Clones broke!!

So... I play with a set of Ping G10 clones and like them a lot. I have had a good experience using them and really can't tell the difference between them and the real McCoy. Anyhow, after using them, I decided to order a couple wedges from the same company. I ordered their clones of the Vokey's. I have used them for about five rounds and noticed yestereday that a black piece that fits around the shaft and the hozel is broken. Damn!! Don't know if I should just super glue it, buy a new one, or get the real deal!!

Still like clones though!

The Ferrule? It's a 20 cent bit you can get anywhere. Take it to a repair shop, and they should be able to fix it easilly.

The shaft and the hosel came loose? Just bring it to a Custom Fitting dept in a golf shop for a quick reshafting....

Great, Thanks!

Buddy, you should be ashamed of yourself, fuelling the market of rip-offs.

Not only are you cheating the manufacturer of the original clubs, you're cheating yourself - how can you possibly say that you "can't really tell the difference" between the fakes and the real thing - you've probably been nowhere near the real thing.

I tend to agree with this....

Is that a joke? Who cares if he likes clones. The major OEMs make tons of money. The clones are made in the same factories, on the same dies, but from inferior metal, and with different badges. That's pretty much how it works.

Agreed with Kingfisher, Clones are just that! Clones, junk, crap, pos, copy (and usually a very bad one), do yourself a favor and buy the real deal, your game will love you for it!

Of course the OEMs make a ton of money. They need to recoup some of the millions they spend on R&D; and marketinig and the like - you think the 'clone companies' have multi-million dollar R&D; budgets too - you really think that 'clones' perform as well as the clubs they imitate? Anyway, the retail price would be a whole lot lower if the OEMs didn't have to fight a war against rip-off clubs.

The banks make a ton of money too, so does that mean you'll be happy using fake bills? No doubt there are folks out there who'd rather use fake clubs / wear a fake watch / fake oakleys / use fake clubs / watch a fake dvd / let their woman carry a fake designer handbag. Not me. I'm no millionaire, but I'd rather go without than try to appear to have something I can't afford.

There is nothing wrong with buying and using clones. They are perfectly legal, and actually quite common. Component club companies would be out of business if that was the case. He isn't talking about counterfeit clubs (at least it doesn't appear that way), just knockoffs that look sort of like the original clubs they are modeled after. They aren't being marketed as Pings of Vokeys like a real counterfeit club would be, they just sort of look the same, but with a different brand name.

Not everyone can afford to play $1500 worth of clubs.... there have to less expensive avenues for those players and the knockoff lines are that avenue.

I see where you're coming from. I look at some clone sites and I can see each club they're copying - every club (especially the musclebacks) is a copy of something from an OEM - they may even pay it homage in the model name.

I'll probably never play clones, but I don't have a problem with somebody playing them. It's counterfeits and knockoffs where I have an issue. They pollute the marketplace and cause people to doubt the quality of some OEMs. Knockoffs almost ruined at least one product in the early 90s - King Cobra irons.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say whatever manufacturing agreement someone like Ping has with any factory will specificly state that the dies used to make Ping clubs can not be used to make any other brand.

Besides the copyright issue, I just have a problem with clones form a price standpoint. A clone set or irons runs what--$200 or so? If you keep your eye out for discountinued models , you can buy a new set of genuine clubs for that price. New Wilson/Staff's Ci7 sets are going $199 online, and $170 on ebay. Sure, these are "last year's" models, but they are a legit, high quality brand. I don't see any reason to puchase a clone when for about the same amount of money you can get an original.

Nice job buying clones, not surprised they broke, some granpap in his basement who considers himself a clubbuilder with a vat of epoxy probably built them. Any professional company, clubmaker worth their salt would not sell clones. Grampa in his basement yes.

Let me start by saying, when I say "clone" I am not referring to items that are marketed as exact copies of an original item (this is illegal). I am referring to items that are marketing to have similar features as the original.

Here we go..... If some of you have a problem with clones, then you need a reality check.

Cloning is nothing more than taking and using ideas of competitors when producing a product. It is done in every market imaginable. In fact, I can promise you that Ping, Callaway, Titleiest, and every other company out there did not come up with every idea they use to manufacture there clubs. This means they copied/used ideas from other manufacturers, therefore all clubs are a clone of some other club.

There are many reasons high profile companies have to charge much more for their clubs than the clone companies. One being the market research that is involved in manufacturing equipment. The other is endorsment deals. These companies have to pay athletes to use their equipement for marketing purposes. This cost is spread into the price of equipment. Clone companies do not have this cost.

Furthermore, I have had the opportunity on multiple occassions to hit the real G10s and my Z10s (clones) sided by side at the range and I for one can't tell a difference. I'm not saying there's not a difference. I'm simply stating that I, along with 90% of non-pro golfers are not good enough to notice what may be a slight difference. For this reason, I can't justify spending $1000 on clubs when I get the same result as spending $200. I'd rather continue investing in practice and lessons.

However, I did promise myself when I can consistently shoot in the 80's, I will go and purchase a new "real" set of irons!

I tried to address all comments, but I apoligize if I missed a few.

Ummm, no it isn't. Cloning is an attempt to create an item that visually reminds someone of a name-brand product.

Every clubmaker makes a perimiter weighted iron, but I doubt anyone will confuse Callaway's perimerter weighted irons with Ping's. That is taking an idea and incorporating it into your own line. Making a club that visually looks exactly like a Ping iron and putting a label on it that says PONG instead of PING is not incorporating an idea, it is copying a look.

Agree with you there, but as I pointed out, if you are patient you can find disontinued name brand clubs for about that price range. As an example, the discontinued Wilson/Staff Ci7 clubs are currently going for $199 and less.

Im to the point now of finding something that you can afford and hit, not worrying about what it pretends to be. OEM products many times are out of reach of the budget of a majority of people, just have to find quality substitutes and that takes some research and time, which dont cost anything. There are only so many different variations of golf club designs because they have to be legal for use so well known designs that work and sell will be imitated no doubt, as long as they dont claim to be the original, then I dont see them as knockoffs. As far as finding discontinued name brand clubs for affordable prices, how long do you expect someone to wait, a year, 2 years or longer. If someone wants new clubs they're not going to wait for something to be drastically reduced, they want to go out and play. Look at the feedback of the company you're going to buy from and you'll see how others like their products. If they're reputable, they will allow negative feedback to be displayed as well. I cant afford to play $1000 for a new set of pings, but Ive found some suitable much less expensive irons that i like and have been using for about a year now and they look to be well made and should last many years. Ive found that more expensive clubs dont make you play better, they just make you more frustrated that you spent so much money and still cant play very well. I really like the feel of my unknown irons, I wouldnt replace them now even if I won the lottery and could buy anything, my game is improving and they're helping me play better.

This is so true.

I haven't seen too many people with clones make it that far. I've seen a lot of bad golfers with new OEM irons too, so there's no guarantee you'll get to a level of "not sucking", with any iron.