Absolute Respect for the Ginty

[8bitpowerfade]

I found this Ginty in incredibly decent shape at the local thrift. The grip is in such good condition that I have just taken some 220 grit sandpaper to it. I've tested it at the range, and it was extremely forgiving and consistent to hit a ridiculous shot: about a 7-iron's loft that goes about 200 yards. Now I've played a couple rounds with it. It works well from the rough when you hit it foul, but the most memorable shot has already happened. The local city course has a par 5 where if you if you put the ball in perfect play, you're still about 200 out, a dog leg left, and the green is on a steep hill and there are tall pine trees and, I'm not joking, power lines you must drive through if you wanted to go for it rather than laying up to the right. I was using a short set, a Sunday bag with vintage gear and decided that if any club in the known universe could get through this madness than it would be the Ginty. I luckily crushed it on target to create a spectacular effect. It went straight over and through all these ridiculous obstacles. I have to admit, I even shouted "Yeah! Ginty!" It was less than 10 feet from the hole putting for eagle when I climbed up to the green. Unfortunately, the putt lipped out, but yeah, I think you can keep this in your bag is what I'm saying.

[Mdmspop]

My uncle swore by this club when I was a kid. He was not much better CMA golfer but this was his go to from the rough, fairway, pretty much wherever he was outside iron range.

[8bitpowerfade]

This club is fairly unique, with the goofy boat keel sole. I also find the shaft to be pretty flexy too. I don't think there's a perfect match out there, but what would be the modern equivalent of this kind of club? A Callaway Heavenwood? Some kind of Adams Pro hybrid with ridiculous loft?

[rex235]

8bit-

 

Used both the Stan Thompson Ginty and the Original Cobra Baffler clubs in recent years.

 

One could almost call them the predecessors to "the perfect club"

[Shallowface]

This club is fairly unique, with the goofy boat keel sole. I also find the shaft to be pretty flexy too. I don't think there's a perfect match out there, but what would be the modern equivalent of this kind of club? A Callaway Heavenwood? Some kind of Adams Pro hybrid with ridiculous loft?

 

There aren't ANY modern equivalents. It isn't possible to create this kind of weight distribution in anything made of metal.

 

I too have experienced results with Gintys (and Cobra Bafflers) that could only be described as freakish. Back in the 80s I was playing in a company golf tournament, and was nervous as could be with the crowd of co-workers around the first tee. The first hole was a short par 4, and I managed to cold top my tee shot. I had 220 left for the next one, in deep rough off the front of the tee, and the crowd still close by. I hit a beautiful shot from that lie that found the green and the club I used was a Ginty just like the one in your picture.

 

Callaway Golf owns the rights to the Ginty design. I believe if they sold a modern Ginty with a carbon graphite clubhead, a thin titanium face and the heavy soleplate they would have a fairway wood that would own the market. The performance would be far superior to anything available today.

 

One other thing. Consider the fact that you hit those shots those distances with a club that has 29 DEGREES of loft! You'd never be able to get those distances with any metal wood that had 29 degrees of loft. Stan Thompson offered stainless steel Gintys in the 1980s and frankly they were inferior to the wooden version by far.

 

The Ginty and the Cobra Baffler are probably the best fairway wood designs of all time, including everything that has come along since. Louisville Golf sells a similar club called a Wood Niblick. I have no experience with them, but I am sure they would be excellent as well.

[TimV]

Mad love for the Gintys. I have both steel and wood versions but don't play them down here as the courses are just not a good match for those clubs.

[03trdblack]

Didn't have the heavier sole but the Taylormade Raylor hybrid was a modern take on it's shape. I played one for years and basically used it as a 2 hybrid/5 wood. Had 19* loft with a longer than normal shaft length.

 

[scomac2002]

This club is fairly unique, with the goofy boat keel sole. I also find the shaft to be pretty flexy too. I don't think there's a perfect match out there, but what would be the modern equivalent of this kind of club? A Callaway Heavenwood? Some kind of Adams Pro hybrid with ridiculous loft?

 

I have the original Callaway Heavenwood in my vintage bag. It's a 7W of sorts with only 20° of loft versus the much higher lofts that were typically found in laminate rescue clubs. The War bird sole in the Heavenwood has the same contours of a Ginty or Raylor, but lacks the weight. Notwithstanding, it will go, especially off the deck when you hit down on the ball. I have an older metal version of the Cobra Baffler and the story is pretty much the same with it. 200 yard shots off the deck are not uncommon and a whole lot easier to achieve than with a stronger lofted fairway.

[BKN1964]

My grandmother had one in her bag that was passed along to my wife shortly after we were married. My wife and I both loved hitting that club, and she wasn't very happy when I managed to break the head off within about 2 years of us inheriting it. That was over 20 years ago and I still have the shaft with the broken bit of hosel for some reason.

 

I recently thought to look for one on eBay and found one for $30 that looks like it's never been hit. It even had the original grip on it, which also looked brand new except that it was hard as a rock. I put a new grip on it and put it in her bag with a headcover on it and told her she gets to be the first to hit it since it's essentially a brand new club.

[Shallowface]

Didn't have the heavier sole but the Taylormade Raylor hybrid was a modern take on it's shape. I played one for years and basically used it as a 2 hybrid/5 wood. Had 19* loft with a longer than normal shaft length.

 

 

I remember when these came out. Fred Couples had one and hit a good shot with it on TV. When he was interviewed about the shot after the round, he actually called the club a "Ginty."

