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Your opinion of Clone Clubs


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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 always all thoughts and comments are welcome. Particularly if you current have a clone in your bag.
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clone clubs used to be all of the rave (bling, tommey mann, etc) and they work fine. my first set of clubs were "Tigers", and i sometimes still use that 3 iron. i agree with your opinion on iron covers and pull carts, but losing somebodies respect just because clone clubs happen to be cheap or more importantly FEEL GOOD is very irrational.

driver- R580XD 9.5*
3 wood- m/speed
hybrid- cft ti 4h
irons- fp 4-gap
wedges- 54* and RAC satin 56* 12 bounceputter- 1/2 Craz-Eballs- DT Carry, e5, anything found thats is good shapeshoes-adidashome course - nothing - uh oh. perhaps pleasant view againschool...

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losing somebodies respect just because clone clubs happen to be cheap or more importantly FEEL GOOD is very irrational.

I understand it is irrational, but it leaves an immediate bad taste in my mouth for the quality of the persons golf knowledge. I would compare it to some one with a type-o on a job resume. That person may be qualified for the job but there is no way an interviewer can get over a type-o on the resume.

Its the same with clone golf clubs. If you want me to respect your golf opinion, you cannot be part of one of the biggest golf faux pas there is. p.s. thanks for the blazing fast response Eore, makes work go by so much faster.
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this is all just bein the devils advocate, because i do respect your opinion. i play drums, and it isn't the quality of the drums that the person plays, its the quality of the drummer. a great drummer from madison (ryan torgerson) endorses pearl drums, and he plays the lower level export set because he makes them sound phenomanal. also, if tiger started playing a clone (not that he would) he could still shoot almost exactly what he shoots now.

driver- R580XD 9.5*
3 wood- m/speed
hybrid- cft ti 4h
irons- fp 4-gap
wedges- 54* and RAC satin 56* 12 bounceputter- 1/2 Craz-Eballs- DT Carry, e5, anything found thats is good shapeshoes-adidashome course - nothing - uh oh. perhaps pleasant view againschool...

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I just don't understand what your beef with clone clubs are...I don't play any, but if someone likes the way they play, who cares. If someone was to have them and always complain about how bad they are, then I could see where you would "get a bad taste in your mouth".

O yea, and iron covers and pull carts, what is your problem with them?
In the bag:


Driver: Tour Burner 9.5* w/ Aldila VS Proto stiff shaft
Woods: Burner 15* 3 Wood w/ Fujikura, stiffHybrid: 503H w/ Aldila NV, stiffIrons: 755 3-9 w/ Project X 5.5 shaftsPitching Wedge: MP-T 47*Gap Wedge: MP-T 51*Sand Wedge: MP-T 56*Putter: Rossa SienaBall: Laddie/Laddie...
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I can understand you frustration with Clones. Honestly though, Iron covers. Give me a break. First off, I dont enjoy the sound of my irons clanging together when I walk, second, my irons scratch like crazy. So the covers do a pretty damn good job in my humble opinion.

Sorry we cant be held to your high golfing standards. Ill run future purchases past you.
In My Bridgestone Stand Bag:

Driver: TM r7 425 TP (8.5*) Stiff
Wood: TM Ti 5 Wood (18*) Stiff
Irons: TM r7 TP Irons (3-PW) RegularGW LW: TM rac Satin TPs ( 52* 56* 60*)Putter: TM Rossa Monza Spider Balls: Bridgestone B330s
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I disagree on both points

a great drummer from madison (ryan torgerson) endorses pearl drums, and he plays the lower level export set because he makes them sound phenomanal.

I know nothing of drums, but some about musical instruments. Take the Stradivarius violin for example. If you were in a symphony playing on a walmart violin, you would get no respect. Also the quality of your music would suffer to a certain degree because of an inferior quality instrument. That is not saying the best violin player would not be excellent on a walmart violin, but rather they could not be as good as they could be on a Stradivarius or other world class violin.

also, if tiger started playing a clone (not that he would) he could still shoot almost exactly what he shoots now.

