Clone clubs: has anyone bought any of them???

Ive used Pinemeadow clubs in the past.  Theyre OK but considering that you can get a used set of namebrand clubs off of Ebay for what a new set of clones cost and have a set of vastly higher quality, I dont really see why anyone would play clones.

Diamond Tour sells high quality equipment and they stand by it. A lot of their stuff are "open model" designs and most folks don't know the difference between clone, counterfeit and open model. I'm playing these irons right now (open model) and have been since last June and that's saying something as I've tried 100s of irons/drivers/fwys over the past 10 years and these are what I CHOOSE to play. They are as good as anything out there in their class of head. I've bought from DTG on many occasions, including this morning and will continue to do so. Their customer service is as good as it gets and are very helpful if you have questions. I've also used their "online chat" to ask questions and they are always willing to help.

I prefer to buy last years model form a known OEM on close-out. They end up about the same price $200-300 for a set if you shop around.

 

Also its a bit of buyer beware if you start up grading shafts grip etc form their stock stuff. If you go over board you can end up at near retail from the OEMs

 

L Blacks bag is an unusual mix with mainstream OEM and the clone

I currently use GigaGolf clubs.  I really can't complain. They've been decent clubs over the past few years.

I had played clubs from Monark Golf, not bad but I upgrade to Pings when I had the money.

I've used Gigagolf and pinemeadow, neither make bad clubheads. They're pretty comparable to brand name clubheads of similar specs. Trouble is, clone companies cater exclusively to absolute hackers. If you're a better player or long hitter, the specs won't add up well for you.

 

Their stock grips and especially the shaft options are god awful. The stock shafts will only do if you swing 11mph. OEMs, however, aren't much better about this, they both use the shaft as a way to cut costs and charge a bunch to get one custom installed. 

 

I go the component route now with my iron set, which gives me a lot of options. I got my set from Golfworks, and I was able to pick any shaft I wanted to install and they assembled them for me. I ended up spending more money on each shaft than the clubhead and grips combined, but it was worth it. My set of 8 will end up costing 640$ all told, rather than buying a new set for 800 and paying another 80 for grips and another 280 for custom shafts. If I could have afforded a nice set of Mizunos or something with the shafts I wanted, I would have, but it's a good 500$ more than I'm paying.

 

My putter is a 25$ blade I bought from Gigagolf. Putters are solid steel and there's no reason to pay much for them. Besides, shiny putters make absolutely nothing. My wedges are Giga as well, but I'm paying top dollar for some Vokeys or Mizzy wedges soon. I switched to a urethane ball and I can spin them OK, but I've used better grinds and better grooves and they work much better 20 yards and in.

 

My 17˚ hybrid is an Adams from 2012 that I bought for half price in December (the slot technology is worth getting), and my 3w is a Mizzy MP650 that was only 150 for a (titanium, and very long) FW, which is really one of the best woods no one talks about. Both were 100$ cheaper simply because I bought them new after they announced the 2013 models.

 

I plan on buying a new driver from a shop that's fitted, because I really need a stout shaft and they run top dollar so I can't dick around. I'm reshafting the hybrid and FW, but I'd need to pay extra even if I bought them new so it's worth the savings of buying the older model.

 

In my opinion, the irons need to match each other and fit you with their shafts and specs, but they can be had fairly cheap and still work. Good wedges are a bit expensive but it's worth getting a good grind even if you don't replace them often. Putters should never cost much of anything for any reason. Woods and fairways have had some advances in recent years, so it's worth getting them from OEMs if they're cheap. Drivers need to be fitted, but because they're the most expensive clubs and they have the least usable specs off the rack (EG 46.5 inches, 190g head, 43g L flex shaft), it doesn't make a huge difference if they're new or a couple models old. As long as they spin and launch well for you they can last a couple years. Adjustability might be a reason to buy a recent model, however.

I play pincan'g style clones from turbo power . I've fitted them with rifle shafts ,lamkin grips. I can't bring myself to get rid of them $300 is not bad for clubs you absolutly love to play.

Lucius might be a little harsh.  Most clone clubs are of the SGI/GI variety so I guess by definition, they are aimed at "hackers"....but then again so are most SGI/GI clubs from OEMs.  If you have a high swing speed, then stock shafts won't match up well...just like those from OEMs.  If you are a skilled player, the SGI/GI heads won't really appeal to you....just like those from OEMs.  The stocks grips and shafts are hit or miss.  Mine came with Lamkin Crossline...which was an upgrade because I needed a jumbo grip so I cannot comment on the standard grip.  Winn and Golf Pride grips were also available.  I have a pretty average swing speed (more than 11 mph) and the stock steel True Temper shaft has been fine.

 

I do plan on going to another set of irons eventually...but it's a lower priority than say paying greens fees, buying range balls, and hopefully taking a few lessons.  When I do, I will stick with GI irons.  I  have my eyes on Mizuno JPX 825s....but not this year.

Lucius is harsh, hes also just plain wrong.  The biggest limitation with clone clubs are the shafts.  Most of them come with junk shafts and if you want to upgrade to quality shafts, you pretty much end up spending what you would on a namebrand set.

I had looked into going with Pinemeadow last year but when you factor in the cost of what it would cost to upgrade them to quality shafts, theres no savings.

Not to mention, the specs and quality control of clones can be spotty sometimes.  You may get a good set or you could get a set that is all over the place.

Dollar for dollar, I dont see the sense in going with clones when you can buy a used set of namebrand clubs for the same amount of money, if not less.

Obviously some folks don't know much about where and how club heads are made. Yes, you have to be careful, but if you know your companies, there are no worries. My clubs are made from the same materials, in the same foundries, by the same hands that over priced OEM/namebrand clubs are. They perform just as well and if you check your specs, there are no issues whatsoever. You'd be surprised at how far off your "name brand" clubs will be, off the rack. The only sure way to tell is to have them checked and checked again.

When it comes to shafts, higher priced shafts do not always mean better quality or performance.

I'm curious. How do you know that?

It's fact. I know the folks I buy from. I've educated myself so as to know who I deal with to assure myself that the quality is there. I'm not saying there isn't garbage out there and the human factor comes into play. I play what I want and that goes for OEM alike. I've learned that there are more options and choose to keep my doors open.

Clones can be ok for most people, but are totally worthless when and if you decide to trade them in. A name brand club will always have a trade-in value.

That's true too, but I always sell to folks who are smarter than the average bear when it comes to clubs. Most and I mean the major majority are clueless about quality, building or anything else about clubs except what they see on TV and I'm here to tell ya, there's more to it. My iron heads and shafts were cheap compared to most, but they were built very tediously by a friend of mine. The shafts were spined, flo'd and trimmed to a consistent frequency slope. These aren't your ordinary cut and glue job that OEM's sell off the rack. Basically he made a beautiful leather purse out of a sow's ear.

Don't buy clone. Would you buy retread tyres, May look the same but don't perform the same. Get quallity used or save up the cash for the real thing.

That's just nonsense. Have you ever been to Chinese factories? I have over the last 25 years and that's not even close. Today major US companies have their own molds, their own employees on staff and they monitor how many are made and where they go. You bet there are factories making counterfeits and "clones" which I assume you mean as knock offs. They don't use the same materials, don't have the same molds, the same anything, especially quality control. And to suggest that those products are "similar" much less equivalent to the branded products is just not correct. That's like saying the store brand version of NyQuil, Head and Shoulders, you name it are the same as the name brand. They are not. I have made my living suing counterfeits and knockoffs over the past 35 years and when someone tells me the products are the same it insults my intelligence and is contrary to the facts.

Wow, conflict of interest much?