Gimmickry, Gullibility & Golf

Low profile shoes may be the secret to improving your golf game!

Adidas has recently introduced the new TOUR360 4.0, which sounds like a new operating system software for your computer but is presumably a fourth generation golf footwear style.

According to the company, the TOUR360 4.0 “is engineered with advanced THiNTech – a revolutionary low-profile technology that brings golfers closer to the ground. A lower center of gravity equals a higher level of performance: greater stability. Better balance and footwork. Increased power and feedback. All of which promotes more
consistent ball-striking.”

Surely these are comfortable shoes. And, certainly wearing low-profile shoes are better than playing golf in stiletto spike heels or ’70s style platform boots. But golf marketing has taken hyperbole to a whole new level lately.

Taking the new TOUR360 4.o for example, this shoe offers PINS (Performance INsert System), which is apparently 32 percent lower to the ground than conventional cleats. The POWERBAND CHASSIS helps increase energy transfer during your weight shift for increased power at impact. FitFOAM molds to the contours of your foot. adiPRENE absorbs impact for comfort. adiTUFF minimizes abrasion for all those times you drag your foot on the cart path. Really? It’s a shoe. Come on, man!

Meanwhile, earlier this year TaylorMade introduced the Penta, a new five-layer golf ball.

I thought I’d seen it all when the shaving industry came out with a five-blade premium disposable razor cartridge. Then there was the battery-powered disposable razor. Now there is a five-blade battery-powered razor with an extra blade on the back for trimming. What will they come up with next? A five-layer ball is like the razor and the blade. One is a break-even introductory product while the other is the high profit margin recurring revenue stream.

With the current global economic funk, the market won’t support higher priced golf clubs, and certain rules and restrictions prevent club manufacturers from making significant advances in club design. Instead they have turned their attention to the golf ball market where proprietary polymers and fewer legal limitations can stifle their innovation or marketing creativity. 

Major manufacturers such as Callaway have recently indicated they expect $299 as the predominant U.S. price point for drivers at retail in 2010. That’s down from roughly $399 in recent years. But premium golf balls cost $40 or more per dozen and the avid golfer goes through several dozen each year. Why not sell the golfing public on premium golf balls? There’s more upside and greater recurring revenue potential.

My own game has benefited from the technological breakthroughs in golf equipment. Titanium club heads. Graphite shafts. Multi-layer balls. It’s all good, and I appreciate the help. But consumers need to know the difference between true innovative enhancements and marketing crap.

As marketing and communications professionals, the NiceBallz staff knows a thing or two about selling to consumers. We’re not picking on Adidas, who also owns TaylorMade. Frankly, I’m unemployed and I’d love to work for either brand. And, other companies offer similar proprietary technologies and equally bold marketing claims.

The new TOUR360 4.0 is just a premium golf shoe, not a miracle cure for your slice. And, the Penta golf ball is an impressive ball for highly skilled players, but is unlikely to help most high handicappers break 100. Splurge on these and similar products if you like. They are among the best gear on the market. But, a five blade razor doesn’t really shave any closer than one with two blades, and a fourth generation shoe isn’t likely to help you improve.

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