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Do what Works or Keep it Original?


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When it comes to classic gear, which side are you on?

 

For me, it's all about function and I'll do anything to a club I think might help. Lead tape, new grips and shafts, you name it. I don't spend too much time getting them pretty.

 

This year I've put Jumbo Max grips on some vintage clubs. Feels almost blasphemous, but I have to do it if I think it will help...

 

On the other hand, some folks want original shafts and grips and maybe a nice restoration. There's a place for both, but I've never been in this camp.

Driver, 3W, 4W - Macgregor Custom Tourney
2-10 - 1954 Spalding Synchro Dyned
SW - Wilson Staff
Putter - Bullseye
Ball - Pro Plus

YT Channel - [url="https://www.youtube.com/PlayVintageGolf"]https://www.youtube....PlayVintageGolf[/url]

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I'm with you. I'm not much for display pieces at this point in my life, so a club does little good if it's not playable. I've reshafted, regripped, lead taped, extended, cut down, etc, to get clubs playable for me.

The Ever Changing Bag!  A lot of mixing and matching
Driver: TM 300 Mini 11.5*, 43.5", Phenom NL 60X -or- Cobra SpeedZone, ProtoPype 80S, 43.5"

Fwy woods: King LTD 3/4, Rogue Black 75X -or- TM Stage 2 Tour 3w, NV105 X -or- TEE E8 Beta 12*, Rogue Silver 70X
Hybrid:  Cobra King Tec 2h, MMT 80 S -or- TEE CBX 17*, HZRDUS 85 6.0

2 iron:  Arias D-23, Modus3 120 S; Mizuno MP-20 HMB, NS Pro 950 R

Irons grab bag:  1-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 1-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R; 2-PW Golden Ram Vibration Matched, NS Pro 950WF S; testing: Arias D-23 5i w/Modus 120 S
Wedges:  Dynacraft Dual Millled 52*, SteelFiber i125 S -or- Scratch 8620 DD 53*, SteelFiber i125 S; Cobra Snakebite 56* -or- Wilson Staff PMP 58*, Dynamic S -or- Ram TW282 SW -or- Ram TW276 SW
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34" -or- Cleveland Huntington Beach #1, 34.5" -or- Golden Ram TW Custom, 34" -or- Rife Bimini, 34" -or- Maxfli TM-2, 35"
Balls: Chrome Soft, Kirkland Signature 3pc (v3), Wilson Triad

Grip preference: various GripMaster leather options or Star Grip Sidewinders of assorted colors

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Depends on the purpose of the club, but for me everything must be hypothetically playable at the end of the day. Mint Hogan Personal irons with original shafts and grips wouldn’t see much play, but I would still feel weird about them if they had an L flex shaft in them. Same with the wilson PW I mutilated the ferrule on; it needs a new ferrule and if that means cutting off and boring out the shaft, regrettably so be it.

 

That said, I have a really hard time replacing grips on old clubs because they look so cool...

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It seems like very few classic clubs are rare or valuable enough to be concerned with maintaining originality. Do what you need to do to make them playable, "tools, not jewels" as it were.

Callaway RazrFit 10.5*  Matrix Radix HD 6S

Ping G5 13.5* 2d Driver   Aerotech Power Coil 50S

Innovex RLS 17* 4W    Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 Tipped R

Orlimar Black Ti 22* 4H   Litespeed R

Adams A7 5-GW   UST Proforce 85R

Golfsmith/Spalding Cash-In 55/12 SW    Cleveland Action Lite S     

Cleveland TA 900 gunmetal 60*  Nicklaus Driveshaft R+

Slotline Raider Copper Cobalt 35"

or Ray Cook M1-A Austin  35"

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I'm with you. I'm not much for display pieces at this point in my life, so a club does little good if it's not playable. I've reshafted, regripped, lead taped, extended, cut down, etc, to get clubs playable for me.

 

 

Thought I'd add a bit of background to the above...

 

I'm only very slightly above average height, around six feet tall. However, I have shorter than average length arms. These two together have me requiring upright lie angles in my irons. What fits me is a 63* lie in my 5 iron, using my Golden Rams.

 

This is part of why I slowed down on classic club acquisition. It's not too far into the past where everything would be short and very flat for me.

