Spalding no longer makes golf clubs, and hasnt for some time now. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites "@type": "Organization", And add on Sweet Spot Golf Drivers and the Mac/Burrows Driver. Can you come up with any info on these? Just got Calloway X20s last week. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. An excellent article well researched Heres a set of Slotline irons currently for sale on EBay, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330561978331&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT, some years ago-I bought a trial 7 iron thru golg digest-some years later a friend of mine bought a used set at a second hand storeany way I think it was made by simmons or slotline?? Went back 10 years and got the 845s used. Learn how your comment data is processed. *We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Golfers may also like: PGX Offset Golf Driver Review: is it any Good? Great list! I was wondering if anyone had ever tried Slotline Classic Copper golf clubs. Spalding Executive Registered 3 4 5 Driver Wedge P Golf Clubs Set Made In USA $26.21 Local Pickup or Best Offer SPONSORED Vintage lot of 3 Woods Top Flite Spalding Model 133 Professional 1 3 4 golf Club $29.95 $17.95 shipping or Best Offer SPONSORED PERSIMMON Spalding Robert Jones Jr Percussion Woods Set Golf Clubs Driver & 3 $60.00 $15.00 shipping My first clubs were Spalding top flites. Is it worth getting a new set of clubs, or should I focus on getting spikes and a gloves, ( I currently golf in thing sandles). Callaway had long wanted Top-Flites ball factory and patents but didnt want to assume any debt. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. NOW AVAILABLE: GolfWRX G/Fore Hats and Holderness & Bourne Polos! Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. These were great clubs. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. I bought them new. Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. Buyers can still find Spalding clubs on some secondary sites. MyGolfSpy is jumping into the DeLorean and taking a 1.21 jiggawatt-fueled look at the long life and quick death of Spalding Golf. Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. I had some Staff FG-17 and my friends dad had the Executives. Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. These articles are all outstanding. In 1893, Spalding bought the Lamb Knitting Machine Company in Chicopee, Mass which made, obviously, knitting machines and, less obviously, eggbeaters, bicycle wheels, and rifles. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! Im surprised that nobody has mentioned the Wilson Fat Shaft irons for ugliness. 6. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. I have a old slotline cigar putter I still use,,no loift at all,looks like a big tootsie roll,but puts great,,friends still get amazed at how it puts,,. What about the Porsche irons? Thanks for the history lesson, truly amazing how fast Spalding unraveled. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. Played dots a bit but later played a lot of Top Flites because I was a teenager, and the balls did not cut (this was back in the days of balata balls that cut if you looked at them hard). The Early Years of Spalding Golf Starting in 1900, Spalding opened club-making factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. If you are a beginner and are looking for a . At the same time, the Spalding Top-Flite Syncrho-Dyned irons (released in 1953) were well received, thanks to their flex shaft and copper undercoating. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. Duclos, a former flight engineer worked on the Skylab and S-IVB (third stage of the Saturn V rocket, responsible for getting the Apollo module from the Earth to the moon). With a few months of work and some radical design modifications it was turned into the first modern Metalwood. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. 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. remove head from shaft? ), Undersize Golf Grips Explained (8 Key Facts!). Take the Spalding Executive line. Shallow faces (not as shallow as the 440 of course) and less offset than many of the long irons they replace. 5 Testers Needed! All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. Look at many of todays hybrids. During their time together, Vardon and Spalding agreed the best way to grow the game in the U.S. and grow the market for Spalding golf products was to build more golf courses. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball Irons. Great set. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. ), Phat Golf Scooters Reviews (Good or Waste of Cash? The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. They are similar to the Nike slingshots as they have a powerbow looking thing on the back of them. Among Jones innovations: the first matched set of steel-shafted irons, the first set of irons with the sweet spot in the center of each club (denoted by a circle of dots on the clubface), and an iron set where the scoring irons were one length, the mid irons were one length, and the long irons were one length. You had to turn those over to see the ugly, but the cone in the bottom was down right wacky! Different, yes, but they are the only ones where you can really aim at the target! Met a friend in Costa Mesa at Mile Square Golf Club back in the early 1970s and he was with Duke Duclos., a friend from their McDonald-Douglas days. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. Fila Golf has developed this new iron using a patented design feature. FIND A SET! What a mess that design was! Just make sure to mix in a few lessons with your local PGA pro, and you'll progress nicely. #14 - Spalding Executive Irons These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. But just because it was wacky did not mean it was not a hellova seller. I have a set of Spalding exec XE love them- I dont play more than 5-6 rounds a year now, but they are so consistant , I could go a year between swings and still play the same- got them back in 1980- ish. 