Your opinion of Clone Clubs

[dave39]

I have seen a few people with "Clone" clubs on their "Whats in your bag" signature. This makes me very upset. I am a rational person so I understand the cost is the reason people buy these, but come on. Ebay makes it so easy to get used clubs for the same price as these clones. I have not had even an off brand club in my bag since I was 16, and I am far from rich. If you are a beginner to the game, you do not need to go drop $1000 on a new set. Go get a set from a few years ago used. If you are going through the trouble of posting on a golf forum while stating you have a clone in your bag, you immediately (however irrational this is) lose my respect. Its like pull carts and iron covers, you just don't do it.

As far as clone clubs go: I don't think that all are horrible but since ebay has been around there really is no reason to buy clones unless you just want NEW clubs for cheap rather than used clubs for cheap. I have tried a couple of nike driver clones, safe to say that I would NEVER purchase one.. performance was very poor.

As far as iron covers go: It is a personal choice to protect your clubs, it is neither right or wrong.. just a simple choice. There is nothing wrong with people wanting to protect their $900 iron sets. As far as pull carts go: Some day, if you are lucky enough to still be playing golf, you will eat your words. I know many members of all ages who love to pull their clubs. Saves some energy and still lets them walk the course while playing. Nothing wrong with that at all. Thread Starter: Maybe you need to analyze what you believe and realize that people are all different and what you think is right is in fact not right for all others. Also, if you don't respect someone just because of the clubs that they play on the course than you are not deserving of respect from anyone else. Time to look outside the box bud.

[r7 425]

Clones are junk. I hit a clone of ping eye 2's and i can tell you that cheap steel is used. If you buy a clone --you are losing strokes on your game--trust me on this one fellas

[MasterOfTheBogey]

I can definatley understand why people buy clones. I just spent 2000 dollars re-stocking my bag and am still probably not done with my purchases.

Iron covers are extremely easy to keep up with, Pull the club, take off the cover, place cover in pocket, hit ball, clean club, place cover back on the iron, place back in bag. Not to hard for me to keep up with. Also, keeps my clubs prestine (spelling?).

Personally, whether the person has 2000 dollars worth in their bag or 100 dollars worth doesnt make them any less knowledgable or any less of a player. The thing that is great about this game is that anyone can play it. No exclusions.

[choran]

I definitely cannot see why anyone would think less of a golfer based on the type of clubs they play (clones or not). if clones don't play as well, they are only hurting their game, and why should I or anyone else care about their game?

As far as pull carts, who cares if someone pulls their bag, or carries it? Everyone has the opportunity to carry their bag, pull a cart, or ride in a cart (at least at every course I've played). So if you think that pulling their bag is an advantage, then why not either pull yours or rent a cart?

And the iron covers...why anyone would look down on a golfer because of iron covers boggles me. I use them to keep my irons in as good as a condition as possible for as long as I can (considering I have considerable money in them). You can prefer to have them, or prefer not to have them, but I don't understand why anyone would look down on someone who has them.

Just my opinions, but I try not to judge people on things that don't matter like clubs, iron covers, or whether or not they pull their bag.

[Golf Yokel]

The OP of this thread just convinced me to go buy some iron covers...

[dave39]

The OP of this thread just convinced me to go buy some iron covers...

haha, maybe everyone should get some :P

[michaeljames92]

@ sparky redick: shut up. you sound like such a prick. pull carts are not golf? why should people have to caddy theyre own bag while playing. its a free country and what you are saying sounds soo immature. and i'm 16. you got told!

[mikelz]

I have seen a few people with "Clone" clubs on their "Whats in your bag" signature. This makes me very upset. I am a rational person so I understand the cost is the reason people buy these, but come on. Ebay makes it so easy to get used clubs for the same price as these clones. I have not had even an off brand club in my bag since I was 16, and I am far from rich. If you are a beginner to the game, you do not need to go drop $1000 on a new set. Go get a set from a few years ago used. If you are going through the trouble of posting on a golf forum while stating you have a clone in your bag, you immediately (however irrational this is) lose my respect. Its like pull carts and iron covers, you just don't do it.

OK, I'll give you points for the iron covers and pull carts. I'll go you one better, I hate putter covers for what that's worth.

