Name brands, are they worth it?

[wantobegolfer]

I was just wondering what you guys think of famous name brands when purchasing new clubs. For example, are we paying extra just for the name (Taylormade, Callaway, Cleveland...) or are these clubs really going to make a big difference in my game? I should add that I'm a 18-20 handicap. I shoot on average between 90 and 95 but never over 95.

[faldo]

For a beginner NO.

Find out if you love the game (DUNHH), then decide to invest in it. I would recommend lessons before better clubs.

Cheers,

[Andru]

I was just wondering what you guys think of famous name brands when purchasing new clubs. For example, are we paying extra just for the name (Taylormade, Callaway, Cleveland...) or are these clubs really going to make a big difference in my game? I should add that I'm a 18-20 handicap. I shoot on average between 90 and 95 but never over 95.

I'm from the other school of thought. Maybe not the most expensive but getting a good quality fitted set of clubs is the way to go. Get something with a little game improvement technology. Cavity Back Irons. combo sets with hybrids for long irons. The game is much more enjoyable when it's a little easier.

Also there's no point hitting clubs that don't fit. You can do everything right from your lessons and the ball will still fly offline. In that case How would you know if you hit the ball correctly? Because you're swing looks good on video? I'm NOT saying don't get lessons some people learn better that way. I'm saying YES good fitted clubs are a great investment.

Check this out it will tell you more about club fitting. Fitted clubs are not just for single digit handicaps.

http://www.pinggolf.com/fitting_facts.html

[LongHitta]

Its very hard to say, its a matter of preference. I know people that buy nothing but brand name everything, and spend thousands of dollars a year, and never improve a single stroke. Then i know some that buy brand names and they make a huge difference. It all depends on how dedicated you are to the game. Myself, I don't play as often as I wish, so If I were to buy brand name and spend a lot, I would want that equipment to last a while. I can't really give you a good recommendation except see what a professional has to say, like the ppl at swing-sync, they did wonders for a buddy of mine. Ask a teacher somewhere, just don't ask a salesman!

[jvincent]

I was just wondering what you guys think of famous name brands when purchasing new clubs. For example, are we paying extra just for the name (Taylormade, Callaway, Cleveland...) or are these clubs really going to make a big difference in my game? I should add that I'm a 18-20 handicap. I shoot on average between 90 and 95 but never over 95.

Name brand clubs are not going to guarantee your game gets better.

There are several component clubmaking companies (Wishon, KZG, Golfsmith, etc) that make equally good (or sometimes better) clubheads. Note that I am not talking about clones, but original designs.

They are often much cheaper than the OEMs and because they are usually assembled for you buy a clubmaker are usually a better fit for your game than what you would get off the rack. You should really check them out.

That being said, if you prefer the look of a particular OEM model then there's nothing wrong with that. How you feel about the clubs you are playing is often as important as the technology behind the club.

[Vulcan]

This will for sure be a biased post but here goes.

Vulcan Golf has taken the following approach. Produce very high quality equipment and push it through retail stores, pro shops and demo days instead of through TV ads and PGA players.

Our clubs play great. They are extremely well designed, look great and play great. I can honestly say that our driver can compete with the top drivers on the market and ours retails at half the price. That is because we are not paying $50 million a year in advertising.

It is a slow process but it allows customers to get quality equipment at affordable prices.

You can purchase a set (1,3,5) of woods with Aldila graphite shafts for $580. How much is a Launcher or a Fusion?

Yes there is cheap equipment that is lower quality. But there is also very good equipment at cheaper prices.

www.vulcangolf.com

[Andru]

While I agree component club heads are very good at times. I don't agree they're that much cheaper. We're not talking about half price maybe a couple of hundred.

Also virtually all OEM sets can be custom fitted and ordered now. I've seen fitting carts for all of the major players. Ping, Titleist, Callaway, Cobra, Taylormade, Hogan etc... OEM doesn't mean off the rack anymore.

But there's nothing wrong with a custom fitted set of KZG's really nice forgings I just wanted to clarify that components are not the only way to get custom fitted.

[Ace-IT]

For me it's like buying President Choice Cheez whiz versus Kraft Cheez whiz. Both have a similar taste but the brand name taste better!

I have some Taylor made Iron for the last 4 years and my game has improved a lot...is it a coincidence???? god knows.....but I'm sure more confortable witht the new club.

[Colby]

For me it's like buying President Choice Cheez whiz versus Kraft Cheez whiz. Both have a similar taste but the brand name taste better!

