Is Callaway Golf really up for sale? | Fully Equipped Ep. 234

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And welcome back to F equipped after last week’s podcast all everybody wants to talk about is Uncle Jean sunsets Opera and underwear you know what there there’s part of me that just wants to talk about it some more too but hey you know what if you didn’t hear one of the greatest

Bits of fully equipped podcast history go back and listen to episode 233 fully equipped by the way if you want to watch us and you want to see our reactions to this whole ordeal go back and uh check out our F equip YouTube page I’m gonna

I’m gonna haul I’m gonna haul my laptop out to my patio and I’m gonna film live from the sunset next week how about that oh gosh anyway go go check out the episode we we are recording all of them live on the YouTube page yes this one is

Also live at Sunset by the way West Coast time once again son said yes I know thank you Uncle Jean anyway with that as always boys how we doing fantastic I mean I wish there was more golf like right now we just got so teased we got so teased a couple weeks

Ago playing out in like a t-shirt basically 60 something degrees and snow three days ago one of the biggest dumpings of snow we’ve had all year of course but other than that life is pretty good Uncle Jean is is very quiet right now yeah I’m I’m I’m in an existential

Crisis right now um oh Lord here we go k this rival last week’s kind of close I’m reading this book by Robert salowski and he’s a he’s a um he’s a professor at Stanford and he’s written this book called determined and basically the book The Essence of the book is that free

Will is an illusion that we have no free will that we’re made up of 30 trillion cells and not one of them has free will or Consciousness and that our body is tricking us and this whole concept and construct that we have of Consciousness is Just an Illusion in order for us to

Uh function and it’s really been throwing me because I watched Oppenheimer on Friday night and it is if anyone has not yet seen it it is well worth seeing is mindboggling but I’m just really struggling with this Free Will is an illusion and what’s the point

Of all this but I won’t get into that too deeply because this is what’s what’s this sounds like this sounds like if he’s a professor he sounds like a 10y press professor of like how much weed can you smoke no no the the take is what’s interesting is they have the

Ability now through neurobiology to measure so you they tell you to go push a button and you go to push the button your brain sometimes almost a second earlier signals you to push the button before your conscious self realizes that you are supposed to push that button and

So this is evidence that our bodies are basically telling giving these signals that create Consciousness when they’ve already decided before we actually make the decision so you’re telling me when I buy that that driver online and I click the buy button I I I mean I was going to

Do it anyway well I mean here’s the deal if you buy into the Siri who gives a rat’s ass I mean everything’s been predetermined anyway so buy the damn driver you know take can somebody can somebody tell me which driver is gonna gonna help me shoot the lowest scores is

That is that possible let’s look into the future and and see which one I should stick with with for you know three to five years and it’s ultimately what it is comes down to is we’re just a function of our biology we’re just a function of you

Know I mean we’re a function of our parents our grandparents Etc and then we’re a function of environment and both of those things together but if you can identify everything in the environment and everything biologically then you can absolutely predict the future because it’s it’s just based on a on a cellular

Level so anyways find this point most of the cells in my body are comprised of a lot of pizza so that could that could be predetermining the future that you will be consuming more pizza I will be consuming more pizza at some point in my life you know he probably wouldn’t argue

Against that point anyway very very fair and and welcome to fully equipped U anyway all right well now that we got that out of the way let’s you asked yeah I know I did ask I’m glad I asked that was that was a fun way to kick it off but

Something else that came across the news wire last week after the Pod dropped this is all right so let let’s just get right into it then then I’ll I’ll give my initial take so last week South Korea’s chosen daily it’s a newspaper they reported and they were

The only one to report and then a bunch of us including uh myself and RB head called that Callaway was going to be spun off from Top Golf and sold there you go that’s that was that was the story so and I think everybody by now is aware that that if you it’s

Callaway yes but it’s the official name if you look at it on on the ticker is Top Golf Callaway so Callaway acquired Top Golf they changed the name to Top Golf Callaway uh they’ve got a whole bunch of other um other businesses underneath the umbrella uh you’ve got Travis Matthew Jack wolfin

Ogo uh also Top Golf clearly um guys this is an interesting one because you know I I like to I like to make sure that we’re the ones reporting the news and not not somebody else nobody else out there nobody else out there was reporting this I mean

Other outlets and I mean Bloomberg so if you want to add a little bit of validity to the report Bloomberg picked up on it and they they ran with the story too but you know it this it it kind of started to come out we reached out to Callaway

Callaway issued a statement and I I have to be honest I was really surprised that Callaway issued a statement I kind of figured that they’d be quiet but they said in their statement while it is our longstanding practice not to respond to Market rumors and speculation in light of today’s unusual Market activity

Coupled with a recent media report originating in Korea regarding discussions of a potential sale of the company or its golf equipment business we can confirm that we are not aware of any such discussions we do not intend to comment any further on this topic and we assume no obligation to make any further

Announcement or disclosure should circumstances change um I I mean let’s let’s just open it up like what are what are your thoughts like off the cuff what what did you think think when you heard that there was a possibility at least through this report that Callaway was going to

