Clone Golf Clubs - The Complete Guide!
Wikipedia defines a Clone Golf Club as "Budget brand golf clubs that look similar to, and emulate the characteristics of, more expensive clubs without breaching any patents".
Some people think that clones are cheap counterfeit clubs made out of inferior material in some shady factory in a third world country. Fact is that clones provide a reference to a certain club style without infringing on the design patents of the brand names they compare to. Clones are manufactured from similar (premium) materials with similar features to the name brands, but at a much lower price.
Are Clone Golf Clubs identical to Brand Name Golf Clubs?
Clone golf clubs are not the same as the well known brands they have become associated with, yet they are made from pretty much identical quality materials and they are designed with just as much care and technology.
Indeed the shaft and heads and grips often come from the same manufacturers such as Aldila, UST, True Temper shafts as well as Lamkin, Winn and Golf Pride grips. It's just that you simply would not know it!
Clone Golf Clubs are definitely much less expensive than the names you know well, but there is no less effort put into giving you the very best quality, for a mere fraction of the cost. So, if it's value for money you are looking for, with little or no compromise on standards, then clone golf clubs will certainly fit your bill. And it's just as likely that your score will fall too!
Why do Clone Golf Clubs cost so much less?
Clones Golf Clubs are manufactured from same or similar materials with similar features to the name brands, but at a much lower price.
Golf Digest® Magazine estimates that a 0 Driver actually costs about to make: for the club head, for the graphite shaft, for the grip and for assembly. Besides overheads the remaining 3 cover promotional activities like endorsements, distribution, commission for sales reps, etc. A large portion of the purchase price is not related to the product itself in terms of materials and design but simply caused by marketing.
Manufacturers of brand name clubs spend millions promoting their clubs. The money for promotional activities is included in the cost of manufacturing the clubs. The more a company spends on promotion, the higher the cost of producing the clubs. The manufacturer passes the additional costs on to consumers in the form of higher prices.
Clone manufacturer's prices are lower because they don't market their clubs as aggressively as name brand companies, eliminating most promotional expenses.
Golfers save between 50 percent and 75 percent of the name brand's retail price. The saving equates to about several hundred dollars for a set of clubs. Lower prices let you buy new clubs more often, while enabling you to stay abreast of the newest designs and latest features.
Advantage of Clone Golf Clubs
Price Advantage: Clone manufacturers buy their club heads, shafts, and grips from the same small community of suppliers as name brand companies. Clone golf manufacturers offer a wide range of shaft and grip options just like the original manufacturers. And clone manufacturers offer the same make of grips and shafts as name brand companies. The difference in playability between a brand name club and a good clone is generally insignificant. Clones are copies of brand golf clubs. A good clone provides the same performance, quality, and technological features as brand name clubs but more cost-effectively.
The quality of clone golf clubs is comparable to well known brands, but their prices are way more 'realistic'. Result is that Clone golf clubs offer a better value than brand name clubs.
Custom Built Clubs: Pro line clubs are sold off the rack, i.e. are not fitted to the golfer's individual needs. Clone golf clubs are often customized to the player's individual specifications.
Pro line clubs are not fitted for the golfer or their game, but clone golf clubs can be customized to meet your individual needs. We are all individuals and golfers are coming in all kind of sizes and shapes. Why shall your club come off the assembly line if your swing did not come off the assembly line? Taller golfers need longer clubs. Golfer with slower swing speed and senior golfers need a light weight shaft with a softer tip section to get the ball easier airborne. Most average golfers need a driver with higher lofts than offered as ready made clubs in big box stores.
The advantage of custom made golf clubs is that they are custom fitted to your individual needs. You don't want to have your body adjust to the golf club. Custom made clubs aid especially average and high handicapped golfers who have the most to gain because game improvements can be immediately realized. The easiest way to lower your golf scores is to fit your clubs to your swing speed and physical body measurements.
