1 00:00:01,199 --> 00:00:04,759 Speaker 1: Golf Smarter number three hundred and eighty, published on April sixteenth, 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:05,919 twenty thirteen. 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 2: Welcome to golf Smarter Mulligans, your second chance to gain 4 00:00:11,279 --> 00:00:14,880 insight and advice from the best instructors featured on the 5 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:20,879 golf Smarter podcast. Great Golf Instruction Never gets old. Our 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,800 interview library features hundreds of hours of game improvement conversations 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,440 like this that are no longer available in any podcast app. 8 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:31,879 Speaker 3: We know how to make a good quality golf ball, 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,280 that's what we do. But we said, why don't we 10 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,200 make something that's a little better for the environment. 11 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:37,439 Speaker 1: And there's two issues. 12 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,719 Speaker 3: One don't put harmful metals and materials in the golf ball, 13 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,920 and two make something that can be recycled after the fact. 14 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:46,119 So we created the Dixon Earth golf Ball, who was 15 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,000 the first eco friendly high performance golf ball, and we 16 00:00:49,039 --> 00:00:51,200 took out all the heavy metals. We actually put in 17 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:53,920 heavy salts that were not harmful to the environment. If 18 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:55,640 they were put in a landfill or if they were 19 00:00:55,759 --> 00:00:57,880 lost in the lake river stream, they wouldn't be harmful 20 00:00:57,920 --> 00:00:59,960 at all. So it's not going to bio a grade, 21 00:01:00,039 --> 00:01:02,280 it's not going to melt yea. 22 00:01:03,079 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: When you say to somebody I play with an eco 23 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,159 friendly golf ball, and the first question is it's biodegradable. 24 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,000 It is all into the environment. 25 00:01:10,079 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 3: That's what people think, right, And that was a big 26 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,239 hurdle that we had to get over because they were like, Okay, 27 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,359 I've got this cute little eco friendly golf ball. It's 28 00:01:17,359 --> 00:01:18,920 either going to go up in a puff of smoke, 29 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,599 it's going to plant a flour on the green, it's. 30 00:01:21,439 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 4: Going to melt, it's going to explode. Who cares? 31 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 3: You know. That was a lot of the reaction, and 32 00:01:25,719 --> 00:01:27,840 so that was part of it. Put better products in 33 00:01:27,879 --> 00:01:30,359 the ball so it's not harmful when it's lost, and 34 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:38,079 the other one, if it's not lost, let's recycle these things. 35 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,079 Speaker 1: Which is the best golf ball for you? With Dixon 36 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,400 Golf President William Carren, this is. 37 00:01:43,439 --> 00:01:48,239 Speaker 2: Golf Smarter, sharing tips and insights from golfers and golf 38 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,920 professionals to help blower your score. It's worked for your host, 39 00:01:52,359 --> 00:01:53,000 Fred Green. 40 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:55,519 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Golf Smarter podcast. William. 41 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:57,519 Speaker 4: Thank you very much, Fred, glad to be here. 42 00:01:57,799 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: I am so glad to have you on the show 43 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,480 because since two thousand and nine, Golf Smarter has been 44 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,480 a big fan of Dixon Golf and the Dixon golf 45 00:02:06,519 --> 00:02:12,000 balls when nobody had heard about what's going on with 46 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,759 Dixon Golf. And I've done what I can to talk 47 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:20,360 to long drive champions who like Dixon products, the Dixon Wind, 48 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,120 I've talked to instructors who love the product, the Dixon 49 00:02:25,319 --> 00:02:30,039 Earth and Dixon Fire, and we've but we've never found 50 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:34,879 out about who Dixon is, what you guys do, and 51 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,240 why you're doing this. So please, as the president of 52 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:43,319 Dixon Golf, I'm so excited to get this story. Who 53 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:45,800 is Dixon Golf? What are you doing? Where did the history? 54 00:02:45,879 --> 00:02:48,159 Where did this come? Where did you why did you do? 55 00:02:48,319 --> 00:02:48,479 Speaker 4: You know? 56 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: It's it's a sort of history all as we. 57 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 3: All have no back in before two thousand and nine. Obviously, 58 00:02:59,319 --> 00:03:04,000 we actually we manufacture golf balls for a lot of 59 00:03:04,039 --> 00:03:07,360 other companies, and it wasn't the Dixon brand that did that, 60 00:03:07,439 --> 00:03:10,960 but we had a manufacturing facility here in Arizona where 61 00:03:11,039 --> 00:03:12,759 a lot of the popular brands that are on the 62 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:18,199 shelf we made. And so we came from putting that ground. 63 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,039 Speaker 1: And other people were stamping their name on the ball. 64 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 3: We were making them for them on a contract basis, 65 00:03:23,319 --> 00:03:26,759 and so companies may not want to know this, but 66 00:03:28,039 --> 00:03:30,319 a lot of golf balls are made in the same factories. 67 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,840 They have their own formulas, they have their own molds. 68 00:03:34,159 --> 00:03:38,319 But just like anything in manufacturing these days, certain factories 69 00:03:38,319 --> 00:03:41,120 specialized in golf balls, and so that's what we did. 70 00:03:41,599 --> 00:03:44,159 So we built. We build golf balls for a lot 71 00:03:44,199 --> 00:03:46,080 of companies. I know a lot of companies would like 72 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:47,840 you to believe that they all make their own golf 73 00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:51,919 balls at their special little factory. So maybe they won't 74 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:57,800 like this podcast, but the truth is they'll never hear it. 75 00:03:57,879 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: You could be this is a podcast. 76 00:04:00,199 --> 00:04:02,319 Speaker 3: So the truth is a lot of a lot of 77 00:04:02,319 --> 00:04:05,560 golf balls are contracted out to manufacturers around the world. 78 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:07,400 We were one of the very few here in the 79 00:04:07,479 --> 00:04:11,800 United States. The problem with that businesses it's not very 80 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,039 profitable to make golf balls here in the United States, 81 00:04:15,879 --> 00:04:18,560 and especially as a contract manufacturer. 