Already, 2009 has witnessed the launch of the innovative Fairbrid range, two drivers, one fairway wood, one hybrid, two sets of irons and a forged wedge. But now, thanks to a new mid-season launch strategy designed to keep things on the boil, Benross is announcing new Seniors and Ladies ranges, with equipment designed not as a men's range rehash but with performance benefits specific to those groups (see panel). Oh, and there's also a new six-colour lightweight waterproof range - the XTEX - complete with breathable and windproof membrane and a two-way stretch fabric.
This burst of activity is born out of the confidence drawn from an average year-on-year growth of 25% over the last seven years - figures that suggest the world is starting to believe in the Benross mantra of value gear that doesn't compromise on quality. Thanks to the Benross policy of avoiding heavy sponsorship outlay, prices stay low. 4-PW in this year's premium forged VX-51 costs under £400, with the VT Extreme driver just £99. Fairbrids are £69.99; the new forged wedge £59.99. The XTEX suit costs £129.99.
But the fact remains you still have to convince someone that a £99 driver can be as good as a £250 one.
"Winning 25-30 product tests in major magazines over the past five years helps," says Benross chief executive Jon Everitt (pictured below). "And that's a fact we actively promote. In one, our hybrid was up against a TaylorMade, the company that invented the Rescue, and we won.
"The second part is that our retailers really believe in the quality of our product; and of course most folks take advice from their pro. Our point-of-sale displays mean that Benross is prominent in store, and we work in decent margins for the retailer."
Quality is a key component. In using China's Fu Sheng factory for its heads - the same Fu Sheng that fashions heads for the likes of Callaway and TaylorMade - the company has made a statement of intent. That's been backed up by the use of premium shafts, with Aldila's impressive DVS appearing prominently among the likes of Graffaloy, True Temper and Rifle, whose respected Project X shaft features as standard in the new VX-51 iron and wedge.
"We're not a big enough brand to skimp on components," Everitt argues. "We're constantly telling consumers our clubs are as good as the top brands. Part of that story is showing them the components we use are the top grade."
The missing ingredient in the Benross credibility story has been the lack of elite players using Benross gear, something the company began to address two years ago when they started Team Benross. There are now a group of young and talented players, several on the EuroPro and Challenge Tours, who use Benross and who potentially, could take their gear on to the European Tour. The brand has recently added Neil Coles to their stable, and he'll be attending demo days.
The Benross mandate to keep prices down has inevitably seen them associated with the budget brands, a fact they have never enjoyed. Everitt insists their commitment to quality and R&D marks them out from the rest - a claim backed up by the fact that while most budget brands merely imitate, Benross has a history of innovation. Liberal use of the word throughout their ranges suggests this point of difference is not lost on Benross.
Perhaps the best example of the brand's creativity is the Innovator Stand-Up putter. Launched a year ago, it is the first legal putter to be balanced so as to enable the golfer to set-up the clubface behind the ball, leave the club standing unaided and walk back to check its aim. While it may not have set the world alight in terms of sales, its ingenuity can't be questioned.
"Maybe it's one of those things that's so different it takes a bit of time to be accepted into the marketplace," Everitt suggests. "But club pros love it because they find it a great teaching aid - and can often make a sale from using it as such. Most of Team Benross use it for practice too."
A more recent innovation from Benross is the February-launched Fairbrid - a melding of fairway woods and hybrids to produce a uniform range of power clubs with the potential to take care of any shot between driver and 5-iron. In keeping with a theme of simplicity there are four Fairbrids, with lofts of 15º, 18º, 21º and 24º. The heads just get a little smaller as they add loft.
"The similarity between each club makes it easy to decide which club to hit," Everitt insists. "The 15º and 18º perform like fairway woods, with the same shaft length and flex; 21º and 24º perform more like hybrids. The uniformity helps golfers compile [what they carry]. We still sell fairways and hybrids, but the Fairbrids are another option for the golfer who likes clubs that look and feel the same throughout the range."
Of all the Benross launches though, perhaps the most impressive is the forged VX-51 iron. A smoother, sleeker version of the previous VX-50, this is a buttery-feeling compact cavity with a moderate sole width and a slim top line.
"Having got these better players involved with Team Benross, we knew we had to create a really top class iron they would use," Everitt explains.
"We spent a year designing this pure forged head. At address it looks how a pro would want it to look."
In the quest to prove their premium-quality-at-bargain-prices credentials, this set could strike a telling blow for Benross.
"When Neil Coles trialed the VX-51s he said they were the best irons he's ever used," adds Everitt. "Now from an eight-time Ryder Cup player, that's some endorsement."