Be spun off from Top Golf and sold I think I mean when no no offense I mean obviously like people can’t just go out there and like blindly say like oh yeah this is definitely happening like you know they can’t do that from a communication standpoint um just the same way that

Like Tiger Woods was going to not have a clothing deal with tailor made and then Sunday red comes out right like people sign all of these agreements and they don’t talk about these things in public for many number of reasons the same reason Jay Monahan doesn’t go around to

Press conferences no offense to him at the Players last week but he can’t come out and speculate right like people you know he’s not a great public speaker but he comes out and he’s like oh well I don’t want to talk with this I don’t

Want to talk with that it’s like well I kind of get it like that’s your job you’re not there to speculate to the public about things that are going on in behind the scenes like you just can’t do it and I think in this case it’s one of

Those it’s like look if there’s smoke there’s fire it’s obviously like a report that came out of somewhere and if based on what they’re saying it makes I mean it makes sense if you think about which I think is interesting now this would potentially put um Callaway in with tidalist and

Taylor Made as companies that or as equipment hard good manufacturers or whatever companies however you want to like call it they’re not they’re not the original suppliers but that would put them under like South Korean ownership ship and if we know anything about the golf industry in Asia South Korea and

Japan drive that market by like an insane amount and Japan is an interesting place right now from an economy perspective because they have an aging population that they really haven’t gained anything there but like um South Korea they they are a huge growing you’re seeing so many Brands go

Over there and open up Flagship stores and open up all kinds of different experiences for golfers and if call wants to sell off all of their um like the hard good side or Top Golf wants to sell off the hard good side the manufacturing side of equipment

Like it makes sense because Top Golf makes a ton of money Top Golf is just like it it is making a lot of money so why not invest in the technology side of your business and sell off the hard good side which means like inventory and all

These other things that you have that are are a lot more difficult control the the the thing that I don’t understand about it and yeah I I I agree with your analysis but the thing that I don’t understand about it is you know Top Golf and Callaway to me are SYM

Symbiotic in that you know what’s the what’s the percentage of golfers that go to Top Golf that are non-golfers I mean that’s a huge potential market and you’ve got the growth potential of top golf number one that adds to the bottom line of the publicly traded company but

Number two you have Top Golf as a potential driver of Revenue I.E new customers coming into the game and so it seems like by spinning off Callaway Alone um you lose all of the advantages of having Callaway and top golf combined so I I don’t I mean unless you know I I

I I’m not an expert in Asian distribution of American Golf equipment but I’m guessing that it’s pretty well entrenched you know if maybe they saw a play that they could grow the Asian influence but Callaway is a mature company and once again a publicly traded company so I’m sure they have pretty

Good distribution deals in Asia so what’s the upside to buy them as a spin-off alone that’s that that would be kind of my take I I haven’t heard any um you know kind of arguments or suggestions as to what the benefit would be for the South Koreans other than just to control

Everything in the golf industry well say yeah other other than to control the the three of the biggest oems in the industry um one of the interesting things that that I go back to is you know Callaway has invested a lot of money in chape chape Massachusetts they

Had where they have their ball plant um a lot of money into R&D and and quality control and tolerances you know my thing is is why like why do that I mean I guess maybe it makes you more appealing to a potential buyer if you have it but like why spend the

Money I I think Callaway like the name alone if you were going to try and spin it off from Top Golf and sell it I don’t think you need to I don’t think you need to like Spruce It Up by by investing you know millions and millions of dollars in

A ball plant and new technology there and and if you look at at what chip Brewer and we got to get to discuss chip who is the CEO of Callaway you know he said in their in their recent quarterly meeting that the the Callaway Chrome Tour golf balls you know they’re they’re

Promoting sales and the trial of the new golf ball through Top Golf and they said their goal is 200,000 th new users coming specifically from Top Golf I me they’re investing pretty heavily in the golf ball I feel like more than anything else and it’s just it’s like there’s

This disconnect between like again I go back to why why spend all this money to to then have this idea of where you want to take the golf ball and and the number of people that you’re trying to convert from Top Golf into into actual golfers

That are going to be playing your golf ball I mean that’s that’s a lot to be doing and and I know the the flip side here is that Callaway if you look at what’s in this is again this is the inside baseball that only we talk about

If you look at what’s been going on at Callaway they have they have lost some key people uh Dr Alan hawell who is you know in my opinion was the the driver of the Rd department at Callaway is now with titlist you also have Roger Cleveland who I I

Was told he’s going to still be doing um corporate events for Callaway at least a set number but he’s now he’s now moved on and is now gonna be uh a Consulting on on a new shaft company so and let’s not forget Austy ay um rollinson like he

Was from odsy works for Titus and Scotty Cameron now yep yeah so they’ve so that you’re exactly right that they’ve lost three key people and so it does make you wonder why why did three of the most influential people at at Callaway move around the exact same

