I have bought a couple drivers from Pinemeadows that happened to be on sale just to tinker with and try them out. 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. I also own a Sasquatch, SuMo 5000, Callaway FT-3, 5 and 9, a Speedline, a W/S Smooth (finally- been wanting that for a while), a Burner SuperFast 1.0, a Turner True Speed Ablaze (DTG), an Inazone XC-7, Odyssey WH XG #9, Odyssey DF #5, Adams Boxer A3 3h and countless wedges from Cleveland, Nike, Callaway, TMag and Adams. Note I'm 68 and using A flex but with the right shaft for your game they will play to any flex. It states that Tom Wishon actually designed the first titanium driver head in the early ninetys way before any OEM had one on the market. One of the two is a multiple major tournament winner. Any test involving equipment using humans seems flawed the particants had to realize which club was being used and to completely eliminate that mental factor had to be impossible. Visit the Cobra Golf Store. The average difference between the 2 clubs was just slightly more than .25 degrees, with the Burner producing the higher launch for 2 of our 3 testers. . It appears that you are debating the way he phrased the sentence. I like both Hireko and GolfWorks but for different reasons. They might could provide you with design answers/informationyou might have. 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. But based on my experience, clubs dont really effect your score too much. I agree with most of that. Theymay not be fancy looking and after 8 years playing with them over 150 days each seasonin Alaska the paint is scraping off the titanium club head a bit, but that doesn't effect the way it plays. I have been hitting fitted Giga Golf TRX slot irons. Counterfeits like we said are NOT the same as clones and the counterfeit equipment is often the cheapest and lowest quality equipment. Im broke n in college so i wanted a cheap set of irons to get me started. 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. Pinemeadows offers a lower end shaft as their standard, but you can upgrade too. What proved to be reality for our testers is that despite similar performance, thedifferencesin the subjective categories (in this particular case) are potentially enough to suggest that for some there is indeed $200 worth of improvement to be found in the Burner Tour. I met him in person at an Lpga event in Atlantic city (he is the caddie/boyfriend of Sara Brown. If it was that cut and dry wed all be playing the same club. I recently purchased, and have been hitting a fitted set of Ping G30 irons. The real issue is what so called reputable companies charge for their equipment. Probably because I used cheap shafts I already had that were not really to my likening regarding feel/weighting. 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? A counterfeiter tries to alter a companys protected features just enough to avoid prosecution. many of us are affiliated with our own equipment companys therefore recomendations tend to be biased but for those not in a position to get decked out in an expensive set my staff and i gladly help put them in pre-owned/used name brand equipment for often times much cheaper than a new set of clones and even if it does cost a little bit more they make it back in peace of mind. I trust GolfWorks regarding their club head model designs/quality and spec tolerances. Its in the hole! Our all-weather studio is strategically positioned to face the golf range. Lasers are used to copy the exterior of high selling clubs; again, there is no internal accuracy, nor the same construction, material or quality. Of course, if you want re-sell value probably by OEM. http://www.diamondtour.com/golf-bags.html, http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/golf-clubs/accessories/ Lynn, Also, your purchase will include LIFETIME LIE ANGLE ADJUSTMENTS. Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5" 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? Years ago Maltby (Golfworks founder) did a quality study on the tolerances of his clubs versus clones, dont recall if he sampled OEMs as well. 