Sumo 2 Made Loud on Purpose

[warbirdlover]

I was thinking about this obnoxious noise this club makes and I believe Nike made it loud on purpose. They certainly have the technology to quiet it down and Lyle has stated how it could be done. They did this not for those of us at ST who (for the most part) have been around a golf course once in awhile but for the beginners who "equate" noise with distance. Think about it. Joe Newgolfer has hit a few drivers poorly and all of a sudden he has one that really makes a racket when he hits it. The first thing he thinks is "wow did I crush that one and straight too".... That would explain all the people buying them at the Milwaukee Golf Show Saturday..... the club was designed to sell to hackers (but still will probably do a good job in case a low handicapper uses it).... (the sound is similar to taking two 2" diameter hollow iron pipe 3 foot long and banging them together as hard as you can).

What's your take on this? Am I full of it?

[chemboy2]

I think you may be on to something. They're target audience must be one of two groups; Friday night beer league softball teams or a collegiate baseball team. Those are the only two groups that I can see tolerating that loud aluminum bat "ping".

[ualtim]

Since when have you become a Nike apologist? I thought you were a Ping apologist?

I am thinking that they will change the sound in the next model version. People are buying them because its the latest thing built by one of the most heavily advertised club builders. I have hit 3 of the Squares on the market this year, and for drivers I would have to list them; 1) FT-i 2)Simpac 3) Nike Sumo2. While I have not hit it, the Diamond Tour Quadratic intreauges me a bit as it is a composite head much like the FT-i and your beloved Rapture.

The sound totally put me off the Sumo2. Maybe Nike did engineer that sound into it for the factor to attract attention to their product much like the signature yellow paint on the sole for the original SQ. Advertising has many forms. I heard someone hitting hit in the local shop and knew right away what it was without even seeing it or hearing before. It makes their product unique, sometimes thats enough enticement for some people to buy it.

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by ualtim

It makes their product unique, sometimes thats enough enticement for some people to buy it.

But how many people would buy a driver that sounds solid off the face and hits the ball dead straight?

My guess is alot more than the extremists.

R35

[MCDavis]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

Am I full of it?

Isn't that a rhetorical question?

I think Nike/Taylormade/Callaway/?? will use any gimmick they can come up with to sell golf clubs. Not sure that all club manufacturers will, but those 3 definitely.

I'm waiting for one of them to come out with a club that emits fire from the back of the hosel when it's hit with a certain amount of force.

[warbirdlover]

Or a "contrail"...

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by Rockford35

But how many people would buy a driver that sounds solid off the face and hits the ball dead straight?

My guess is alot more than the extremists.

R35

I agree with you there, I was just speculating on why Nike would intentionally introduce their new driver with such a gawd awful sound. I still say it is just to get attention in the press, on web sites, and in the general public. They will adjust the sound in next years model to try and capture the more serious golfer and sell even more drivers.

When I first saw Air Jordons, I thought that they would never sell. Who would buy those ungly things? Michael gets fined for wearing them in the NBA, the press writes it up, and the shoes sell out. Nike is noted for some unusual advertising campaigns and they usually work.

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by ualtim

I agree with you there, I was just speculating on why Nike would intentionally introduce their new driver with such a gawd awful sound. I still say it is just to get attention in the press, on web sites, and in the general public.

Personally I'd take that even further and suggest that the whole Sumo2 thing was rushed and taken to extremes in a publicity race to be the first of 'the next big thing' available. Everything about it screams 'publicity stunt', aimed squarely (pardon the pun) at the 'must have the newest thing' market. After having really done something good with the Sasquatch (and I absolutely love mine) this strikes me as more driven by the marketing people than the club design and engineering people. No doubt next year's version will be better, or will they even bother if the square thing dies down?

The reason I think this comes from looking at the Sumo2 now all the main competitors it beat to the market are pretty much out there, and noticing just how rushed it looks. Those first couple of weeks when it was the only one out there was probably crucial to hit that 'must have' market for maximum sales, but compared to the FT-i, HiBore XL, Superquad and a few others it looks like it was just thrown together.

And this from someone who LOVES Nike gear!

[warbirdlover]

At the show I picked up a Nike handout showing all the technilogical advantages to their design, etc etc....

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by Sandy

No doubt next year's version will be better, or will they even bother if the square thing dies down?

This has me thinking that one might wash the other...bring it out to be the first kid on the block, and it's terrible.

I guess we'll wait and see.

Put me down for not having one in my bag over my dead body.

R35

[warbirdlover]

This has me thinking that one might wash the other...bring it out to be the first kid on the block, and it's terrible.

I guess we'll wait and see.

Put me down for not having one in my bag over my dead body.

R35

For once we agree on a driver...

[Jules150]

I was playing at my course with a guy who was hitting it and he had the same thoughts as wbl, and if they could quiet it down and they didnt that suggests something.

[Fourputt]

Talking to a salesman at Golfsmith today... he says nobody's buying them. They come in, try it in the net, and usually put it back in the rack with look of total shock after one or two clanks. The Callaways are selling like hotcakes, but they can't seem to sell the Nikes at all.

[limpalong]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

What's your take on this? Am I full of it?

Two separate questions. I'll only attempt an answer to the first. (Most of us on here know the answer to the second!!!! )

You may be on to something. Sometimes it would be neat to sit in on the marketing meetings when a large corporation decides to roll out a new product. But, let's make a couple of assumptions.

What demographic is the Sumo 2 intended to be marketed to? Traditonalists... us ol' farts... probably aren't going to look twice at the square head. What age group purchased the bulk of the Sasquatch? Who are the core customers Nike is making an attempt to sell? The answer is a generation that has grown up playing baseball with aluminum bats. The answer is a generation that doesn't have any memory of the "solid" feel... solid sound... of persimmon. BANG! Ball go far! Louder BANG!! Ball go farer! (Wonder if the wife will allow me to use that in Scrabble?)

There is a significant amount of time and dollars that goes in behind the scenes in a new product roll-out. Today's technology allows the sound of an instrument like this to be tempered... if R&D deems it in the best interest of the product. In this case, I think it would be safe to assume marketing felt the elevated sound level would draw attention to the product and, in return, sell product. IMHO, I still don't see the square headed drivers being a long term item in this industry... sound or no sound!

[Dannykos]

not everyone on the planet grows up playing baseball though - pretty sure they considered more than just the US market when they launched it!