Time you know I’ve I’ve spoken to Austy I saw him at Riviera he’s he’s doing great at Scotty Cameron loves working with Scotty um you know I think for the most part the the response has been just just a change of scenery but it it is it

Does one of those things that makes you think well Austy correct me if I’m wrong you know he I think was a um he got swept up in in those initial covid layoffs and and you know it was kind of interesting Callaway was the first ones

When covid hit like a month month and a half layer they they laid off a lot they didn’t lay off Allen but they laid off a lot of topics Executives because they like everybody thought golf was over not that golf was about to explode and so

They cut a lot of positions to tighten the belt and Austy um unfortunately was one of those and so he went did some Consulting on his own for a while and then and then came back and got the gig with with Scotty but um you know that was just a retrenchment on Callaway’s

Part because they they saw the world shutting down and didn’t think there was going to be a market for golf equipment um you they also had Sean tulon too I mean that that was to that I think Callaway at the time was trying to figure out how to how to marry the

Brands of odys and two long together but you’re exactly right I think they just were were you know starting to say oh man what what are we going to do and we’ve already got sea here uh but still it it you’re you’re right it it it’s not

Exactly a guy just up and leaving but I mean the Allen one’s more interesting because there’s been a lot of speculation as to that as to if he could continue his research and stuff and you know I’m not gonna comment on hearsay but just keep an eye for what he

Does at Titus because there’s some interesting rumors out there har is hard digging around in the in the patents so yeah well supposedly some cool [ __ ] going on supposedly supposedly stuff yeah yeah so we’ll that was I think the the the first time they actually put him out front was in the

New finding feel um documentary because there was a time with um with Harry Arnett and Chad Coleman and AJ vapel and like that was like the crew that was like doing social media and being very upfront and they gave Allen a platform to like be out front and talk about

Technology and then there was a time where they you know leadership as far as marketing and and that changed with Callaway a little bit and then Allen just kind of became more of like the backhand back behind the scenes research and development guy again and you know you see this shift

From Titleist where they’ve really started pushing more of their like R&D people out into like these um ways of coverage the same way that to be fair a lot of oems are doing now right like I think the serious golfers are really curious about what goes on behind the

Scenes it’s it’s no different than I think in some ways sound I just pulled this comparison out of thin air which of course is very more of a me thing um but it’s kind of like celebrity chefs right like people want to know like what goes into like what you’re eating and those

Who are really into food are like curious about like the people behind it and I think it’s kind of the same thing where it’s like you know these Engineers over here we know Thomas L’s over at at Cobra he’s been in the business for a long time you’ve got the team of titlist

You got the team of ping ping for a long time never put any of their Engineers out front and then they’ve got guys like Marty and and Dr Paul wood and henon like they’re putting people out front of from behind the scenes which you don’t really see um and I think that

Was maybe like a bit of a shift from Callaway they’ve really focused on the technology rather than a lot of the people and they focused on players and maybe now because of um Rah right Rah left and they they really don’t see him featured in stuff maybe they’re looking

Around going like you know this is a change for us and maybe this is an opportunity to not not don’t mean cut bait like I don’t like they’ve obviously created a very successful company but I think at some point just like chip Brewer got Adams to a point where it was

Like taking market share from people and someone came in and said let’s buy you for I think it was like $75 million versus like the debt that They Carried and all that stuff from tailor made maybe that’s what they want to do with this with like the hard good side

Of the business and it’s in a in a funny in a funny way and I’m thinking of like a comparison sake here like billionaires in the United States they love buying sports franchise this right every billionaire is like who’s like Mark Mark Cuban’s like I’m going to buy the Dallas

Mavericks and like all these people like Steve Balmer goes out and buys the Clippers right like you got enough money you just want to invest in something that like you love doing and maybe because we know um like maybe maybe these people that like Korean private Equity firms like listen man we got

Enough money we are buying a golf company because that would seem pretty sweet yeah it’s it’s just I don’t I don’t know the the industry right now I I will say this is is at a weird time I I feel like we’re we’re due for a correction and you know that’s that’s

Probably the only that’s probably my only reasoning for for why this would happen is is maybe maybe Callaway sees something coming down the road I don’t know I just I I look at I look at the like the price for for golf equipment out there and I know look we

We have this is a golf podcast we talk about how great this Tech is and it is and it costs money to make golf clubs but it’s just like wow I I I talk to I talk to Golfers all the time and their one beef with the industry is that it’s too

Expensive and my my my response is all you can always go go buy some used gear but what do we always talk about on podcast go get fit so it’s it’s it’s sort of a sort of a tough spot to be in when you’ve got new stuff out there

That’s really expensive you’ve got stuff you know that’s been reduced by in price and maybe you can find that stuff in in a in a club Matrix and and get with a fitter and get fit for that but it just feels like we’re due for a correction

Prices can’t stay at these at these numbers and we’ve already seen it you know at least now we’re not having golf clubs backordered for months on end year on end um I know there are few that are still having issues but at least it feels like we’re getting out of the the

