In 1938, the USGA passed an edict limiting players to 14 clubs. In 1876 Spalding was the manager and ace pitcher of the Chicago White Stockings. Today we are going to be spotlighting the crazy, the absurd, and some of the wackiest irons the golf world has ever seen. All are memory refreshing .. have been in golf clubhead design , manufacturing 25 years , familiar with the designs ! I played them for years, they were solid, and they looked really good at address for their time period. My first set of irons were the Tiger Sharks.The ball seemed to jump off the face.I still have them.My second set,still in play,are the Vas+.I love them.I hit them a mile high and they feel great.When I hear them calledthe worst irons ever it makes me wonder what the heck Im missing out on. Of course Drivers and putters are like women. i was hitting 8 iron and was suprised how high the ball flight was. I STILL play with my Spalding Executive set 2 SW. During their time together, Vardon and Spalding agreed the best way to grow the game in the U.S. and grow the market for Spalding golf products was to build more golf courses. The VAS are ugly, but they work. Starting in the early 1900s, Spalding started making golf balls before manufacturing clubs. Former Proctor & Gamble chief Edwin Artzt came on as chairman, with former Kraft, Inc executive vice president James Craigie becoming CEO. You should shoot me some pics of your new set. "@type": "Article", The original Strata ball was amazing when it came out spin for days! Taylor Made Golf was my Distributor for the U.S. and Canadian market. Autore dell'articolo: Articolo pubblicato: 16/06/2022 Categoria dell'articolo: fixed gantry vs moving gantry cnc Commenti dell'articolo: andy's dopey transposition cipher andy's dopey transposition cipher the only problem I have had{although the have to be at least 30+ years old},is graphite cracks. Wanted them when I was in college but couldnt afford them then. I have a old slotline cigar putter I still use,,no loift at all,looks like a big tootsie roll,but puts great,,friends still get amazed at how it puts,,. Upgraded my driver from R7 to Razr Hawk, but will never surrender my Slingshots. John is an aging, yet avid golfer, writer, 9-point-something handicapper living back home in New England after a 22-year exile in Minnesota. I just found a set of Slingers at the thrift store for $10. On sole: club# + SPALDING. Your email address will not be published. What a lovely trip down memory lane, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. When Did Spalding Stop Making Golf Clubs. Dreadful golf balls! I will let the then Chariman of FILA Golf tell you a little bit about these 1994 released set of ironsand take you back in time like you were there for the original launch: Never before have so many game improvement features been built into one club. spalding executive irons- does anyone remember these? I surely do remember those Dot balls that my brother and I would find on OFCC in south suburbs of Chicago because we couldnt afford them but you really had to pay attention to look at those balls before you grounded your club or you would put a significant cut in them. I wonder how much influence he had on those? Its factory could only make about six million dozen a year, and it was paying patent royalties. Had a set of McGregor Irons called Doctor Rx, they felt good hit in the middle, they reminded me of a Pringle potato chip. Itd take a week to prepare for.. White says the KKR leadership team was much more hands-on than the Cisneros brothers had ever been, which is understandable if you just shelled out a billion simoleons for a sporting goods company. Under Chapter 363, it bid $125 million for Top-Flite. * Note: These irons were designed by Karsten Solheimsure most of you knew that though. With the help of computers, we designed a unique shape we call the `Bull Nose which extends the toe weight out far enough to balance the head without creating an elongated appearance. You can actually play Spalding golf balls again! How about the Spalding Exec SE. I owned two sets of Unique ironsstarting in 1976. Love to see them. I tried to restore them by getting some original Browning grips (brown rubber with the Browning deer logo in gold) and exchanged several e-mails with Browning in Belgium would not sell me any. About half of our sales are with personal names or corporate logos in the back and given as gifts. The Titleist were a bit longer lasting but I (a poor college student) could afford the Spaulding balls. Needed a set of clubs to play for a few days and found these. If KKR had appointed Scott Creleman as the head man at the time I firmly believe Dpaldi g would still be a player in the golf industry 6. The Cobra set left handed golf club set is made of premium products. } So, if youre buying or selling Spalding clubs that are in reasonably good shape, you can set your expectations around $100 to begin with. No matter what brand of club you pull from your bag, you owe some thanks to one company Spalding. Really a zany=looking set of irons. All of the irons were labeled as a 7 iron, with the real number of the club micro stamped on the faces upper toe. The new club are really pretty, but no better than the original slotlines which I used to have. No. I have a set of both the 440s and the 500s, and there is no difference in face depth. Nabbed them just for the pure ugliness. Thanks. Ever hear of Belmont (internal, removable sole weighting)? *chuckles* Maybe its a good thing I took a 30 year golf hiatus. 