Creating the Perfect Fit

New golf clubs are created by understanding physics and new technology that allows for greater forgiveness and distance in anyone's golf shot. The golf club has gone through a lot since the development of golf. Technology has allowed golfers to get the perfect club for their game that will help them improve their shots and score. Ping, a golf club manufacturer, shows all the aspects that are taken into consideration when a golf club is being made through this video (click the link in the new window). They talk about how their club design will allow for less spin and more distance and also about making the perfect golf club to fit every player.

Product innovation is a key strategy for all golf club manufacturers. They need to make their golf clubs better in order for anyone to stay competitive within this technologically advanced market. New designs are constantly being tested upon and improved. Constant improvement and development is the only way for a company in this industry to survive. However, even though product innovation is a key strategy for this market there are 2 other important strategies that can help anyone in this market to improve sales and gain a greater competitive advantage.

Customer relationship management is one of those strategies that golf club manufacturers lack. There aren't any Ping retail stores, TaylorMade retail stores, or Callaway retail stores, but only general golf retail stores. These retail stores are filled with customer service representatives who have to sell all types of golf clubs, and can recommend any type of golf club to any player. They should cut out the middle man and get closer to their customers. The closer they are to their customer the more they can learn about exactly what each person wants. They need to deliver their products to the customers with service that exceeds all expectations. Use computers to monitor a player's swing and having a specific club that fits perfectly with their swing. Each golf club manufacturer creates new advanced products that will help any player's game, but it's just not reaching the customers in the right way. Players in this market can achieve a great ROI by creating better benefits for establishing a retail store. For instance, they can create a golf range while having a retail store for a specific manufacturer in an area where there are a lot of golfers. They can create a unique experience for golfers to come to their range generating a return on investment right away even though a single golf club wasn't sold. It'll be like going to a car dealership where you can check out all the latest products from TaylorMade and test drive them at the same time getting advice to choose the right TaylorMade.

Another way manufacturers can achieve a competitive advantage is through operational efficiency. Getting their product to the market faster than the competitors. This can be hard to accomplish with so many new products constantly being manufactured. This relies heavily on their research and development team. They can, however, improve the manufacturing and shipping once the products have been designed. Sometimes making the perfect club isn't as important as getting it to the customer first.

Utilizing all three key strategies can be a difficult task in this market. A lot of these golf club manufacturers started with a single person who wanted to improve their golf score. Their idea and passion for the game led them to create their own set of golf clubs which was the start for many golf club manufacturers. The golf club market is very penetrable, but selling durable goods is a very tough business. Customers come to buy golf clubs once every 5 years or so, which is part of the reason for their high prices. Entering any market can be a difficult and daunting task, but once a market is identified as being vulnerable, penetrable, and worth taking the risk for, you can emerge as the leader if you attack the rest of the players where they are the weakest. If a player in the market is weak they will try to show strength and take you out of their market by making the same moves you do, but you will have a first move advantage. So while they try to keep up, you are constantly improving.

Companies need to start reaching their customers better by creating customized designs that are specially made for a specific customer. I believe the technology is there to allow this to happen while still keeping overhead costs low. Manufacturers do have special events where they invite golfers to test and try out new equipment while at the same time creating customized clubs for individuals. These events happen probably once a year, I've never been to one but I can imagine that the turn out isn't too bad. The idea is already there, but their business processes need to be changed which is why I highly doubt they will ever take this into consideration. Golf is known as being a very conservative sport, and I can imagine that the decision makers are very conservative as well being less likely to evoke changes to their profitable businesses.