82 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:20,079 Speaker 4: Most of them are done overseas. 83 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:21,519 Speaker 1: And why is it not profitable? 84 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 3: It's just almost impossible to compete with We don't we 85 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,959 don't actually, we don't manufacture our golf balls here anymore. 86 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,879 The stark reality is it cost us about the same 87 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,800 to bring in the raw materials as it would to 88 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:43,879 bring in a finished product. Wow, and so nearly impossible 89 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:48,639 to compete with manufacturing. But that's what we did. So 90 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,639 we were manufacturing, and manufacturing has changed over the last 91 00:04:52,639 --> 00:04:56,680 few decades quite a bit as well, qualities in product 92 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:01,279 and the golf ball technology in general has has just 93 00:05:02,079 --> 00:05:05,800 increased tremendously since about two thousand. So if you look 94 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,600 at you know, I was I golfed in high school. 95 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,680 I wasn't good enough to play in college, but you know, 96 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,399 when I was younger, you know, everyone wanted to play 97 00:05:16,399 --> 00:05:18,519 a lot of and so you wanted to play a 98 00:05:18,519 --> 00:05:20,600 lot of ball. You get about one shot out of it, 99 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,360 and then it was oblong after that, and everyone would 100 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:25,639 would go and they'd pull their balls, they'd open up 101 00:05:25,639 --> 00:05:27,439 their balls, they'd rip the skin off, and you would 102 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,439 see all the rubber bands and all the wound technologies. 103 00:05:30,439 --> 00:05:33,319 And I mean we all remember growing up and seeing 104 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,480 what's going to what's inside this golf ball. It's got 105 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,959 to be magic stuff and uh and so the interesting thing. 106 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,040 So that's that's what we did. We made golf balls 107 00:05:41,079 --> 00:05:45,839 for other companies, and we knew that golf balls in general, 108 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,240 as they're regulated golf balls are regulated on their size, 109 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,240 their weight, They have to have a uniform dimple pattern, 110 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,399 and they can only go so far when hit under 111 00:05:57,399 --> 00:05:59,959 certain circumstances in the USGA testing. 112 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 1: And so whether they regulated, you're talking to the USGA 113 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:04,399 correct usg regular. 114 00:06:04,439 --> 00:06:06,439 Speaker 3: I mean, there's non conforming golf balls that don't have 115 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,720 to apply to those rules. But to be a conforming 116 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,600 ball to be played in tournaments, you need to have 117 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:16,079 the USGA stamp of approval. And so we looked at 118 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,680 that and what has not been regulated by the USGA 119 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,199 is what was put into golf balls and what as 120 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:26,000 we actually made them. We knew that companies could put 121 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,360 all sorts of things in golf balls if it would 122 00:06:28,399 --> 00:06:31,000 give them more feel, more distance. Maybe it was a 123 00:06:31,079 --> 00:06:33,480 cheap filler, but there were a lot of heavy metals 124 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,519 and harmful elements that were put into golf balls. And 125 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,240 what we realized was that there's over a billion golf 126 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:43,480 balls made a year and they all end up somewhere 127 00:06:44,639 --> 00:06:48,519 in lakes, river streams, landfills, you name it. They end 128 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,720 up there, and over time, when they degrade, a lot 129 00:06:51,759 --> 00:06:53,480 of these harmful materials. 130 00:06:55,759 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 4: They seep into the environment, and. 131 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 3: So you know, as we were seeing that, we saw, okay, 132 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,519 it's it's kind of like a plastic bag. No one 133 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,360 really thinks about a little plastic bags being harmful, but 134 00:07:07,399 --> 00:07:10,560 when you have billions and billions of plastic bags, they 135 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,759 cause problems. And so that's been a problem that our 136 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,319 country in the world has been trying to trying to fight. 137 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:17,720 And so we looked at it and said, well, what 138 00:07:17,759 --> 00:07:21,560 can we do to help our world? And we looked 139 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,240 at it and said, well, first, why don't we create something, 140 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,000 you know, back to back to. 141 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 4: Some of the issues. 142 00:07:28,879 --> 00:07:33,879 Speaker 3: Lockness had some problems with their ecosystem and they were 143 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,600 the vegetation everything was dying around the Lockness. 144 00:07:37,639 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 4: They didn't know what it was. 145 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:42,279 Speaker 3: They actually dove down there and found thousands and thousands 146 00:07:42,319 --> 00:07:46,040 of golf balls that were seeping out. And you know, 147 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:48,240 this study I think it was a Dutch company that 148 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:50,959 was doing this study. They were just they're like, oh, 149 00:07:51,079 --> 00:07:53,839 who would have thunk that it's people hitting golf balls. 150 00:07:53,839 --> 00:07:56,079 They try to hit the monster or something in Lockness, 151 00:07:56,079 --> 00:07:57,439 But that's what it. 152 00:07:57,319 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: Was, using Lockness as a driving range apparently, So oh 153 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,120 my god, So because is there a golf course that's 154 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,120 around I don't think so, and there's thousands of golf 155 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:08,600 balls that go figure. 156 00:08:08,759 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 3: You know, I didn't do the study. We were reading 157 00:08:10,959 --> 00:08:15,360 these things and we're like, you know what, amazing. We 158 00:08:15,639 --> 00:08:17,680 know how to make a good quality golf ball. 159 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:18,639 Speaker 4: That's what we do. 160 00:08:19,079 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 3: But we said, why don't we make something that's a 161 00:08:20,839 --> 00:08:22,000 little better for the environment. 