LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
RANGE FINDER
A new product range catalogue is available in digital and hard copy formats to help retailers explain key features and differentiate more easily between various models.
QUIKFOLD process Two innovations are set to prove a major hit with trolley users.
New QUIKFOLD technology allows golfers to fold or unfold their S1 PRO or S3 PRO trolley within seconds and has helped to lift combined sales for the two models by 70% compared with the same period last year.
While EASILOCKTM – which secures the cart bag firmly onto the trolley – is also making a big impression across the range.
“Instability on cart bags can sometimes cause problems, but the new EASILOCKTM
said Managing Director Tony Webb.
National Club Golfer encouraged golfers to ‘invest in a matching Motocaddy bag and thanks to EASILOCKTM technology it will snugly click into place (on the trolley).’
Weight 8.9kg 9 connection system solves that issue,”
It details the important specs of every trolley, bag, accessory and battery in the range with quality high-res imagery and accompanying feature labels. It also provides tips for optimising the life of a trolley, plus warranty information and frequently asked questions.
“It’s been specifically designed to give retailers the key selling points and help them match a product to a particular customer’s needs,” said Marketing Manager Oliver Churcher.
To order the new catalogue, call Motocaddy on 0845 058 9818.
S1 PRO Electric trolley
AWARD-WINNING MODEL ADDS QUIKFOLD
The sleek and contemporary S1 PRO trolley won the prestigious Today’s Golfer ‘Gold Award’ last year based on its looks, ease-of-assembly, functionality, performance, reliability and value. This year, the S1 PRO incorporates the new QUIKFOLDTM
mechanism that provides a more
simple folding method. It also boasts a range of features such as a USB charging port to power GPS devices and an Adjustable Distance Control (ADC) to send the trolley independently on a choice of three distances.
• Adjustable Distance Control (up to 45 metres) • Patented USB charging port • QUIKFOLDTM
mechanism
• Nine speed settings • Speed indicator • •
Ergonomic handle Digital control
• Battery meter •
• EASILOCKTM Universal battery tray bag support • Non-glare matte finish
IDEAL FOR : Golfers looking for a stylish, mid-price trolley with GPS charging port Height*
Length* 335mm MOTOCADDY ELECTRIC TROLLEYS 865mm Width* 595mm Motor 200w Folded View Material Aluminium *folded dimension MOTOCADDY ELECTRIC TROLLEYS 10 Options
On/Off, Speed and ADC Controller USB Charging Port
Power Indicator Upgraded for Speed Setting / ADC Indicator Battery Indicator
SPORTING FOCUS
Football Focus presenter and self-confessed golf nut Dan Walker rates his M1 PRO in the premier league of powered trolleys.
“What a genius bit of kit the M1 is,” he marvelled. “Half the
size...twice as funky!”
Dan plays regularly off a 6 handicap at his club in Sheffield as well as several top Pro-am events around the country.
Dan Walker with his M1 PRO LITE LIGHTS UP
The super-compact M1 Lite push trolley hit the right note with the UK’s top golf equipment journalists eager to discover what 18 months of R&D had delivered.
R&D EXCL USIVE “The UK Trolley Market Report
commissioned by Sports Marketing Surveys Inc in 2012 told us that the key buying decisions for manual trolleys were made based on reliability, compactness, lightweight design and price – in that order of importance,” explains David Wells, Motocaddy chairman. “We therefore tailored the design to meet
these distinct criteria. It had to be easy to push, compact and offer a simple and quick- fold mechanism. Any features need to be additions that golfers actually want to have, while the trolley has to be stylish, sporty, modern and offer a style that fits with our existing products and brand ethos.” With so much to consider, it’s clear that
designing a push trolley to match or exceed the market’s current expectations was more complicated than simply stripping back an electric model. “Designing the M1 Lite was possibly
harder than designing an electric model,” adds David. “We had to come up with a manual trolley that was compact folding, stable, easy to use, lightweight and could carry a load of up to 20kg around a five-mile, undulating, multi-terrain golf course – all the while maintaining a competitive price point for the golfer. This was not an easy task!”