I have some Taylor made Iron for the last 4 years and my game has improved a lot...is it a coincidence???? god knows.....but I'm sure more confortable witht the new club.

That's comparing clones with OEM clubs. And I think people confuse OEM with the big names, Titleist, Hogan, TM, etc. KZG, Infinity, Golfsmith, etc, these are also OEM names. Just not as big. These guys also do R&D into the clubs, creating very good products.

The clones are exactly that. They look at what the big guys are making and create something that looks just like it at bargain prices. And for a beginner, that may not be a bad way to go. For the first few years I golfed, I used a set of Goliath clubs that were Cobra knock-offs. The woods were the weak-link but the irons were not bad. I replaced the woods first, then the irons. I replaced mine with Hogans and have been very happy. In fact my handicap is under 10 for the first time ever, starting just over 13 at the beginning of the year.

On the other hand, a buddy replaced his old Power Ram set of irons with a set of matched Infinity irons that were fitted to him this spring. His handicap has dropped from around a 20 to under 14. Is it the irons, or the two-three lessons he has taken? I'm not sure. But the new irons hit longer and higher, he's hitting 8 irons into greens where he used to hit 6 irons. Much easier to stick a ball that way.

[jonf]

I have some SMT irons that are in fact knockoffs of the Taylormade 360s. Now, i have never tried the Taylormades so I have nothing to compare it to, but I love these clubs. My distance has increased, I get the ball up in the air more consistently, they're forgiving, and most importantly, they feel good.

[wantobegolfer]

Thanks everyone.

[Sakuraba]

Equipment is a HUGE part of this game, and unfortunately, alot of the hype around the latest oem equipment is based on consumer trends. The price of the Taylormade R5-series dropped substantially once the R7 came out. A very large part of the purchasing trends are based solely on collecting & ego. Are you the type of guy who'd wear a Ralph Lawrence golf shirt? Or do you have to have the real Ralph Lauren? I think the sales of the name brand equipment are so brisk because the average hacker out there doesn't want to look like a newbie. As the core of this game is your swing, you need a set of clubs that make you feel comfortable. If that means is has to be a name brand set, then you are among the majority of consumers and golfers.

[Chieflongtee]

[QUOTE=Andru]While I agree component club heads are very good at times. I don't agree they're that much cheaper. We're not talking about half price maybe a couple of hundred.

Andru. If we are talking about a driver then very often half price it is. Let's take a SMT Spectrum http://www.smtgolf.com (all taxes excluded) for example with a Harmon tour design graphite shaft: the head costs $155 the shaft $55 a Winnn grip $5 ,plastic ferrule .50c, grip tape .10c.Total cost for parts $215.60 Let's add $10 for shipping . Roughly $225 excluding labour. We are talking about one of the more expensive component heads out there as many oversize titanium driver driver head sell for about $100.So let's say your clubmaker is not too greedy final cost should be around $260. A lot of drivers out there sell for more than $500 brand new only to end up in the classifieds couple weeks later. I say better try them first.That is a lot of money for one single club.Have a great week .

[Andru]

[QUOTE=Andre Cantin]

While I agree component club heads are very good at times. I don't agree they're that much cheaper. We're not talking about half price maybe a couple of hundred.

Andru. If we are talking about a driver then very often half price it is. Let's take a SMT Spectrum http://www.smtgolf.com (all taxes excluded) for example with a Harmon tour design graphite shaft: the head costs $155 the shaft $55 a Winnn grip $5 ,plastic ferrule .50c, grip tape .10c.Total cost for parts $215.60 Let's add $10 for shipping . Roughly $225 excluding labour. We are talking about one of the more expensive component heads out there as many oversize titanium driver driver head sell for about $100.So let's say your clubmaker is not too greedy final cost should be around $260. A lot of drivers out there sell for more than $500 brand new only to end up in the classifieds couple weeks later. I say better try them first.That is a lot of money for one single club.Have a great week .

I was speaking about irons.

You can also buy a an R580 driver for $350 and have it for 2 years and counting. You can get OEM gear ar great prices if you buy a model that has been replaced or find a good used one Example GT has GBII's for $298 ). I don't think marketing components on the price is the way to go. I think the best part about component stuff is the competent clubmakers and fitters in the industry.


Cheers

[Vulcan]

Let's not get confused here. Make sure we are comparing the same things.

In general, components will be cheaper. SMT is a brand name. Callaway is a brand name. They offer completely different products. You can't purchase Callaway components.

I believe the original question was "are brand names worth the price?"

If you want to talk components, then compare SMT with Maltby and KZG and other component manufacturers.