162 00:08:22,279 --> 00:08:23,519 Speaker 4: And there's two issues. 163 00:08:23,519 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 3: One don't put harmful metals and materials in the golf 164 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,120 ball and two make something that can be recycled after 165 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,799 the fact. And so that's what we did. So we 166 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,000 created the Dixon Earth golf ball. It was the first 167 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,840 first eco friendly high performance golf ball, and we took 168 00:08:38,879 --> 00:08:42,440 out all the heavy metals and we actually put in 169 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,600 heavy salts that were not harmful to the environment when 170 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,480 they if they were put in a landfill or if 171 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,879 they were lost in the lake river stream, they wouldn't 172 00:08:50,879 --> 00:08:53,960 be harmful at all. And so it's not going to 173 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,639 bout the grade, it's not going to melt. 174 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the when you say to somebody, Nico, I 175 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,120 play with an eco friendly golf ball, and the first 176 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:06,840 question is it's biodegradable. It evolves into the environment. 177 00:09:06,519 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 3: And that's what people think, right, And that was a 178 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:11,200 big hurdle that we had to get over because they 179 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,279 were like, Okay, I've got this cute, little eco friendly 180 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:15,679 golf ball. It's either going to go up in a 181 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:17,799 puff of smoke, it's going to plant a flour on 182 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,960 the green, it's gonna melt, it's going to explode. What 183 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,200 is this? Who cares? You know, that was a lot 184 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,720 of the reaction. But and so that was part of it. 185 00:09:26,919 --> 00:09:29,360 Put better products in the ball, so it's not harmful 186 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:31,799 when it's lost, and the other one, if it's not lost, 187 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,120 let's let's recycle these things. These things are recyclable. Let's 188 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,679 let's figure out a process to recycle. And so we 189 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,159 actually pay golfers fifty cents a ball and credit when 190 00:09:41,159 --> 00:09:42,759 they bring them back to a retail location. 191 00:09:43,799 --> 00:09:45,919 Speaker 4: So we pay them to do good. 192 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 3: The retail location that carries it correct and so you know, 193 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,360 that's that's how it started. And you know, when you 194 00:09:52,399 --> 00:09:54,399 look at the golf ball world, there's not a lot 195 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,600 of golf ball brands out there. There's a few billion 196 00:09:57,639 --> 00:09:59,960 dollar companies and that's about it. It's a very very 197 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,159 very difficult market to get into. 198 00:10:02,039 --> 00:10:11,519 Speaker 1: Which begs the obvious question, which begs the obvious question, 199 00:10:11,879 --> 00:10:12,519 how are you able? 200 00:10:12,639 --> 00:10:13,519 Speaker 4: Are we still alive? 201 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,799 Speaker 1: Yeah? How do you compactly with those names? And we're 202 00:10:16,799 --> 00:10:18,759 talking about the te name and you know, I mean 203 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:20,679 obvious titleist is the Beast. 204 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,039 Speaker 3: Absolutely and you know there's just something like forty five 205 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:25,240 percent of the market share. 206 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:29,399 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh. Well, you know, and they they spend 207 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,120 a tremendous amount on advertising. And I'm sure that their 208 00:10:33,159 --> 00:10:35,960 advertising budget is much bigger than there R and D 209 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:40,240 budget because I'm only guessing that, but I'm thinking, because 210 00:10:40,279 --> 00:10:42,440 there are regulations, you can only go so far. 211 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,279 Speaker 3: Well, and you look at how difficult And we looked 212 00:10:47,279 --> 00:10:50,519 at all this because we're not only golf enthusiasts. We're 213 00:10:50,519 --> 00:10:54,840 also business people and entrepreneurs and and you know that 214 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,279 there's a saying in the golf you. 215 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,399 Speaker 1: Don't want to say you're an environmentalist, are you? 216 00:10:59,399 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 3: You know the thing, we consider ourselves practical environmentalists, and 217 00:11:04,519 --> 00:11:08,840 that as supposed to radical. Well, the bottom line, everyone 218 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,519 I believe wants to do good for our earth that 219 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:13,960 we live on, and so we want to do practical 220 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:18,279 things that make sense that you know, it's not on 221 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,840 the far end of the spectrum of magic. It's just 222 00:11:21,919 --> 00:11:26,240 practical measures. It's like recycling. It's doing things that are 223 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,639 just smart that people want to do it. It's not 224 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:32,440 a political thing. Some people take it political. We're not political. 225 00:11:32,759 --> 00:11:35,360 We're about just doing something good, having a good product. 226 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:38,320 We see a good business model there well that nobody's touching. 227 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:40,759 It's a difficult business model. So if you look, so 228 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,559 if you go back and look at the industry, look 229 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:49,840 at Nike and and Nike has come on board probably 230 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,240 in the nineties when they really started getting into golf, 231 00:11:52,279 --> 00:11:57,840 obviously with Tiger, and look at the billions of dollars 232 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:02,720 they've had to spend over the last two plus decades 233 00:12:03,519 --> 00:12:06,399 just to get to where there are. And they're still, 234 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:10,879 you know, with the pack of companies competing against titleist. 235 00:12:10,759 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: Right, So what's their market share? 236 00:12:12,039 --> 00:12:13,279 Speaker 4: And so I'm sure you know. 237 00:12:14,799 --> 00:12:17,799 Speaker 1: Because it seems Listen, I live next to a golf course, 238 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,759 and so I'm just sozy. We need to find a 239 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:21,440 market share. 240 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:23,799 Speaker 3: To find market share, it can be defined in a 241 00:12:23,879 --> 00:12:25,240 number of different areas. 