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1960-70s Clubs with 1970s balls...


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Has anyone been through maybe their dads or grandpa's garage, and found a set of old golf clubs (you know the kind with actual WOODS, and weird looking muscle backed irons, and that Spalding Cash-in putter, with an old sealed box of Titleist Tour Balata 90? I wonder what it would be like to play Clubs older than me... So the question is: Has anyone played Clubs like these in recent years, just to screw around? Or has anyone found a set-up like this?

What's in Shane's Bag?     

Ball: 2022 :callaway: Chrome Soft Triple Track Driver: :callaway:Paradym Triple Diamond 8° MCA Kai’li 70s FW: :callaway:Paradym Triple Diamond  H: :callaway: Apex Pro 21 20°I (3-PW) :callaway: Apex 21 UST Recoil 95 (3), Recoil 110 (4-PW). Wedges: :callaway: Jaws Raw 50°, 54°, 60° UST Recoil 110 Putter: :odyssey: Tri-Hot 5K Triple Wide 35”

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Has anyone been through maybe their dads or grandpa's garage, and found a set of old golf clubs (you know the kind with actual WOODS, and weird looking muscle backed irons, and that Spalding Cash-in putter, with an old sealed box of Titleist Tour Balata 90?

I wonder what it would be like to play Clubs older than me...

So the question is: Has anyone played Clubs like these in recent years, just to screw around? Or has anyone found a set-up like this?

I have a few of my late father-in-laws clubs from the 1930s.  They are not in good enough shape to play though.  I did refinish the putter head as a gift for my wife.

Scott

Titleist, Edel, Scotty Cameron Putter, Snell - AimPoint - Evolvr - MirrorVision

My Swing Thread

boogielicious - Adjective describing the perfect surf wave

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I've hit balls with some old Spaldings. I also have some old clubs with steel shafts painted to look like wood, real leather wraps and the thinnest blades ever. I've only hit them a handful of times as I'm afraid to trash them.

Yours in earnest, Jason.
Call me Ernest, or EJ or Ernie.

PSA - "If you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!"

My Whackin' Sticks: :cleveland: 330cc 2003 Launcher 10.5*  :tmade: RBZ HL 3w  :nickent: 3DX DC 3H, 3DX RC 4H  :callaway: X-22 5-AW  :nike:SV tour 56* SW :mizuno: MP-T11 60* LW :bridgestone: customized TD-03 putter :tmade:Penta TP3   :aimpoint:

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Has anyone been through maybe their dads or grandpa's garage, and found a set of old golf clubs (you know the kind with actual WOODS, and weird looking muscle backed irons, and that Spalding Cash-in putter, with an old sealed box of Titleist Tour Balata 90?

I wonder what it would be like to play Clubs older than me...

So the question is: Has anyone played Clubs like these in recent years, just to screw around? Or has anyone found a set-up like this?

I'm afraid it would bring back bad memories of my first set of clubs (purchased circa 1985) - muscleback irons, persimmon driver/fairway woods and a Bullseye-style putter....all in a cheap brown imitation leather golf bag, with a bunch of old balata balls.  For a beginning golfer, mishits with those irons would just about knock your teeth loose, and often cut a wicked "smiley" in those balata balls.

It would be fun to try hitting them now, just to see if they feel any better than they did back then - but I doubt I'd find myself longing for the "good old days". :-)

Mac

WITB:
Driver: Ping G30 (12*)
FW:  Ping K15 (3W, 5W)
Hybrids: Ping K15 (3H, 5H)
Irons: Ping K15 (6-UW)

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX CB (54*, 58*)

Putter: Ping Scottsdale w/ SS Slim 3.0

Ball: Bridgestone e6

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I actually have an almost complete set of old Titleist Lite 100 irons. I messed about with a couple last year on the range and even put the 2 iron in my bag before I bought my hybrid. Nothing gave me quite as much pleasure, in regards to hitting golf balls, as hitting those clubs pure. Unfortunately it didn't happen nearly enough and those range balls are rocks so a mis hit was super painful.

KICK THE FLIP!!

In the bag:
:srixon: Z355

:callaway: XR16 3 Wood
:tmade: Aeroburner 19* 3 hybrid
:ping: I e1 irons 4-PW
:vokey: SM5 50, 60
:wilsonstaff: Harmonized Sole Grind 56 and Windy City Putter

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I have a set of Wilson staff blades from the 60s, they're loads of fun to take to the range. If the shafts weren't boat anchors I'd take them on the course every now and then.

I apologize for having a spam URL in my signature and will not do it again.

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I have an old Ping Eye wood set 1,3, and 5 that I will break out on occasion with good results but I never added the balls for the full experience. I know I have a couple of old wound balls floating around in the barrels of balls in the basement. I need to fish them all out one of these days and give it a go.