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. As mentioned above, I believe you should research more on this topic before writing an entire article denouncing the use of clone products. Thereby, purchasing Clones ultimately supports those factories who build Counterfeit clubs. Not driven only by what is legal, but what is right. And while I might argue that over the last couple of years theyve taken a small step backwards in those areas, they remain largely ahead of the curve. Thanks guys, have fun. Ball Speed As you might expect, higher clubhead speed produces higher ball speed. Sadly, thats ignorance on the consumers part. You can do lab tests forever, but if a club does not feel right for your swing, it doesnt matter how it did in tests. Other than that they work. Actually liked the longer length distance gapping in those but could not dial in shorter length club distancegapping. Ball: Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft. GOOGLE Counterfeit Golf Clubs and take a look at how rampant it is. Being a designer in this industry I can tell you for a fact that some of the clones that are upper tier are designed in the same foundry that many mid to upper tier name brand models are designed in. The right shaft for the player is far more important IMO. Cant help but weigh in here. The guys whose clones (similarly designed recreations of clubs from the big golf companies) rattle proudly in their bags, and there are the guys that wouldnt dream of playing something that wasnt made by a name EVERYBODY knows. Most people probably dont realize that GolfWorks was the innovator of custom perimeter weighted clubs, both irons and woods. We do not. Clones what good are they? It is just possible that some of the better OEMs make slightly better clubs, but the question is, as put in the article, whether for the individual this makes the OEM club worth the very substantial difference in price. Most of us who choose to play clones most likely at some point played name brand clubs. On the Heated its more noticeable, and perhaps even distracting. It would seem Value Golf is where the Pinhawk clubheads originated. Maybe the new Golfworks KE4 can play like the originals but for cost these keep me in the 80 range on the scorecard. I have been researching single length clubs again and I may just have to order a few Pinhawks to build/test. On average the apex of each shot was justslightlyunder 2.5 yards higher with the Burner, which along with higher ball and club head speeds explains the difference in carry yardage between the clubs. I have more confidence standing over my X-Hot and enjoy owning them without having to hide the label X-heat. The uninformed, the newbie, the consumer who is jealous of the success of OEMs and their need to earn profits. Yes, theyve followed the design pack for years cavity back, perimeter weighting, thinner faces, titanium drivers, carbon fiber crowns, etc. No wonder the golfing consumer doesnt take the component head biz seriously.when I read this type of stuff..I am bewildered. Caveat, Ihave not built any of their(Hireko)newer models but I have with GolfWorks. Hireko is also an authorized reseller of This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), Costco Kirkland Performance + Golf Ball (Version 3), Costco Kirkland Signature Wedges Version 2, http://www.diamondtour.com/golf-bags.html, http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/golf-clubs/accessories/. They make their own designs. Whats best for me wont be whats best for you. This is a topic Im always interested in. Fact is players with lousy swings are still carding in the 110+ neighborhood if theyre scoring honestly. The assertion made that many Clones are made in the same factories as OEM clubs is unsubstantiated and simply incorrect. It would be more honorable for a person to show up with RAMs purchased at Target than to use Knock-Offs/Clones. I understand the average iron costs less than $10 to make thats head shaft and grip. 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. Im a 9 handicap and own a set of clone irons I bought from Diamond Tour last year, Taylormade Speedblade knock offs. 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. Hireko has existed since 1981 per something I've seen online. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. In the end, it is hard to figure out the quality of a specific model of golf club without using it for a significant amount of time on the course after buying it. Up closeummmnot so much. Can clone golf clubs perform as well as the higher priced name brand golf clubs? Its the swing that matters not your clubs! Test Taylormade drivers against a couple of the top tier non-OEM companies like Bang and Ill be interested in the results. In addition to his editorial responsibilities, he was instrumental in developing MyGolfSpy's data-driven testing methodologies and continues to sift through our data to find the insights that can help improve your game. In 1992 he designed the first interchangeable shaft driver head as well. It is a matter of time and money right now. Turner T7 that resembles a TaylorMade r7. Yup, found that article. Are there clones that are made with poor qualityYES. They are concentrating on Counterfeits and Copies, but again, Clones and Knock Offs are part of the same problem. Regarding Acer, most likely but don't know for sure. 