Pinemeadow Golf clears up
clones versus brands debate
By PinemeadowGolf.com, Staff Writers
The concept of cloning has been around for many years. A lot of products you use today are produced and manufactured with the same ideas of a brand that started the “cloning” niche. Cloning began with computers and sport utility vehicles and eventually spread to golf products, which lead to manufacturing golf club clones.
In the SUV market, we have similar makes and models where companies take certain features and “clone” each others’ design concepts. They all do this legally, ethically, and with great vigor. Although it may be difficult to distinguish one SUV from the next, it is clear that these vehicles are not exact copies of each other. Furthermore, manufacturers have no intention of trying to deceive the customer into thinking their vehicle is another brand. SUV manufacturers copy the same features, performance characteristics and customer benefits from each other in a marketplace of continuing innovation. This concept can be applied throughout the sales industry, from computers to golf.
Golf brands such as Callaway®, Titliest®, TaylorMade® and Cobra® dominate the golf industry. These companies borrow design concepts from each other to provide their customers with the newest technology in golf. For example, Callaway®, TaylorMade®, Titliest® and Cobra® all market a metal wood graphite shaft driver that features a bigger head size, deeper clubface, lower center of gravity and internal weighting.
All of these drivers boast ultimate distance, forgiveness, accuracy, and reduced spin. The concepts of these drivers are comparable. Clones borrow these concepts to create a cost effective product that provides the consumer with the same quality club at a better value. The goal of clones is to provide all of the performance features of a name brand club at a better price.
Name brands spend millions of dollars on advertising, marketing and professional endorsements. The money spent to effectively sell their products gets filtered into the cost of each product sold. As a result, the consumer ends up not only paying for a quality product, but for the name as well. According to Golf Digest, which we may or may not agree with, a driver that retails for $500 costs just $77 to manufacture: $55 club head, $15 graphite shaft, $3 grip, and $4 assembly. The remaining $423 covers overhead expenses for the company. A higher price does not necessarily mean a better quality product.
The main advantage of golf clubs clones is price. Savings are between 50 percent and 75 percent of name brand companies’ retail price. This savings equates to several hundred dollars when buying a full set of clubs. Lower prices also means you can afford to buy new clubs more often. This is beneficial because the innovative golf industry consistently introduces new designs and technology to the public.
Are clones as good as their brand equivalents in terms of performance? If you’re buying good quality clones from a reputable manufacturer, then yes. Remember, their prices are lower because they save by eliminating marketing and overhead expenses—not because they’re saving on materials.
Clones are not to be confused with branded products they may seek to flatter. But they are essentially made from the same materials and perform similar (if not better than) to name brands. In fact, most golf clone companies buy their heads, shafts, and grips from the same small community of golf manufacturing suppliers as name brand companies. A good golf clone manufacturer will also provide a range of shaft and grip options with each purchase. Top clone manufacturers offer the same make of grips and shafts as name brand companies. The difference in playability from brand name clubs is insignificant if the clone is made by a good manufacturer.
Legitimate clone club manufacturers work very careful to not violate the valid rights of other companies. Good clones make no attempt to mislead the customer by clearly stating their company name on the product. Consumers must beware of illegal knockoffs and counterfeit products when purchasing golf products. Golf clones must be in accordance with the legal trade dress rights, trademarks, patents and copyrights.
Golf clones that violate any of these codes are illegal and should not be purchased. Products that bear an uncanny resemblance to a name brand and/or lead the consumer to believe they are buy an original brand or exact copy, or most likely illegal clones. These illegal products are not comparable in quality and have minimal durability.
Research the golf clone company prior to purchasing any of their products. There are a lot of really low grade knock-offs available in the golf industry that are not made by good manufacturers. These knock-offs almost always choose to remain anonymous. If a company’s name cannot be identified on a club, it is most likely illegal. Knock-off clubs are rarely the same caliber. Shafts are often inferior factory seconds that have been painted to look like serious golf shafts.
Some knock-offs use cheap stainless steel formulas which begin to rust when exposed to dampness. Cheap titanium alloys are heavy on aluminum and contain a minimal amount of titanium. Paint can wear off immediately. These are a few examples of poor quality knock-offs with limited durability and poor performance.
The Pinemeadow Staff Writers are made of what we like to call “golf gurus” who specialize in a variety of subjects in golf. The team is comprised of employees of PinemeadowGolf.com, a website that builds and sells custom golf clubs to thousands of golfers worldwide.
TravelGolf.com and TravelGolf Media claim no relationship to the companies, products or persons mentioned in this press release.
