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FACT or Marketing ?


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Can you average golfer tell the difference between OEM and Tour Issue? In my opinion, there is none in putters, but is there on other equipment? 

Also, do some of you believe "Handcrafted" is the same as "Handmade"? 

 

 DRIVER: default_cobra-small.jpg.125f3712aad21ad9f7ca2c672e34a299.jpg  Cobra F-8 set at 10.5,  Aldila NV 2KXV Blue 60 (R) 44 1/2 "

3 & 5 WOOD: default_callaway-small.jpg.a58e7c6760b71a9eb95d385ecc5d2200.jpg Callaway XR-16, Fujikura Speeder Evolution 565 Red (R) 

IRONS 5-SW: default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-700, 2 upright, std loft  Alta CB (R) + 1/2"

HYBRID 3-4:  default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-410, 1 upright,  Alta CB 70 Red (R) + 1/2"

PUTTER: Byron Experimental GSS

 

 

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most tour issue equipment is about tighter build specs. Example dynamic gold tour issue shafts have a .5g tolerance rather than the 1-2g of non tour issue. A tour issue driver head has measured specs so the tour van builder knows exactly what they have in hand and whats needed to get the build done right. I have had several tour issue drivers and fairway woods. The performance difference really isn’t noticeable. 
 

Handcrafted was a term used by project x to market shafts rolled in San Diego by a small group of people rather than the mass production overseas facilities. I’m sure others use it for their boutique lines of putters even though they are all machined and then the finish touches or parts of the build are done by hand. As for golf shafts other than one or two companies all the graphite shafts are hand rolled onto a mandrel before they are placed on a machine that finishes the rolling before it goes to hang on a rack and go they the baking process.

 

As for fact or marketing that’s probably up to each person to determine.

 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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8 hours ago, MadMex said:

Can you average golfer tell the difference between OEM and Tour Issue? In my opinion, there is none in putters, but is there on other equipment? 

Also, do some of you believe "Handcrafted" is the same as "Handmade"? 

 

I don’t personally think there is a construction difference between off the shelf and tour issue.  The processes are the same but the tolerances are higher.  There may also be one off products made that are not released to the public or made to specific specs for a tour player; company B duplicating company A design.  People cannot compare to an off the shelf product because it doesn’t exist. 

tell the difference in what way? Players are sensitive to different things so different  weighting might be noticeable to some. 
 

handcrafted and handmade have subtle differences.  Handmade is 100% by hand with some tools.  Handcrafted can be mostly by machine and utilize human labor in some way to construct the product(more than taking a product out of a bin or moving it to another machine).    A CNC milled putter is not handmade or handcrafted.  If the putter maker then shapes the putter in some way after cnc milling it could be considered handcrafted.   If a person makes a putter with only a manual mill then it is handmade.    Most people probably use them interchangeably.  

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven
Fairway: :titelist-small: TS3 15*  w/Project X Hzardous Smoke
Hybrids:  :titelist-small: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype
                :titelist-small: 915H  24*  w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype        
Irons:      :honma:TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite
Wedge:  :titleist-small: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite
Putter:   :taylormade-small:TM-180

Testing:   SPGC_logo.jpg

Backups:  :odyssey-small: Milled Collection RSX 2, :seemore-small: mFGP2, :cameron-small: Futura 5W

Member:  MGS Hitsquad since 2017697979773_DSCN2368(Custom).JPG.a1a25f5e430d9eebae93c5d652cbd4b9.JPG

 

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1 minute ago, cnosil said:

I don’t personally think there is a construction difference between off the shelf and tour issue.  The processes are the same but the tolerances are higher.  There may also be one off products made that are not released to the public or made to specific specs for a tour player; company B duplicating company A design.  People cannot compare to an off the shelf product because it doesn’t exist. 

tell the difference in what way? Players are sensitive to different things so different  weighting might be noticeable to some. 
 

handcrafted and handmade have subtle differences.  Handmade is 100% by hand with some tools.  Handcrafted can be mostly by machine and utilize human labor in some way to construct the product(more than taking a product out of a bin or moving it to another machine).    A CNC milled putter is not handmade or handcrafted.  If the putter maker then shapes the putter in some way after cnc milling it could be considered handcrafted.   If a person makes a putter with only a manual mill then it is handmade.    Most people probably use them interchangeably.  

