Name Brand vs Knockoff

[DoubleEagle]

Have you ever had a name brand driver and just could not hit it?  Then you purchase a knockoff or component driver and hit it pretty darn good and wonder what the heck is going on?

I went to golf shop, hit a number of drivers, paid the fee for the fitting.  Found one I hit pretty good, according to the monitor in the place.  Got out to the range and hit it somewhat good, then play 4 rounds and absolutely cannot hit the thing to save my neck.  I borrow a playing buddies component driver, virtually the same shaft, same loft, same weight, and I hit it pretty straight and much more consistently.

Questions:

1.  Are the monitors in places like Dick's, Nevada Bob's. etc. accurate or do they show less extreme results than actual?

2.  Are these monitors set up to sell you clubs and not really give you a proper fitting?

[dbuck]

Hopefully WUTiger will chime in.

I don't know if it is done anymore, but stores once let you take demos to the range or course, to confirm the setup.

I have used a few no name clubs and back in the day before the manufacturers were as high tech, you would see no name clubs used by pros. If it works for you, it doesn't matter what the name is.

[WUTiger]

Have you ever had a name brand driver and just could not hit it?  Then you purchase a knockoff or component driver and hit it pretty darn good and wonder what the heck is going on? ...

Questions:

1.  Are the monitors in places like Dick's, Nevada Bob's. etc. accurate or do they show less extreme results than actual?

First of all, don't confuse component clubs and knock-off clubs. Component clubheads are second-tier items used by some custom clubsmiths and do-it-yourself club makers. Golfdom has certain "open stock" clubheads, mature models that don't change much from year to year.

For example of components, check out the Hireko golf equipment site: http://www.hirekogolf.com/ Power Play and Acer are just two of the brands offered by Hireko. Examples of Power Play offerings:

• Caiman X2 Raw Power irons ($9 heads, cut to $7): An SGI head awaiting for your ideal shaft.
• Caiman X2 Tour Blade irons: A reported user-friendly Player's iron with a copper finish ($17 heads). Also has similar look to Raw Spin wedges. ($19 heads)
• Caiman X2 Titanium driver ($47.50).

So, you could order some decent Hireko-assembled irons for less than $50 each, and a decent driver for about $110.

The component heads and shafts vary in quality. Ask the clubmaker for references on people who use his or her clubs.

Knockoffs, on the other hand, may be counterfeits. These are the "Ping" or "Callaway" clubs that just don't look right. The counterfeits often contain inferior metal, and are heavier in the head, often producing misses to the right. Golf Digest had an article last year comparing real and counterfeit clubs.  Counterfeits can be made with stolen plans in some third-world village, or else made by organized crime with profits from drug trade and prostitution.

Here's are two articles on golf anti-counterfeiting ops:

http://www.cybergolf.com/golf_news/task_force_continues_crackdown_on_chinese_golf_club_counterfeiters

http://www.cybergolf.com/golf_news/nearly_200_websites_shut_down_in_golf_anticounterfeiting_groups_latest_crackdown

[Shindig]

For example of components, check out the Hireko golf equipment site: [URL=http://www.hirekogolf.com/]http://www.hirekogolf.com/[/URL] Power Play and Acer are just two of the brands offered by Hireko. Examples of Power Play offerings: [LIST] [*] Caiman X2 Raw Power irons ($9 heads, cut to $7): An SGI head awaiting for your ideal shaft.  [*] Caiman X2 Tour Blade irons: A reported user-friendly Player's iron with a copper finish ($17 heads). Also has similar look to Raw Spin wedges. ($19 heads) [*] Caiman X2 Titanium driver ($47.50). [/LIST] So, you could order some decent Hireko-assembled irons for less than $50 each, and a decent driver for about $110. The component heads and shafts vary in quality. Ask the clubmaker for references on people who use his or her clubs.

Oooh, some good looking irons on that site. Just when I thought I had my bag figured out, too. Well, I have been thinking of assembling a set of ladies' irons for someone. Should make one from each of a few brands so she can choose.

