| Rifling through the pages of the latest Golfsmith, | | | | True Temper, Grafalloy, and Harrison, the same |
| Edwin Watts, or TGW catalog, it's hard not to | | | | manufacturers most of the mainstream club |
| dream about walking up to the first tee box and | | | | makers use. Additionally, grips by manufacturers |
| drawing a fancy new driver from your bag. For | | | | such as Golf Pride, Winn, and Lamkin are |
| many golfers, however, the prices of these costly | | | | commonplace. The undeniable difference, |
| new toys is simply too prohibitive. Take for | | | | however, is the most prominent part of the club, |
| example the new TaylorMade R5 Dual driver, | | | | the head, as well as the assembly of the club |
| which not only comes with "dual launch control | | | | itself. |
| ports," but includes a price tag of nearly $600 as | | | | While mainstream club manufacturers test their |
| well. | | | | products for distance and accuracy using |
| There is a more budget-friendly alternative, | | | | industry-standard techniques, it is virtually |
| however. For some, it may seem like the golf | | | | impossible to find this data for their clone |
| world's equivalent of a shady character peddling | | | | counterparts. One would have to assume that if |
| imitation watches on the side of the street. | | | | clone clubs resembled their mainstream |
| However, the world of "knock-off" golf clubs has | | | | counterparts in performance as much as |
| moved from weekend duffers assembling clubs in | | | | aesthetics, manufacturers would make these |
| their basements to big business. Thanks to | | | | statistics readily available. This looming fact |
| retailers who specialize in these clubs, the more | | | | contributes to one of the keys to a solid round of |
| politically correct title of "clone clubs" has been | | | | golf- confidence. If a golfer lacks confidence in his |
| adopted as well. | | | | equipment, can he be confident in his game? |
| What is a clone club? In short, this is a golf club | | | | Another drawback of clone clubs is the lack of |
| which (at least aesthetically) closely resembles a | | | | trade-in value. When purchasing a new club, or set |
| similar club from one of the major manufacturers. | | | | of clubs, many golfers take advantage of trading |
| In many cases, the name of the clone club is | | | | in old clubs at their local golf shop. While the |
| similar to that of its hefty priced counterpart. | | | | money saved by using a trade-in typically is only a |
| Clone retailers often even go so far as to list the | | | | fraction of the original cost, this is still substantially |
| name of the club that the clone version is | | | | more than the trade-in value of a clone club |
| designed to replicate. Needless to say, the savings | | | | (which would typically be $0). |
| are often substantial. Clone drivers, for example, | | | | In the end, the decision to purchase a pricey new |
| can easily be found priced under $100. Why pay | | | | club or to opt for a significantly less expensive |
| almost $400 Titleist 905 Driver when you can get | | | | clone is up to the individual golfer. While the |
| the clone less than $90? | | | | selection of mainstream clubs has grown |
| Before you plan what to do with all your savings | | | | immensely with the explosion in the sports |
| from the purchase of clone clubs, it is important | | | | popularity, so to has the variety of clone clubs. |
| to note the differences. On the positive side, | | | | There are many decisions to be made when |
| most clone retailers offer clubs which come with | | | | buying a club, and the legitimized market for clone |
| name brand components. Typically, retailers of | | | | clubs has only added to the choices. |
| clone clubs offer shafts from companies such as | | | | |