Nike will stop selling golf clubs, balls and bags after years of falling sales at its golf division. But the company said it would "accelerate innovation" in golf footwear and clothes. Nike invested heavily in golf during the late 1990s with its sponsorship of Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer. He ranks second all-time in both men's major championships and PGA Tour wins and also holds numerous golf records. Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport, and as one of t…
Why is Nike exiting the golf equipment business?
Nike announced on Wednesday that it was exiting the golf equipment business. The decision came after years of declining sales of golf clubs, balls, and bags. Last year, sales within Nike's golf...
Does Nike make golf clubs anymore?
NIKE, Inc. announced today that it will accelerate innovation in its Golf footwear and apparel business and will partner with more of the world’s best golfers. With this new focus, Nike Golf will transition out of equipment — including clubs, balls and bags.
What is the history of Nike in golf equipment?
Nike was in the golf equipment arena a relatively short time. It began selling golf balls in 1999, and in May 2000, Woods ditched his old wound balata for the new solid-core Nike Tour Accuracy ball. One month later, he annihilated the field by 15 shots in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
What happened to Nike's oven?
It’s been more than a month since Nike effectively shuttered the doors and windows at the Oven in Ft. Worth and shut down its golf equipment business. Casualties included a legacy that will never be what it could have been and the livelihoods of many outstanding people who I enjoyed working with over the past several years.
Did Nike stop making golf equipment?
Nike have announced that they will no longer make golf clubs, as well as golf balls and bags. They will, instead, focus on golf shoes and apparel, with the aim to partner up with more tour pros around the world.
When did Nike stop manufacturing golf clubs?
Answer. Nike stopped making golf clubs in 2016.
Is Nike getting back into golf?
Even after leaving the hardgoods equipment game behind, Nike clubs continue to get a lot of play from recreational players, all the way up to golfers on the PGA Tour.
Why did Tiger Woods leave Nike?
“I have very limited mobility now,” Woods said. “Just with the rods and plates and screws that are in my leg, I needed something different, something that allowed me to be more stable. That's what I've gone to.
Who bought out Nike Golf?
PingNike has sold five golf equipment patents to Phoenix-based Karsten Manufacturing Corp., the parent of the Ping golf brand. The sales come in the wake of Nike's August 2016 decision to exit the golf equipment business.
Do any pros still use Nike golf clubs?
Tiger Woods is another player still using some of his old Nike clubs. He has a set of Nike VR Pro Forged wedges in 56˚ and 60˚. He is currently ranked 6th in strokes gained so they are clearly working. In addition, Woods also has a bespoke set of 'TGR' irons in the bag.
Do any pros use Nike irons?
Tony Finau's and Brooks Koepka's Nike Vapor Pro 3-irons.
Does Nike still sponsor Tiger Woods?
He is an incredible athlete, and it is phenomenal to see him returning to the game at this level. His story continues to transcend sport and inspire us all. As he continues his return, we will work with him to meet his new needs," the company said. Nike and Woods have had a partnership since 1996.
Why do Nike not make golf clubs?
The company's focus switched towards being the 'undisputed leader in golf footwear and apparel', with Knight revealing that the equipment was never profitable. “It's a fairly simple equation,” Knight told Bloomberg.
When did Tiger stop using Nike clubs?
20162016. 2016 was a huge year for Woods' equipment, after Nike announced that they would no longer make golf hardware. Woods was out for the majority of 2016 until he appeared at the Hero World Challenge in December. He arrived with some new clubs.
What were Nike's last clubs made?
It didn't translate into a game of misses. Although Nike had some great clubs, such as the VR Pro Blades, or the original Forged Blades, standard Nike marketing, and big leaps that fell short, and put Nike behind the eight ball. The last nike irons made ended up being the Vapor Pro in 2014.
Does Nike make good golf clubs?
Nike has also been bidding for a top spot among the club, shoe, and ball manufacturers in the golf equipment industry. The company seems to be succeeding. In fact, Nike golf clubs are now perennially ranked among the best.
What is the most perplexing aspect of Nike Golf’s failure?
To my mind, the most perplexing aspect of Nike Golf’s failure is how a division powered by so many humble and talented people could collapse under the weight of its immutable arrogance.
What are the factors that make Nike successful?
