Interesting read to me...."Tour Van clubs"

to all the pro-wannabes.......

http://forums.iseekgolf.com/forums/13/topics/22526

I confess that I used to be a tour junkie - nothing will do for me unless it was tour issued, tour van or tour prototype. I recall that I used to spend lots of money just to get a T serial numbered driver, a "2MM" stamped set of TM irons, a Circle T stamped putter etc.... but those days have since passed.

Having golfed for close to 20 years, and with all the hype about tour issued equipment, I conclude that the clubs that work best for ME are not the tour issued stuff. Sure, they look good, are limited, have the "wow" factor and come with bragging rights, but I have learnt that these clubs were designed, spec'd out for a pro, and god-knows-which-pro as well. Hence most if not all of these clubs purchased / obtained are really not meant for average-joe golfer, ie. ME.

Retail equipment works best for me now, and I get to save plenty money as well.. My 2 cents worth.

At the current rate golf direct is going, retail is best

InTheHole! wrote:

I confess that I used to be a tour junkie - nothing will do for me unless it was tour issued, tour van or tour prototype. I recall that I used to spend lots of money just to get a T serial numbered driver, a "2MM" stamped set of TM irons, a Circle T stamped putter etc.... but those days have since passed.

Having golfed for close to 20 years, and with all the hype about tour issued equipment, I conclude that the clubs that work best for ME are not the tour issued stuff. Sure, they look good, are limited, have the "wow" factor and come with bragging rights, but I have learnt that these clubs were designed, spec'd out for a pro, and god-knows-which-pro as well. Hence most if not all of these clubs purchased / obtained are really not meant for average-joe golfer, ie. ME.

Retail equipment works best for me now, and I get to save plenty money as well.. My 2 cents worth.

That's the reason i labelled "pro-wannabes" .
What could be better than hearing your personal experience...thanks for sharing, Bro.
We don't live long enough to make and learn from all the mistakes we made.

I have to say , in my opinion there is the same performance between tour head and retail head . the only think difference is the customization to the player need which can be done now by club fitting ! So save money and go get fitted with retail golf club !

Good thread. Feedback from regular Golfers and former golf pros.

Mileage from using tour issued clubs may vary - these clubs may jolly well work for some golfers. I speak only from my personal experience, and I am not "putting down" any fellow golfers who use tour issued clubs and in fact benefit from them.....

In my experience there are some "tour only" or "tour van" clubs that you will not see in the retail market. Those clubs are strict prototypes or one-off productions. There are numerous examples but the most recent that come to mind are the Titleist 503i hybrid, and Camillo's one off Taylor Made RBZ irons. I can site many more examples, but I think you get the idea.

Being able to purchase some of this stuff is great and if you can use it even better. The problem with most tour issue stuff is twofold. 1. It will not work any better than the retail stuff for 99 percent of the population. 2. Tour only stuff needs to be purchased from reputable sources, as there is incentive to counterfeit due to the large mark up in price.

At the end of the day purchasing golf clubs is an individual choice. If you want to spend a few extra bucks for tour issue/only/van stuff....go for it. It is your golf game and your money, you should enjoy it. If you fall in the other camp that does not think it is worth the $$$, that is great too, you are entitled to your opinion. Whether I agree or not is an entirely different argument.

Know your source and be careful when buying online.

Bro DRG, boy do I always find your explanation for watever topic so spot on and relevant thou I have never met u. I totally like the "it's your golf game and your money, you should enjoy it"!

Great advice again! Cheers!

bogeyman wrote:

Bro DRG, boy do I always find your explanation for watever topic so spot on and relevant thou I have never met u. I totally like the "it's your golf game and your money, you should enjoy it"!

Great advice again! Cheers!

Thanks for the nice words.

I am fortunate enough to have been around the game for many years and over that time have collected a bit of knowledge. Message boards like these allow me to pay some of that forward.

One thing I try to do when responding to a query that I am fairly knowledgeable in is to explain it as best and clear as I can, in a shortish context.

When it comes to tour issue stuff, as a fan and someone who has been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to play it, I have a decent idea about what it can and cannot do. Some is much better, some is exactly the same as you will see on the rack. Unfortunately the QC on much of the off the rack stuff, specifically shaft quality, shaft flex and loft, can be suspect (in my experience), although it appears in some cases to be getting better. That is part of the reason why some of the tour stuff is very good in many instances, because you know what you are getting.

It is not magical by any stretch. But some of it is pretty awesome.

WOW

that will mean that if we get a $500-$700 new design driver,

the specs and shafts that come with it may not be the highest quality?

That is shocking!

Yes, i heard about the same shaft models but with different characteristics.....let me dig out the video

As I stated, it is getting better. But there are some instances of off the rack clubs whose shafts will not spec out properly. The excuse is always QC or tolerances for various manufacturers being different.

Bottom line is to get the clubs checked out regardless. Make sure they are what is right for you.

Here you go... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C8JUCCrM0w&feature=related