Clone Golf Clubs

Are clone golf clubs cheap knock-offs?

Do clone golf clubs represent value? Are clone golf clubs as good as their brand name counterparts? Will your golf game improve using clone golf clubs? How do clone golf clubs compare to the major brand name golf club manufacturers like Callaway, Ping and TaylorMade?

Let's face it. Every golfer is looking for cheap golf clubs. When you can spend upwards of $800 - $1200 for a set of irons or $500 for a driver from one of the brand name manufacturers like Callaway, Ping or TaylorMade it's no wonder. Those aren't cheap golf clubs. Yes you can buy cheap golf clubs at a discount golf store, off the rack. But that won't really get you what you're looking for - a golf club or a set of golf irons that can help improve your game at a price that you can afford.

As with most everything, the answer to the question is both yes and no. Yes you can buy cheap golf clubs - golf club clones of the major manufacturers - but no they don't represent any value at all with respect to either quality or game improvement...and they're probably illegal to boot.

Yes, you can buy cheap golf clubs that are clones of the major golf brands and yes they do represent exceptional quality and value and they can help you improve your golf game - particularly if they are custom built and fitted to your playing characteristics.

So what's the difference in these clone golf clubs? What distinguishes them from being cheap knock-offs or quality golf clubs in their own right? The difference is found in the quality of material, the manufacturing process and design of the product. The other major difference is that the manufacturers of the quality clone golf equipment stand behind their products with appropriate guarantees and warranties.

Given this, it's easy to distinguish between the cheap knock-offs built with poor materials and quality clone golf clubs backed by the manufacturer.

All quality golf club heads (including brand golf clubs and clone golf clubs) are made from basically three kinds of metal. Stainless steel - either 17-4 or 431, carbon steel (mostly for forged clubs), or beta titanium. You can also find clubs that use zinc and aluminum/steel composites but these are NOT the materials that any sort of quality club uses. Cheap sets for beginners and juniors use these materials. Cheap golf knock-offs would use these materials. These cheap golf clubs don't represent poor value - they represent NO value.

All golf clubs are manufactured in China using one of two processes. The golf clubs are either cast or forged. Casting a club head uses molds into which the molten steel is poured. This is essentially the process used for most perimeter weighted and cavity back club designs. The forging process essentially uses massive hammers to knock the club head into the right shape.

Given that there aren't that many foundries, most if not all club heads (brand name golf clubs as well as clone golf clubs) would be manufactured in the same foundry using the same materials.

On to design. Ping was the first company that started to focus on designing a golf club that included some game improving features like perimeter weighting. Other manufacturers; Callaway, TaylorMade, Nike etc soon followed...hmmmm. Prior to this, the club head manufacturers focused their efforts and designs on the Tour pro's and low handicap golfers.

Today, the brand name manufacturers all offer a variety of excellent golf clubs and game improvement features such as perimeter weighting, low-back center of gravity, thick top lines, and hosel offset. All are standard features of today's game improvement clubs that were innovated by Ping...and now used by golf clone manufacturers in their designs.

Remember also, that we are only talking about club heads. The rest of the golf club - whether it be a brand name golf club or a clone golf club - is built using identical components for the golf shaft, and grip.

So why the difference in price? Clone golf clubs manufacturers have less development costs, less marketing costs, less distribution costs for essentially a very similar product. The cost difference between a brand name golf club and a golf clone can be significant - 30% of the cost of a brand name golf club. Couple this with the options and advantages of custom fitting the golf club to your own game and there is no doubt about the tremendous value of clone golf clubs and the improvements that these clubs can bring to your game.

So to answer the question of whether clone golf clubs are cheap knock-offs or are they quality golf clubs in their own right, one would have to argue that clone golf clubs provide great value because they can improve your game, save you money and put the fun back in the game.