PlaidJacket Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I read a lot here on the Forum about clubs people own or want to buy. I'd say aside from the putter all I ever read about is guys buying TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, Cobra, Adams, Cleveland, Nike, Mizuno, Ping, etc. That leads me to think that most people buy what's in front of them. You can't walk into a typical golf retail store and find anything other than Major brand products. I rarely see guys in the Forum talk about or even say they use custom clubs such as KZG, Alpha, Maltby, Wishon, Bang, Miura, Fourteen, Epon, etc, etc. (These are not clones) I never hear anyone say they're even considering such a purchase. Why is that? I think part of it is because most people play off the rack (OTR). Perhaps it's because you don't think the quality is high. Could it be because most people don't want to spend the time to find and avail themselves of a custom club fitter? Taking the time to research and test custom designed clubs isn't as easy as walking into a Dick's or Golf Galaxy and plopping down some cash. Custom designed and fitted clubs can be expensive. But not always depending on the chosen brand. So, who plays custom brands? My Sun Mountain bag currently includes: 771CSI 5i - PW and PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges EXS 10.5*, 929-HS FW4 16.5* Willimette w/GolfPride Contour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kor.A.Door Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I have bang mellow yellow, 3,5, and 7 woods, I don't currently game these anymore, I have thought about putting the 7 wood back in the bag though, I built them myself. Lefties are always in their Right Mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kor.A.Door Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I also built my mom a pink bang-o-matic that she uses, and it is long Lefties are always in their Right Mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Severtheties Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I may look into a local company for my new wedges Driver - Tour Edge Exotics XCG 7 Beta w/ Paderson shaft 44" Fairway Metal - Vapor Fly 15* w/ Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 65F 43" Irons - SLDR 4i-pw w/ KBS Tour C-Taper 90S Wedges - 54* and 58* Digger grind Putter - 2015 GoLo 3 33" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 The only place you'll hear of them is on these golf forums OR if you have a bunch of Japanese friends. Those guys are fanactically into it and they keep TourSpec and Fairways in business. Here's an example of what I mean. I talked to my pro yesterday because he had to open the course early. It's February and 65 degrees and yet there's no such thing as global warming in red state Utah, right? Liberal conspiracy, but it opens the links earlier every year, yaaahhhh! Anyway, I was eyeing his Hogan staff bag because he used to be a Hogan staffer back in the day. I told him I was thinking of buying the new Hogans. He said, "Callaway killed that brand years ago, you don't want that old stuff." He had not heard that Hogan is back. Even the pro's aren't into it as much as we're into it. I guarantee you he wouldn't have even heard of three quarters of the brands you've mentioned. bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cartdriver - Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"fwoods - Jetspeed, 3HL regularirons - Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 upwedges - Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58putter - Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slimball - ProV1x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 duplicate deleted bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cartdriver - Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"fwoods - Jetspeed, 3HL regularirons - Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 upwedges - Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58putter - Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slimball - ProV1x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbil8802 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 My main issue before doing research and joining the MGS site and forum was that I didn't know any better. I started playing 3 years ago with a set of old clubs that a buddy let me borrow for the season since he was left handed. That season, I essentially taught myself how to play and decided I loved golf and wanted to keep playing. So the next season I went to Dick's and bought my own set of new left handed clubs that were on sale. I had no idea that clubs could be fitted or that it even mattered. Then as I learned more I started piecemealing stuff together. Finally a few weeks ago I went for my first real iron fitting that included a launch monitor, different shafts, etc. with a knowledgeable clubfitter. He's an hour drive from me, but it's really my only option out here. Going for the driver, woods and hybrid fitting in a few weeks. I could have taken the detailed report he gave me and went home and possibly ordered them myself for cheaper. However, I'd rather give my money to a local clubfitter so I placed my order through him. Not to mention he builds and checks the specs himself when they come in. I'm at the point where I'd like to have a good relationship with a good clubfitter/builder that I can trust for years to come. Driver - M1 9.5* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X Fairway - M1 5W 19* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X Hybrids - G25 4H 23* Irons - JPX 850 Forged 4-PW w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S Wedges - S5 50*07, 54*12, 58*12 w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S Putter - Oddyssey Metal-X #7 w/ SuperStroke Pistol GT 2.