Because MyGolfSpy Labs doesnt put a score on things, rather than have our testers fill out our surveys, we simply had a discussion about the subjective aspects of our two drivers. It doesnt cost that much more to purchase legitimate past year models. WebCobra KING TEC One Length Custom Utility Iron. I have a loft lie machine in the basement, so no big deal. Thats one of the most credible sources on golf equipment and the up-and-comer in the golf media (with THREE other sources) that shoots down your claim. Great point Bob. I buy most of my club making supplies through GolfWorks but I will occasionally purchase golf shafts/grips from Hireko as they have really good closeout sales at times. Hireko acquired Dynacraft somewhere in the 2000s, I don't remember exactly when. Odyssey Putters; Clearance Golf Clubs Up to $180 Off TaylorMade Stealth Golf Clubs; PING G425 Golf Clubs; Shop All PING Golf Clubs; Super Game Enjoyed playing with them. Tom Wishon has a lot of golf club patents from when he was the designer for Golfsmith and since he started his own company years ago. Hireko is also an authorized reseller of A Clone or Knock off is not hard to see. I have seen some things that would shock you about the quality of some of the BIG name brand models. In my bag, Callaway I-Mix driver with Fuji 757 Speeder, Integra Quadratic 3-wood with a Golfsmith Snake Eyes shaft, (best damn fairway wood shaft Ive ever seen), 18* Snake Eyes hybrid, 3 PW Maltby MMBs, 54* Maltby Forged Wedge and 60* Snake Eyes Forged Wedge and a Maltby Putter. Too bad the comparison wasnt between those brands and TaylorMade rather than a head that was a copy of TaylorMade. Director) believes that most stock shafts are good enough for the average golfer. Example, a set i built last year,.winn tac mac grips(the best)DTs smoke shaft,(as good as a 30dollar shaft)black& silver ferrells, and DTs cavityback blade heads in smoke/black color, (really sharp) with all 4 Diamond Tours wedges,.and 2 matching hybrids(#2,#3) with head covers,..BUILT for ME, (short man), so set was shortened cut,shafts spline alin, lie angle changed 2 degrees flat, loft angle adjusted, all assembly,packed, shipped to my door,..for I think it was around $ 450 +/- ! Your tests compared apples to oranges, so your results didnt surprise me. . A clone of an FT-i is made so that beginning golfers think that they are getting the same design characteristics as the original at a budget price. Think Maltby has brand recognition as they have been around much longer and Ralph Maltby club making/repair/fitting schools are well established. So in a nutshell, the clones sound and feel like crap with less distance. Maltby has been around since the mid 1970's I believe. Custom fitting can have a dramatic effect on your game. I would like to share input on iron comparison. May 21, 2020 in General Equipment Talk. Discover more about the small businesses partnering with Amazon and Amazons commitment to empowering them. The lofts of the warp speed heads closely match the EDEL one length irons, so the distances between clubs is easily accomplished using back weighting. While I cant speak for GolfSmith, Hireko is also considered partly a clone company. It was promoted as a driver and fairway wood combination. https://mygolfspy.com/ultimate-review-acer-xs-driver/. Once the epoxy dried, shafts were cut to a relatively modest 44.75 inches. Copyright 2023. Are there clones that are made with poor qualityYES. Prior to that acquisition, Dynacraft were one of the Big Three component companies, along with Golfsmith and GolfWorks, and werein Ohio. and its fitted perfectly to you,(from your pros stats) everyone looks at my clubs, and get really impressed by the beauty,..and they play very good. There are just too many cases backing up the problems. IMO, no they do not. All you have to do is make a few changes to keep anyone from suing you, Zhu said of equipment that walks the fine line between whats legal and whats not.. I also spoke with owners of many of the businesses that sell those products and confirmed from that end as well. Tony is the Editor of MyGolfSpy where his job is to bring fresh and innovative content to the site. You decide what you want. nice way to put down your own company. I think what is more interesting is that you missed the fact that I stated in the sentence those companies are both clone and component makers: DIRECT QUOTE: By being all the same length, lie, balance and weight as a 7-iron, there is no need to change your posture, stance or ball position so you only have one thought process for every swing with your irons and wedges. The truth is..most component companies just follow the lead of the Majors and put their spin on the productnow that is a FACT! Lasers are used to copy the exterior of high