Question

a company tested their new golf ball by having \[20\] professional golfers each hit \[100\] shots with the company's new ball and \[100\] shots with the golfer's current ball (in a random order). the labels were removed, so the golfers didn't know which balls were which. the golfers, on average, hit their shots significantly farther with the new ball. the company cites this study in an advertisement claiming that this new ball will help all golfers hit farther shots. why is the company's claim not appropriate?

Answer 1

The company's advertisement is not appropriate because it is based on professional golfers' performance, not on tests with the average golfer, and because the differences between golf balls might be indistinguishable to amateurs despite a monopolistically competitive market.

Step-by-step explanation:

The company's claim that the new golf ball will help all golfers hit farther shots is not appropriate because the test was conducted solely with professional golfers, who may have different abilities and golfing equipment than the average amateur golfer.

Golf ball manufacturers are in a monopolistically competitive market, and while over 1800 golf balls made by more than 100 companies meet the USGA standards and differ in various ways like dimple patterns and plastic types, all balls must conform to strict specifications, making them more alike than different.

Moreover, for the average amateur golfer who only plays occasionally and loses many balls, the subtle differences between golf balls might be indistinguishable, contrasting with the significant differentiation that manufacturers, driven by high financial stakes in a $500 million per year market, might promote.