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Date: 13 Sep 2006 03:54:48
From: J.Hardy
Subject: Newbie...need club recommendations....clones?.....I'm Sick!
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I'm 39 and just realized I might be able to play this game. I've just
played my first couple rounds and realize I need more than the three
clubs(4I, 3W and putter) I bought at a local pawn shop.
The main problem is my friend whos gotten me into this is left handed so
I've been limited to what I can try. I hear that one of the local ranges has
several things I can try but its limited and ultimately I know I need my own
set.
Here's how it seems to me. Options: I could buy an inexpensive complete set
around $200 or, go up to the next level and get named brand budget clubs and
spend somewhere around 450-600 bucks on a full set, irons -drivers-putter,
bag. Then my other option would be to buy clone clubs like
www.pinemeadowgolf.com or from http://www.gigagolf.com . They also will size
my clubs to my height , 6' 4" however Im still not sure that is
all-important for my first set of clubs. In fact Im not completely sure
that I really need anything other than standard sized clubs.
ANy help I can get will be greatly appreciated,
John
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Date: 13 Sep 2006 04:45:09
From: Rob Davis
Subject: Re: Newbie...need club recommendations....clones?.....I'm Sick!
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Hey John .. welcome to the game. As you might imagine this question gets
asked quite often, so you might try using Google to search for previous
answers.
From my own experience, I've had good luck buying used name brand
(Cleveland, Titleist, Ping) irons. The larger golf stores (Golfsmith,
Roger Dunn) often have a pretty good selection of used irons ... Ebay is
also pretty good, but you can't try before you buy. A full set of irons
with your 3w and putter would be fine for starters (probably need a sand
wedge eventually).
Nothing wrong with the other options you mention ... I've just felt
better about name brands, and buying used saves a ton of money.
Fitting is worth while ... especially at 6'4" you may be tall enough to
notice the difference. But a clubmaker can adjust most sets, and used
sets are sometimes already a little upright or longer shafts.
Rob
J.Hardy wrote:
> I'm 39 and just realized I might be able to play this game. I've just
> played my first couple rounds and realize I need more than the three
> clubs(4I, 3W and putter) I bought at a local pawn shop.
> The main problem is my friend whos gotten me into this is left handed so
> I've been limited to what I can try. I hear that one of the local ranges has
> several things I can try but its limited and ultimately I know I need my own
> set.
> Here's how it seems to me. Options: I could buy an inexpensive complete set
> around $200 or, go up to the next level and get named brand budget clubs and
> spend somewhere around 450-600 bucks on a full set, irons -drivers-putter,
> bag. Then my other option would be to buy clone clubs like
> www.pinemeadowgolf.com or from http://www.gigagolf.com . They also will size
> my clubs to my height , 6' 4" however Im still not sure that is
> all-important for my first set of clubs. In fact Im not completely sure
> that I really need anything other than standard sized clubs.
>
> ANy help I can get will be greatly appreciated,
> John
>
>
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Date: 13 Sep 2006 10:24:01
From: cja
Subject: Re: Newbie...need club recommendations....clones?.....I'm Sick!
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J.Hardy wrote:
> So what about these clones...
> www.pinemeadowgolf.com or from http://www.gigagolf.com
> ...are they not good values?
>
I think the consensus is that the quality of "clone" clubs like these
is not nearly as good as what can be built from components from Maltby,
Wishon, etc. - the more well known, and highly regarded, club component
manufacturers. (I don't have any first-hand knowledge of the companies
you pointed us to.)
You can search the web for clubmakers (or better yet, find a local
clubmaker that can fit you in person) that will assemble clubs from
components you choose, and make sure they're built to fit. With your
height, I think this is the best way to go. It might cost you a bit
more than the clones you're looking at, but you'd end up with much
better clubs. You can also have name-brand clubs built to fit, but it
sounds like you don't want to spend that kind of money.
Or, another school of thought, since you're a beginner, would be to
make do for a while with any pawn shop/garage sale/hand-me-down clubs
you can scrounge up, develop some sort of golf swing, then get a good
set of clubs built for you.
- cja
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Date: 13 Sep 2006 16:26:35
From: J.Hardy
Subject: Re: Newbie...need club recommendations....clones?.....I'm Sick!
