Callaway’s got some of the hottest new products on the market right now. So that means that some of last year’s products are going to be available at much lower prices. Callaway runs an operation that I think more major manufacturers ought to imitate: Callaway Golf Pre-Owned

I guess its kind of like the new trend in used cars—new car dealers offering “certified pre-owned” automobiles instead of “used” cars.

Here in the Motor City, news reports often use auto suppliers’ trends as a forecast for the fortunes of the Big Three.

PGA dot Com is reporting that Aldila had a big fourth quarter that could mean that clubmakers are bullish on this year’s sales.

There’s also an interesting quote from Aldila Chairman Peter Mathewson:

“We think growth opportunities exist for graphite shafts in the golf industry. There is an increasing trend by club companies to use well-known branded shafts in their club lines as a way to offer a higher performing product. In our opinion, an increasing emphasis on the shaft is inevitable as metal wood heads have reached the limits mandated by the United States Golf Association as far as size and COR (coefficient of restitution) or trampoline effect,” Mathewson said.

Are shafts the new frontier?

In the under $20 category comes the Loco Dart Golf Balls. It’s another of those low compression golf balls that are all the rage among us higher handicap golfers. I’ve played the last season or so with the Titleist SoLo, so I’m a believer in the concept. I really think that, at my swing speed, I get more distance with a low compression ball than with a higher compression one.

Aside from that, I think that you have to try out the different balls to see which one fits your game best.

Here’s Dunlop’s take on the ball:

With the introduction of the LoCo® Dart, which stands for Distance-Accuracy-Response- Technology, Dunlop builds on its reputation for providing sophisticated ball technology at a price that can’t be beat. The Dart, a three-piece ball with Surlyn cover, HPF mantle and 442- dimple pattern, offers improved driving performance for the lower swing-speed player and better feel around the green. With an MSRP of $20, the Dart sets itself apart from a plethora of two-piece balls at this price point.

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PGA Dot Com reports that Bridgestone sports, best known in the US as the manufacturer of Precept golf balls is suing Acushnet (Titleist) for infringement of patents:

In its complaint, Bridgestone charges Acushnet with “willful infringement” of 10 U.S. patents from Bridgestone Sports’ patent portfolio covering multi-piece solid core golf ball technology. Among the Acushnet balls charged with infringement are the Titleist Pro V1, Titleist Pro V1x, Titleist NXT, Titleist NXT Tour, Titleist DT SoLo, and Pinnacle Exception.

Bridgestone apparently is seeking an immediate injunction and compensation.

This is sure to be an ongoing saga, and—I’ll bet—will result in an out-of-court settlement. It generally always does as both sides figure out that the court costs will exceed any potential benefits of winning.

UPDATE:
I’ve just discovered that the guys over at The Sand Trap also have a post on this.

Precept’s new Laddie Extreme is an updated version of the Laddie, which itself was a reimagining of the Lady, a ball which set off a craze among golfers. I remember when boxes of the Lady were going for hundreds of dollars on Ebay.

Anyhow, Precept says that

The next generation Laddie Xtreme delivers a unique combination of hot distance off the driver with soft greenside control resulting in the best all-around golf ball Precept has ever engineered. Off the tee, the pumped up Muscle-Fiber Core produces a high launch and low spin. This core combined with a new wind cheating 372 dimple design results in extreme distance. The shear resistant cover compound stands up to punishing wedge shots while maintaining superior greenside performance.

Wow. That’s a mouthful.

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