selling clubs; again, there is no internal accuracy, nor the same construction, material or quality. Stupid autocorrect! After all, there is no way on this green earth that a clone with an assembled price of less than $100 ($59 head only) could outperform a club from a popular golf company with an initial price tag of $300 right? I have also seen some really good clubs, despite being complete knockoffs. (Yes that myth is true), There are basically 3-tiers of golf club manufacturing to make it simple. But with confusingly or substantially similar knockoffs, the line between legality and patent or trademark infringement is often fuzzy and is subject to legal challenge and interpretation. Cookies help us deliver our services. Iwant to know why you didnt do the same for irons? My point is: high handicappers dont hit the ball well enough, or consistently enough, to notice a difference in performance. GOLF MANUFACTURERS ANTI-COUNTERFEITING WORKING GROUP. Purchasing used golf clubs is a great way to ensure you have quality equipment in your golf bag at the right price. A test such as yours would better be done on mechanical equipment such as the ball manucturers use. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The 2nd tier often makes some of the mid-size golf companies that a lot of you play but they also make some of the top components and clones for companies like Golfsmith, Hireko and Diamondtour. Ever since the late 80s and their gain in popularity and pro shop owners not happy with their profit margins on name brand clubs began selling clone golf clubsgolfers have always wondered. I started getting their catalogs in the 80's and buying from them. . I am very happy with them but often wonder if I spent double on brand names would it be worth it- they would have to be heaps better ! The only one that was weird was the DTG Turner True Speed Ablaze its tolerance was 3g (standard for all drivers), but it weighed in 3.7g over. I wish you would have also tested the stock shaft on that clone driver. Incidentally, what we believe to be generally true is that its not just clones, but also respected component brands where the single biggestdifferentiationbetween their product and that of the big OEMs isnt performance, but rather polish. It looks like a mirac Its in the hole! If you have a greater tolerance for the absence of feel, or unpleasant sound (and we know many do), then perhaps its time you stopped paying big bucks for name brand equipment, and started looking into a quality clone. A counterfeit is a club design that purposely attempts to deceive you into believing it is the real thing. TaylorMade Stealth DHY Custom Utility Iron. I switched to Dynacraft Prophet cavity backs and have not looked back. Give me a web site that shows the difference names of club components and the quality of the components so I can make an informed decision so that I dont have to rely on a manufacturer who has advertised his name to be number one. These cases have been won in other industries. Lets connect the dots. Then if it is assembled, how well is it assembled. Single-length irons allow you to use the same ball position and setup for every club, giving you less to think about before swinging. Just ask yourself, have you ever had someone take credit for your hard work? (LOVE THE MILITARY CAMO BAG THEY HAVE only $59 too ;). The real issue is what so called reputable companies charge for their equipment. For those interested in carry only, the Burner was 7.11 yards longer on average, which we think is significant. Wish they had a 58*, but it's just 52/56/60 in that product. They are concentrating on Counterfeits and Copies, but again, Clones and Knock Offs are part of the same problem. (Major as in U.S. Open, Masters, British Open P.G.A. Just a quick note to say i recently decided to take up golf. No wonder the golfing consumer doesnt take the component head biz seriously.when I read this type of stuff..I am bewildered. Can you point me in the right direction? Some such as Geek dont even sell irons. Within minutes a graphics designer at Yarn-Way had downloaded the logo from the TaylorMade shaft onto a computer screen and was making minor design and color alterations to it. There are better clone models of this driver, although we decided to go with a mid-tier model. You might also find it surprising that these clone designs are often approved by the name brand manufacturers before they are released. I met him in person at an Lpga event in Atlantic city (he is the caddie/boyfriend of Sara Brown. Ive put them up against the latest and greatest and theres just not enough difference for me to rationalize a grand for off the rack. How many of us have purchased the latest whoopie doo driver to find no difference in handicap. Some golfers place an