knock-offs vs. name brand

[tdaniels]

Anyone ever tried or use any of the many knock-off clubs out there?

I was taking some ibuprofen this morning and it got me thinking. In the medical world generic brand drugs are the exact same as the name brand. Only much cheaper. They can do this because the name brand's patent has expired.

So anyway, I was wondering how closely the knock-offs of golf compare to the name brands.

 

[Davebud]

I have been thinking very hard about it

I have been thinking about it. It seems to me that if the club performs similiarly and I could save that dough it can't be all bad. I know I would rather have Callaway X-18's but I also know I suck at this so far. While I am sure I will get better and still want the Callaways at some point, if I can buy a set of clubs with the characteristics of a Ping G2 or Callaway Big Bertha or X-18, and save my money until my game warrants a Premium Set of Irons I cannot see the down side of tht.

(the keys words in the above post are similar and characteristics, and the key point is that I still suck at golf.)

 

[obagain]

If you get a quality knock off with a good shaft you can save some money.
The drawback is resale. If you want to sell it later you will be looking at about 10% of original cost, if you can sell it at all.

 

[Davebud]

That is true about resale

I can't find any used to buy, I have looked. The flip side of the coin is that my favorite Telescope for years was a 10" scope I made myself. I bought the mirror premade and made the rest of the scope. There is a certain satisfaction that comes with using one you built yourself. I would have liked to have ground the mirror myself, but my wife was not amendable to the hours of incessant cursing that would have gone along with that. She let me build my own but only if I bought the mirror, the point is you can build your own component knock offs and have the fun of playing a club you assembled and that appeals to me.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Another downside is that if you ever choose to add or replace clubs with you set, you have to rely on the the company still being around, and still making the club as they will much harder to find on say eBay.

My wife started off with Callaway knockoff woods that she purchased from a place called Golf Augusta, which closed shortly after. It was one off the few places that had LH womens woods in stock. The following year she wanted to add a matching 9w. She was pretty much SOL. She loved the clubs, although were not really any cheaper than buying a more readily available "last years model" of one of the top manufacturers. Well, the airlines got her clubs last year, so she went with the real Callaways this time around. She hit well before, she hits these considerably better.

Although availability would be a big reason I personally would not choose the Knock-offs, and instead go with last years model of a name brand and most likely save money even over the knock offs. I also tend to believe the R&D that the top companies put into clubs will further help your game.

If you think about the Knock off dealers do not put the same amount of money into R&D, so I would assume that last years model may infact be a better club than this years model Knockoff. Take the knockoff wood that my wife had that cost $100-120. Much Cheaper than the $159-199 model that it resembles. Although is it much better than last years model that you can now find for about $59-79 new in the store? I guess if saving money is the option you are looking for, then there may be better options in my opinion.

 

[Davebud]

I am not quite that organized

If money were no object at all, I would have a pretty mixed bag any how. This is a hypothetical bag.

Driver: Either the Nike SasQuatch or the Ping G5
Fairway Woods: Cleveland Launchers or Callaway X's
Hybrids:Cobra Baffler
Irons: Callaway X-18's
Wedges: Cleveland CG10's
Putter: Taylormade:Rossa AGSI Monza Corza

Total Cost of about $2350

In Knock Offs I can get what is similar for about $700

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

If money were no object at all, I would have a pretty mixed bag any how. This is a hypothetical bag.

Driver: Either the Nike SasQuatch or the Ping G5
Fairway Woods: Cleveland Launchers or Callaway X's
Hybrids:Cobra Baffler
Irons: Callaway X-18's
Wedges: Cleveland CG10's
Putter: Taylormade:Rossa AGSI Monza Corza

Total Cost of about $2350

In Knock Offs I can get what is similar for about $700

Going back to older models and cheaper price (just looking at Rockbottom Golf):
TM 540 Driver - $119 580 - $149
TM RAC 3-PW - $329
Adams GT2 3-PW - $109
Adams Tight Lies FW - $29-39

Driver - $119
2 FW - $60
3-PW $109
Throw in a couple wedges and a putter for maybe $100
Under $400
Probably comes down to what you trust more, and how much you want to save.

And again, you should be able to find replacements on eBay or in the store for years to come.

edit 1 - Thinking more about this, in all fairness, you could not get fitted for these irons at this cost. You may be able to on the knockoffs.

 

[longiron]

Anyone ever tried or use any of the many knock-off clubs out there?

I was taking some ibuprofen this morning and it got me thinking. In the medical world generic brand drugs are the exact same as the name brand. Only much cheaper. They can do this because the name brand's patent has expired.

So anyway, I was wondering how closely the knock-offs of golf compare to the name brands.

The main difference between OEM and Knock offs is inferior metals. The reason they are cheap is because they are cheaply made. As Jayhawk said you would be better off going with last years model or used then going with knock offs.

 

[ualtim]

If you are looking for some quality component companies rather than the knock-offs, I would suggest Golfworks, Golfsmith, and Tom Wishon Golf. You can get the latest in technology, the latest in metals and materials, top quality components, and a better price than buying off the rack with name brand clubs (assuming that you assemble the clubs yourself.)

The only drawback to component golf clubs is resale value as obagain stated. If you are going to continually change your clubs on an annual basis, you might be better off with the name brand clubs second hand via E-bay, Golfclub Exchange, and obagain's site once its up and running as you will be able to get some of your investment back to go towards your next purchase.

