HumanGolf.com

Vintage HumanGolf Article

By Jimmie Newell 

The golf club of today is not your daddy’s golf club! In days past you had your choice of 5-6 major brand names, and you did not have a lot of choice about how your clubs were made, how they were fitted, what materials were used, etc.

Wow, has that changed! Today the number of major club making manufacturers has exploded; you can buy custom made clubs, you can buy brand name mass produced clubs fitted exactly to your swing, you can buy clones or knockoffs of those mass produced brands, you can buy build it yourself components that will match the specifications and quality of anything offered by the major manufacturers.

One of the biggest changes has been in “woods.” First they are almost all made of metal or composite material today; why they are still called “woods” is anybody’s guess. Just 20 years ago traditional wood drivers of about 200cc’s volume were still in most golf bags; today’s high performance driver pushes 460cc’s in volume, is made of titanium or a blend of titanium and some exotic composite material, a graphite shaft, adjustable or changeable weight plugs that are purported to influence ball flight patterns and cost upwards of $700.00 for a major brand name. And of course golfers being the egomaniacs that we are have to have the best, most high tech driver in the bag. Fairway woods (also metal) have not grown as much in size, however there are different face heights, weight plug options, and many shaft and grip choices.

Irons are now oversized, mid-sized, cavity backed cast, forged, milled, offset, sling backed, and this is just part of the verbiage. The array of shafts available is staggering; the range of prices for shafts is amazing. A major brand name full set of irons priced at $1,100 or more is not unusual.

Let’s not overlook putters, the traditional blade putter could be hard to find. Check the names of these putters — SRT 2-Ball Putter, Tri-Ball SRT Putter, Studio Style Putter, 2 Bar Putter — some of the styles available look as if they came from another planet. The site I found these putters on listed 138 brand name putters, ranging in price from $19.99 to $299, the vast majority of them were around $130.

Send in the clones… along with the explosion of major brand name manufacturers, there has also been an explosion of companies who either manufacture or import “clone” or “knockoff” clubs that have the same or very similar specifications and features of some of the more familiar brand names, some of them even copy the cosmetic features. Many of these clones or knockoff clubs have been challenged in court for patent infringement; some have lost and some have not. What is the value of these companies? Glad you asked… most of them sell their products at a fraction of the cost of the major brand name products.

So where are you going to buy your new clubs? As little as 20 years ago the only place to find the major brand names and the expertise to properly fit a club to your swing was a golf course pro shop. Today your choices are almost endless. There are any number of “big Box” golf superstores, with complete on hand stocks of anything you could want, many of which also have websites. There are major Web-only retailers; most have some type of fitting chart that will get you close to the ideal club. The Internet has also made it easy for a small custom clubmaker to put his wares on the Web, and this is where in many cases you will find the most expertise; just do a search for “custom golf clubmakers.” Then there are the clone and knockoff companies, and some of these products are fantastic values; search for “clone golf clubs” (or check out the links below).

Wherever, and whatever you buy… enjoy your new clubs.

Jim Newell is a security professional, salesman and consultant for over 35 years. He writes articles covering many different topics, including home, business and property security, sales and marketing, health and fitness and others. He operates websites to educate and bring additional information about these topics. His goal is to help you to make informed and educated decisions about securing your personal property, your home and your business property, live a more healthy lifestyle, and help on the road salespeople better manage their time and resources. Visit his website, TalkingGolf101.

RESOURCES TO CHECK OUT:

• Callaway Golf Pre-Owned
• GigaGolf
• Golfsmith
• Hireko Golf
• Pinemeadow Golf