GolfWRX_Official This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), Acushnet 2022 Financials: $2.27 Billion and Counting, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Four Testers Wanted Inesis Spikeless Shoe. Just bought a set of Nicklaus Linear Dynamics N1 Golf Irons at a thrift shop in Vegas. Albert Spalding was a superstar. By the Roaring '20s, A.G. Spalding & Brothers was using the process of "drop forging" to manufacture metal club-heads. Itd take a week to prepare for.. 1-949-642-6484 . History's Mysteries: Spalding Golf's Final Countdown We want your input before testing begins. 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. Too bad. The Spaulding Executive was just too far ahead of its timegreat club! Spalding manufactured golf clubs for some of the leading players in the game, including the legendary American player Bobby Jones. I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. He re-gripped them and beats the Taylormade hand-me-downs of his friends. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. John, or Best Offer. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. It was an excellent article and some of the follow-on comments from industry stalwarts like Jack Wullkotte, David Hueber, Tom Wishon, etc. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Wide sole. HellI know I dont and I have been involved in some type of internet golf business since[], THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST: Farve The Looper (CONGRATS!) Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set. The stickers are silver, but the Slinger logo is a black heavy type face and says pat. Spalding spent the last half of the 20th-century battling with Titleist for golf ball supremacy. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. 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. Shallow faces (not as shallow as the 440 of course) and less offset than many of the long irons they replace. 1983 I had a few customers back in the 1970s who ordered custom irons and would request the same number on the sole of their heads. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. 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. Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. My Nike Slingshots is the best set I have ever used. The range is for form anyway. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark. Well these irons which were designed out in LA by Stan Thompson were made to capitalize on that same concept. Get the best deals on Spalding Executive Irons when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. In an effort to keep golf a game of skill, the USGA implemented the 14 club rule that we see today. Very well researched and well done, as someone who is not super well versed in some of golfs history, it was a great, informative read! With a few months of work and some radical design modifications it was turned into the first modern Metalwood. Thats great. Within three years, it would be gone for good. Make Request. My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. } The Pyramid Rubber Company, a maker of baby bottles, strollers, and other infant products, bought a controlling interest. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. ], It is the Super Stick. I learned the game on a set of used Spalding Execs-still have them today. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. Inside cavity: blue/back button; EXECUTIVE x EZ. There are still folks around from when Mr. Hogan ran the company and I am sure you can get some keen insights not only of the company but of Mr. Hogan himself. when were spalding executive golf clubs made A very interesting stroll down golf history. MacGregors ownership carousel started in 1978 when it was sold to lumber conglomerate Wickes. By the following year, Spalding began making clubs in the U.S. These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); MyGolfSpy is gearing up to conduct the second edition of our groundbreaking ball test. 1968 Spalding developed the first 2-piece performance golf ball, the Spalding Executive. !but they had a very proprietary, strange-sized grip. I played them for years, they were solid, and they looked really good at address for their time period. Did KKR overpay? You had to turn those over to see the ugly, but the cone in the bottom was down right wacky! Thanks! In 1977 while having molds made for my new line of Irons at a mold makers in Oxnard California, I spotted a very interesting club in a bag at the rear of the shop. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. (ENTER TO WIN) Super cool contest we have for you fellow GolfSpies today! 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! Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). I think I actually played one of them 150 holes before I gave up. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. Don Wood has the patent for the Plop Slotz Irons. Theres even premium urethane cover options (Pro V1 and X styles) for ~$15 a dozen. 2 iron sw. Let me know if anyone is interested. 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. 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 Happily, I can say that I have seen these over the years, but none of them ever made it into my golf bag. Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. These skids are tapered from the leading edge toward the rear of the club head, raising the sole above the ground without raising the leading edge off the ground. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! My dad has played a set if vicunas for about 40 years! Still bagging their wedges. I still think there were others that deserved some consideration. 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. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. About; Blog; Service; Contacts Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. Jim passed away recentlyhe was a great innovator do you remember the Basakwerd Putter Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. Went to graphite (Vulcan Backfire hollow irons). During their time together, Vardon and Spalding agreed the best way to grow the game in the U.S. and grow the market for Spalding golf products was to build more golf courses. Made from 1989-1994 and originally sold for $680. Scott Stallings - WITB - 2023 Genesis Invitational. Press J to jump to the feed. After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. The brand was popular until the late 1990s, but Spalding opted for a new direction at the turn of the century and focused on other sports instead of golf. marrano patio homes lancaster, ny 9, Juin, 2022. horse property for sale pocatello, idaho; I have a set of Fila Solerno irons/fairway woods that I havent been able to find anything about on the internet. The Spalding brand, however, is still alive under the Russell Athletic umbrella, making basketballs and apparel. It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. i just hit a 8 iron in that series last night. However, the name of their popular brand Top Flite was sold to Callaway, and is used for discount clubs and balls. In 2001 Spalding launched a $17 million ad campaign for Hogan and Strata. Getting sold doesnt have to be the end of the world, but it can be if the buyer doesnt do their homework and pays too much. Taylor Made Golf was my Distributor for the U.S. and Canadian market. Many of which might have even found there way into a few of your bagseven if you dont want to admit it. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. Make Request. They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. Please put any questions or comments here. In 1998 Spalding released the Top-Flite System C and System T golf balls which, Spalding claimed, were designed to perform best with two top-selling drivers of that year, the Callaway Big Bertha and the TaylorMade Ti Bubble 2. ENTER NOW! Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. Win a bunch of BogeyPro swag! More than 50 percent of that total came from golf ball sales. These articles are all outstanding. Although they wont win any awards for innovation, Spaldings Molitor clubs are a decent game improvement set and a good option for beginners. Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. Design the future of bad golf! Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. Long irons with shallow faces, little offset and perhaps slightly softer shafts can be quite playable. 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. when were spalding executive golf clubs made Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. 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. It adjusts to every loft in a full bag, plus half lofts. 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! Upgraded my driver from R7 to Razr Hawk, but will never surrender my Slingshots. 15 Craziest Golf Club (Irons) Ever Made! - MyGolfSpy When my father would shot a 215 yard iron into the hole, his fellow golfers wold ask him what club he used. Spalding, however, never dominated the pro game as Wilson and MacGregor did. BarbaJo, you da man! 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. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. higher loft is really your best bet for getting out of these difficult fairway lies, Top 10 Best Cheap Drivers (Updated 2021 Buying Guide), 5 Advantages of A Strong Golf Grip (Everything To Know), What Is An Overrun Golf Ball? CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. Brilliant idea? In 1893, Spalding bought the Lamb Knitting Machine Company in Chicopee, Mass which made, obviously, knitting machines and, less obviously, eggbeaters, bicycle wheels, and rifles. These were great clubs. Some deserve to be on the former, but definitely not the latter! * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. 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. But under Section 363 of Chapter 11, a seller can sell assets without having to negotiate with its creditors. Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. We (and tour players) figured out it was very stable in the wind and was 2 clubs longer with the irons. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites Weird thing was I could hit the XL-4 long irons better and the Executives better from 7-PW. We have a new #1 For Craziest Iron Ever Made! For years the #1 spot for craziest iron ever made was held by the infamous Cleveland VAS irons (now #2). WITB Albums. It was made by Salt Lake City Specialties. Terrific article as usual Mr. Barra. 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. Still have the XL-4s in the garage. 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. Dreadful golf balls! I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. But $1 billion is a lot of cabbage, and KKR borrowed heavily to make the deal. Ive owned. The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. Eventually banned because it was too straight. Case in point: The article makes the statement that The (Cleveland) VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! I dont think Cory Pavin would have won PGA tour events and endorsed them if this had been true. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. lots of memories here. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. No sir, they are in my bag and are still being used after all these years. Its a great story that needs to be told. Reach and the Wright and Ditson sporting goods companies. Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! GolfCartReport.com, Golf Undershirts (20 To Try On The Market Today), Do I Need Longer Golf Clubs? In that year, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) took shape, and many of the fledgling tour's stars already had endorsement deals with Spalding. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. Iomic Golf Grips: 8 Key Facts Before You Buy. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. when I got my samurais,they were expensive,,but you can get them ocassionally on ebay,,picked up a 6iron for 15$. The 500s have less offset than the 440s. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. " [We] decided that . 1977 Spalding Executive Irons - The Vintage Golfers - YouTube That year Spaldings sales topped $537 million, with over $400 million coming from the golf division. Thanks, John. I still have a set of samurai woods and irons,,and still use them,,had a pro hit my 7 iron once,,it flew his 7iron,,he was amazed,they hit great,,but graphite wears down over years and breaks,and when that happens,,its hard to find a replacement,,,. I use them in Central Texas when the fairways are hard and the greens harder (late summer and all winter). Finally, I think a distinction needs to be made between the wackiest looking and worst irons made. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Still playing my cook titanics with the 1 iron. "@type": "Organization", I had a VAS 5 iron. Spalding also started the Spalding Athletic Library; a series of sports and exercise books published from 1892 through 1941. Those Slinger Irons were the brain child of Jim Flood. Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. Some crazy lookin clubs, Why didnt you include the 1st set of Ping Irons? And Spalding predated Mizuno by at least 60 years with a copper undercoating for its forged blades in the mid-50s. 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.. The Kro-Flite in 1930 was golfs first liquid center golf ball, while the Spalding DOT was a mid-century icon. In the meantime, this should hold you over, https://mygolfspy.com/why-does-the-ben-hogan-equipment-company-still-matter/. Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. On top line: OVERSIZE. 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. All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. MacGregor Doctor X. I had the Bears. I love these old clubs. It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. Driver to 15 wood. Spalding, seemingly, was on top of the world. Im sure Scott White would love to contribute. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. Now I need some crazy Loudmouth pants and a pink ball. Instead, well hit the highlights. And in 1930, it hit the jackpot. I just love them! Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. Jones immediately put his Georgia Tech engineering degree to good use. 2 Iron Spalding . MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Pretty sure that was the first major won for a solid core ball. The Ping Zings were the worst! Today we are going to be spotlighting the crazy, the absurd, and some of the wackiest irons the golf world has ever seen. It was fun to have and I actually hit the thing really really well. when were spalding executive golf clubs made - reklamcnr.com 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. Estimated resale value today:. "name": "Swing Yard", With Spalding's mass-market success breeding scores of imitators, players could pick and choose from countless club lines. They had a premium Molitor ball at the then scandalous price of $2. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Man crush on Nicklaus led to this purchase. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! Spalding quickly grew, making baseball gloves and uniforms and the first modern baseball bat. I have a set of Ben Hogan AHS Hybrids and the SW is even a hybrid! It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. The 1999 Hogan Apex, forged by Endo Manufacturing in Japan, remains a sought-after collectible, and a very playable blade, to this day. Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. money, time and performance. 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. 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. Upload or insert images from URL. Yet again, the same fate as MacGregor had. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? The strangest set I play with at the moment is a matching set of 3 through 15 fairway woods made by Protactic Golf in Chicago (part of the remains of Northwestern Golf, I think). You can actually play Spalding golf balls again! NOW AVAILABLE: GolfWRX G/Fore Hats and Holderness & Bourne Polos! If it works for you use it. Current owner FILA Korea Ltd took Acushnet public, and the company has thrived ever since. not just the American side , some of Europe and some from Japan makers also wacky !!! Starting in 1900, Spalding opened clubmaking factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. Thanks for you4 diligence and reporting. #PowerToThePlayer. Spalding sponsored Vardons 1900 tour of America, culminating in Vardon winning the U.S. Open in Chicago. 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!!!! 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. MyGolfSpy is usually a place you guys come to see the latest and greatest equipment the golf industry has to offer. Theyre awesome. They dropped the Tour Edition moniker and focused on the expansion of their touring staff on the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA tours. Spalding is a big name in American sports, having manufactured equipment for basketball, American football, and golf over the years. The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight. - BenHogan. Bought a set for $25 as to help out a young lady with cancer. In one sense, Spalding suffered the same fate irrelevance as did fellow legacy golf brands Wilson Staff and MacGregor. 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. Protactic Golf in Chicago. Another great history piece. Im a scratch golfer, and to date have found nothing that is better. Those are the reasons they work. Used them for about 10-15 years before I switch to 845s. Forward-face progression creates a hitting surface 20 percent larger than standard and 5 percent larger than over-sized irons.