absolute premium on distance. He also took the shine off them, and even worked the leading edge a bit. When it comes to sidespin, the Clone generated an average of 81 RPMs less. However its one less excuse because I know its me and not the dam POS X-heat. Golf Clubs Whats best for me wont be whats best for you. Complete junk notwithstanding its all about your swing. Our state-of-the-art studio bays hit out to a range that allows you to see the flight of the ball, we never fit into a net. There are several hundred factories. Exterior dimensions are one thing but how good is the quality of the actual material that went into making the club head and shaft. GOLF MANUFACTURERS ANTI-COUNTERFEITING WORKING GROUP. Bottom Line: For some folks a clone will dodepends on what kind of player they are -or want to become.Ive used a Pinemeadow clone putter and holed just as many shots as I have with an Odyssey White Hot Two Ballmethinks the main problem with clones might be psychological as one wonders how much better the real thing isand of course clones have zero resale value if that becomes an issue later on down the road. Branded products are made with higher quality control, but mistakes still happen even with tighter controls, just not nearly as often. Some, like Frank Thomas (former USGA Tech. Pab, if you have read the posts above you should come away confused (as I am) as to whether non OEM brands might be best. I am only new to golf but got a set of clones from giga golf for a bargain price. it is the best $100 youll ever spend in your golf life.no club will be right if you dont build to your stats, dont go by some charts, too many variables) it amazes me what quality you can get for so little,.i buy from most,.but like Diamond tour, and ingolf(tracy), very pleasent service. If however, you place a premium on accuracy, though not as conclusive, there is some suggestion that the clone could be the more accurate of the two heads. You also probably wouldnt have the balls to show up at the course with them in your bag after all someone may poke fun at you. Counterfeits and Clones from the same cloth I have seen a few really bad Adams, Callaway, Cobra, Nike, and Ping clubs. Im a 73 year old guy with a bag full of unmatched clubs (some clones, some brand names, all with the same grip) that worked his handicap down to 6 at the age of 72. But not the component club heads. Irons: 3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i &3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R Truth isclones are good for people that just cannot afford a Major brand and/or a custom set! What I will say is that I glued together a few of their sets for buddies and lofts, lies and head weights are not spot on. Four years later, in March 2001, the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ruled that R.J. Liou, Kent Graphtec and Trophy Sports, a separate company started by Jethro and his mother, Yeh-Chyn, in late 2000, had breached the settlement by continuing to sell Big Bursars. That is a ridiculous statement to make thatthe component industry has more firsts then the Majors!! I know Wishon wasnt. My back and joints are grateful. I think I am going to get some components and try building an over length set. Great read! Fast forward to now and Dynacraft is Hireko complete with Jeff Summit, a go to guru on club building and perfotmance that worked Dynacraft with Tom Wishon. WebGolf Clubs. Some golfers place an absolute premium on distance. 1. I would like to purchase clone component heads from China but I am skeptical because I have no knowledge of which companies to trust. GOOGLE Counterfeit Golf Clubs and take a look at how rampant it is. They design their clubs but they look amazingly like many other top brands. As for the rest of the components that go into the club, some of the companies give you a choice of components. First off you might be surprised to know that in the computer industry the clone market was hugeand believe it or not names like Compaq, Dell and Gateway all started as clone computer companies. Tony believes that golfers deserve to know what's real and what's not, and that means MyGolfSpy's equipment coverage must extend beyond the so-called facts as dictated by the same companies that created them. PING, in an older Golf Digest article, seemed pretty adamant that their stock offerings are on par with anything sold in the aftermarket. We have every type of club you can imagine. A few reputable clone companies online get their product made at the same foundry that a few large name brand companies get their gear made. SWIFT) Do the clubs from Hireko stand up to Maltby? I bought a pickup truck bed worth of components from the estate of a mom/pop club builder. He built mostly dynacraft stuff, so I got a lot of odd c Can