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. He struggled quite a bit with the change.. GolfWRX_Official Thats great. Weird thing was I could hit the XL-4 long irons better and the Executives better from 7-PW. Although they wont win any awards for innovation, Spaldings Molitor clubs are a decent game improvement set and a good option for beginners. "dateModified": "2022-05-12", TaylorMade, now owned by adidas, was rising, and Callaway was a major force. Today, Spalding focuses nearly all of its commercial interests on basketball, producing balls, hoops, rims, and nets. It was if I walked into the store from a time machine. With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. The Endo-forged Hogan Apex Plus cavity back irons came soon after, along with a solid-core Hogan Apex ball. So, while Spalding is nowhere near as prevalent as it once was in the world of golf, you can still pick up a set of Molitor clubs for a very reasonable price online. Copyright 2023. Spalding decided it would be good business to provide golf course design services free of charge to anyone with the money and inclination to build one. It is called a hollow wedge, but you can putt with it as well. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. The Top-Flite line was to feature investment-cast irons and Strata balls sold through pro shops and off-course retailers, while Spalding was to be the value/recreational line sold pretty much everywhere. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. Men's Right Handed. Extra weight added to the toe keeps the center of gravity where needed and also keeps the club head square at impact, resulting in straighter shots.. I have been playing golf over 40 years and have owned many brands of clubs. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. Forward-face progression creates a hitting surface 20 percent larger than standard and 5 percent larger than over-sized irons. Thanks, John. Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. Much cheaper than renting. The shelves are full of the latest and greatest technology (hybrids, woods the size of a frying pan, dozens of shaft offerings), in 20+ years people will be laughing at those funky sticks as well. maybe EVER. have a putter,,that comes in a case,,like a pool stick,,on thecourse when its time to put,,i take it out,each piece screws together to form the putter,,,,,,,putts really good,,,. Really enjoyed them. Oddity? Someone suggested to me they were a prototype club for Johnny Miller, but were never marketed. My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. "width": "645", spalding golf clubs any good. lots of memories here. The Cobra set left handed golf club set is made of premium products. "@context": "http://schema.org/", You cannot paste images directly. It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. Great stuff. Thanks for the article. Terrific article as usual Mr. Barra. Got them for $200.00 which was a really great price other pro shops were asking $450.00 for a set. Great list of wild clubs. In the late 70s I also had a set of Unique irons which were great apart from the plastic covers covering the cavity back constantly falling out. "author": "Ned Howard", Albert Spalding was a superstar. werent as good. These irons actually performed quite well and had many copy cats of it down the road to prove itincluding another iron that made the list at #12 Slotline Lowpro iron and the Titleist Super Slim irons. Just saw a full set of them again today. Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. Yes, it sold a ton of golf balls, but as one former employee told us, the brand was decidedly blue-collar and not focused on the golf professional. I think this is the web site for me . Duke gave me an original solid brass/bronze Greenirons Slotline putter (heel shafted with slot in top line and white dot on lower rear section).. Basically, the new irons are all the same cavity backed design tweaked for the metal content and painted pretty for your golf bag. 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 I think a list of the craziest irons made should definitely include the Jerry Barber Golden Touch irons made over 40 years ago. Spalding quickly grew, making baseball gloves and uniforms and the first modern baseball bat. Spalding Executive clubs were established in the 1960s, with the Top Flite Executive Synchro-Dyned golf clubs being the first in a super popular series. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? (Cavity back blades???) 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. Really a zany=looking set of irons. Cleveland was giving them away for free if you send in some coupon from golf digest. The company's unique "baseball mark" A.G. Spalding had helped put baseball on the map--was stamped on the clubs and below it "Made in Great Britain" appeared. A very interesting stroll down golf history. Even tho I play with graphic shafts I really like the way those play. If youre looking to buy or sell vintage Spalding clubs, the best place to do so is on eBay or Craigslist, where you can list the clubs in the condition that they are currently in. I have a set of Ben Hogan AHS Hybrids and the SW is even a hybrid! Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Mr. Adams had just formed Taylor Made Golf in late 1978 and this was their first showing in the market. Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. With the help of computers, we designed a unique shape we call the `Bull Nose which extends the toe weight out far enough to balance the head without creating an elongated appearance. FS - Fiberbuilt Flight Deck / GripMaster Roo pulls, New Vokey SM8 52 & 56 wedge set / New Titleist Caps (for bigger heads) / New Cobra RadSpeed 10.5* Driver, Peacoat, with premium, upgraded shaft, TSR3 ub-6x, cobra radspeed, TEE pro 721 driver and 3w, Ventus Black TR Folds of Honor 6x w/ TM Adapter, Ventus Red TR 6x w/ TM Adapter, Adidas Tour 360 22 Size 13, MyStealth2 Driver Headcover. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. Back in the day (early-60s), I caddied at a CC in so. What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. But the funky look kept me from ever thinking about buying a whole set. lol..!! I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. 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. i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! Wish the 5 iron would have been there. You have any pics of the Samurai irons Neilwould love to see them. No. I had never seen the Fila irons before now. There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. The brand was popular until the late 1990s, but Spalding opted for a new direction at the turn of the century and focused on other sports instead of golf. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. We are here to help educate and empower golfers. Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. unbelieveably so..!! Are these considered weird? Laugh if you must, but the design works. I played a lot of Spaulding equipment as a kid in all kinds of sports. LOL. and they placed it in the show. What about Giant Irons, I remember seeing those on an infomercial a few times. Spalding also started the Spalding Athletic Library; a series of sports and exercise books published from 1892 through 1941. I play them still and love them. BarbaJo, you da man! The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. Only until tomorrow until my hybrids come in and boom they're gone. Make sense as I do have a Johnny Miller PW which looks just like an X 70. But $1 billion is a lot of cabbage, and KKR borrowed heavily to make the deal. I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. Spalding used to own Top Flite before selling the subsidiary to Callaway. Can anyone ballpark an estimate on the value of a set of Samurai clubs? 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. Inside cavity: blue/back button; EXECUTIVE x EZ. Long irons with shallow faces, little offset and perhaps slightly softer shafts can be quite playable. So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. Learn how your comment data is processed. Great collection! What are the Most Forgiving Forged Irons? * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. A set of wedges were introduced several years ago claiming to be New and the best thing since sliced bread, but they looked strangely similar to the Golden Touch irons. Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. "height": "342", A very easy to hit blade. Brings back great memories! We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. I became a +2 handicap using those irons, and a lot of people scoffed at them early ontill they saw me hit them. As a former professional player, Spalding recognized the need of enlisting the assistance of experts to promote both the game and his merchandise. The set I found is 2-9, but the 5 iron is gone. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), CONTEST Adams Pro Black Giveaway! I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. It is more of a you gotta be kidding me), an Integra 650 cc driver (you have to dig a ditch before you swing), etc. Previously, they manufactured equipment for golf, American football, and baseball, but they have downsized considerably in recent years. The primary reason why Spalding halted the production of golf clubs was that they couldnt keep up with the competition. If so, are they any good? My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. In the mid-80s, Spalding introduced the solid core Tour Edition, and in 1996 it came out with Strata, a true game-changer for Spalding and the first multi-layer solid core ball used on Tour. Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. Started Thursday at 03:24 PM, Please put and questions or comments here, Please put any questions or comments here, Please put any questions of comments here. I still have a set of samurai woods and irons,,and still use them,,had a pro hit my 7 iron once,,it flew his 7iron,,he was amazed,they hit great,,but graphite wears down over years and breaks,and when that happens,,its hard to find a replacement,,,. Would you make an iron set out of stone? Like many of his other unconventional looking but super functional designs for the time this one flew off the shelves. We had hybrids back in the 80s. Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set. I think I actually played one of them 150 holes before I gave up. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" Why are Spalding golf balls called Top Flite? I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. The 15 wood is only a little longer than an 8 iron (in my 70 yr old hands) so I put a 9 iron through sand wedge in the bag and away we go They are straight and land incredibly soft. Sign In. Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. 1-949-642-6484 . But as you can see could cause some serious digging issues. Golfers have always known that deep-grooved irons produce better control and spin. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. It means the Son of a Scottish brood that keeps getting into trouble only to easily find his way out of trouble! For more info on Stan Thompson click here. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. Within three years, it would be gone for good. And Spalding predated Mizuno by at least 60 years with a copper undercoating for its forged blades in the mid-50s. Spalding had a long history, terrific heritage, and healthy topline sales of over $500 million. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? Your previous content has been restored. Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. But more trouble was coming for Spalding. Reach and the Wright and Ditson sporting goods companies. Those are the reasons they work. They are exactly like the Cleveland Ironwood set you see now, but it was made y..e..a..r..s ago. Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. Happily, I can say that I have seen these over the years, but none of them ever made it into my golf bag. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. Especially in America. It felt like a rock but flew like a rocket and weekend warriors bought them by the bushel. During his time with Spalding, Stewart dropped from 6th to 123rd on the money list, with his only win coming at the 1995 Houston Open. Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. Theyre awesome. Still use them. Yes, it did. Read on to learn more about the history of Spalding clubs and what you can expect from various models. Say what you will but I own a set of Ray Cook Titanic irons. I gave those up quickly only because they were really odd looking. 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!! There is nothing crazy about the Slinger! They kept slashing the pricing. and they wonder why they went out of business.
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