Left Handed Clubs - No Options

Z1ggy16 · October 20, 2017

It use to be impossible to find clubs - you just ordered a set, forget about hitting them first. It's so much better now. However, being a better player with tastes for more of the unique equipment, it sucks. Wedges and putters mostly as was said before. Players irons are totally hit or miss as to whether they are available in lefty. I want a set of fourteen wedges with that blue flamed finish.. why can't I just have them? GIVE THEM TO ME! If you find a wedge you like you are stuck typically with stock grinds and whatever finish they decide you should have.

Flipping the pattern of a cast club can't be a prohibitive cost - and even if that is the argument, it doesn't change that I am only offered one finish type in any of the major brands. I would even settle for having them be available special order so they don't have a bunch of "specialty equipment" stocked around the retail outlets.

I'm guessing that it actually does cost "that much". These are businesses... they exist to make a profit. If it was profitable to make everything in LH, they'd do it.

In my job, we deal with manufacturing of metal parts that are cast from various metals like aluminum, various steels, etc. The initial cost for a pattern, plus the tooling required for something that's a shape of a cylinder around 1 foot long and 6 inch OD is over $40k. Each item from just raw materials and labor costs around $5k, too. It also has a limited shelf life, so after so many uses, you need to scrap it and make another pattern.

It's amplified even more when a company is very small and/or doesn't have tons of cash. Everything has quantity buys; if company A is tiny and only produces 5,000 sets of a club per year vs company B who produces 50,000 sets per year, it's going to be much more expensive per unit to make. That's why Taylormade, Callaway and the other high volume outfits will produce most of their clubs in LH while little companies like Fourteen Golf, etc won't.

Zurb · October 20, 2017

It use to be impossible to find clubs - you just ordered a set, forget about hitting them first. It's so much better now. However, being a better player with tastes for more of the unique equipment, it sucks. Wedges and putters mostly as was said before. Players irons are totally hit or miss as to whether they are available in lefty. I want a set of fourteen wedges with that blue flamed finish.. why can't I just have them? GIVE THEM TO ME! If you find a wedge you like you are stuck typically with stock grinds and whatever finish they decide you should have.

Flipping the pattern of a cast club can't be a prohibitive cost - and even if that is the argument, it doesn't change that I am only offered one finish type in any of the major brands. I would even settle for having them be available special order so they don't have a bunch of "specialty equipment" stocked around the retail outlets.
I'm guessing that it actually does cost "that much". These are businesses... they exist to make a profit. If it was profitable to make everything in LH, they'd do it.

In my job, we deal with manufacturing of metal parts that are cast from various metals like aluminum, various steels, etc. The initial cost for a pattern, plus the tooling required for something that's a shape of a cylinder around 1 foot long and 6 inch OD is over $40k. Each item from just raw materials and labor costs around $5k, too. It also has a limited shelf life, so after so many uses, you need to scrap it and make another pattern.

It's amplified even more when a company is very small and/or doesn't have tons of cash. Everything has quantity buys; if company A is tiny and only produces 5,000 sets of a club per year vs company B who produces 50,000 sets per year, it's going to be much more expensive per unit to make. That's why Taylormade, Callaway and the other high volume outfits will produce most of their clubs in LH while little companies like Fourteen Golf, etc won't.

Welp, I'm convinced.. I appreciate you telling me that "These are businesses... they exist to make a profit." I never realized that! That's egg on my face!

aussieb · October 20, 2017

This issue of lefties being only 10% of the population is bogus. There's no standardised empirical test and some countries that don't encourage RH over LH have uptake of 30+% (i.e. Canada, Australia, Netherlands) You'll start seeing more LH people the less it is discouraged due to social stigmas as seen in some Asian and Latin countries. Companies need to look after both dexterity with junior and demo clubs especially. Two of my girls are LH and the other two are RH. Finding LH clubs for them was a real pain. Personally, I now only support companies that cater to both dexterity. Ping, Callaway and Titleist have been the best, and in that order.