242 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:27,399 Speaker 4: I was at the PGA show a couple. 243 00:12:27,159 --> 00:12:31,919 Speaker 3: Of years ago and and talking someone anonymous from Calawai, 244 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:37,320 and the numbers he threw out were about like I said, 245 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,679 so I'm not saying if these are correct or not, 246 00:12:39,799 --> 00:12:42,919 he said. He said titleist Own is about forty five 247 00:12:42,919 --> 00:12:46,480 percent of the market share, and the other major players 248 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:53,519 like Calawai, Nike, Taylor Made, they went about twelve. They're 249 00:12:53,519 --> 00:12:58,080 all right around. Yes, Rickson's building its way up. So 250 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,600 if you look at from the business perspective, you know, 251 00:13:00,799 --> 00:13:03,320 they're all right around the ten twelve, and they still 252 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,519 spend billions of dollars just to get to that area. 253 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,639 So you look at a new product, you're like, how 254 00:13:09,639 --> 00:13:11,440 do you even touch that market? 255 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: How and so different? 256 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 3: And so what we knew and that was the question 257 00:13:17,279 --> 00:13:19,759 we didn't have an answer for. All we knew initially 258 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,080 was we've got a really good product here. It's good 259 00:13:23,159 --> 00:13:26,759 for the environment and it performs really really well and 260 00:13:26,799 --> 00:13:30,440 people don't realize that, but it does. And so we 261 00:13:30,519 --> 00:13:32,759 launched it because people liked the idea of being good 262 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,759 and pros liked it, and. 263 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:40,399 Speaker 4: You know, so we got a bunch of reps that. 264 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,679 Speaker 3: Actually wanted to rep the product because they thought, oh, 265 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:44,360 this is going to be the next big thing, and 266 00:13:44,399 --> 00:13:46,879 so they actually launched it. We had it launched in 267 00:13:46,919 --> 00:13:49,440 retail shops all over the country back in two thousand 268 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,879 and nine. The problem is no one bought it because 269 00:13:52,879 --> 00:13:55,240 they'd never heard of it. Because one of the things 270 00:13:55,279 --> 00:13:58,519 that the way the major golf ball companies do they 271 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,480 spend one hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising and 272 00:14:01,519 --> 00:14:05,000 paying players, and we didn't have hundreds of millions of 273 00:14:05,039 --> 00:14:08,679 dollars in advertising or to pay players. And so what 274 00:14:08,799 --> 00:14:11,080 we found is people loved the product when they played it. 275 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,519 People didn't expect much, to be honest, when they first 276 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,759 saw it because they thought, oh, it's a cute little gimmick. 277 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,480 But once they play it and it outperformed the ball 278 00:14:20,519 --> 00:14:22,679 they were used to, then they were sold. 279 00:14:22,799 --> 00:14:23,679 Speaker 1: And that's what happened to me. 280 00:14:24,039 --> 00:14:26,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, what did you think when you first thought of 281 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:26,879 the product? 282 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:31,039 Speaker 1: So I was using I went from an NXT tour 283 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:36,120 to a bridgetone E five and bridgetone E six and 284 00:14:36,159 --> 00:14:42,399 then was introduced to the Dixon Earth and was not 285 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:47,399 just hitting it as far off the tee probably farther, 286 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:53,200 felt more comfortable and was putting better and felt like 287 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,879 this ball was equal or better than those balls for 288 00:14:57,039 --> 00:15:01,639 my game. And when I did lose a ball, and 289 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,320 I do lose balls, when I did lose a ball, 290 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:06,159 I didn't feel so awful about it. 291 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 3: And that's that's well, you know, yeah, And when people 292 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,360 realize that, that's when we gain a good customer because 293 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:18,639 it's based on sound product, and that's what we had. 294 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:20,039 So that's what we had going for Ust. We had 295 00:15:20,039 --> 00:15:22,759 a really great product that doesn't necessarily make a business. 296 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:25,600 It makes a good product. As we got out there, 297 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:28,279 we had a few breaks that most people don't have. 298 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:30,720 One of the breaks was I got a phone call. 299 00:15:32,279 --> 00:15:33,679 I think it was back in it was either two 300 00:15:33,679 --> 00:15:36,399 thousand and eight, two thousand and nine, and it was 301 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:39,120 from an actor. His name is Don Cheatle and so, 302 00:15:39,879 --> 00:15:41,559 and I know who Don was. He was in Ocean's 303 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:46,799 eleven and Hotel Rwanda. Now he's got a show on 304 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,559 Showtime House of Lies. And he called and he says, Hi, 305 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,840 I'm Don Cheatoh. I ordered some of your balls off 306 00:15:51,879 --> 00:15:54,919 the internet because I was looking for eco friendly golf 307 00:15:54,919 --> 00:15:56,960 products because I loved to golf. And he goes, and 308 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,200 I ordered some and I played him. He goes, I 309 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,000 loved them. He goes, I want to. 310 00:16:01,879 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 4: I want to. I want to. 311 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,399 Speaker 3: Promote your product. Do you guys have a celebrity spokesman? 312 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,080 And I said no, don don't've been waiting for you 313 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,039 to call. So I was really bad, I said, I said, don, 314 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,600 I don't even like celebrities. 315 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,679 Speaker 4: I go, I go, come on, man, I go. 316 00:16:17,799 --> 00:16:20,399 Speaker 3: I've been to so many charity golf tournaments, and all 317 00:16:20,399 --> 00:16:23,519 these celebrities take the products and they don't do much 318 00:16:23,519 --> 00:16:25,440 with them, and they might give them to their assistants, 319 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:26,879 so they give them away, and they're just there for 320 00:16:26,919 --> 00:16:30,519 the free stuff and the golf and maybe the charity 321 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:35,159 that they're working for. And so, you know, honestly, I 322 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:35,879 see celebrities. 323 00:16:35,919 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 4: There's a bunch of divas out there. 