Logistical stuff but I don’t know do do either of you guys know I I haven’t followed this do either you guys know what the like updated population of golfers is considered you know for years it was always 24 million that it was stuck at and I I just came across something the

Other day and it just stunned me and I don’t know if it’s true or not that’s why I wanted to throw it out there I saw a number bandied about like 40 million you know that that there had been this huge increase and you know a lot of

These are quote unquote uh off offc course golfers you know that identify themselves they go to you know either a simulator but do either of you know what that number is because that number will Define you know a lot of this uh potential basically yeah so the the ngf

The National Golf Foundation usually releases a report um so they have the basically three different types of participants in in these groups they have encourse only which was 12.1 million in 2023 off course only which was 18.5 million and those who engage on both fronts at 14.5

Million that that that 12 that 12 how does that work that 12% mean you don’t add those all together right that’s what I’ve tried that’s what I’ve tried to figure out so those who engage on both fronts I’m guessing it’s like the 12 million plus another another like two

From the off course only which is the 18 um yeah it’s it’s it’s a so so let me just put it this way total en course compared to uh 2022 was let’s see here it was up 4% and it’s also the off course was also

Up so there’s I mean sorry I am like literally reading this as we’re going was not prepared to be discussing oh I didn’t know [Laughter] I can remember your mouth move while I’m just I’m just I’m guys it’s like I I’m reading it as we go well I

Mean I mean it’s it’s up it’s it’s up it’s up compared to it’s up compared to 22 uh but the off course I think is up 18% versus versus 22 23 versus 22 and and again like I said 4% versus 2022 so the the numbers are still

Trending up but and I don’t necessarily think that it’s it’s that we’re going to see fewer golfers I just I just think that we saw this massive influx and we saw a lot of golfers that were new and that needed equipment and were just buying stuff and and then there was like the

Covid uh headaches with the logistics and trying to get stuff from Asia and components and and all that that that just absolutely made made for a ton of headaches so I don’t know I think we’re just I think and maybe it’s not a a massive correction maybe it’s just a

Leveling off but again I just can’t see I can’t see stuff staying at these prices it’s just ridiculous I look I look at some of them and I’m like oh my gosh who’s paying for who’s paying that and a lot of like the limited edition stuff that’s just crazy expensive too

Golf is an expensive sport but it just feels like it’s gotten more expensive in the last like four to five years oh absolutely what are drivers now 599 yeah I mean they they they’ve already broken the six the six Bill threshold for some of them yeah yeah I

Mean what’s the the P the pxg the new uh the new Black Ops I mean that’s that’s over 600 that’s that’s like 600 yeah 600 bucks I think that the tour head is is 650 like the regular Black Ops is $599.99 but I think those was the tour that was like $650

So yeah there’s there’s some really expensive products out there but hey look what did what performed really well when we went through our our driver testing ph well you know what you pay for well and it was interesting because I mean that’s always been kind of the

You know if there was a criticism of pxg it was always that their drivers didn’t quite perform you know up to the same level as their irons did you know in the competition and and they really changed that script this year and so uh I wouldn’t be surprised you know if um

Brad and Nico who were the designers at pxg um you know went to Bob and said hey we got to increase the cost of goods to make this thing work and in doing so you know they came out with something that you know was uh was really interesting

From a technology standpoint be before we wrap on this topic I I do want to get I want you to look into your crystal ball and tell me in the next year what’s going to happen with Callaway is it still going to be top goof Callaway or is Callaway

Gonna be owned by somebody else I say it will still be Top Golf Callaway for the reasons that you just laid out that that’s a uh I mean it’s tough to sell something when it’s on the top and Callaway is on the top it’s like what are you buying it for you know

How are you going to grow that versus if it stays with Top Golf and top golf continues to expand then Callaway can expand as well so I I I just I see them connected I don’t see I see Callaway being a much weaker company standing alone than being with top golf

Rby I I think they might um I feel like it’s such a such a revenue driver like together they are kind of symbiotic that um they might bring someone in but leave like not separate I guess I don’t know if they’re looking for like an influx or something

Like that just from like uh to continue to expand top golf or something but um I don’t know I just again I feel like there’s something there but these deals take a long time these deals do take a long time especially if you’re going to separate a company so I would imagine in

12 months it’d probably remain the same for now yeah I I’m I’m in agreement there I don’t think we’re going to see any change and it’s again for for the points that I I made I think they’ve made a lot of investments in golf ball in the plant

Um you can tell based on their their what they’re saying in their quarterly comments they’re they’re going all in on on Chrome tour so and I think that’s tied to Top Golf and and trying to get some converts there so yeah I I don’t think we’re going to see any change time

Soon you know what we’re all in on Jonathan and Jean hopefully some of those listeners out there we’re we’re all in on inside golf there we go um because we go if you um I know we’ve talked about it in the past but we just we love to remind

People about it um you know couple weeks before the US Open we’ve got this big inside golf trip to Pinehurst now to join inside golf cost 40 bucks um and this trip is a pretty exclusive trip there’s a dinner at the D Cottage there is which is where Donald Ross live off

