Callaway (Heavily) Inspired by L.A.B. Golf

This is starting to have eerie similarities to a tried and true corporate play: crush and outspend a smaller company that developed a breakthrough technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Adam Scott (@adamscottofficial)

Callaway Golf Company, who owns the Odyssey brand, and L.A.B. Golf have “beef.” Late last year, Callaway decided to flex its muscle when it informed L.A.B. that it was infringing on Callaway’s trademark—which its possesed since September 2018—of the term “broomstick” when describing certain putter models (think the extended-length model used by Adam Scott and, more recently at the Creator Classic, Grant Horvat). L.A.B., rather than trading blows with Callaway, decided to rename those models a “sweeper.”

While many would think this was the end of things, it seems that Callaway decided that it wasn’t done. Indeed, earlier this year, an image leaked that showed an Odyssey model, named the Square 2 Square Max, that—to cut through the nonsense—looks identical to L.A.B.’s DF3 model. Indeed, the leaked image went as far as calling out the DF3 by name, claiming that the Odyssey model has even greater MOI than the DF3.

While the devil’s advocates could have claimed this was a fake leak that was generated to generate some controversy and, in the process, garner a bunch subscribers, clicks, likes, etc. Unfortunately, those people have been proven to be wrong.

The Square 2 Square Max, spotted in an Odyssey Instagram Video

Immediately before the Creator Classic, Odyssey shared a video on Instagram of Fat Perez getting his putter resifted on the Tour Truck. The eagle-eyed noticed that, at the end of the video, was the DF3-influenced model in the Odyssey Tour Truck, all but confirming that the Square 2 Square Max marketing materials weren’t fake.

What complicates things is that L.A.B. has several patents that underlie its Lie Angle Balance Technology. Coupled with the fact that L.A.B. can clearly argue that the Square 2 Square Max is a “copycat” product that wrongfully seeks to capitalize on the “goodwill and reputation” that L.A.B. has built up with its various models, including the DF3, it will be interesting to see how L.A.B.—who’s been tagged and commenting on some of these images—will respond.