Thrift Shop Find: 1980-1984 Spalding Top Flite Blades

[Shallowface]

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?

 

I've found this to be a very good inexpensive grip to use on thrift store treasures.

 

http://www.hirekogolf.com/golf-components/golf-grips/standard-grips/karma-black-wrap-grip.html

 

What I've done in a case like yours is pull all of the shafts and put the three shaft in the four, four in the five, etc., then you've got the six iron shaft for the seven and so on down the line. With a set like this it gives me a club more of the modern standard length (or you can cut the extra half inch off), a little higher swingweight which I like, and the slight change in flex is negligible. Plus I probably wasn't going to use that three iron anyway, and even if I was it seems these days the thrifts are full of loose long irons as people have given them away in favor of hybrids, so a donor shouldn't be too hard to find.

 

But that is one problem with these projects. New taper tip shafts are prohibitively expensive.

[DaveGoodrich]

I've found this to be a very good inexpensive grip to use on thrift store treasures.

 

Are they reasonable facimiles of a Golf Pride Tour Wrap?

[birly-shirly]

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?

 

Bear in mind Dave, as the rest of the set is fitted with Dynamic shafts, you don't need to find specifically an R300 - any R (or T) flex Dynamic or DG shaft is technically "in spec" for the rest of the set.

[Shallowface]

I've found this to be a very good inexpensive grip to use on thrift store treasures.

 

Are they reasonable facimiles of a Golf Pride Tour Wrap?

 

I like the Karma grip better, but I'm not a fan of the current version of the Tour Wrap. I don't like that shiny, sticky finish they have. Every speck of dust in the bottom of the bag goes right for them.

 

The Karma grip has a flat finish, and seems to hold up very well. I've used a lot of them in the last eighteen months and they haven't shown any tendency to go hard or slick during that time.

 

I liked the original Tour Wrap when they first came out with it, particularly the non-perfed variety. What has that been, thirty years ago?

[oldschoolrocker]

Everyone is correct with the "grip" being the most expensive part of the reconditioning process, if no reshafting is necessary. I have been able to find "deals" on Black Widow grips at our local Big Box from time to time, so I buy in bulk to stock up for forthcoming projects.

Only issue is the don't seem to last as long as my normal standard grip of choice, GP Tour Velvet, but as a good low price point solution they work fine for a season or two depending on the amount of use.

[Fellaheen51]

With the required caveat that grip preferences are individualistic.......always have had a preference towards the Lamkin Perma Wraps. Especially the older, all rubber ones. Look right on vintage clubs. Really liked the old Classic version, but they are nonexistent these days. They last for multiple seasons before needing replacement. Can be had pretty cheap these days. The Tour Wraps I've used on occasion are fine when conditions are optimum. But when they get wet or in hot, high humidity conditions, I can't hold onto the club. (I play without a glove 95% of the time). Buddy that I installed a full set of the newer 2G variety, had me remove them after a month. Complaining that he couldn't hold on to the club.

 

Don't know, seems that I have a preference towards the all rubber grips rather than the fancy synthetic materials that is the norm these days. Bought a couple of the Star brand grips to try last year. All rubber, pretty nice, but no better than Perma Wraps IMO. They do have a non-perforated model (Smoothee) if that is your old school preference. At 5.50 per, within the range of affordability.

 

Some of these grip prices have gotten totally outrageous. And don't even get me started on $25 putter grips. When a perfectly good Pingman can be had for $6.00. YMMV.

[DaveGoodrich]

I will try the Karmas (at 1/4 the price). Personally, I like the Tour Wraps, but I don't play in wet conditions often. They do suck in the rain.

[Davewn]

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.

 

Although I've not tried them yet, I've read good things about the Karma grips they sell at Hireko- about $1.19 each for Tour Velvet style grips that even have a ribbed version (old school, my preference) available.

 

http://www.hirekogol...golf-grips.html

 

Crazy how expensive steel shafts have become- I miss the days of $5 Dynamic or TTLItes, lol.

 

oops, beat me to it.

[Shallowface]

The Tour Velvet/Crossline style Karma grips are very good as well if you prefer that style over a wrap.

 

I too am guilty of buying clubs to harvest the shafts. $20 for a Dynamic Gold is highway robbery.