There are club builders on this forum. I am a one-time "only play with what I build" guy. When I built my own clubs, I never found a way to call up Hogan and order a set of Edge heads. I used the closest thing: Maltby "Techno-Forge". Different look, same concept, same quality. Some of us build our own clubs because we want to and if you tweak them a lot, you are spending more money. Some of us don't buy clubs we've never held in our hands. I've bought about five clubs off eBay. I was disappointed with every one of them. The only reason my bag is full of brand name stuff now is that I lost my workshop in the divorce (among other things). I also got tired of tweaking my shafts every damned winter. I'll agree that there are some really crap heads/clones made in China and designed by a cost accountant. I bought a Burner hybrid clone last year. It's in the basement with the other rejects. Maybe that's not your definition of clone. On the other hand, places like Golfworks and Golfsmith have made quality components for years. I still replace my Ping 3 wood with my Maltby "Mr. Big" 400cc 3 wood at a course that requires a lot of three woods off the tee. I have that Dynamic Gold shaft tweaked. New grip this year and she's ready.

[Ruari]

Now, if you are trying to say people who play recreationally but keep a handicap have an unfair advantage because they pull a cart then you really have serious anxiety issues.

I am not concerned per say with the decisions made by recreational golfers, and by no means does it keep me up at night. I am merely making a point that among the circle of medium to low handicap golfers that I associate with there is a general consensus that pull carts are tacky.

Drive a cart, pull a cart, or walk -- yeah, we could debate the "advantages" of each all week long and not come to an agreement. However, I think there are better things to worry about.

I am tired of people saying "there are better things to worry about". Discussing ridiculous topics like this are the exact reason forums like this exist.

[Ruari]

I assume that this attitude is at least in a small way partly responsible for the reported stagnation or shrinking of participation in the game of golf.

Be careful the statistics you quote as this is only partly true. "here has been a modest increase in the number of casual golfers (1-7 rounds per year) and total golfers over that time period. This means that while there are fewer people playing the game with a high frequency, there are more people at least trying the game and playing every once in a while."

http://www.sports-central.org/sports...ity_crisis.php

Who cares if someone plays golf with clones? What if they are simply trying out the game of golf, and don't want to expend several hundred or thousand dollars on a sport that they are not sure they will pursue?

As I have said before, with todays used club marketplace, clone clubs are a disservice to golfers of any ability. The fact is there are some great less popular brands of golf clubs that can be purchased for very cheap(i.e. Nicklaus sets going for $250 brand new with a bag)

You can keep your attitude to yourself on these types of golfing matters...and let the rest of the golfing world enjoy themselves.

I enjoy golf as much or more than anyone else in the world. This is not a matter of me scolding golfers on the course, rather discussing this topic in this forum. If we all kept our attitudes to ourselves, forums like this would not exist.

[Ruari]

I have never tried the clones,but I have tried the iron covers.I found myself getting to involved with keeping up with the covers rather than concentrating on my golf game,so after a couple of rounds I sold those iron covers on ebay.Hearing the irons hit each other is a good sound,you are outside enjoying the game of golf.

I agree with you completely on the sound of clinking Irons as you walk the course. One of my favorite golf noises.

[Ruari]

As far as pull carts go: Some day, if you are lucky enough to still be playing golf, you will eat your words. I know many members of all ages who love to pull their clubs. Saves some energy and still lets them walk the course while playing. Nothing wrong with that at all.

As I have said in this thread, If you have a ligament medical reason or are over the age of 45 and want to have a pull cart that is more than fine. This is directed at people who are fully capable of carrying their clubs and use a pull cart out of shear laziness.

Thread Starter: Maybe you need to analyze what you believe and realize that people are all different and what you think is right is in fact not right for all others.

I respect all rational beings opinions, and enjoy discussing my ideas with others. That is why I post on forums like this. I know I am not always right and this is what I gain from discussions like this.

Also, if you don't respect someone just because of the clubs that they play on the course than you are not deserving of respect from anyone else. Time to look outside the box bud.

It is not that I will never respect someone if the have clone clubs, but rather that I will not respect their opinion on golf from a first impression. Again, a clone user may be a very intelligent upstanding citizen, that deserves respect as every rational being does. However, by using clone clubs they are making a very bad first impression, and will have to work to get my respect for them as a golfer and a claimed authority on the subject of golf. I will always respect them as a person.

[Ruari]

@ sparky redick: shut up. you sound like such a prick. pull carts are not golf? why should people have to caddy theyre own bag while playing. its a free country and what you are saying sounds soo immature. and i'm 16. you got told!

This is one of the worst posts I have ever read. You clearly do not understand the original question posed on this thread. I love and respect our country and our freedom of choice on all topics including head covers. However, some choice are made by inferior golfers. When a high percentage of low skill golfers are making the same choice, (clone clubs), it is difficult for me to not lump these low sill golfers together. When I see someone using a clone club, I immediately have a mental image of all the inferior golfers I have seen in the past with these clubs. Look at the number of professionals using clones or having iron covers or having pull carts.