0 bids. * Note: These irons were designed by Jim Flood and were considered a controversial design and are often times very hard to find. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Do you remember what golf websites you were shopping on back in 1995? Would the F2 wedges still be legal if the crank were a few inches further up but still keeping the same angle please. I have been playing golf over 40 years and have owned many brands of clubs. Some scumbag broke into my vehicle and stole the set about 25 years ago. This is the story of Spaldings Final Countdown. Any of you still have a set of these beauties laying around? Unfortunately, the remaining companys sales still couldnt support the debt. Never met a set of strange clubs I didnt want to try. Only until tomorrow until my hybrids come in and boom they're gone. and they wonder why they went out of business. GolfWRX_Official (Sponsored by: GolfCircuit.com), CONTEST! I was the person responsible for introducing urethane prepolymers to Dr Shen Shen Wu, Titleist R&D chemist. Yes it has some smoother lines compared to some of the other clubs on the listbut you put that PowerBow as Nike says on any of those other irons and it is a dead ringer for this list of crazies. I gave the set to my nephew, and he loves them. There are worse things. Every iron ever made is ugly as hell when you hit it off the hosel. Wilson never really recovered after Pepsi bought it in 1970. 2 iron sw. Let me know if anyone is interested. ), Phat Golf Scooters Reviews (Good or Waste of Cash? While the Top Flite was initially scorned by better players as the rock flight, it probably caused a rule change. higher loft is really your best bet for getting out of these difficult fairway lies, Top 10 Best Cheap Drivers (Updated 2021 Buying Guide), 5 Advantages of A Strong Golf Grip (Everything To Know), What Is An Overrun Golf Ball? I completed the set off of eBay for around $100. The products soon disappeared from shelves. Corey Pavin says, If I wont paid to play them ugly ass sticks they would have never been heard of ;). Windtree Golf is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. One of my buddies gave me a Tiger Shark wedge the one with 3 different alignment lines, concave dimples on the face instead of grooves, and a funky dual bounce sole configuration. In 2001 Spalding launched a $17 million ad campaign for Hogan and Strata. They come as a set and include eleven clubs, a golf bag, and head covers. And Spalding predated Mizuno by at least 60 years with a copper undercoating for its forged blades in the mid-50s. The biggest of them all, however, may well have been the aforementioned Bobby Jones. Spalding started adding Tour staff during the 90s, with Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Graig Stadler, and Nick Price all playing Stratas. I would appreciate any help you could offer! I still have them and as a matter of fact I still use a copper Zing2 sand wedge 54. They preceded hybrid irons by 20 years or so. Latitude Irons also give the golfer an added patented design feature of dual skids on the sole. The Browning 440 was a marvelous clubas you say off the fairway!!! My Dad's execs from the 70's were blades that had aluminum shafts. Great set. }, I believe Robert Molitor was the fellow who developed the Top Flite. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. But they seem to work though. . I think a list of the craziest irons made should definitely include the Jerry Barber Golden Touch irons made over 40 years ago. What a great list! Im sure Scott White would love to contribute. The pro-shop who had them could not find a buyer. and they placed it in the show. "width": "645", White says KKR management was hyper-focused on Callaway and TaylorMade, which may explain one of Spaldings biggest gaffes ever. #PowerToThePlayer. So what did his famous Ginty patent actually mean? Top Flite is now synonymous with bargain or cheap instead of being the club of choice for the greatest golfers on tour. Quite honestly, we werent ready for that.. The result is the easiest-to-hit long irons ever. Hmmmare you wondering why all irons arent made out of titanium then? They produced more premium