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[Tom]

I really don't think it is confusing at all. (Kulli - does that help you too?)

Do you think bat buyers will notice that their friend has an F7 DXM, whilst they have an F2 DXM? It isn't prominent on the stickers.

Also the Fx is only offered across certain lines, and ranges. 0 consistency, which doesn't help understanding of a line up for a customer.

[Tom]

Positives though: Original softs range is stunning. Six6 great colours and shape. The Zona stickers are growing on me, why are they only sometimes used? Sometimes not?

[Edward Lowy]

Most interesting comments, thanks to all.

If I could explain to all about the GM bat range - we have 6 different profiles : Icon, Argon, Zona, Octane, Purist and Six6. That is the same number of profiles as in the last two years. For 2014, we have discontinued Epic and 1885 as their sales do not merit inclusion in the range going forward. Typically each profile gives a different swell position and size. All of that is set out graphically in our Bat Spectrum on the website as Buzz has already said.

Over the last couple of years we have been able to bring to market different face curvatures, "cambers" as has been said above. We felt it sensible to define these faces by the maxiumum drop in millimetres between the highest and lowest points of the face - hence F7 (traditional, 7mm drop), F4.5 (flatter, 4.5 mm drop), F2 (flat, 2mm drop).

The only bat in which we have made the three faces available is Icon. Icon is our most popular, most enduring shape of recent times and by making available one bat in F7, F4.5 & F2 we allow a ready comparison of the different faces.

Argon is available in F2 & F7 as last year.

Octane, Purist and Zona are only available in F2.

Six6 is only available in F4.5.

So, in terms of choice :

Icon - 3 face choices
Argon - 2 face choices
Six6, Octane, Purist & Zona - no choice.

Do we make all bats available in all three face choices? No. Why not? Because not all profiles work with different faces.

Kind regards

Edward

[Edward Lowy]

I lived opposite a guy who worked for Jaguar as a project manager for many years. The brief when he worked on the X type was to design the car but not loose the 'rear view mirror' test. By this it was meant that the driver in front when looking in the rear view mirror should know instantly that its a Jaguar. This was achieved however the design of the car was different to anything they'd done before.

The GM 2014 range has two different sticker sets on bats, a range of gloves where logos, wristbands are different on each pads which designs are the same as 2013 only tweaked with different colour trim and luggage sets which have only changed colours. A range of keeping pads which look ridiculous.

I'd expect a little more from GM.

I absolutely agree with you.

However you will find in the detailing of the Jaguar range that there is inevitably an evolution. Perhaps the brand adopts a new grille, badging, typestyle, instrumentation, driver instrumentation systems etc and as that is done, so it rolls out across the range over time. Not even Jaguar, Mercedes, Audi, BMW etc can have precisely the same detailing across their entire range at the same time.

We have our trade customers around the world to consider. They are not looking for instant redundancy on their stock and typically prefer an evolution of brand guidelines rather than a revolution. It is the same for us internally.

In terms of bat branding, different people have different views. Personally, I prefer the larger GM type branding as on Six6, other folk are more wedded to what they perceive as a more traditional GM look as with say Octane or Purist. The range is evolving at a measured, considered pace.

Kind regards

Edward

[Alvaro]

Is there a price point for the Original pads please?

[Edward Lowy]

What's wrong with a bat that only comes in a flat face and another bat that only comes in a round face? This has worked for all the other brands, so I don't see why it couldn't with GM.  This is far less confusing and it makes the flatter face option stand out...

I have set out the actual range for you in a post above, or as you can see on the website - 1 bat has 3 options, 1 bat has 2 options, 4 bats have no option. Hope this helps.

Kind regards

Edward

[Edward Lowy]

Is there a price point for the Original pads please?

We don't generally quote retails as we are a business to business organisation - there are various of our customers reading this thread so I will leave it to them to say.

Kind regards

Edward

[Butterfingerz]

I absolutely agree with you.

