How many have tried real Persimmon golf clubs?

[DaveP043]

19 hours ago, David in FL said:

Tried?  I played them for the first 20 years that I played this silly game!

I didn't play persimmon woods for long, maybe 10 years, but proper persimmon was what many of us aspired to own back in the day, as  a step from the laminate clubheads in less expensive sets.  I still have my Cleveland RC85 (see here for a sample photo http://www.clubsofdistinction.com/cod5/ucwd6527.htm) and DG43 3-wood.  They're lovely clubs, but I haven't swung either foe years.

[caniac6]

Took a MacGregor Jack Nicklaus VIP to the course, and used it on a short Par 4. Hit a ProV1x, and it felt like a rock. I hit it well, and it probably didn't go as far as my current (Ping G25) three wood.

 

[Buckeyebowman]

On 6/4/2017 at 9:50 PM, David in FL said:

A country mile was shorter back then....  If you think you hit those persimmons better "back in the day", than you could hit a modern club, let's call it 10 years ago, then I stick to my original statement.  Either option, your choice!  

Jack Nicklaus's average drive was in the 275 yard range.  I'm old, and a relatively short hitter for my handicap, and can still roll one out there 260ish every now and then.  The miracle of modern technology!  

But you said you hit the ball farther now than you did when you were 30! I can't say that! Back in the day I hit those persimmons about 3 hundy! But you're making a false argument. Of course the modern clubs are better and longer. But, we didn't have them back when I played persimmons, so there's no rational basis for comparison! Maybe I could have hit modern drivers 330-350 like the big whoppers of today. God only knows how Nicklaus would have hit them!

These days, if I can pump out a drive 220-230 in the short grass, I'm a happy camper! Beware the hubris of youth! Father Time is out there. Just laying in the weeds waiting to take you in! He is undefeated! Your time will come!

[David in FL]

3 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

But you said you hit the ball farther now than you did when you were 30! I can't say that! Back in the day I hit those persimmons about 3 hundy! But you're making a false argument. Of course the modern clubs are better and longer. But, we didn't have them back when I played persimmons, so there's no rational basis for comparison! Maybe I could have hit modern drivers 330-350 like the big whoppers of today. God only knows how Nicklaus would have hit them!

These days, if I can pump out a drive 220-230 in the short grass, I'm a happy camper! Beware the hubris of youth! Father Time is out there. Just laying in the weeds waiting to take you in! He is undefeated! Your time will come!

Congratulations.  You hit the ball a lot further than Jack Nicklaus in his prime.

[Buckeyebowman]

I question the numbers from back then. They didn't have Shotlink. They didn't have a lot of stuff. Tell me, what was Nicklaus' clubhead speed. His launch angle, spin rate, etc! There's no way to know, since the technology just didn't exist back then. All I could judge by were the yardages on the course. If I was playing a 5 Hundy par 5 and I had 200 in. I figured I hit the drive 3 Hundy!

Jeez! Do you think everybody's on the Tour out here?!

[iacas]

14 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

I question the numbers from back then. They didn't have Shotlink. They didn't have a lot of stuff. Tell me, what was Nicklaus' clubhead speed. His launch angle, spin rate, etc! There's no way to know, since the technology just didn't exist back then.

They could measure distances. Not much technology required there…

And Nicklaus averaged 269.0 in 1980. He was only 40 then.

[mvmac]

 

[Midpack]

I used persimmon woods for many years. I picked up golf in the mid 60's, metal woods didn't appear until around 1991. While I wouldn't go back to persimmons, the "crack" of a well  hit solid wood was way more satisfying than the loud ring of a modern metal or carbon fiber hollow wood.

[Jack Watson]

When I started out I was given a set of Smith irons and woods.  They were customs made for grandpa.  

Still have the sw leather and all.  

Ive got a couple sets of Mac Gregor m85 woods and a set of old Wilson staff blades I take out sometimes.

The m85 comes out low bullets for me.  They get out there okay.   

They are just golf clubs.  They are not as difficult to play as one who grew up with frying pan drivers might think.  I actually used them exclusively for almost two years.  With driver I tee it low though.  Mac had that tee very high.  I never could do that. 

 

Edited June 6, 2017 by Jack Watson

[dbuck]

I started out playing laminate and then persimmon as I upgraded. Like everyone, I switched to metal in the 90's.  About 8-10 years ago, I picked up a couple of nice Joe Powell persimmons at a pawn shop, and started playing them some, along with a set of Wilson Staff blades from 1979. It became a subset of my golf hobby-playing with "vintage" equipment.  Most of my collection came from thrift stores, averaging around $6-7 per club.  My current "gamers" include a Bert Dargie persimmon driver with a graphite shaft from about 1992, and PING Eye2 laminated maple 3 and 5 woods with the black finish and red inserts.  When I am swinging well, I can play with buddies playing modern clubs, accepting the fact that I will usually be a little behind them on the drive.  I have hit some drives with the persimmon that are close to my drives with modern clubs, but I must be swinging pretty good for me. I actually find the PING laminates to be relatively easy to hit.