balls, but we used to make 25-, 26-million dozen a year.. When we got out there, his Black Dot was split all the way to the liquid core I played D1 golf in college and we got three Red Dots for every match. Learn how your comment data is processed. Ive seen several of those uglies up close over the years so this was fun to view. What about Goldwin?? Those were real whacky.. bent shafts and roughly milled heads. I had never seen the Fila irons before now. Why are Spalding golf balls called Top Flite? I think you are talking about the Spaulding Executive XE irons,ahead of their time,I played a set for a couple of years then sold them, looking back I wish I hadnt. The remaining golf company was re-named Top-Flite. KKR had been trying to dump Spalding as early as 2000, but no one would take on the debt burden. I think all the readers as well as the golfspies would love to learn as much about these past designs as possible. Promoting both sports and sports equipment, the lineup featured titles such as How To Play Second Base by Hall of Famer Johnny Evers, Boxing: A Guide to the Manly Art of Self Defense, and How to Play Golf by Harry Vardon and James Braid. APPLY NOW: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! words that have to do with clay P.O. Reach and the Wright and Ditson sporting goods companies. The Ginty was the first modern Utility club. They had a premium Molitor ball at the then scandalous price of $2. Those were first made around the end of the 19th century during the hickory era. Weird thing was I could hit the XL-4 long irons better and the Executives better from 7-PW. But, you raised an interesting question: If Top-Flite Elite Professional irons with the Bird on Ball logoare rated by the MyGolfSpy Forums resident vintage club expert Big Stu as the third greatest pure forged blade of all time. Then what irons are #1 and #2 best ever forged blades? These were said to be Moe Normans favorite clubs and are rated by the MyGolfSpy Forums resident vintage club expert Big Stu as the third greatest pure forged blade of all time. This one in particular was interesting to me because I grew up in a Spalding family of sorts. Although they did have issues with the shafts actually wrinkling due to the configuration of the shape of the toe on this ironcrazy little factoid. I just love them! Within weeks, Top-Flite filed Chapter 11. We will miss Jim and his innovation ! KKR was established in 1976 by partners Jerome Kohlberg, Henry Kravis, and George Roberts. They all looked like mini woods. Shank no more, draw, fade, straight, you name it, my Filas do it. All that creativity has led to the great clubs we have today. They are similar to the Nike slingshots as they have a powerbow looking thing on the back of them. Mismanagement and a growing golf market led Spalding to cease manufacturing golf products, selling off popular brands like Top Flite to Callaway in the early 2000s. i was pretty impressed with the club. I have the entire set of samurai woods and irons,,,driver,3wood,5wood,7wood,,irons,,2-pw,dont believe they ever made a sw,,,,and I still use them,,,my fellow golfers are still amazed at the distance I get,,if you want a picture of the set,,let me know,,ill take one and send to you,,, I have the whole set of samurai irons,2-pw and woods1,3,5,7,,still use them,,i have had pros hit them,,and be amazed at the distances over their irons,,,i would like to find another 5wood,if anyone knows where or who has 1,,i, neil,,do you have a samuarai 5 wood,,,hard to find,,,id like one. Copyright 2023. Spalding also started the Spalding Athletic Library; a series of sports and exercise books published from 1892 through 1941. I demand a re-count!, He went on to say, and as owner of MyGolfSpy you should feel ashamed since you were given a set as a gift 15 years ago and I remember you putting me in play for a few rounds, how could you do this to me?, Slotline had a hit on their hands with their Slotline Inertial puttersthey sold over 2 Million of those flatsticks. What you supposed to do, cut your head off!!! As a former professional player, Spalding recognized the need of enlisting the assistance of experts to promote both the game and his merchandise. "keywords": ["spalding irons by year","when did spalding stop making golf clubs","does spalding still make golf clubs","spalding golf clubs history","spalding executive golf clubs history"], Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. info@pgatradein.com Mon-Fri: 9AM - 5PM EST . I can't imagine them being worth a shit. Bought a used set of 3-SW with a sticker decal some 35 years ago and added a 2-iron with stamped lettering later on a trip to Chicago. They are awesome clubs, very well-weighted, with a great center of gravity for high loft shots. I dont want to pay the asking prices for individual 440 Plus irons on eBay, so Ill keep my eye out for