"https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", You can post now and register later. Image: Central Press/Hulton Archive via Getty Images. 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. Laugh if you must, but the design works. My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. Men's Right Handed. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. Do You have any idea? No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. The Ping Zings were the worst! Great insight! WITB Albums. have a putter,,that comes in a case,,like a pool stick,,on thecourse when its time to put,,i take it out,each piece screws together to form the putter,,,,,,,putts really good,,,. President So we thought if it was as crazy looking as the original it had to be on the list but a little further down. The latter is notable as the Wright of Wright and Ditson is one George Wright, a Hall of Fame shortstop for the Boston Red Stockings and a major mover and shaker of turn-of-the-century golf. and had a driving range there for many years. 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. If you are a beginner and are looking for a . Heres a set of Slotline irons currently for sale on EBay, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330561978331&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT, some years ago-I bought a trial 7 iron thru golg digest-some years later a friend of mine bought a used set at a second hand storeany way I think it was made by simmons or slotline?? In 1962, Pyramid merged with Dunhill International and the AP Parts Corporation. Pat Simmons of Tiger Shark fame (and others) is the most underrated club designer of all time! If you have a vintage set of Bobby Jones Spalding irons that are in great shape, you might be able to sell them at a slightly higher price, but theyre not worth a great deal of money in the current market. Really enjoyed them. Spalding got so inventive with their clubmaking, they had golf bags around America sporting 20-30 clubs. Did you forget about Zevo Golf? Incidentally, Vulcan (Chicago suburb club makers who made some of the earliest hybrids) made a full set of hybrids 3-SW. You have not lived until you hit good hybrid wedges! Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. Iomic Golf Grips: 8 Key Facts Before You Buy. Yes it has some smoother lines compared to some of the other clubs on the listbut you put that PowerBow as Nike says on any of those other irons and it is a dead ringer for this list of crazies. In an effort to keep golf a game of skill, the USGA implemented the 14 club rule that we see today. Used to play traditional blades with the odd shank. Spalding started adding Tour staff during the 90s, with Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Graig Stadler, and Nick Price all playing Stratas. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. KKR had been trying to dump Spalding as early as 2000, but no one would take on the debt burden. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. They also specialized in unique clubs like the Cran Creek. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 When my father would shot a 215 yard iron into the hole, his fellow golfers wold ask him what club he used. Established in Caracas in 1929 as a small material transport business, the Cisneros Group had its fingers in everything from soft drinks, ice cream, and beauty products to banking and a burgeoning telecommunications business. Duke gave me an original solid brass/bronze Greenirons Slotline putter (heel shafted with slot in top line and white dot on lower rear section).. I cannot find any information on this club, maybe they were a golfsmith thing from early 2000s?? Tom Farrell. What you supposed to do, cut your head off!!! The products soon disappeared from shelves. He also had a head for business and knew a good opportunity when he saw one. When we got out there, his Black Dot was split all the way to the liquid core I played D1 golf in college and we got three Red Dots for every match. when were spalding executive golf clubs madeoregon dpsst training calendar. Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. *We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. I was wondering if anyone had ever tried Slotline Classic Copper golf clubs. Knowledgable folk say its all in the mind. Dreadful golf balls! The Black Dots were longest (for me) but that cover would smile back at you with the slightest mishit. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.You can also visit my Am. Typically about 2 of the three would be OK, but if you hit one thin, you just threw it away on the next tee. Upgraded my driver from R7 to Razr Hawk, but will never surrender my Slingshots. Ive got other odd clubs, a clear/see thru 5W, 68 & 73 degree wedge (of course, they may not be considered crazy. Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. Its on the list! Is that so? I think Browning was leaving the golf business then and they were discounted last set in the store. Don't let scams get away with fraud. You cannot do that with any other club. If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . With KKR, it was a 180-degree turnaround. 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. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. 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. I use them in Central Texas when the fairways are hard and the greens harder (late summer and all winter). Is it worth getting a new set of clubs, or should I focus on getting spikes and a gloves, ( I currently golf in thing sandles) 0. * NOTE: Stan Thompson was an interesting guy and a well respected designer. 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. The Titleist were a bit longer lasting but I (a poor college student) could afford the Spaulding balls. In addition to being a prolific golf club designer and inventor of innumerable gadgets and gizmos, I have led a fascinating life, as you can see by a brief look at a summary of my biography.. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2. Why is that I have the Tiger Shark 7 iron and the Spalding Exec XE 5 iron in my golf collection??? Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was. when were spalding executive golf clubs made MENU. Turns out it was just 20 years ago. The woods were the strangest looking things. It became the most consistent and durable golf ball ever made. APPLY NOW: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! Ive owned. Pretty or not (thats the clubs), I have played Fila Latitude irons since they came out. I just had a guy show me a wedge that is a small diamond shaped club with about a 3/4 hollow core in the back that goes up to the inside of the face of the club. Thanks for the history lesson, truly amazing how fast Spalding unraveled. That was a great history lesson!!!!! By reducing our debt and consolidating our operations, we enhance our abilities to drive growth behind our prestigious group of golf brands, CEO Jim Craigie said at the time. Maybe it is a good idea or maybe it is not. I think all the readers as well as the golfspies would love to learn as much about these past designs as possible. Bought the Slotlines new. And in 1930, it hit the jackpot. Both were smart, competent leaders but had little golf experience. The greatest golfer at the time plays Spalding? In the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. Or maybe it was just wacky that a German car company decided to start selling $1500 golf clubs that sucked. The stickers are silver, but the Slinger logo is a black heavy type face and says pat. any info on this garbage?lol. In the meantime, this should hold you over, https://mygolfspy.com/why-does-the-ben-hogan-equipment-company-still-matter/. "datePublished": "2022-05-12", & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! 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. "publisher": { "https://twitter.com/_swingyard_", 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.. No. Their president at the time said this about the newly released irons, Titanic irons are the first long irons even God and you can hit. Now that is a bold statement that should of had you guys flocking to purchase these beauties. Yes. These irons which I dont know who actually designed were called the Ray Cook Titanic irons and were made back when Scotty Cameron was a putter designer for the company. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Its factory could only make about six million dozen a year, and it was paying patent royalties. I played Spaulding Black Dots back in late 60s. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. (Cavity back blades???) Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. Spalding quickly grew, making baseball gloves and uniforms and the first modern baseball bat. 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. #PowerToThePlayer. Various . I have one of those! Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. not just the American side , some of Europe and some from Japan makers also wacky !!! Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 The Honda Classic - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Genesis Invitational - Discussion and Links to photos, 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open - Discussion and Links to Photos, 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - Discussion and Links to all photos. You should shoot me some pics of your new set. it was at my range's rental bin. Wed have monthly meetings at their West 57th Street offices in New York. Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. Europe was a bit ahead of the United States when it came to golf, and the sport had only just started to explode in the United States. 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. Spalding hired Tom Bendelow as his designer, and Bendelow went on to develop many courses still in use today. It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. I remember a set called Canon I think, possibly a Spalding brand. Though he is a footnote in the PGA history he was briefly on tour in the 50s. Autore dell'articolo: Articolo pubblicato: 16/06/2022 Categoria dell'articolo: fixed gantry vs moving gantry cnc Commenti dell'articolo: andy's dopey transposition cipher andy's dopey transposition cipher 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. Spalding led the way with such deep-grooved designs as the "waterfall" and waffle-face irons. Anybody know anything? Their original design was a smaller headed Tony Penna model Innovator, they became the n1 and then the Bears came out when oversize irons hit the market. Just saw a full set of them again today. Learn how your comment data is processed. Spalding club-makers paid as much scrutiny to shafts as heads. In the 1920s, Spalding started making irons and innovated an assembly line style forging process that was much cheaper, faster, and more precise than the ole hammer and anvil. He also worked at Zevo when the LoB Irons were developed. But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. Id like to include the Wilson Reflex irons and PGF Slammer series. Cleveland was giving them away for free if you send in some coupon from golf digest. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. Anyone hear of them? My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. Forward-face progression creates a hitting surface 20 percent larger than standard and 5 percent larger than over-sized irons. On sole: club# + SPALDING. You might be wondering how the hell did a Ping iron make the listbut look againthis one definitely deserves to be on the list for Wackiest Irons. 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. Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. Happily, I can say that I have seen these over the years, but none of them ever made it into my golf bag. The Strata, however, proved to be a gold mine for Spalding. Driver to 15 wood. Bought a used set of 3-SW with a sticker decal some 35 years ago and added a 2-iron with stamped lettering later on a trip to Chicago. I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. Even tho I play with graphic shafts I really like the way those play. The 1953 Top-Flite Synchro-Dyned irons were particularly innovative, featuring a matched shaft flex and head weight for each iron in the set. They are a blade from the early 80`s. If you have any you think we should include or have any additional info about the clubs listed feel free to post your comments. Jackie Gleason also owned a set. Wish the 5 iron would have been there. Man crush on Nicklaus led to this purchase. 