[cubdog]

I've owned and enjoyed "knockoff" or whatever you want to call them. They were TA 845 clones and they were excellent irons. The thing is today, with new clubs being introduced by the major manufactures every year, last year clubs get steeply discounted. I just recently bought a brand new set of Cobra Amp Cell irons for $270.00. I've already seen them for a bit less than that. Why anyone would buy a used set of Acer irons for the same money is beyond me.

cubdog

[Dave2512]

I've never seen used Acer irons for $270. You can buy a set of heads 4-PW for around $90 new. I dang near put together a set of Acer's last month but I got a deal on some new Tour Edge Exotics irons with KBS Tour shafts, $200 shipped. Still might pull the shafts and build a set of Acer XF Pro.

[tqcishark]

I rented a set of all graphite rocketbalz in orlando and I loved the feel.  When I started looking and reading I wondered if I really I liked having a 3 and 4 hybrid better than adding a wedge.  After much back and forth, I bought a set of +1 Tour Edge Iron Hybrid 3H, 4H, 5-P for $200 to see if I liked the basic setup.  I actually liked my Tour Edge a lot.  I was ready to ride'em out for awhile.  Then I rented another set of taylormade iron-hybrid all graphite iron sets at Haubourtown last week.  There was a difference

Dicks made it easy.  They gave 25% last weekend,  I did it.  Got the Rocketbalz, just like the all graphite regular flex set I used in orlando.

25% seemed like a pretty good deal.  $516 incl tax

[cubdog]

I've never seen used Acer irons for $270. You can buy a set of heads 4-PW for around $90 new. I dang near put together a set of Acer's last month but I got a deal on some new Tour Edge Exotics irons with KBS Tour shafts, $200 shipped. Still might pull the shafts and build a set of Acer XF Pro.

Check the link WUTiger provided.

cubdog

[trickyputt]

Hireko says some of those heads like the Acer are titanium. Ti is hard to work with...I cant imagine going to all that trouble for a poorly designed head.

[LBlack14]

Hireko says some of those heads like the Acer are titanium. Ti is hard to work with...I cant imagine going to all that trouble for a poorly designed head.

WTF are you talking about??? What's hard to work with? No, I did not read through this.

[trickyputt]

From what I have brushed across about creating things from titanium, the material is not nearly as easy to work with as other metal. In fact, it seems like a pita, reading the white papers that are out there, compared to carbon steel and less expensive metals. If I was gonna counterfeit, I wouldnt use the good stuff.

[Dave2512]

Mmmmmm pita... Acer isn't counterfeit so weird prevous post about them. Either way considering all the Ti crap out there it can't be too tough to cast. Was a time, the Ti iron graveyard is massive, it was a very popular product.

[Hammer 4]

In 1991, I bought a set of Acer irons. Was at the range one day, after I'd had them for about 1 month, and a week, was hitting my 8i, and the head flew down range. So I'm kinda iffy re: non brand names.

[trickyputt]

The refrences to knock offs being inferior metal in the 3rd post is what illicited my comment about Ti being more difficult to deal with and posing the "why would you bother", faking a exact duplicate of the real thing. You copy diamonds with cubic zirconia not diamonds. Enough already.

[trickyputt]

In 1991, I bought a set of Acer irons. Was at the range one day, after I'd had them for about 1 month, and a week, was hitting my 8i, and the head flew down range. So I'm kinda iffy re: non brand names.

Thats just glue though. I bought three acer wedges to stick on some pullout cleveland shafts, and you could tell they were roghly made and finished. I never even hit them. I am not buying any more.

[joekelly]

I bought a sweet white TM RocketBallz 3W from a golf shop (in china).  Frankly, by looks only i can not find any fault. But i saved a ton o'cash. First week, at the range, the weight button on the bottom flew out, lost.  The 3rd week the cavity slot on the bottom, just behind the face, split severely. Before the month was out, rust all over the face.  What a dope.

[Hammer 4]

Thats just glue though. I bought three acer wedges to stick on some pullout cleveland shafts, and you could tell they were roghly made and finished. I never even hit them. I am not buying any more.

True, but..I've never had a brand name club do that...