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotblades Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I LOVE where this thread is going....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmikecpa Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 My big issue with some of the brands mentioned is that I don't have any shop around me that has these clubs to hit. I at least would like to take a few swings with these before I plunk down the cash and would have no problem doing so if I could at a minimum get five swings in the simulator. I had a hybrid in my bag for about 6 or 7 years that was made by LaJolla and loved the thing. Back then there was a shop near me that carried the clubs and had some assembled that you could hit indoors and then have one built. It was a sad day for me when that club bit the dust and it took me several seasons to find one that could come close to it. WITB 2024 Qi10 LS 9* HZRDUS RDX Smoke Blue 60g 6.5 M5 15* Evenflow Black 75g 6.5 Sim Ti 22* HZRDUS Red 75g 6.5 Sim2 Rescue 22* Diamana Thump 100x X Forged CB 5 - PW MMT 105 TX Jaws Raw 50*, 54* & 58* TTDG "OG" Spinner Toulon Madison BGT Fire 34.75" Z Star Diamond Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sp0rtsfan86 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 My big issue with some of the brands mentioned is that I don't have any shop around me that has these clubs to hit. I at least would like to take a few swings with these before I plunk down the cash and would have no problem doing so if I could at a minimum get five swings in the simulator. I had a hybrid in my bag for about 6 or 7 years that was made by LaJolla and loved the thing. Back then there was a shop near me that carried the clubs and had some assembled that you could hit indoors and then have one built. It was a sad day for me when that club bit the dust and it took me several seasons to find one that could come close to it. Agreed. My biggest issue is where can you find these clubs, the cost of said clubs, and also do I swing them as well as others. I know for a fact that there's not a single golf store within an hour of me, and even if there was I can't see any carrying these brands. Driver: Epic Flash 12 Degree Wood: GBB 3 Wood Hybrid: Razr 4 hybriid stiff stock shaft. Irons: X2 Hot 4 iron (pro version) 5 iron - Gap Wedge (non pro version). KBS 120g Shaft stiff cut 1/2 inch bent 1°upright Wedges: 52° 56° and 60°. All grips are Golf pride grips midsized Putter (lefty): Odyssey Metal-X #8 34", stock shaft bent 2° Superstroke grip Golf Balls: 2018-9 Pro-V1x and Prov1s Shoes: Dryjoy tours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hckymeyer Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Same reason you didn't really hear many folks playing Srixon or Bridgestone irons the past many years. Availability. If they aren't ready available to hit and it's harder to find information on them, then people aren't going to play them. I also don't think of them as custom clubs. They are just component clubs or boutique brands. For me at least custom clubs are anything you've been fitted for and then had custom built. So in that regard even though I play Speedblade irons they are custom clubs. As for supporting my local clubmaker it really depends what it is and what the cost is. I do most of my own club work so I would rather support myself. That said I don't have the machines and knowledge to fit myself. So I pay to get that done. I also can't do my own loft and lie adjustments so I will happily pay to have someone do that for me. Seems like we have 3 topics here though. Club fitting, Club making, and why not as many people play smaller component and boutique brands. I pay for fitting, I do most of my own building and have a trusted local place to do the rest that I can't do. I'd be open to playing a smaller brand, but I would need to demo them. I would need them to outperform what I currently play. And I would want them to be cost competitive with other options on the market. Driver: SLDR w/ Fujikura Ventus Black 3w: '16 M2 hl w/ Diamana D+ 82 5w: Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Yellow Hybrid: 22 deg. Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Black Irons: 5i - gap Launcher CBX w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Wedges: 54 CBX & 58 Zipcore w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Putter: Red 7s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Agreed. My biggest issue is where can you find these clubs, the cost of said clubs, and also do I swing them as well as others. I know for a fact that there's not a single golf store within an hour of me, and even if there was I can't see any carrying these brands. I remember 4 golf stores from Palm Springs to La Quinta, but I don't remember any of them carrying anything other than the major OEM clubs. “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undershooter Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I don't play stuff "off the rack" unless I just happen to love it which is very rare. Most of the stuff you mentioned is out of my price range. On top of that, there is no way for me to try these clubs in my area. I would love to give them a shot otherwise. I do have some scratch wedges but I got those for a super deal and it was just lucky that I loved them. Driver- Tmag 2017 M2 tour issue 8.5* actual loft 7.8* w/ HZRDS Green PVD 70TX" Fairway Metal- Taylormade SLDR Mini Driver 12* w/ Fujikura Rombax TP95-X" Utility- Mizuno MPH5 1 iron w/ Aldila RIP 85X (depending on course/ conditions) Irons- Mizuno MP- FLI HI 2i w/ Aldila Proto ByYou 100X Mizuno MP59 4i-6I w/ PX 6.5 Mizuno MP69 7i-PW w/ PX 6.5 Wedges- Scratch 8620 Driver/Slider set. 50*, 54* bent to 55* and 60* Putter- Taylormade Spider Tour w/ flow neck Ball- Bridgestone Tour B X Bag- Sun Mountain C130 Supercharged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kor.A.Door Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 One of the issues for purchasing these types of clubs is in fact the purchase sight unseen, most of them you just have to trust that you made the correct call. I think most people need to put their hands in a club before it is purchased, the other problem that I have found, after looking up wedges from some of these places is that the model that I want doesn't come in a LH model. It's not just them, many of the big names leave the LH models alone, and Cally, they have the most well known lefty in golf, and their LH models are very small and difficult to find. It seems like every time I find something I like I soon find out that they don't carry Irvin LH. Lefties are always in their Right Mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattF Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 As some or all of you may know, I built my own irons and hybrids during the winter, buying all my gear from The Golfworks. I have to agree with what the majority have said, around here, it's hard to find a fitter (even more so, one you like) and trying to get hands on with the equipment. The Golfworks is about 2 hours drive for me, but having one day (Sunday) off a week, makes it difficult to get there and hit what they've got, especially with a family. I was fortunate that I decided to have a go at building my own and even more lucky that what I decided on and built, I'm happy with...now I have to get a lie machine so I can do some tweaking. I'm a big believer in components over OEM, but finding them is the trick. In the bag: Driver: TSR2 Project X HZRDUS Black 5.5 Fairway: Apex UW 19° & 21° Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 5.5 Irons: JPX 923 HMP 5-PW UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4 Wedges: T-22 Denim Copper 48°, 52° & 56° UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4 Putter Sycamore 005 Wide Blade Bag: Alpha Convoy 514 Balls: Chrome Soft X Cart: CaddyLite ONE Ver. 8 God Bless America, God save the King, God defend New Zealand and thank Christ for Australia! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Theoo Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I would need them to outperform what I currently play. And I would want them to be cost competitive with other options on the market. I think thats probably one of the main reasons why we don't see more people playing and paying for smaller brands. There really isn't a huge difference in performance. Driver: Epic 10.5 set to 9.5 w/ Tour AD-DI 44.5 FW: F6 baffler set at 16º Hybrid: NONEIrons: 3i 2014 TP CB 4-PW 2011 TP MC w/ TT S400 Wedges: 52º 56º 60 º w/ KBS C-Taper XS Soft-stepped Putter: Sigma G Tyne 34 inches Gold dot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy Barbajo Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 One of the better component brands I've encountered is Vega. Got to hit their stuff at the PGA show - and it was up there (driver and hybrids might have been among the best demo'd that day). I'll echo what hckymeyer and theoo said - no doubt it's good stuff, but there's always a price-value decision that has to be made. That said - it's a crowded market out there! When brands like Wilson, Hogan, Bridgestone or Srixon are considered outliers, you know there are LOTS of options available. What's in the bag: Driver: TSR3; DynaPWR Carbon FW Wood: DynaPWR 3-wood; TSR 2+ Hybrids: PXG Gen4 18-degree Utility Irons: ZX MkII 20* Irons:; 699/699 Pro V2 Combo; D9 Forged; MT86 (coming soon!); VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; Wedges: RTX6 Zipcore Putter: HB Soft Milled 10.5; Newport Special Select; Willamette, BB8; 8802; MATI Monto Ball: Tour B RXS; Z-STAR