Chitostyle · October 20, 2017

I really wanted to make a Mizuno MP-18 combo set but alas, Mizuno only offers the SC in lefty. May end up going Titleist next year instead.

gs1184 · October 20, 2017

In some countries your left hand is what you wipe your a** with. As a result being left handed is considered an obscenity.

cane700 · October 20, 2017

I run into lefties a lot more than 10% of the time.

Mtngolfer1 · October 20, 2017

In some countries your left hand is what you wipe your a** with. As a result being left handed is considered an obscenity.

Yeah, that comment was necessary, it contributed so much to the subject, you should be proud.

Z1ggy16 · October 20, 2017

It use to be impossible to find clubs - you just ordered a set, forget about hitting them first. It's so much better now. However, being a better player with tastes for more of the unique equipment, it sucks. Wedges and putters mostly as was said before. Players irons are totally hit or miss as to whether they are available in lefty. I want a set of fourteen wedges with that blue flamed finish.. why can't I just have them? GIVE THEM TO ME! If you find a wedge you like you are stuck typically with stock grinds and whatever finish they decide you should have.

Flipping the pattern of a cast club can't be a prohibitive cost - and even if that is the argument, it doesn't change that I am only offered one finish type in any of the major brands. I would even settle for having them be available special order so they don't have a bunch of "specialty equipment" stocked around the retail outlets.
I'm guessing that it actually does cost "that much". These are businesses... they exist to make a profit. If it was profitable to make everything in LH, they'd do it.

In my job, we deal with manufacturing of metal parts that are cast from various metals like aluminum, various steels, etc. The initial cost for a pattern, plus the tooling required for something that's a shape of a cylinder around 1 foot long and 6 inch OD is over $40k. Each item from just raw materials and labor costs around $5k, too. It also has a limited shelf life, so after so many uses, you need to scrap it and make another pattern.

It's amplified even more when a company is very small and/or doesn't have tons of cash. Everything has quantity buys; if company A is tiny and only produces 5,000 sets of a club per year vs company B who produces 50,000 sets per year, it's going to be much more expensive per unit to make. That's why Taylormade, Callaway and the other high volume outfits will produce most of their clubs in LH while little companies like Fourteen Golf, etc won't.

Welp, I'm convinced.. I appreciate you telling me that "These are businesses... they exist to make a profit." I never realized that! That's egg on my face!

You're being ignorant if you think Fourteen golf and all these smaller start ups are going to cater to <10% of the market when cost of entry for the tools and material isn't cheap. Maybe they will eventually, but not right away. And when they do, it's usually only for the most wide range of products.

If you want it bad enough, give the company a call and invest some money in their business or something. I don't get the gripe, it's economics.

cane700 · October 20, 2017

In some countries your left hand is what you wipe your a** with. As a result being left handed is considered an obscenity.
Yeah, that comment was necessary, it contributed so much to the subject, you should be proud.

That is actually a true statement. In some countries that is exactly the case.

Mtngolfer1 · October 20, 2017

LOL..I know that is the case, I am a lefty I have heard it a million times. I just don't see the relevancy here when we are talking about Left Handed Golf Clubs. It does not add anything of value to the conversation, just my opinion, but if others see the tie in with what hand you wipe you a** and golf clubs have at it...LOL

gs1184 · October 21, 2017

If you look a couple of posts up it talks about how in some countries there is an anti LH stigma. My post is very much relevant to that. I know some people who trained their kids to be right handed for everything instead of following their natural dexterity. There is an inherant bias against LH in some people.

eazyian · October 21, 2017

The lack of demos has turned me into a BST ho!

leftie · October 21, 2017

Like has been mentioned, demo's are the hardest to find.

As said this is by far the biggest issue and also with fitting carts. My local is just ok , but hardly anything in left hand putters. Frustrating as hell for this impulse buyer, but probably saves me buying ton's of equipment.

If I was right handed I'd go broke