Spalding is a big name in American sports, having manufactured equipment for basketball, American football, and golf over the years. Went to graphite (Vulcan Backfire hollow irons). Not to belittle them because KKR is incredibly successful, but they didnt know the golf business the way we did, says White. Your link has been automatically embedded. "https://twitter.com/_swingyard_", Can anyone tell me about Spalding executives : r/golf - reddit While the idea of owning a golf company sounds great, the list of companies that tried and failed is long. Especially in America. I have a med flex shaft, 1 inch extension on each Exec club, and Golf Pride Velvet jumbo grips. 1-949-642-6484 . what is spanish colonial music? Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. Previously, they manufactured equipment for golf, American football, and baseball, but they have downsized considerably in recent years. The stickers are silver, but the Slinger logo is a black heavy type face and says pat. I had some Staff FG-17 and my friends dad had the Executives. The Executives were the bomb back in the day. Jones famously retired from golf after winning the 1930 version of the Grand Slam. Cliffy2020 Still, if youre looking for more information about Spalding golf clubs, youve come to the right place. They also said this, Because titanium is 40% lighter than steel, yet incredibly strong, the Ray Cook design team was able to create club heads substantially larger than standard oversize irons and add significantly more mass in the heel and toe. I think all the readers as well as the golfspies would love to learn as much about these past designs as possible. New entries such as Nike and Adams were turning heads as well. Spalding Executive Left Handed Golf Clubs - Left Handed Golf Clubs Alternatively, you can look on a discount site like Rock Bottom Golf. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. TaylorMade, now owned by adidas, was rising, and Callaway was a major force. when were spalding executive golf clubs made MENU. #PowerToThePlayer. The company's unique "baseball mark" A.G. Spalding had helped put baseball on the map--was stamped on the clubs and below it "Made in Great Britain" appeared. So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. Im sure Scott White would love to contribute. Just came back from the PGA Tour Superstore after reading this site last night. If so send us some picsdont worry we will keep it 100% anonymous . http://www.geekgolf.com. In the early days, golf clubs were hand-forged using a hammer and anvil. Dont be ashamed thoughsome of these designs have actually been pioneering for the industry. Might need to get a full set of Tiger Shark irons to match the wedge!! 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. and they wonder why they went out of business. Every iron ever made is ugly as hell when you hit it off the hosel. A very easy to hit blade. With Spalding's mass-market success breeding scores of imitators, players could pick and choose from countless club lines. Ive seen several of those uglies up close over the years so this was fun to view. I was told they only made a few hundred sets. The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. Well then so did everyone else. I was the Sales Manager of Stan Thompson golf company for several years and worked very close with Stan. it was at my range's rental bin. 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. 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. The History of Spalding Golf Clubs - Hickory Golfers Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? TaylorMade, by comparison, has been sold twice in the past four years. when were spalding executive golf clubs made Spaldings buddy Wright had been doing the same thing since 1892. Theyre awesome. Nabbed them just for the pure ugliness. Of course, it is the Indian not the arrow to some extent, but he does well. Starting in 1900, Spalding opened club-making factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. Shallow faces (not as shallow as the 440 of course) and less offset than many of the long irons they replace. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. I know that this is a very late reply but I actually knew the designer of these irons and spent time speaking with him. But, the #1 weird club goes to the Slingeryour #1 choice. Callaway wound up suing Spalding for using its imagery on Spalding packaging. You should shoot me some pics of your new set. General Albums. #14 - Spalding Executive Irons These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. lol! It was made by Salt Lake City Specialties. We stand behind our clubs and want you to be satisfied with them. "https://www.pinterest.com/Swingyard/blog/" TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. (Cavity back blades???) Anyone hear of them? I know this is coming way after the article was published but I have a set of irons that are branded Fairway and the model I believe is Spider. 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. Made from 1989-1994 and originally sold for $680. The Top-Flite acquisition made it a player. Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. I have no ideabut I sure loved my Tommy Armour silver Scotts. 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. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. 11 golf clubs/sets you owned and what they're worth now - PGA Original? I have been playing golf over 40 years and have owned many brands of clubs. I play them still and love them. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Do you remember what golf websites you were shopping on back in 1995? I surely do remember those Dot balls that my brother and I would find on OFCC in south suburbs of Chicago because we couldnt afford them but you really had to pay attention to look at those balls before you grounded your club or you would put a significant cut in them. The reason why Spalding clubs arent particularly valuable is that they have been widely available for so many years. You can actually play Spalding golf balls again! Ironfinder has a good selection of individual Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball golf clubs in stock to help you replace a missing single golf iron. This is because Spalding stopped manufacturing golf clubs in 2002, and most of the clubs available online today are vintage sets. any info on this garbage?lol. Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. 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. #15 - Stan Thompson Ginty Irons You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. I used to have a set of Ajay Pro Classics that were my dads. Looking through eBay listings, you can find a range of vintage Spalding golf clubs in various conditions to suit different budgets. Colin Montgomerie joined the staff, and Spalding had big plans. I would love to have you include my Whole-In-One Adjustable Telescopic Golf Club in your mixdefinitely fits the criteria of unusual clubs. These were said to be Moe Normans favorite clubs and are rated by the MyGolfSpy Forums resident vintage club expert Big Stu as the third greatest pure forged blade of all time. Here Im going to date myself a bitBack in the late 70s there was a company called Unique..The iron set design was oversized head with a deep cavity that was covered with a hard plastic. !but they had a very proprietary, strange-sized grip. One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. What you like is what you like. *We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Great looking blade and the low COG really lets one hit it high. Until the USGA banned deep-grooved irons, Spalding's Stop 'Em and Dedstop clubs brought a smile to countless players' faces. 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). But since the early 2000s, Spalding has practically disappeared from the golf landscape. I accidentally broke it in the late 1970s the shaft was installed over a milled section of the hosel! By 2002, players such as Hal Sutton, Bernhard Langer, and Luke Donald were playing the Hogan Apex ball. today. My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. Can you come up with any info on these? This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. When he would get ready to play, he would hold the club so that the sole was visible to everyone. When Did Spalding Stop Making Golf Clubs? (Solution) "mainEntityOfPage": "https://swingyard.com/spalding-irons-by-year/", Make Request. The primary reason why Spalding halted the production of golf clubs was that they couldnt keep up with the competition. 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! Jackie Gleason also owned a set. when were spalding executive golf clubs made. I have a set of clubs with Belmont Power on them. 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. At the 2003 PGA Show, Hogan introduced the Apex 50 blade commemorating its 50th anniversary, the game improvement CFT irons, and the Carnoustie and Riviera wedges. More on the tr600!!!! Club-makers traditional method had been to shape metal heads with an anvil and forge. In 1962, Pyramid merged with Dunhill International and the AP Parts Corporation. Sold millions of those over the years. $86.40 shipping. If it works for you use it. Yes, it did. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. vicunas. I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Since the Ryder Cup is shortly upon us MyGolfSpy & GolfCircuit.com thought it[]. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. 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. "headline": "Spalding Irons by Year", Iomic Golf Grips: 8 Key Facts Before You Buy. Two years prior, they sold Spalding and Evenflo to Wall Street investment firm KKR for an estimated and unbelievable 1 billion dollars. Spalding club-makers paid as much scrutiny to shafts as heads. That might be because Golfsmith acquired them back in 2003. My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. Jim passed away recentlyhe was a great innovator do you remember the Basakwerd Putter What are the Most Forgiving Forged Irons? Spalding got so inventive with their clubmaking, they had golf bags around America sporting 20-30 clubs. Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. Model Summary Color chart indicates best . Could not beleive how well I hit this clubs. Display as a link instead, The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. That debt burden, however, finally proved fatal. An excellent article well researched As weve discussed before, its extremely difficult for legacy brands to remain relevant, especially when new, fresh brands get aggressive. Learn how your comment data is processed. Spalding Golf Clubs: Do Still Make Them & How Much? CT. We had a very good amateur player, reputed to be one of the longest hitters in the state. Spalding took off with sales and production with Bobby Jones joining the team. Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. On top line: OVERSIZE. Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. Just bought a set of Nicklaus Linear Dynamics N1 Golf Irons at a thrift shop in Vegas. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. He also worked at Zevo when the LoB Irons were developed. I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. I gave the set to my nephew, and he loves them. Titleist and PING were established competitors, while TaylorMade and Callaway were flexing their muscles. Someone suggested to me they were a prototype club for Johnny Miller, but were never marketed. Press J to jump to the feed. Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. You cannot paste images directly. my Dad is still pulling new 90s & 2000s Top Flights from the closet to play lol. There is nothing crazy about the Slinger! 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. I seem to remember them being pretty wacky. Seemed like big headed design with half the head chopped off to produce a bigger face!!! ), shoplifted about four dozen balls each from a failing department store in New York City. It wasnt the shank that bothered me, it was waiting for it to happen that was the problem. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. They preceded hybrid irons by 20 years or so. I actually have a set of 440s I bring them out every year or two when I am hitting the ball poorly. When Did Spalding Stop Making Golf Clubs. Well done. Spalding stopped making clubs in 2002. I have two sets of Browning 440 Gold clubs (including the driver, 3 and 5 woods), and a set of Browning 500s. Anybody know anything about them? Still bagging their wedges. Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. Its impossible to overstate Albert Spaldings vision and ambition. Couldnt decide between the Slotlines emax and the 845s. Albert Spalding died in 1915, but his company continued to flourish. Ive got a crazy iron set that is one telescoping iron with a blade that changes position to vary the loft. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? & Bubba Dickerson won the 2001 US Amatuer with a set of Nicklaus Bears! All that creativity has led to the great clubs we have today. It is the Super Stick. These irons were designed in Belgium by the Belgium-Browning company. What a mess that design was! Thank you for your research efforts. 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. Peter lived in Ridgefield,Ct. Great stuff. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Money put a few of these clubs on touralthough that does not mean they were worth a penny. Im 65 and still playing to seven with them. Just saw a full set of them again today. 1 Iron (18) Spalding EXECUTIVE XE. I owned a set of Nocklaus N1 irons (the pro versions of the bear irons?). 6. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. The Spalding brand, however, is still alive under the Russell Athletic umbrella, making basketballs and apparel. "image": { Great nostalgia with the article. 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. John, Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. Well these irons which were designed out in LA by Stan Thompson were made to capitalize on that same concept. Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. KKRs $25 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco was chronicled in the book (and tv movie) Barbarians at the Gate. If you are a beginner and are looking for a . Spalding, however, never dominated the pro game as Wilson and MacGregor did. 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.. Geek Golf Spalding also produced the first U.S.-made golf shoes, the first clubs to use numbers instead of names, and the first completely matching set of woods and irons (the Kro-Flite). Do You have any idea? In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", I still have a set of samurai woods and irons,,and still use them,,had a pro hit my 7 iron once,,it flew his 7iron,,he was amazed,they hit great,,but graphite wears down over years and breaks,and when that happens,,its hard to find a replacement,,,. Throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s, Spalding and Titleist were running neck and neck in golf ball production. Copyright 2023. The Roaring 20s gave us Babe Ruth, Knute Rockne, Jack Dempsey, and Red Grange. 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. Within weeks, Top-Flite filed Chapter 11. Peter F. Stevens is an award-winning author and journalist whose 10 books include "The Voyage of the Catalpa." Jerry Barber Golden Touch shank-proof irons (BeCu, ideally), Powerbilt TPS with the Goalpost Alignment System, And I agree with a previous posters suggestion of the Spalding Cannon ADVANCE. The company also announced an alliance with Bob Bettinardi to create a line of high-end Hogan putters. At the turn of the 20th Century, golf had stirred mild interest in the United States, and A.G. Spalding & Brothers sporting goods saw an opportunity. I play with several timesa year. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. Somehow they squeezed 492 dimples on them Those balls were rocketships. The greatest golfer at the time plays Spalding? Perhaps you are thinking of the Browning 440 Plus which had more of a standard face depth. * Note: These irons were designed by Duke Duclos. " [We] decided that . Leather Golf Grips Review: Should I Use Them? Spalding used to own Top Flite before selling the subsidiary to Callaway. It came with Driver, 3W, 5W and 3-PW. Upgraded my driver from R7 to Razr Hawk, but will never surrender my Slingshots. Does anyone know anything about them? Known for launching the ball from a nice crisp fairway lie but it jumped the shark when it came to hitting it from any kind of fluff. Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. Those are the reasons they work. pend. beneath. Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? The 1968 arrival of the Executive MV2 Bird Over Ball clubs are among some of Spaldings most easily recognizable clubs. Taylor Made Golf was my Distributor for the U.S. and Canadian market. My only wacky set now are some Macgregor MT Splitsoles in very gd cond which were bought at a Thrift store. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. Much cheaper than renting. I still have the samurai irons,2-pw and woods,driver,3w,5w,7w,,and still use them. No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. when were spalding executive golf clubs made - reklamcnr.com I dont think I paid more than $300 for all four sets combined- Im a Salvation Army searcher. 1 Iron Spalding Executive MV2 bird over ball . Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. Men's Right Handed. Not the first or the last business to be destroyed by KKR. Oversized high center of gravity heads and huge amounts of offset are what killed long irons IMO. The Zing2s were the first set I bought when I started playing golf. Protactic Golf in Chicago. About Spalding 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. It felt like a rock but flew like a rocket and weekend warriors bought them by the bushel. My wife says I never met a strange-looking golf club I did not want to own and play with. Just remember, Its always the indian and not the arrow. Ive owned a set of VAS, Zings, Slingshots and the Spaulding Execs (for vintage golf days). Spalding Driver Golf Clubs for sale | eBay Almost , http://www.intheholegolf.com/store/f2is.html. [email protected] Spalding was the big name in women's golf clubs by 1950. Not quite Bryson-like, but innovative for the day. "https://www.linkedin.com/in/swingyard/", Although they did have issues with the shafts actually wrinkling due to the configuration of the shape of the toe on this ironcrazy little factoid. 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. Driver to 15 wood. Thanks. Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek. He struggled quite a bit with the change.. So for those of you who own a set and are fellow collectors of the ridiculoustoday is your day to shine. Shortly thereafter, Spalding signed him as spokesperson, vice president and director of research. The name was acquired by the folks behind Nitro golf balls and they now have a full line you can buy on RockBottomGolf. Thanks! However my 6 iron had twice as much offset as any other iron in the set. Brings back great memories! Our friends[], Amazing Ryder Cup Contest! Case in point: The article makes the statement that The (Cleveland) VAS irons have finally been dethroned from their previous top spot as Worst Iron Ever Made! I dont think Cory Pavin would have won PGA tour events and endorsed them if this had been true. They kept slashing the pricing. But, they were NOS (New Old Stock) and with Ohio State grips and headcovers; so a diehard Buckeye fan. 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. MyGolfSpy, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. They were good at it too, in one year selling off companies for more than $7 billion they had bought for only $1 billion. And Jim Furyk won the 2003 U.S. Open with the new Strata Ace, which featured playing card suits (a la Penfold) instead of numbers. I want to say they were called Ironwoods but I cant find them on the internet maybe they were just in one of my wild dreams!! 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. And add on Sweet Spot Golf Drivers and the Mac/Burrows Driver. 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #3. Bought the Slotlines new. i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. The company experimented throughout the 1920s and 1930s with lathe-turned hickory shafts that featured circular ridges spaced at standard intervals down the entire shaft. I have a set of Spalding exec XE love them- I dont play more than 5-6 rounds a year now, but they are so consistant , I could go a year between swings and still play the same- got them back in 1980- ish. MacGregor Doctor X. I had the Bears. Im from SD, so I had a set. It means the Son of a Scottish brood that keeps getting into trouble only to easily find his way out of trouble! For more info on Stan Thompson click here. My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. I dont want to pay the asking prices for individual 440 Plus irons on eBay, so Ill keep my eye out for them at the thrift shops and G-W. Andyou see the Spaulding Executive irons at the Goodwill stores all the time. they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. They are for sale. Of course Drivers and putters are like women. I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. In the mid to late 80s, my father had Spalding make him a set of custom irons. The 1953 Top-Flite Synchro-Dyned irons were particularly innovative, featuring a matched shaft flex and head weight for each iron in the set. Your email address will not be published. when were spalding executive golf clubs made Get the best deals on Spalding Executive Irons when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. It wasnt long until Spaldings Executive golf clubs were launched, which were prevalent at all levels of the game. He changed from forged blades and balata balls to cavity back, investment cast irons and sold core balls, White tells MyGolfSpy.
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