Diamond; Triad Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: Follow @golfspybarbajo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbealsd Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I've got a set of Alpha RX-1 & Wishon Fairway woods that I still sometimes play and have had "boutique brands" in the past, but I wasn't fitted for them. I got them off eBay because I heard about them online. As many have already mentioned, if you don't live in, or close to, a major city the major OEMs are probably the only clubs you'll hear of and be able to demo. Until a couple of years ago, the only fitting option within an hour drive was a "cart fitting" for major OEM brands carried by local golf retailers, which is still limited to the shaft options offered by the OEM. The other issue with the cart fittings is the experience and training of the staff. Frankly, none of the stores have a "dedicated fitter" that does nothing but club fittings, so I think it's a pretty basic fitting done by the sales staff. What's In the Bag Driver - GBB Hybrids Halo XL Halo 18* & T-Rail 20* Irons T-Rail 2.0 Wedges 60* TS / SCOR 48* 53* 58* Putter Ball Bag Datrek DG Lite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK in TEXAS Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I would need them to outperform what I currently play. And I would want them to be cost competitive with other options on the market. I think thats probably one of the main reasons why we don't see more people playing and paying for smaller brands. There really isn't a huge difference in performance. Exactly. That and it much easier to re-sell name brands a few years down the road. 5 year old Mizuno's are still worth some money. MENTOR, L4 COACH & TRAINER FIRST TEE GREATER HOUSTON HDCP: 8.3 (GHIN: 3143312) In my bag, April 2023 TS3 Driver & 4 Wood Hzrdous Smoke Shaft (Stiff Flex) TS2 Hybrids Mitsubishi Tensei Shaft (Stiff Flex) MP-59 5-PW; KBS Tour (Regular Flex) SM8 Wedges EVNROLL ER2 Putter SRIXON Z-STAR DIAMOND BALL Sun Mountain Cart Bag 4.0 Push Cart (I'm walking 9 outta 10 rounds!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_divots Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I think consumers have forced the hand of some shops to go with known, volume brands. Do you expect them to have a trackman/flightscope when you go in, for instance? It has to be paid for somehow, and they'll sell whatever sells best to pay for such setups, brick and mortar space, etc. The big brands have much more marketing, which only helps move product for them. Plus, I have no idea what the buy-ins are for these smaller brands to get an account. Even large shops can't carry everything, even some products that you might expect them to carry, based on the demands of what the agreement would be to carry the brand. Just talked to a top 100 fitter that had to skip a brand of shafts based on the details of the contract agreement. "Glute Activator" *Please accept my contributions of participation and intellectual property sharing as substitute for monetary renumeration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozcycle Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I grew up with Powerbilt clubs in my bag. Living in central Kentucky, the Louisville based H&B company owned Powerbilt, so my Grandfather & I both played Powerbilt. It was a well respected club in the 1950's & 1960's. When Powerbilt released their 2nd Generation Air Force clubs I tried them at the PGA Show and ordered a set of irons and woods. Using them, within 3 months I had gamed a 75 & 76. But somehow I moved on and had the urge to try other clubs..... I still have the Powerbilt clubs and will occassionally play them.....and i am very glad that Powerbilt has developed some credibility within the golfing community. I proudly have the new 2014 DFX Tour in my bag. I have also added the hybrid 3 & 4 back into my bag...... Driver: 0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft Fairways: 0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft Hybrid: None in bag at the moment Irons: Titleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm). Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707, or Nike Method Core Drone w/Evnroll Gravity Grip Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnfats95 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I will echo the "where do I find them" comments. I don't have anyone around me that deals in those clubs. I would need to make a 4.5 hour drive to find the closest one that deals in those brands. Those brands may be just as good as any of the major brands, but with a few exceptions I doubt that they are better. If I can get fit for an OEM club that will perform as well as one of those brands I get fit for then why should I take the time and money involved to seek them out? If they were actually better than the OEM stuff, more people would be playing them, more shops would be selling them, and I wouldn't have to drive as far to hit them. If they were an advantage over the OEM equipment you would see more pro's playing them because at the end of the day they all want to win. Since OEM company A pays them