Thrift Shop Find: 1980-1984 Spalding Top Flite Blades

[DaveGoodrich]

Found a 3 - P set of Top Flite blades at a local thrift store a couple of weeks ago. Couldn't pass them up at $1.50 each. According to the Ironfinders web site, these are from 1980 - 1984.

 

As you can see from the pics, they look pretty rough, but they are nicer than they look. I have only cleaned up a couple, but the rust on the faces is merely superficial, and came right off with a little scrubbing with Naval Jelly. Very little wear on the grooves, and only slight bag chatter. The 6-iron appears to have been used as a fireplace poker, but other than the missing ferrule, it also cleaned up nicely.

 

Shafts are Spalding Dynamic "Medium" by True Temper. Based on the step pattern, they seem to be essentially R300's. One of the mid irons has an incorrect shaft (massively soft-stepped and butt-trimmed to length). Grips are swing-rites, and most are in decent shape. Unfortunately, a few of the clubs have something loose inside the shaft, so either the grip or head will need to come off to deal with that.

 

Anybody have any experience with these? From the looks of them, I would say that they were designed to be as hard to hit as possible. Sharp leading edges and apparently negative bounce. Long hosels and significant toe relief toe suggest that the sweet spot must be right at the heel. Like you would expect, they feel sweet when struck in the middle, and like crap when not.

 

Since it was a full set, I couldn't resist "rescuing" them, but I can't say I will ever put them in play. Just another set of old blades (I'm up to 4 now) that called out to me as I passed by trying to ignore them.

 

Edit: changed title to include years (for future searchers)

[scomac2002]

I would doubt that these Top Flights are any harder to hit than any other blade of the same vintage. It's not like you game shovels in your regular bag. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if you found these to be rather pleasing to play once the restoration is complete. I will say this much; that is the first golf club I've seen used as a fire poker!

[DaveGoodrich]

I would doubt that these Top Flights are any harder to hit than any other blade of the same vintage. It's not like you game shovels in your regular bag. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if you found these to be rather pleasing to play once the restoration is complete. I will say this much; that is the first golf club I've seen used as a fire poker!

 

I was being a bit sarcastic. I am firmly in the "iron forgiveness is over rated" camp, but even when compared with old Wilson Staff blades, etc., these seem especially unforgiving. Especially the complete lack of bounce and camber on the soles. I'm sure I will eventually take them out for a spin.

[rgk5]

Late 1970s models which were quite nice.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I think the more important question here is, "which iron would make the best fireplace poker?"

 

I think 6i is a rather curious choice. A PW would be more useful to hook around logs and individual lumps of coal.

[birly-shirly]

I'd be a wee bit surprised if these were designed with negative bounce, with the possible exception of the long irons. Might be worth checking the lofts then - plenty of sets that age have been either banged out of spec or bent to try and match more modern specs. The soles don't actually look too fierce compared to something like 1980 Tour Blades, provided you can get them to sit flat rather than scooped.

[BIG STU]

You may try soaking them in white vinegar and hitting them some with 000 Steel Wood. Now that 6 iron is a mess someone should have their arse kicked over that

[DaveGoodrich]

I'd be a wee bit surprised if these were designed with negative bounce, with the possible exception of the long irons. Might be worth checking the lofts then - plenty of sets that age have been either banged out of spec or bent to try and match more modern specs. The soles don't actually look too fierce compared to something like 1980 Tour Blades, provided you can get them to sit flat rather than scooped.

 

Interesting idea, but I would think that if they were bent strong, they would have some visible offset, which they don't. They may not be truly negative bounce, but close. If I wanted to check lofts, anybody have factory specs? Assume a 48 deg pw?

[DaveGoodrich]

You may try soaking them in white vinegar and hitting them some with 000 Steel Wood. Now that 6 iron is a mess someone should have their arse kicked over that

 

I spent 20 minutes with dilute naval jelly and a fine brass bristle brush and they cleaned up really nice. I'll post "after" pics tonight. I'll try to find matching ferrules so I can fix the 6, and in case I can't save the ferrule when I replace the incorrect shaft in the other club.

[DaveGoodrich]

I think the more important question here is, "which iron would make the best fireplace poker?"

 

I think 6i is a rather curious choice. A PW would be more useful to hook around logs and individual lumps of coal.

 

If I had to choose, I would use the 3-iron. It's the one I'm least likely to do anything else useful with. Also, it's longer (safety first).

[birly-shirly]

I'd be a wee bit surprised if these were designed with negative bounce, with the possible exception of the long irons. Might be worth checking the lofts then - plenty of sets that age have been either banged out of spec or bent to try and match more modern specs. The soles don't actually look too fierce compared to something like 1980 Tour Blades, provided you can get them to sit flat rather than scooped.

