Izzle Language Translator, How Much Did Spotify Pay For Armchair Expert, Who Coaches Trains And Mentors License Instructor Examiners, Articles W

Might need to get a full set of Tiger Shark irons to match the wedge!! I actually travel with it and use it at the driving range, so I dont have to rent clubs. my Dad is still pulling new 90s & 2000s Top Flights from the closet to play lol. Its a great story that needs to be told. as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game And although Spalding would show operational profits, debt service kept turning those profits into losses. Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. werent as good. The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. I also had a set of Ping Zings too.. My partner had that set of Cleveland VAS and believe it or not we had a partner that bought a used set of Slingers * Note: These irons were designed by Pat Simmons and ex-pilot and engineer which also had a part in the Zebra putter design. It was if I walked into the store from a time machine. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. OK. Ive got some irons sets you have up (Fila, Cleveland, Slotline, and the Tiger Shark). I think this is the web site for me . Its on the list! I was the person responsible for introducing urethane prepolymers to Dr Shen Shen Wu, Titleist R&D chemist. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. He traded a set of classic Burke PunchIrons to get the Lynx. I still have several sets of Hogan forged irons, Hogan/Bettinardi putters, several dozen Apex, and Tour Deep balls. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! Great list! Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! So for those of you who own a set and are fellow collectors of the ridiculoustoday is your day to shine. Nice article John! In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. I actually like the looks of those babies! Pretty or not (thats the clubs), I have played Fila Latitude irons since they came out. Although lots of factors influence how much golf clubs are worth, you can typically pick up a set of Spalding golf clubs for less than $100. It is the Super Stick. That was a great history lesson!!!!! MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. Thanks! Copyright 2023. Thanks, http://www.clubsofdistinction.com/cod3/ucir5177.htm. 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). Upload or insert images from URL. PING was still PING, and Tiger was becoming Tiger. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. 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. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. 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). GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13. * Note: These irons were designed by Duke Duclos. If you have any you think we should include or have any additional info about the clubs listed feel free to post your comments. I know this is coming way after the article was published but I have a set of irons that are branded Fairway and the model I believe is Spider. My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. I dont know how people could justify any of the others. It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." 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. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. Pat Simmons first wanted to say thanks and also that, You may not know the Pat Simmons name, but if youre a golfer, you know of several of my inventions. The Spaulding Executive XE for me never looked right They were available in 1-SW (I believe) A friend used to play these and I always suggested using his pitching wood :o) My $.02. Used to play traditional blades with the odd shank. Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. I still have the irons to this day! (Cavity back blades???) He struggled quite a bit with the change.. "https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", Some of the most popular Spalding Club models were: At one time, Greg Norman used the Spalding Tour Edition irons, now a collectors item, on Tour. I dont think I paid more than $300 for all four sets combined- Im a Salvation Army searcher. Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! Inside cavity: blue/back button; EXECUTIVE x EZ. I shoot mid-80s like OP. I had a friend who worked for Gary Player and he sent me his brand called iGNITORS Those were fairly strange and not particular long! FIND A SET! 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. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. By the Roaring '20s, A.G. Spalding & Brothers was using the process of "drop forging" to manufacture metal club-heads. 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. The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. i was pretty impressed with the club. The greatest golfer at the time plays Spalding? Make Request. The Black Dots were longest (for me) but that cover would smile back at you with the slightest mishit. Is that so? * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. Another great history piece. Their original design was a smaller headed Tony Penna model Innovator, they became the n1 and then the Bears came out when oversize irons hit the market. Haha my dad had a set of these and I ended up bagging the 3 and 4 irons as I hated the hybrids that came with my new set. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. 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. Just remember, Its always the indian and not the arrow. I have a left handed set that I got from a guy on the senior tour, Bob Carson, who also owned a golf course in Titusville FLA. The Top Flite name lives on, however, thanks to the purchase of its namesake via Callaway in the early 2000s. Spalding took off with sales and production with Bobby Jones joining the team. In one sense, Spalding suffered the same fate irrelevance as did fellow legacy golf brands Wilson Staff and MacGregor. Great collection! Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-1.svg" Spalding manufactured golf clubs for some of the leading players in the game, including the legendary American player Bobby Jones. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Bird on ball was a very popular club. "keywords": ["spalding irons by year","when did spalding stop making golf clubs","does spalding still make golf clubs","spalding golf clubs history","spalding executive golf clubs history"], Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. You can post now and register later. i just hit a 8 iron in that series last night. } 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. I have one of those! Yes. In the meantime, this should hold you over, https://mygolfspy.com/why-does-the-ben-hogan-equipment-company-still-matter/. Does Spalding make golf balls? Those are the reasons they work. There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. Got them for $200.00 which was a really great price other pro shops were asking $450.00 for a set. MyGolfSpy is jumping into the DeLorean and taking a 1.21 jiggawatt-fueled look at the long life and quick death of Spalding Golf. At the 2003 PGA Show, Hogan introduced the Apex 50 blade commemorating its 50th anniversary, the game improvement CFT irons, and the Carnoustie and Riviera wedges. 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. With long-term debt in the neighborhood of $600 million, KKR found itself in a negative equity situation. It was a close race but in the end we felt like it was finally time for the super-rare and hard to find Lil David Slingers get the recognition they were due. The BIG BOYS missed on this one. I have a set of Browning 440s and a set of Browning 500s I was in the midst of restoring them but Browning would not sell me original grips! Their president at the time said this about the newly released irons, Titanic irons are the first long irons even God and you can hit. Now that is a bold statement that should of had you guys flocking to purchase these beauties. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spalding's most easily recognizable clubs. I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. Latitude Irons also give the golfer an added patented design feature of dual skids on the sole. Ive seen several of those uglies up close over the years so this was fun to view. Love to see them. Purespin (diamond face)? I tried to hit it oncenot a good idea! Really enjoyed them. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. 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?? Fugly yes looks kinda like a pancake spatula at address but effective. ), Phat Golf Scooters Reviews (Good or Waste of Cash? Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. Nabbed them just for the pure ugliness. I have two sets of Browning 440 Gold clubs (including the driver, 3 and 5 woods), and a set of Browning 500s. unbelieveably so..!! What the hey. I had some Staff FG-17 and my friends dad had the Executives. 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. There was a time that Spalding golf clubs were among the best in the business. Thanks for doing the digging! However, the name of their popular brand Top Flite was sold to Callaway, and is used for discount clubs and balls. Forward-face progression creates a hitting surface 20 percent larger than standard and 5 percent larger than over-sized irons. That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. Geek Golf They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. (Everything To Know). but fairly forgiving. Did KKR overpay? I remembered them from this article. To maintain the limit of 14 clubs in the bag, I change off now and then. Just make sure to mix in a few lessons with your local PGA pro, and you'll progress nicely. Yes, it did. Bought a used set of 3-SW with a sticker decal some 35 years ago and added a 2-iron with stamped lettering later on a trip to Chicago. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. $89.99. Knowledgable folk say its all in the mind. Executives were my first real set of golf clubs. Written by June 5, 2022 . An excellent article well researched The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? ), Takomo Golf Clubs Review: (As Good as Expected? when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. Jones immediately put his Georgia Tech engineering degree to good use. Its impossible to overstate Albert Spaldings vision and ambition.