:callaway: Big Bertha Alpha 815 DBD  :bridgestone: TD-03 Putter   
:tmade: 300 Tour 3W                 :true_linkswear: Motion Shoes
:titleist: 585H Hybrid                       
:tmade: TP MC irons                 
:ping: Glide 54             
:ping: Glide 58
:cleveland: 588 RTX 62

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Look at my signature. These are the clubs I most often play.

The PING woods are actually fairly easy to hit. Most modern balls are fine with the older clubs, but I do have a preference for the softer ones. I use Titleist DT Solo, Callaway Supersoft, and Wilson Duo.

I do break out the more modern stuff if I play in a scramble or the like, but playing for enjoyment, I have a blast with the older stuff. The irons will make you aware of a mis-hit!!

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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Has anyone been through maybe their dads or grandpa's garage , and found a set of old golf clubs (you know the kind with actual WOODS, and weird looking muscle backed irons, and that Spalding Cash-in putter, with an old sealed box of Titleist Tour Balata 90? I wonder what it would be like to play Clubs older than me... So the question is: Has anyone played Clubs like these in recent years, just to screw around? Or has anyone found a set-up like this?

What do you mean "dads or grandpa's garage"? I have some in my garage! I started out with a set of Mason Rudolph blades. Used to love those Maxfli Blue Dots.

Driver.......Ping K15 9.5* stiff 3 wood.....Ping K15 16* stiff 5 wood.....Ping K15 19* stiff 4 Hybrid...Cleveland Gliderail 23* stiff 5 - PW......Pinhawk SL GW...........Tommy Armour 52* SW...........Tommy Armour 56* LW...........Tommy Armour 60* FW...........Diamond Tour 68* Putter.......Golfsmith Dyna Mite Ball..........Volvik Vista iV Green Bag..........Bennington Quiet Organizer Shoes.... ..Crocs

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What do you mean "dads or grandpa's garage"? I have some in my garage! I started out with a set of Mason Rudolph blades. Used to love those Maxfli Blue Dots.

I realize that there are several generations on TST, I forgot about our more experienced group that may personally have these clubs... I've tossed around the idea of getting a vintage set of clubs and balls and playing 18 holes with 2 balls one with the old clubs and balls, and one ball with my Exotics clubs and balls

What's in Shane's Bag?     

Ball: 2022 :callaway: Chrome Soft Triple Track Driver: :callaway:Paradym Triple Diamond 8° MCA Kai’li 70s FW: :callaway:Paradym Triple Diamond  H: :callaway: Apex Pro 21 20°I (3-PW) :callaway: Apex 21 UST Recoil 95 (3), Recoil 110 (4-PW). Wedges: :callaway: Jaws Raw 50°, 54°, 60° UST Recoil 110 Putter: :odyssey: Tri-Hot 5K Triple Wide 35”

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The irons- shouldn't have any issues playing with modern balls. Other than being severely LESS forgiving and teaching you how to find the sweet spot... and quick, no worries. However... the "wood" woods will be an issue. As I've mentioned in other similar threads, the old laminates and persimmons were designed to smash the carp out of the old harder 90 or 100 compression balls. There was no "MOI", "trampoline effect", etc... with those plastic inserts. With the newer 'soft' balls down to around 30 or 40 (Chrome Soft, et al) you get a rather unsatisfying strike and a kind of mush sounding hit. The ball will go out and appear to just kind of fall out of the sky. I've tried a few different models of 'older drivers' with some newer balls, Persimmon, Laminate, and an early steel driver. Same thing almost every time. There might be a distance ball out there that is much harder and will give a slightly better result off the driver, but you will lose control in the short game for the most part. And even if you HAD a few dozen balls from the 70's or 80's, the shelf life is well past it and the results wouldn't be any comparison to playing them in the 70's when they both were new. They might look fine on the outside, but the interiors would have deteriorated by now and performance would be pretty bad, I would guess.
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  • 2 weeks later...
I just played around with a set of Gorman clubs last week. It took about 50 balls at the range until I finally started hitting anything well and straight. The weight of the clubs made me struggle.
In my bag:
Driver - Diablo Octane 10.5*
Fairway Wood - Diablo Octane 15*
Hybrid -  Edge 21*
Irons - X20's 4I - 9I
Wedges - X20's PW/SW
Putter - White Ice 1
Ball - Warbird
 

 

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I just played around with a set of Gorman clubs last week. It took about 50 balls at the range until I finally started hitting anything well and straight. The weight of the clubs made me struggle.

"Gorman"? that's my surname... where did you come across these?

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