 

Interesting idea, but I would think that if they were bent strong, they would have some visible offset, which they don't. They may not be truly negative bounce, but close. If I wanted to check lofts, anybody have factory specs? Assume a 48 deg pw?

 

Ralph Maltby lists these lofts for '82 Top Flites.

 

3i @ 22*, then 4* gaps to a 38* 7i, then 41, 46, 49.

[John L.]

Nice find. They look like the early to mid 80's models I had couple friends who played them, and I worked on quite a lot of these.

 

Be careful if you bend them. The hosel boring on those models were a little inconsistent (off center) resulting in some thin walls on some of the clubs.

[rgk5]

Yes, I was wrong the date. They are early 1980s.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I think the more important question here is, "which iron would make the best fireplace poker?"

 

I think 6i is a rather curious choice. A PW would be more useful to hook around logs and individual lumps of coal.

 

If I had to choose, I would use the 3-iron. It's the one I'm least likely to do anything else useful with. Also, it's longer (safety first).

 

Fair point!

[fluffy265]

I've played around with these a little, they are a nice blade with very precise feedback. They are flat soled with no bounce. Spalding kept evolving this style of blade through the decades as this design has been in their stable for quite a long time.

 

 

 

 

 

J

[John L.]

I've played around with these a little, they are a nice blade with very precise feedback. They are flat soled with no bounce. Spalding kept evolving this style of blade through the decades as this design has been in their stable for quite a long time.

 

 

 

 

 

J

 

Club porn! Man!....those are nice!

[DaveGoodrich]

Thanks for the great info folks. I have attached a few pics after I cleaned them up a bit. The are actually in really good condition except for the melted ferrule on the 6, and the wrong shaft in the 7 iron (looks like a 4 iron shaft in the 7). One of the pics shows the (lack of) bounce on the 5-iron. I had to attach a "compare and contrast" pic with the other irons I have "rescued." All are complete sets (X31's are 2-SW).

[DaveGoodrich]

I'd be a wee bit surprised if these were designed with negative bounce, with the possible exception of the long irons. Might be worth checking the lofts then - plenty of sets that age have been either banged out of spec or bent to try and match more modern specs. The soles don't actually look too fierce compared to something like 1980 Tour Blades, provided you can get them to sit flat rather than scooped.

 

Interesting idea, but I would think that if they were bent strong, they would have some visible offset, which they don't. They may not be truly negative bounce, but close. If I wanted to check lofts, anybody have factory specs? Assume a 48 deg pw?

 

Ralph Maltby lists these lofts for '82 Top Flites.

 

3i @ 22*, then 4* gaps to a 38* 7i, then 41, 46, 49.

 

Thanks. Those seem kind of strange loft spacings. But bend the 41 to 42, and the 49 to 50, and you have 4 degree gaps all the way through. I wonder if Maltby had the factory specs, or if those lofts were based on a set he measured.

[DaveGoodrich]

I've played around with these a little, they are a nice blade with very precise feedback. They are flat soled with no bounce. Spalding kept evolving this style of blade through the decades as this design has been in their stable for quite a long time. J

 

Nice! What year is the "other" iron you pictured from. It looks essentially identical, except for the markings. I assume that the sombrero on the back of that club and the "L.T. Grind" means these were some kind of Lee Trevino special edition?

[Wriggles]

Nice blades. I'd rather play vintage "hard to hit" blades than anything else. As far as I'm concerned, blades are no harder to hit than shovels. Also, much more rewarding feedback. You know when you hit a good shot.

 

Anybody can buy the latest and greatest, if they have the cash. But, the joy of golf is playing a nice set of clubs, that almost no one would want, at $1.50 a club. Cleaning clubs up is as much fun as playing them, at least for me. And beating someone who has spent thousands in his bag is the ultimate thrill. I do advise, to be as sincerely humble as possible, don't gloat.

 

Enjoy!

[Shallowface]

From the 1980 catalog:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Re: Negative bounce. I played the 78-79 model Top Flite Irons from 1979 though 1982, and then sold them. Regretted it for years as I played some of my very best golf with them.

 

I've had a chance to acquire another set of them various times in recent years, but always passed. When I had a chance to examine a set, I found those irons indeed had negative bounce as did the 76-77 Top Flite Legacy irons (I have a set of those on one of my racks, but they are strictly part of my collection).

 

I didn't notice the negative bounce in the late 70s. The courses I played back then only had irrigation on the tees and greens, and during the summer months the only moisture the fairways received was from spilled beer.

 

But why anyone would design negative bounce into a club is beyond me. Sometimes I think there was very little in the way of "design" involved back then.

[Shallowface]

Nice blades. I'd rather play vintage "hard to hit" blades than anything else. As far as I'm concerned, blades are no harder to hit than shovels. Also, much more rewarding feedback. You know when you hit a good shot.

