"Tour Issue" Experiences

[asianpsuation]

just wondering to see your opinions on "tour issued" clubs. my three wood is tour issued, and ive had it for about 2 months. i love it, but honestly i cant imagine that some of theses 600-800dollar clubs can be worth it. anybody who has tour issued clubs: what do you think? is the difference really that great?

[AMGfan]

You got to clarify for me..."tour issued" is that like the R7 460 vs. R7 TP 460?

[asianpsuation]

no not "TP" i mean directly from the professional tours.
ex.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tour-Issue-Title...QQcmdZViewItem

there are tons of them on ebay, some fairly cheap (my 200 steel was 130), some reaaallllyy expensive (around 1000)

[iacas]

just wondering to see your opinions on "tour issued" clubs. my three wood is tour issued, and ive had it for about 2 months. i love it, but honestly i cant imagine that some of theses 600-800dollar clubs can be worth it. anybody who has tour issued clubs: what do you think? is the difference really that great?

TaylorMade will tell you that their TP line is their "tour-issue" line and that, except for customizations to face angle or whatever, they're the same exact clubs. Thus, it makes NO SENSE whatsoever to buy a "tour issue" club unless you want to collect it. If you want to play it, buy a TP - same make, materials, process, etc.

The same is true for a lot of other companies, though some will produce slightly different clubs for their Tour players. With the increased number of "Tour" clubs, though, that may be dropping.

[asianpsuation]

iacas, i basically agree with you. my 3 wood was pretty cheap ($135), so im not that pissed that its no magic wand for my golf game. i just cant imagine spendin like 1500 bucks on a tour issued set of irons, but i guess thats just what some people want...

[SlimfuqShady]

Taylor Made TP issued clubs are the only way to go as far as I am concerned. The difference in price is but mood point as the TP clubs are built for people who know how to play and expect a little more from their clubs. They come either perfectly square as well as up to 1* open which you will not find with the standard version. Also I have been told by the TM rep. that the TP line of clubs are actually handcrafted vs. the standard line mass produced with little to no attention to detail.

[gas_can]

Taylor Made TP issued clubs are the only way to go as far as I am concerned. The difference in price is but mood point as the TP clubs are built for people who know how to play and expect a little more from their clubs. They come either perfectly square as well as up to 1* open which you will not find with the standard version. Also I have been told by the TM rep. that the TP line of clubs are actually handcrafted vs. the standard line mass produced with little to no attention to detail.

SlimfuqShady,

Thanks for the laugh, that last sentence may be the funniest thing I've read in many days. If you can, please send me a message with your reps name because he / she deserves to lose their job for misinforming the public. There is no difference in production values between TP and regular clubs. They are the same metals, same general molds, and same people casting and checking them. Look around and you can definitely find TP clubs that range anywhere from a degree closed to a degree open. I always find it interesting to see how the TP logo on the toe makes people automatically believe the club is square to open and the lack of one means it's closed. Start having your shop measure face angles and you might be surprised at the variety you can see within a shipment of clubs.

[sandtrap]

I think you are reffering to "tour van" clubs that you see on ebay. I'm pretty sure those clubs are put together with the specific grip and shaft and bent to the specifications of the individual player who is going to try it. Those may not have any magic for you, but for the guy they were made for they do.

[DDBowdoin]

Tour Issue clubs are just a novelty for the majority of golfers... in many cases its rich people who love to show off clubs that haven't been released to the general public, or a T Titleist Tour Stamp. What makes them tour issue clubs is, well that they are issued to tour players, meaning they are made exactly to the specs of that player, shafts, grip, grinds, angles...

there just isnt any difference between pro and stock clubs in terms of what they'll do for you, I remember hearing the Mark Calc... (however you spell his name) where in a pro am some am thought that all his equipment and balls were juiced or made of completely different materials... I believe he called him a jackass or something, it was funny

[verse214]

TaylorMade will tell you that their TP line is their "tour-issue" line and that, except for customizations to face angle or whatever, they're the same exact clubs. Thus, it makes NO SENSE whatsoever to buy a "tour issue" club unless you want to collect it. If you want to play it, buy a TP - same make, materials, process, etc.

