matching their driver color to the outfits they wear…or playing their alma maters colors in the next tournament.

// Take It For A Test Drive – uDesign It

I went through the process myself yesterday and below you will see a couple of the ways you can customize your driver in the new uDesign™ system.  But give it a shot yourself and see what design you can come up with .  Then tell us what you think.  You can also use the “Share” option and post your design to your favorite social media site.  And you might want to give that a try…cause I’ll give you a hint…that will most likely be a part of the contest we have coming up soon for the one we giveaway to a MyGolfSpy reader.

// Callaway uDesign – In Action

// Tell Callaway What You Think!