The Golf Ball

Advancements in golf ball technology and manufacturing has made the golf ball market huge. The golf ball market is worth over $550 million in annual sales. Every year there are over 850 million golf balls manufactured and shipped. Golf ball technology has improved drastically with new insights on aerodynamics and physics. There are a lot of players in this market but I just wanted to focus on one--Callaway Golf Balls. I was watching the Arnold Palmer Invitational the other day and saw a commercial from Callaway that got me interested on this topic.

The golf ball is constructed many ways and there are many varieties. The two main types are 2-piece design and 3-piece design. Now there is also a 4-piece design. The 2-piece design is made mostly of plastic and rubber and used by the casual golfer. This design also enables the golf ball to last a lot longer than the 3-piece design. The 3-piece golf ball is made up of a plastic covering, windings of rubber thread, and a core that contains a gel or liquid. Usually professional golfers will use the 3-piece design. The golf ball is covered in dimples and there are different patterns that can be used here as well. Usually the more dimples there are, as long as they are 0.15 inches in diameter, the better it flies. The size and depth of the dimples will also cause the ball to either spin more or fly higher.

Technological advances in materials and aerodynamics allows the golf ball to be like a custom fit glove. A golf ball can be specially designed for each player who, for instance, might want more spin on the ball or who want more distance on the ball. The golf ball is allowing the recreational golfer to become a better player.

Callaway Golf has made the dimples on the ball into a hexagonal pattern. They say this will eliminate drag and improve distance, they also state that it makes your shot more consistent. This design is supposed to eliminate flat spots on the ball during flight so that it can go further.

Callaway also uses Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) technology that will make the golf ball more durable. They also use a dual core which will help the golfer control the spin on the ball. They also construct their golf balls with a 4-piece design as well as the 2 and 3-piece.

Callaway golf is advancing golf ball technology and allowing players to choose the right ball for their type of play. Callaway can create a market of one by targeting consumers directly and by using a pull technique in their advertising. Why do they continue to advertise like a buckshot and try to capture the mass when they can specifically target an individual who has a genuine interest in a 2-piece design or a 3-piece design or someone who wants more spin on their ball. How can they possibly track and target each consumer? The internet allows for easy tracking and targeting capabilities. If someone was learning about each golf ball and their differences, for me instance, than they are going to spend a lot of time in that section. The more time they spend on a certain page should send Callaway a direct signal that says this consumer is interested in the 3-piece design. This signal will then transmit an advertisement to reload using AJAX and show the consumer a new banner ad that could possibly give them a discount if they purchase right now. The banner ad should also allow the consumer to purchase the product directly from the ad. This could work for golf clubs, balls, and even merchandise.

So why aren't they doing this? Maybe cause they don't have enough bandwidth (I waited for 5 minutes for one page to load!).