Those are the reasons they work. I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. 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. I actually travel with it and use it at the driving range, so I dont have to rent clubs. The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? Fantastic article John! I have a med flex shaft, 1 inch extension on each Exec club, and Golf Pride Velvet jumbo grips. Jackie Gleason also owned a set. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. Since you mentioned it in the article, how about doing the history of Ben Hogan golf from its inception in 1953 to itd ultimate demise under Callaway and then its resurrection in 2015. Almost , http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html. And in 1930, it hit the jackpot. Today, Spalding golf clubs still exist, but theyre nowhere near as popular as they once were. Finally, I think a distinction needs to be made between the wackiest looking and worst irons made. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. Your email address will not be published. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. and had a driving range there for many years. Get the best deals on Spalding Executive Irons when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. The 500s have less offset than the 440s. Cliffy2020 Men's Right Handed. Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. 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. As a golfer of a certain age, these history articles are fascinating! 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. They are exactly like the Cleveland Ironwood set you see now, but it was made y..e..a..r..s ago. They introduced the Browning 500 Series to counter that effect.But, they waited too long and by that timethe party was over! I remember a set called Canon I think, possibly a Spalding brand. Spalding decided it would be good business to provide golf course design services free of charge to anyone with the money and inclination to build one. With a few months of work and some radical design modifications it was turned into the first modern Metalwood. Since the Ryder Cup is shortly upon us MyGolfSpy & GolfCircuit.com thought it[]. Remember all the other clubs, good to read. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. Youve forgotten the worst offender. No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. does ohma have a child [email protected] buy all 6 get free shipping) Let me know by ebay . My first clubs were Spalding top flites. Went to graphite (Vulcan Backfire hollow irons). Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. "name": "Swing Yard", (What Exactly Happened?). No copy for them. The company stayed the course, and the result is a thriving, profitable company. Its on the list! I would hand stamp #7 on all irons. 6. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. These irons actually performed quite well and had many copy cats of it down the road to prove itincluding another iron that made the list at #12 Slotline Lowpro iron and the Titleist Super Slim irons. Like previously stated the Slotline Lowpro irons were for the most part an exact copy of the Browning 440 irons. Latitude Irons also give the golfer an added patented design feature of dual skids on the sole. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Callaway had been making balls but never turned a profit. I know that this is a very late reply but I actually knew the designer of these irons and spent time speaking with him. Great collection I remember many of them in the past 30 years often thought of buying some of them, but luckily, I didnt, Ive purchased dozens of iron sets in the last few years (Big Bertha,FTI, Taylor Made, Cobra, Nike V series) NOne of these work as well as my Ping Zings, Hey, what about Shakespeare and fiberglass. Spaldings contributions to modern golf are considerable. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! Original? Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. I will let the then Chariman of FILA Golf tell you a little bit about these 1994 released set of ironsand take you back in time like you were there for the original launch: Never before have so many game improvement features been built into one club. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. Spalding Golf Clubs: Do Still Make Them & How Much? I have not 1 but 2 sets of Browning 440 irons. When my father would shot a 215 yard iron into the hole, his fellow golfers wold ask him what club he used. The 15 wood is only a little longer than an 8 iron (in my 70 yr old hands) so I put a 9 iron through sand wedge in the bag and away we go They are straight and land incredibly soft. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. Theres even premium urethane cover options (Pro V1 and X styles) for ~$15 a dozen. Until the USGA banned deep-grooved irons, Spalding's Stop 'Em and Dedstop clubs brought a smile to countless players' faces. 1 Iron Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball . What the hey. Sign In. The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. ), Takomo Golf Clubs Review: (As Good as Expected? * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. 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. my Dad is still pulling new 90s & 2000s Top Flights from the closet to play lol. MyGolfSpy is usually a place you guys come to see the latest and greatest equipment the golf industry has to offer. At the time of the sale, it was considered the lowest cost and most efficient operation in the industry. Decent? "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", 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). Executives were my first set as wellI thought they were a great starter set. Would you make an iron set out of stone? The Spaulding Executive was just too far ahead of its timegreat club! The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. Im a sucker for the odd things, I also had a Power Pod(big mistake). 