This is not true either. Tiger, or any pro for that matter, would inherently suffer by playing cloned clubs since the quality is drastically worse. I am not debating whether he could play at the professional level with clones, with his unbelievable talent he may be able to, but his game would be worse.

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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.

Please define clone club? This argument pops up now and then, and a general trend in it is that some people use clone club to mean one that is *meant* to look like a name-brand club, such as "Mike" or "Calloway". Others use it to mean non-name-brand clubs. My irons are super game-improvement from a clubfitter in Orange County, and I still like them better than any super-game improvement irons on the market. My next set, I prefer the Mizunos to that clubfitter's equivalent, and that's where my business is going for the next one. Finally, what's wrong with pull carts? The other options seem to be riding cart or carrying everything. Carrying may well fly in some parts of the country, but my golf bag + 100oz water just doesn't do wonders for my back. My hand-cart was a great investment.

-- Michael | My swing! 

"You think you're Jim Furyk. That's why your phone is never charged." - message from my mother

Driver:  Titleist 915D2.  4-wood:  Titleist 917F2.  Titleist TS2 19 degree hybrid.  Another hybrid in here too.  Irons 5-U, Ping G400.  Wedges negotiable (currently 54 degree Cleveland, 58 degree Titleist) Edel putter. 

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Please define clone club?

Officially a clone or knock off golf club is a club that is designed solely to look like a major brand club. They are inferior in technology, craftsmanship, and overall quality. the venn diagram below shows that while all clones are off-brands, not all off-brands are clones.

Finally, what's wrong with pull carts?

In the golf world it is seen as an unfair advantage if you are pulling your clubs while others are carrying their own. If you have a legitimate health reason for a pull cart, or are over the age of 45 you will typically not get the usual pull cart scorn.

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You still havent stated your problem with Iron Covers.

I have stated why I have them. The only reason I could think that you dont like them is because it hides your irons. I am not the type of person who needs to show off I have an expensive set of irons. I play them because they work for me. People play clones because they work for them.

Show me the list of Golfing Standards for On-Course Equipment. Then I will happily abide by them.
In My Bridgestone Stand Bag:

Driver: TM r7 425 TP (8.5*) Stiff
Wood: TM Ti 5 Wood (18*) Stiff
Irons: TM r7 TP Irons (3-PW) RegularGW LW: TM rac Satin TPs ( 52* 56* 60*)Putter: TM Rossa Monza Spider Balls: Bridgestone B330s
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Some great points here. But I still have to disagree.

People play clones because they work for them....Show me the list of Golfing Standards for On-Course Equipment. Then I will happily abide by them.

It is not a matter of breaking a written golf rule or even a true golf etiquette point. It is an "unwritten" rule if you will among golf purists. On a scale of 1-100 with 1 being oh well and 100 being completely unacceptable I would rate clones as a 87, iron covers as a 15, and pull carts from healthy golfers as a 75.

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Some great points here. But I still have to disagree.

Alright, as long as iron covers are only 15 I am fine with it. I just dont want my purty irons to get all dinged up.

In My Bridgestone Stand Bag:

Driver: TM r7 425 TP (8.5*) Stiff
Wood: TM Ti 5 Wood (18*) Stiff
Irons: TM r7 TP Irons (3-PW) RegularGW LW: TM rac Satin TPs ( 52* 56* 60*)Putter: TM Rossa Monza Spider Balls: Bridgestone B330s
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I guess my first question would be why do you care what other people are buying, it dosen't effect you unless you own a golf shop that sells big name clubs. Other than that I don't understand why it would be an issue with you. As far as "clones" I agree that there is real junk out there and people are miss led in buying "clones", but are many things that people are miss led into doing. bwgolfer

TaylorMade Burner TP 9.5* stiff shaft Driver and Taylormade 15* medal
Cleveland utilities 22*
Taylormade tour prefered irons with rifle flighted 6.0
Taylormade z groove tp wedges 52* and 58*
Rife Antigua blade putterTitlest Pro V1X, Bridgestone 3000s Black

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it dosen't effect you unless you own a golf shop that sells big name clubs. bwgolfer

I do sell golf clubs, I do not sell clones

As far as "clones" I agree that there is real junk out there and people are miss led in buying "clones", but are many things that people are miss led into doing. bwgolfer

The fact that many people are misled in other areas does not make this anymore or less right from an ethical standpoint.