However you will find in the detailing of the Jaguar range that there is inevitably an evolution. Perhaps the brand adopts a new grille, badging, typestyle, instrumentation, driver instrumentation systems etc and as that is done, so it rolls out across the range over time. Not even Jaguar, Mercedes, Audi, BMW etc can have precisely the same detailing across their entire range at the same time.

Ed,

These car manufacturers you mention  don't have an annual update to products like yourselves, if what you say is true you wouldn't have made even small changes to part of your range.

[Alvaro]

We don't generally quote retails as we are a business to business organisation - there are various of our customers reading this thread so I will leave it to them to say.

Kind regards

Edward

Fair enough.

[Edward Lowy]

In a word: Choice

I like the Icon shape but a more of a touch player - so I want a lighter bat with better feel

I like the Icon shape but am a massive slogger - so I want a heavier bat which can help with my off centre shots

I really don't think it is confusing at all. (Kulli - does that help you too?)

What we really should be asking about is the pressing and what"+ quantum improvements to the vital pressing operation" actually means in practice.

Quite right Buzz in terms of the range, we didn't think it was really that difficult to understand either. Quite a lot of the demand comes from the consumer thinking that they have to have a bat with the biggest possible edges but however you dress it up, that will always come at a weight premium.

We introduced F2 a year ago and it has been immensely successful. Some markets around the world have switched pretty much 100% to it. We have some inherent concerns that come from our long view that flat face bats are necessarily a long term trend as we feel that the more traditional F7 type face has a lot to commend it in terms of the fundamental of getting bat to ball.

Hence F4.5 - potentially the best of both worlds of size and weight. Markets feedback, products evolve. That is what we are doing in a structured, considered approach.

In terms of pressing - you should come and see...

Kind regards

Edward

[Edward Lowy]

Ed,

These car manufacturers you mention  don't have an annual update to products like yourselves, if what you say is true you wouldn't have made even small changes to part of your range.

If you are saying that I am not telling the truth, then we can successfully add one more issue to the growing pile of disparity between us.

Car manufacturers often have annual updates, the E Class for 2014 will have detail changes compared to it's predecessor. I don't entirely understand your drift here - we - like all brands - are continually evolving, and that evolution will roll out across all our products in a controlled, considered manner. You can see that on our bats and softs in the 2014 range.

Kind regards

Edward

[Nickauger]

If you are saying that I am not telling the truth, then we can successfully add one more issue to the growing pile of disparity between us.

Car manufacturers often have annual updates, the E Class for 2014 will have detail changes compared to it's predecessor. I don't entirely understand your drift here - we - like all brands - are continually evolving, and that evolution will roll out across all our products in a controlled, considered manner. You can see that on our bats and softs in the 2014 range.

Kind regards

Edward

I would suggest you ignore him Ed, he's trolling. Think most people have been converted while Paul has some genuine concerns which is fair enough! Just agree to disagree and move on I would

[sfa82]

The website really gives excellent information regarding the upcoming range. I especially like the players edition bats and seeing their choices, including the pick up indexes of their bats.

[Butterfingerz]

If you are saying that I am not telling the truth, then we can successfully add one more issue to the growing pile of disparity between us.

Car manufacturers often have annual updates, the E Class for 2014 will have detail changes compared to it's predecessor. I don't entirely understand your drift here - we - like all brands - are continually evolving, and that evolution will roll out across all our products in a controlled, considered manner. You can see that on our bats and softs in the 2014 range.

Kind regards

Edward

My point was made to another post about how I believe GM doesn't have a clear identity hense the analogy to the Jaguar rear view mirror test.
Lets just say I don't get where GM are going if youre happy that's fine.

[Edward Lowy]

I would suggest you ignore him Ed, he's trolling. Think most people have been converted while Paul has some genuine concerns which is fair enough! Just agree to disagree and move on I would

Thanks, no problem. Happy to discuss any aspect of our products or our company. This is a public forum so folk can say whatever is on their mind, and clearly they do. What they should also anticipate however is that I will - like them - respond as I see fit.

Kind regards

Edward