CREATING A CLASSIC F
After huge success in the electric trolley market Motocaddy has added a new push option to its range. We took an exclusive look at the creation of the M1 Lite…
rom the outside looking in, the move from electric trolley design to push models should be an easy one. Remove the battery and
electronics and you have a stylish-looking design that can be pushed around the course. While this might have been close to the truth in previous Motocaddy push trolleys, it certainly isn’t the case in the soon-to-be-released M1 Lite. In recent years, the likes of Stewart
Golf and Clicgear have reset the bar for non-motorised golf trolleys. Long gone
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are the days when the only option for non-electric trolleys was a heavy pull option that did little to reduce fatigue, added stress on the arms and back, and did a poor job of holding a golf bag in place. As we found in our most recent trolley test (October 2013 issue), a decent push trolley is a fantastic option if you play most of your golf on a relatively flat course, don’t like the added preparation required to use an electric model and/or lack the car and storage space for an electric design. With these factors in mind, the move from electric designs to push trolleys is a more complex process than you
might imagine. We spoke to Motocaddy about how the initial ideas for a new push trolley progressed and how, after 18 months of R&D, they became the M1 Lite.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Golf Monthly has conducted three trolley tests since 2000, and in each one we’ve complimented Motocaddy electric trolleys on the fact that they’re clearly designed with golfers’ needs in mind. This is something that those involved in the design process of the M1 Lite were clearly focused on continuing.
PRODUCT TESTING From initial concepts, computer-aided designs (CAD) and prototypes comes the first phase of product testing. With so many moving parts, when both folding and operating, this is clearly a vital part of the process when creating a new trolley. The man in charge of this process at Motocaddy is Paul Straker, new product development director. “There are a host of challenges with push trolleys, such as stability and weight
distribution, which need to be extensively tested,” explains Paul. Testing began long before an actual
product was even created. With CAD and the use of simulations, the Motocaddy team were able to test out stress loads and the overall performance of the designs they had created. Basic prototypes are then used in lab testing to look at the folded size, the method of folding (and how easy this is), the ease of pushing, stability, weight and strength. As advanced as computer testing is, the physical testing of a new product still plays a major role in the development. A more advanced prototype then
undergoes extensive course testing as well as a 24/7 rolling road test at the Motocaddy factory. This test is able to include performance assessment on rough terrain, in humidity and heat, while moisture chambers can simulate adverse weather conditions. The product is then handed over to golfers
in the real world in the form of 50 units that are distributed to a testing panel. The M1 Lite is the perfect example of how important this detailed testing process is. “We planned to launch the M1 Lite in early 2013, but found potential performance issues that we felt needed to be ironed out,” explains Paul Straker. “We revisited the design and basically went back to phase one to resolve any issues.”
THE FINISHED ARTICLE The result of this 18-month process, and the use of more than 80 dedicated tools that have been created specifically for this design, is the Motocaddy M1 Lite. The push trolley utilises the folding mechanism first seen on the M1 Pro electric trolley, allowing it to fold to over 50 per cent smaller than the Motocaddy S1 Lite push trolley. The folding mechanism is one area where the crossover from the electric market does work extremely well. However,
Design timeline
1. MARKET RESEARCH (SMS report + consumer feedback)
2. DESIGN BRIEF
3. CONCEPTS a. Sketching b. Computer-aided designs (CAD) c. Costing d. Return on investment (ROI) e. Prototyping phases (hand-made)
4. FIRST TESTING PHASE 5. CONSUMER FEEDBACK 6. FURTHER DESIGN & PROTOTYPING 7. FINAL TESTING 8. FINAL DESIGN APPROVAL & SIGN-OFF 9. TOOLING 10. FINAL PRODUCTION TESTING 11. PRODUCTION
‘We’ve tried it already and love the intuitive system as well as the adjustable handle, large oversize wheels and the EASILOCKTM Golf International.