them at the thrift shops and G-W. Andyou see the Spaulding Executive irons at the Goodwill stores all the time. By reducing our debt and consolidating our operations, we enhance our abilities to drive growth behind our prestigious group of golf brands, CEO Jim Craigie said at the time. At the 2003 PGA Show, Hogan introduced the Apex 50 blade commemorating its 50th anniversary, the game improvement CFT irons, and the Carnoustie and Riviera wedges. I have one of those! Thanks for doing the digging! They also made a set made entirely of woods. Spalding no longer makes golf clubs, and hasnt for some time now. Kind of reminds one of the Hogan radial but not near as wide on the soul. The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight. - BenHogan. Read on to learn more about the history of Spalding clubs and what you can expect from various models. I saw a set go for well over $300 (I think it went closer to $500, but I just would not swear to it). Hope you find this one interesting!!!! We used to say three-quarters of the golf balls manufactured in the world came out of the state of Massachusetts, says Ben Hogan CEO Scott White, who started his career as a golf ball product manager for Spalding in the early 90s. Iomic Golf Grips: 8 Key Facts Before You Buy. I recently tried an old Jack Nicklaus 7 iron made by MacGregor many years ago. I still think I deserve to be recognized as the leader in this category and will be appealing your decision. I just picked up 6 thru 9 of the Browning 440 Plus irons at the Goodwillcant wait to try them out. Its obvious that the maker of the Slingers spent SO much money on R&D that he had to use STICKERS instead of stamped lettering. Box 4666, Ventura, CA 93007 Request a Quote: comelec district 5 quezon city CSDA Santa Barbara County Chapter's General Contractor of the Year 2014! Nice article John! Spalding Executive Registered 3 4 5 Driver Wedge P Golf Clubs Set Made In USA $26.21 Local Pickup or Best Offer SPONSORED Vintage lot of 3 Woods Top Flite Spalding Model 133 Professional 1 3 4 golf Club $29.95 $17.95 shipping or Best Offer SPONSORED PERSIMMON Spalding Robert Jones Jr Percussion Woods Set Golf Clubs Driver & 3 $60.00 $15.00 shipping They had fantastic fairway woods that I still take out for a spin every once in a while. My Uncle had the Executives and my Dad had the XL-4s. Image: Central Press/Hulton Archive via Getty Images. Callaway had been making balls but never turned a profit. Thanks for the history lesson and walk down memory lane. Maybe it is a good idea or maybe it is not. I bought a set of blue-backed Uniques back in the early 80s. I had a friend who worked for Gary Player and he sent me his brand called iGNITORS Those were fairly strange and not particular long! a beginner could really benifit from the Nike slingshot, they are easy to hit. Inventory available of individual, single, replacement or add-on golf irons and wedges for Spalding EXECUTIVE XE Irons. Jim, If you are interested in writing about the history of the urethane covered golf ball at Titleist, I can provide all of the facts. . I am a self-admitted admirer of Mr. Hogan having owned more than 2 dozen sets of various Hogan iron sets over the years and a former member of the only club to have a Hogan-designed course (actually 27 holes). General Albums. When he would get ready to play, he would hold the club so that the sole was visible to everyone. BombTech Golf Reviews (These Golf Clubs Any Good? Weve done a mini-history on the Hogan Company, with input from a couple of longtime Hogan employees. These articles are easily my favorite content any of the golf sites out out. I had released it into the foreign market through a network of distributors mid in 1978, where it was well received. I have a set of Lynx Parallax irons that were my fathers. he is a cleveland iron man now, but he still owns the spalding executives. They definitely arent the prettiest of clubs but I did enjoy playing them. we closed and then were just screwing around with some of the rental clubs. I bought my first set of real golf clubs around 1991 or 1992, the Spalding Executive. "url": "https://swingyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-1.svg" Great nostalgia with the article. Who knows what might have happened if someone else had gained control, Im 75 and recall that my Dad was a Spalding Dot guy. Thanks for you4 diligence and reporting. Anybody know anything? Return Policy > WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. I agree, though it does deserve a deep dive. What you like is what you like. Like its sporting goods brother-in-arms MacGregor, Spalding ownership changed hands in 1958. You cannot do that with any other club. Spalding lost $27 million in 2000 and another $20 million in 2001. Press J to jump to the feed. Inside cavity: blue/back button; EXECUTIVE x EZ. I may be way off