Great list of wild clubs. They are also perfect in a steep slope due to the curved bottom of the club head. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. I think I actually played one of them 150 holes before I gave up. For more than 25 years, he has contributed to a wide array of publications including "American Heritage," "American History," "Yankee," "VFW," "Golf," and "Golf News." Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. If you have a vintage set of Bobby Jones Spalding irons that are in great shape, you might be able to sell them at a slightly higher price, but theyre not worth a great deal of money in the current market. 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. Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! C $75.53. Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. I remembered them from this article. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. "https://www.facebook.com/swingyard/", On top line: OVERSIZE. Spalding stopped producing golf clubs in 2022, focusing on other sports in the years since. Of course Drivers and putters are like women. Love them oldies. We want your input before testing begins. Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. What about the old Bullet Driver that was hollow in the center (like an inverted U shape)? 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 Model: Tour Pro Offset I bought them new. Quite honestly, we werent ready for that.. I have a full set of Exec XE irons. Make sense as I do have a Johnny Miller PW which looks just like an X 70. what is spanish colonial music? GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13. . 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. But unfortunately for the VASs they were dethroned from their long held position. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spalding's most easily recognizable clubs. I may be way off they had a a plain face -but the back was a series of round holes -like a honey comb design does any one remember these what were they called and who made themmy friend died so I cant ask himanyway thanks. I have the entire set of samurai woods and irons,,,driver,3wood,5wood,7wood,,irons,,2-pw,dont believe they ever made a sw,,,,and I still use them,,,my fellow golfers are still amazed at the distance I get,,if you want a picture of the set,,let me know,,ill take one and send to you,,, I have the whole set of samurai irons,2-pw and woods1,3,5,7,,still use them,,i have had pros hit them,,and be amazed at the distances over their irons,,,i would like to find another 5wood,if anyone knows where or who has 1,,i, neil,,do you have a samuarai 5 wood,,,hard to find,,,id like one. Steve Almo when were spalding executive golf clubs made MENU. Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. This one in particular was interesting to me because I grew up in a Spalding family of sorts. Whats more, Spalding Molitor clubs currently retail at $280 for an entire set, which is a price point that is pretty hard to beat. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, Tuesday at 04:47 PM, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 20, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 13, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, February 6, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, January 31, By Previously, they manufactured equipment for golf, American football, and baseball, but they have downsized considerably in recent years. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. Just saw a full set of them again today. They kept slashing the pricing. Estimated resale value today:. And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. Man crush on Nicklaus led to this purchase. Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. I actually travel with it and use it at the driving range, so I dont have to rent clubs. Ive seen several of those uglies up close over the years so this was fun to view. Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Jackie Gleason also owned a set. Spalding no longer makes golf clubs, and hasnt for some time now. Within weeks, Top-Flite filed Chapter 11. My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! 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. They had fantastic fairway woods that I still take out for a spin every once in a while. Love to see them. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905, it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs. Men's Right Handed. They owed more to its creditors than Spalding was worth. Why are Spalding golf balls called Top Flite? 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. MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. The Endo-forged Hogan Apex Plus cavity back irons came soon after, along with a solid-core Hogan Apex ball. To maintain the limit of 14 clubs in the bag, I change off now and then. as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. Can you come up with any info on these? One of my buddies gave me a Tiger Shark wedge the one with 3 different alignment lines, concave dimples on the face instead of grooves, and a funky dual bounce sole configuration. Spalding sponsored Vardons 1900 tour of America, culminating in Vardon winning the U.S. Open in Chicago. Love it or hate it the Nike Slingshot irons made the list. If KKR had appointed Scott Creleman as the head man at the time I firmly believe Dpaldi g would still be a player in the golf industry I had never seen the Fila irons before now. If you have any you think we should include or have any additional info about the clubs listed feel free to post your comments. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! Box 4666, Ventura, CA 93007 Request a Quote: comelec district 5 quezon city CSDA Santa Barbara County Chapter's General Contractor of the Year 2014! Pretty or not (thats the clubs), I have played Fila Latitude irons since they came out. Got the 3 PW for 3.99 a club, bought the 5- PW first, played two rounds and went back and bought the 3 & 4. i was pretty impressed with the club. My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Spalding introduced the Vardon Flyer, a golf ball that was popularized by Harry Vardon. I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. 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. Throughout America, the affordable Spalding clubs flew off the shelves and reaped huge catalog sales. "https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", In 1906 Bendelow designed the expansion of Atlantas East Lake Club, the eventual home club of one Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. Well spare you the decade-by-decade rundown of Spalding innovations (and there are many). It is my Go To clubmy favorite. My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! In 2001 Spalding launched a $17 million ad campaign for Hogan and Strata. Say what you will but I own a set of Ray Cook Titanic irons. 0 bids. John, They are exactly like the Cleveland Ironwood set you see now, but it was made y..e..a..r..s ago. I just searched eBay right now and saw a set for $139. We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. Went back 10 years and got the 845s used. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? 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! With this in mind, this article looks at why Spalding golf clubs are no longer popular and how much some of their most popular sets are worth. "sameAs": [ Pretty sure that was the first major won for a solid core ball. I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. Dreadful golf balls! Decent? remove head from shaft? A very easy to hit blade. 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. * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. In the 1960s, Spalding introduced the Spalding Executive line of clubs and balls and the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons with the Bird on Ball logo. If it works for you use it. An excellent article well researched Spalding, like its old school brethren Wilson and MacGregor, simply wasnt sexy to a new generation of golfers. That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, Scott Stallings - WITB - 2023 Genesis Invitational. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. Still bagging their wedges. or Best Offer. There are worse things. "datePublished": "2022-05-12", Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. I didnt know until I read this article that evidently FILA was the designer of the original face forward iron design; speaking of which, I wouldve thought the F2 Face Forward Irons wouldve made the list (http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html). Ugly. BarbaJo, you da man! CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Driver Review, Best Womens Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players, Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professional. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. (8 Ways To Know) . Corey Pavin won the 1996 US Open Shinnecock with a purple set. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. The company was founded in 1973 and today produces high-quality golf clubs using the . When I was starting golf, I went to the shop and these were the clubs that I hit the best (compared to cavity backs) and bought them. But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. How about the Spalding Exec SE. Spalding used to own Top Flite before selling the subsidiary to Callaway. There was a time when Spalding was one of the biggest brands in golf. He was a pro at having fun when he played golf! 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? You had to turn those over to see the ugly, but the cone in the bottom was down right wacky! Great list! And Spaldings ace in the hole Strata was old news by the time the Pro V1 and Nike Tour Accuracy hit the scene. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. They were good at it too, in one year selling off companies for more than $7 billion they had bought for only $1 billion. spalding golf clubs any good. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spaldings most easily recognizable clubs. Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. 5 Testers Needed! Please put any questions or comments here. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. Are these considered weird? I demand a re-count!, He went on to say, and as owner of MyGolfSpy you should feel ashamed since you were given a set as a gift 15 years ago and I remember you putting me in play for a few rounds, how could you do this to me?, Slotline had a hit on their hands with their Slotline Inertial puttersthey sold over 2 Million of those flatsticks. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball Irons. I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. 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 am on my 2nd set.I used to lovem and had friends that bought as they loved the ball flight and were also a great set of chippers.