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So what about these clones...
www.pinemeadowgolf.com or from http://www.gigagolf.com
...are they not good values? The cost of these may be less expensive than
used name brand clubs and can be sized correctly to me. Im sure they arent
as good as what they are aimed to be but at $150 for a set of custom big
bertha clone irons can I really go wrong? They seem to get good reviews,
both the Pinemeadow and the Acer clubs from gigagolf. Honestly Im leaning
that way....however that leads me to another question: How much longer clubs
should I order? Gigagolf puts me into 1/2" longer with a +3lie while
Pinemeadow puts me into 1" longer clubs.
Thanks for your input so far, anything else you all can add would be
fantastic.
-John
"J.Hardy" <johnhardy1@yahooDOTcom > wrote in message
news:ciLNg.140448$FQ1.118176@attbi_s71...
>
>
>
> I'm 39 and just realized I might be able to play this game. I've just
> played my first couple rounds and realize I need more than the three
> clubs(4I, 3W and putter) I bought at a local pawn shop.
> The main problem is my friend whos gotten me into this is left handed so
> I've been limited to what I can try. I hear that one of the local ranges
> has several things I can try but its limited and ultimately I know I need
> my own set.
> Here's how it seems to me. Options: I could buy an inexpensive complete
> set around $200 or, go up to the next level and get named brand budget
> clubs and spend somewhere around 450-600 bucks on a full set,
> irons -drivers-putter, bag. Then my other option would be to buy clone
> clubs like www.pinemeadowgolf.com or from http://www.gigagolf.com . They
> also will size my clubs to my height , 6' 4" however Im still not sure
> that is all-important for my first set of clubs. In fact Im not
> completely sure that I really need anything other than standard sized
> clubs.
>
> ANy help I can get will be greatly appreciated,
> John
>
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Date: 13 Sep 2006 05:57:43
From: S McFarlane
Subject: Re: Newbie...need club recommendations....clones?.....I'm Sick!
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"J.Hardy" <johnhardy1@yahooDOTcom > wrote in message
news:ciLNg.140448$FQ1.118176@attbi_s71...
>
>
>
Run as fast as you can away from this crazy game!!!!
If that sensible advice didn't work, then my advice to you is to check into
clubmaking. It is incredibly easy to do, and if you are in the vicinity of
a major metro area then there is a good chance that there is a retail outlet
that specializes in helping non-experts build there own clubs (a.k.a.
Golfsmith, Golf galaxy, etc.). Barring that, the parts can still be
purchased online, though this is far inferior to working with one of the
retail outlets if you are not experienced with clubmaking.
The advantage to this approach is that you can build very high quality clubs
for at least half-price of the 'equivalent' name brand offering. For
example, I paid $41 for a forged carbon steel wedge. The shaft is not the
best available, so add $20 to that for very close to the best that money can
buy shaft-wise, and you're talking $60 dollars. That sounds like a lot of
money for one club, but the end result differs from the best available only
in terms of personal preference. That's half the price of an equivalent
retail wedge. There's about 30 minutes labor involved once you get the hang
of it.
Minus $100 dollars for a bag, that $450-600 would go a very long way if
building your own clubs. You could either spend that kind of money and end
up with a very high quality set or spend much less and get a set equivalent
to off-the-shelf retail quality.
IMO, the real difference is that the Golfsmith's of the world have
everything you need to make it a completely customized set, and in my
experience they are very helpful to beginners. That you probably can't get
retail without spending a lot more money, and you definitely can't get it if
you only have $500 to spend for everything including the bag. If you are
6'4", a standard set is way off from what you need. You require at least
1/2" over standard length and probably 2-3* lie adjustment on the irons. If
you want that level of customization in a retail set, get out the wallet.
If you build them yourself, that part is free.
Scott
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Date: 13 Sep 2006 18:51:47
From: uncle k
Subject: Re: Newbie...need club recommendations....clones?.....I'm Sick!
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"J.Hardy" <johnhardy1@yahooDOTcom > wrote in message
> ..............
> Here's how it seems to me. Options: I could buy an inexpensive complete
> set around $200 or, go up to the next level and get named brand budget
> clubs and spend somewhere around 450-600 bucks on a full set,
> irons -drivers-putter, bag. Then my other option would be to buy clone
> clubs like www.pinemeadowgolf.com or from http://www.gigagolf.com . They
> also will size my clubs to my height , 6' 4" however Im still not sure
> that is all-important for my first set of clubs. In fact Im not
> completely sure that I really need anything other than standard sized
> clubs.
> ...........
Well John, you're not tall enough to play pro basketball, but enough to take
some care with proper fitting, before you buy clubs. I've actaully read
that tall people should generally use standard clubs, but short people may
benefit from longer clubs. Visit a couple of discount stores and ask for
help, while you get jazzed up about which clubs look good to you.
