Best Persimmon Woods?

[Evil R1]

I am going to throw together an old school bag for Ha Ha's (Persimmon Driver, 3w, 5w) and some Old School Blades to bang around with for fun.

 

I know nothing of old school woods, so in searching e-bay I have no idea what to look for. I found a nice set of Ping Eye's for a really cheap price but what is considered to be the "Holy Grail" of the Persimmon's era of Clubs?

 

Thanks,

[mat562]

Joe Powell for me.

 

MacGregor and Cleveland made some nice woods too throughout the range, as did Mizuno with the Tour Proven line. Maxfli Pro specials were nice woods too, but both may be rare in the US.

[TheCapedAvenger]

I was always partial to macgregor Eye-O-Matics, but they're hard to find in good shape nowadays.

 

If you want something new that's still made in persimmon and will hold up for a while, check out Joe Powell Golf (http://www.joepowellgolf.com/). They make good stuff for reasonable prices.

[TheCapedAvenger]

LOL well done mat- great minds ;)

[mat562]

;)

[XYB34A]

Look up Louisvillegolf.com. Not know to many people but they made the Hogan, Wilson, and other OEM persimmon heads. They are located in Louisville Kentucky. The home of the Kentucky Derby. You can go into their show room and they have overuns of persimmon heads from the late 80's. You can buy a Ben Hogan 3 wood from them. This is not on their website. You have to travel there. They make some of the finest persimmon woods available today. They have the classic models from the 50's and they have some updated models. With sizes about like the Titleist 975D for a comparison sake. Their company and a man that worked for Wilson staff and made irons and wedges are the only people in the state of Kentucky that can rewhip a persimmon wood. I know how to but boy does it look like s***. They have several graphite shaft options and the standard true temper options. Persimmon woods dry rot. The wood will literally chip off the toe or from the face if you try to play a really old one a lot. Plus todays two piece balls are really hard on the face of them. The last persimmon that I played came from Powerbilt and was shaped like a Cobra Head with the dimples on it. I had a titanium shaft that was black to silver fade, x flex. With the old ball rules that were from the 80's early 90's where a ball could only go 290 yards plus or minus 2 percent or 3 percent something like that. Then if u hit it in the center of the club face. There was no difference in persimmon and a taylor made burner that was 150cc. NO difference in distance but a lot in feel. Mat mentioned Joe Powell, they were great. So was a small company called Texas golf. They had a sole plate the shape of the state of Texas. They made a cork filled persimmon wood. Years ago a "real man" didn't play graphite or a metal wood. It was for "old men" and people that were called "hackers". When Curtis Strange won back to back US Opens with a Taylormade then things changed some. So take a look, u might find something fun.

[mat562]

Wood Brothers made good persimmons too.

 

Langer used one (and won a Masters title with it) and was amongst the last players I know of (along with Justin Leonard and Anders Forsbrand) to switch to a metal driver.

[Parmaster]

There's some good stuff out there, but anything you get from John Powell at Joe Powell will be superb. You can get anything to spec in a number of stains and inserts depending on your cosmetic preferences and have yet to get something from him with less than great grain.

 

I order a driver a month from him as I play persimmon regularly and can't say enough good things about his work.

 

Depending on what you want, there are a host of options. Starting out, something like his DSP with a glass insert would be the best for consistent play with modern balls....He also has a deep faced model I like quite a bit, but don't think its as forgiving as the DSP.

 

Can't go wrong with Powell.

[percymon]

Joe Powell - i bought a 3W at the british Open in 1991 and used it for the best part of 9 years, still looks like new. I bought the driver a few months later - not as nice as the 3W to use (maybe just me !!).The 3W only got replaced with a Callaway Steelhead plus, that i didn't hit any better, but was less precious to me !. I still have that JP 3W !!

 

I've collected a lot of MacGregors , mainly in the late 90s - i picked a 1950s Jimmy Demerat 3W up for under $5 - its the best looking club i have, and nicely complements the 1950s MacGregor SilverScot irons i have for hostalgic days !!