I believe in a free market so I am not saying the clubs should not exist. Rather, if you have clone clubs, you are a black eye to golf purist and although I will respect you as a human being, I will question your golf club buying prowess, as well as your golf IQ. You do not understand the game and are not a true advocate of the game if you are playing clones. You can have them, there are many golfers who only play once a year and thats fine. But do not come on this forum and expect to have any credibiltiy.
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This type of attitude is exactly what is often responsible for the perception by non-golfers of golf as a stuffy, out of tune with the common man game. 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. Who wants to deal with judgement on the course after you have paid your hard earned money to play, most of our games are embarrassing enough without the criticism of our bags.

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? Exactly this snobbish attitude about non-name brand equipment (clone or legitimately designed component equipment) is what ruins many a golfer's day on the course. I am not the biggest fan of clone clubs (never used a clone club) and their blatant ripoff of another company's technology, but if a golfer wants to use clone equipment, well, who am I to judge them on the course?

So what if a golfer uses a pull cart? It doesn't matter that most golfers of almost every age and type in England Scotland and Ireland use pull carts (without scorn, I might add)...and this is the HOME of the game of golf. If it makes the game easier, well, all the better.

Iron covers, well, if someone wants to use them, fine by me. Not my cup of tea, but not a problem, either.

You can keep your attitude to yourself on these types of golfing matters...and let the rest of the golfing world enjoy themselves.
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Driver: Titleist 905T 11.5*

Hybrids: Cleveland HALO Hybrids 19*, 22*

Irons Snake Eyes Python O/S irons (I carry 5,7,9,A irons)

Wedges: Adams Tom Watson SW 56* (sometimes carry Adams Tom Watson LW 60*)

Putter: Odyssey Dual Force 2 Rossie or Tommy Armour EFT Series Model 6

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In the golf world it is seen as an unfair advantage if you are pulling your clubs while others are carrying their own.

Dude, you have issues. First off, who says this? I don't know what golf world you live in, but I honestly think you are the only person out there who actually believes this. Good luck drumming up support for that argument. Pull carts are the last thing I've ever heard anyone complain about.

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. 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.
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In my bag:

Driver: FT-5, 9° stiff
Wood: Big Bertha 3W/5W
Irons: X-20 TourWedges: X Tour 52°/56°Hybrids: Idea Pro 2/3/4Putter: Black Series #2Ball: NXT Extreme/NXT Tour
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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.
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In the golf world it is seen as an unfair advantage if you are pulling your clubs while others are carrying their own. If you have a legitimate health reason for a pull cart, or are over the age of 45 you will typically not get the usual pull cart scorn.

I've been thinking of this for the past few hours (not exclusively), and I'm wondering why it's an unfair advantage. You're allowed to pull or push your clubs, too. Likewise, I could have ten clubs in my bag and view the four clubs you carry that I don't as an advantage over me.

I view it on the same level as taking relief from the types of obstructions that the rules permit free relief, such as when the ball is resting on the cart path. Someone who didn't know the rules might just hit his ball. I might know I can take relief and get a better shot out of it. Advantage: me.
So what if a golfer uses a pull cart? It doesn't matter that most golfers of almost every age and type in England Scotland and Ireland use pull carts (without scorn, I might add)...and this is the HOME of the game of golf. If it makes the game easier, well, all the better.

Golf is hard enough without my back killing me on a hilly course.

Thanks for the info about the pull carts in England Scotland and Ireland. I didn't know that, and I'll probably mention it to some friends at some point now.

-- Michael | My swing! 

"You think you're Jim Furyk. That's why your phone is never charged." - message from my mother

Driver:  Titleist 915D2.  4-wood:  Titleist 917F2.  Titleist TS2 19 degree hybrid.  Another hybrid in here too.  Irons 5-U, Ping G400.  Wedges negotiable (currently 54 degree Cleveland, 58 degree Titleist) Edel putter. 

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Note: This thread is 3193 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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