[Fellaheen51]

...............Crazy how expensive steel shafts have become. I miss the days of $5 Dynamic or TT Lites.

 

Absolutely. There in lies the rub when contemplating re-shafts of clubs. We've acquired these irons (sometimes) for pennies on the dollar. Then check the prices of "new" shafts for them, doesn't cost justify. Particularly when said clubs have the likelihood of being in a rotation with others (i.e not the exclusive playing set). Nowadays, assuming some degree of playability with the shafts already installed, learn to accept what's there. Play a lot more S shafts because of it, been a regular user of R's for 25 years. Side benefit to this was that I found out that it wasn't that big a deal (or so I had believed for a long time).

 

Look at the prices of TT DG for example. In 2008, they were $10.49 per (GS catalog). Today, $21.00 (Golfworks). Ostensibly, the same shaft then and now. A 100% increase? I get inflation and all, but.......

 

One area where high value can be found is in graphite shafts for woods. One can often find them at good prices, really good shafts that were considered premium back in their time. I picked up two Grafalloy ProLaunch Platinums for a fairways re-shaft on the moderns, $14.50 per ($90.00 in 2008).

 

So yeah, sort of why I'm always on the lookout for donor clubs with steel shafts I can use and scouring eBay for pulls at a reasonable price.

 

Edit Note: Unless I have the winning Powerball ticket, then it's new shafts in everything and its been good talk'in to ya!

[oldschoolrocker]

Doug,

Thanks for mentioning Powerball. I need to pick up some tickets on my way home from my eye exam.

[Shallowface]

...............Crazy how expensive steel shafts have become. I miss the days of $5 Dynamic or TT Lites.

 

Absolutely. There in lies the rub when contemplating re-shafts of clubs. We've acquired these irons (sometimes) for pennies on the dollar. Then check the prices of "new" shafts for them, doesn't cost justify. Particularly when said clubs have the likelihood of being in a rotation with others (i.e not the exclusive playing set). Nowadays, assuming some degree of playability with the shafts already installed, learn to accept what's there. Play a lot more S shafts because of it, been a regular user of R's for 25 years. Side benefit to this was that I found out that it wasn't that big a deal (or so I had believed for a long time).

 

 

 

I agree when it comes to steel shafted irons. I've used and had success with everything from L to X.

 

Woods can be a different story, but I can play R or S equally well in steel.

 

All bets are off though when it comes to graphite. You can get some buggy whips with those that you'd never find in steel and they could just as easily be marked S or L. Some of the older graphite shafts that are marked L, A or R are incredibly stiff. There are no standards.

 

I cringe when I visit the other side of this site and see a post from a guy who switched from S300 to S400 and went with the DG Tour Issue to boot. I don't believe there are more than a handful of people on the entire planet who could distinguish between those shafts. What a waste!

[NRJyzr]

...............Crazy how expensive steel shafts have become. I miss the days of $5 Dynamic or TT Lites.

 

Absolutely. There in lies the rub when contemplating re-shafts of clubs. We've acquired these irons (sometimes) for pennies on the dollar. Then check the prices of "new" shafts for them, doesn't cost justify. Particularly when said clubs have the likelihood of being in a rotation with others (i.e not the exclusive playing set). Nowadays, assuming some degree of playability with the shafts already installed, learn to accept what's there. Play a lot more S shafts because of it, been a regular user of R's for 25 years. Side benefit to this was that I found out that it wasn't that big a deal (or so I had believed for a long time).

 

Look at the prices of TT DG for example. In 2008, they were $10.49 per (GS catalog). Today, $21.00 (Golfworks). Ostensibly, the same shaft then and now. A 100% increase? I get inflation and all, but.......

 

One area where high value can be found is in graphite shafts for woods. One can often find them at good prices, really good shafts that were considered premium back in their time. I picked up two Grafalloy ProLaunch Platinums for a fairways re-shaft on the moderns, $14.50 per ($90.00 in 2008).

 

So yeah, sort of why I'm always on the lookout for donor clubs with steel shafts I can use and scouring eBay for pulls at a reasonable price.

 

Edit Note: Unless I have the winning Powerball ticket, then it's new shafts in everything and its been good talk'in to ya!

 

 

Thanks to True Temper buying their main competition in North America (Royal Precision). Ugh.

