Does anyone have any experience with "replica" or "knock-off" golf clubs ?

Question

I play golf about once a week.right now i am playing w/a starter set I bought from academy,the "sa-95 john daly" set.I did replace the driver w/ the affinity 460cc "cube" driver,though.I was searching the internet for some better irons to purchase and I keep running into these off-brand versions of very expensive clubs.The ones in particular im referring to are the cheap version of the nike sasquatch.They look identical to the sasquatch,but the entire set is only $260. I copied and pasted the link below, please will any EXPERIENCED golfer give me your informed opinion. (I dont need any smart remarks from someone saying "you get what you pay for", or something like "stop being cheap and buy the real thing".Im looking for FACTS, not rude opinions.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Left-Hand-Golf-Clubs-Hybrids-Irons-Woods-Complete-Set_W0QQitemZ230241747433QQihZ013QQcategoryZ115280QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Answer 1

I'm a scratch golfer and my first set of clubs were knock offs.  They work and are OK for what they are, but, I know you don't want to hear this, you do get what you pay for.  I have seen people buy them and have the heads fly off the first time out or have clubs bend with in a week.  Also, all those clubs are made to do is look like the other ones.  They are absolutely nothing like them.  You will be giving up alot if you buy them.  All that they are is a peice of cheap steel shaped and painted to look like Nikes.

If you play once a week, I would suggest investing a little more in clubs.  You can get nice, brand name irons for a good price if you look around.  Look for irons that were top of the line 2 or 3 years ago.  There are a lot of websites that carry stuff like that, brand new, and sell them cheap because they are not made anymore or are a couple of years old.  Technology hasn't changed a whole lot in 2 or 3 years, so you're not really giving up much if anything going that route.

Check out these links.  It is to the closeout irons from a few different sites.  They have brand name irons, brand new, for as low as $129.99.  These will be so much better than knockoffs, even if you have to spend $100 or $150 more.  I promise you that you will be glad you did.  Not only do these actually have the technology built into them that the clones don't, these also have a warranty from the company.  You will be much better off buying something like this.

http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/irons-iron...

http://www.golfdiscount.com/closeouts/ir...

http://www.gppgolf.com/gppg/content/gall...

Answer 2

The driver will not compare to the Nike, However irons are a different story. I played a big bertha clone set for years and they were very comparable to the Callaway set, I still carry the 5 and 6 iron from Pine Meadow. I bought a set of slingshot clones from Warrior golf and that was the worst set I have ever hit.  Pine Meadow makes very good clubs that wont break your bank.

Answer 3

Hello, I've been an avid golfer now for about 10 years, and my first set of clubs i ever had was a "clone" set of pings. the irons hit well, although not quite as soft as the higher end brother. Where you really find the differance in those sets is shafts for the drivers/woods, and your long irons. since the shaft is the workhorse of a driver, it is the most important part to be of higher quality. i played those ping clones for about 6 years, and they very durable. this comes from the stainless construction vs. carbon steel or softer steel. however, me second set of irons was in fact another set of clones. if you want a good "name brand" set of irons, go to ebay and search for tommy armour silver scots. you can get them new right now in plastic for under 100 sometimes. and i'm playing them now...they feel very soft indeed. if you want to stick with the clone route(nothing wrong with that, i know many people that play nothing else) then go to a site like www.diamondtour.com where you can get them custom built for you, and they have many many options, not just the sasquatch rip offs. hope this helped a little. Ciao

Answer 4

I've been playing golf for over 25 years and my first new set was a set of Ping Eye II replicas.  Up until then I used a mixed set of old clubs from family members.  I didn't purchase the new clubs because they looked like expensive clubs or anything, I went into the shop and tried them out and got a feel for them.  I felt like they were solid and thought I would be comfortable using them.  However a few years into using them I lost a lot of confidence in the "knock off" name brand while friends and others had the full monty clubs.  I think you have to ask yourself if you will be confident in your clubs when you are in a tournament or head to head against a buddy with some kinda stakes on the line.  My advice is to see if you can find them somewhere local and at least hit them a few times before buying them.  Cheers!

Answer 5

what you will recieve for your money , is a very expensive set of tomato stakes . best bet , try newspaper adds , used sporting good stores , major golf stores have clearance sales of 2007 irons , for 300 dollars  full warrenty custom fit . e bay , beware , what seems like a good deal may well turn out to be cosmetically , misrepresented clubs . if you live in a major city , and want used clubs dirt cheap , try the cities flea market . the location will be in the newspaper . worth the trip . i just bought a set of HONMA  irons . graphite shaft 3 to pitching wedge , included was a golf bag which i only wanted , there was two callaway irons , 4 beutiful wooden shafted antiqye clubs . through a offer out for 5.dollars which i intended as a start point for the bag . got the bag , clubs everything for the 5 dollars , also included very very good wilson putter . still stunned . look on e bay to see how much sellers want for these irons . dont go for the knockoffs . try major outlet . or flea market . you will find a very good set for 50 to 75 maximum . by the way three powerbuilt woods were included .