The Clone Golf Club Vs. Brand Name Dilemma
So for some maybe the question to use a clone golf club or a brand name isn’t the big of a decision. For some money is no object so buying the latest Taylor or Callaway club at a premium doesn’t matter, but for the rest of us value golfers (myself included) we’re on the lookout for a deal.
Sure you can scour ebay looking for a used or factory second version of that club you really want, but wouldn’t it be a whole lot easier if you could find a brand new club, with similar features for a fraction of the cost. You can, and that’s what we’re gonna chat about today.
The Custom Club Industry
The Internet has really lent its hand to promoting the custom golf club industry. Clone clubs just weren’t a big thing when the golf industry was primarily run by mom and pop specialized shops. Today there are big players in the clone and custom club industry offering online fitting, hundreds of shaft and club head options, all delivered right to your door.
The draw backs of a custom or clone club
At first glance buying a custom fit club from a company like PineMeadowGolf.com really doesn’t have any draw backs. You get a similar built club to some of the top names in the industry. The length and shaft are custom fit to your specifics, and all this comes at a fraction the cost of what a brand name club would cost.
Are you sacrificing quality? As someone who is personally using a clone golf driver and set of irons I really don’t think so. I drive the ball (when it goes straight) every bit as far as my buddies using their $500 drivers, and I’ve still got a few bucks left to have a beer after the round!
So why would anyone by a Brand Name Club?
The brand names are the ones who do all the research and development. They’re the ones who break the new technology, and are pushing the envelope. Custom and clone club manufacturers are to an extent copying what the brand names did in the previous season or two. So if you like to be on the cutting edge of golf club technology you’re going to be buying brand name clubs.
Also now that the big chain stores are catching on to the custom fit concept their hiring more specialized staff and providing better quality training so that you can walk into any store in America and be custom fit for a set of irons, hybrids, or woods.
What Should you Buy?
There will always be those that need to have the brand name clubs in their bag, and there’s nothing wrong with that. For me, I’ll buy clone and custom clubs for the rest of my golfing days but that’s just my preference. I’m not a scratch golfer, and I believe I’m getting all the performance out of my custom club as I would from a club twice the cost.
What it comes down to is you have to play with what you’re comfortable with. If you like the feel of the brand name club then you should buy it, BUT don’t buy it just because the brand name is stamped all over it.