[Wriggles]

I've never bought new shafts for any vintage clubs I have. I've changed a few old rusty shafts with similar good donors. Spending good money on new shafts negates the fun of old clubs for me. I'm a cheapskate, though.

 

The Hireko grips are good for inexpensive thrift clubs. $5-6 grips, I just won't buy them, unless I get a gift card or something like that.

[John L.]

...............Crazy how expensive steel shafts have become. I miss the days of $5 Dynamic or TT Lites.

 

Absolutely. There in lies the rub when contemplating re-shafts of clubs. We've acquired these irons (sometimes) for pennies on the dollar. Then check the prices of "new" shafts for them, doesn't cost justify. Particularly when said clubs have the likelihood of being in a rotation with others (i.e not the exclusive playing set). Nowadays, assuming some degree of playability with the shafts already installed, learn to accept what's there. Play a lot more S shafts because of it, been a regular user of R's for 25 years. Side benefit to this was that I found out that it wasn't that big a deal (or so I had believed for a long time).

 

 

 

I agree when it comes to steel shafted irons. I've used and had success with everything from L to X.

 

Woods can be a different story, but I can play R or S equally well in steel.

 

All bets are off though when it comes to graphite. You can get some buggy whips with those that you'd never find in steel and they could just as easily be marked S or L. Some of the older graphite shafts that are marked L, A or R are incredibly stiff. There are no standards.

 

I cringe when I visit the other side of this site and see a post from a guy who switched from S300 to S400 and went with the DG Tour Issue to boot. I don't believe there are more than a handful of people on the entire planet who could distinguish between those shafts. What a waste!

 

I get a kick out of those guys as well. I had many many players pay me for shaft replacements, thinking that it was going to be a world changer. Meanwhile...... 90% of these guys never had a repeatable swing to begin with.

 

Almost every club tech that I converse with, also fall into that category of ignorance. I have been told more than a few times that a S300 is automatically less stiff than a S400. Well, ...... that is not always the case. Modern shafts are processed with much more precision, but they are still not perfect. Just looking at the bore of the shaft at the tip end will tell you that the metal can be thicker on one side of the shaft from the other. Every run of shafts have slight variances at the tip, mid section, and butt end. In my opinion, it is why TT sorted by overall weight on the DG series.

 

I was a bigger fan of the Brunswick frequency matched shafts. That is where the feel really comes into play between shafts.

[BIG STU]

...............Crazy how expensive steel shafts have become. I miss the days of $5 Dynamic or TT Lites.

 

Absolutely. There in lies the rub when contemplating re-shafts of clubs. We've acquired these irons (sometimes) for pennies on the dollar. Then check the prices of "new" shafts for them, doesn't cost justify. Particularly when said clubs have the likelihood of being in a rotation with others (i.e not the exclusive playing set). Nowadays, assuming some degree of playability with the shafts already installed, learn to accept what's there. Play a lot more S shafts because of it, been a regular user of R's for 25 years. Side benefit to this was that I found out that it wasn't that big a deal (or so I had believed for a long time).

 

 

 

I agree when it comes to steel shafted irons. I've used and had success with everything from L to X.

 

Woods can be a different story, but I can play R or S equally well in steel.

 

All bets are off though when it comes to graphite. You can get some buggy whips with those that you'd never find in steel and they could just as easily be marked S or L. Some of the older graphite shafts that are marked L, A or R are incredibly stiff. There are no standards.

 

I cringe when I visit the other side of this site and see a post from a guy who switched from S300 to S400 and went with the DG Tour Issue to boot. I don't believe there are more than a handful of people on the entire planet who could distinguish between those shafts. What a waste!

And the sad part is they do not have a clue it is all in the way you set up the shaft by tipping etc. Believe it or not there is a black market now for the shaft stickers for "Tour Issue".

[BIG STU]

As was mentioned by several posters I think all of us classic club hoes salvage shafts. I even use old shafts to make shaft extenders. I have picked up broken shafts on the course to use for extenders. Trust me I look on the yard (I work for a metal recycling company) at clubs people bring in for scrap. This week I hit the jackpot I found a Cameron Newport in a bag of old clubs along with a good Titleist 905 driver and a pristine Macgregor MT (flat sole) 10 iron in pristine shape. You would not believe the stuff I find. I think a lot of times someone passes away that was a club ho and the relatives throw stuff out for scrap with no clue. I also come home from time to time and find clubs someone has left me because I have done them favors in the past sometimes not golf related. If they are junk I will cut the shafts for extenders and take the rest to work to trade for good stuff. On top of all of this I still scrounge the thrifts trust me

[John L.]

