Question About Buying New Clubs

[Chultine]

Well to start I am new to the forum from Wisconsin.

I am buying new clubs, and have been looking for what to buy. I have had my eye on the Taylor Made 09' Burners. I went yesterday to a few of the golf stores to check them out. I also stopped in a small corner club maker shop as well. He said he can make me a custom built set of clubs. While talking to the guy he seemed more interested in educating me then selling me clubs. ( a good thing in my book)

My question is the custom clubs are Taylor Made knock offs. The guy has been making clubs for making clubs for 20 years, and was telling me the spining/truing is the most important thing for a good club. The custom clubs will cost me $250 less($45 a club) and I will get 3iron - SW. The Burners I looked at were 4iron - AW. Also I am 6' 4" so will need a little longer clubs.

I am not sure if I should go with the Name Brand or the Custom.

[LBlack14]

No brainer IMO, custom all the way.

[Shindig]

You know, you can typically get custom fit name-brand clubs without spending any more than the cost of the clubs .

Now, are these generic brand clubs you'd be getting, or are they meant to look like TaylorMades?

[peter draggin]

Custom for me....I would go with a reputable component company and not a clone meant to look like a Taylormade or Titleist or something like that

[Chultine]

They have the basic look of the Taylor Made. I will have to ask about them being a clone. Is that bad?

[Dub]

Well to start I am new to the forum from Wisconsin.

I'm 6'5" so I feel you on needing custom fitting. You simply can't beat $45 a stick for custom fitted. Don't sweat the name brand stuff...you'll always lust for one club or another ad long as you play the game.

Right now it's about getting the gear you need to get started. He'll get your length, lie, flex, kick point and grip size worked out for you with an easy to hit cavity backed iron. You'll be way ahead of the game!!! Maybe he'll let you drop the 3 and/or 4 iron in favor of an easier-to-hit hybrid or two. It's worth asking. Add a well fitted 3-wood and you are set. You've started with properly fit sticks and saved tons of $$$$ that can be spent on a few lessons and some range time. Good luck. Hope it thaws out soon for you!

[jamo]

By custom building I assume he isn't forging the clubs in his own backyard factory right? Just building them from components?

If the custom clubs are good quality with comparable distance (as long as the lofts are the same), forgiveness, and feel, I don't see why not.

[LBlack14]

I wouldn't let any Big Box store fit Me for clubs unless I knew the guy personally and they had a solid rep. for knowing what they were doing. So much of those fitting are just going thru the motions.

I agree with another post who said a good reputable component company, but sometimes that can cost more than any OEM.

What are the components the guy is going to use exactly. For a solid budget type quality COMPONENT you should start at Hirekogolf.com. Very reasonable price wise and top quality. They also stand behind their gear and have good customer service.

[Chultine]

Maybe he'll let you drop the 3 and/or 4 iron in favor of an easier-to-hit hybrid or two. It's worth asking.

Actually the set he is showing me has a 3 & 4 Hybrid, but I have tried a few and can not hit them

I actually had to request the 3 and 4 iron. He stated the they are actually hybrids that have the look of an iron. He does buy the components and is not out back with a furnace and anvil. The guy told me that he will only order components from this one company. I forgot to write it down. I am feeling a lot better about getting the customs. After I get them I will get back, and tell you how it goes. Thanks again!

[Dub]

Good luck.

I know what you mean about the hybrids. I struggled with my first one....that was until I tried forgetting what my eyes were telling me at address....even though the head looks like a wood...don't set up that way. It's an "iron" so step a small bit closer and swing down into the ball just like you'd do with your irons. I was amazed at that small adjustment. I'll not go back to long irons again.

Swing down with those hybrids.

[Chultine]

That is exactly it! I look at it and see a wood and cant get my head around that it is an iron. He showed me the 3 & 4 he had and it is a hybrid that looks like a iron. I figure maybe that will help.

[ET-Taylor]

How about get PING custom fitting because you should be advised before purchases and they have a good custom fitting service i have heard

[Chultine]

I am scheduled for my fitting next Wed. Maybe I will postpone it. They are having the golf show in 3 weeks. I am still on the fence, but leaning toward the customs.

[peter draggin]

Go ahead and get your fitting done whether you buy the customs or not, that way you will know what specs that you need or want.

[patriot07]

Buy some name brand clubs. You can get fit for them at no charge usually, and you'll definitely have better quality clubs. If this guy is buying the components from somewhere, I'd definitely figure out what kind of quality I was getting. The last thing you want to do is spend a bunch of money on clubs that you may or may not like with very low resale value. If this guy is just buying and assembling components, there's really no guarantee he'll do any better job of fitting you than a normal retail store salesman would.

[Shanks A Million]

I am scheduled for my fitting next Wed. Maybe I will postpone it. They are having the golf show in 3 weeks. I am still on the fence, but leaning toward the customs.

Give us the name of the component company he is using, and we can tell you what your best bet is. Many of these component makers are just as good, if not better than the name brand clubs. Others are absolute junk. Names like Maltby, Wishon, and Golfsmith are reputable brands that can compete with the biggest names in the buisness.

When it all comes down to it, though, even custom fitted junk is better than off the rack top quality. If a club doesn't fit, you'll never play to your potential.

[Chultine]

I will call the guy tomorrow and post the names. I really appreciate all the help.