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. Dont lump everyone into a category. Ping, TaylorMade, Callaway, Nike, etc. If your not a sub 10 handicap chances are you arent good enough to fully take advantage of the clubs your hitting. Lots of spin when needed but now that is as much the ball as the club. No one knows how sloppy things are manufactured unless you are right watching and know what you are watching for. Ive tried Hirekos Green Ghost and Blue Crush and DTGs FGS Nano and Id put them up against anything out there. No bubble but the Taylor colors. A boyish 25-year-old Californian, he has been selling golf clubs since he was 15. According to Jethro, the familys legal fees for the discovery phase alone came to more than $1 million.. Today is the ultimate test: Clone Golf Clubs (vs) Name Brand Golf Clubs. Golf is a game of honor. Both sets have the same loft per club. 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. Eliminating the human factor suggests we can hit a golf ball off the tee with precise consistency if we use the same club. . Web1 Acer SR1 Fairway Woods $94.99 Acer XV Irons $44.99 Rating: 3 Acer XV Pro Irons $44.99 Rating: 1 Acer SR1 Hybrids $79.99 Acer XDS Fairway Woods $94.99 Rating: 6 Acer XDS Extreme Draw Fairway Woods $94.99 Acer XDS Extreme Draw Titanium Driver $159.99 Rating: 1 Acer XV Ultimate Thriver $169.99 Rating: 9 Acer XV Thriver Mini Hed have the components assembled at his warehouse outside of Los Angeles and would distribute them to retailers all over the U.S. The golf business was so good between 1991 and 97, you could sell anything, Jethro says. 3w: Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5" 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. Its your money to spend where you chose I just found better places to spend it. I know Wishon wasnt. Then if it is assembled, how well is it assembled. I have no sympathy for these so called established companies, if they reduce their prices the clone companies will not be able to compete and make enough money to make it worth their while. Just a quick note to say i recently decided to take up golf. The connections between CLones and Counterfeits have been made. The altered logo would be applied to the graphite shafts Yarn-Way was making for Lious Integra line. Our team of expert fitters fits more than 500 delighted customers a year!Our staff of skilled club fitters is passionate about providing the highest level of customer service. There may very well have been rogue foundries that produced Clones while also producing OEMs. Where are you going to get something for that? I had them custom fitted senior flex shafts. Clone Golf Clubs vs. Name Brand Golf Clubs But the same thing has already happened in electronics, computers and even automobiles. It's a combination driver and fairwaywood. I like both Hireko and GolfWorks but for different reasons. First I will answer the bottom line question "Do the clubs from Hireko stand up to Malt My guess is that you have predetermined that a clone has to be an inferior product? Okay, you somewhat mixed it up. Great review! The point of his article, as with any good marketing person, the tolerances of his product offerings were much tighter than the competition. The grib and weight had to translate into a mental file. Lie Angle Adjustments We can change lie angles to fit your golf swing in almost any golf club. Branded products are made with higher quality control, but mistakes still happen even with tighter controls, just not nearly as often. Sound and Feel TaylorMade has a reputation for producing great feeling, great sounding drivers. From affordable golf clubs for those on a budget, mint golf clubs, and many used golf clubs with light cosmetic wear. Im not a big fan of clones or knock-offs. For the clone model we tested a Heated H, which wed classify as a mid-teir clone of TaylorMades once popular driver. Love them. You will receive personalized attention from the initial interview through product delivery. Great article! Clones are a short cut. 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. 