This one in particular was interesting to me because I grew up in a Spalding family of sorts. It had a good locking mechanism, and was made for poorer people who could not afford a whole set. And although Top Flite is still in business today, its a brand that most golfers associate with cheap equipment of inferior quality. The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Estimated resale value today:. Finally, I think a distinction needs to be made between the wackiest looking and worst irons made. The Spaulding Executive XE for me never looked right They were available in 1-SW (I believe) A friend used to play these and I always suggested using his pitching wood :o) My $.02. 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. Got them for $200.00 which was a really great price other pro shops were asking $450.00 for a set. However my 6 iron had twice as much offset as any other iron in the set. Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. Every time I take it out of my bag for some new modern wedge, I go back to it a few weeks later. If it works for you use it. Only until tomorrow until my hybrids come in and boom they're gone. All are memory refreshing .. have been in golf clubhead design , manufacturing 25 years , familiar with the designs ! My woods are Taylormade Burners 1 & 3, and I have two Mizuno hybrids. 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. It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. There are a couple different models of this iron. My high school graduation present from my parents back in 1973 was a set of Executive clubs (back when the irons were forged before they were cast). Started Thursday at 03:24 PM, Please put and questions or comments here, Please put any questions or comments here, Please put any questions of comments here. Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. 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. OK MyGolfSpyers, its time to get creative! i think special t golf was the only people dumb enuff to handle these. Goldwin was a San Diego company, years ahead of its time. Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. Circa 1985-ish if memory serves. Nice article John! werent as good. He changed from forged blades and balata balls to cavity back, investment cast irons and sold core balls, White tells MyGolfSpy. I had a VAS 5 iron. I was interested in golf until around 2001 and soon discovered spoiling was on anachronism at that point. Peter lived in Ridgefield,Ct. I got balls, well ProV1's anyway. ***GIVEAWAY*** Cleveland CBX ZipCore Wedge! * Note: These irons were designed by Don Wood remember the Plop putterswell they are back at it againyou can check them out here. Those Slinger Irons were the brain child of Jim Flood. I shoot mid-80s like OP. "width": "645", Duclos, a former flight engineer worked on the Skylab and S-IVB (third stage of the Saturn V rocket, responsible for getting the Apollo module from the Earth to the moon). The chrome "image": { It was a low loft club used for poor lies and putting. Make Request. So I sent it in and got the iron. What about the old Bullet Driver that was hollow in the center (like an inverted U shape)? 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 believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. TaylorMade then entered the bidding but, after 30 rounds, Callaway wound up buying Top-Flite free and clear for $175 million. Thanks! Im not sure how rare they are, but youd think there would be a trace of them somewhere. It was the mold makers attempt to make at a hollow head, wooden shape club. Oh I didnt forget about thosethey almost made the list. The Spalding brand, however, is still alive under the Russell Athletic umbrella, making basketballs and apparel. I know that this is a very late reply but I actually knew the designer of these irons and spent time speaking with him. However as a caddy the Spaulding staff bag was a real trunk!! More than 50 percent of that total came from golf ball sales. 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. John, 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!! Driver to 15 wood. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. During the time of the KKR takeover I was employed as the Managing Director in Australia/ NZ Thanks for the article. Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. It was a time-consuming, costly and inconsistent process. single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding Executive x EZ Oversize Irons. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? Too bad. 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. 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. Alternatively, you can look on a discount site like Rock Bottom Golf. I love them but Im mystified with the hex screw in the bottom of every shaft! Thanks. vicunas. Does Spalding make golf balls? I asked him about it and he said he had shown it to Spaulding, Wilson and MacGregor and their response was It will never sell!!!! Norman credited the extra spin of the Tour Edition for winning the 1986 British Open. My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. The Roaring 20s gave us Babe Ruth, Knute Rockne, Jack Dempsey, and Red Grange. KKR wanted Spalding to make money the KKR way. 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. 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?? 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. The solid core Strata now had competition from the Titleist ProV1. } Brilliant writing! With a few months of work and some radical design modifications it was turned into the first modern Metalwood. Was a fan of the TopFlite XL. ENTER NOW! 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. Really solid clubs. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. 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. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. The Kro-Flite in 1930 was golfs first liquid center golf ball, while the Spalding DOT was a mid-century icon. What you supposed to do, cut your head off!!! 2023 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2. The reason why Spalding clubs arent particularly valuable is that they have been widely available for so many years. But unfortunately for the VASs they were dethroned from their long held position. And in 1930, it hit the jackpot. Slotline Inertial E-Max irons laying around ? When I eventually found a set of Magnums with regular shafts, I bought them but had been addicted to the graphite. And if the Nicklaus Bear irons were used to win the US Amateur, they shouldnt be on a worst irons list either. Thanks for you4 diligence and reporting. There are so many different sets of irons available nowadays, Im happy with my Execs. Way ahead of their time in the perimeter weighted genre. Smooth tempo swingers Ventus Velo isn't working for me other brands/models suggestions? Its on the list! Whats troubling to us is the extent to which a reputable company that has its own trademarks and has invested a lot of money and time feels it needs to become a predator on somebody elses goodwill to sell its products, said Callaway chief Don Dye at the time. From the 1950s to the 1990s Spalding was in the bag for many major victories, and was played on municipal courses across the country. Non-Tapered Golf Grips: 8 Facts to Know Before You Buy! You might remember the popular Stan Thompson woods with the unique sole design. In the 1960s, Spalding introduced the Spalding Executive line of clubs and balls and the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons with the Bird on Ball logo. I would appreciate any help you could offer! Great nostalgia with the article. "@type": "Organization", i just hit a 8 iron in that series last night. It was fun to have and I actually hit the thing really really well. Forward-face progression creates a hitting surface 20 percent larger than standard and 5 percent larger than over-sized irons. Your link has been automatically embedded. Matched them to Wilson Pro Staff low compressions and I was a happy camper. In April, KKR sold the Spalding name and all of Spaldings non-golf businesses to Russell Athletic for just $65 million. Itd take a week to prepare for.. In 2012, Callaway sold Top-Flite to DICKS and Hogan to Perry Ellis. The set I found is 2-9, but the 5 iron is gone. KKRs $25 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco was chronicled in the book (and tv movie) Barbarians at the Gate. Had 3-PW plus 1, 3, & 5 woods. Another really well done article. Cleveland VAS was really great Iron. The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. Thanks, John. jazzbone, September 4, 2006 in Equipment. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. One of my favorite balls back in the late 80s was the Top-Flite Plus. I play them still and love them. HellI know I dont and I have been involved in some type of internet golf business since[], THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST: Farve The Looper (CONGRATS!) Spalding, however, never dominated the pro game as Wilson and MacGregor did. Its factory could only make about six million dozen a year, and it was paying patent royalties. So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. 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. Man crush on Nicklaus led to this purchase. Its high point came in 1998 when Mark OMeara won the Masters and the Open Championship for Spalding. 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. TaylorMade, now owned by adidas, was rising, and Callaway was a major force. Dynamiter wedges featured deep grooves, often in unusual shapes, that ultimately prompted the USGA to outlaw them. Swing Yard is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca, amazon.co.uk and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. The early Top-Flites were juast the opposite; you couldnt cut one of them with an axe. They are a blade from the early 80`s. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Dreadful golf balls! I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. The ball was introduced in 1900. Not to belittle them because KKR is incredibly successful, but they didnt know the golf business the way we did, says White. After each sale, however, TaylorMades leadership team remained intact. Started Yesterday at 04:29 AM, By It was a close race but in the end we felt like it was finally time for the super-rare and hard to find Lil David Slingers get the recognition they were due. "@type": "ImageObject", (What Exactly Happened?). What is it for weight transfer? Tommy Armours ownership circus eventually turned it into the Sports Authority (and now DICKS) house brand. How about Hogan Magnums and Magnum Plus irons big cavity backs from the 1970s. a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. Great stuff. i used to work in a golf shop in ohio and we had the worst set i ever saw. 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,,. Spalding was the leading manufacturer of golf clubs in America throughout the mid-twentieth century, highlighting just how popular the brand was. They are similar to the Nike slingshots as they have a powerbow looking thing on the back of them. 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 Browning 440s took my game from the 150s (Wilson clubs) to the low 70s. { MyGolfSpy is jumping into the DeLorean and taking a 1.21 jiggawatt-fueled look at the long life and quick death of Spalding Golf. Its a great story that needs to be told. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. Brilliant idea? I think you are talking about the Spaulding Executive XE irons,ahead of their time,I played a set for a couple of years then sold them, looking back I wish I hadnt. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. Oddity? The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. They looked like a full set of hybrids but only lasted a short period of time. Spalding Golf Clubs: Do Still Make Them & How Much? Much cheaper than renting. I see that a few from my list made it. [email protected] Spalding developed the first liquid center golf ball, the Kros-Flite. I finally gave it to a friend of mine who is a beginner and he says it is the only club he can hit reliably. 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.. it was at my range's rental bin. Sold millions of those over the years. I just found a set of Slingers at the thrift store for $10. What about Pax (Paul Goydos promoted them)? 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! Corey Pavin won the 1996 US Open Shinnecock with a purple set. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. 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.
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