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Anyone else have an affinity for clubs from the "lesser known" manufaturers?


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I don't why, well maybe price, but I really seem to like clubs from the not so big companies.  I currently have a nickent hybrid and driver, Wilson Staff putter and fairway wood, and Macgregor MT Mid irons.  Seems like the only big name clubs I sport are my Vokey Spin Milled wedges.  Now I know all these companies were very big at one one time, but that is no longer the case.  It seems that these companies have all the technology and features of the bigger boys offereings, but because they have little or no tour pro representation, prices seem to be much more manageable, and performance does not suffer.  The Wilson Kirk Currie putter I have is truely the nicest putter I hve ever seen or played with, and my irons are as good as any other I've used.  Prior to my Macgregors I played Ben Hogan Apex Edge irons for about 8 yrs, and again thy were awesome.  Now I know Hogans were big once, hell it seems half the tour was putting the Big Ben when it first came out, but today Hogan has fallen off.  I think Wilson Staff make some of the nicest irons in the market, but again, no hype so not much recognition.

Just wondering what some of you others think about these lesser know, quality companies.  Also seems like Tour Edge is really big in Asia, but not North America, and their fairways metals and hybrids seem to be some of the nicest out there!

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I agree 100 percent. I work at a golf academy, and we see so many people come in with brand new " big box" clubs, that they were fit to and the clubs are all over the place..( shaft flex, frequency, lies. lofts..) the quality is just sometimes pretty poor. I know its because the big companies just cant have the same tolerances as the little guys. I like Henry-Griffitts the best, its what we use. They have a cart with 4500 different club combinations, and they measure everything to a gram. They invented the lie board, and interchangeable club system. I also like Edel putters. If your going to get custom fit clubs, I think the best people to go to are the little guys, because they can have that quality control.

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I love the Hogan irons you mentioned...  I can't speak to many of the other smaller companies you spoke of, but I definitely like looking at all of them when I run across a shop that has them.

God bless,

Ryan

ogio.gif Vision SS Bag:
cleveland.gif Launcher DST 10.5*  taylormade.gif R9 16.5* 4W
taylormade.gif Rescue Dual 19*  taylormade.gif Burner 2.0 4-PW
vokey.gif 250.08, Spin Milled 54.10, and 58.08
yesgolf.gif Callie  bridgestone.gif B330
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I like Wishon and Miura.

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Stretch.

"In the process of trial and error, our failed attempts are meant to destroy arrogance and provoke humility." -- Master Jin Kwon

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Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Bobby Jones fairways and hybrids

Epon Irons

Vega Wedges

Edel Putter

The only major OEM is the driver -- Ping

Over the years, I've done it all. I like my bag. But thinking of a Miura K Grind 56.... the tweaking never ends...

Ping G400 Max 9/TPT Shaft, TEE EX10 Beta 4, 5 wd, PXG 22 HY, Mizuno JPX919F 5-GW, TItleist SM7 Raw 55-09, 59-11, Bettinardi BB39

 

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I've got a Scratch putter. I like the irons, wedges, and putters, but I've yet to see a hybrid, fairway wood, or driver from a non-OEM that I like the looks of. I remain hopeful, but I haven't seen one yet.

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

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I have Alien fairway woods that I like a lot.  My driver is a Callaway and the rest of my clubs were custom made.

But then again, what the hell do I know?

Rich - in name only

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The 2 companies I liked best are no longer in business-Nickent and Sonartec,  I also like Eidolon,Feel and Solus wedges,

Wishon  715 CLC-AXE5 A shaft -hard steppedt -44.5"
4 wood-Infiniti 17*-UST IROD A shaft-Hard stepped(2009 model)
Hybrids 19* & 24*-Trident DSW-UST IROD Hybrid A shaft-hard stepped (2009 model)
Irons-5-PW- Wilson Staff Progressive Forged-TT Release  sensicore( 5&6-Soft stepped R-7,8&9-R-wedge hard stepped R
Wedges-52*-Wilson JP BeCE(54* bent to 52*)-TT-Release sensicore-hard stepped R

              56*Wilson R-61 BECU Sandy Andy- Release sensicore tipped same as 8 iron

               60* Wilson Harmonized BECU-Release sensicore tipped same as 8 iron

Woods- Star Grips  Irons Energy Grips

:Putter-Rife IBF with Ping Blackout Grip-35"

Ball-Wilson Staff Zip Golf. or C-25

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See my sig, although my Staffs are from back in the day when Wilson was big. The Joe Powells are still made; one of two American companies still making persimmon, the other being Louisville Golf.  My other bag has an Orlimar fairway that I like very much.