324 00:16:37,919 --> 00:16:44,159 Speaker 3: And he's like, oh really, He goes, yeah, you're kind 325 00:16:44,159 --> 00:16:44,480 of right. 326 00:16:44,559 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 4: We are kind of like that. And he goes, well, 327 00:16:49,559 --> 00:16:51,440 he goes, well, I wouldn't want to. I wouldn't do that. 328 00:16:51,759 --> 00:16:56,879 Speaker 3: He goes, I really am interested in helping, because he goes, 329 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:58,519 he goes, let me be honest with you, I'm not 330 00:16:58,559 --> 00:16:59,440 in this for money. 331 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 4: He goes, I got a day job. I'm okay on 332 00:17:01,879 --> 00:17:02,240 that side. 333 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,079 Speaker 1: That was the first thing you wanted to hear exactly. 334 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:06,599 Speaker 4: I'm like, okay, I'm listening, I'll talk to you. Done now. 335 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,000 I'm excited. I like actors. 336 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,559 Speaker 3: But he goes, you know, the points that you just 337 00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:16,279 made were very interesting, because he said, the United Nations 338 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:18,880 is going to make me uh an ambassador for the 339 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:23,759 environment here in the next couple of months, and not 340 00:17:24,079 --> 00:17:26,960 because of how I live my life. And Don's very 341 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:31,400 true to form. He's he's very conscious of not being hypocritical. 342 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:35,039 So when he talks about a cause or anything that 343 00:17:35,079 --> 00:17:39,000 he does, he lives that and he that's very important 344 00:17:39,039 --> 00:17:41,880 to him to be very good at what he does 345 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,200 and to be very honest and transparent that way. And 346 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,240 so he says, I really like this, But he goes, 347 00:17:48,319 --> 00:17:51,319 I need to make sure that all aspects of my life. 348 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,359 If I'm going to be an ambassador for the environment, 349 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:55,400 I need to make sure that I'm living that and 350 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:56,359 doing what I can. 351 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 4: And so kudos. 352 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:02,079 Speaker 1: Are people who want to walk the walk the talk. 353 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 3: And he, like I said, he did research and you know, 354 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:07,880 make sure that we're not, you know, employing slave lavery 355 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:12,200 or slave wages in China or something like that. So 356 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,279 he had to make sure that what we said was 357 00:18:14,319 --> 00:18:17,839 actually true research and uh, and he says, but the 358 00:18:17,839 --> 00:18:20,880 bottom line is I need to I need to do 359 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:25,519 well from from an environmental perspective. And he goes, and 360 00:18:25,559 --> 00:18:28,480 I like to golf, and if I can golf and 361 00:18:28,519 --> 00:18:30,799 do well for the environment, I feel better and I 362 00:18:30,799 --> 00:18:32,720 don't feel so guilty about golfing. 363 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 4: So if I can do that, I'm in. I'm all, 364 00:18:36,799 --> 00:18:37,519 you're hired. Don. 365 00:18:37,599 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 3: This fantastic and so he that was one of the 366 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,839 first things that I thought, you know, that's pretty cool. 367 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:46,279 You get an a list actor calling you offering to 368 00:18:46,279 --> 00:18:48,680 promote your product for free. And he said, you know, 369 00:18:48,759 --> 00:18:50,880 I have a lot a lot of friends, and we'll 370 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:52,039 get a lot of these people. 371 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 4: Playing your ball. 372 00:18:52,599 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 3: So we have some great actors that play a golf ball. 373 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:59,920 So Samuel Jackson plays our golf balls. Anthony Anderson, Kevin 374 00:19:00,079 --> 00:19:03,079 Sorbo from Hercules. He actually came down and helped us 375 00:19:03,079 --> 00:19:05,799 with our grand opening of this green building, and he's 376 00:19:05,839 --> 00:19:08,039 been really helpful and a lot of and a lot 377 00:19:08,079 --> 00:19:10,079 of things. Also was in a training video for us. 378 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 4: Don. 379 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 3: Actually, we have a little web commercial on our on 380 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:16,480 our website. 381 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,759 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I'll put it at golf smorter dot com. 382 00:19:18,799 --> 00:19:21,559 Speaker 3: He actually, Don came to me with that concept, really, 383 00:19:21,599 --> 00:19:24,400 so he thought of it, he wrote it, she directed it, 384 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,599 had some help and obviously starred in it. And worked 385 00:19:27,599 --> 00:19:29,960 with that, and so he's really done some great things 386 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,480 to help us out. Yeah, and so just been fabulous. 387 00:19:33,519 --> 00:19:37,160 It's been a great relationship with him. Okay, but but 388 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:39,440 that still doesn't make a company exactly. 389 00:19:39,519 --> 00:19:43,599 Speaker 1: But right, because now when you tell people like so, 390 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,319 I'm playing and we're we all hit our ball and 391 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:49,480 we're going up and somebody pulls in their cart. As 392 00:19:49,519 --> 00:19:53,000 I'm slowly walking up to my ball, someone goes this 393 00:19:53,079 --> 00:19:55,160 youth tricks on, this is you, and no, it's Dixon. 394 00:19:56,799 --> 00:20:03,759 What's Dixon exactly? Glad you asked? Well, but so, so what 395 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,839 that says to me is the if I say, oh, well, 396 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,160 don Cheatle plays the ball and Samuel L. Jackson plays 397 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:11,960 the ball, They're like, yeah, so right, what's it gonna 398 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,759 do for me? But if I said, you know, you 399 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,039 got one of the one of the guys who was 400 00:20:17,039 --> 00:20:20,240 in the FedEx Race or whatever, anybody on tour, if 401 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,400 you said, yeah, well they're playing the ball, it's like, oh, now, 402 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:27,680 I'm not susceptible necessarily to a tour player doing it 403 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:32,400 because I don't play like a yeah, I just does 404 00:20:32,559 --> 00:20:34,200 I don't necessarily buy it. 405 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:38,279 Speaker 3: Well, here's here's the reality of the reality is you 406 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:44,000 got tour players. They are independent contractors who are that's 407 00:20:44,039 --> 00:20:51,000 their livelihood, and so they play for the most part, 408 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,960 who will help them make the most money. And so 409 00:20:56,079 --> 00:20:58,640 I mean, you look what Rory's gone through in the 410 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:01,680 last little bit. We're been thank you for him absolutely. 