Starting should also include lessons. Wherever corners could be cut in the manufacturing process they were. Not so much. The right shaft for the player is far more important IMO. 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. GigaGolf offers True Temper shafts as their standard shaft and you can upgrade to different shafts and grips of your choosing. You can post now and register later. Head is just going along for the ride. Where are you going to get something for that? http://www.diamondtour.com/golf-bags.html, http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/golf-clubs/accessories/ Ill start off by saying I have both OEM and clone clubs in my bag (I have the new Taylor Made R1 driver which I love that just replaced my old Taylor Made R7 and Ping 3 hybrid, and some older Ping woods). How well are the clone/knockoffs made? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I have been hitting a clone set of irons since 2008. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. I played a set of extremely cheap looking rental clubs. It looks like a mirac Its in the hole! Swing Speed Perhaps one of the more interesting discoveries to come out of our testing was that club head design appears to play a legitimate role in producing, or perhaps limiting club head speed. Iwant to know why you didnt do the same for irons? You cannot paste images directly. For the clone model we tested a Heated H, which wed classify as a mid-teir clone of TaylorMades once popular driver. Re-shafted mine with Axe Xcaliber SL graphite. It would have been interesting to see how the original performed. Some such as Geek dont even sell irons. If I understand the anti clone side I should pay $200 for a TM fairway wood with a slot design stolen from Adams, with a Carpenter steel face, developed by Golfsmith many years ago, using a de-contented Graffalloy or other major company shaft, painted exactly like the real component, because golf is a game of integrity! 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. Learn more about Tim. Cant help but weigh in here. 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 far as I know Wishon Golf, Golfworks, Alpha Golf, Geek Golf, Krank Golf and KZG were never makers or sellers of clone heads. Caveat, Ihave not built any of their(Hireko)newer models but I have with GolfWorks. Caveat, Ihave not built any of their(Hireko)newer models but I have with GolfWorks. 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. 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. Roger Hatcher, PGA Lead Fitter, InstructorTitleist Master FitterRogers passion and knowledge of proper fitting are legendary in the DC Metro area. 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 I would actually like to see more tests done on off brand stuff, like the KZGs or Warrior custom golf (you know who you are, I played them to). 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. Our staff of skilled club fitters and club builders are passionate about providing the highest level of customer service. Thank you MGS for this great, unbiased comparison. somebody earlier stated that no PGA professional would recomend to a student or anyone for that matter that they purchase copy/clone clubs. A lot of research goes into the wood and as Frank Thomas once said, a 3 yr old Wood is obsolete with the technology of today. Construction, Material, or Quality. Test Taylormade drivers against a couple of the top tier non-OEM companies like Bang and Ill be interested in the results. I saw they also have a dual length set for people that just don't want to play long 6i length short irons. The long irons are 5i length and the mid Ive been on both ends of the spectrum: I bought the Sasquatch and 5000 when they were brand new, thinking Id get some sort of golfing nirvana with each new release. Who is going to take those remarks seriously? They perform just as well as my old Pings for a fraction of the cost. Go to eBay, or Diamond Tour. Now Im down to 6.3, been playing clone irons the whole time and usually Orkut drivers but not always and often times I play an 8 year old Taylor made r510 tp. Thanks guys, have fun. Love them. Anybody that uses a cheap clone head should be able to figure out why theres such a difference in price. As much as I preach performance first, theres only so much Im willing to sacrifice in terms of esthetics, sound, and feel. Copyright 2022 MyGolfSpy SWIFT, DON YAEGER. That is a ridiculous statement to make thatthe component industry has more firsts then the Majors!! Ive tried Hirekos Green Ghost and Blue Crush and DTGs FGS Nano and Id put them up against anything out there. 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. Choose from complete sets, individual clubs Wow, I didnt think that this would spark this much emotion from people. In my opinion this is the single greatest point of differentiation between the two clubs. 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 believe it was good for MGS to write about this since it eduates people about the other choices they have. Your previous content has been restored. The adjusted average numbers look even better for the clone as, with the 2 best and 2 worst shots removed from each tester, the clone is 3.5 yards closer to the center line on average. Then if it is assembled, how well is it assembled. Wishon was (and is) a design leader. I choose to play them because I refuse paying the inflated prices to pad their advertising budgets and salesmans expense reports. This topic has been pretty taboo and heated for many reasons. I recently purchased, and have been hitting a fitted set of Ping G30 irons. Steve Almo is among the most knowledgible individuals Ive ever met in the Golfing industry, and if I had to make a judgement on whose opinion was more accurate Id have to support Mr. Almo every time. Quality components are available from private brands that may be higher quality than major branded equipment. Maltby has been around since the mid 1970's I believe. I started getting their catalogs in the 80's and buying from them. While I remember the ACER https://www.hirekogolf.com/golf-components/clubheads/golf-irons/pinhawk-vertex-dual Its in the hole! Carl Spackler. Turn around time on regripping is usually 48 hours. Thank you for the update. Distance For each of our 3 testers, the real Burner was the distance winner. Cell: 586-489-9735. The reasons are many why this topic has not been fully addressed and this is one of the reasons we felt so compelled to cover it for you. I cant say enough good things about the quality of the clubs I have purchased from Giga. 