Of pineer number two which pretty sweet U golf at number eight golfer number 10 golf at the Cradle which is pretty sweet don’t forget the thisle do the putting course that’s there that’s also just just free you can just rock up and play that anytime you want U there’s going to

There’s a bunch of products that are included with the trip from Srixon which is uh we got some Cleveland wedges we’re going to have um Gary co uh I almost said Gary cus P cus Gary McCord uh there’s there’s all kinds of stuff going on um behind

The scenes again weeks before the US Open at Piner you’re gonna be able to walk pineur number to get to see and get gain all of this inside knowledge before you get home and sit on your couch and completely veg uh to watch the US Open at pinders which I’m very excited for

And you can get more information about this head over to golf.com uh look for inside golf you find the the sign up there and uh there’s just I think for those who are like absolutely in a golf it’s an experience that cannot be missed uh and uh check it out that

Again golf.com insid golf for the full access to the uh the we’ve got planned and I’ll and I’ll tell you a little insight if you want to get mcord excited if you do go on this and both why are you doing this why why are you you’re you’re you’re

Just you are ask ask mord ask mord about Bigfoot and Aliens he will why would you do that so amazing his knowledge of Bigfoot he actually belongs to the veil Bigfoot society and they do events like Bigfoot and fondue where they go out searching for Bigfoot it is so awesome

To talk to him about Bigfoot I mean that’s where just again I’m talking about Bigfoot for an hour that is worth the trip in and of itself is just go out there and uh and yeah and ask him about Bigfoot and then there’s Peter cus who’s like one of the greatest minds of

Teaching and breaking down swings but mord and Bigfoot and UFOs oh my goodness it is now I should say if you’re not into Bigfoot either I can’t also forget that the the USGA you’re going to get an inside look at their their equipment their Hall of Fame that’s there you get

All kinds of stuff that’s going to be opening up just before the US Open it includes a stay at the Carolina hotel it’s it’s a whole experience doesn’t have to include Bigfoot um I’ve never seen him around the the North Carolina like Sand Hills already there um but uh

Yeah don’t forget because Jean’s got a robot at the usja testing site there and you’ll get to see it there so if you’ve never seen one in person it’s kind of pretty sweet and all I want to do is talk about say that’s all I want I just want

I just want MC to talk about Bigfoot that’s it well well RB had a hat was that Bigfoot with a golf club that you had on that hat is a is a big foot carrying a golf bag yeah it’s it’s the it’s the qu it’s one of the hats I get

Asked about all the time it’s from true linkware so yeah it’s squat C in a set of clubs I love it oh man speaking of sets of clubs we know we should talk about yes please yeah let’s let’s get us back on topic here thank you RB Peter Mady who is like

King of the average guy on tour the man with the bucket hat the yellow golf ball the to be fair not very good driving statistics he played pretty well uh this past week um he’s kind of like the Everyman on the PJ tour people joke you

Know he’s like the king of the mules um you hear that all you know hear from number of podcasts that you probably Listen to If you listen to this and I think my favorite meme that I saw is at the next uh the next pack meeting was it

Was Alec Baldwin from the uh coffee is for closers and it was like klay’s over there getting coffee and and and Peter on um Alec Ballo and he goes coffee is for closers get away from there because he’s obviously won more recently than Klay which I that was very good um but

Speaking of his clubs other than his yellow prov1 golf ball or prov1 X golf ball I want to make sure we get the the right golf ball there um he played the T200 the t150 and the T100 and I can remember at the end of last year taking

Pictures of his bag which I was trying to find I’m sure I got it somewhere like stored on my computer that I’m staring into right now in some file wherever but at one point he is also testing the T300 or 350 right so like this man does not care

What his clubs look like he is focused on what they’re designed to do throughout the bag and especially too like I thought it was the most interesting because I originally thought like okay well he plays the T200 he probably just goes right to the 150s all

The way through but he just has the single 150 believe it was the five iron and then it just goes six to pitching wedge of the T 100s I was like this is a man who just doesn’t care what how it work like how it looks he just wants it

To work and find his distances and after the last weit of the 20 15 Sanderson earned himself a nice little paycheck guaranteed himself in some Signature Events pretty cool to see and obviously he was emotional about uh about winning right he knows it’s hard and it’s not an easy thing to do yeah

I kind of for for all the the reasons that RB just pointed out there you know we we talk about all the time you shouldn’t be paying attention to what the guys on the PJ tour are playing don’t do it it’s not good yeah I think you can make some

Exceptions and Peter Mady is an exception Peter Peter Mady is an exception hell yeah I I’m you know he’s playing TX Flex shafts in his clubs don’t think you’re going to see a lot of lot of 15 handicaps out out at your local Club playing TX Flex chef but I do

Love I do love the fact that he’s still playing hybrid you know we was we as we discussed last week on the podcast looking at usage Trends over the last 15 years on the DP World Tour you know you’ve seen you’ve seen hybrids start to dip and utility iron start to see an