In other sports, Nike’s success relies on two critical factors: exposure and winning. Consider the Olympics as a whole or any of Nike’s individual athletes; LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Allyson Felix. The defining characteristic of Nike athletes is that they win. They win often, and they do it while prominently displaying their Nike gear. Volt-colored running shoes anyone?
What was Tom Stites' influence on Nike Golf?
Under Tom Stites’ influence, the company’s tendency was to push the envelope long before it had found solid footing in the golf equipment space. Simply put, Nike Golf was innovative before it earned the right to be. It continually pursued non-traditional products, apparently believing that being Nike would be enough to drive sales; a notion categorically rejected by the consumer.
What is the bottom line of a business that fails?
As with any business that fails, the bottom line has to do with an inability to attract a volume of customers necessary to make sufficient profit from comparably small margins.
Is Nike a golf equipment company?
No doubt each of us will be left with indelible memories of Nike Golf as a golf equipment business. For many, I suspect it will simply be Tiger Woods. For others a set of irons, a Sasquatch driver, or maybe you sunk a tournament-winning putt on the final hole with a Method putter. There will be something that each of us associates with Nike Golf.
Does Nike bring people together?
There will be something that each of us associates with Nike Golf. As odd as it may sound, for me, it’s simply that Nike brought people together. Nike Golf had the biggest and best events in golf, and they did them in a way that left time to get to know people.
Is Nike a golf company?
Nike could never figure out who it was as a golf company. It’s well-documented that it bought its way in, rather than build from the ground up. Initially, it sought to position itself as a country club authentic brand, but that image didn’t mesh with Nike’s traditional flair or the gimmicky – or at least gimmicky-looking (and poor performing) – early products.
When did Tiger Woods start using Nike golf clubs?
Nike Golf signed Tiger Woods in 1996, who first began to use Nike equipment in 2000, with the Tour Accuracy TW golf ball. The company then began to manufacture golf clubs in 2002. For all the latest from the golf world, follow our social media channels Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Who is the President of Nike?
Nike Brand President, Trevor Edwards, said in their official statement released online, “We’re committed to being the undisputed leader in golf footwear and apparel.”. This was revealed in a statement on the Nike website, titled ‘Nike Focuses Golf Innovation On Footwear And Apparrel, Transitions Out of Equipment’.
Does Nike make golf clubs?
Nike have announced that they will no longer make golf clubs, as well as golf balls and bags. They will, instead, focus on golf shoes and apparel, with the aim to partner up with more tour pros around the world. They already sponsor the likes of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods and 4-time major winner Rory McIlroy.
When did Tiger Woods start Nike?
Tiger Woods. Nike created its first line of golf apparel in 1984, but it only really began booming when it signed a 20-year-old Woods in 1996 and invested heavily in major advertising campaigns placing him at the center.
Has the Tiger Effect run its course?
But it's clear the Tiger Effect has run its course.
Is Nike leaving the golf business?
Nike announced on Wednesday that it was exiting the golf equipment business.
Is Nike a golf company?
Nike announced on Wednesday that it was exiting the golf equipment business. The decision came after years of declining sales of golf clubs, balls, and bags. Last year, sales within Nike's golf division fell 8% to $706 million. Why was the company's golf business in decline?
Why are golfers not comfortable with Nike?
I also think that a lot of golfers never really felt comfortable with Nike equipment because they were never a traditional “golf company” but rather a sneaker company that used it’s huge presence to enter and dominate whatever sport they liked . Many “serious golfers” perferred traditional brands like Titelist, Callaway, Ping or Taylor Made that were golf-specific brands, and without a superstar like Woods to prop them up, they were vulnerable as the market squeezed them out.
How much did Nike make in 2014?
In 2014, Nike had revenue of $789 million, which dropped to $771 million in 2015, falling again to about $706 million in 2016. Meanwhile the golf industry overall had set themselves up for failure by increasing product releases from introducing a new line of clubs every couple of years to introducing multiple lines every year. By 2016 the market was awash in product and participation had continued to decline putting pressure on the whole market. Several other companies reduced/contracted their businesses, and with Nike losing market share, they decided to get out of golf equipment and no focus only on apparel and shoes.
Why is head weight important in golf?
