older guys long term memory

[Pigbodies]

Put me down for another vote for the Powerbilt Citation Persimmon woods I got the Driver, 3 wood and 5 wood when I was 15 back in 1985. My Dad bought the clubs for me from the Golf Exchange in Downtown Los Angeles. I think I was one of the last guys from my club to change over to the Steel Big Bertha Driver in 1994 and to the Titanium Great Big Bertha in 1995. I didn't give up my 3 wood or 5 wood until 2002.

 

Nothing, to this day, compares to the feeling of a pure struck persimmon driver.

 

Hep

[Mike_C]

Back in the day, If you could hit it 310 or so with with a 43 inch persimon driver, you were loooong. Long enough to get beyond local qualifying in the Long Driving qualifiers of the early 1980's. It is amazing what the ball and club head have done to driving distance. I am old, weak and fat and 30 years out of high school, but I am as long as I was as a young man. If I had to go back with and hit balata with a 43 inch driver, I am convinced I would be 25 yards shorter now.

 

 

Ain't that the truth. I remember to this day when I played in the North and South Jr. at Pinehurst when I was 17, it was the summer of '79. They had a long drive competition, which I won. I did it with my Toski Persimmon head, standard length and loft, steel S flex shaft, hit it 307. One kid hit it past me, but his three drives were all just a few yards off the fairway, so I won . I can still hit it that far, but the 17 year olds of today blow it by me............ :russian_roulette:

[fronesis]

Hogan and Tommy Armour.

 

But the truth is that a persimmon driver was so hard to hit, I played a 3 wood most of the time back then.

 

It's another thing that technology has changed dramatically about the game. I played to a sub-80 stroke average in high school, but really wasn't good enough to hit a driver. And most players I knew who were above a 12 handicap, couldn't hit a driver.

 

Today, even a 28 handicap can smash a 12 degree 460cc head.

[TeeBonZ]

I had a Powerbilt Citation I stole from my Grandfather that I abolutely loved and hit the sh!t out of!! I cracked the head, had it repaired and cracked it in a different spot. I was absolutely devastated when I finally had to put her to rest!!

 

Man, these threads are really starting to get to me. I just broke out my Grandfather's old vintage 8802 this afternoon and put it back together (had the headspeed in a Napa). The head's pretty much beat to hell but there's still gotta be some magic left in her :friends:

 

My bag seems to be going the opposite direction ....maybe I outta throw some steel in the R580 :russian_roulette:

[Chelanace]

MacGregor Tommy Armour "Ben Hogan Model" None better than this!!!

[dmarch]

I played a Macgregor Tourney M85, and I just loved that thing. I still have my fairway woods from the old days. A set of 1958 Macgregor Tourney PT-1's. I was just as bad of a ho then, always on the look out for the best old persimmon. Some things never change......

[homergolf]

Back in the '80's, a friend gave me a Hogan persimmion 2-wood. I could crank beauty better than any driver. It eventually cracked. That was the end of that era...

[andre2you]

I played a set of Wilson 1200's back in the day (I use to pound the Ball with these).

 

 

 

[herkyjerk]

I had a Wilson driver & 3W I bought at a tent sale, they were my first woods. It was 1988 I just turned 18. I don't know the particular product name (like Wilson Deep Red etc), but it was a beautiful cherry wood color with high gloss. I could hit those things an absolute country mile too. Persimmon was no joke man. That sh!t could go deep!

[nineiron95]

I still have my 693T. Sits in the family room and my son and I pick it up and swing it during TV golf. Would love to hit it but had it re-finished right before I took it out of play and I'm afraid to damage it. Also still have a full set of Macgregor VIP fairway woods with the inside stepped steel shafts and aluminum face.

[awd]

Mine was a Tommy Armour,a gorgeous persimmon head.

[scall1968]

Powerbuilt Citation, I can still hear my grandpa talk about hitting one in the screws.

[hogan_speedslot]

Im only 29 and I love persimmon/laminated woods! They're more fun to hit and they (like blade irons) give you instant feedback on how good or bad the shot was! I still believe that the smaller persimmon heads should be used for practice and shot shaping! I have PING Eye2 black finish 1,3, 5,7 woods, 2 sets of Arnold Palmer persimmons (1 is for display only) And a recently accquired set of never hit Hogan Apex Speedslot woods with the black finish/red insert. Some would urge me to never ruin that Hogan set by playing them, but thats what I got them for!

[eagleye]

I will second shepdog comment. I used to call it my Black Beauty with TT stiff hitting it 260 yards easy, until one day I badly heeled it, then got a Staff persimmon which if I now place next to my Srixon W-506 looks like a 5 wood. These metals give some respectability to my driving now but I can't forget that Stratabloc.

[Xsfspeed]

The Macgregor woods were excellent clubs, but the best for me is the Powerbilt Citation. I still have my driver and 3 wood. I had them refinished and they are now wrapped and stored for posterity. My Citation held it's own during the first and second wave of metal woods, distance wise, and we all know how well these Persimmon drivers were at shaping tee shots. The later versions of metal woods are so good, that I had to switch (R510 TP), and have never looked back. As others have mentioned, I think my current hybrid is bigger than my old driver! :clapping:

[bbp1]

Powerbuilt Citation driver bought it about 77 was a sweet club the one with the brass weight at the back of the head. Had the 3wd and 5wd as far as getting it of the deck they were as good as anything you can buy today.

