Paste as plain text instead, 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). This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), CONTEST Adams Pro Black Giveaway! In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), Acushnet 2022 Financials: $2.27 Billion and Counting, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Four Testers Wanted Inesis Spikeless Shoe. What a great list! If so, are they any good? "@type": "Organization", Goldwin was a San Diego company, years ahead of its time. It is called a hollow wedge, but you can putt with it as well. He actually manufactured a set of irons whose heads were literally upside down take an iron, turn in upside down, your top edge now hits the turf, the sole having a hosel. Dont be ashamed thoughsome of these designs have actually been pioneering for the industry. The Early Years Starting in 1900, Spalding opened clubmaking factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the U.K. and U.S. I think this is the web site for me . Jeff Sheets had been Director of R&D for Top-Flite since 1995, and his first club for Hogan became a legend. (Everything To Know). 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. 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. why did patrice o'neal leave the office; why do i keep smelling hairspray; giant ride control one auto mode; current fishing report: lake havasu } My first set of irons were the Tiger Sharks.The ball seemed to jump off the face.I still have them.My second set,still in play,are the Vas+.I love them.I hit them a mile high and they feel great.When I hear them calledthe worst irons ever it makes me wonder what the heck Im missing out on. By this time, Spalding was making everything from barbells, dumbells, punching bags, and rowing machines to fencing blades, whistles, shot puts, javelins, and golf clubs. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. and they placed it in the show. But Zevo Golf is one of those on this list that was a pioneering. Love it or hate it the Nike Slingshot irons made the list. Forward-face progression creates a hitting surface 20 percent larger than standard and 5 percent larger than over-sized irons. You might be wondering how the hell did a Ping iron make the listbut look againthis one definitely deserves to be on the list for Wackiest Irons. 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. Fantastic article John! I played a set of Mags for years until I got to where I could not swing fast enough to bend the stiff shafts. 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. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. In 1962, Pyramid merged with Dunhill International and the AP Parts Corporation. Author: Ned Howard Retired PGA Teaching Professionalif(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'swingyard_com-box-3','ezslot_6',194,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-swingyard_com-box-3-0'); Spalding has one of the most storied histories in sports, and a major impact on golf. Im from SD, so I had a set. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. I just picked up 6 thru 9 of the Browning 440 Plus irons at the Goodwillcant wait to try them out. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. 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. Read on to learn more about the history of Spalding clubs and what you can expect from various models. He also had a head for business and knew a good opportunity when he saw one. With new sexy companies like Titleist, Callaway, and TaylorMade, and golfers like Tiger and Phil, the new aged golfer wasnt interested in playing their grandpas golf clubs. Sales declined into the 2000s, and Spalding made their last club in 2002. Whats troubling to us is the extent to which a reputable company that has its own trademarks and has invested a lot of money and time feels it needs to become a predator on somebody elses goodwill to sell its products, said Callaway chief Don Dye at the time. In the early days, golf clubs were hand-forged using a hammer and anvil. His company quickly expanded into making equipment for every sport imaginable. I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. Thank you for your research efforts. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. I have a med flex shaft, 1 inch extension on each Exec club, and Golf Pride Velvet jumbo grips. Look at many of todays hybrids. KKR was established in 1976 by partners Jerome Kohlberg, Henry Kravis, and George Roberts. 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.. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? I have not 1 but 2 sets of Browning 440 irons. I think I actually played one of them 150 holes before I gave up. Wide sole. Thanks, John. I still have the samurai irons,2-pw and woods,driver,3w,5w,7w,,and still use them. I use them in Central Texas when the fairways are hard and the greens harder (late summer and all winter). 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). While the Top Flite was initially scorned by better players as the rock flight, it probably caused a rule change. Well today is going to be a little bit different. lots of memories here. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! As a designer, the design is perfect and although they look funny, they were a great club, ask Cory Pavin. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. NOW AVAILABLE: GolfWRX G/Fore Hats and Holderness & Bourne Polos! Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. is fantastic, but the club is as stiff as an old water pipe and is accordingly harsh. Still have the clubs in my basement. Spalding manufactured golf clubs for some of the leading players in the game, including the legendary American player Bobby Jones. 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. Decent? Really solid clubs. Theres even premium urethane cover options (Pro V1 and X styles) for ~$15 a dozen. Clare. Iomic Golf Grips: 8 Key Facts Before You Buy. 1-949-642-6484 . "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was. More than 50 percent of that total came from golf ball sales. Your email address will not be published. Swing Yard is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca, amazon.co.uk and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? No. 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. 