1757 Golf Club | 45120 Waxpool Road Dulles, VA 20166 | 703.444.0901. I actually built some Wishon/Sterlings (single length collaboration between Tom Wishon/Jacob Bowden) at multiple lengths (i.e. Play like poor mans Taylor Made P790. As with our test of the Shotmaker, shafts were spined and FLOd. As far as I know Wishon Golf, Golfworks, Alpha Golf, Geek Golf, Krank Golf and KZG were never makers or sellers of clone heads. PING, in an older Golf Digest article, seemed pretty adamant that their stock offerings are on par with anything sold in the aftermarket. For those that are dead set against clonesyou should remember this.many name brand models are modeled after other companies designs as well. Secondly, please read Roy Nixs article from the AGCP Whos cloning who. By utilizing the same shaft (cut to the same length) in each driver, weve come as close to an apples to apples comparison as we possibly can. Introduce Yourself/ WIYB (What's In Your Bag), Lessons, Drills, Mental Game, and Fitness Tips. Note that Pinhawk is a trademarked line of golf clubs not designed by Hireko Golf. (LOVE THE MILITARY CAMO BAG THEY HAVE only $59 too ;). You are right, though, that golf is an expensive game. I worked in manufacturing for over 50 years and watched all kinds of products being manufactured from high quality aircraft bolts to electronic equipment to toys. GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S Lets go back to Hickory shafted clubs, even then there were manufacturers inserting steel shafts inside. Just because something in a Chinese factory was allowed to happen, does not make it right. Jethro Liou is an expert in the knockoff business. WebCobra KING TEC One Length Custom Utility Iron. Are Acer and Pinhawk owned by Hireko? I think the clones would hold up very well but yeah Id love to see the hard numbers and see the results from various spots on the irons for consistency. I need cheap clubs and their just as good. Restore formatting, I cant say enough good things about the quality of the clubs I have purchased from Giga. all play a role not only what we think of a club design, but also how we perceive performance. But both models tested were 460cc titanium drivers. I think the easiest way to decide is level of ur game vs. level of ur income. Custom Golf Clubs - Hireko Golf the consumer. PssstWanna buy some clubs? Golf Digest 14 Jul 2003. Pasted as rich text. Before posting this article I re-confirmed with 3 foundries that they do indeed make them for both markets still. He played 6 over par and was so accurate to the green and on the green. all are factors in our normal tee shots. I now own a complete set of the GigaGolf forged cavity backs along with a set of Giga woods and play to a legit 7 handicap. Single Length Golf Clubs - Bainbridge Custom Clubs 2nd Swing offers the largest selection of used golf clubs both online and in our stores, including every brand and model imaginable. $229.99. nice way to put down your own company. Web$189.80 (6 used & new offers) MAZEL Single Length Golf Club Irons Set for Men & Women (4,5,6,7,8,9,P,A,S) or Individual Iron 7,Left/Right Handed,37.5 Inch 489 $29900 FREE There is current debate at the FTC, and US Patent Office level, on how closely a product can resemble another. Amazon.com: Single Length Golf Irons Its almost laughable to make those type of statements! I came across them a couple times online and their prices are very competitive, but are they any good? Single Golf Clubs There are just too many cases backing up the problems. If a manufacturer doubled his price on his highest priced clubs (lets call them X) making no other change except price (lets call the inflated priced clubs Y) and taged the Y clubs ultra sales would probably increase for both clubs, some wanting the very best because theyre priced higher, and some saying This club looks just as good and I can buy it for half the price of the other! The mental human factor. SOURCES It is the consumers who have the most power to affect change. Wherever corners could be cut in the manufacturing process they were. Strong lofts with forgiving mishits and incredible feel. These companies and others (Alpha, GeekGolf, KZG, etc) have very high quality, custom designed components that are just as good and in many cases better than the name brand manufactures. So not stolen lol. Wishon was (and is) a design leader. Hireko acquired Dynacraft somewhere in the 2000s, I don't remember exactly when. What is legal is the generic look-alike that does not infringe on a companys trademarks or patents. Frustrating. It does however cost money to get started in golf. In my opinion this is the single greatest point of differentiation between the two clubs. 