[8bitpowerfade]

This club is fairly unique, with the goofy boat keel sole. I also find the shaft to be pretty flexy too. I don't think there's a perfect match out there, but what would be the modern equivalent of this kind of club? A Callaway Heavenwood? Some kind of Adams Pro hybrid with ridiculous loft?

The first hole was a short par 4, and I managed to cold top my tee shot. I had 220 left for the next one, in deep rough off the front of the tee, and the crowd still close by. I hit a beautiful shot from that lie that found the green and the club I used was a Ginty just like the one in your picture.

 

Ha! Nice story. I had the same embarrassing thing happen too in front of some guys once. I topped my drive , really ugly like, with a persimmon driver into some crabby rough and the Ginty blasted it out of there and I was back in play. It gets you out of trouble but it also returns class to your game. Freakishly classic indeed, the Ginty.

[8bitpowerfade]

My grandmother had one in her bag that was passed along to my wife shortly after we were married. My wife and I both loved hitting that club, and she wasn't very happy when I managed to break the head off within about 2 years of us inheriting it. That was over 20 years ago and I still have the shaft with the broken bit of hosel for some reason.

 

I recently thought to look for one on eBay and found one for $30 that looks like it's never been hit. It even had the original grip on it, which also looked brand new except that it was hard as a rock. I put a new grip on it and put it in her bag with a headcover on it and told her she gets to be the first to hit it since it's essentially a brand new club.

 

Lovely story, BKN. Let us know if the Ginty restoration creates any good memories on the course. You've done the right thing repairing this magical instrument for future golf survival. You'll be able to escape sticky situations where the long shot odds are stacked against you. Which reminds me...even though gambling is prohibited at Bushwood...I'd be inclined to make a wager before hitting this club to make a little extra scratch.

[sharp7823]

O.M.G.!! So impressed with the Ginty after just a handful of swings. Found a Collection of Gintys on a Craigslist ad this week and went to see them today. The guy had 10 of them he bought at an Estate Sale. There was 1 wood, Two 2 woods, two 3 woods, one 4 wood, three 5 Woods and a blank one. Took the blank one and a 5 wood out this evening to give them a test drive and I was blown away. The course was pretty empty, so I just kind of threw some balls down and hit 'em from the rough and fairway. The rough is pretty short, so I didn't get to try it in the tall, thick stuff, but the ball flight was phenomenal. It gets it up in the air and was probably 160-180 yds (not much less than my drives). Tried a couple of shots from the fairway and topped the forst one, but made solid contact on the next one. These things make a nice divot (or is it a trench?). Hit a couple from the trees and wanted to just "punch" it out to the fairway but it had too much loft and hit the branches. Couldn't keep it low enough, so probably not good for that purpose. I bought these to put in the classic bag(s) I am trying to put together, but it may go in regular bag. Very impressive. Also bought four acushnet putters and a Hogan 2 wood. Will try to post pics this next week.

[Shallowface]

O.M.G.!! So impressed with the Ginty after just a handful of swings. Found a Collection of Gintys on a Craigslist ad this week and went to see them today. The guy had 10 of them he bought at an Estate Sale. There was 1 wood, Two 2 woods, two 3 woods, one 4 wood, three 5 Woods and a blank one. Took the blank one and a 5 wood out this evening to give them a test drive and I was blown away. The course was pretty empty, so I just kind of threw some balls down and hit 'em from the rough and fairway. The rough is pretty short, so I didn't get to try it in the tall, thick stuff, but the ball flight was phenomenal. It gets it up in the air and was probably 160-180 yds (not much less than my drives). Tried a couple of shots from the fairway and topped the forst one, but made solid contact on the next one. These things make a nice divot (or is it a trench?). Hit a couple from the trees and wanted to just "punch" it out to the fairway but it had too much loft and hit the branches. Couldn't keep it low enough, so probably not good for that purpose. I bought these to put in the classic bag(s) I am trying to put together, but it may go in regular bag. Very impressive. Also bought four acushnet putters and a Hogan 2 wood. Will try to post pics this next week.

 

The "blank one" is like the one the OP has. 7 wood loft (of that day, 29 degrees) and 4 wood length (again, of that day, 42 inches).

Looking forward to the pictures!

[BIG STU]

Yep those Ginty woods are something else. I have a 3 wood 4 wood and a 29* 7 wood I recently found that looks like it has never been hit. I also have a baffler 4 wood I hit on occasion. You guys got me to thinking on the Warbird sole and I wonder if you could drill and hot melt and get weight in that bottom some and get good results?

[BIG STU]

Didn't have the heavier sole but the Taylormade Raylor hybrid was a modern take on it's shape. I played one for years and basically used it as a 2 hybrid/5 wood. Had 19* loft with a longer than normal shaft length.

 

Off topic but I really like your Avatar I have a Boston Terrier myself she is 10 years old and a real sweetie. I showed her your Avatar and she licked the screen.

[John L.]

Very late to this thread but I used to carry two Ginty's back in the early 80's before Pittsburgh Persimmons became all the rage........ The 2 and the 5.

 

The wasn't a whole lot of rough that could stop these clubs. I also used the 5 quite often for long fairway bunker shots as it was almost stupid easy to hit it from sand if the ball wasn't buried.

[super20dan]

the ginty is money from thick bermuda rough here in florida.

[Subsonic]

I think my brother had a similar club in his bag years ago. IIRC was called a Roughneck. Great hybrid like performance. Loved the way that sole plate cut through the junk.