Help choosing new woods

[wmblake2000]

Fun4, I had seen a few x31 sets on eBay indeed for cheap. If I get them it'll be the whole set I suppose.

[wmblake2000]

Randy, I suspect to find what I will play with will take some experimenting. I had a 2 wood x31, but I don't think I ever hit it off the tee and it was pretty hard to hit back then off the deck. But a 2 wood makes some sense given what I saw at the range today.

 

I am not married to having Mac woods. I am pretty brand agnostic right now.

 

PS: This is a great place to hang out!

[Fellaheen51]

Decided to post this here rather than "no new acquisitions". Somewhat in keeping with the theme of things ITT. Persimmons are very much a "where you find them" proposition. Just never know the where and when. However, the hunt is a major part of the appeal, finding old(er) clubs cheap.

 

Stopped at a estate/barn sale a few days back. Saw some pics online of old(er) clubs in bags. And since it was close by, was worthy of an investigation. The clubs were something of a hodge-podge that were of no interest. But there was this, covered with a knit head cover stuck along the wall of a dusty old barn. Wilson Staff 4300 persimmon driver. All original and mint, don't think it's ever been hit. Because of the glued-in insert and lack of thread whipping, thinking it's of 80's vintage. Even the leather grip is perfect. For $7.50 (25% off), couldn't leave it setting there. To bad the fairways weren't there as well. That's for another time and place.

 

Don't know if it will ever see the course. But it's a looker, for a "modern" persimmon wood.

 

 

[birly-shirly]

That's nice Fellaheen, but I would guess it's a bit older than the '80s. I would guess early '70s. My first fleamarket "bargain" was a Wilson driver which was laminated, but with quite a lot of shared DNA with yours. Bore-through, big deep face, identical brass backweight arrangment, soleplate and stampings. It was a bit of a beast to hit when I was a youngster, TBH. It was OK so long as I was happy hitting a cut, but I could never get it turning left and any wind off the left was a nightmare. Which was a bit of an issue growing up on the west coast of Scotland. I've not hit it since I first went to metal woods, even though I've come back to wood in the meantime. Will be curious to hear how yours goes.

[oldschoolrocker]

Doug,

The sole plate and weighting closely resemble '71 laminates that were part of the Buttonbacks. I have a few in the garage. I have also seen that insert pattern before, but I couldn't find one at first glance. I'm sure I have one stashed somewhere. I'll look after my doctor appointment today.

 

 

[scomac2002]

Man, I never run across anything like that in these parts! Quite the find, Fella!

[birly-shirly]

When I really let myself daydream I have a match for my Macgregor 1025m irons which I really like playing with. These are wonderful clubs and I can score with them. They just look, feel and play like champs.

 

I'd really like a full set built around these irons. The Macs were evidently a 'spare no expense make the best mb iron possible' project but have never crossed over in popularity where people pay a lot for them now.

 

I'd like to find their soul mate in woods, wedges and putter. A set that if you play well with, you can score at 5500 - 6000 yards.

 

When was the peak of persimmon wood design? Or is it more about various club builders who were consistently good?

 

With some qualification, I think that's actually quite an easy question to answer. Wood Bros seems to meet the quality without compromise criterion with a bit to spare. Only issue is relative rarity and price, but if you're buying one without tour pro provenance then the prices I've seen don't seem unreasonable.

 

In the "more plentiful, considerably cheaper and still very, very good quality" bracket I think I'd be looking at Toney Pennas. In terms of woods that I haven't actually hit, but would like to acquire, there are Cleveland Classics which look very good too.

 

Which is not to disparage the woods from other manufacturers. The ones I actually play most often come from Hogan, re-issue MacGregor and Titleist. All were cheap enough to buy out of curiosity and good enough to keep and play.

[wmblake2000]

Birly do you not play the pricier ones so as to not diminish their value?

[wmblake2000]

Ok one more def criteria. Inserts have to have screws so I can 'hit it on the screws' Yep.

[birly-shirly]

Ahem, I must confess to not owning any Wood Bros whether to play or preserve. Pretty rare that they come up for sale in this part of the world and I'm certainly more of a player than a collector. Everything else is in play. I'm not sure that any of it has any great value to diminish. If I've got a bragging piece, it would be a Hogan Commemorative Driver which is in great original condition but it's still not going to set any auctioneer's pulse a-flutter. And so gets played accordingly.