411 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,440 And so we actually had a number of tour players 412 00:21:04,519 --> 00:21:07,599 play our fireball love it, that have come to us 413 00:21:07,599 --> 00:21:09,799 and said we can win with this ball. I want 414 00:21:09,839 --> 00:21:12,759 to play your ball on tour. And I said, that's great. 415 00:21:12,799 --> 00:21:14,400 We would love you to play the ball on tour. 416 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,559 I won't pay you, though, and a couple of them, man, 417 00:21:17,759 --> 00:21:21,200 we'll give you our logo exactly. A couple of them 418 00:21:21,279 --> 00:21:25,839 actually been very close wanting to do it, but they 419 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,000 got really good offers from some of the other companies. 420 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,480 And I actually told a few of them, you need 421 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,640 the money, take it. That's a great offer. If I 422 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:38,039 were in your shoes, I would take it. So my 423 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:39,920 guess is, and so we have a number of tour 424 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,440 players that are interested that there will be some that 425 00:21:43,519 --> 00:21:44,359 play our ball. 426 00:21:45,279 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 1: What is the value And I'm sure that you guys 427 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:48,960 have worked this out. You must have an NBA or 428 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,799 two running around. What is the value of somebody playing 429 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,359 on the weekends and hopefully making the cut with a 430 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:56,960 Dixon logo on his shirt. 431 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 3: It varies by the company. It's not a strict it's 432 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,599 not a strict marketing value because it depends what your 433 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,200 business model is. And like we said, we were able 434 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,319 to get our golf balls in shops all over the country. 435 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:14,079 We did that part, but we couldn't support a national 436 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:16,359 ad campaign millions and millions of dollars. 437 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: You got to create a brand identity for somebody because 438 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:20,359 you want them to walk in and go, oh, I. 439 00:22:20,319 --> 00:22:21,599 Speaker 4: Heard about this exactly. 440 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: And I'm you know, it's just a slight guess, but 441 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,640 I don't think you're going to get enough of a 442 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:29,720 business of people going, oh, I heard on the golf smarter. 443 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,000 I know. 444 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 3: You know. The reality is is even for you know, 445 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:41,160 a great player to play it on the weekends and 446 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,480 do well, there's great value in that. How much value 447 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,519 is very indeterminate because it's all based on sales and 448 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,640 how you can grow that. What we did is once 449 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,400 we realized so we knew we had assets, We had 450 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,400 a great product, we had a great message. We had 451 00:22:57,559 --> 00:23:00,799 some great stars from Hollywood that are playing our ball. 452 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:05,279 We also actually had cities that started calling us wanting 453 00:23:05,279 --> 00:23:07,039 to be the official golf ball of their city. 454 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:08,319 Speaker 1: Wow. 455 00:23:08,759 --> 00:23:10,400 Speaker 4: Goundo, California was the first one. 456 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:11,559 Speaker 1: Southern California. 457 00:23:11,799 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 3: They called and they said, hey, we heard about your product. 458 00:23:15,039 --> 00:23:16,880 We want you to be the official golf ball of 459 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:21,640 our city. And I said, where's El Segundo, California? That 460 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:22,680 was my first question. 461 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 1: They're like, you know, the Lakers practice here. 462 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 4: I'm like, oh, okay, I know where that is. But no, 463 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:29,680 we did it. 464 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:33,079 Speaker 3: They did it because they wanted to differentiate their city. 465 00:23:33,839 --> 00:23:36,759 You know, they have a lot of recycling programs, wastewater 466 00:23:36,799 --> 00:23:39,519 treatment plants, and they wanted to differentiate their cities being 467 00:23:39,559 --> 00:23:42,480 a green city. So this played right into it and 468 00:23:42,519 --> 00:23:44,319 it got them a lot of great press in marketing 469 00:23:44,599 --> 00:23:46,880 and as well for us, and so we did that. 470 00:23:47,519 --> 00:23:49,519 Speaker 4: What we've determined, so that was a few years ago. 471 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:54,200 Speaker 3: What we've determined is that people really love our products 472 00:23:54,279 --> 00:23:57,319 once they played them. And so most of our marketing 473 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,599 is actually on the course and we support charity and 474 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:04,559 so charity golf tournaments. We go out to thousands of 475 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:08,039 charity golf tournaments all over the country every year. We'll 476 00:24:08,079 --> 00:24:10,480 be in more charity golf tournaments than any other company. 477 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,400 This year will probably be in about fifteen thousand charity 478 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:14,640 golf tournaments. 479 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:16,519 Speaker 4: And we're there. 480 00:24:16,599 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 3: We hand out our products and we help the charities 481 00:24:18,759 --> 00:24:22,359 raise money, and we allow people to test their ball 482 00:24:22,519 --> 00:24:26,759 versus our ball. And that's where people think, oh, this 483 00:24:26,839 --> 00:24:30,039 is a gimmick until they play it and then they're like, wow, right, 484 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:33,640 that's awesome. And so that's the primary way we've been 485 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:35,559 marketing the product. 486 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,440 Speaker 1: William, just before I broke there, you were just starting 487 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:49,079 to talk about providing product for charities. Of course, I 488 00:24:49,079 --> 00:24:54,039 get emails regularly people saying we're having charity golf tournament. 489 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,200 So how can people get in touch with Dixon. 