The Ever Changing Bag!  A lot of mixing and matching
Driver: TM 300 Mini 11.5*, 43.5", Phenom NL 60X -or- Cobra SpeedZone, ProtoPype 80S, 43.5"

Fwy woods: King LTD 3/4, Rogue Black 75X -or- TM Stage 2 Tour 3w, NV105 X -or- TEE E8 Beta 12*, Rogue Silver 70X
Hybrid:  Cobra King Tec 2h, MMT 80 S -or- TEE CBX 17*, HZRDUS 85 6.0

2 iron:  Arias D-23, Modus3 120 S; Mizuno MP-20 HMB, NS Pro 950 R

Irons grab bag:  1-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 1-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R; 2-PW Golden Ram Vibration Matched, NS Pro 950WF S; testing: Arias D-23 5i w/Modus 120 S
Wedges:  Dynacraft Dual Millled 52*, SteelFiber i125 S -or- Scratch 8620 DD 53*, SteelFiber i125 S; Cobra Snakebite 56* -or- Wilson Staff PMP 58*, Dynamic S -or- Ram TW282 SW -or- Ram TW276 SW
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34" -or- Cleveland Huntington Beach #1, 34.5" -or- Golden Ram TW Custom, 34" -or- Rife Bimini, 34" -or- Maxfli TM-2, 35"
Balls: Chrome Soft, Kirkland Signature 3pc (v3), Wilson Triad

Grip preference: various GripMaster leather options or Star Grip Sidewinders of assorted colors

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I'm with you. I'm not much for display pieces at this point in my life, so a club does little good if it's not playable. I've reshafted, regripped, lead taped, extended, cut down, etc, to get clubs playable for me.

 

 

Thought I'd add a bit of background to the above...

 

I'm only very slightly above average height, around six feet tall. However, I have shorter than average length arms. These two together have me requiring upright lie angles in my irons. What fits me is a 63* lie in my 5 iron, using my Golden Rams.

 

This is part of why I slowed down on classic club acquisition. It's not too far into the past where everything would be short and very flat for me.

 

I've slowed down because I have to modify the clubs a decent amount as well. I'm the opposite of you though, I play all my stuff 2-3 degrees flat despite being 6'3".

Driver, 3W, 4W - Macgregor Custom Tourney
2-10 - 1954 Spalding Synchro Dyned
SW - Wilson Staff
Putter - Bullseye
Ball - Pro Plus

YT Channel - [url="https://www.youtube.com/PlayVintageGolf"]https://www.youtube....PlayVintageGolf[/url]

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I believe you should do whatever is needed to make a club playable. When building classic clubs I use leather grips when I can afford it, but a black classic looking Golf Pride works well too. Now, I wouldn’t put a lime green Pure grip on a classic persimmon wood :D

 

If it isn’t a historic club used by a famous golfer, like Hogan’s 1-iron, do whatever it takes to get it back on the course.

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I build modify and whatever it takes to get it playable for me--- Out of all the clubs I own there are only two that I will not modify--- One is a blonde Persimmon Penna driver that has never hit a ball period and the other one is a Mac Curtis Strange 56* SW that he gave me himself. But other than that I will regrip reshaft and of course use lead tape to get them playable.

Driver--- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha--- Speeder 565 R flex

5W  --- TM V Steel Fubuki 60r

7W --- TM V Steel UST Pro Force 65 R flex

9W--- TM V Steel Stock V Steel R flex shaft

Irons 5 thru PW TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R F

SW Callaway PM Grind 56* Modified Grind KBS Tour Wedge

LW Vokey SM5 L Grind 58* 04 bounce Stock Vokey Shaft

Putter Macgregor Bobby Grace Mark 4 V-Foil Broomstick

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Do what it takes to make it playable...though I almost always give a club a go in its original state.

I generally look for clubs that have a shaft that is playable for me, but have sometimes reshafted. Often I have to get them extended, such as my recent acquisition of '72 Hogan Apexes. They need new grips, and the shafts are short for me (my modern clubs are half an inch longer than standard).

Old putters usually get a fair amount lead tape slapped on them. Irons too, if necessary.

 

One thing is that it's not difficult in Japan to find old clubs in amazing condition. I think many people hit their irons of mats most of the time as actually playing was so expensive. My two best finds were a set of Mac Muirifields 1i-SW that had most likely NEVER been hit, and a 3i-PW set of Honma PP737s that were mint. I'm not sure if the latter had been refurbished, because the shafts (DG S200) had no sign of rust and the grips had certainly been replaced.