 

As far as I can see, the things that tend to cost significant money are Wood Bros, other niche custom makers, and vintage Macs dependent on condition. Most everything else can be picked up cheaply enough that it's no tragedy if it doesn't work out.

 

No harm in having screws - or a brass firing pin insert for that matter.

[wmblake2000]

Fair enough. I looked around at Wood bros - saw one on eBay for $750. Not what I want. Like you I want to play it. But I saw one thread on wood bros here with some pics and wow they are beautiful.

 

The thing about my Mac irons is they are pretty inexpensive. I bought them nearly new for a couple hundred dollars.

 

 

[teevons]

the one on the bay for $747 has been listed for more than a year. Lots of WB sell for 150 or less if you are patient

[wmblake2000]

Haha that's a patient seller. Good to know. They really are beautiful and the leader in the clubhouse. But it's early in the round!

 

Next step - focus on the different models of wood bros woods - what am I looking for within their models?

 

Any way to know what loft a driver has?

 

[fun4golf]

My curiosity steered me towards a Wood Bros. "The Corker" Driver. Got it for less than a hundred bucks(around 50-70?) in excellent playing shape. Played it some last year until the switch to the Hogan 1953 Commemorative Driver. Good club, does what it says. Probably use it again soon after reading this thread.

Could use the few extra yards as I'm now a year older. lol

[wmblake2000]

I saw some woods bros corkers on eBay but wasn't sure what that meant

[teevons]

Freddiec and texport are the Wood bros experts, check out some of their posts for wood bros pics and models. Lots of Wood bros have the loft stamped right on the head

[birly-shirly]

the one on the bay for $747 has been listed for more than a year. Lots of WB sell for 150 or less if you are patient

 

Yeah - that's more like what I had in mind. Was sorely tempted last year by one that was on sale in the UK for £100.

 

Haha that's a patient seller. Good to know. They really are beautiful and the leader in the clubhouse. But it's early in the round!

 

Next step - focus on the different models of wood bros woods - what am I looking for within their models?

 

Any way to know what loft a driver has?

 

I believe their nicest clubs were labelled Driving Instruments and Fairway Instruments respectively. Nice thread and pics here http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/564329-wood-bros-variations/

[fun4golf]

 

Went and pulled out my Corker and lo and behold it has little 3-wood brother I forgot was there. Going straight into the bag for the next round.

[russad]

Always nice when you come across something good that you had forgotten that you had :)

[wmblake2000]

So my wife enjoys going to the thrift shop with me. Which is nice. I found these 2 Macgregor Jack Nicklaus 20th woods (3,5) with R 400 shafts. The 3 looks almost unplayed and the 5 a little used but still in fine shape. Alas no driver at this place but at $11 for the pair, I think these are going to get regripped and be permanent.

 

Now to learn how to get a little more distance out of these.

[wmblake2000]

Oops pics

[wmblake2000]

Haha. Ok so where I practice there are low flight balls. These are balls that do not spin much. Seriously it's hard to work these balls.

 

Until now. I mean I haven't seen a true banana ball in years. Until now. Hit it off the heel and it fades. Off the toe and it draws. Hit it way off the heel and it really fades. I was shocked to see how much! Hell no wonder I used to hit it ob on the tight course I grew up on.

[birly-shirly]

wmblake - nice pickup. I think those '80s Mac woods are pretty much as good as it gets if you exclude the boutique shops. "Everyone knows" that '50s Macs are the collectible classics and many were in play on tour until they were replaced by metal woods. What's not such common knowledge, but which I've picked up reading here, is that the quality in the last few years of mainstream persimmon production is also considered to be very good.

 

On range balls, a couple of cautions. I never hit my persimmons at the driving range, for a couple of reasons. One is that the ballflight feedback can be misleading. I get a much higher ballflight hitting a decent quality ball on the course than I get out of the range balls where I practice. Worst case scenario is that you actually start to alter your swing to try and get the trajectory you expect. The second caution is that range balls, whether because of the inherent qualities of the cover or because of the use and wash cycle, are pretty hard on the finish of woods. I save my wood woods for the course, and I've got closely matched small headed stainless steel woods that I keep for the range.

