), Takomo Golf Clubs Review: (As Good as Expected? Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. "dateModified": "2022-05-12", I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. FS - Fiberbuilt Flight Deck / GripMaster Roo pulls, New Vokey SM8 52 & 56 wedge set / New Titleist Caps (for bigger heads) / New Cobra RadSpeed 10.5* Driver, Peacoat, with premium, upgraded shaft, TSR3 ub-6x, cobra radspeed, TEE pro 721 driver and 3w, Ventus Black TR Folds of Honor 6x w/ TM Adapter, Ventus Red TR 6x w/ TM Adapter, Adidas Tour 360 22 Size 13, MyStealth2 Driver Headcover. Wide sole. $89.99. Jim, If you are interested in writing about the history of the urethane covered golf ball at Titleist, I can provide all of the facts. Youve forgotten the worst offender. Just terribleand never sold thruas well it shouldnt. The likes of Callaway, TaylorMade, and PING all enjoyed good commercial success in the late nineties, and Spalding couldnt match the same feats achieved by the biggest brands. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. The Cobra set left handed golf club set is made of premium products. HellI know I dont and I have been involved in some type of internet golf business since[], THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST: Farve The Looper (CONGRATS!) It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. Still have the clubs in my basement. Find golf club trade-in and re-sales values for over 4,000 models of used golf clubs at the PGA Value Guide, from leading manufacturers such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping, Odyssey, Nike, Cleveland, Mizuno, Cobra, Adams, Wilson. One of the most famous Spalding clubs was the Cran Cleek (club with a narrow face and little loft) for poor fairway lies and even putts. While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. Since you mentioned it in the article, how about doing the history of Ben Hogan golf from its inception in 1953 to itd ultimate demise under Callaway and then its resurrection in 2015. Dont be ashamed thoughsome of these designs have actually been pioneering for the industry. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. The shelves are full of the latest and greatest technology (hybrids, woods the size of a frying pan, dozens of shaft offerings), in 20+ years people will be laughing at those funky sticks as well. Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. As a designer, the design is perfect and although they look funny, they were a great club, ask Cory Pavin. Would you make an iron set out of stone? lots of memories here. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Spalding sponsored Vardons 1900 tour of America, culminating in Vardon winning the U.S. Open in Chicago. Its on the list! Great list! Sold them to a guy 30 years younger who also loved them. Buyers can still find Spalding clubs on some secondary sites. "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" but worth a kings ransom, Great post thanks mgs but i agree with dj ,The doctor rx has to be on the list. "@type": "ImageObject", I love it but was told it is no a legal putter. One of my buddies gave me a Tiger Shark wedge the one with 3 different alignment lines, concave dimples on the face instead of grooves, and a funky dual bounce sole configuration. "https://www.instagram.com/_swingyard_/", Really solid clubs. By 1970, the ownership group morphed into the Questor Corporation, and Pyramid Rubber was rechristened Evenflo. 1-949-642-6484 . It was an excellent article and some of the follow-on comments from industry stalwarts like Jack Wullkotte, David Hueber, Tom Wishon, etc. I know that this is a very late reply but I actually knew the designer of these irons and spent time speaking with him. not just the American side , some of Europe and some from Japan makers also wacky !!! We had small layoffs on an ongoing basis, and people kept looking over their shoulder. when were spalding executive golf clubs madeoregon dpsst training calendar. They say you learn from your mistakes. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. Well done. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. I saw the Cisneros brothers maybe once in my time there, he says. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. There was a time that Spalding golf clubs were among the best in the business. Like many of his other unconventional looking but super functional designs for the time this one flew off the shelves. You cannot do that with any other club. In 1895, Spalding started making golf balls. Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. Their president at the time said this about the newly released irons, Titanic irons are the first long irons even God and you can hit. Now that is a bold statement that should of had you guys flocking to purchase these beauties. But just because it was wacky did not mean it was not a hellova seller. What about Pax (Paul Goydos promoted them)? The VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! Although from a phone-in interview Mr. VAS told us, I feel robbed. I would appreciate any help you could offer! I had never seen the Fila irons before now. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), Acushnet 2022 Financials: $2.27 Billion and Counting, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Four Testers Wanted Inesis Spikeless Shoe. I have a full set of Exec XE irons. I cant remember who made them, but I remember reading about an iron that was adjustable so its loft could be wildly altered. Jones famously retired from golf after winning the 1930 version of the Grand Slam. i was pretty impressed with the club. I wonder what Jack thought of them. Current owner FILA Korea Ltd took Acushnet public, and the company has thrived ever since. I want to say they were called Ironwoods but I cant find them on the internet maybe they were just in one of my wild dreams!! My first set of irons were the Tiger Sharks.The ball seemed to jump off the face.I still have them.My second set,still in play,are the Vas+.I love them.I hit them a mile high and they feel great.When I hear them calledthe worst irons ever it makes me wonder what the heck Im missing out on. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Great insight! I use them in Central Texas when the fairways are hard and the greens harder (late summer and all winter). You should shoot me some pics of your new set. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. They are for sale. Love to see them. Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. Can you come up with any info on these? All Irons for men were 37. I really enjoy reading your articles, John. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", The Black Dots and Red Dots were equivalent to the Titleist black numerals and red numerals. This stuff is really interesting.. These skids are tapered from the leading edge toward the rear of the club head, raising the sole above the ground without raising the leading edge off the ground. Tom Farrell. "@type": "Article", I take them out every couple of years and play a round with them just for fun. I surely do remember those Dot balls that my brother and I would find on OFCC in south suburbs of Chicago because we couldnt afford them but you really had to pay attention to look at those balls before you grounded your club or you would put a significant cut in them. I still have a set of samurai woods and irons,,and still use them,,had a pro hit my 7 iron once,,it flew his 7iron,,he was amazed,they hit great,,but graphite wears down over years and breaks,and when that happens,,its hard to find a replacement,,,. I still have the samurai irons,2-pw and woods,driver,3w,5w,7w,,and still use them. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. They also said this, Because titanium is 40% lighter than steel, yet incredibly strong, the Ray Cook design team was able to create club heads substantially larger than standard oversize irons and add significantly more mass in the heel and toe. About half of our sales are with personal names or corporate logos in the back and given as gifts. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." He has provided some keen insights from his time with Mr. Hogan in other articles and podcasts. Mismanagement and a growing golf market led Spalding to cease manufacturing golf products, selling off popular brands like Top Flite to Callaway in the early 2000s. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. It was in A Disordly Compendium of Golf I cant find my copy (actually havent seen it in a few months) but I know it was in there. Fantastic article John! They got so popular at the time that it scared club makers badly (Every set was pretty much custom built then), and Golfing associations banned the club from play. And Jim Furyk won the 2003 U.S. Open with the new Strata Ace, which featured playing card suits (a la Penfold) instead of numbers. I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. Autore dell'articolo: Articolo pubblicato: 16/06/2022 Categoria dell'articolo: fixed gantry vs moving gantry cnc Commenti dell'articolo: andy's dopey transposition cipher andy's dopey transposition cipher Jones immediately put his Georgia Tech engineering degree to good use. It is called a hollow wedge, but you can putt with it as well. Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. Spalding quickly grew, making baseball gloves and uniforms and the first modern baseball bat. Thanks for the history lesson, truly amazing how fast Spalding unraveled. but fairly forgiving. Great nostalgia with the article. Spalding lost $27 million in 2000 and another $20 million in 2001. I have a set of clubs with Belmont Power on them. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. Ive seen several of those uglies up close over the years so this was fun to view. They preceded hybrid irons by 20 years or so. But the funky look kept me from ever thinking about buying a whole set. Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. Regardless, both are great sets. As the 21st Century dawned, it had impressive sales and deep-pocket owners, but in reality, it was staring down the barrel of a gun. The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. This technology is a shank-proof hosel. The player would then conveniently cover the top of his bag with a towel so that no one would see the length of the irons. I have a 3-15 wood set that are fun to play with. * Note: These irons were designed by Dave (cant remember last name) which was considered a very good designer by others in the business at the time and one that some felt did not get as much credit as he deserved. The Top-Flite acquisition made it a player. MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. Estimated resale value today:. Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. So I sent it in and got the iron. All that creativity has led to the great clubs we have today. Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. In 1962, Pyramid merged with Dunhill International and the AP Parts Corporation. Men's Right Handed. We want your input before testing begins. You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. I had a friend who worked for Gary Player and he sent me his brand called iGNITORS Those were fairly strange and not particular long! Established in Caracas in 1929 as a small material transport business, the Cisneros Group had its fingers in everything from soft drinks, ice cream, and beauty products to banking and a burgeoning telecommunications business. Driver to 15 wood. Decent? Dreadful golf balls! Starting in 1900, Spalding opened club-making factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. Who Makes Dunlop Golf Clubs? Anyone hear of them? Just bought a set of Nicklaus Linear Dynamics N1 Golf Irons at a thrift shop in Vegas. At the time of the sale, it was considered the lowest cost and most efficient operation in the industry. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. I cannot find any information on this club, maybe they were a golfsmith thing from early 2000s?? My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. I have the entire set of samurai woods and irons,,,driver,3wood,5wood,7wood,,irons,,2-pw,dont believe they ever made a sw,,,,and I still use them,,,my fellow golfers are still amazed at the distance I get,,if you want a picture of the set,,let me know,,ill take one and send to you,,, I have the whole set of samurai irons,2-pw and woods1,3,5,7,,still use them,,i have had pros hit them,,and be amazed at the distances over their irons,,,i would like to find another 5wood,if anyone knows where or who has 1,,i, neil,,do you have a samuarai 5 wood,,,hard to find,,,id like one. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He actually manufactured a set of irons whose heads were literally upside down take an iron, turn in upside down, your top edge now hits the turf, the sole having a hosel. They are exactly like the Cleveland Ironwood set you see now, but it was made y..e..a..r..s ago. They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. Another great history piece. ENTER NOW! What are the Most Forgiving Forged Irons? Original? While theyre old-school, Spalding clubs are made to high standards and are built to last, making them a great option if youre looking for a cheap and cheerful set of clubs. It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. BombTech Golf Reviews (These Golf Clubs Any Good? Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. Recently I bought another set (I keep an eye on E-Bay for them) so I could have extras & other club sets for friends that come into town. Kind of reminds one of the Hogan radial but not near as wide on the soul. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! I don't mind the executives though, don't really know much about them either. Press J to jump to the feed. The Start Of Spalding Golf Clubs In 1905, a sporting goods company saw that golf was starting to become quite popular in the United States. They had fantastic fairway woods that I still take out for a spin every once in a while. Love them oldies. It was a close race but in the end we felt like it was finally time for the super-rare and hard to find Lil David Slingers get the recognition they were due. You might be wondering how the hell did a Ping iron make the listbut look againthis one definitely deserves to be on the list for Wackiest Irons. Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. * Note: These irons were designed by Pat Simmons and ex-pilot and engineer which also had a part in the Zebra putter design. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. Clear editor. Scott Stallings - WITB - 2023 Genesis Invitational. I shoot mid-80s like OP. } When youre in the market for Spalding clubs, bear in mind that they were branded as Top-Flite clubs for a while, so be sure to broaden your search to include Top-Flite models. As weve discussed before, its extremely difficult for legacy brands to remain relevant, especially when new, fresh brands get aggressive. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. $86.40 shipping. To maintain the limit of 14 clubs in the bag, I change off now and then. It wasnt very sophisticated back then, and they wanted to add layers of sophistication that they had in their other businesses. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. Only until tomorrow until my hybrids come in and boom they're gone. If so, are they any good? Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. Spalding decided it would be good business to provide golf course design services free of charge to anyone with the money and inclination to build one. It kept some of those out of my bag Im sure. If so send them to contact(at)mygolfspy.com. Wish the 5 iron would have been there. Every iron ever made is ugly as hell when you hit it off the hosel. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s.