Imagine you are golfing as a single and are going to be paired with another golfer. You see golfer #1 standing there with clone clubs and a pull cart. Then you see golfer #2 with name brand clubs carrying his own clubs. I would immediately hope that I am paired with golfer #2 since he clearly has a higher golf IQ and most likely is a better golfer to play with.

[Ruari]

OK, I'll give you points for the iron covers and pull carts. I'll go you one better, I hate putter covers for what that's worth.

I hate putter covers too, I always lose them. I see that they serve a function as well as Iron covers.

On the other hand, places like Golfworks and Golfsmith have made quality components for years.

Mike I respect you as much as any other poster on this forum. You bring great opinions to ever thread you post on. You clearly understand what a quality club is and are able to find one. If I was playing with you it would only take seconds of conversation for me to get passed your off brand clubs when you rationally explain why you have them as you have done in your post here.

My beef is more with the crappy china knock offs that are trying to be something they are not. Clubs of this sort are a disservice to golf as a sport.

[blkdiamond]

Who cares if someone is playing with clone clubs, name-brand clubs, Walmart clubs, garage-sale clubs, 30 year old clubs, brand new clubs, it doesn't matter, period. If you judge someone based upon their clubs vs. how they play the game that is very, very sad. I would much rather play with a 17 year old kid, with crappy 17 year old "cloned" clubs on a push-cart, who is an honest player and constantly pushes themselves in getting better than a 30 year old with brand-new, name-brand clubs they are carrying who cheats, doesn't push themselves and constantly complains about everyone else on the golf course (slow-play, bad-shots of others, etc.).

I play the game of golf and the clubs that I use are merely tools, regardless of what name is stamped on them.

Now I would rather use name-brand clubs as I prefer them, I have tried clones (Giga-Golf, Calaway Clones from local shop, etc.).

Regarding the use of a pull/push cart, I am 29 and I recently bought one and I love it. I have no problem with anyone using one as I feel that it is better than riding on a golf cart, which I don't have a problem with either. At least with a push/pull cart you are still walking. Lugging 25-30 pounds of equipment over 5+ miles really does wear on me. I am not a professional golfer (even though they don't carry their clubs either) so when I do play I would like to enjoy the round. Golf is difficult enough as it is, in my opinion, why not make it easier and use a cart.

Just my $.02.

[Ruari]

Who cares if someone is playing with clone clubs, name-brand clubs, Walmart clubs, garage-sale clubs, 30 year old clubs, brand new clubs, it doesn't matter, period.

I, and many other golfers, care. I will reiterate that I am not saying that clone clubs make you a bad person, but rather immediately lose any credibiltiy you have on the subject of golf. Imagine a car expert that drives a hyundai. They would get no respect in the car community.

I would much rather play with a 17 year old kid, with crappy 17 year old "cloned" clubs on a push-cart, who is an honest player and constantly pushes themselves in getting better than a 30 year old with brand-new, name-brand clubs they are carrying who cheats, doesn't push themselves and constantly complains about everyone else on the golf course (slow-play, bad-shots of others, etc.).

I agree with you here, no one likes playing with complainers, (as hypocritical as this sounds as I am continually complaining about this topic) Assuming the 17 years keeps good pace of play and respects the game he is clearly the better choice of playing partner in your example.

[mybloodinvt]

Clone clubs are meant to look like well-known clubs and are given names that sound similar to the maker of the club the clone is meant to resemble. This is meant to deceive the consumer which is fraud. Clones are illegal, they are infringing on registered trademarks, copyrights and patents, and they are made to not so exacting standards (they are cheap for a reason), they are crap and are, therefore, bad for your game, karmically and otherwise. It is not a question of this being a free country, if you buy clones you are supporting people and companies that are engaged in illegal activities. Period. They are profiting from someone else's work. If you care about your game and improving, you will not buy and use clones. As far as Golfworks and Golfsmith are concerned, they make clubs which resemble popular clubs, but they are not meant to trick you and they are made to exacting standards. Not the same thing as clones. I don't care about pull carts and iron covers.

[kehanra99]

I could care less about clone clubs, as long as they're not blatant rip-off's. I used them, I switched and gained about 15 yards per club, but I wouldn't hold it against anyone to get them.

I've seen guys out at the range by my house with over $1000 in their bag that can't swing a club well to save their lives. On the other than I've taken clone clubs from hitting in the low 100's to the mid 80's.

I have my Wilson set now, and I wish I would have switched earlier, but I wouldn't fault someone for getting a decent set of clones (not the mis-spelled brand crap.)

Oh, and I use iron covers. I didn't start out doing it, but I got into them when I would drive out of town to play just to cut down on the clatter. Now I use them regularly.