I have been building my own for the last 10 years and really enjoy that aspect of the hobby as well. I still own my first set of component clubs built and probably will never get rid of them. My second set I was able to sell to someone just starting out in golf and was looking for a bargain set to learn with. I am currently on my third set now, but have the components for my fourth set of irons just waiting to be assembled. Ideally, I would like to get to a point where I have fours complete sets of clubs so that I can loan'em out if someone comes down for a visit and does not want to pack their own clubs. I was not even looking to sell my second set (which were an experiment to begin with as I was trying a set of irons with a thick topline and ended up not really likeing, but I got them on a huge deal and could not resist) but parted with them so I could get someone else started in the game. For me, resale was not even a consideration, but if I ever got to the point where I have too many clubs, I would probably end up donating them to a charitable organization.

In the end, it is up to you and what you are looking for. Components offer a cheaper entry into the latest technology, but offer little in resale value. I find the hobby rewarding, and love being able to customize every aspect and component to fit my swing profile and size. Name Brand clubs are a better value if bought used, and if you plan to change your clubs frequently, that may be the better option as you will have a better chance to reclaim some of your investment.

Enjoy the search!

 

[Don]

If you do your home work, and check around for reviews of some of the component companys products, you can save a lot of money going with components rather than OEM clubs. Especially with irons. I built my first set of irons, the Leyland LX2's, a close copy of the Callaway X-16's. Heads cost $7.50 each, grips cost less than $2 each. Shafts run $5 to $15 each. So you can see that a good set of irons can be build for $15 to $25 a club. That comes to $120 to $200 for a set of 8 irons. One thing that's a real bonus is that you don't have to build a 3 and 4 iron if you don't normally play those clubs. Build only the 5 - PW and save more money, money you can use for a GW, SW, and a few hybrids if you want. As for resale value, I don't really care if I can't resale my component clubs some day. I saved enough on the purchase price, that I'm money ahead even if I never sell them. I've got about $200 in my set of LX2 irons and that includes 11 clubs, 3-PW, GW, SW and LW. At the time I built them, the Callaway X-16's were selling for $699.00, 3-PW only. I have 3 more clubs, which I use all the time, and I saved $500. Fact is, NO ONE WOULD EVER GIVE ME $500 FOR A USE SET OF X-16 IRONS, SO I'M MONEY AHEAD PLAYING MY SET OF LX2'S. PLUS, IF YOU REALLY LIKE A SET OF IRONS, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO SELL THEM?
So Tdaniels: if you are interested in a good set of irons, I'd suggest you check out the LX2 irons from www.csggolf.com. Install a good steel shaft, and you will not be disappointed in any way. They play just like the X-16 Callaway irons, which means real forgiving with a long, straight ball flight. If that's not what you are interested in getting with a set of irons, look somewhere else.

 

[3Bogey]

I agree with Don 100%. If you are not into high priced name brands than a good component club will offer you as good if not better perfromance at a considerably lesser price. But you must find a good component company because from experience there are some bad ones out there. I'm just starting to dabble in clubmaking and through clubmaker forums I have found out some pretty interesting things about OEM golf clubs. First just about every club component be-it through an OEM company or a good component company are manufactured from 1 of maybe 5 factories in China using virtually the same material. Also OEM companies skimp on shafts. The shaft is the engine of the club and many OEM companies pick a one size fits all shaft. By custom designing your own not only will you save money but you can build a club that will perform for you.

 

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

What are the must-have items for a person to build their own clubs?

I guess you need a vise, but what else?

I've really been thinking about this, and I'm very tempted to one day order from Tom Wishon's site so I can build my own set of irons.

 

[tdaniels]

I'm not to concerned about irons, just bout some 04 BB's. However I do need wedges and a hybrid or two. Probably dish out the doe for wedges, but have considered buying knock-offs or building my own hybrids.

my main question was more about the materials and shafts that knock-offs use.

 

[bames]

I watched a documentary about how knock-offs were molds that were often times stolen from the manufacturing plant. This would imply that the shape of the club is identical to an OEM, but I would assume that the material is inferior. Any support on this?

 

[ualtim]

What are the must-have items for a person to build their own clubs?

I guess you need a vise, but what else?

I've really been thinking about this, and I'm very tempted to one day order from Tom Wishon's site so I can build my own set of irons.

For basic club assembly, you can start without a large investment in equipment. My first clubs were built with minimal tooling, but I have acquired more tools as I have progressed. A vice would be nice, but not necessary. Minimally, you need a tool to cut the shaft, sandpaper, shafting epoxy, the components of the club, grip tape, and solvent. Depending on ferrule selection, you may need some acetone to finish the ferrule if you need to match it to hosel diameter, but you can find ferrules that match the diameter of the hosel that do not require ferrule finishing.

The more tools you have, the easier and faster the process goes, but they are not necessary to start out. I would recommend starting with a single club such as a wedge, putter, or Driver just to see if it is something that you could enjoy. From there, you may want to start investing in some swingweighting materials if you want to build a set of irons so that you can match the swingweight through out the set.

Golfmsith offers some individual club assembly kits which include most of the materials you need to build a single club which would allow to try it before investing in larger quantities of epoxy etc.

Have fun!