[rgk5]

I'll second the Joe Powell and add Toney Penna and Bert Dargie.

[hos]

I've got an Orlimar persimmon that I actually prefer over my Louisville Classic 50's, BUT I can't say enough great things about Louisville Golf.

BTW, good for you to be pursuing an old school bag. What do you have for irons?

[Evil R1]

Thanks for all the replys.

 

The Joe Powell Drivers look fantastic:

But there is no way I can justify spending $325 for a club I might use once a month.

 

In searching the internet I think I found a set of Woods. MacGregor Tourney EYE-O-MATIC Oil Hardened 945 W. They were just completely refinished and look brand new, which wasn't as important as they are also cheap.

 

As for my Blades? I have no idea. I was thinking about a set of older Hogans, like the Directors from the early 80's. I like the clean look of just "Hogan" on the back of the club.

[srw2249]

Powerbilt Citation - this was the best performer for me back then. As I look at it now, I'm still amazed at the dramatic change in the size of the heads.

[hos]

I just picked up 2 sets of Wilson Staffs. Staff Tour Blades from 78, and Staff's from 76. Can find cheap on ebay and both are beautiful blades.

[tedp]

Some of the best persimmon woods made, toward the end of wood woods, were the Palmer Peerless woods. Since those were still being made in the late 80s and early 90s you may be able to find them a little easier than the 50, 60 and 70 versions of woods.

 

TBP

[Konakid67]

+3 on the Tonny Penna's and MacGregor EYE-O-MATIC. I still have a set of them that came with my set of Colorkrom's.

Kevin

These are not mine, borrowed the pic

[dodger]

1. Toney Penna Original

2. Powerbilt Citation

3. Palmer Peerless

4. Ben Hogan Personal Model, 1978, blond head, speed slot, awesome wood. Played by Bill Rogers in famed 1981 British Open win.

The key to persimmon woods is the grain. Light finished woods show the grain, darker finished woods, like the ones Seve favored often obscured the grain.

[mat562]

1. Toney Penna Original

2. Powerbilt Citation

3. Palmer Peerless

4. Ben Hogan Personal Model, 1978, blond head, speed slot, awesome wood. Played by Bill Rogers in famed 1981 British Open win.

The key to persimmon woods is the grain. Light finished woods show the grain, darker finished woods, like the ones Seve favored often obscured the grain.

 

 

I was always a dark-stain fan myself (I've still got my old Joe Powell and an old MacGregor which are both very dark; in fact the JP is effectively black)

 

I think the preference was always for the grain to be a concentric pattern of 'U's' in the toe area for the purists, with straighter lines perpendicular to and running away from the face being frowned upon.

[bpratt]

I order a driver a month from him as I play persimmon regularly and can't say enough good things about his work.

 

Why would you play persimmon regularly? I'm all for sentimentalism, but you're costing yourself serious shots.

 

I have an Eye-O-Matic in great shape that I would sell for not much cash. Could send you pics on Friday.

[Parmaster]

I order a driver a month from him as I play persimmon regularly and can't say enough good things about his work.

 

Why would you play persimmon regularly? I'm all for sentimentalism, but you're costing yourself serious shots.

 

I have an Eye-O-Matic in great shape that I would sell for not much cash. Could send you pics on Friday.

 

 

If I'm costing myself some serious strokes with persimmon, why is my index a full stroke lower this year with persimmon in the bag than it was last year with technology?

 

I really don't think you'd be complaining too much if your index was +0.7 with almost no technology in the bag.

[Konakid67]

I really don't think you'd be complaining too much if your index was +0.7 with almost no technology in the bag.

Very cool, after this thead was created I took out an old persimon with graphite shaft. I still hit it 280 straight.

Kevin

[bpratt]

If I'm costing myself some serious strokes with persimmon, why is my index a full stroke lower this year with persimmon in the bag than it was last year with technology?

 

I really don't think you'd be complaining too much if your index was +0.7 with almost no technology in the bag.

