When golfers buy clubs, they get mesmerized by all the TV and magazine commercials and waste a lot of money. Isn't that a new thought.

What an incredible waste of money. There are definitely new designs and technologies which will help your golf game. But you don't want to play the same club as Ernie, Tiger or Vijay because they are the most precise golfers in the world and play everyday.

Use your brain and test out various designs. Then go with a similar design in a clone, knockoff, generic, whatever you want to call them.

In my case, I liked the Nike Ignite driver and the Nike Slingshot irons which cost $1,170. Lady Bertha (guess who) didn't seem like it.

So, I devised a new course of action. I checked out similar clubs which would meet my needs and HERS.

I found the Tour Torch 460 (like the Nike Ignite driver) and the Synchron Medic irons (like the Slingshots). The total cost was $258 which suited Lady Bertha better. Less than 25% of the Nike clubs.

The Tour Torch and the Medics work pretty good and things are still OK at the ranch.

crazyman,
I guess the hangup I have about "Clone" clubs is this: The "Big" equipment companies spend all sorts of money on R&D to develop new club technologies. Then along comes "XYZ" clone club. It looks like the Ignite, or whatever club it is imitating, but is it made of the same materials? Probably not. Does it perform the same? You have no idea. I agree too many people want to play a club because a certain player is also, but the clubs the pros have for all intensive purposes, are not even the same club. Plus, where is "XYZ" clone company if you are having difficulty with your clubs? Companies like Ping & Callaway are known for their good customer service and will back up their products. Plus, they have resale value. You can play a "brand name" club for a year or two and usually sell it for a 50% loss, where as "clones" retain no value. Clubs are overpriced at retail, but Ebay is changing that. Playing last year's "hot club" is the way to go now IMHO. I bought a R580XD at retail for 229.00 brand new. Last year it was 400.00!! Thank you R7! I can't wait until a year from now when I can get an R7 for 199.99 brand new! Just like playing the game, patience is a virtue in purchasing clubs!

Crazyman, I totally agree with Divots. I've been chompimg at the bit to buy a new set of clubs. I have done all kinds of research from the internet to the siulators a differnt stores. Ebay is the way to go if you want to get top of the line clubs for half off or more. They even have the 2005 models for great prices. I just dont want to get a set of clones and not be happy with them a year form now and not be able to at least get something out of them. I hope you are happy with the clubs and I agree you toi keep Lady B happy.

I have to agree that buying a clone set of irons can be a big risk, but if you are willing to listen to what some of the reviewers and members of this site have to say, your risk might just come way down. That's what this site is all about, GOLF-GEAR-REVIEW. I built my Leyland LX2 irons for less than $200.00, (3-SW, w/GW), and I was able to add a 60* and 64* wedge to the set for a total of 12 irons, all for less than half the cost of the Callaway X-16 irons. The Callaway set has only 8 clubs, not 12, and sells for $699.00. And my newest set of irons are the Snake Eyes 600C forged half blades with Rifle flighted steel shafts. I built them only because I wanted a set of irons that I can work the ball with. With the LX2's the ball flight is high and straight every time. Before I built the new set, I demoed the Mizuno MP30's and I liked them a lot, except for the price. Golfsmith had a used set for around $600.00 and that's the ones I demoed. But then I looked at the 600C forged irons and the club heads are so close to the MP30's that I had to try them also. I don't think more than 5% of the golfers in the world could tell the two sets apart if they demoed both of them. Looking at the face of the club, you can't tell them apart. And the half cavity of the two sets is pretty close also. They also felt about the same when I hit the two. The only difference was I could buy used MP30's for $600.00 or I could build a brand new set with the shafts of my choice, for around $380.00. I added three wedges to finish off the set and I still was under $500.00 for all new clubs. If there is a Golfsmith near you, go compare the two sets and I think you will be impressed. And for the record, most if not all club head are made in a foundry in China, whether it's a brand name club or a clone. Golfsmith has their clubs built in China, as does CGS golf, where I get my LX2 heads. I would challenge any one to try my LX2 irons and compare them the the Callaway X-16's. You won't be able to tell a difference, other then my irons have better shafts and the head has a different name on it. I can't argue with what Mr. Divots stated about the R&D done by the name brand company's, but look at what TaylorMade did with the R7 Quad. The R7 has four weights and a retail price of $600.00. The R7 Tour has I believe 10 weights and a price of $1000.00. That's $400.00 more for six small screws. And one great big screw if you count the one you get for buying the Tour version. In my honest opinion, the LX2 irons are every bit as good as the X-16's they look like, and well worth the price. I have said it before and I'll say it again, if you are ever in the Denver area, you are more than welcome to try my irons and see for yourself. If I didn't truly believe that the LX2's are a great set of irons and worth the price, I wouldn't be selling a set of 10 clubs for $350.00. I hate to spend good money on junk as much as you do, maybe more, and that's why I don't sell poor quality clubs. I don't build clubs for a living, I do it because I enjoy it. And I wouldn't enjoy it if I had to listen to people complain about what I sold them.

I couldn't agree with Don any more about not wasting money on outrageously priced clubs. The R7 drivers are the most extreme example of this.
The R7 TP version does come with a Fujikura Speeder 757 shaft, which is about a $200 shaft (is it really THAT much better?) and the extra weights. But E-bay has plenty of them brand new for $399 for the TP version. Still a lot of money, but if ya just gotta have it...
I have purchased many clubs off Ebay and have always been satisfied with the condition and quality. Retail just isn't the way to go anymore. Most retailers don't give much of a reason to be loyal to them anyways. Everything is marked up just to pay their retail space. Many of the sellers on Ebay are mom & pop type golf stores that sell a ton on ebay. The low price is due to the fact they don't have Mega Retail spaces to pay for or advertising budgets. Only certain things retail is good for, like shoes.
I just looked on Ebay and there are all sorts of x-16 iron sets for sale for around $350-399. They will also have a resale value.
I think we have to be honest and admit brand names in golf are like cars, they have a status symbol element about them. I didn't buy a Honda because it was the cheapest. I bought it for its reputation for reliability and high resale values. I shopped around and got a reasonable price. The same can be said for my clubs.
I just got a Titleist 980F 3 wood off Ebay for 69.00!!! I could have got it from tgw.com for 119.00 also. Waiting a year or two or buying thru Ebay makes all the difference. I got a box of Srixon HRX-333 balls for 24.00 delivered. With tax they would have been 42.50 at retail. To quote the old Kung Fu series: "Shop wisely Grasshopper!"

I agree. I have a Spalding Custom driver that was specifically developed for me from a trained Golfsmith technician. My head. My shaft. My grip. Callaway, Titleist, Cleveland, Ping can't do that from a run-of-the-mill golf shop. I can smoke those $400 and $500 drivers while laughing all the way to the bank. By the way, Pro V1s are a joke as well. $50 a dozen. Please. Most amatuers out there can't hit a penny tin can must less a $4.00 ball.