Old thread but I'm considering getting a driver (head only) that is tour issued from TM -

If the above is true do you know why TM stamps their "tour Issued" clubs with the TXXX serial numbers? I'm just thinking that there has to be some sort of difference if they bother stamping these with the serial numbers? Otherwise, why wouldn't they just pull a box off the production line and use those to fit the tour players right? Plus - If i were taylormade, I'd probably want to try to create the best club possible for the tour players so they would be more inclined to use my product - i could definitely picture them just pulling and testing clubs off of their retail line before stamping the serial numbers and using the most "perfect" clubs, with the least deviation from specs for their tour players... do you guys agree? or you think these clubs are truly no different...

[ET-Taylor]

I was looking at these too and there is the a special model of R9 that isn't released to the public so they are diferrent

[patriot07]

I was looking at these too and there is the a special model of R9 that isn't released to the public so they are diferrent

They're not different. That's a new club. Clubs are always released to the pros first. This is just a club that hasn't been released to the public

yet . I'm sure it will be soon. Tour issue clubs are made no different than regular clubs.

[wolverine_man]

Taylor Made TP issued clubs are the only way to go as far as I am concerned. The difference in price is but mood point as the TP clubs are built for people who know how to play and expect a little more from their clubs. They come either perfectly square as well as up to 1* open which you will not find with the standard version. Also I have been told by the TM rep. that the TP line of clubs are actually handcrafted vs. the standard line mass produced with little to no attention to detail.

As someone who wields a non TP driver, I resent your statement.

[FHopper]

What does "hot melt" mean?

[Hokie2k5]

I think "tour issue" is different for different companies. For the most part they are exactly the same as the off-the-rack versions just built for the pros. In some cases they are different, I know Taylormade offers all kinda of options to their tour pros that you could never get retail, Titleist offers 7.5 degree drivers to their pros which you can't get retail, Callaway with the tour authentic FT-9's last year....things like that. I would bet that tour issue stuff is built to exact specs of what they're supposed to be as opposed to what you can get when you buy off the rack.

But for the most part - unless you want to get something to colllect or put on your wall, you're probably over paying.

All that being said - I wouldn't mind having enough cash to buy a Circle T Scotty Cameron just to look it. Those things rule.

[mhancock]

Sorry to dig up this old thread but had to chime in. I do actually play a couple of tp heads that are txxx tour issue Supertri heads and had another one that I just got but some lowlife broke in my truck and stole it along with a new set of custom spec irons last night. The difference in the txxx driver head is more about exact weigjt (ie hotmelt, etc) and actual loft compared to whats stamped on club. Im not sure exactly how Titleist specs out but on TM heads for instance, a 9.5° R9 may be modified to play 9.2° etc in L position or R position instead of adding or decreasing in a made for public. Most pros and better amateurs know how open or closed they want the club and at what loft. For instance, one of mine is 9.5° that plays 10.2°, one in 9.5° and plays 8.8° in L, and the newest one that was stolen is 8.5° that plays 8.2° in L and these are actual loft. I also usually order my irons with custom loft +2° loft and -2° flat but I haven't had a set stamped T. Mine play at D2 so the txxx issue may have custom weight, lie, loft etc. Most pros prefer 1-2° weaker loft in irons and more open club face on driver. I just completed my Player Ability Test and will receive my teaching license soon. Im a 1.6-1.9 handicap and only use txxx heads because of the ability to have loft and face angle where I want but I can play off the shelf as well, just prefer something that better suits my game.

[Jakezillagfw]

I know this is an old thread. But to make it simple standard off the rack heads are "off the rack" nothing too complex the majority of golfers wouldn't notice if the driver is .5-2 degrees off (which the majority of them will be off by that much). Tour players will be able to tell the difference (usually by flight an spin numbers). Tour heads are gernally just more specific an exact in weight, face angle, lie angle or degree. Something like Rorys driver for instance I remember him saying he plays a 7.25 driver head 3 degree open(I think this was back in 2009 I was a WITB video a few years back on YouTube). You will have a very difficult time getting a driver that specific off the rack and if you could find one like that you would have to pay a lot of money getting something altered to be that specific. That's not even going into swing weight, head weight specific lie angle. It's just more a more precise and accurate for the tour guys be cause the can actually tell the difference compared to us mere mortals.