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. because one was a .350 and one was a .335. WebLoft & Lie Adjustment. Its not the arrows, its the Indian guys. Knock-Offs operates under the same principle. I do proudly carry 3 PW Maltby MMBs (forged blades) with Project X shafts, custom fit to my length. In 1992 he designed the first interchangeable shaft driver head as well. As for the rest of the components that go into the club, some of the companies give you a choice of components. While not all their designs are clones, they do carry a large majority of clone heads (which is understandable as they started as a clone company). No matter what your skill level, you want to play better golf. I have to say I am more impressed now to the point of considering buying some components to actually test them. How can a Clone maker or Seller say that they are not trying to fool anyone? By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. Launch Angle and Apex For the most part, the Burner and the Clone produced similar launch characteristics. Since early 2000, that practice has become more and more limited as the most contracts between OEMs and Foundries, prevent the foundry from producing Clones. So bottom line dont leave this subject here Golf Spy please do a test of clone irons! If we simply look at the raw averages we see that the Clone was actually more accurate! If your not a sub 10 handicap chances are you arent good enough to fully take advantage of the clubs your hitting. E.M. Tom Wishon, he himself a club designer who has his stuff made in the Far East, backs up MGSs facts. Counterfeit golf equipment is NOT the same as clone equipment. So you are saying that geek golf that you run is just a spin off as well. Essentially, you were saying that all clone companies operate in the same way. https://mygolfspy.com/ultimate-review-acer-xs-driver/. No Reps. No Service. Most of us who choose to play clones most likely at some point played name brand clubs. But not the component club heads. In fact, I cracked the club face on one of them within 6 outings. But I think it would surprise most to know that only by 5.8 yards (2.2%). I have purchased components from Golfsmith, Golfworks, Hireko and Diamond Tour Golf to name a few. Sorry the average golfer is not able to drop $3-400 for a driver or fairway wood. How many 20 plus handicaps do you know that spend hundreds of dollars each year ensuring they have the latest name brand technology in their bag? Had to get a hybrid custom built cos the Affinity hybrids swing weight was indifferent to the irons. WebGolf Clubs. And also just so you know OEMs have almost always tried to prevent foundries from doing clone products at the same foundriesbut it happens everyday. Tim not only is a popular fitter but one of the most sought-after instructors. I have found lots of Maltby lovers on here. 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.. Well.i found the clone world years ago,.and love em. 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. On performance alone, its hard for me to justify spending the extra $200 (based on initial MSRP pricing). at this price, you can keep in trunk, travel without worrying to much,..the set the year before,i tried razer clone heads,got a little rust in grooves, and diamond tour took them back, and build me an upgraded set for small little extra,.! Whether the result is illegal can be established only in court, on a case-by-case basis; in other words, the aggrieved company has to sue. There are better clone models of this driver, although we decided to go with a mid-tier model. But even this line is blurring with some of the reputable clone and component companies out there in recent years. Not driven only by what is legal, but what is right. It is your decision and right (for the time being) to buy a Clone/Knock-Off. Im glad the rental only cost me $15.00 any more and I would have been upset at myself renting them. and components (i.e., Alpha, Hireko, Golfworks, Snake Eyes, Wishon, KZG, etc.). I ran a small clubmaking andrepair business in the late 80's and early 90's and bought from Golfworks, Golfsmith, and Dynacraft. Maybe the new Golfworks KE4 can play like the originals but for cost these keep me in the 80 range on the scorecard. WebThis Meant grips, shaft, length and even tweaking the head itself. It is just that simple! Good, original component brands have been slightly better on average for me, but not by much. $229.99. While the TaylorMade Burner is a true glossy black, the Heated has what Id call a medium gloss gray. A boyish 25-year-old Californian, he has been selling golf clubs since he was 15. Of course, this is my individual experience. There just simply is not the time or money right now to go after them. The truth is..most component companies just follow the lead of the Majors and put their spin on the productnow that is a FACT! He is a Callaway Master Fitter and serves on the National Board of Callaway Fitters. still undecided on shaft. Material used is cheaper. 2nd Swing offers the largest selection of used golf clubs both online and in our stores, including every brand and model imaginable. Almost every golfer has an opinion about the topic when askedso we felt it would make for a great labs article. I have been researching single length clubs again and I may just have to order a few Pinhawks to build/test. I cant say Ive chased the next new thing, only last year did I move the a 460 driver, of course I had to build three.