I agree with stoping tenergy purchasing, but there's a few problems:
1: it's a safe option. Other manufacturers can't make you sure that they have such a good quality
2:the pricing convinces you that there has to be a reason for such a high price, or else, what's the difference between this one and something like Donic Bluestorm?
3:this strong marketing and the fact that the majority of pros use tenergy, and the fact that people wanna be a copy of their tt idols, makes them go with the same equipment as them.
4: for a regular one like me, I don't get to understand the life of a super rich. and for a super rich, they can't understand my life to see why I don't afford tenergy. So, they use it full of pleasure and don't give a damn about me.
Idk how true my reasons are, but from my POV, these are the bigest reasons.
I agree with your POV
I see the same issue in South Africa
South Africa's playing level is not that high. Yet alone in some rural areas, the level is lower.
I have been involved heavily with development, as well as provided a lot of free bats to assist with development.
A lot of coaches is grateful for my assistance and also support my shop.
My shop is a funny one, most of my pricing is the "cheapest in the world", that is because I am focusing equally on development than purely on profit.
So now there is budget coming, and a lot of players want butterfly.
I can sell a lot of ESN products at half the price of a butterfly, but the players is asking for tenergy.
The coaches tell them that they level is not good yet to get ZLC blades with T05 on both sides.
I saw them training once, and I told the coaches, I would give them allround blades with entry level esn (the classics Allround + Mark V type of setup).
so there is some branding advantage in butterfly - there is no doubt.
But the one thats knows this would say, buying the most expensive isn't the best for you.
Especially if a) these kids are all beginners, a expensive setup would do more harm than good and b) they need to understand how to spend money:
I advised them I can provide a setup that is 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of what they want, for the balance, invest in training balls.
Personally as an equipment expert and a coach, most of the people I see are using setups way too advance for they skills.
But they are happy and not that serious in results, so it doesn't matter for them, it doean't matter to me