Uptick but man I think it was I I think it was Jean who actually pointed this out like hybrids hybrids are a great Club if you’re just if you’re just a regular golfer like that that’s a really good club unless you’re a high swing speed guy that just spins the heck out

Of it it’s sometimes a little bit more difficult to find to find a suitable hybrid there are some out there some of the older ones are actually pretty darn good but I love the fact that he still has the hybrid in the bag and I love

That he’s playing just a like a full-on mix set with with all the different models in there like that’s that’s exactly what I think golfers should be looking at because you know if you if you go back even even like 10 years it still seemed like the manufacturers were creating sets and

They were creating sets in a silo so so you had your iron set and that was that now if you look at all the manufacturers out there they are all creating iron sets and you can buy it just like it is but if you want to start toying around

With like where do I break the set up do I break it up at the five or the six or maybe the seven um do I add three different models in there like they’re they’re making it so all those models blend together and and that’s and that’s

From like a gapping standpoint which is the most important thing that used to be the most difficult part was trying to find the the correct gapping between a couple of different models within a within a brand that is not a thing anymore and I love

That I love the fact that you can go in and just like mix and match it’s like going to In and Out like you can you can they they’ve got secret custom menus you could you could you could create whatever the hell you want and they’re going to work they’re going to

Work great together um looking at like the bardi irons as an example the the two the two iron models that they just came out with here this this week that RB wrote about uh a new blade and a new C back those things are designed to be

To be used as a as a split set big set however you want to call it and then you can use them as as they are but again I I do love these things about malat’s bag and I think they they are they’re actually things that that a regular golfer could learn

From shout out too to Nelly Corda and her like 26 degree 5 hybrid that’s still in her bag um she goes uh three-wood seven wood 2 26 degree five hybrid every all the clubs in her bag are tailor made except for her ping hybrid which is the

26 degree G25 g425 sorry and then she has a vogi lob wedge and and sorry the putter but like her she’s got a combo set too she uses the MC’s and a 775 iron I believe it is so again it’s it’s an example of like use what works cuz youd

Look at a a five hybrid and a seven wood and you’re like okay well like the lobster fine and then to be fair that like this the what is it the six the five iron is probably 28 degrees so it’s only like a couple degrees weaker than

The six hybrid but you know like they spin different they have a different launch profile it just goes to show you put in your bag what works it’s what it comes down to for every golfer is get something in your bag that works and you know worry about the score don’t worry

About anything else yeah yeah I love it some good food for thought all right unless Uncle Jean has anything to add on on M Na’s bag and I I’m gonna assume that he does not that would be a negative that would be a negative i’ I’ve gotten to gotten to

Know Uncle Jean when he’s quiet and when he’s just like get on to the next damn topic boys um so why don’t why don’t we do that let’s get on to it’s been been a few weeks since we’ve done a proper fully equipped hotline so let’s do one

As always if you want to leave us a voicemail we will get to your questions on the hotline the number is 602 935 4974 again that is 602 935 4974 coach has the questions we don’t know what’s coming coach as always a lot of these are directed towards Chris and

Since he’s not joining I had to find uh Chris Chris is Mia some some other uh ones here this first one is about a a recent manufacturing pairing and who’s running the show hey guys Rob L from the bay air again just want to talk manufacturing at Taylor Made now that

They’re are partnered together is he officially the guy uh or are they still in the proof of concept type of phase kind of how like JP wedges and Titleist uh got together but that ended up not taking off uh and if he is the guy has

He started working on mallets or has the spider line cemented itself and is here to stay thanks guys love this question it’s a good AR’s not in his head so he wants me he wants me to take it are you gonna take it you take you go

You go first and I’ll see I’ll I’ll follow up yeah I I think that this is still very early days you know uh going from being the founder of of your own putter company to linking up with the tailor made is a massive jump um having met Logan out on

Tour ARB spent some time with it as well he’s a super nice guy uh but he’s still just trying to like figure it out he’s working with tour Pros he’s he’s built Putters for um now you’ve seen Putters for col morawa Scotty sheffler won in his very first event at the hero Nelly

Corda played the putter for a hot minute so there were some big names already giving his Putters a look but yeah I don’t I don’t think that we’re anywhere close to a point where where he’s going to assume the throne as like the putter guy for Taylor

Maid look spider having a moment again and Scotty Sheffer is The Man Behind that I just wrote a nearly 2,000w feature on Scotty’s switch to the spider and and what went what went on behind the scenes and I think anytime that somebody starts getting hot with a out on tour it’s

Natural for other guys to start to wonder what’s going on and I think you’re going to start to see other other Pros that haven’t already start to give spider a look because Scotty’s having some success with it so yeah I I don’t think that Taylor Ma’s in a hurry

Whatsoever to to to make Logan the face of of their of their putter division but I think they like having him on board and I think that the pros that have worked with him have enjoyed that time so yeah it’s still very early days and and I don’t think that there’s anything