Next, it's a matter of whether cost is an object or not. If not, buy
quality, name brand clubs. If cost matters, hit eBay and begin to learn
what things really go for. Hit the websites of all the golf retailers.
Look for used sets or close-outs on new clubs.
You want to be a golfer, not a club-maker, right? Stay with name brands.
Clones are too likely to be crap. For even money, I'd much rather have a
used set of quality clubs than a brand new set of K-Mart toy clubs, but even
better, new, quality clubs - cheap. It ought to take only about 1/3 of your
brain to set yourself up well, for about 1/3 of the retail cost of new
everything.
Good luck, and my sympathy in advance for all the things which might go
wrong... from the top of your backswing, back to the earth, that is.
Unc
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Date: 13 Sep 2006 21:59:14
From: J.Hardy
Subject: Re: Newbie...need club recommendations....clones?.....I'm Sick!
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"uncle k" <no_spam@all.com > wrote in message
> Clones are too likely to be crap. For even money, I'd much rather have a
> used set of quality clubs than a brand new set of K-Mart toy clubs, but
> even better, new, quality clubs - cheap. It ought to take only about 1/3
> of your brain to set yourself up well, for about 1/3 of the retail cost
> of new everything.
> Unc
Do you have any experience with the Pinemeadow clubs or the Acers from
Gigagolf? I've read numerous reviews from all over the web and it's hard to
find a negative one. Many of the glowing ones came from seasoned players
who tried their friends. With that said a lot of the reviewers do say that
while the clones may be modeled after a certain club ie big bertha, X-18 etc
they arent quite up to snuff with them yet they go on to rave about the
quality and overall value of the clubs. Believe me I've been looking at used
sets and whenever I find decent used clubs they cost at least double what
the clone version costs and the clones are custom sized to me (and have a
30-day full refund guarantee/1 yr warrantee)....apparently I need +1/2" to
1" length and about a 3* lie adjustment. I have time...I guess I'll keep
studying and if my patience holds I'll end up with something I wont regret.
Certainly any more thoughts on this will be very welcomed.
-John
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Date: 14 Sep 2006 00:27:34
From: S McFarlane
Subject: Re: Newbie...need club recommendations....clones?.....I'm Sick!
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"J.Hardy" <johnhardy1@yahooDOTcom > wrote in message
news:Sa%Ng.186153$1i1.21983@attbi_s72...
>
> Do you have any experience with the Pinemeadow clubs or the Acers from
> Gigagolf? I've read numerous reviews from all over the web and it's hard
> to find a negative one. Many of the glowing ones came from seasoned
> players who tried their friends. With that said a lot of the reviewers do
> say that while the clones may be modeled after a certain club ie big
> bertha, X-18 etc they arent quite up to snuff with them yet they go on to
> rave about the quality and overall value of the clubs. Believe me I've
> been looking at used sets and whenever I find decent used clubs they cost
> at least double what the clone version costs and the clones are custom
> sized to me (and have a 30-day full refund guarantee/1 yr
> warrantee)....apparently I need +1/2" to 1" length and about a 3* lie
> adjustment. I have time...I guess I'll keep studying and if my patience
> holds I'll end up with something I wont regret. Certainly any more
> thoughts on this will be very welcomed.
> -John
>
The bit about +3* lie might be correct, but on the other hand that is
strictly a number from a static fit (based on your measurements). Correct
lie doesn't lend itself well to static fitting. Even club length is better
done dynamically. That's one of the drawbacks to online only stores. They
really can't do dynamic fitting by their nature. In my case, a static fit
happened to be right on the money, but there's never a guarantee. Checking
for lie is very easily done, but the adjustment would cost a ~$5 a club if a
readjustment was necessary from the online stores.
I've heard good things about Pinemeadow, but on the other hand I've also
heard bad things about clones in general. Maybe a good plan would be to be
a 7-iron from them, see how you like it, then try a demo club of a namebrand
club for comparison. You certainly can't argue with the price. I went with
a retail component company because I didn't want to take chances. Going
that way, you can hit demos of all their offered components before deciding.
No matter what way you go, you should try to get your clubhead speed
measured at least (preferably a launch monitor as well). The shaft you use
is almost as important as the clubhead (some clubmakers would say more
important), and without some idea of clubhead speed and launch angle your
choice of shaft is a shot in the dark. A bad choice in this area can make a
good clubhead play lousy for you.
Scott
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