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They say that the sincerest form of flattery is imitation. While that may be true in other industries,
Manufacturers of branded golf equipment don’t love the idea that their designs, names and colors are there to be copied. Golf club manufacturing, being a finite market, can hardly afford to allow copycats to roam free. Unfortunately, for companies like Callaway and consumers who may not understand the nuances in club design and manufacturing, there are hundreds of problems.
off and fakes on the market today.
Clones
Clones, also known as knockoffs, are very easy to identify, as they are generally made in a similar design and color to the real business, but with differences that allow them to fly under the radar of patent infringement. The resellers of these golf clubs will generally let you know which club they are trying to emulate. They can have a totally different name and they can have certain aesthetic and design differences.
However, don’t be fooled, these clubs are anything but similar to the clubs you are trying to copy. To reduce prices, cloned golf equipment will be made from less expensive materials; for example, they will use alloys instead of pure steel or titanium. Also, the construction of the clubs will be different with a lower degree of tolerance. Cloned clubs can be heavier (or lighter), rods can be stiffer (or
softer) and the swing weights will not be consistent from one club to the next.
Top tier manufacturers spend millions of dollars on research and development to perfect their golf clubs. Obviously, these costs are passed on to the consumer, which justifies the prices. On the other hand, cloned clubs, which can be up to 75% cheaper than their real counterparts, cannot claim to have superior technology behind them. They produce a cheap and inferior product and the
the consumer ends up paying the price of the course.
Imitation resellers will recommend that you buy these clubs, especially if you are new to the game. Why spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on Callaway, Taylor Made, or Titleist, when you can have the same or similar club in a clone? As a beginner, you are told that you will not be able to know or feel the difference.
Our advice is to stay away from these clubs as they will not allow you to improve your game over time. You can learn to master your swing, tempo, and tracking and hit the ball to the sweet spot every time. However, if you use inferior products, you will surely be at a disadvantage on the field, as the knockoffs you have bought are not true with every swing.
If you are new to the game, buy a set of used clubs made by one of the name brand manufacturers, such as a pre-owned callaway golf. As these clubs are infinitely more precise and exact in their production, they will allow you to work on your swing without having to worry about the performance of the clubs. They also sound great … ping !!! Plus, you should be able to get a great deal on used games, some of which may look brand new. Remember, you get what you pay for. Wouldn’t you rather a Callaway or Taylor Made game?
Forgeries
Some clone makers don’t even bother to make enough changes to the actual club designs and cross the line of patent infringement. An illegal imitation and / or counterfeit are products that violate the legal trademarks, patents or copyrights of another company. You may notice some of these names; King Snake, Tommy Mann Bummer, The Big Burser. It’s pretty obvious who they were trying to copy. Sometimes counterfeiters will use the same names as brand clubs and try to pass them off as authentic.
Brand club makers spend countless hours and millions of dollars trying to stop these companies from making and selling their products. As with the R&D figures, unfortunately these costs are also passed on to the consumer. Most of the illegal knockoffs are made in Asia and sold to wholesalers in the US, Europe, and other major markets.
Sometimes it is very easy to spot a false club, other times it is very difficult. Generally speaking, stay away from clubs that are not serialized. Most of the high-end manufacturers are putting serial numbers and other identifying marks on their clubs. If not serialized, the club is likely a fake or cheap knockoff.
Most older models do not have serial numbers. That’s when you should start looking for cosmetic blemishes, such as unevenly applied paint, off-center lettering, epoxy (glue) showing in one or more areas, misspelled names, and anything else that doesn’t look normal. Use your best intuition … if it doesn’t look good, it probably is.
Am I buying from an authorized brand club retailer? If the answer is “no”, your chances of buying counterfeits are greatly increased. Your best protection against counterfeiting is to buy only from a licensed golf club.
retailer.
Is the price of “new and top-of-the-line” clubs too good to be true? If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is and you should be extremely cautious. Finally, the last test you need to take is double. Some unscrupulous retailers will have both real and clone clubs for sale. If available, grasp the first with one hand (holding the grip) and the second with the other hand (also
subjection). What makes you feel better? Shake them a bit … Does it make a rattling sound? Do they both rock back and forth evenly? You should be able to tell the difference immediately. The branded version should feel much better, more balanced, and obviously more attractive.
The second test you must perform, if the dealer allows it, is to take a couple of shots alternating between the two suits. Does one sound better than the other? Does one feel better than the other? Even if you are not an experienced golfer, you should know the difference between the two clubs.
The final word of warning is this: If the club you are buying is not warranted, put it aside and buy one that does. Brand-name companies stand behind the product they make. They value their customers and honor warranty claims. There is always the remote chance that your stick will break, dent, chip or crack. Do clone makers have an 800 number for customer service? Before
you spend $ 1000 or even $ 100, check who makes the clubs and what their warranty policy is.
Copyright 2007 David Lester
