Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. i just hit a 8 iron in that series last night. Latitude Irons also give the golfer an added patented design feature of dual skids on the sole. My first clubs were Spalding top flites. Read on to learn more about the history of Spalding clubs and what you can expect from various models. Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set - PGA Are these considered weird? Brilliant idea? Each has a special place in my personal golf journey and is still some of the best equipment Ive ever used. 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. 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. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. Cliffy2020 I actually have these clubs. Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek. I have no ideabut I sure loved my Tommy Armour silver Scotts. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. Still playing my cook titanics with the 1 iron. Maybe it is a good idea or maybe it is not. #15 - Stan Thompson Ginty Irons You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. Is my equipment holding me back? The market was changing rapidly, as well. 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. No, while you might be able to find Spalding golf clubs at thrift stores and via used online marketplaces, Spalding no longer manufactures golf clubs. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. he is a cleveland iron man now, but he still owns the spalding executives. Just saw a full set of them again today. The VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! Although from a phone-in interview Mr. VAS told us, I feel robbed. 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. Great list of wild clubs. "sameAs": [ The likes of Callaway, TaylorMade, and PING all enjoyed good commercial success in the late nineties, and Spalding couldnt match the same feats achieved by the biggest brands. I use them in Central Texas when the fairways are hard and the greens harder (late summer and all winter). The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. unbelieveably so..!! 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. About; Blog; Service; Contacts I have two sets of Browning 440 Gold clubs (including the driver, 3 and 5 woods), and a set of Browning 500s. One with the sticker decal and one without. when were spalding executive golf clubs made Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set. You can post now and register later. My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. What about Giant Irons, I remember seeing those on an infomercial a few times. Executives were my first real set of golf clubs. They also said this, Because titanium is 40% lighter than steel, yet incredibly strong, the Ray Cook design team was able to create club heads substantially larger than standard oversize irons and add significantly more mass in the heel and toe. Again THANK YOU FOR THE GOLF LESSON!!!!! The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. He has provided some keen insights from his time with Mr. Hogan in other articles and podcasts. 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. They play as well as any other set By As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. { I just searched eBay right now and saw a set for $139. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. . Do You have any idea? The plan was to position Hogan as the premium forged line sold through pro shops. and I firmly believe the demise of Spalding was because a number of CEOs with little or no knowledge of the golf industry were appointed Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. They got so popular at the time that it scared club makers badly (Every set was pretty much custom built then), and Golfing associations banned the club from play. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. I bought them new. 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). I would like to repay you with mine. Great article takes me back to nostalgia. At the time of the sale, it was considered the lowest cost and most efficient operation in the industry. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. My golf team partner talked me into getting new technology Ping G-20s a couple years ago, & I can not hit them nearly as well. Our friends[], Amazing Ryder Cup Contest! It was if I walked into the store from a time machine. Love them oldies. 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?? I shoot mid-80s like OP. I wonder how much influence he had on those? I saw the Cisneros brothers maybe once in my time there, he says. i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. 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. They all looked like mini woods. Although the Inertial irons werent so lucky. 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. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. Cleveland was giving them away for free if you send in some coupon from golf digest. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. If it works for you use it. The Executives were the bomb back in the day. They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. marrano patio homes lancaster, ny 9, Juin, 2022. horse property for sale pocatello, idaho; As weve discussed before, its extremely difficult for legacy brands to remain relevant, especially when new, fresh brands get aggressive. 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. 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. And if you did not have the exact lie to match your swing could cause issues with the toe or heel diving down at impact. But just because it was wacky did not mean it was not a hellova seller. Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. The 300XXL Driver was so lightawesome clubhead speed ! Like many of his other unconventional looking but super functional designs for the time this one flew off the shelves. Reach and the Wright and Ditson sporting goods companies. The 500s have less offset than the 440s. Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. This one in particular was interesting to me because I grew up in a Spalding family of sorts. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. All are memory refreshing .. have been in golf clubhead design , manufacturing 25 years , familiar with the designs ! John, And although Spalding would show operational profits, debt service kept turning those profits into losses. A very interesting stroll down golf history. Although they did have issues with the shafts actually wrinkling due to the configuration of the shape of the toe on this ironcrazy little factoid. Acushnet has been sold twice since the 1970s, and each time the buyer took the same approach: be profitable, and well leave you alone. In the meantime, this should hold you over, https://mygolfspy.com/why-does-the-ben-hogan-equipment-company-still-matter/. I am surprised no one ever mass marketed them. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. 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. You can check it out at http://www.adjustablegolfclub.com. Say what you will but I own a set of Ray Cook Titanic irons. What was wacky about the Bears? As previously mentioned, you can buy Spalding Molitor clubs at Rock Bottom, and theyre a great option for beginner players. In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Now, like Henry Ford's assembly-line Model T's, Spalding craftsmen used a mechanical hammer to craft club-heads, drill sockets in them to attach the shaft and then polish the heads, all of which allowed Spalding to mass produce matching club sets. Current owner FILA Korea Ltd took Acushnet public, and the company has thrived ever since. When youre in the market for Spalding clubs, bear in mind that they were branded as Top-Flite clubs for a while, so be sure to broaden your search to include Top-Flite models. I think you are talking about the Spaulding Executive XE irons,ahead of their time,I played a set for a couple of years then sold them, looking back I wish I hadnt. as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game Are Spaulding good golf clubs? - Wise-Answer Its factory could only make about six million dozen a year, and it was paying patent royalties. During that time, Spalding ownership changed hands a half dozen times, and saw the same fate as MacGregor Irons. What you like is what you like. However, the name of their popular brand Top Flite was sold to Callaway, and is used for discount clubs and balls. It was just crazy how many golf balls we would sell through Wal-Mart in 18-ball pack, adds White Wed get orders on the fax machine for 50,000 18-ball packs, and theyd want them in two weeks.. The RB880 s by Northwestern are also knockoffs of the Browning 440 s. What is it for weight transfer? Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. The Ginty, fueron palos adelantados a su poca, las maderas Ginty parecen las antecesoras de las big bertha de callaway, el material del que estaban hechas no poda aguantar las inercias, pero el diseo ya era adelantado a su tiempo. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. The Titleist were a bit longer lasting but I (a poor college student) could afford the Spaulding balls. Spalding Executive Golf Clubs for sale | eBay Unfortunately, Spalding has fallen a long way down the pecking order in terms of their sporting equipment, and it has been a long time since they manufactured a new set of golf clubs. 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! But, you raised an interesting question: If Top-Flite Elite Professional irons with the Bird on Ball logoare rated by the MyGolfSpy Forums resident vintage club expert Big Stu as the third greatest pure forged blade of all time. Then what irons are #1 and #2 best ever forged blades? 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) 0. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. I have a 3-15 wood set that are fun to play with. It was fun to have and I actually hit the thing really really well. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. 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). Copyright 2023. They are also said to be legendary Canadian player Moe Normans favorite clubs of all time. Hope you find this one interesting!!!! The company experimented throughout the 1920s and 1930s with lathe-turned hickory shafts that featured circular ridges spaced at standard intervals down the entire shaft. The pro-shop who had them could not find a buyer. When were Spalding executive clubs made? - Trentonsocial.com Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). I still think I deserve to be recognized as the leader in this category and will be appealing your decision. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2. I love it but was told it is no a legal putter. Love it or hate it the Nike Slingshot irons made the list. This putter is a remake of the model Bobby Jones used in the 1930s and features a head made from nickel plating over copper plating over forged carbon steel. A request, could you do Sonartec at some point? In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? Promoting both sports and sports equipment, the lineup featured titles such as How To Play Second Base by Hall of Famer Johnny Evers, Boxing: A Guide to the Manly Art of Self Defense, and How to Play Golf by Harry Vardon and James Braid. Here Im going to date myself a bitBack in the late 70s there was a company called Unique..The iron set design was oversized head with a deep cavity that was covered with a hard plastic. Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. Mismanagement and a growing golf market led Spalding to cease manufacturing golf products, selling off popular brands like Top Flite to Callaway in the early 2000s. He also worked at Zevo when the LoB Irons were developed. Make Request. } Fila Golf has developed this new iron using a patented design feature. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites The Browning 440s took my game from the 150s (Wilson clubs) to the low 70s. Might need to get a full set of Tiger Shark irons to match the wedge!! You should shoot me some pics of your new set. Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. You cannot paste images directly. My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? Used them for about 10-15 years before I switch to 845s. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. Why are Spalding golf balls called Top Flite? These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims.

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