they had a a plain face -but the back was a series of round holes -like a honey comb design does any one remember these what were they called and who made themmy friend died so I cant ask himanyway thanks. MyGolfSpy is jumping into the DeLorean and taking a 1.21 jiggawatt-fueled look at the long life and quick death of Spalding Golf. You can check it out at http://www.adjustablegolfclub.com. #14 - Spalding Executive Irons These were actually a pretty good iron for the time and I think Trevino had something to do with this designbut not sure. Some crazy lookin clubs, Why didnt you include the 1st set of Ping Irons? "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT3UiJflw60ZD31-6yC4mA", (Everything To Know). Remember all the other clubs, good to read. So, while Spalding is nowhere near as prevalent as it once was in the world of golf, you can still pick up a set of Molitor clubs for a very reasonable price online. I had some Staff FG-17 and my friends dad had the Executives. Can anyone ballpark an estimate on the value of a set of Samurai clubs? The 15 wood is only a little longer than an 8 iron (in my 70 yr old hands) so I put a 9 iron through sand wedge in the bag and away we go They are straight and land incredibly soft. Those and the Ram Tour Grinds that Watson played were my bucket list irons, but never could afford them. With Spalding's mass-market success breeding scores of imitators, players could pick and choose from countless club lines. I cant believe to Ping Zing 2s are on the list. I played a set of Mags for years until I got to where I could not swing fast enough to bend the stiff shafts. The ball was introduced in 1900. Someone suggested to me they were a prototype club for Johnny Miller, but were never marketed. Starting in 1900, Spalding opened club-making factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. In the late 70s I also had a set of Unique irons which were great apart from the plastic covers covering the cavity back constantly falling out. The legendary Spalding bird logo appeared on their clubs in the 1960s, with the Top-Flite Elite Professional irons proving popular on Tour. Thanks. Spalding used to own Top Flite before selling the subsidiary to Callaway. I got an incomplete set at the Salvation Army for $15. And if the Nicklaus Bear irons were used to win the US Amateur, they shouldnt be on a worst irons list either. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. I played a lot of Spaulding equipment as a kid in all kinds of sports. Jerry Barber Golden Touch shank-proof irons (BeCu, ideally), Powerbilt TPS with the Goalpost Alignment System, And I agree with a previous posters suggestion of the Spalding Cannon ADVANCE. Finally, my number came up along with everyone else in the product management and marketing teams.. I love them so much I have four sets, just a case a club breaks. Well today is going to be a little bit different. Spalding, along with Wright and Ditson, was importing golf clubs from Scotland. Not to belittle them because KKR is incredibly successful, but they didnt know the golf business the way we did, says White. I have a set of Spalding exec XE love them- I dont play more than 5-6 rounds a year now, but they are so consistant , I could go a year between swings and still play the same- got them back in 1980- ish. The chrome I'm 25 years old and I've been playing with my grandfathers Spalding executives for 10 years now, and I shoot about a 80-85. The companys lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. Men's Right Handed. I also have a set of Browning TR600s. Model Summary Color chart indicates best . Keep up the great work. Still have the XL-4s in the garage. 1-949-642-6484 . Basically, the new irons are all the same cavity backed design tweaked for the metal content and painted pretty for your golf bag. and I firmly believe the demise of Spalding was because a number of CEOs with little or no knowledge of the golf industry were appointed It was first shown at the PGA dealers show at Disney World, Orlando, Florida 1979. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. they were a good iron, that looked good at address, and were easy to hit. If so send them to contact(at)mygolfspy.com. The real prize for Callaway was the Chicopee ball plant. The shaft collapses to 18 inches so it is great for travelsure beats the cost of checking a golf bag these days. The Top-Flite, Strata, and Hogan brands stayed alive for a while, but Callaway eventually mothballed them all. i knew a guy who was a 4 handicap, and he used the spalding executives. (Cavity back blades???) It adjusts to every loft in a full bag, plus half lofts. Yes, it sold a ton of golf balls, but as one former employee told us, the brand was decidedly blue-collar and not focused on the golf professional. As a former pro athlete, Spalding saw the value of using