In turn, it will help you build up the swing speed, so it's at its fastest at the ball. More control helps you find the “sweet spot”, which increases your smash factor (efficiency) and boosts your ball speed. Combined with the late (r) release, you should see more distance and better-looking shots.
What is slot in golf?
This is what's called “the slot”. It creates a more inside-out swing path, which helps fight a slice and promote a draw. It isn't fool-proof, but it helps.
Is golf club business competitive?
The golf club business is incredibly competitive. It requires constant innovation just to keep from falling behind the other equipment companies. And some of those “other companies” are huge. It’s a tall order to compete against the likes of TaylorMade, Titleist and Callaway. It’s not enough to produce equipment as good as they make…it has to be better to make it in this industry.
Is golf equipment profitable?
Making apparel doesn’t require much R&D and there isn’t much failure. Golf equipment wasn’t nearly as profitable if it was profitable at all.
Does weight help golf swing?
But if you get that, feeling the weight can help with parts of the golf swing.
What Went Wrong
The Annual Disappearing Act
- For a company that’s fond of saying It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, it’s plenty ironic that Nike Golf would habitually sprint its way through spring only to stop running entirely for the better part of the golf season. I’ve mentioned this before, but worth mentioning again – in the golf equipment biz, the industry leaders are omnipresent. Produ...
A Long History of The Wrong Metalwoods
- A good bit of Nike’s issues breaking into the mainstream can be traced to unconventional (I’m being kind) equipment designs, but the issues are most striking within the metalwoods (Drivers, Fairways, and Hybrids) category. The company’s early metalwoods weren’t good. They were loud, ugly, and for many, not very long. Remember when it accidentally released a non-conforming dri…
An Over-Reliance on Tiger Woods
- Blasphemy? Hear me out. A few years ago I wrote an article titled Tiger Woods is Killing Nike Golf, and I believe as strongly as ever that I was largely spot-on. Certainly, anything Nike achieved in the equipment space is at least partially attributable to Tiger. I won’t discount his role in the company’s success, but I submit that he was also a tremendous hindrance. Nike Golf often soug…
The Ongoing Identity Crisis
- Nike could never figure out who it was as a golf company. It’s well-documented that it bought its way in, rather than build from the ground up. Initially, it sought to position itself as a country club authenticbrand, but that image didn’t mesh with Nike’s traditional flair or the gimmicky – or at least gimmicky-looking (and poor performing) – early products. After abandoning the country cl…
Lack of Teeth
- Tiger Woods is tenacious, the Nike Golf equipment business…not so much. I’ve frequently spoken about the great people at Nike Golf, but the biggest knock from its competitors was that it never looked as if the company had the teeth for the equipment business. Countless times, and by more than one person, I’ve been told that if TaylorMade’s Mark King had run Nike Golf, it would have o…
A Confounding Relationship with The Media
- This one is perhaps a bit inside baseball, and it’s absolutely possible that MyGolfSpy’s experience differs from that of other media outlets, but it’s worth mentioning that Nike Golf does media relations differently. We’ve always chalked it up to Nike being a bigger company and running the day to day stuff accordingly, but it’s different nevertheless. Compared to nearly every other com…
The Nike Model Doesn’T Work in Golf
- I’ve touched on this already. Nike’s approach simply doesn’t translate in a sport where We believe in the athlete is more aptly stated as We believe in one specific athlete. In other sports, Nike’s success relies on two critical factors: exposure and winning. Consider the Olympics as a whole or any of Nike’s individual athletes; LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Allyson Felix. The defining …
Nike Golf’S Failure to Play The Straight Man
- Nike Golf was seldom conventional. Slingshot irons, Concept putters, Sasquatch, all things Covert, RZN (balls, crowns, and iron inserts), and Toe Sweep Wedges. It’s a long list. For every beloved (or at leastcult) product like the Pro Combo irons, Nike released three aggressively innovative (and often oddball) designs. It’s part of what made Nike Golf cool, but… Under Tom Stites’ influence, t…
Arrogance
- To my mind, the most perplexing aspect of Nike Golf’s failure is how a division powered by so many humble and talented people could collapse under the weight of its immutable arrogance. At the core of everything Nike Golf did, or I should probably say did wrong, was its unyielding belief that it could succeed in golf equipment based on the sheer force of being Nike. It’s woven into e…