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. MyGolfSpy is jumping into the DeLorean and taking a 1.21 jiggawatt-fueled look at the long life and quick death of Spalding Golf. Goldwin was a San Diego company, years ahead of its time. The 500s have less offset than the 440s. It is the Super Stick. I tried to hit it oncenot a good idea! The reason why Spalding clubs arent particularly valuable is that they have been widely available for so many years. 5 Testers Needed! Also, consider TaylorMade sold last spring for $1.6 billion, while KKR paid nearly $1 billion for Spalding in 1996. It was a popular cavity back iron and Spalding decided to sell it through general sporting goods stores, eschewing the golf pro. The Cobra set left handed golf club set is made of premium products. Perception-wise that made Spalding a second-tier, big-box company compared to Titleist. Actually, we used to produce more golf balls than Titleist. 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. Thanks, John. Those are the reasons they work. I bought them new. SPALDING EXECUTIVE 3-PW Iron Set Golf Clubs R/H Jet Step Stiff Flex Steel. Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. Protactic Golf in Chicago. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. It was made by Salt Lake City Specialties. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. Clear editor. Just remember, Its always the indian and not the arrow. These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. Spalding EXECUTIVE Iron Set. Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. remove head from shaft? In fact, one of Spaldings most popular models was the Bobby Jones collection, selling two million sets between 1932 and 1973. Those were first made around the end of the 19th century during the hickory era. Please put any questions or comments here. Overall, Spalding clubs arent worth a great deal of money today, but theyre a good option if youre hoping to pick up an affordable set of clubs to get started with. BogeyPro Golf (T-Shirt Design Contest), RYDER CUP CONTEST! While theyre old-school, Spalding clubs are made to high standards and are built to last, making them a great option if youre looking for a cheap and cheerful set of clubs. "@context": "http://schema.org/", "@type": "ImageObject", 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. Display as a link instead, KKRs $25 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco was chronicled in the book (and tv movie) Barbarians at the Gate. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. Still, the Uniques are the best irons I have ever hit! While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. Copyright 2023. Steve Almo Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! I had never seen the Fila irons before now. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! It was an excellent article and some of the follow-on comments from industry stalwarts like Jack Wullkotte, David Hueber, Tom Wishon, etc. Jones immediately put his Georgia Tech engineering degree to good use. And I remember drooling over those Tour Edition Custom blades in the pro shop. Spalding, however, never dominated the pro game as Wilson and MacGregor did. Zevo was a great brand and I played a Zevo Zv2 hybrid for almost 6 years because it was so easy to hit and had incredible feel. Today its hard to fine a wooden golf club in a bag!!!! By Purespin (diamond face)? And if you did not have the exact lie to match your swing could cause issues with the toe or heel diving down at impact. Spalding Executive clubs were established in the 1960s, with the Top Flite Executive Synchro-Dyned golf clubs being the first in a super popular series. I see that a few from my list made it. Great nostalgia with the article. 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. But as you can see could cause some serious digging issues. Golf bags bulged with 20 to 25 clubs, and the USGA, fearing too many specialty clubs had watered down the skill required in golf, took action. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball Irons. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. When I was starting golf, I went to the shop and these were the clubs that I hit the best (compared to cavity backs) and bought them. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Hope you find this one interesting!!!! Copyright 2023. The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? MGS can never have too much content regarding the man, his company, or his impact on golf. Its an interesting question to ask about a company that was a factor for over 125 years. Among Jones innovations: the first matched set of steel-shafted irons, the first set of irons with the sweet spot in the center of each club (denoted by a circle of dots on the clubface), and an iron set where the scoring irons were one length, the mid irons were one length, and the long irons were one length. I also had a set of Ping Zings too.. My partner had that set of Cleveland VAS and believe it or not we had a partner that bought a used set of Slingers It was in A Disordly Compendium of Golf I cant find my copy (actually havent seen it in a few months) but I know it was in there. 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? Does anyone know anything about them? CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. I demand a re-count!, He went on to say, and as owner of MyGolfSpy you should feel ashamed since you were given a set as a gift 15 years ago and I remember you putting me in play for a few rounds, how could you do this to me?, Slotline had a hit on their hands with their Slotline Inertial puttersthey sold over 2 Million of those flatsticks. The Endo-forged Hogan Apex Plus cavity back irons came soon after, along with a solid-core Hogan Apex ball. I have a set of clubs with Belmont Power on them. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 1900, Spalding released the Vardon Flyer, the golf ball used by Harry Vardon. 1 Iron Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize. Different, yes, but they are the only ones where you can really aim at the target! He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! It was fun to have and I actually hit the thing really really well. Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" Jim passed away recentlyhe was a great innovator do you remember the Basakwerd Putter Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. 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 Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. 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.