490 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 4: You can go to the Dixon Golf website. 491 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,759 Speaker 3: There's this cab on there for donations or charity, and 492 00:25:03,799 --> 00:25:06,240 you can click on that and send and we can 493 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,240 we can either send you some donations or if we've 494 00:25:09,279 --> 00:25:11,200 got someone that's available, we can send them out to 495 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:12,839 your course and they can hand out some golf balls 496 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:13,200 to people. 497 00:25:13,519 --> 00:25:15,640 Speaker 1: Are you doing this globally or just the United's just 498 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:16,759 in the United States? Okay. 499 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 3: Charity golf tournaments are not a global phenomenon really. 500 00:25:20,759 --> 00:25:22,400 Speaker 4: Just from a culture perspective. 501 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,039 Speaker 3: If you look over in Europe, they have a few, 502 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:27,519 but you have to have a license to golf over there, 503 00:25:27,559 --> 00:25:29,400 so you can't just invite all your friends to come 504 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,640 and okay and raise money for charity. And so that's 505 00:25:32,759 --> 00:25:35,519 that's been our focus and it's been phenomenal for us. 506 00:25:35,559 --> 00:25:38,559 It's been growing since we released the Earth. We then 507 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,400 released the wind which was a distance ball. The long 508 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,319 drive community absolutely loves the windball because it is it's 509 00:25:45,319 --> 00:25:47,359 been proven it is the longest ball in golf. 510 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 1: Well I wanted to get into so okay, So if 511 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,799 anybody wants to have Dixon Balls at their charity tournament, 512 00:25:53,839 --> 00:25:56,880 go to Dixon goolf dot com, click on donations, yeah, 513 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,079 and find out information and make sure that you let 514 00:25:59,079 --> 00:26:01,440 them know that you you heard about it on golf Smarter. Please. 515 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:05,079 That's going to help everybody because we've got to prove 516 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:11,319 to them that there's more than two people who are this. Yeah. No, 517 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:15,079 and you know we have the Dixon Balls. I'm not 518 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,319 allowed to say that we have the best prices on 519 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:20,039 the web because they've got retailers that would crush me 520 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:21,559 like a bug if they knew that. 521 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:23,440 Speaker 4: But you should just won't. 522 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 1: We just won't say it, but you should go to 523 00:26:25,279 --> 00:26:28,240 golf Smarter dot com and look at and see and actually, 524 00:26:28,519 --> 00:26:30,480 if you're in the United States and you're not a 525 00:26:30,519 --> 00:26:33,160 Golf Smarter member yet, there's a good opportunity to get 526 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:39,200 a box on that North American membership. A couple extra 527 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:41,680 bucks and you will get a box of the Dixon 528 00:26:41,759 --> 00:26:48,359 win balls. So now I want to talk about you 529 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:51,519 have three balls in your line, the Wind, Earth and Fire. Correct, 530 00:26:51,799 --> 00:26:55,920 there's a differentiation of those. Please give us the explanation 531 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,640 of each of the balls and then if you can 532 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,920 what they compare to on what most people are playing 533 00:27:03,079 --> 00:27:04,000 and how they compare. 534 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 4: So if you want to compare. 535 00:27:06,319 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 3: The earth ball was the original golf ball that we introduced, 536 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:11,319 and it like you had mentioned it, it's compared. It's 537 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:15,039 it's the ball that most golfers would want it. It's 538 00:27:15,079 --> 00:27:17,640 the mid to high handicapped golf ball. That is a 539 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:21,279 really good ball. You can still you can shape it 540 00:27:21,359 --> 00:27:24,680 if you're a lower handicap. So if you're I would 541 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:29,119 stay anywhere from a five to twenty, you could you 542 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,039 could play with you could play with the earth ball. 543 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:35,200 It's a phenomenal ball. So that was our original one. 544 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:37,880 By the way, the only congratulations. I've never had one, 545 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,240 so I'm jealous. So that was our first ball. Once 546 00:27:41,279 --> 00:27:43,680 you realize this was really growing and it had legs, 547 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,200 we knew we needed different balls for different golfers. The 548 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,200 next ball we came out with was the wind and 549 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:54,519 that is that was focused on distance. Our original endorsement 550 00:27:54,519 --> 00:27:56,759 on that was Sean the Beast Fister, who was on 551 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:57,880 Long Drive Champion. 552 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:00,200 Speaker 1: Who was on Golf Smarter. He's in the archive. We 553 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:02,200 talked to him about why he was using the ball. 554 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 3: Oh cool, and Sean's a great guy. And since then, 555 00:28:05,559 --> 00:28:08,440 a lot of long drivers around the world, not just 556 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:10,279 the United States, over in Europe. 557 00:28:10,319 --> 00:28:12,519 Speaker 4: Actually a ton of long drivers use the wind ball. 558 00:28:13,319 --> 00:28:15,039 Speaker 1: Unfortunately, they can't use in the competition. 559 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 3: They can't use it because typically the competition is sponsored 560 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:21,000 by a ball company, although there are competitions that are 561 00:28:21,079 --> 00:28:24,559 using it because enough people want them to use it 562 00:28:25,319 --> 00:28:28,480 and so, and you know, for example, a lot of 563 00:28:28,599 --> 00:28:32,079 there were some world records set recently on ball speed 564 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:37,440 and distance by another brand, and after he hit the 565 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:40,400 other brand officially, he went over and unofficially hit the 566 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,200 windball and broke all the records. That he just said, 567 00:28:44,359 --> 00:28:47,920 And so it is for the people that for long drivers, 568 00:28:48,279 --> 00:28:51,480 that that's their life and that's their livelihood. And so 569 00:28:51,559 --> 00:28:53,559 they know their swing, they know their ball speed, they 570 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:58,519 know everything. They will all that aren't related to us, 571 00:28:58,599 --> 00:29:01,440 they will all tests that it's along with ball they've 572 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:04,000 ever hit. So they absolutely love it. So if you 573 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,839 want distance and you need more distance than windballs for you, 574 00:29:07,279 --> 00:29:09,839 we then came out with the Fireball, and we wanted 575 00:29:09,839 --> 00:29:12,480 a ball that was just the best of the best, 576 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:17,240 and so it would compare to your top top balls 577 00:29:17,279 --> 00:29:19,880 on the tour from your prov one prob one X 578 00:29:21,039 --> 00:29:24,599 to any of the major brands and their premium ball. 579 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,480 And so obviously your celebrities like the Fireball, and the 580 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:33,519 tour players played with the Fireball. And then recently we 581 00:29:33,599 --> 00:29:37,359 came out with a women's ball called the Dixon Spirit. 