pointman131
Addicted to Softballfans
Ok, so there have been a few questions sent my way about fake clubs. If you want to make this a sticky, that's cool. While I am not a golf genious, I do know some tricks on spotting fake clubs. Now, I am not talking about clones. Companies like Integra, Hireko, Scotty Cameron, Slighter Golf, Bettinardi, Cleveland... have cloned clubs that are of great quality. Now, I said Scotty Cameron...!? Yep... the Newport and Newport II series of putters are actuall clones of the original Ping Anser, with subtle differences. Actually, ANY putter that looks like a Ping Anser is a clone. They were able to take arguably the best putter design ever and make it their own after Ping's Patent ran out. How does this help you? Well, read on...
Now, there are companies in China, Sri Lanka, Mexico.... (just to name a few) that actually make putters and clubs, then put the target OEM's name on it, violating all kinds of laws in the process. If you see a putter on an auction site, that comes from any of these countries, let them keep it. That is the first step. If you have a Scotty Cameron, particularlly a later Newport, Fastback, Squareback, Circa 62, Big Sur, Studio Design (Anser style)... if you take a magnet and put it on the putter, if it sticks, it is fake. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE WEIGHTS on the soles of some of these... If you look at a Studio Stainless, and the dots have "air bubbles" in the paint, then it is fake. Also pay close attention to the machine grooves. If it looks like there are 2 different size bits cutting the face grooves, or machine marks in the cavity, it is most likely fake. Remember, for the most part, OEMs have WONDERFUL QC. If you are looking at a club that looks like it was assembled on bring your child to work day, it is most likely fake.
TaylorMade Golf as a whole, is faked quite a bit. That is why they come out with new products almost anually, to try and stay ahead of the shady people that fake them. I will use the Tour Burner for example. A factory club's lines are perfect. You can tell where the gloss paint seperates from the flact black "trim" that goes around the outside edge of the sole of the club. You can feel the ridge where the paint styles end and begin. Here is little known fact as well. Every Tour Preferred or TP model wood Taylor Made makes has a .335 hosel diameter. If you get ahold of a driver or fairway (like 3 wood, 5 wood) that says it is a TP, and it is anything other than .335, you have a sure enough fake, no matter how good it looks or performs. The NON TP drivers and FWs are .350. Also, ALL of Taylor Made's woods have serial numbers. A TOUR club will have a T at the beginning. If it was certified by the USGA, it will have a rough, hand scribed B over the serial #. Also, ALL of Taylor Made's woods have very tiny, but distinct "spin" marks on the hosel from when it was milled.
Adams Golf is coming on strong in the club making arena. There are some people that sell clubs claiming they are "tour issued". Here is how you can tell a Tour Issued Adams wood. If you get ahold of an Adams wood that has a serial number, it is not tour issued, unless something has changed at the factory very recently. MOST of the fairway woods Adams makes have a paint break one face side of the hosel, all the way down to the club face. This is because Adams uses VERY hard paint on there club heads. Since the majority of Tour players have custom lofts, and face angles *( Vijay Singh's FW starts out as a 7 wood, and it is bent to roughly 6-7 degrees open, thus delofting the face, and taking the left side of the course out of play )* and are bent to get them to the custom specs. The woods are bent at the hosel, and if Adams did not use the paint break, the paint would literally pop off of the club as it is being bent. Also, you may hear someone say they have a BTY 4350 that is Tour Issued. Adams retail 4350 has one weight port on the sole. The Tour club, or dual can or two can, has two weight ports. The Tour Prototype FWs Adams has out come in both retail and Tour configuration. If you look at the sole, the weight will be toward the center of the sole. That designates both the Tour Prototype. Now, if the weight is removable, then it is truly Tour issued. It will have a triangle machined into it where it accepts a tool bit. The retail version of the Tour Prototype also has a triangle, but it will not accept a tool, as the triangle is filled in. Also, the majority of Adams clubs will have a 4 digit numeric stamped in the sole. NOW, I have owned a Tour Issued Adams 3 wood, that had neither the 4 digit number or a paint break. BUT, it had a plug in the sole where it had been reweighted on the Tour Van. These clubs go for BIG bucks due mostly to their rareness. Adams is one of the few OEMs that polish their hosels too, just for 411.
As far as shafts go, it is very difficult to spot a fake. I would say to pay VERY close attention to the screen prints and graphics on them. If they are not clean, I would stay away from it.
Last thing I would say for now is this. Folks, GOOD golf equipment IS NOT CHEAP. Now you can find some deals on here, and other places for sure, but if you were to see, let's say a putter like my Oil Can going on an auction site for way cheap... well, you know what I mean.