 

Loved the Powerbilt Citation--all the Powerbilts for that matter. The brass weight iin back was a cool touch.

 

Grew up playing dad's Wilson X-31 woods and irons complete with 2 wood and 2 iron. That 2 iron would put a sweet gash in a thinly hit 90 compression Titleist balata. One swing and time for a new ball. I was 5 feet tall playing with his full length set which I blame completely now for my flat swing plane. I wish he would have cut me a fresh set to my correct length every year like Tiger's dad.

[ducktape]

Macgregor eye-o-matics and the Power Bilt citations

[dcrocketman]

by far back in the 70's and early 80's it was the macgreagor tommy armour 693, m85 eye-o-matics, some of the coolest woods were the m09 jumbo LFF. back then 2 identical drivers would hit it completely different.

i remeber watching freddie couples on the mid to late 80's hitting a big bertha with a price tg on the shaft after he broke his and needed a replacement. never happem back then...the cog's were all over the place....always seraching for a new driver nd when you found one it would crack or break and it would never be the same and you could never find a replacement...just a different one. i remeber talking to george knudson and he had a mizuno black turbo with a precision 8.0 shaft swinging at e 8 or something stupid like that and he said e finally could travel with a driver bcause in different climates and it would swell nd change it's feel. the graphite of the mizuno would always feel the same. but his driver felt like crap.

[Johnny]

by far back in the 70's and early 80's it was the macgreagor tommy armour 693, m85 eye-o-matics, some of the coolest woods were the m09 jumbo LFF. back then 2 identical drivers would hit it completely different.

 

 

finally someone has it right.. M09 Jumbo LFF is the King.. I still have Mine.. FW's go to the 693's and M85's the black/white M85 are beautiful. They set in my leather bag with 67 VIP's all original and a Geo Low Wizard 600 putter.

[Hairpie]

A custom job from Matzie golf....anyone remember them?....Also loved the Hogan with the speed slot....and for FWIW Orlimar fw's were the sh!t....

[astamm8]

i've got a m85 super eye o matic driver and a cleveland classic ta588 4 wood. i got a ton of titleist balatas, too. a couple of times a year i go to a course that's been left behind by time (like 6400 from the tips) and play a round with those woods, blades, s heal shafted putter, and balatas. i really look forward to those rounds, too. man they're fun. totally different game though.

[txcountrylawyer]

I will confess, I was, and deep down still am, a persimmon ho. I was one of the last to switch from wood to metal. My all time favorites are:

 

Mac 693--still have 1,2, 3 & 4 set--great shape

Mac M 85--still have 1,2, 3 & 4 set--great shape

 

Those deep face drivers could really rock the ball.

 

PB Deep Face Persimmon was great club, but not a 693. Hogan woods were very good as well.

 

A have set of Mac 653 1,3, 4 & 5, refinished and never hit, orginal shafts and leather grips.

 

Now if anyone has old Mac Hogan driver and/or set including driver(in good shape) holloar--Wood hoes do not give up easily.

[dmarch]

by far back in the 70's and early 80's it was the macgreagor tommy armour 693, m85 eye-o-matics, some of the coolest woods were the m09 jumbo LFF. back then 2 identical drivers would hit it completely different.

 

 

finally someone has it right.. M09 Jumbo LFF is the King.. I still have Mine.. FW's go to the 693's and M85's the black/white M85 are beautiful. They set in my leather bag with 67 VIP's all original and a Geo Low Wizard 600 putter.

 

 

PICTURES!!!!!

[6t4gt0]

NorthWestern Golden Bear 1,3, & 5 wood, beautiful honey brown and I had this beautiful 15 yard cut with the driver.

[Langlands]

I used to have an old Daiwa persimmon driver that I loved. Those were the days.

[Konakid67]

Tony Penna and MT Eyeomatics I still have sets, now I play with some huge 460cc metal thing............

Kevin

[Capt.happy]

I always hit my Wilson Whale driver pretty good. Might have to dust it off and hit the range for fun.

[Johnny]

by far back in the 70's and early 80's it was the macgreagor tommy armour 693, m85 eye-o-matics, some of the coolest woods were the m09 jumbo LFF. back then 2 identical drivers would hit it completely different.

 

 

finally someone has it right.. M09 Jumbo LFF is the King.. I still have Mine.. FW's go to the 693's and M85's the black/white M85 are beautiful. They set in my leather bag with 67 VIP's all original and a Geo Low Wizard 600 putter.

 

 

PICTURES!!!!!

 

Irons 67 VIP

Driver LFF

3w 693T

4w M85

putter wizard600 (remake)

 

Personally I like my 8802 or a designed by arnold palmer putter better, but somehow it's didn't belong with this set. It's Jack bag afterall, so I opted for a Wizard remake...

[stage1350]

 

There's something about 6-screw persimmon that's just magical.

[rgk5]

1. Toney Penna Model 65

 

2. Power Bilt Super Citation, no brass back, Japanese model.

 

3. Palmer Peerless Model 33. I still have it.