where the design completely differs from the electric models is the newly styled ergonomic handle. With no need for a screen or buttons, the handle has been developed to make the trolley comfortable to hold and easy to push. As you can see from the early sketches, the handle underwent an extensive development process to get to the finished design. It’s this combination of successful elements from the Motocaddy electric family, with bespoke elements to suit a push trolley, that makes the M1 Lite such an interesting launch. The trolley weighs only 6kg and features
include an integrated accessory station – for attaching up to four accessories to the handle – a food and drink pouch and a foot-operated parking brake. The M1 Lite will be available from March in Black or Alpine (white) finishes, priced £149.99.
bag support base,’ said Dominic Pedler in
Top-selling Today’s Golfer ran a full-page feature claiming the M1 Lite was ‘pushing boundaries’ with its array of consumer gadgets, plus lightweight and compact design.
David Wells (top) and sales director Neil Parker assess designs
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New M1 Lite is stable, robust, lightweight and easy to use
While Golf Monthly went a stage further by delving behind the scenes. Equipment editor Paul O’Hagan covered every stage from market research to final production and led the feature with the enticing headline ‘Creating a Classic’.
Folding mechanism is borrowed from M1 Pro
EXCLUSIVE WORLD
Motocaddy M1 Lite
GFN122_Planet_GOLFI.72 10/02/2014 18:28 Page 25
MOTOCADDY M1 LITE WHEN PUSH COMES TO ERGONOMIC ROLL
While the electric market continues its rapid growth (and there are some great new models on the horizon for 2014) some 30% of trolley owners still use a manual version. Hence Motocaddy’s strategy offering some
slick push options alongside its popular pow- ered lines. The latest is the slick new M1 Lite which, like
all the company’s M-series models, is designed to be as compact and elegantly foldable for golfers for whom space is at a premium. Weighing just 6kg, the trolley’s neat twin-
tube frame allows it to reduce down by more than 50% more than the existing S1 Lite thanks to an effortless triple-fold mechanism. We’ve tried it already and like love the intu-
itive system as well as the adjustable handle, large oversize wheels and the easy-lock bag support base which all 2014 Motocaddy models feature. 18 months in the making, the M1 Lite R&D
team have also incorporated an integrated accessory station (for attaching up to four acces- sories to the handle), a convenient food and beverage pouch and even a foot-operated parking brake.
The new Motocaddy M1 Lite is available from March in black or Alpine matt finishes. Guide: £149.99.
www.motocaddy.com
New models The compact- folding M1 Lite joins the super- lightweight S1 Lite push trolley in Motocaddy’s 2014 line-up.
NEW GEAR THE LATEST EQUIPMENT REVEALED, REVIEWED & RATED Edited by Joel Tadman
Trolley talk As well as the accessory station, there’s also a storage pouch and an easy- to-use foot-operated parking brake at the bottom.
FIRST LOOK
Motocaddy’s innovative technology is now available in the elegant lines of the M1 Lite, a sleek push-trolley weighing in at just 6kg featuring a quick-release folding mechanism
Pushing new boundaries
Motocaddy unveils its featherweight, feature-packed M1 Lite push trolley ➔ Motocaddy broke new ground with
its super-compact folding M1 Pro MAR/APR 2014
GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 25
electric trolley. Now it has incorporated the same idea into a push version. The M1 Lite is a feature-packed, lightweight
option that has been 18 months in the making. It uses the same, quick triple-fold mechanism as the electric version, and the same twin-tub frame design. The result? It’s 50 per cent smaller than existing Motocaddy push trolleys and fi ts
snugly into the smallest of car boots. It weighs a mere 6kg and includes a
newly-styled soft-grip handle, developed to make the trolley comfortable to hold and easier to push. It also boasts several handy features, including an integrated accessory station, on which you can attach up to four accessories (sold separately) to the handle. “Customer feedback indicates that
compactness is one of the most important
factors for golfers when purchasing manual trolleys, so we’ve tailored our product development accordingly,” said Motocaddy’s marketing man Oliver Churcher. “Though the number of golfers buying electric models is increasing, more than 30 per cent of trolley owners still use a manual version, so it’s important we provide options to suit their needs.” ■ Details: Available from March in black or alpine matt. £149.99.
motocaddy.com
TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 318 91
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