If have a question about a club on an auction site, or a club for sale in general, by all means hit me up. There are also a number of members of this site who are very, very knowledgable about the game and equipment. Scats, Idriveahonda, Ricksmith, coach... there are numerous members... ask one of them too... I am sure they will not mind helping a brother out.
You can also call the OEM of the particular club you are looking at and have them check the serial #. Faking clubs is big business, and it takes business away from the OEMs, so they do not mind at all dropping some info your way.
Now, there are companies in China, Sri Lanka, Mexico.... (just to name a few) that actually make putters and clubs, then put the target OEM's name on it, violating all kinds of laws in the process. If you see a putter on an auction site, that comes from any of these countries, let them keep it. That is the first step. If you have a Scotty Cameron, particularlly a later Newport, Fastback, Squareback, Circa 62, Big Sur, Studio Design (Anser style)... if you take a magnet and put it on the putter, if it sticks, it is fake. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE WEIGHTS on the soles of some of these... If you look at a Studio Stainless, and the dots have "air bubbles" in the paint, then it is fake. Also pay close attention to the machine grooves. If it looks like there are 2 different size bits cutting the face grooves, or machine marks in the cavity, it is most likely fake. Remember, for the most part, OEMs have WONDERFUL QC. If you are looking at a club that looks like it was assembled on bring your child to work day, it is most likely fake.
TaylorMade Golf as a whole, is faked quite a bit. That is why they come out with new products almost anually, to try and stay ahead of the shady people that fake them. I will use the Tour Burner for example. A factory club's lines are perfect. You can tell where the gloss paint seperates from the flact black "trim" that goes around the outside edge of the sole of the club. You can feel the ridge where the paint styles end and begin. Here is little known fact as well. Every Tour Preferred or TP model wood Taylor Made makes has a .335 hosel diameter. If you get ahold of a driver or fairway (like 3 wood, 5 wood) that says it is a TP, and it is anything other than .335, you have a sure enough fake, no matter how good it looks or performs. The NON TP drivers and FWs are .350. Also, ALL of Taylor Made's woods have serial numbers. A TOUR club will have a T at the beginning. If it was certified by the USGA, it will have a rough, hand scribed B over the serial #. Also, ALL of Taylor Made's woods have very tiny, but distinct "spin" marks on the hosel from when it was milled.
Adams Golf is coming on strong in the club making arena. There are some people that sell clubs claiming they are "tour issued". Here is how you can tell a Tour Issued Adams wood. If you get ahold of an Adams wood that has a serial number, it is not tour issued, unless something has changed at the factory very recently. MOST of the fairway woods Adams makes have a paint break one face side of the hosel, all the way down to the club face. This is because Adams uses VERY hard paint on there club heads. Since the majority of Tour players have custom lofts, and face angles *( Vijay Singh's FW starts out as a 7 wood, and it is bent to roughly 6-7 degrees open, thus delofting the face, and taking the left side of the course out of play )* and are bent to get them to the custom specs. The woods are bent at the hosel, and if Adams did not use the paint break, the paint would literally pop off of the club as it is being bent. Also, you may hear someone say they have a BTY 4350 that is Tour Issued. Adams retail 4350 has one weight port on the sole. The Tour club, or dual can or two can, has two weight ports. The Tour Prototype FWs Adams has out come in both retail and Tour configuration. If you look at the sole, the weight will be toward the center of the sole. That designates both the Tour Prototype. Now, if the weight is removable, then it is truly Tour issued. It will have a triangle machined into it where it accepts a tool bit. The retail version of the Tour Prototype also has a triangle, but it will not accept a tool, as the triangle is filled in. Also, the majority of Adams clubs will have a 4 digit numeric stamped in the sole. NOW, I have owned a Tour Issued Adams 3 wood, that had neither the 4 digit number or a paint break. BUT, it had a plug in the sole where it had been reweighted on the Tour Van. These clubs go for BIG bucks due mostly to their rareness. Adams is one of the few OEMs that polish their hosels too, just for 411.
As far as shafts go, it is very difficult to spot a fake. I would say to pay VERY close attention to the screen prints and graphics on them. If they are not clean, I would stay away from it.
Last thing I would say for now is this. Folks, GOOD golf equipment IS NOT CHEAP. Now you can find some deals on here, and other places for sure, but if you were to see, let's say a putter like my Oil Can going on an auction site for way cheap... well, you know what I mean.
If have a question about a club on an auction site, or a club for sale in general, by all means hit me up. There are also a number of members of this site who are very, very knowledgable about the game and equipment. Scats, Idriveahonda, Ricksmith, coach... there are numerous members... ask one of them too... I am sure they will not mind helping a brother out.
You can also call the OEM of the particular club you are looking at and have them check the serial #. Faking clubs is big business, and it takes business away from the OEMs, so they do not mind at all dropping some info your way.
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Confusing yet? LOL...
