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why nike is stopping to make golf equipment

by Josephine Muller Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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In 2016, when 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…

, the face of the Nike Golf brand, was away due to multiple injuries, the sports brand made an unexpected announcement that it would be halting all golf club production. This was shortly following Adidas’ decision to sell their own golfing business.

Nike's losing its grip on the game
The company does not separate golf apparel and footwear sales from equipment, so it's unclear how much revenue the company will forego without clubs and balls, but overall equipment sales have also been waning recently.
Aug 11, 2016

Full Answer

Why did Nike get out of the golf industry?

At this time, Nike realized that their golf equipment business was not as profitable as they may have liked and cannot compete with other industry leaders such as Taylor Made, Callaway, and Titleist.

Is this the end of Nike 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. RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU... They already sponsor the likes of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods and 4-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

Is Nike Golf a leader in technology innovation?

Nike Golf often sought to position itself as a leader in equipment innovation. That’s an almost untenable position when your top athlete and the face of your brand eschews nearly every aspect of that innovation.

What do you associate with Nike Golf?

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.

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Why did they stop making Nike golf clubs?

Nike stopped making golf clubs in 2016. It was at this point that the company realized that they were not profitable enough in the golf club division to keep it going. The golf clubs that Nike made were very strong for many years, but at this point, they decided that clubs, balls, and bags were done.

When did Nike stop making golf equipment?

Answer. Nike stopped making golf clubs in 2016.

Does Nike still make golf stuff?

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.

Why did Nike get out of the golf business?

Knight's comments hit home the struggles Nike faced in establishing itself as a serious and sustainable competitor to the likes of Callaway, TaylorMade, Titleist and Ping – with one suggested reason for the struggle that the company didn't have a driver that resonated with consumers.

Why did Tiger Woods leave Nike?

'I needed something ... that allowed me to be more stable' “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.

When did Tiger stop using Nike clubs?

20162016: Ball After Nike announced it no longer would make clubs and balls, Woods signed a golf ball endorsement deal with Bridgestone in December 2016 and started using the company's Tour B XS ball.

Is Nike making golf bags again?

Nike golf bags are returning in 2020.

Can you still buy Nike golf balls?

Exceptional energy return from the Nike ball give golfers the confidence they demand. While these balls are no longer manufactured, they are still very popular among many golfers, and we will continue to carry a selection of quality Nike golf balls.

Who bought 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.

Is Nike a good golf brand?

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.

Does Nike own any golf brands?

Nike's losing its grip on the game The company does not separate golf apparel and footwear sales from equipment, so it's unclear how much revenue the company will forego without clubs and balls, but overall equipment sales have also been waning recently.

How much money does Nike make from golf?

$706 millionNike's golf revenue dropped to $706 million in 2016, down from $769 million in the 2015 fiscal year and a high of $792 million in 2013. In moving away from equipment, the company said it will focus on innovations in its footwear and apparel business while seeking to partner with "more of the world's best golfers."

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.

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.

Who was the first proponent of the solid core golf ball?

The ball. Tiger was the first proponent of the solid-core ball. [He won the 2000 U.S. Open using the Nike Tour Accuracy.] But Titleist and Wally Uihlein snuffed out Nike’s opportunity to produce that one product to drive the business. In October 2000, at the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas, Phil Mickelson held up a prototype Titleist Pro V1 ball on camera and said, “The harder I swing, the less it spins and the farther it goes.” The Pro V1 took off the following spring. It’s hard to compete if you don’t create a message of straighter, longer, better. Heck, many people felt Tiger won despite the inferiority of Nike clubs.

Is Nike golf exiting the club and ball business?

News broke Wednesday that Nike Golf is exiting the club and ball business. What does Nike’s exit mean for the equipment industry, Tour pros currently under contract with Nike, and you? For some perspective, we looked to Casey Alexander, the Senior VP/ Research Analyst at Compass Point Research and Trading. Alexander’s been tracking the golf equipment business since 1996. Here are some excerpts from our wide-ranging discussion.

Is Taylormade tied to Adidas?

I see some beneficiaries to this announcement. Once TaylorMade is sold, they’re no longer tied to Adidas footwear and apparel. Callaway has a footwear license deal and they outsource apparel, and they have a flexible interpretation of what’s required of their equipment-contracted players.

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What Went Wrong

The Annual Disappearing Act

A Long History of The Wrong Metalwoods

An Over-Reliance on Tiger Woods

The Ongoing Identity Crisis

Lack of Teeth

A Confounding Relationship with The Media

The Nike Model Doesn’T Work in Golf

Nike Golf’S Failure to Play The Straight Man

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 fo...
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