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). Though he is a footnote in the PGA history he was briefly on tour in the 50s. Welcome back to the latest installment of Historys Mysteries. What about Giant Irons, I remember seeing those on an infomercial a few times. You should shoot me some pics of your new set. Still, the Uniques are the best irons I have ever hit! I was the person responsible for introducing urethane prepolymers to Dr Shen Shen Wu, Titleist R&D chemist. In 1895, Spalding started manufacturing golf balls. OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! 6. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. There are worse things. CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. $89.99. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. They are also said to be legendary Canadian player Moe Normans favorite clubs of all time. The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. . Jim, If you are interested in writing about the history of the urethane covered golf ball at Titleist, I can provide all of the facts. "name": "Swing Yard", 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. Theyre awesome. Fugly yes looks kinda like a pancake spatula at address but effective. words that have to do with clay P.O. You can check it out at http://www.adjustablegolfclub.com. 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). 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. However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! 1 Iron (18) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE. Bought the Slotlines new. Spalding sold off its majority ownership in Evenflo in August of 1998. not just the American side , some of Europe and some from Japan makers also wacky !!! Model Summary Color chart indicates best . Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. and had a driving range there for many years. The primary reason why Spalding halted the production of golf clubs was that they couldnt keep up with the competition. Therefore, the Top Flite clubs produced in the nineties and early naughts are technically Spalding golf clubs. Got them for $200.00 which was a really great price other pro shops were asking $450.00 for a set. Callaway had been making balls but never turned a profit. Make Request. 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. Would you make an iron set out of stone? He struggled quite a bit with the change.. Not sure if the Black Knight, Gary Players endorsement sucked allot of buyers into buying.LOL. BarbaJo, you da man! My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. Spalding, however, never dominated the pro game as Wilson and MacGregor did. (What Exactly Happened?). Norman credited the extra spin of the Tour Edition for winning the 1986 British Open. Colgate-Palmolive bought RAM and Penfold in the mid-70s to sell more toothpaste but gave up after only five years. Reach and the Wright and Ditson sporting goods companies. he is a cleveland iron man now, but he still owns the spalding executives. when were spalding executive golf clubs madeoregon dpsst training calendar. About half of our sales are with personal names or corporate logos in the back and given as gifts. I collect odd golf items. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. i just hit a 8 iron in that series last night. Thanks for you4 diligence and reporting. That year Albert and his brothers opened the A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods company and started making baseballs. Ive owned. Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. The company was founded in 1973 and today produces high-quality golf clubs using the . CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 Pasted as rich text. Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By Just remember, Its always the indian and not the arrow. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. There is nothing crazy about the Slinger! document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); MyGolfSpy is gearing up to conduct the second edition of our groundbreaking ball test. 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. I see that a few from my list made it. Men's Right Handed. They are a blade from the early 80`s. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Great list of wild clubs. Within three years, it would be gone for good. Whats more, Spalding Molitor clubs currently retail at $280 for an entire set, which is a price point that is pretty hard to beat. The market was changing rapidly, as well. When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com, Maxfli Tour, Tour X and Tour S Golf Balls, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Topgolf Callaway 2022 Financials: $4 Billion? 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. Don't let scams get away with fraud. Made from 1989-1994 and originally sold for $680. During that time, Spalding ownership changed hands a half dozen times, and saw the same fate as MacGregor Irons. Im surprised that nobody has mentioned the Wilson Fat Shaft irons for ugliness. C $75.53. The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. Great article takes me back to nostalgia. The 1999 Hogan Apex, forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan, remains a sought-after collectible, and a very playable blade, to this day. The woods were the strangest looking things. I didnt realize Spalding was still a player as late as 2000. Today, Spalding focuses nearly all of its commercial interests on basketball, producing balls, hoops, rims, and nets. 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? I actually travel with it and use it at the driving range, so I dont have to rent clubs. It is my Go To clubmy favorite. info@pgatradein.com Mon-Fri: 9AM - 5PM EST . That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. Protactic Golf in Chicago. When I was first introduced to golf in the mid 70s, spoiling was still a player in the recreational market. The Executives were the bomb back in the day. We stand behind our clubs and want you to be satisfied with them. Eventually banned because it was too straight. or Best Offer. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites Albert Spalding was a superstar. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. The Executive clubs are among the finest pure forged blades ever produced and have certainly stood the test of time. i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. Whats more, KKR continued adding to its golf empire, buying Etonic in 1996 and Ben Hogan a year later. 