Definitive that we can that we can lend to that question at this moment other than to say I I think it’s going in a good direction so far and Taylor M’s happy to be working with him I think it comes down to and Jean probably can speak to this better than

Almost anybody because of like you know how he works with different companies but the thing that is hard to believe and I I think you have to think about the way way things work backwards is before something gets to a like on the Shelf as a product it was probably done

10 to 12 months ago it was finalized and to get to that point it had to be worked on years beforehand to figure out manufacturing and potentially change manufacturing techniques it’s the same like when we find digging around patents on online you see all kinds of weird

Stuff and you’ll like these are years and years out like what I always think and I I realize a lot of OEM SE this there’s like there’s the there’s the Innovation team then there’s the R&D team and then there’s the manufacturing side of things and The Innovation team

They are like throwing stuff at the wall they are given obviously not like a free re of budget but like they can kind of like don’t worry about what we can manufacture now let’s see if we can figure out how to manufacture something different in the future and that takes

Years of development and it’s no different than saying that in the market right now there is the tour Reserve putter which came out just last year and there’s the spider which has gone through revisions but it continues to be something that is obviously a very very solid product and almost lives on a

Brand on its own everyone knows a tailor made spider but people just look at it and say that is a spider putter right so to think that they’ve got TP Reserve still a Putter and a product out there which means and with spider momentum they have the opportunity to just say

Like we are going to continue to push this spider it’s working it’s got momentum it’s rolling we have inventory of this other putter that is a m putter let’s focus at the very very high level of the pyramid with tour players and then just kind of work our way to a

Point where if you know look on Logan’s website it says like the Privacy policiy like customer service directs to tailor made like it’s no hidden secret right it’s all yeah it’s cats out of the bag yeah so like to get from that point to like let’s work with tour players let’s

Find what shapes work let’s work on materials let’s work on these different things and all these manufacturing techniques that come out of a single shop in Northern California to let’s see what we can do to ramp this kind of stuff up takes a lot of time and I don’t

Think you’re going to see anything soon but I think the way that this relationship has everyone seems really happy with it every like you know they’re making new stuff for tour players Collins putter is the next great example so I think it’s going to be a

Little while but you know at some point I think we we’ll see something that is is more of a grander scale than anything Else there you go Jee knows a lot on Logan olssen he’s just not he’s just not willing to divulge anything no I think I think I think you guys you guys you guys are on the front line of it with the tour and that’s just it they hired him

To keep tour players happy and to RB’s Point yeah I mean you know back to like the Chrome tour golf ball you know that was in development three or four years ago you know to to to get to this point I mean it’s just crazy crazy the

Timelines and it’s crazy you know heavy is the head that wears the crown of these top R&D guys because they’re making a bet and they don’t know where the industry’s going necessarily now the the fortunate part is they’re big enough that they can kind of move the direction

But you know classic example I think we were talking about either last part or a few ones back was Callaway didn’t chase adjustable weights when Taylor Made came out with it and it really set them back big time because of that so you have to you really have to be like secure in

Your knowledge and confident going forward and I think I think while he looks promising it’s it’s new in the relationship and so therefore I I think they’re being cautious and rightly so because um I I I think there’s a lot more weight on design now like you know

Scotty was the first one but you know I you know I worked with Bob vogi years before he was Bob vogi and you know titlist came to Bob and said we’re gonna make you the wedge guy and there was like a a real devotion of resources in

Order to do that and they’ve created an a you know an entire kind of uh section of their hard equipment based based on Bob Voki and the wedges and I I I I think before you make that investment you really want to make sure that this

Person is the right fit so while they’re you know being cautious I I I I think that’s a smart move in in in the short term and and you got the guy in the stable so if he per you know continues to perform continues to please tour

Players and continues to grow then you nurture him and grow along with it as well I know I’m sitting here with this stupid smile on my face because all I can think of is the way Jean framed it is like look it’s like two people just started dating okay they like each other

They’re really getting along you know maybe they’ve moved in together who knows but there’re and like all their friends know all their close friends know that they’re dating but like they haven’t really gone home and met the parents yet right and then once you meet the parents then you got to meet the

Extended family well you know right now this relationship is still at the like look we’re pretty close here now guys let’s move in together but like let’s keep moving it slow and then eventually we’ll meet all the in-laws and all that stuff and you know announce the marriage

And send out our RSVPs and do all of those things but right now we’re just still at that stage where we just moved in we’re all just figuring out who’s picking up what laundry who’s cooking what meals on what days making sure those socks don’t L up on the floor

That’s where we’re at and I think you know eventually we’re going to get our RSVP we’re going to get the marriage certificate all lined up then everyone’s going to be there and it’s all going to be this big announcement but you know we got to wait I’m I’m well past that I got

Two kids I’m married for a decade this I think it’s this year so like you know that’s that’s how I started framing it or if it doesn’t work you get the Quicky annulment in Vegas so there’s that so oh Lord all right coach get get to number two please we should go do

Another question really quick or do we just want to stop at number one let’s let’s keep rolling well well I love I love the way RB phrased that about having a stupid smile on his face because I was actually going to say that I think this next question is gonna put