Would it be correct to assume then that they come from the same assembly line, but the tour players get to “cherry pick” the best of the best, giving them maxed out CT for driver and very tight weight tolerances?

Obsessed with the game

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20 minutes ago, SkilledByDesign said:

Would it be correct to assume then that they come from the same assembly line, but the tour players get to “cherry pick” the best of the best, giving them maxed out CT for driver and very tight weight tolerances?

The players don’t really get to cherry pick. They are basically measured and sorted then sent to the tour department. 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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21 minutes ago, SkilledByDesign said:

Would it be correct to assume then that they come from the same assembly line, but the tour players get to “cherry pick” the best of the best, giving them maxed out CT for driver and very tight weight tolerances?

That is my assumption.  I doubt they make a special assembly line for tour equipment.  They also get to test the clubs more so their specs are very detailed.  

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven
Fairway: :titelist-small: TS3 15*  w/Project X Hzardous Smoke
Hybrids:  :titelist-small: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype
                :titelist-small: 915H  24*  w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype        
Irons:      :honma:TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite
Wedge:  :titleist-small: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite
Putter:   :taylormade-small:TM-180

Testing:   SPGC_logo.jpg

Backups:  :odyssey-small: Milled Collection RSX 2, :seemore-small: mFGP2, :cameron-small: Futura 5W

Member:  MGS Hitsquad since 2017697979773_DSCN2368(Custom).JPG.a1a25f5e430d9eebae93c5d652cbd4b9.JPG

 

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I have heard, for iron shaft that they take shaft from the same batch and they have tighter quality control on them. I have heard from some good player that they had sometime a shaft in an iron that would not behave like the other. Personally I wouldn't see the difference but I can for sure believe it from a scratch player that he would see it.

I can see it on a hockey stick and you can see some professional hockey player that get 5 dozen of hockey stick and keep like 10 of them.

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Story from back in the day...Faldo was hitting new clubs with Rifle shafts with Barney Adams by his side.  Nick kept going back to one club, as he wasn't hitting it like he thought he should.....tell's Barney "this isn't a 6.0 (forgot the actual flex) shaft, it's not tight enough".  Barney was sure that it was, took the club back and had the shaft tested, it was .5 off of the flex that he was using.  That's how tight a tolerance these guys play with.

Cleveland VAS 792 3-W 🥺

Bobby Grace Fat Lady Swings HSM

Cleveland 588 "rusty" wedges

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55 minutes ago, MarineJoe said:

Story from back in the day...Faldo was hitting new clubs with Rifle shafts with Barney Adams by his side.  Nick kept going back to one club, as he wasn't hitting it like he thought he should.....tell's Barney "this isn't a 6.0 (forgot the actual flex) shaft, it's not tight enough".  Barney was sure that it was, took the club back and had the shaft tested, it was .5 off of the flex that he was using.  That's how tight a tolerance these guys play with.

Tiger during iron testing with TM told the guys his iron was 1/2* off. They were all like there’s no way. They went back and checked and sure enough it was.

Some of the pros are supersensitive in what they feel or see in ball flight and can tell the reps what’s going on. Then you have someone like matt Wolff who played his college golf and early part of his pga career with clubs that were the wrong length and be made them work

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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Tom Wishon told a story about when he was at Golfsmith and working with Scott Verplank. Scott was both an early adopter of graphite iron shafts, and also well known as having an extremely fine sense of feel. Tom had built him a set of irons, and all of the shafts were weight and frequency matched, but Scott was clearly unhappy with some of them. Tom went back and frequency matched them by testing from both ends of the shaft, and eventually developing what became the frequency profile system used today. When Verplank tested the new irons he went through the whole set without saying a word. When he was done, he asked, "OK, what did you do?", and accepted all of the clubs without change.

Moose, my cat, is Siamese

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1 hour ago, MarineJoe said:

Story from back in the day...Faldo was hitting new clubs with Rifle shafts with Barney Adams by his side.  Nick kept going back to one club, as he wasn't hitting it like he thought he should.....tell's Barney "this isn't a 6.0 (forgot the actual flex) shaft, it's not tight enough".  Barney was sure that it was, took the club back and had the shaft tested, it was .5 off of the flex that he was using.  That's how tight a tolerance these guys play with.

With  Rifle shafts, that amount of difference was noticeable

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