clone golf clubs perform as well as the higher priced name brand golf clubs? Custom fitting is no longer a specialty service reserved only for tour players. Although I have made several sets of look alikes mostly from Hireko I have found the Irons are great and although they should always be checked for loft and lie after assembly that using a good shaft the work just great. Not the muscle blade. They may have similar names Turner T7, Gallery, and so on. They were almost new and i could tell they had only been used a handful of times. How many of them are the clubs the least of their problems? Further, if the same tip diameter shaft (likely .335) is used for both, the shim that wouldve been used for the Burner would not effect the performance in any way. Welcome to 2nd Swing - Shop Over 100,000 New and Used Clubs +, Online Only, Exclusions Apply - Extra 45% OFF Already Discounted Apparel with code, Complete Set Sale: Men's & Women's Name Brand From $529.99. Bigger golf companies have more money to spend on the details, and while ultimately those details many not directly impact performance, I can tell you with certainty that given two clubs with similar performance attributes, the prettier one will always sell bettereven if its more expensive. Clone equipment is within the patent and trademark limits and for the reputable companies selling clones is 100% legal. YOUR DIRECT QUOTE: Restore formatting, For actual testing we used the same protocols we use for our ULTIMATE Reviews. Im tired of spending more on bags than I do on clubs! Also, your purchase will include LIFETIME LIE ANGLE ADJUSTMENTS. . Orkut drivers = oem drivers. The altered logo would be applied to the graphite shafts Yarn-Way was making for Lious Integra line. He talks about it in a 3 piece article on his site that's pretty dense w data and analysis (if that's your thing). The important thing to me is the name brands hold there value and sell quickly used where you dont get hardly any interest advertising used clones and almost have to give them away to get them out of the garage. Are there bad clonesYES. I know Maltby designs their clubs but does Hireko design theirs? Im glad the rental only cost me $15.00 any more and I would have been upset at myself renting them. I have a mixed bag of Name brands and clubs from Giga Golf. irons Copyright 2023 1757 Golf Club All Rights Reserved. Tim Brogan, PGA Director of InstructionCallaway Master FitterTim is the Director of the 1757 Game Improvement Center. Oneday 8 years ago I saw an add from Hireko for their THRIVER. Given its what youre actually swinging. All of the testers agreed that in terms of sound and feel, the clone is miles behind the real deal. Oh , incidently, this thing about the heights of people I feel is not an important part of the fit. I had back surgery with only partical success and will be playing limited golf so I would like to buy a good quality ( as close to OEM as possible) non OEM set of irons and have them custom fit. I had a few years where I didnt play, but now that I am single digits HC I am going to spend the money for NameBrand clubs. From what I understand Dynacraft was a big name with amateur club builders and both dynacraft and hireko did/do a lot of club building education and seminars. Introduce Yourself/ WIYB (What's In Your Bag), Lessons, Drills, Mental Game, and Fitness Tips. In my opinion, like I said, I would go with OEM. Its in the hole! Carl Spackler. You may wonder what the difference is between the counterfeit vs. clone. Its unfortunate that it is that way- but these clones/component brands do offer some that may not otherwise get the pleasure of playing such a great game a chance to do so. QUALITY!! Featured Categories. i will give you this professionals point of view. Does anyone have any experience with any of the clubs, components, or company found at Hireko golf? as far as I know, Bang Golf has their own designs as well. Purchasing used golf clubs is a great way to ensure you have quality equipment in your golf bag at the right price. (E.M. I agree that most component companies copy other designs. Looking at the group as a whole, we found that the Burner produced swing speeds that were on average 2.39 MPH faster than the Heated clone. Her irons are Acer HT, likes them also. Has anyone ever stolen an idea or proposal you have written? With a higher quality manufacturing process the clone design might actually work. There is a difference in this world with having the right to do something, and doing something with honor. And some use the exact same molds. All three are quality products, at least as far as I can tell. Keep up the great work! Go back to the drawing board and get a fair representation of the better quality heads and their nearest OEM head. Sorry the average golfer is not able to drop $3-400 for a driver or fairway wood. still hitting clone irons. Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5" Speaking of non OEM brands, which of the following irons will be best quality for play- Maltby, Wishon,, Alpha, Kzg, Hireko, etc. He built mostly dynacraft stuff, so I got a lot of odd components from the 80s. I can only hit a drive about 180 anymore and the Thriver gets me there. This allows the golfer to use the same swing, on the same plane, with the same feel, for each iron in the set. So, in the end, I would never buy a clone wood, but have no problem playing clone irons and my preference for those has become GigaGolf as Ive found their quality quite good. As with our test of the Shotmaker, shafts were spined and FLOd. From what I understand, Bang Golf doesnt make clones nor knock-offs. There is current debate at the FTC, and US Patent Office level, on how closely a product can resemble another. The clubs were built with FST 90 regular tip trimmed shafts for a 6 iron. Chances are noIf it does, it will be short lived. A counterfeiter tries to alter a companys protected features just enough to avoid prosecution. Ninety percent of amateur golfers play with the wrong equipment. MyGolfSpy, INC. All rights reserved. Which they are doing, but it is costly. A former assistant groundskeeper about to become the Masters champion. Most golfers lump OEM Components in with clones even though these companies do their own R&D and have no intention of copying other companies. Your previous content has been restored. Ive tried Hirekos Green Ghost and Blue Crush and DTGs FGS Nano and Id put them up against anything out there. Callaway X Forged UT Individual Irons. In no way do I have the means to measure every single piece of equipment to find out how many clones or OEMs were outside of tolerance but Im willing to bet its not as much of a disparity as some people would lead you to believe. Hes a Cinderella story. As far as irons are concerned, as long as the material used is of a certain quality Ive come to the conclusion that stamped metal is stamped metal. A good golf club is a good golf club, no matter what name is stamped on it. But one youve never seen put through a test like we will today . I do proudly carry 3 PW Maltby MMBs (forged blades) with Project X shafts, custom fit to my length. Dynacraft was next with Golfsmith last. Counterfeits like we said are NOT the same as clones and the counterfeit equipment is often the cheapest and lowest quality equipment. http://www.diamondtour.com/golf-bags.html, http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/golf-clubs/accessories/ Our staff of skilled club fitters and club builders are passionate about providing the highest level of customer service. Wanna buy some clubs? (E.M. ! Head is just going along for the ride. My perception of what I see around me is that golfers fall into two categories. The name brand guyslaugh as they gaze at the clones with icy cold contempt. Test Taylormade drivers against a couple of the top tier non-OEM companies like Bang and Ill be interested in the results. WebThe Orlimar Intercept Single Length irons are all about developing consistency. . They make their own designs. Personally, I think his sentence would be more accurate. It would be more honorable for a person to show up with RAMs purchased at Target than to use Knock-Offs/Clones. Re-shafted mine with Axe Xcaliber SL graphite. Its about money and the lack thereof in 90% of those that buy clones! For the name-brand model we tested a TaylorMade Tour Burner 2010. https://www.hirekogolf.com/golf-components/clubheads/golf-irons/acer-xv-pro-iron-clubhead.html. Why else would a top tier golf ball cost up to $5 maybe advertising and exorbitant overheads? Are Acer and Pinhawk owned by Hireko? I have the Dynacraft CNC forged wedge that's currently for sale on Hireko's site. Loft and lie adjustment involves the use of specially-designed equipment and a great deal of experience. Now woods I have a little different take. A lot of people eventually got in trouble for it too. Golf Galaxy Certified Club Technicians use Do a couple of irons too, test a 9, 7 and 5 iron from 4 or 5 different popular clones and their OEM twin. Your link has been automatically embedded. 3 golfers were asked to hit a series of 12 shots with each driver. I am/was a Dynacraft Class A clubmaker and a member of the old Dynacraft ProfessionalClubmakers Society. Regripping We offer all of the grips offered by Golf Pride, Lamkin, Winn, and Super Stroke. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Jethro Liou is an expert in the knockoff business. Looked at the Hireko acer xds iron heads and they looked pleasing to eye, decent finish, the right off set.Need to have a 6 iron built up and hit it. No matter what your skill level, you want to play better golf. Apart from obvious esthetic differences, one noteworthy point of differentiation is that the Tour Burner takes a .350 tip shaft, where as the clone (the Heated), takes a .335. Even the raw materials received were sometimes out of tolerance. Not surprisingly, the Burner also produced the greater shot height for 2 of our 3 testers. I have hit them myself and compared a set of them with my name brand and really with the same shaft,,,, they were every bit as good and a bit better in some respects cause I made them to fit and every component was checked. Sorry bub. LOL. They are good components and last as long as other components, I have bought. Thanks guys, have fun. Its your money to spend where you chose I just found better places to spend it. As for the clone argument, are those on the side of the big manufacturers going to stay on their side if we take this argument to off brand manufacturers who design and make some very good clubs but dont have the budget to promote like the giants? They both feature dual-crown technology, and of course, a lower center of gravity for higher launch, and lower spin. Lots of spin when needed but now that is as much the ball as the club. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For those who want to play Knock-Offs, yes it is your right. 2h or 3h: TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S They specialize. I dont care what a club looks like or sounds like, if it feels good in my hands and performs well for accuracy. How is the overall health of golf these days? T. he loft gapping is slightly larger than traditional irons; this is to maintain a proper distance gap between clubs. It is a matter of time and money right now. It appears that you are debating the way he phrased the sentence. The court ordered the defendants to pay $20,000 in damages to Callaway and to turn over their inventory of more than 11,500 infringing components for Callaway to destroy. Lets go back to Hickory shafted clubs, even then there were manufacturers inserting steel shafts inside. I might be having a slight case of buyers remorse but Ill get over it since both sets are fine clubs. Im a 9 handicap and own a set of clone irons I bought from Diamond Tour last year, Taylormade Speedblade knock offs. Having never played before i cant say too much but my mates whove played for years were impressed after trying them out. . GigaGolf offers True Temper shafts as their standard shaft and you can upgrade to different shafts and grips of your choosing. If not then YOU are nothing but BRAND WASHED. I recently purchased, and have been hitting a fitted set of Ping G30 irons. Not so much. Definitions: Putter: Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34"; Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E, 35"; Cleveland Huntington Beach 1, 35" I must take exception to the consideration being given Clones. That was a great article, anything that can spark so much emotion and debate is a good thing. The customs people thought my father was [the primary distributor of] King Snake, which in its heyday had something like 10% of the market, Jethro says, but a lot of people were importing that product. Single ive built mell clubs for 12 yrs.i made a mellow yellow driver,9.5 degrees, with a proforce stiff shaft.took it to course and was smashing it.a scratch golfer ask to hit it.he drove on an average,15 yards pass his ping driver.but would he let me make him one or buy mine?no way.ive made lots of clone clubs,but never made another like the bang mellow yellow.aas amatter of fact,i just received a new 10.5 degree mellow yellow head. I have more confidence standing over my X-Hot and enjoy owning them without having to hide the label X-heat. Club Fitting & Repair - 1757 Golf Club Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. 2nd Swing Golf has thelargest selectionof used golf clubs in the world so why shop anywhere else? Obviously this test doesnt begin to cover all of the combinations. But even this line is blurring with some of the reputable clone and component companies out there in recent years. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Pinhawk SL Single Nice little golf club maker. I cant say enough good things about the quality of the clubs I have purchased from Giga. I didnt get an extra 10 yards and I wasnt dramatically more accurate. Used to play tourney plus perimeter weight forged irons with stiff gold dynamic shafts those days are gone. They just cannot afford it! Thank you for the update. I have been researching single length clubs again and I may just have to order a few Pinhawks to build/test. Sent from my What condition are your used clubs?

Monterey Country Club Pools, Intertek 3177973 Manual, Articles H