A very big stupid smile on RB’s face um I’ll just I and I’d like to thank the guy he mentioned he might go over the limit you did not go over the minute thank you RB you enjoy this one hi uh my name is Andy wach uh out of Lake Mills

Wisconsin uh this might go over the allotted one minute message so please bear with me uh um so I work for the public schools here in Wisconsin I got about 10 years left uh before I can retire uh and I uh in my garage mainly doing grips and

Some stamping at this point uh big club uh person like yourselves and just wondering what advice you have for somebody who’s uh just starting out in the club uh building repair and customiz a business uh thanks a lot I appreciate your time and that’ll do it for me have a good

Night andan too take take it away exactly take it away RB well as a tease since I know that this will also be on the fully equipped YouTube page as well stay tuned uh recently just filmed a whole bunch of videos kind of stacked

Them up um at home here in my build shop they’re kind of starting to go through the editing process so make sure you stay and lock into the YouTube page if you haven’t subscribe do the whole bit give us the likes the whole thing right

I got to say that stuff um but I do genuinely mean it because the reason video is so helpful is because you get to really kind of go long form and talk about these things and there we kind of I do dive into a lot of the stuff that I

Do in my own shop one of the things if you are investing into club building even it’s just for yourself buy the best tools you possibly can it doesn’t mean that you have to buy the the most expensive buy the best ones that you can

Afford or save it for the one that you know is like the next level that’s really going to help with say it’s being a Precision instrument like a LOF machine because all of those things allow you to continue to work up and more precise more Precision that you

Have with your tools the the better and easier and faster it is to work on clubs which I mean from a volume perspective you’re probably not focusing on a lot of volume but from just starting out go out and buy a bunch of used clubs pull them

Apart put them back together buy stuff you’ve never pulled apart before for again go a couple years back buy like a single Club buy demo clubs buy whatever you got to do start pulling them apart and putting them back together and that is the quickest and fastest and easiest

Way to learn and from there what you’re going to do is you’re going to build a base knowledge found Foundation of knowledge for doing oh I’ve never reshafted a as an example I can remember the first time I reshafted a Callaway X2 Hot fairywood and the hle diameter is a

Little bit bigger at the top than it is at the bottom they use a very pretty large collared feral at the time and I had to figure out basically the first time I saw this I was like okay well I have to figure out exactly like what

Kind of shim I need to use what feral I need to use by the next time I did the next two or three like it became second nature grab this part grab this part need that part boom Club gets put together and it’s like completely second

Nature and that’s why you have to go out and look for different things to really kind of test and you know build your base knowledge of problem solving because I always say like building clubs or even being on the golf course you’re you’re just problem solving whatever the

Problem is in front of you so buy the best tools you possibly can make sure you’re safe use ventilation wear gloves do the whole bit U have a space where you know that you’re not breathing in all kinds of junk if you are cutting a lot of graphite or and use grip solvent

Don’t use gasoline or some other thing that you got to breathe in I’ve seen people walk out of grip old closets basically after gripping clubs with gasoline they look like they’re their eyes are half sideways and you wonder why the grips aren’t on straight um so

Just think about about what goes into a club and then slowly build up your repertoire of tools those tools will last you a really long time if you buy good stuff and you take care of it and then just continue to work on clubs not other people’s don’t take other people’s

On I get this I get this question sometimes and people will be like well I want to start this business and I’ll take clubs on it’s like you do not take clubs on until you know 100% every single time that you can deliver a product to somebody because what that

Does is it creates a really bad reputation for people like like just yourself and it puts a myth puts a M trust into other people that build golf clubs as well so learn to do things on your own learn to do stuff with yourself and then learn to do the finishing work

Like turning those ferals getting those grips on straight cutting lengths properly because the the more confidence you have in in doing that for yourself the more you’re going to have it for other people and then you know you’re just going to continue to grow from there and at some point if you’re really

Good at it you’re going to be so busy that you’re not going to know what to do with yourself that’s a great answer and he’s the only one who actually knows what the hell he’s talking about so Len RB all right pay attention to that YouTube channel I’m telling you we got

All kinds of videos coming there’s there’s so much content coming yeah there is so much I saw the list of topics it’s going to be a lot of fun excited to see RB’s content start to come to life on on golf.com and on the social handles because he he is a wealth

Of knowledge and there’s a lot of stuff that we’ve been wanting to cover and finally we’re going to get a chance to to let RB rip and cover it all so be on the lookout for that on the social handles on the YouTube page and with that let’s close out episode 234 fully

Equipped as I mentioned yes the social handles if you aren’t following the podcast on the YouTube page he what are you doing if you if you’ve really gotten this far into episode 234 please like And subscribe that’s all we ask we don’t ask for much and know by the way we

Usually do try to offer up free stuff from time to time so we’ll make it worth your while it is @ fub golf on YouTube and fly equi golf on Instagram and for fully equipped on Twitter thanks s for listening we’ll see you L