If you want to talk assembled clubs, compare Callaway with Taylor Made and Vulcan and Jazz etc...

A better question might be...

Is $600 for a driver worth it?
Is $1000 for irons worth it?

It's tough to identify "brand names" today.

[leoj_21]

i got a full fairway set a while back. i dont know if they considered a big name or not. i dont think they are, but they have been amazing. i lucked out, cuz they were on sale at sports experts a while back, and they have just worked out great, i have a few new clubs with it (driver, and 5 iron), other then that, im not looking to change sets any time soon.

[chipandput]

Let's not get confused here. Make sure we are comparing the same things.

In general, components will be cheaper. SMT is a brand name. Callaway is a brand name. They offer completely different products. You can't purchase Callaway components.

I believe the original question was "are brand names worth the price?"

If you want to talk components, then compare SMT with Maltby and KZG and other component manufacturers.

If you want to talk assembled clubs, compare Callaway with Taylor Made and Vulcan and Jazz etc...

A better question might be...

Is $600 for a driver worth it?
Is $1000 for irons worth it?

It's tough to identify "brand names" today.

I think it's in Golf Magazine or Golf Digest of this month but an anonymous source from an O.E.M company said that the cost of a $600.00 driver goes like this:

Head:$35.00
Shaft:$8.00
grip:$2.00
Total:$45.00 I think it's way too much for a driver.Good components are a good choice at a very high quality.

[girliemanx]

The fact is that there are only one dozen quality foundries in the world, mainly in China and Taiwan.

The name brands use the same foundries as the clone sellers. The club designs and performance are virtually identical.

Why pay $600 for a new driver when you can get a comparable driver (with a better shaft) for $200?? Maybe you love the TM logo??

Check out www.moonshotgolf.com or www.golfbigdog.com

[Chieflongtee]

[QUOTE=girliemanx]The fact is that there are only one dozen quality foundries in the world, mainly in China and Taiwan.

The name brands use the same foundries as the clone sellers. The club designs and performance are virtually identical.

QUOTE]

I would like to believe this if this is true. Do you have any related article or link to back up that claim?

[jvincent]

If you cruise over to Tom Wishon's site, he basically says the same thing, i.e. there are only a few foundries that are any good and you will see brand name clubs and smaller compenents made in the same foundry.

However, the foundry is only part of the equation. The clubhead designer has to sit on them and make sure that they meet certain quality control targets and work with them to fine tune the manufacturing process to get the best results. Both of which cost extra effort / money.

You can be sure that some of the component manufacturers do this to a greater extent than others.

[BC MIST]

The arguement about whether clones, OCD's (Original Component Designs) or OEM's are better for your golf game will never be settled. The essential ingredients that determine the success of a golf club, in order of importance, are: (1) the quality of the golfer's swing, (2a) the quality of the shaft that is used, (2b) the quality of the fitting/assembly process, (3) the quality of the club head.

OCD's like Wishon 550 M or C's, KZG's, etc., are every bit as good as any OEM designed head out there. What will now make one better than the other is the quality of the shaft and the fitting. Based on my experience on examining OEM irons that I have disassembled, I would never trust an OEM manufacturer to produce a quality assembled club. On the other hand, if a golfer assembles a good component head with shafts where he merely follows the tipping instructions, for example, the quality of that club is diminished, as well.

In the same way that there are better or poorer heads, there are better or poorer shafts. For example, assembling a set of irons with Dynamic R/S combination flex shafts(cheaper) with a frequency analyzer, will produce a better set than if Dynamic Gold shafts,(more expensive) which are supposed to be frequency matched, are used. All the Gold means is that they are weight sorted and if the shafts are all the same weight, they are all the same frequency. What nonsense! The good news about shafts is that the OEM shaft manufactrers are finally starting to produce better quality products, particularly the graphite shafts. SK Fiber has been doing this from the outset; others are now trying to catch up.

Whether you buy OCD's or OEM's, do three things, if nothing else: (1) make sure the shaft suits your swing speed range, (2) make sure the clubs are the correct length for your body and setup,(Charts are available) and (3) with the irons, insist that the lie angles be dynamically checked and adjusted if necessary. If the latter is not part of the purchase price, regardless of whom you buy them from, go elsewhere.

Lastly, to those who think that just because a clone club is manufactured in the same foundry as a similar OEM head, consider this: If Mrs. Jones is an excellent teacher, does this mean that Mr. Smith is also an excellent teacher because he teaches in the same school? If the clone was made from the same "molds" and from the same alloys, it would obviously be OK, but it does not work this way.