When the game of golf made its debut on the east coast of Scotland in the 15th century, it involved players hitting a pebble around with sticks. The pebbles went on to become balls and the sticks became woods, irons, wedges and putters.
Cut to the present. Contemporary golfing equipment makes birdies and eagles much easier. Technology has reduced the role of human skill in the game. Thus, the Taylormade R11 driver comes with 3D tuning that allows you to adjust the angle of the face to your swing, depending on the distance you need to cover. R11 irons are equipped with a precision-weighting port to provide optimal consistency. “The R11 driver and irons are the most revolutionary [golf] products out in the market today,” claims Taylormade-Adidas Golf Managing Director (South-east Asia and India) Ateet Gaur. “They have been developed and designed to give a golfer — amateur or professional — more power, control and distance.”
Taylormade’s R11 golf set may be the current favourite of golfers in India and abroad, but its rivals aren’t far behind. Callaway’s RAZR woods and irons, launched in India in 2010, for instance, make use of Streamlined Surface Technology to guarantee a good downswing. The USP of Cleveland Golf’s SL290 is its light weight — the driver weighs all of 290 gm.
In fact, the whole golf product ecosystem has got a makeover. There are club fitters who will modify the drivers and irons to suit your body type and swing. Bigger heads reduce the risk of the driver hitting the ball off-centre. Metals like titanium are used heavily to make the ball go farther. “Equipment today is tailored to capability,” says Sidharth Shriram, the chairman of Siel and an avid golfer. “Technology has helped golfers sustain their abilities for longer. However, the mind is still the most important instrument in the game!”
Most of the world’s best golfing equipment has made its way to India. To cater to the value-conscious Indian buyer, price tags are kept low. Cleveland Golf, for instance, has priced its entry-level set at Rs 59,000, and wants to come out with another priced below Rs 50,000, in a few months. “The CG 16 wedges are our bestsellers in the Indian market and are retailed at Rs 6,500 each,” says Rahul Khanna, the owner of Karma, Cleveland Golf’s sole distributor in India. Callaway last year introduced its Warbird set for Rs 59,900. Its RAZR set of 14 clubs can cost up to Rs 160,000. Taylormade’s R11 clubs cost almost Rs 21,000 apiece. In smaller towns, brands like Dunlop and Wilson sell in large numbers, priced between Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000.
There are products in the market for professionals as well as amateurs. “While a professional golfer looks for performance benefits like more precision, distance and accuracy so that he can shape his shots, a beginner looks more for forgiveness and distance,” says Callaway Golf India Country Head Vivek Mehta.
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“When you go to the market to buy a golf kit, there is no hard and fast rule about which brand to choose. One should test one’s swing and choose whichever club suits one the best,” says professional golfer Digvijay Singh. Singh uses a mixed bag of Callaway RAZR drivers and Titleist irons. But his brother-in-law, ace golfer Jyoti Randhawa, swears by Taylormade. Singh warns against faulty equipment that comes at a lower price. “Starters should not buy cheap equipment imported from China as it does not last long. Years of research have gone into making golf clubs, and an amateur should do his homework before buying his first set.”
Isn’t buying abroad a better option, because of the better choice in places like Dubai and Singapore? Shriram, for instance, owns a Mizuno set that he purchased abroad. “Buying abroad is a good idea because the prices are lower with better discounts,” says Gagan Verma, winner of the Inter-zonal championships in 2004. “The golf market in Singapore and Malaysia is almost 20 times bigger than in India.” Shriram describes Verma as “the best amateur golfer in the country”.
Retailers are aware that they cannot sell at a higher price in India. “There is no stark difference in purchasing a set from India or outside, and hence we try to maintain global price parity,” says Gaur of Taylormade.
As with so many other products, much of the world’s golfing equipment is now manufactured in China. While this helps keep prices down, some feel it turns golf sets into commodities. “While most other companies manufacture their equipment in China, Ping clubs are still manufactured in the US,” says Anil Kashyap, the owner of Delhi Golf House, a golfing equipment store in East of Kailash. “Ping has a different market altogether, and a Ping customer never shifts to any other brand.” Ping has brought two sets to India: the K15 and, more recently, the K20. The K15 is priced at Rs 160,000, the same as Callaway Golf’s RAZR.
Arshdeep Tiwana, who turned pro in January 2010, owns a Taylormade kit. He says that what is more important than the brand is the club-fitting. “The criterion for the perfect club varies from person to person, depending on his ability and comfort. The most important thing is to choose a club and then go to a club-fitter to get the club fitted.”
“Always consult a golf club-fitter or even a golf professional who has sufficient knowledge of golf equipment,” adds Sundeep Chimmy Verma, professional golfer and the founder of Chimmy’s Golf and Ultimate Golf Performance Centre. At his studio in South Delhi, Verma offers custom club-fitting and club-making, golf club re-shafting and re-gripping, custom grinding and golf shaft spine alignment.