 

Anybody can buy the latest and greatest, if they have the cash. But, the joy of golf is playing a nice set of clubs, that almost no one would want, at $1.50 a club. Cleaning clubs up is as much fun as playing them, at least for me. And beating someone who has spent thousands in his bag is the ultimate thrill. I do advise, to be as sincerely humble as possible, don't gloat.

 

Enjoy!

 

I also enjoy cleaning old clubs. Removing dirt from clubheads that may have been there 40 or 50 years. Using fine steel wool to remove surface rust from shafts. I'll even take a shot a refreshing the grips if they look like they are playable. There are some grips out there that freshen up quite nicely even though they are old.

 

Even though they are inanimate objects, something in me still believes they appreciate a nice hot bath.

[DaveGoodrich]

From the 1980 catalog:

 

Thanks so much for the catalog pages. Great info. Love this site. Looks like birly-shirly had the right specs.

[birly-shirly]

From the 1980 catalog:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Re: Negative bounce. I played the 78-79 model Top Flite Irons from 1979 though 1982, and then sold them. Regretted it for years as I played some of my very best golf with them.

 

I've had a chance to acquire another set of them various times in recent years, but always passed. When I had a chance to examine a set, I found those irons indeed had negative bounce as did the 76-77 Top Flite Legacy irons (I have a set of those on one of my racks, but they are strictly part of my collection).

 

I didn't notice the negative bounce in the late 70s. The courses I played back then only had irrigation on the tees and greens, and during the summer months the only moisture the fairways received was from spilled beer.

 

But why anyone would design negative bounce into a club is beyond me. Sometimes I think there was very little in the way of "design" involved back then.

 

Not saying that negative bounce is a great idea, but it would encourage the irons to sit somewhat open, which the advert you posted refers to as a selling point.

[Shallowface]

Ralph Maltby, who worked for Spalding prior to starting his own company, mentions in one of his books the special 4-way cambered sole Spalding provided for its tour staff's irons, which would certainly be a lot different than what they sold at retail.

 

That said, the Leonard Thompson Spalding irons pictured in another thread appeared to have a very flat sole.

 

In the end, it's all about personal preference and playing style.

[DaveGoodrich]

You guys are great/horrible. At the thrift store, I could tell they were nice clubs, but I had only planned to save them from the dumpster in the short run, and put them away for "later." I wasn't even going to mention them on WRX, but I needed to know what they were, etc. So now, after all this talk, I am now obsessed with putting these back in good playing shape, even though I have no need for them. So these $17 clubs will end up costing me $90, with new grips and a new shaft. Anybody have a R300 7-iron shaft lying around?

[oldschoolrocker]

Dave, that's the true beauty of the rescue. The fact that the clubs can be spit shined and polished. Given a makeover as it were and then sent out in the world to perform the task they were made for, striking a golf ball. Onward and upward with this loosely woven web Lazarus Project that we find ourselves entwined within.

[Fellaheen51]

You guys are great/horrible. At the thrift store, I could tell they were nice clubs, but I had only planned to save them from the dumpster in the short run, and put them away for "later." I wasn't even going to mention them on WRX, but I needed to know what they were, etc. So now, after all this talk, I am now obsessed with putting these back in good playing shape, even though I have no need for them.

 

You've become afflicted with the scrounging virus. Happens a lot around here. We all have clubs in inventory "that I have no need for." They appear, we rescue. Only solution is to not go to thrifts, garage sales, estate sales, peruse craigslist, etc.

.

.

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Or have fun with it. Taking clubs that have seen their better days and restoring them back to respectability. Shouldn't be to difficult to scrounge a donor club with a R300 shaft for the project. Maybe even find an old set that you like playing well enough to beat your buds with.

[DaveGoodrich]

Dave, that's the true beauty of the rescue. The fact that the clubs can be spit shined and polished. Given a makeover as it were and then sent out in the world to perform the task they were made for, striking a golf ball. Onward and upward with this loosely woven web Lazarus Project that we find ourselves entwined within.

 

You've become afflicted with the scrounging virus. Happens a lot around here. We all have clubs in inventory "that I have no need for." They appear, we rescue. Only solution is to not go to thrifts, garage sales, estate sales, peruse craigslist, etc. . . . Or have fun with it. Taking clubs that have seen their better days and restoring them back to respectability. Shouldn't be to difficult to scrounge a donor club with a R300 shaft for the project. Maybe even find an old set that you like playing well enough to beat your buds with.

 

No doubt I have fun with it. There is no way I will stop looking, because I do enjoy "the hunt" and the actual process of bringing them back to life. I never buy new clubs, even for my "modern" set, so I really don't spend that much on these projects. But right now I have two sets that need grips, including these. Funny that the grips cost more than the clubs.

[BIG STU]

Yep they cleaned up nice.