professionals to help promote both the game and his products. What about Giant Irons, I remember seeing those on an infomercial a few times. Ugly or unconventional, I felt a more confident with them and Stan Thompson fairway woods. Clare. From the 1950s to the 1990s Spalding was in the bag for many major victories, and was played on municipal courses across the country. I have had many pros in proams hit them and fascinated by how the ball comes off the club face so fast,,good distance. These irons which I dont know who actually designed were called the Ray Cook Titanic irons and were made back when Scotty Cameron was a putter designer for the company. These were great clubs. "@context": "http://schema.org/", Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Much cheaper than renting. Duclos, a former flight engineer worked on the Skylab and S-IVB (third stage of the Saturn V rocket, responsible for getting the Apollo module from the Earth to the moon). Can you help me find the history of the club? Spalding spent over 125 years as a sporting goods giant. Is it worth getting a new set of clubs, or should I focus on getting spikes and a gloves, ( I currently golf in thing sandles) 0. The Spalding Top-Flite first came out in 1970. Love it or hate it the Nike Slingshot irons made the list. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, (your email address will not be published), Acushnet 2022 Financials: $2.27 Billion and Counting, Penfold Ace Golf Balls: Whats Old Is New Again, Four Testers Wanted Inesis Spikeless Shoe. have a putter,,that comes in a case,,like a pool stick,,on thecourse when its time to put,,i take it out,each piece screws together to form the putter,,,,,,,putts really good,,,. A set of wedges were introduced several years ago claiming to be New and the best thing since sliced bread, but they looked strangely similar to the Golden Touch irons. " [We] decided that . The Executive clubs are among the finest pure forged blades ever produced and have certainly stood the test of time. By Another really well done article. They say you learn from your mistakes. !but they had a very proprietary, strange-sized grip. * Note: These irons were designed by Dave (cant remember last name) which was considered a very good designer by others in the business at the time and one that some felt did not get as much credit as he deserved. It was an interesting period to work for Spalding but sad to watch the demise of the brand it should never of happened ! It was an excellent article and some of the follow-on comments from industry stalwarts like Jack Wullkotte, David Hueber, Tom Wishon, etc. He could not believe the smoothness of the Driver. Insurmountable debt, uncertain management, and stiff competition forced Spalding to stop production. Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. Yes, it did. Decided it was time for me to get some cavity back irons. Used them for about 10-15 years before I switch to 845s. In the mid-80s, Spalding introduced the solid core Tour Edition, and in 1996 it came out with Strata, a true game-changer for Spalding and the first multi-layer solid core ball used on Tour. it was at my range's rental bin. He would hold up the club so they could see the 7 on the bottom and with a big grin say I hit a 7 iron. "@type": "ImageObject", WITB Albums. So I sent it in and got the iron. I had a set of Tiger Sharks(the short irons hit the ball miles).The follow up Great Whites Anyone ever hear of anything like that? It was a popular cavity back iron and Spalding decided to sell it through general sporting goods stores, eschewing the golf pro. My Dad had the XL-4s (I still have them), one Uncle had the Executives and another had the Cannons. Its pretty clear KKR didnt do its due diligence. When I was starting golf, I went to the shop and these were the clubs that I hit the best (compared to cavity backs) and bought them. Incidentally, Vulcan (Chicago suburb club makers who made some of the earliest hybrids) made a full set of hybrids 3-SW. You have not lived until you hit good hybrid wedges! when were spalding executive golf clubs madeoregon dpsst training calendar. Zevo was a great brand and I played a Zevo Zv2 hybrid for almost 6 years because it was so easy to hit and had incredible feel. Throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s, Spalding and Titleist were running neck and neck in golf ball production. spalding golf clubs any good. Leather Golf Grips Review: Should I Use Them? The "New York Times" frequently syndicates his work. The likes of Callaway, TaylorMade, and PING all enjoyed good commercial success in the late nineties, and Spalding couldnt match the same feats achieved by the biggest brands. Spalding stopped making golf clubs in 2002, and their last clubs were branded as Top Flite Oversized irons. My Nike Slingshots is the best set I have ever used.