No new acquistions...?

[deejaid]

38 minutes ago, LeftyMac said:

Putter is just a Wilson Sam Snead copy of an 8802 but the wedge is a early 60's Staff Triple Duty that bizarrely someone has ground a deep, wide groove into the leading edge of the sole.

Thats a Wilson Triple Duty.  That groove is part of the design.   I have 3 from about the same era, all with Rocket shafts.  
 

The one in the middle is probably a 1956 or 57 as it has the green Rocket shaft label.  It also has a longer hosel than the other two.   This is my favorite and it is a gamer even when playing modern clubs.  Love this wedge for anything 80 yards and in.

 

The other two have a red Rocket shaft band and a shorter hosel so I am guessing 1958-60.  I don’t think the are the same year though, look at the different sizes and shape of the groove.

 

 

[deejaid]

Ok, let’s keep the Spalding love going.

 

So I spotted these Top-Flite Custom Made irons.  According to the Golfworks identification guide, this head design was available from the custom shop during the late 1980’s.  Ok, cool set in great condition.   But the story gets a bit more interesting.

 

The seller claims this set of irons was built custom for Greg Norman to test.   They are fitted with Dynamic Gold T500 shafts.  Supposedly the shafts were too weak for Norman so he gave the clubs to a friend who displayed them and never hit them.   His friend then sold them to the seller I bought them from.

 

Now, I don’t know if this story is true or not, but the clubs without the story were worth the price I paid in the condition they are in.  The story just adds a bit to the fun of this set, if true.

 

The most interesting detail of the set is the T500 shafts.  On my deflection board they flex out to a weak stiff, less than my Tour Editions with S300’s that flex at an extra stiff.  Also, the first step on the T500 shaft is  9 3/4” from the hosel, while the S300 is just a hair over 7”.   I don’t know why Greg Norman would be testing a weaker flex shaft.

 

It’s a mystery but a fun story.  Whether or not it’s true is up for debate but either way, a cool set of clubs.

 

 

Edited February 3, 2021 by deejaid

[@_the_crook]

1 hour ago, LeftyMac said:

Mint set of K28's with a Wilson Imperial Indestructo bag.  No for me but as a gift to a friend for a favour he did.  Bag needs a little love but will come up well.

 

Oh boy, that bag can become a super display piece.

Nice acquisition to pass along.

+1

 

[Swingingk]

31 minutes ago, deejaid said:

Ok, let’s keep the Spalding love going.

 

So I spotted these Top-Flite Custom Made irons.  According to the Golfworks identification guide, this head design was available from the custom shop during the late 1980’s.  Ok, cool set in great condition.   But the story gets a bit more interesting.

 

The seller claims this set of irons was built custom for Greg Norman to test.   They are fitted with Dynamic Gold T500 shafts.  Supposedly the shafts were too weak for Norman so he gave the clubs to a friend who displayed them and never hit them.   His friend then sold them to the seller I bought them from.

 

Now, I don’t know if this story is true or not, but the clubs without the story were worth the price I paid in the condition they are in.  The story just adds a bit to the fun of this set, if true.

 

The most interesting detail of the set is the T500 shafts.  On my deflection board they flex out to a weak stiff, less than my Tour Editions with S300’s that flex at an extra stiff.  Also, the first step on the T500 shaft is  9 3/4” from the hosel, while the S300 is just a hair over 7”.   I don’t know why Greg Norman would be testing a weaker flex shaft.

 

It’s a mystery but a fun story.  Whether or not it’s true is up for debate but either way, a cool set of clubs.

 

 

Oh man those are so nice!  Everything is so smooth and rounded off.  You know, a slightly softer than S300 shaft would be a perfect fit for me.  Just sayin'...  😆

[deejaid]

20 minutes ago, Swingingk said:

Oh man those are so nice!  Everything is so smooth and rounded off.  You know, a slightly softer than S300 shaft would be a perfect fit for me.  Just sayin'...  😆

 

You’ll be the first one I contact if I can’t summon my inner Shark. 😁

[NRJyzr]

9 hours ago, deejaid said:

Ok, let’s keep the Spalding love going.

 

So I spotted these Top-Flite Custom Made irons.  According to the Golfworks identification guide, this head design was available from the custom shop during the late 1980’s.  Ok, cool set in great condition.   But the story gets a bit more interesting.

 

The seller claims this set of irons was built custom for Greg Norman to test.   They are fitted with Dynamic Gold T500 shafts.  Supposedly the shafts were too weak for Norman so he gave the clubs to a friend who displayed them and never hit them.   His friend then sold them to the seller I bought them from.

 

Now, I don’t know if this story is true or not, but the clubs without the story were worth the price I paid in the condition they are in.  The story just adds a bit to the fun of this set, if true.