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. . Has anyone ever stolen an idea or proposal you have written? Truth isclones are good for people that just cannot afford a Major brand and/or a custom set! Im glad the rental only cost me $15.00 any more and I would have been upset at myself renting them. Shafts can make a huge difference, and fitting an expensive aftermarket shaft in a $50 clone driver seems well, counter-intuitive. By far the best feeling head/shaft combo Ive ever had. This site is full of PGA Professionals, Company Reps, and the suggestion to use Clone/Knock Off clubs is disrespectful. Other factors, the subjective stufflooks, sound, feel, etc. I would like to share input on iron comparison. GOLF MANUFACTURERS ANTI-COUNTERFEITING WORKING GROUP. Golf Club Repair & Regripping Services at Golf Galaxy My back and joints are grateful. I was somewhat disappointed. Counterfeits and Clones from the same cloth WebReshafing- We can reshaft most golf clubs with just about all major brands in graphite and steel shafts. I bought it and it was perfect. Dynacraft were clone heads but had a following. Clothing manufacturers have been battling this issue for many years. I found that both sets hit almost exactly the same distance with the same loft, atleast I cannot notice any difference. I made my biggest improvements this year when I broke down and took a couple lessons from Derek Radley of Mobilegolflesson.com. So while, technically you may not be buying and thereby promoting counterfeit clubs, you are in fact enabling those same facilities to continue by buying Clones/Knock-Offs. Reshafing- We can reshaft most golf clubs with just about all major brands in graphite and steel shafts. Those involved in this great game should have a certain level of ethics. Funny how the name brand club manufacturers try to bury information that might hurt their status and sales. How about paint quality? Irons | Golf Galaxy So if the name-brand companies are fine with it, why would anyone, that decides to save money on purchasing similar product, be doing the wrong thing? Once the epoxy dried, shafts were cut to a relatively modest 44.75 inches. I switched to the Hireko prophet irons. Dave Tutelman preferred pinhawk heads over other single lengths due to their matching of his "progressive gapping" preference. If you agree that Counterfeit Clubs and Copies are Illegal, does it not then bother you that even though Knock-Offs/Clones are currently Legal, they are still made by the same factories in China? I believe hirekobought out dynacraft the same way that diamond golf bought wishon? Obviously, many big brand clubs are really good and almost always lead the trends in golf technology (maybe not originally came up with all of the ideas). T. he loft gapping is slightly larger than traditional irons; this is to maintain a proper distance gap between clubs. He was trained by Ralph Malby who started Golfworks. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. 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. You might also find it surprising that these clone designs are often approved by the name brand manufacturers before they are released. All those statements do is hurt the component biz. if you go with cheapest components, you can get a set really cheap, but why not buy a little better, and get a set worthy or even better than store sets for half the price.? I find much at MGS as interesting and informative. Looking at the performance, there isnt, in my mind, a clear winner. The Cobra clone had the unique Cobra hosel and the Taylor clone heads were painted brown and the shaft were brown and black. I have a set of irons by Affinity. I agree that most component companies copy other designs. When it comes to sidespin, the Clone generated an average of 81 RPMs less. between OEMs (i.e., TM, Callaway, Mizuno, etc.) While all the content of what you said may be correct there is more to clone/knockoff/etc. I give them 5 stars. A PGA Professional will give a lesson to anyone, but ask them if a Clone/Knock-Off club is a good choice and see what type of answer you will get. Powered by Invision Community. Wanna buy some clubs? (E.M. China cannot enforce without participation of the Patented/Trademark holder. I must take exception to the consideration being given Clones. I wonder why? Roger is a Titleist Master fitter. Are Hireko golf clubs any good? - MyGolfSpy Forum OK.today is going to be a good one golfspies! Maltby has been around since the mid 1970's I believe. Or youre the website that would love to write an article like this, but worry about the repercussions you might feel from an OEM advertiser. Do not know how close they are to spec or how they rate to the other good non OEMs. Orkut drivers = oem drivers. I haven't tried anything of theirs yet, but now I am willing to. Not one of our testers showed more than 300 RPMs between drivers (Dans average was less than 15 RPMs between clubs).
Cape Coral Canal Homes For Sale Zillow, Who Did Billy Loomis Get Pregnant, Stony Brook Hospital Directory, Articles H