Are these considered weird? They actually play pretty well. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. "image": { Thanks. Brings back great memories! I play them still and love them. #PowerToThePlayer. A very interesting stroll down golf history. 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 The Honda Classic - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Genesis Invitational - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - Discussion and Links to all photos. Just terribleand never sold thruas well it shouldnt. As a former professional player, Spalding recognized the need of enlisting the assistance of experts to promote both the game and his merchandise. Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. Jeff Sheets had been Director of R&D for Top-Flite since 1995, and his first club for Hogan became a legend. The company was founded in 1973 and today produces high-quality golf clubs using the . 1-949-642-6484 . And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. ), Undersize Golf Grips Explained (8 Key Facts!). (Everything To Know). Case in point: The article makes the statement that The (Cleveland) VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! I dont think Cory Pavin would have won PGA tour events and endorsed them if this had been true. 6. There is nothing crazy about the Slinger! I have a Simmons Great White Shark putter with a 7 blade. I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Since you mentioned it in the article, how about doing the history of Ben Hogan golf from its inception in 1953 to itd ultimate demise under Callaway and then its resurrection in 2015. TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. In 1895, Spalding started making golf balls. I was the Sales Manager of Stan Thompson golf company for several years and worked very close with Stan. Whats more, KKR continued adding to its golf empire, buying Etonic in 1996 and Ben Hogan a year later. You should shoot me some pics of your new set. In that year, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) took shape, and many of the fledgling tour's stars already had endorsement deals with Spalding. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. These were said to be Moe Normans favorite clubs and are rated by the MyGolfSpy Forums resident vintage club expert Big Stu as the third greatest pure forged blade of all time. No sir, they are in my bag and are still being used after all these years. Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! I will let the then Chariman of FILA Golf tell you a little bit about these 1994 released set of ironsand take you back in time like you were there for the original launch: Never before have so many game improvement features been built into one club. However my 6 iron had twice as much offset as any other iron in the set. Yes. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. worst time to visit costa rica; apartments for rent in fort pierce with utilities included; sunshine plaza opening hours sunday; photosynthesis and cellular respiration kahoot I also have a set of Browning TR600s. Find golf club trade-in and re-sales values for over 4,000 models of used golf clubs at the PGA Value Guide, from leading manufacturers such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping, Odyssey, Nike, Cleveland, Mizuno, Cobra, Adams, Wilson. What about Pax (Paul Goydos promoted them)? I speak with Nat Rosassco, former owner, of NorthWestern golf at least every 7 to 10 days and he holds Pat Simmons as one of the best club designers of all time as well. These were great clubs. I think Browning was leaving the golf business then and they were discounted last set in the store. "dateModified": "2022-05-12", If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. I'm 25 years old and I've been playing with my grandfathers Spalding executives for 10 years now, and I shoot about a 80-85. I think all the readers as well as the golfspies would love to learn as much about these past designs as possible. Thus, the USGA implemented the one ball rule, Thanks John for another great piece of history. Bird on ball was a very popular club. What about Giant Irons, I remember seeing those on an infomercial a few times. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Anyone hear of them? Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. I want to say they were called Ironwoods but I cant find them on the internet maybe they were just in one of my wild dreams!! Why are Spalding golf balls called Top Flite? And Spalding predated Mizuno by at least 60 years with a copper undercoating for its forged blades in the mid-50s. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." One of the most famous Spalding clubs was the Cran Cleek (club with a narrow face and little loft) for poor fairway lies and even putts. Its impossible to overstate Albert Spaldings vision and ambition. Maybe it is a good idea or maybe it is not. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. pend. beneath. Im not talking a couple of degrees, but for one shot you could make it a 5 iron and the next (with a quick adjustment) itd be a PW. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. "width": "645", I had a VAS 5 iron. Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! Like many of his other unconventional looking but super functional designs for the time this one flew off the shelves. When my father would shot a 215 yard iron into the hole, his fellow golfers wold ask him what club he used. Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. I would love to have you include my Whole-In-One Adjustable Telescopic Golf Club in your mixdefinitely fits the criteria of unusual clubs. Fantastic article John! My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. Spalding, seemingly, was on top of the world. Yes it has some smoother lines compared to some of the other clubs on the listbut you put that PowerBow as Nike says on any of those other irons and it is a dead ringer for this list of crazies. Great collection! We want your input before testing begins. Not quite Bryson-like, but innovative for the day. What are the Most Forgiving Forged Irons? I traded in some Titleist Acushnet blades for themI had only paid $99.00 for the set of Acushnets (used)they gave me $139.00 in trade value, and wanted another $100 for the UniquesThey were some of the easiest to hit irons I have ever ownedout of the 40 50 different sets I have had. Its a great story that needs to be told. I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. Inside cavity: blue/back button; EXECUTIVE x EZ. There are worse things. Its obvious that the maker of the Slingers spent SO much money on R&D that he had to use STICKERS instead of stamped lettering. Known for launching the ball from a nice crisp fairway lie but it jumped the shark when it came to hitting it from any kind of fluff. My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. Made from 1989-1994 and originally sold for $680. Geek Golf but worth a kings ransom, Great post thanks mgs but i agree with dj ,The doctor rx has to be on the list. The Start Of Spalding Golf Clubs In 1905, a sporting goods company saw that golf was starting to become quite popular in the United States. Whats more, Spalding Molitor clubs currently retail at $280 for an entire set, which is a price point that is pretty hard to beat. Used to play traditional blades with the odd shank. Incidentally, Vulcan (Chicago suburb club makers who made some of the earliest hybrids) made a full set of hybrids 3-SW. You have not lived until you hit good hybrid wedges! the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. i think special t golf was the only people dumb enuff to handle these. Golfers may also like: PGX Offset Golf Driver Review: is it any Good? Nabbed them just for the pure ugliness. The range is for form anyway. I still have the samurai irons,2-pw and woods,driver,3w,5w,7w,,and still use them. My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. We knew something was up, recalls White. From the 1950s to the 1990s Spalding was in the bag for many major victories, and was played on municipal courses across the country. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. Too bad. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). He also had some copycat Browning irons in the trunk, but I refused I couldnt even look at them with a straight face. Was: C $107.89. I saw the Cisneros brothers maybe once in my time there, he says. Great stuff. At the turn of the 20th Century, golf had stirred mild interest in the United States, and A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods saw an opportunity. Jones immediately put his Georgia Tech engineering degree to good use. In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. I am a self-admitted admirer of Mr. Hogan having owned more than 2 dozen sets of various Hogan iron sets over the years and a former member of the only club to have a Hogan-designed course (actually 27 holes). Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. If it works for you use it. "author": "Ned Howard", Those are the reasons they work. Protactic Golf in Chicago. His stuff was marvelous and all original. * Note: These irons were designed by Dave (cant remember last name) which was considered a very good designer by others in the business at the time and one that some felt did not get as much credit as he deserved. MyGolfSpy is jumping into the DeLorean and taking a 1.21 jiggawatt-fueled look at the long life and quick death of Spalding Golf. With new sexy companies like Titleist, Callaway, and TaylorMade, and golfers like Tiger and Phil, the new aged golfer wasnt interested in playing their grandpas golf clubs. Sales declined into the 2000s, and Spalding made their last club in 2002. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. I gave those up quickly only because they were really odd looking. What you supposed to do, cut your head off!!! I have a 3-15 wood set that are fun to play with. Currently play AP2s coming out of the bag for a few rounds and if the linear dynamics keep performing like they did in Vegas the AP2s will be taking a long rest. The VAS are ugly, but they work. Please put any questions or comments here. I actually like the looks of those babies! C $75.53. "@type": "ImageObject", All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. Youve forgotten the worst offender. Scott was a highly respected individual in the golf industry during this period and he had the respect of both his staff and golf professionals What was wacky about the Bears? Used them for about 10-15 years before I switch to 845s. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. You can post now and register later. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. Upgraded my driver from R7 to Razr Hawk, but will never surrender my Slingshots. The products soon disappeared from shelves. So, if youre looking for a decent set of golf clubs without breaking the bank, theres no reason not to invest in a used set of Spalding clubs if you see a set that you like online. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! ), Phat Golf Scooters Reviews (Good or Waste of Cash? Bought the Slotlines new. The ball was introduced in 1900. Amazing how so of the old stuff works better than the hyped up new stuff! Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! The design gave the clubs an exotic bamboo look; the underlying message being that these clubs offered players bamboo's legendary flexibility and whip-like strength. The old Spaulding Executive set I had back in the early 1980s. $86.40 shipping. Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Driver Review, Best Womens Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players, Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professional.