 

The most interesting detail of the set is the T500 shafts.  On my deflection board they flex out to a weak stiff, less than my Tour Editions with S300’s that flex at an extra stiff.  Also, the first step on the T500 shaft is  9 3/4” from the hosel, while the S300 is just a hair over 7”.   I don’t know why Greg Norman would be testing a weaker flex shaft.

 

It’s a mystery but a fun story.  Whether or not it’s true is up for debate but either way, a cool set of clubs.

 

 

 

Nice score.

 

For a while, DG used T to identify regular flex (apologies if stating the obvious).  T500 is likely R500.

 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

27 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

 

Nice score.

 

For a while, DG used T to identify regular flex (apologies if stating the obvious).  T500 is likely R500.

 

 

Do you have any idea when that was? I don't recall seeing "T" flex DG before, except of course the in DG TXXX7 shafts I have custom made for my 150mph WRX swing.

That's with the putter, of course.

 

Actually, that might explain a lot with my dreadful putting...anyway, I digress.

 

I see R400 shafts quite often here in older sets. In fact, I just bought some Taylormade Tour Preferred TDs from the late Eighties with R300s, and I've been checking out a bunch a persimmons and Mac iron sets that have the R400.

The thing I can't understand is the benefits of this shaft. It's basically heavy but soft (or skinny), which is a funny combination to my mind.

So, assuming the T500 is an R500, there's no way I could Greg Norman finding it a good fit for him.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I see a lot of soft-but-heavy iron shafts in older sets here, but I have trouble believing they would be a good fit for a wide range of golfers. I can only see them as a pretty specialist sort of shaft that are right for a small minority of players.

[raggal62]

Dynamic (before DG) had T flex shafts way back when. If memory serves they were considered a flex in between R and S. Found these in my shaft label inventory.

[Stephen8802]

I turned 55 on Sunday and took my new senior discount out for a ride yesterday. While work is still slow, I'm going to take advantage of it. I found this set of Mike Souchak 1/2/3 and picked them up for a whopping $4.83.  Surprisingly, I really like the white inserts. The 4 wood wasn't there, but these fit very nicely with the orphan Jimmy Demaret 4 wood that I found last year...so now they are a set. 

 

I have many of the great clubs and love them, but my affection for the next tier clubs, like these and the Nelsons of the 50s, continues to grow. I'm not sure about the shafts, but I'll put them on the deflection board and see where they fall. I'm tempted to keep them in no matter what, but I'll figure that out later. 

 

[@_the_crook]

23 hours ago, deejaid said:

The most interesting detail of the set is the T500 shafts

 

as a WRX'er would say, those are Tour Regulars.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

1966 is possibly my favorite year for the Dynapowers.  The Turfriders are up there in my mind too.  They both feel and play very differently.  Things started changing in 1966 with the blade designs at Wilson.

 

So to bring things back to team Wilson.  
 

These were on my doorstep yesterday when I got home.  I have a set with the original rubber grips so it’s nice to see one with the original leather grip.

 

They don’t need to be cleaned in the slightest way and are ready for the ice to thaw.

Edited February 5, 2021 by coldwareragolfer

[elwhippy]

Those 1966 Staffs are gorgeous. 

[Stephen8802]

I love the '66 design. I had a set that was near mint but the shorter version with leather grips. Rather than touch the perfect leather grips to extend the shafts, I sold them and used the money to buy other clubs. I have great '67s in the long version, so I should be covered, but there is just something about the '66 that has me still on the lookout for another set. Glad to hear that they will be played again. 

[cold_war_era_golfer]

12 minutes ago, Stephen8802 said:

I love the '66 design. I had a set that was near mint but the shorter version with leather grips. Rather than touch the perfect leather grips to extend the shafts, I sold them and used the money to buy other clubs. I have great '67s in the long version, so I should be covered, but there is just something about the '66 that has me still on the lookout for another set. Glad to hear that they will be played again. 

Every staff model I have is the same length.  The short irons are shorter on the earlier models but 2-5 are always the same.   Either they are all short or all longer lol. 

 

[deejaid]

57 minutes ago, coldwareragolfer said:

1966 is possibly my favorite year for the Dynapowers.  The Turfriders are up there in my mind too.  They both feel and play very differently.  Things started changing in 1966 with the blade designs at Wilson.

 

So to bring things back to team Wilson.  
 

These were on my doorstep yesterday when I got home.  I have a set with the original rubber grips so it’s nice to see one with the original leather grip.

 

They don’t need to be cleaned in the slightest way and are ready for the ice to thaw.