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. During that time, Spalding ownership changed hands a half dozen times, and saw the same fate as MacGregor Irons. I became a +2 handicap using those irons, and a lot of people scoffed at them early ontill they saw me hit them. Press J to jump to the feed. They are also said to be legendary Canadian player Moe Normans favorite clubs of all time. Remember when pros like Norman and Stadler and others with that bright red Spaulding Tour Bag. I really enjoy reading your articles, John. You can buy a set in good condition on eBay for around $100. But, they were NOS (New Old Stock) and with Ohio State grips and headcovers; so a diehard Buckeye fan. These gentlemen used them to win large amounts of money on the course from unsuspecting victims. Thanks. Titleist and PING were established competitors, while TaylorMade and Callaway were flexing their muscles. Box 4666, Ventura, CA 93007 Request a Quote: comelec district 5 quezon city CSDA Santa Barbara County Chapter's General Contractor of the Year 2014! Spalding Executive Registered 3 4 5 Driver Wedge P Golf Clubs Set Made In USA $26.21 Local Pickup or Best Offer SPONSORED Vintage lot of 3 Woods Top Flite Spalding Model 133 Professional 1 3 4 golf Club $29.95 $17.95 shipping or Best Offer SPONSORED PERSIMMON Spalding Robert Jones Jr Percussion Woods Set Golf Clubs Driver & 3 $60.00 $15.00 shipping 2 Iron Spalding . Current owner FILA Korea Ltd took Acushnet public, and the company has thrived ever since. Players would switch balls during a round as conditions warranted. I also have a set of Browning TR600s. I still have the irons to this day! Back in the day (early-60s), I caddied at a CC in so. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. "image": { Met a friend in Costa Mesa at Mile Square Golf Club back in the early 1970s and he was with Duke Duclos., a friend from their McDonald-Douglas days. In 1910 Spalding started making fairway clubs made of aluminum, and heavier lead face putters. Spalding, like its old school brethren Wilson and MacGregor, simply wasnt sexy to a new generation of golfers. I see that a few from my list made it. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2. Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. Clear editor. I shoot mid-80s like OP. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. John is an aging, yet avid golfer, writer, 9-point-something handicapper living back home in New England after a 22-year exile in Minnesota. Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. The Pyramid Rubber Company, a maker of baby bottles, strollers, and other infant products, bought a controlling interest. *We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? Just found and bought a set of Lil David Slingers. . Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. "@context": "http://schema.org/", I have a full set of Exec XE irons. info@pgatradein.com Mon-Fri: 9AM - 5PM EST . what is spanish colonial music? Make Request. Made from 1989-1994 and originally sold for $680. When he would get ready to play, he would hold the club so that the sole was visible to everyone. I cant believe to Ping Zing 2s are on the list. Heres one for the booksTommy Armour EQL one length irons. It is my Go To clubmy favorite. With the help of computers, we designed a unique shape we call the `Bull Nose which extends the toe weight out far enough to balance the head without creating an elongated appearance. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball Irons. I actually like the looks of those babies! Pat Simmons first wanted to say thanks and also that, You may not know the Pat Simmons name, but if youre a golfer, you know of several of my inventions. I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Spalding, however, never dominated the pro game as Wilson and MacGregor did. They got so popular at the time that it scared club makers badly (Every set was pretty much custom built then), and Golfing associations banned the club from play. What was wacky about the Bears? Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? 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. I didnt know until I read this article that evidently FILA was the designer of the original face forward iron design; speaking of which, I wouldve thought the F2 Face Forward Irons wouldve made the list (http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html). lots of memories here. He traded a set of classic Burke PunchIrons to get the Lynx. There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. It was a popular cavity back iron and Spalding decided to sell it through general sporting goods stores, eschewing the golf pro. Happily, I can say that I have seen these over the years, but none of them ever made it into my golf bag. Spalding Executive Left Handed Golf Clubs There are several different types of left-handed golf club sets, so which one is the best for you? Too bad. Every iron ever made is ugly as hell when you hit it off the hosel. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites I have a old slotline cigar putter I still use,,no loift at all,looks like a big tootsie roll,but puts great,,friends still get amazed at how it puts,,. ), Finn Scooter Golf Reviews (Are These the Real Deal? If it works for you use it. And although Spalding would show operational profits, debt service kept turning those profits into losses. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ Still use them. "https://twitter.com/_swingyard_", But $1 billion is a lot of cabbage, and KKR borrowed heavily to make the deal. While the Top Flite was initially scorned by better players as the rock flight, it probably caused a rule change. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. The Endo-forged Hogan Apex Plus cavity back irons came soon after, along with a solid-core Hogan Apex ball. 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. Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was.