Hireko Forum

termides@gmail.com · Joined: Jan 17, 2010 Messages: 111 Offline

I googled some of your clubs and was taken to golfclubclone.com where most of your clubs are listed as clones.

termides@gmail.com · Joined: Jan 17, 2010 Messages: 111 Offline

As a matter of fact there are a lot of companies selling your products as clones. If that is not true it should not be happening.

Jeff Summitt · Joined: Jan 13, 2006 Messages: 2541 Offline

Unfortunately there is no way to police or enforce the content they decide to put on their website. But we do not condone clones as all our clubs are original designs and sell them on their own merits.

Jeff Summitt

termides@gmail.com · Joined: Jan 17, 2010 Messages: 111 Offline

You handle that much better then I. It would really make me angry. I don't see how they profit since the prices are close to yours.

steel_cup@hotmail.com · Joined: Oct 17, 2008 Messages: 30 Offline

Would be an interesting study to know if the clubs sell better as clones or as original designs. To the layman just starting out in the game, or who buys Walmart sets, a clone association probably helps with the sale. ie, better to buy based on something you've heard of than taking a shot in the dark with a no-name original design club.

Jeff Summitt · Joined: Jan 13, 2006 Messages: 2541 Offline

To be perfectly honest, I really don't want to know if that is true or not. The best we can do as a company is sell or market the club on its merits to the end consumer or our our customers who go on to fit and sell the product to his or her customer. In the latter case, the clubmaker / fitter has to sell their self to the customer that they can provide a product that will work well despite what is written on the bottom of the head, base of the grip or silkscreen on the shaft.

Jeff Summitt

GaryJ · Joined: Feb 3, 2006 Messages: 100 Offline

Amen! Actually, this might be an interesting subject for a webinar (from a marketing standpoint).

termides@gmail.com · Joined: Jan 17, 2010 Messages: 111 Offline

I don't want to press this point, however in the past I bought clubs for my stepdad from gigagolf before I found you. Are they clones?

Jeff Summitt · Joined: Jan 13, 2006 Messages: 2541 Offline

If they say in their advertising or description "compares to (insert brand name club here)" then it is a clone. If it looks like a brand name club, even down to the same color combination except for changing the name to something eerily familiar to the name brand club, then it is a clone. If the club looks like a name brand club that has just come out with a similar description, then it is a clone because a clone requires no original design. Original design clubs can take close to a year or perhaps longer to go from drawing board to the warehouse.

Jeff Summitt

lanpayblack@yahoo.com · Joined: Sep 24, 2008 Messages: 29 Offline

Aren't there things such as "foundry designs" which many companies can tag as their own even tho' others are using the same head design only with a different name?

Jeff Summitt · Joined: Jan 13, 2006 Messages: 2541 Offline

Open models by the foundries can be a different issue than a clone. While some open models could certainly be a clone of a popular model, it used to be a way for foundries to keep their toolmakers busy during to "off-season" to come up with different ideas for their customers. I think those days are going away with the high cost of tooling and low ROI on an idea that may not ever be sold.

Jeff Summitt

termides@gmail.com · Joined: Jan 17, 2010 Messages: 111 Offline

I bought a set of clubs from gigagolf for my 72 year old stepdad to intoduce him to golf. the quality was better then your clubs. TT shafts labeled finest quality. your clubs do not have the ferrules turned down and grips not installed all the way down leaving a play at the top. You never answered me concerning if you spine your clubs or frequency balance. You just gave me a reference to your shaft fitting forum.

Jeff Summitt · Joined: Jan 13, 2006 Messages: 2541 Offline

Sorry, I did not see your post on frequency matching or spine aligning. No, we do neither. All we do is basic assembly. If you want those services done, then please see a qualified clubmaker in your area or search the web for one that will work with you. You can also purchase the components and all the tools to build the clubs anyway you would like. Most of our products are purchased by individuals who make their own club or make them for others.

As far as the grip issue on the 6-iron, someone from customer service should be or already may have contacted you.

Jeff Summitt