582 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 4: And the reason we did that was. 583 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 3: Over in Europe, up in Scandinavia. Actually, there's a lot 584 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:50,279 of business going on up there for a product. We 585 00:29:50,319 --> 00:29:53,920 have some great distributors out there and over there there's 586 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:57,240 a much higher percentage of women that golf than golf here, 587 00:29:57,799 --> 00:30:03,880 and they were just clamoring for an. 588 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 4: Eco friendly women's ball. 589 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,799 Speaker 3: And you know, they actually helped come up with the 590 00:30:07,799 --> 00:30:11,079 spirit because you have the earth, fire, wind, and spirit, 591 00:30:11,319 --> 00:30:13,799 it's the other element, absolutely, and so it worked out. 592 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,200 And that's a that's a fantastic women's ball. So in fact, 593 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:20,160 when we first launched it, we sold out way faster 594 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:21,799 than we expected, and so we got a little bit 595 00:30:21,799 --> 00:30:22,599 behind our production. 596 00:30:22,759 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 4: But congratulations. But yeah, so that's those are the four 597 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:26,319 balls in our family. 598 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:33,279 Speaker 1: Okay, And and we really didn't go into comparing them. 599 00:30:33,279 --> 00:30:35,039 Do you do you are comparing? 600 00:30:35,319 --> 00:30:35,799 Speaker 4: I don't care. 601 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,519 Speaker 3: Okay, So let's start with so if you're looking at 602 00:30:39,519 --> 00:30:42,160 more like an NXT tour, a lot of people compare 603 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:48,000 it to if you're looking if you're looking at a fireball, 604 00:30:48,119 --> 00:30:50,680 you're looking at obviously the top balls of any brand, 605 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:55,359 from the Penta, the pro V, those type of balls. 606 00:30:55,720 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 1: You know, I can't there's something about the Provy I 607 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:03,279 cannot play. I know this is really weird, but to me, 608 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,559 any ball that stands for pro Visional, I just don't 609 00:31:06,559 --> 00:31:09,279 feel comfortable hitting it. Why am I going to spend 610 00:31:09,279 --> 00:31:11,559 that kind of money to lose the ball exactly right now? 611 00:31:11,559 --> 00:31:13,039 If I'm going to do it and lose it and 612 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,799 not feel guilty about it. That's a different thing, but pro. 613 00:31:15,799 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 3: V Yeah, the fire and the fireball comes with a 614 00:31:19,359 --> 00:31:21,920 with a premium price too. It is it is more 615 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,319 expensive to build than it is a it's a multipiece 616 00:31:24,359 --> 00:31:28,000 ball with the feel that the tours need. The problem. 617 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,799 Speaker 1: So that's for the single digit that absolutely player who 618 00:31:30,839 --> 00:31:33,680 can put the back, who can shape it? Who can? 619 00:31:33,759 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly? And then the wind is for those that 620 00:31:37,039 --> 00:31:37,720 want distance. 621 00:31:37,759 --> 00:31:42,359 Speaker 3: And so you're doing with all your distance balls, you know, 622 00:31:42,599 --> 00:31:47,359 anyone from a pinnacle down to a you know, if 623 00:31:47,359 --> 00:31:50,960 you look at the sozengers actually got a decent distance. 624 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:57,160 Speaker 1: Ball, Okay, and then the spirit compares to just spirit balls. 625 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:01,279 Speaker 4: The spirit is actually a really good golf ball. 626 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 3: It's a bit lower compression than the earth and so 627 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,480 from a compression standpoint, it's between the earth and the. 628 00:32:09,039 --> 00:32:09,279 Speaker 4: Wind. 629 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: Okay, do you have time? Can we do a part 630 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,559 two of this conversation? Okay, So we're going to go 631 00:32:15,599 --> 00:32:17,720 for members only. We're going to do part two of 632 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:20,920 this conversation because I'd like to get into a couple 633 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,599 of things. One, what is inside a golf well, what 634 00:32:23,759 --> 00:32:26,039 makes a golf ball? And how do you make it 635 00:32:26,079 --> 00:32:30,000 so it's comparable to the tops and the competition there, 636 00:32:31,079 --> 00:32:33,480 and what does it mean dimple, What do all those 637 00:32:33,519 --> 00:32:37,599 elements mean? Why is it important? Why is the elements 638 00:32:37,599 --> 00:32:41,160 that you're constructing your ball with? Why does it make 639 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:43,039 an ego friendly but still a competitive ball? 640 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 4: Okay? 641 00:32:43,759 --> 00:32:49,039 Speaker 1: And also I read this really interesting article in the 642 00:32:49,079 --> 00:32:51,799 Wall Street Journal just recently, I don't know if you 643 00:32:51,839 --> 00:32:57,599 saw it, and talking about how there's a move to 644 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:03,400 push balls to be not so low, and what the 645 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:06,799 USGA is listening to and what people like Tiger and 646 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:11,039 Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicholas are saying. Listen, we can't 647 00:33:11,079 --> 00:33:13,119 keep making the golf courses longer. We've got to make 648 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,440 the balls not play as long, and there's a move 649 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:17,519 towards that. So I'd love to get your thoughts on 650 00:33:17,799 --> 00:33:21,000 that kind of stuff. So thank you very much for 651 00:33:21,039 --> 00:33:23,720 your time for allowing me to come in here. Hopefully 652 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:25,400 we'll get some video too so we can put that 653 00:33:25,519 --> 00:33:28,640 on the Golf Smart TV channel. And thanks again for 654 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:29,039 your time. 655 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:31,079 Speaker 4: Absolutely, thanks Fred, appreciate being here.