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. I still have the irons to this day! Golfers have always known that deep-grooved irons produce better control and spin. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. but fairly forgiving. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. . ), Undersize Golf Grips Explained (8 Key Facts!). They are similar to the Nike slingshots as they have a powerbow looking thing on the back of them. $77.83. I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. It was fun to have and I actually hit the thing really really well. Spalding, like its old school brethren Wilson and MacGregor, simply wasnt sexy to a new generation of golfers. Havent been able to give them up since my Dad died in 99, Does anyone remember a set of irons made in the 80s (I think) that were actually a bunch of small woods, even the PW was made from wood. Laugh if you must, but the design works. Wanted them when I was in college but couldnt afford them then. I cant remember who made them, but I remember reading about an iron that was adjustable so its loft could be wildly altered. I asked him about it and he said he had shown it to Spaulding, Wilson and MacGregor and their response was It will never sell!!!! It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Do you remember what golf websites you were shopping on back in 1995? 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. My golfing buddy borrowed my old set, including the driver and had one of his best rounds ever. Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. I love it but was told it is no a legal putter. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. 0 bids. Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. He also was one of the best designers in the golf biz. The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. pend. beneath. 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. Leather Golf Grips Review: Should I Use Them? 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).. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. Went back 10 years and got the 845s used. Those are the reasons they work. New entries such as Nike and Adams were turning heads as well. I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. SPALDING EXECUTIVE 3-PW Iron Set Golf Clubs R/H Jet Step Stiff Flex Steel. Remember all the other clubs, good to read. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ Those were first made around the end of the 19th century during the hickory era. Hope you all enjoyed a look back at some of the craziest irons ever made. 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. Still use them. The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spalding's most easily recognizable clubs. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. If you are a beginner and are looking for a . It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. "datePublished": "2022-05-12", TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. More on the tr600!!!! I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? They say you learn from your mistakes. Spalding is a big name in American sports, having manufactured equipment for basketball, American football, and golf over the years. It wasnt very sophisticated back then, and they wanted to add layers of sophistication that they had in their other businesses. TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. Much cheaper than renting. Spalding took off with sales and production with Bobby Jones joining the team. The range is for form anyway. 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. 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. By 2002, players such as Hal Sutton, Bernhard Langer, and Luke Donald were playing the Hogan Apex ball. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. 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. Never get tired of reading these types of articles. Inventory available of individual, single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons. 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. I tried to restore them by getting some original Browning grips (brown rubber with the Browning deer logo in gold) and exchanged several e-mails with Browning in Belgium would not sell me any. Spalding lost $27 million in 2000 and another $20 million in 2001. * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. 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. money, time and performance. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. Not to belittle them because KKR is incredibly successful, but they didnt know the golf business the way we did, says White. Does Spalding make golf balls? One day, I was caddying for him and he crushed a drive, but about 100 yards out, it just fell out of the sky. The 1953 Top-Flite Synchro-Dyned irons were particularly innovative, featuring a matched shaft flex and head weight for each iron in the set. I have one of those! Any Spalding clubs that are still in circulation can be regarded as vintage, thats for sure! By Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). Spalding introduced the Vardon Flyer, a golf ball that was popularized by Harry Vardon. Just got Calloway X20s last week. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. LOL. I recently tried an old Jack Nicklaus 7 iron made by MacGregor many years ago. Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. Love to see them. The Pyramid Rubber Company, a maker of baby bottles, strollers, and other infant products, bought a controlling interest. I finally gave it to a friend of mine who is a beginner and he says it is the only club he can hit reliably. 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. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. Its impossible to overstate Albert Spaldings vision and ambition. Spalding Golf Clubs: Do Still Make Them & How Much? 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. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. These irons which I dont know who actually designed were called the Ray Cook Titanic irons and were made back when Scotty Cameron was a putter designer for the company. . today. Quite honestly, we werent ready for that.. Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons.
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