 For the last several years, most of my golf has been vintage golf. It is fun; a retrace of my roots, and most satisfying to hear the occasional crack of one well struck.

I recently picked up a Titleist 913D2, though and the forgiveness is addictive.

 

[NCGolfer]

Here are Rickie's numbers with a persimmons driver...but a modern ball (I would imagine):

 

[David in FL]

The ball is a huge piece of that equation.  The modern ball doesn't even resemble an old tour balata, other than that they're both white (usually) and have dimples...  

[Hoganman1]

On 6/4/2017 at 9:03 PM, David in FL said:

Tried?  I played them for the first 20 years that I played this silly game!

Sorry though, they don't come close to comparing to modern clubs.  At almost 60 years old, I now hit the ball further and more consistently than I did at 30.  Anyone who says different is either lying or age related dementia has finally kicked in...

 

Me too. I used to have a set of blond Tony Pena woods. They were gorgeous. I still have an old Golfcraft  driver (they became part of Titleist back in the late 60s). I'm afraid to try to hit it, but I doubt if I could get it airborne.

[Hacker James]

I am not a stranger to hitting Persimmon as I (and many others here) started out with them. One thing I did get from the above posts are exemplified by the video put up by @mvmac.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That is certainly evident in the clip he made. IMO pretty much, picture perfect. (except maybe for the tee height, which he made work anyway).  Just watching it, made me pay attention to the fluidity and smoothness of what a golf swing is supposed to look like and in emulating it, I got immediate results.

note: of course, the first ones were maple laminates lest anyone chimes in to correct me, but I did end up with persimmon eventually.

Edited June 7, 2017 by Hacker James

[DarrellLeeAllen]

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 9:50 PM, David in FL said:

A country mile was shorter back then....  If you think you hit those persimmons better "back in the day", than you could hit a modern club, let's call it 10 years ago, then I stick to my original statement.  Either option, your choice!  

Jack Nicklaus's average drive was in the 275 yard range.  I'm old, and a relatively short hitter for my handicap, and can still roll one out there 260ish every now and then.  The miracle of modern technology!  

I to this day play a mixed bag and I have been playing golf for 31 years there is nothing like hitting a persimmon wood.....my bag is as follows...taylor made rocket blz 4-AW....a modified 1978 Golden Bear 2 iron with graphite shaft....a custom made Calloway modeled 1 iron....a 1950 Walter Hagen 4 wood a 1944 Wilson 4300 3 wood and a 1919 Dundee putter by Spalding........oh and my driver is a modern taylor made SLDR....IMHO some old persimmons perform far better then some hybrid woods....I have found in many cases they are more accurate....the problem people have in this day and age with persimmon clubs is that the modern golfer lacks the ball striking ability to hit them well....todays clubs give far more room for error....and you don't have to be as good a ball striker today as the golfer in persimmon era did....and boy the sound a well struck persimmon makes is like nothing else on earth....I attached a picture of my persimmon 4300 3 wood....I still hit it between 190-220 yards...I Love!!!!!!! persimmon clubs

[Typhoon92]

Had a set of Jack Nicklaus Muirfield persimmon woods back around I think 1984.  Driver was tough to hit but the 3 wood I could hit off the tee plenty far.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 6/6/2017 at 9:02 AM, Midpack said:

I used persimmon woods for many years. I picked up golf in the mid 60's, metal woods didn't appear until around 1991. While I wouldn't go back to persimmons, the "crack" of a well  hit solid wood was way more satisfying than the loud ring of a modern metal or carbon fiber hollow wood.

Indeed! Back in the day the sound of a well struck driver sounded like a rifle shot going off! Even the best "sounding" modern titanium drivers leave a lot to be desired in that realm.

That's just one of the sounds of golf I miss. Like real, high carbon steel spikes crunching in gravel or clacking on concrete!

On 6/6/2017 at 2:46 PM, David in FL said:

The ball is a huge piece of that equation.  The modern ball doesn't even resemble an old tour balata, other than that they're both white (usually) and have dimples...  

Good point! When we played persimmon we were also playing wound balata. A very nice feeling ball when the temps were right. I played mainly Spalding Dots myself. But you had to be careful! A poorly struck bladed iron would ruin a ball!

[Hacker James]

45 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Indeed! Back in the day the sound of a well struck driver sounded like a rifle shot going off! Even the best "sounding" modern titanium drivers leave a lot to be desired in that realm.

That's just one of the sounds of golf I miss. Like real, high carbon steel spikes crunching in gravel or clacking on concrete!

Good point! When we played persimmon we were also playing wound balata. A very nice feeling ball when the temps were right. I played mainly Spalding Dots myself. But you had to be careful! A poorly struck bladed iron would ruin a ball!

Nostalgia.......a while back, I was using the oldies frequently to the point that I even went online and bought some wound balls. They were not balata but Titleist DT  Wounds, which are plentiful. As for metal spikes, still a bit of controversy but it has been said they are no more damaging to greens than the so-called soft spikes. My next pair will probably be some of the newer "treads". The clacky sounds in the parking lot, even make the total hackers sound like pros.