 

Hope you like your new purchases, and best of luck in your search for a driver.

[Kathy Marie]

Gentlemen, please pardon my thread jack here...

 

But since my Patty Berg driver broke last year, "stainless practice woods" sound Wonderful!!!

 

Birly-shirly, care to enlighten us how you matched the stainless woods to your persimmons?? Did you build them, find them--what was your process??

 

Many Many Thanks In Advance,

 

 

:wave:

 

 

Kathy Marie

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Decided to post this here rather than "no new acquisitions". Somewhat in keeping with the theme of things ITT. Persimmons are very much a "where you find them" proposition. Just never know the where and when. However, the hunt is a major part of the appeal, finding old(er) clubs cheap.

 

Stopped at a estate/barn sale a few days back. Saw some pics online of old(er) clubs in bags. And since it was close by, was worthy of an investigation. The clubs were something of a hodge-podge that were of no interest. But there was this, covered with a knit head cover stuck along the wall of a dusty old barn. Wilson Staff 4300 persimmon driver. All original and mint, don't think it's ever been hit. Because of the glued-in insert and lack of thread whipping, thinking it's of 80's vintage. Even the leather grip is perfect. For $7.50 (25% off), couldn't leave it setting there. To bad the fairways weren't there as well. That's for another time and place.

 

Don't know if it will ever see the course. But it's a looker, for a "modern" persimmon wood.

 

 

 

That's beautiful, but I don't think I've ever seen a driver with such a big face insert.

Is that all insert or paint?

[wmblake2000]

Kathy Marie - she who lurks and likes but rarely posts - I am a big fan of thread jacks of a constructive or interesting tangent. So thread jack all you want on my threads.

[birly-shirly]

Gentlemen, please pardon my thread jack here...

 

But since my Patty Berg driver broke last year, "stainless practice woods" sound Wonderful!!!

 

Birly-shirly, care to enlighten us how you matched the stainless woods to your persimmons?? Did you build them, find them--what was your process??

 

Many Many Thanks In Advance,

 

 

:wave:

 

 

Kathy Marie

 

Two words (and 1 number!) KM - Hogan Series 56!

 

Small heads, same shafts and same weighting as the persimmons I take to the course. A 12* driver and a 4 wood somewhat compensate for the ballflight issues with range balls.

[wmblake2000]

Birly I saw somewhere that range balls are hard enough to damage a face. Yow. That's a shame because I really like to practice. An hour is easy to find but 6-7 including travel is much harder.

 

At $5/club I can experiment. After I found these I of course scoured the web for info. I guess people think the Mac repros are of an inferior persimmon but the Nicklaus commemorative because he was still

on staff are better.

 

These are in such great shape and I hit them well (mainly) that if I can find the driver I will play them.

[TimV]

Gentlemen, please pardon my thread jack here...

 

But since my Patty Berg driver broke last year, "stainless practice woods" sound Wonderful!!!

 

Birly-shirly, care to enlighten us how you matched the stainless woods to your persimmons?? Did you build them, find them--what was your process??

 

Many Many Thanks In Advance,

 

 

:wave:

 

 

Kathy Marie

 

Two words (and 1 number!) KM - Hogan Series 56!

 

Small heads, same shafts and same weighting as the persimmons I take to the course. A 12* driver and a 4 wood somewhat compensate for the ballflight issues with range balls.

 

I have found that some of the older TaylorMade Metalwoods make a reasonable substitute as well and can sometimes be easier to find.

Look for TaylorMade "MidSized" and also Titleist PT.

[birly-shirly]

I agree. I've got all of those you mention, all with Dynamic Gold shafts. The first burners are probably smaller than persimmons, and the fws are still good clubs in their own right. The MidSized ones were very good clubs. For their day, I thought they did a great job of being oversized, without being too deep faced which I remember disliking when everyone was going supersized. They just got swamped in the rush to titanium and Big Bertha. I've got a PT 4 wood which is often my second wood if I'm playing "modern". Any of those would be ideal "range clubs" - I just prefer my Hogans because the shafts are a perfect match for the woods I most often play.