Don

In the bag:

Driver: PING 410 Plus 9 degrees, Alta CB55 S  Fairway: Callaway Rogue 3W PX Even Flow Blue 6.0; Hybrid: Titleist 818H1 21* PX Even Flow Blue 6.0;  Irons: Titleist 718 AP1 5-W2(53*) Shafts- TT AMT Red S300 ; Wedges Vokey SM8 56-10D Putter: Scotty Cameron 2016 Newport 2.5  Ball: Titleist AVX or 2021 ProV1

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Originally Posted by dbuck

See my sig, although my Staffs are from back in the day when Wilson was big. The Joe Powells are still made; one of two American companies still making persimmon, the other being Louisville Golf.  My other bag has an Orlimar fairway that I like very much.

What are the modern balls doing to the face of your woods?

Wishon  715 CLC-AXE5 A shaft -hard steppedt -44.5"
4 wood-Infiniti 17*-UST IROD A shaft-Hard stepped(2009 model)
Hybrids 19* & 24*-Trident DSW-UST IROD Hybrid A shaft-hard stepped (2009 model)
Irons-5-PW- Wilson Staff Progressive Forged-TT Release  sensicore( 5&6-Soft stepped R-7,8&9-R-wedge hard stepped R
Wedges-52*-Wilson JP BeCE(54* bent to 52*)-TT-Release sensicore-hard stepped R

              56*Wilson R-61 BECU Sandy Andy- Release sensicore tipped same as 8 iron

               60* Wilson Harmonized BECU-Release sensicore tipped same as 8 iron

Woods- Star Grips  Irons Energy Grips

:Putter-Rife IBF with Ping Blackout Grip-35"

Ball-Wilson Staff Zip Golf. or C-25

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If I hit it well I don't care it's made by Taylormade or Tesco.

A perfect example would be the Yonex 3W I bought a while back; really heard very little about Yonex (other than the obvious Monty and Ishikawa connection) up until I tried the Nanospeed but immediately loved it.

SWING DNA
Speed [77] Tempo [5] ToeDown [5] KickAngle [6] Release [5] Mizuno JPX EZ 10.5° - Fujikura Orochi Black Eye (with Harrison ShotMaker) Mizuno JPX EZ 3W/3H - Fujikura Orochi Black Eye Mizuno JPX 850 Forged 4i-PW - True Temper XP 115 S300 Mizuno MP R-12 50.06/54.09/58.10 - Dynamic Gold Wedge Flex Mizuno MP A305 [:-P]

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I love that Wilson Staff has been coming up quiet a but in these forums, I think they deserve better recognition. They were once viewed as a top brand nothing has changed about their clubs they just don't spend as much on marketing as say Callaway or TM. I think you brought up another great brand which is Tour Edge, their Exotics collection is high end golf clubs that most people probably didn't know about.

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Sometimes companies presence varies considerably by country.  I suspect Wilson and Yonex are bigger players outside the USA. I have been very satisfied with my Wilson  and Tour Edge clubs.  I am carrying Cleveland wedges and a Taylor Made putter so I hope that is because I am open to what works for me at my budget level and not anything else.

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I like the irons to a bit different to the the big names My current KZG Miura Blade Haku Scratch Some Japanese forged blade Putter too if can But for driver wood hybrids wedges , titliest is the brand
What I Play:
913D3 9.5°Diamana Kai'li 70 Stiff  "C3" | 910F 15°, Diamana Kai'li 80 Stiff "D2" | 910H 19°,  Diamana Kai'li for Titleist 85 Hybrid Stiff | Titleist 714 AP2 4 to P Aerotech Steelfiber i110 S | SM4 Vokey 50.12, 54.14 & SM5 60.11K| 34" Edel Umpqua + 40g Counter Weight
 
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Im a believer that marketing and tour presence doesnt make a club great.  Im a fan of Wilsons, Hogans, Miuras and Adams.

Whats in my :sunmountain: C-130 cart bag?

Woods: :mizuno: JPX 850 9.5*, :mizuno: JPX 850 15*, :mizuno: JPX-850 19*, :mizuno: JPX Fli-Hi #4, :mizuno: JPX 800 Pro 5-PW, :mizuno: MP T-4 50-06, 54-09 58-10, :cleveland: Smart Square Blade and :bridgestone: B330-S

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Agree.  Have a driver from now-defunct Nickent, love the Wilson Staff Fybrids.  Used to game Yonex irons.

Although i must admit my "affinity" for less popular brands is in part due to the fact that brand-new clubs from models from the prior year (or older) can often be had at crazy discounts online, as opposed to the big brands (TM, Nike, Titleist, Callway, etc) where even the models from a year or two ago don't seem to drop that dramatically in price!

Driver: Cleveland Classic 270, 10.5*
Fairway Woods: Adams Speedline LP (3 & 5)
Hybrids: Wilson Staff Fybrids 21*, 24*, UST V2 stiff
Irons: Callaway X-20 Tour, 5-PW, Rifle Project-X (flighted) 6.0
Wedges: Cleveland CG15 DSG 52* & 58* +/- 56* Niblick

Putter: Yes! Amy

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