 

 

 

You have all the latest technology in every other club. I guess you play the persimmon so people will say, "Wow! He's a +1 and he ISN'T EVEN PLAYING GOOD CLUBS!"

[Parmaster]

If I'm costing myself some serious strokes with persimmon, why is my index a full stroke lower this year with persimmon in the bag than it was last year with technology?

 

I really don't think you'd be complaining too much if your index was +0.7 with almost no technology in the bag.

 

 

 

You have all the latest technology in every other club. I guess you play the persimmon so people will say, "Wow! He's a +1 and he ISN'T EVEN PLAYING GOOD CLUBS!"

 

 

Is it seriously that hard for you to imagine someone scoring better with persimmon than technology?

 

I bring Titanium out about once or twice a month for giggles (I have 3 drivers in the rotation: VFT Tour Series 8.5 (300cc), TM 540 XD TP 7.5 (400cc), TM 580 XD TP 7.5 (440cc)) and while I pump it out there further, I don't manage to score as well....as far as fairway woods go, even if I had a titanium driver in the bag, you'd never get me to take the persimmon 3 wood out.

 

BTW: I have one cavity back in my bag and graphite in my wedges. That's all the technology I carry...unless you honestly consider blades with steel shafts as possessing "the latest technology."

[TAZBOM]

PowerBilt Citation is the classic in my opinion. Great look and feel. They hold up quite well.

[hawk59]

From what I've read or been told, sorry for no solid source to quote, the Macgregor 945 persimmon was the most popular amongst the touring pro's.

[mayes]

The hogan persimmons were always solid. Still like the look of mine. I haven't hit them for at least 10 years. However, this post is giving me the itch. Just need to find some balata's.

[Night train]

Lot's of good stuff mentioned. I have a pretty big collection of persimmons with most of them being Macs from the 50's and 60's

Toney Penna, Texas Golf, and Kenneth Smith were also very good.

A vintage Macgregor three wood is still probably more accurate than any metal wood made today and not much shorter. Powerbilt made some nice fairway woods too.

Ping never made anything from persimmon, it was all laminated maple.

[dlygrisse]

[quote name='mat562' post='740991' date='Oct 3 2007, 10:25 AM'][quote name='dodger' post='740985' date='Oct 3 2007, 09:21 AM']1. Toney Penna Original
2. Powerbilt Citation
3. Palmer Peerless
4. Ben Hogan Personal Model, 1978, blond head, speed slot, awesome wood. Played by Bill Rogers in famed 1981 British Open win.
The key to persimmon woods is the grain. Light finished woods show the grain, darker finished woods, like the ones Seve favored often obscured the grain.[/quote]


I was always a dark-stain fan myself (I've still got my old Joe Powell and an old MacGregor which are both very dark; in fact the JP is effectively black)

I think the preference was always for the grain to be a concentric pattern of 'U's' in the toe area for the purists, with straighter lines perpendicular to and running away from the face being frowned upon.
[/quote]


I think the theory was that this type of grain pattern added more strength to the wood and therefore the driver was more durable. The hard thing to determine about persimmon, since it is a solid block of wood, is that no two drivers were exactly alike. One might have a peice of wood that was more dense, or had more weight in it than another. Purist always loved the persimmon, but technically the laminated woods were probably manufactured more consistantly club to club with less variation in tolerances, especially when buying a mass produced brand. The Ping woods were laminated (similar to a block of plywood) but were not viewed as highly as the eye 2 irons of that era. That being said there were a lot of great persimmon woods on the market, and I know you can pick a lot of them up pretty cheap. I have a Power built citation driver and 3w that are in really good shape and I think I paid $10 a piece for them.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Hogan or McGregor, Powebilt's were nice as well.......

[lab1dobie]

I have a set of 1-3-5 MacGregor MT woods from 1979. Oil Hardened and still look good. You knew when you hit a good shot off persimmon because of the feel and sound. You also knew when you hit a bad shot right away. They were not as forgiving as the metal woods of today.

Might have to find a balata ball and take them out again!