to play their stuff they won't play those other brands because there is no advantage to it, at least not one big enough to offset the money from endorsements. So since they are basically performing at the same level it's not worth the extra time and effort for me. "I'd play a ladies set of clubs if it allowed me to break par." PING G410 LST Fujikura Pro 2.0 Tour Spec 6 Titleist 17, 19, and 21 degree 818 H2 Hybrids Ping G700 5 - GW Titleist Vokey SM7 54 Wedge Titleist Vokey SM7 58 Wedge Evenroll ER3 Snell MTB-X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotblades Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 "I think consumers have forced the hand of some shops to go with known, volume brands. Do you expect them to have a trackman/flightscope when you go in, for instance? It has to be paid for somehow, and they'll sell whatever sells best to pay for such setups, brick and mortar space, etc. The big brands have much more marketing, which only helps move product for them. Plus, I have no idea what the buy-ins are for these smaller brands to get an account. Even large shops can't carry everything, even some products that you might expect them to carry, based on the demands of what the agreement would be to carry the brand. Just talked to a top 100 fitter that had to skip a brand of shafts based on the details of the contract agreement." -Divots You nailed it Divots. Some of these shaft and component companies want you to bacially "invest" in their company BEFORE you can place an order.... I have the Flighscope, tools and a range.....why should I become a "business partner" to a manufacturer. If anything, they should pay ME for hawking their stuff! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Many of the brands mentioned in the OP are forged Japanese prestige brands. Let's face it, these are pricey Lamborghini clubs that cost three times what a Corvette does and only offer a tiny boost in performance, if any. They are only ever going to appeal to deep-pocketed, heterodox thinkers. And they probably like it that way. Ferrari doesn't want to sell to everyone, only the ones they pick who carry thick wads. But some of the other brands, such as Maltby and Wishon, cater to an entirely different crowd. Sensible folks who see past marketing. Solid clubs, for decent prices, trying to do basic things very well. I'm tempted to put Scor/Hogan/Eidolon and Kzg in this category too. But the ONLY ones mentioned where you can get fit and test locally in my state are the Wishon's, thanks to one of the golfing Summerhays family who is a Wishon fitter. A buddy of mine just got a top to bottom Wishon fit and build from him, all in from Driver to wedges for less than $1000. Very solid clubs, very attuned to his game. I was particularly impressed with his wedges. Perhaps that's how you build a brand, virally, one referral at a time. It works for me more than any TV ad. But anyway you look at it, there's only so much magic a differently-shaped chunk of steel on the end of stick can bring to your average hacker. bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cartdriver - Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"fwoods - Jetspeed, 3HL regularirons - Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 upwedges - Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58putter - Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slimball - ProV1x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kor.A.Door Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Exactly. That and it much easier to re-sell name brands a few years down the road. 5 year old Mizuno's are still worth some money.5 year old mizuno are not worth anything Lefties are always in their Right Mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbealsd Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 5 year old mizuno are not worth anything They were worth $125, to me One of my better purchases, actually! What's In the Bag Driver - GBB Hybrids Halo XL Halo 18* & T-Rail 20* Irons T-Rail 2.0 Wedges 60* TS / SCOR 48* 53* 58* Putter Ball Bag Datrek DG Lite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kor.A.Door Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 They were worth $125, to me One of my better purchases, actually! Exactly, I can trade them in for 150, but after spending 1200 by the time the fitting was done, 150 is a slap in the face. I will never buy new ever, ever again, it's a total rip off Lefties are always in their Right Mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hckymeyer Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Exactly, I can trade them in for 150, but after spending 1200 by the time the fitting was done, 150 is a slap in the face. I will never buy new ever, ever again, it's a total rip off It really depends what it is and where you are buying it from. My brother in law was just fitted into Cally Apex irons w/ Nippon Modus 130 shafts. He is getting 5i-GW and the fitter quoted $960 new and built to his specs. Plus if he buys from them half the cost of the fitting gets applied towards the irons. After looking around at used prices it was going to be $400ish for the irons with the wrong shafts and then I would guess a set of pulls for those are going to be in the $150-$200 range. He is also 6'4" tall and needs +1/2" so the likelyhood of finding pulls was not great. So then it's $300 for the shafts. Add in grips and ferrules and we are only $100-$150 off from the price. Then we would also need to build them to his exact specs and do as good of a job as this Master Clubmaker could do. So for the difference in price it was worth it for him to just have them built and not have to worry about piece mealing it together. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally with you on buying used and saving money. I also do my own club work for the most part and that saves money too. But there can still be a time and place for buying new. Driver: SLDR w/ Fujikura Ventus Black 3w: '16 M2 hl w/ Diamana D+ 82 5w: Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Yellow Hybrid: 22 deg. Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Black Irons: 5i - gap Launcher CBX w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Wedges: 54 CBX & 58 Zipcore w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Putter: Red 7s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaidJacket Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Lots of interesting comments. One thing that stands out to me is that some guys have said they don't have access to those types of clubs in their area/town. Me either. I did a few quick searches based on where some of you guys live and found club fitters/builders that carry a few of the non-OEM brands along with some major OEM brands. I can't buy into claims that you would have to drive an hour to find a particular brand or a fitter. You might. Where I live in Texas I have to drive about 4 hours each way to see my fitter to get the clubs I have. There is no one closer. Some are even further. So don't give me the one-hour drive excuse. I have no pity. LOL I'll agree that some custom design-boutique brands are very pricey. I wouldn't be interested in those either. But, using Wishon as an example only... they are affordable. Are they better than Big OEM brands? Maybe - maybe not. I do know that Tom Wishon has much tighter quality control than the Big Boys can offer. Do my Wishons' perform better than Big OEM clubs? Yes... but only because I was professionally fit. Before I purchased my Wishons' back in August '14 I looked at everything. All brands. I searched out various fitters and what types of brands they offered. I'll also admit that I've bought into Tom Wishon's ideology, fitting methods, and clubs. He's a smart guy for sure. And he designs great clubs. What ended up happening for me is that I was lucky enough to have found one of the top fitters in the country. After that I decided on the clubs. I can whole heartily say I made a great decision and investment. Even though this isn't a fitting discussion per se' I recommend that you don't choose a brand and then choose a fitter. Fitter first – brand second. My Sun Mountain bag currently includes: 771CSI 5i - PW and PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges EXS 10.5*, 929-HS FW4 16.5* Willimette w/GolfPride Contour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Lots of interesting comments. One thing that stands out to me is that some guys have said they don't have access to those types of clubs in their area/town. Me either. I did a few quick searches based on where some of you guys live and found club fitters/builders that carry a few of the non-OEM brands along with some major OEM brands. I can't buy into claims that you would have to drive an hour to find a particular brand or a fitter. You might. Where I live in Texas I have to drive about 4 hours each way to see my fitter to get the clubs I have. There is no one closer. Some are even further. So don't give me the one-hour drive excuse. I have no pity. LOL I'll agree that some custom design-boutique brands are very pricey. I wouldn't be interested in those either. But, using Wishon as an example only... they are affordable. Are they better than Big OEM brands? Maybe - maybe not. I do know that Tom Wishon has much tighter quality control than the Big Boys can offer. Do my Wishons' perform better than Big OEM clubs? Yes... but only because I was professionally fit. Before I purchased my Wishons' back in August '14 I looked at everything. All brands. I searched out various fitters and what types of brands they offered. I'll also admit that I've bought into Tom Wishon's ideology, fitting methods, and clubs. He's a smart guy for sure. And he designs great clubs. What ended up happening for me is that I was lucky enough to have found one of the top fitters in the country. After that I decided on the clubs. I can whole heartily say I made a great decision and investment. Even though this isn't a fitting discussion per se' I recommend that you don't choose a brand and then choose a fitter. Fitter first – brand second. OK, I have to ask. Why only TWGT irons and wedges and not woods? “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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