As was mentioned by several posters I think all of us classic club hoes salvage shafts. I even use old shafts to make shaft extenders. I have picked up broken shafts on the course to use for extenders. Trust me I look on the yard (I work for a metal recycling company) at clubs people bring in for scrap. This week I hit the jackpot I found a Cameron Newport in a bag of old clubs along with a good Titleist 905 driver and a pristine Macgregor MT (flat sole) 10 iron in pristine shape. You would not believe the stuff I find. I think a lot of times someone passes away that was a club ho and the relatives throw stuff out for scrap with no clue. I also come home from time to time and find clubs someone has left me because I have done them favors in the past sometimes not golf related. If they are junk I will cut the shafts for extenders and take the rest to work to trade for good stuff. On top of all of this I still scrounge the thrifts trust me

 

Good work pards.

[Fellaheen51]

One thing I can say with an absolute certainty relative to scrounging......If you don't spend some looking, you'll never find it. Which correlates to my standard answer when asked what I'm looking for......"Don't know. But I know it when I see it".

 

Big Stu, saw your Cameron putter posting <. That's a top notch find. Based on your self-professed tendencies, figure you may throw a new grip on and play it as is. Rust spots and all. Just to rile up all the Scotty slappies. But, don't let it be in close proximity to the "Old Zinger". Ya know, the Karma thing.

 

As for me, would be a guaranteed flip to the fanbois. Financing for a YTBD acquisition.

[BIG STU]

Fella on advice from my buddy the Miura dealer I did clean it up and it was easy. Turns out all the rust was surface rust no pits. cleaned up easy with some 000 steel wool and WD-40. And you "know" me well. the rust on the shaft was all surface rust. I put a 2" extender in it and one of my standard Royal cords on it. feels pretty good. I have been extremely busy at work this week because we are short of drivers and have a lot going so I have not had a chance to take it out and try it. But trust me it will be tried in the morning. They are calling for rain but I have a rainsuit and will be on the putting green first light. I may end up flipping it. I have been putting great lately with a TM Rosa my buddy fished out of a lake (and no LOL I did not put it there) and I re did it. It has the magic like the old Zing did but the Zing will never leave it has in the past earned enough money to have a permant home with me forever. In fact I posted the Rosa over in the putter forum under beat all to crap money putters. OH got some folks riled and sick. I will get some pics this weekend of the Cameron after I cleaned it up. And darn it I need to break one of my rules I will actually probably put a non descript cover on it because I really don't want to scar it and do not want any prying eyes

[BIG STU]

I've never bought new shafts for any vintage clubs I have. I've changed a few old rusty shafts with similar good donors. Spending good money on new shafts negates the fun of old clubs for me. I'm a cheapskate, though.

 

The Hireko grips are good for inexpensive thrift clubs. $5-6 grips, I just won't buy them, unless I get a gift card or something like that.

I think I mentioned this in another thread. Sometimes i will buy a thrift store club for $2.99 and it will have a good $6 grip or such on it. I will pull and save the grip. If the shaft is a good one I will pull and save it or make shaft extenders from it. Then what is left goes in my box for trade at work. My boss lets me trade pound for pound on my purchases. Right now I have about 15 lbs "credit" for me so I need to find more clubs

[Matt_Matasy]

Went to the thrift shop today and found 2 sets of older clubs. 1 of the sets is very similar to what OP has. Pictures will be included but can anyone shed some light on both sets? I cleaned up the rust a little bit but its not perfect. Also does anyone have any knowledge on eliminating the rust completely? Every little bit helps thanks!

 

The set is 3-9 and all they say is Match Play on them. Couldnt find too much about them

 

 

 

 

This set is unique almost the same as the OP but some slight differences. The set is 6,7,9,P. So not a complete set, but worth picking it up for the price just to mess around a little bit

 

 

 

[BIG STU]

That set of Top-Flites are I think are 65-66 vintage and those were the ones that came out before the famous "bird on the ball' ones which I think came out in 67. Now some one feel free to correct me if I am wrong I an doing this from memory because I can't find my Maltby book