 

Wow!  Incredible grips on those.  Beautiful set of clubs all around.  Nice find.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

On 2/5/2021 at 8:43 AM, deejaid said:

 

Wow!  Incredible grips on those.  Beautiful set of clubs all around.  Nice find.

Thanks!  I’m really stoked.  I had an amazing round at the local par 3 with a set in similar shape but with the rubber grips.  I think I hit every green from the tee that day and in a lousy a golfer so this was a big deal.  
 

My partner who always beats me said something like “the ball even sound different “good” coming off the 66s.”

 

 

[cold_war_era_golfer]

On 1/18/2021 at 6:27 PM, Joe S said:

This is what I’m looking at. Doesn’t look like the nickel layer that you see when most chrome played Irons start to wear thin. 
 

 

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

 

ive noticed this on most of the old Spaldings I’ve come across.  I don’t see it as much on my vintage Wilsons.

[Swingingk]

16 minutes ago, coldwareragolfer said:

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

 

ive noticed this on most of the old Spaldings I’ve come across.  I don’t see it as much on my vintage Wilsons.

I may be wrong on this but I think Spalding in that era used a copper layer under a pretty thin chrome whereas the Wilson's have a layer of nickel and pretty thick chrome.  Chrome plating will take on the exact finish of the substrate so they put on a layer of something easy to polish before the chrome.  Copper buffs up nicer but nickel holds up better.  Thats what the chrome shop guy told me anyway.  

Edited February 7, 2021 by Swingingk

[Joe S]

8 hours ago, coldwareragolfer said:

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

 

ive noticed this on most of the old Spaldings I’ve come across.  I don’t see it as much on my vintage Wilsons.

 

I don't know if it's good or bad.   I thought it was interesting because of all the marketing hype that Mizuno has given the MP20 for it's copper layer.  Spalding was doing it regularly 60 years ago.  

[NRJyzr]

29 minutes ago, Joe S said:

 

I don't know if it's good or bad.   I thought it was interesting because of all the marketing hype that Mizuno has given the MP20 for it's copper layer.  Spalding was doing it regularly 60 years ago.  

 

The copper layer hype was just that, hype.  It started in the days of the TN-87.  Mizuno engineers said it was not true (Richard/Forged4ever posted about his conversation with them), but what are they supposed to do when a myth like that arises?  LOL

 

[cold_war_era_golfer]

Fire up the Spalding train!
 

I was taking some pics for my Instagram account and thought I’d share here.  I got these about a week ago 1963-64 Synchro Dyned Top Flites.  2-9 for 40 bucks.  They have been regripped which according to some entirely destroys the original Synchro Dyned feel.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by coldwareragolfer

[Foozle]

I'll jump on that train. Any info on these welcome.

[deejaid]

41 minutes ago, Foozle said:

I'll jump on that train. Any info on these welcome.

Wow!  I’ve never seen those before Foozle.  Really like the look of them.  Are they stainless?

[Jiggered]

1 hour ago, Foozle said:

I'll jump on that train. Any info on these welcome.

 

Nice looking set! 

I'd take a guess that they were produced at the St Andrews factory, probably in the 1950s.

[Foozle]

1 hour ago, deejaid said:

Wow!  I’ve never seen those before Foozle.  Really like the look of them.  Are they stainless?

Deejaid, I am assuming they are stainless. Here are some more pictures. 

Any thoughts or info welcomed?

[Foozle]

3 minutes ago, Jiggered said:

 

Nice looking set! 

I'd take a guess that they were produced at the St Andrews factory, probably in the 1950s.

Thanks Jiggered, I had them marked as 1955 but not sure where I got that from? 

[deejaid]

1 hour ago, Foozle said:

Deejaid, I am assuming they are stainless. Here are some more pictures. 

Any thoughts or info welcomed?

I’d guess 1958-62 or so based on the Pro Fit shafts.

[deejaid]

I also like how they stamped “wedge” diagonally across the toe are of the sole.

Edited February 11, 2021 by deejaid

[Stephen8802]

deleted

Edited February 12, 2021 by Stephen8802

[Brewski_golfs]

A timely find today with all the Spalding talk in the classic forums lately.  Took a day off work for the extra long weekend and was out shopping with the wife.  Decided to make a quick stop in a thrift store we had passed by many times but had never bothered to stop and bingo - they had a huge bin of clubs. Almost everything was low end and single clubs except for these beauties.  Pics are exactly as I found them but I think they are in fairly good condition under that layer of dirt.  Will get them cleaned up and start trying to save the grips this weekend.  Unfortunately it was only 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, but for $12 I just couldn't pass, so I will be on the prowl on ebay soon for a 4 and maybe a 2. 

 

Any idea on years, or what the black/red shaft bands represent?  They look 30's to me but I don't have any references on the older Spaldings.