What are JDM / USDM Clubs? Really?

[+TourSpecGolfer]

I'm hearing people say JDM vs USDM.

But what are JDM and USDM exactly?

Technically it means Japan Domestic Market & US Domestic Market.

All the Taylormade,  Callaway,  Titleist etc.. clubs are sold on the Japan Domestic Market too. 

Is the Taylormade SIM or Callaway Mavrik USDM or JDM?  Do you go by who owns the co?  Well TM used to be German, Titleist is Korean and now days brands get funding from investors all over the globe.  

Now consider that the single country that owns the most brands both big and small is Japan with USA coming in at second.  Japanese brands are usually funded by Japanese banks.  US brands are usually funded by global investors.

We can't go by where its made as majority of all clubs are made in China.

How do you guys wanna break this down in the future?

[nobmontana]

For me,  "JDM" are what are sold in Japan and typically as Japan market specific items.   "USDM" are items sold in the US as standard US market products.  

Nowadays,  I do see many US market products making its way into the Japanese market via large scale online shopping sites.  But they are usually marked as "US market models imported"

Also,  TM and Cally have started to offer their traditionally JDM only products like the Gloire and Epic Flash into the US market.     So I guess the line is starting to blur a bit. 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

[supo]

This is a tough  one for me  . I tend to get quite vociferous on claims by a lot of pretenders...............................

ithink its down to the individual PIECE it self, not the co  that makes it these days

EG: If its made here by say, kyoei and sold to the US/Australia   only  does that count ?     to me....  nope!

but  if  say,  its  made in china etc ,and  DESIGNED, MARKETED AND sold  for JAPAN  predominantly    and the world  ,  then  definitely ,  yes.  (prgr egg) for eg. 

 

if its made anywhere else and not sold  designed  for  here,  and say with a Japanese NAME ?   ha, then absolutely  NO!!  !

 

Heres my classic conundrum : MIURA.

THIS  is a tough one for me bec,  I (loved)  miura, had sooooooooooo many of their  clubs ( still do!)   but 90% of their stuff   now doesn't exist here  nor was it made  for JP  ( id never look at miura again  bec of this)  BUT  its made here so  im kinda  emotionally caught on this, the baby blades are NOT imo and never will be JDM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  yes I know they   are made in JP  but not 1 piece of them are for  local consumption, so............ NO!

GIKEN range ,  isms  then 100% yes!

 

HONMA  as  well .. seriously , what to make of them.... their biggest mkt is still  prob. here  but its obviously  they are looking to the globe more so  than here BUT  they are  still HONMA and most of if not all gets sent out locally,  so yea  I consider  most of it JDM.

TM,callaway, titlesit, KZG etc ,  NO FKKN WAY  ,   they are as  JDM as a hamburger, I dont care if they make for the bashfull prince or not , most of  their foray into JP is a rounding error and a pure marketing ploy , so no way hose!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by supo

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Yea so as Nob's says lines are blurred.

KYOEI  - owned and designed by the most handsome man who lives in USA 😉  while being made, finished and shipped from Japan - I consider JDM

Honma is Chinese owned and made in China but finished yet originated in Japan - I consider this JDM.

Titleist is Korean owned and made in China but originally from USA - I consider USDM

Cleveland is Japan owned and made in China but originally from USA - I consider USDM

SEVEN - owned and designed by the most handsome man who lives in USA 😉  while being made, finished and shipped from Japan - I consider JDM

 

So we can't really go by who owns it.

We can't really go by where it is made.

We also can't go by where it was founded?

 

Once we can determine a criteria I can post that as a sticky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Henry]

 

For me, JDM equipment means equipment sold exclusively for the Japan market. For example, the VG3 line and Vokey forged by Titleist, as far as I know, is sold only in Japan (perhaps Korea as well). Have no idea why the economic model would be selling these only in limited markets and not globally.  

[+TourSpecGolfer]

On 1/20/2020 at 8:59 AM, Henry said:

 

For me, JDM equipment means equipment sold exclusively for the Japan market. For example, the VG3 line and Vokey forged by Titleist, as far as I know, is sold only in Japan (perhaps Korea as well). Have no idea why the economic model would be selling these only in limited markets and not globally.  

My Issue with this logic is if a JDM brand has any dealers in the states is it no longer JDM and then would you consider it USDM?

The U.S equipment industry to me is super generic and corporate.  All the stores sell the same stuff.  Heck look at mygolfspy,  wrx,  hackersparadise they are on the OEM media circuit fed info and told when to release it.  In the pockets of the brand without getting paid...lol  I guess they enjoy getting paid with info and free samples and not $$$.

 

[supo]

I don't think were going to get a foolproof answer on this  but  for me its pretty clear what is and isn't. if it feels like it is, it is,

 that thought  prob  differs to a lot of others thoughts (vg3 for example are not imo  JDM  what so ever nor  are the clubs used by ishikaka by callaway ) basically anything from a big USA OEM is not for me , its as  simple as that, .

take the big  Japanese  OEMS, Srixon,Bridgestone,Honma,mizuno,, Yamaha, prgr  even tho they make a ton for the US  now  they are JDM bec.  they " feel like they are"  even tho bridgestone  predominatly making for the US now, as tourstage has fallen thru (sob sob sob sob)......  the name  " bridgestone is  reversal  in  translation of the  Co. originator  name  " ishibashi"  which translated means  stone bridge and  so, he called his co bridgetstone . there is NO way that will ever be anything other than JDM.

kyoei,epon,masda,fujikura,benock,golds,Hiro Matsumoto   yup  all  jdm   .

miura giken yes, 

  MIURA  hedge funs owned USA , DEF  NO.

 scratch NO.

 putters:  bettinardi make a JDM line but  wud anyone consider that  JDM,  ?

not me,  absolutely zero % .

trying to get a definition out of this ?

ok heres my first up go....

 "JDM:  IF its  from  a USA OEM regardless where its made  then its not .

if its from a Japanese named co that  is domicilied outside japan  and them makes in china, etc,  then its not, ,

 if  its made in japan , designed for Japan, marketed in Japan , released in japan  for the Japanese  , then it  is."

 

my first draft, anyone else wanna add ?

 

 

 

 

[RLL33]

That comes as close as possible for me, for when I think or say JDM, it's about the feel. Over the years, JDM has always said to me quality, craftsmanship, artistry, feel -- by definition the very opposite of the US OEM's. 

I think Stu's story about Stone Bridge sums this up nicely. Many of the JDM lines have stories like this in their history. What do the US OEM's have? Supply chain maximaztion.

I guess the one thing I would add is the old line I usually answer with when a guy in a foursome asks how much did that putter cost you:  If you have to ask... JDM is not for you.