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First and foremost my clubs are for play.

 

I'll always try and keep them as original as possible and at 5'10" tall I find that most old clubs are playable as they are in terms of length and lie, probably a little on the short side compared to how clubs are sold today but nothing to cause any great problems in playing.

 

And with a swing speed that is neither fast nor slow I find I can play pretty much any shaft after a few holes with a club.

 

Having said the above I know that the clubs aren't going to be optimised for me but my enjoyment these days is from playing vintage clubs, not scoring as low as I possibly can.

 

Added to the fact that I change over the whole bag each week means that the most I might play any particular set of irons over a year could be half a dozen rounds, so there's no point in trying to make them perfect for my swing.

 

If grips are reasonable I'll leave them on but if they're shot I've no issue with replacing them.

I've never had the need to replace a shaft yet apart from hickory, when I do the difficulty will be in finding a suitable vintage shaft.

It's not all about the score.

https://www.youtube.com/c/ClassicGolfClubs

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they have to be or made playable.

 

no reason to invest anything into a set that you will not enjoy bringing to the course and having a good game with.

 

there are some projects worth completing, others not.

any clunkers, resell or donate.

your place could end up looking a bit like mine. it's on the edge.

currently playing:
FT-5 - D
Cally FT hybrids
Hogan Edge GS, 4-PW
Vokey Oil Can 52, 56
Ping Anser 2

TM FlexTech Lite/Titleist StaDry
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Generally I modify clubs to my specs (grips, length, lie). I don't mess with loft as it messes up the bounce and makes them less playable.

 

I do have 2 sets of pristine 50s era clubs that I play with that have original grips. But everything else will be modded as needed.

Old stuff:
1962 Tommy Armour AT2W Driver   1953 Macgregor M65W EOM 3 wood   1978 H&B PowerBilt Citation 4 wood
1984 Ben Hogan Apex PC 2-E   1968 Wilson Dual Wedge
1964 Acushnet O-SET M6S Bullseye Putter


New stuff
Cobra ZL 10.5 driver (Matrix HD6 s-flex)  Titleist TSR2 18* fairway wood (Matrix Code-8 s-flex)   Adams A2P 20* hybrid (Rombax 8D07HB s-flex)
Titleist 716 MB irons 4-PW (Apex 4 soft-stepped)    Callaway Mack Daddy wedges 52, 56, 60 (DG S200)
Odyssey ProType 9 putter

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I believe you should do whatever is needed to make a club playable. When building classic clubs I use leather grips when I can afford it, but a black classic looking Golf Pride works well too. Now, I wouldn't put a lime green Pure grip on a classic persimmon wood :D

 

If it isn't a historic club used by a famous golfer, like Hogan's 1-iron, do whatever it takes to get it back on the course.

 

Do you buy leather grips, such as Best Grips, or do you 'build' your own with leather strips and rubber underlistings?

 

I love the Best Grips on my Hogan Precisions but @ $18 per it gets pretty expensive.

And if you play persimmon, you're my friend

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I believe you should do whatever is needed to make a club playable. When building classic clubs I use leather grips when I can afford it, but a black classic looking Golf Pride works well too. Now, I wouldn't put a lime green Pure grip on a classic persimmon wood :D

 

If it isn't a historic club used by a famous golfer, like Hogan's 1-iron, do whatever it takes to get it back on the course.

 

Do you buy leather grips, such as Best Grips, or do you 'build' your own with leather strips and rubber underlistings?

 

I love the Best Grips on my Hogan Precisions but @ $18 per it gets pretty expensive.

 

Yeah, I’ve been using GripMaster grips and just keep an eye out on eBay for deals.

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just had some older sticks worked on so I can enjoy using them.

 

Haig Ultra PW, Wilson JP II SW, Staff III Mendralla LW.

all needed shaft length adjustments of plus or minus an inch.

had a full set of irons cut down to match my preferences and a Staff three iron I found a while back cut to fit in with my FG-17's.

 

the local GG had a promotion for free labor with new grip purchase.

twelve clubs adjusted and new Tour Velvets installed.

grabbed a roll of lead tape, an extra shaft vise clamp and a bottle of solvent for under a Benjamin.

 

Deal!

currently playing:
FT-5 - D
Cally FT hybrids
Hogan Edge GS, 4-PW
Vokey Oil Can 52, 56
Ping Anser 2

TM FlexTech Lite/Titleist StaDry
 

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