Vintage Golf

[golfbluecustard]

You're on your way to fun golf.

Ping Eye 2 woods are renowned for being easy to hit, and why wouldn't they, it's how Ping built their name!
(Watch what range balls you're hitting, some of the real rocks can damage the older woods.)

I don't know where you're based but if you're any where near Brentford then these are a steal.
The Spalding woods look to be Persimmon.
The Slazenger Bobby Locke Personal irons look to be the full 2 to 9 iron plus sand wedge, they date from the late 1950s.
If I lived near Brentford I'd be on them like a shot.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mixed-se...875789?hash=item1aa4abdacd:g:XOkAAOSwS9NfcMD1

Hi

Thanks but not close enough for me, I'm looking at some very shiny TP 9's currently....and will let you know how i get on !

GBC

 

[golfbluecustard]

i am using my old Callaway Big Bertha III driver until I get a new driver...everyone thinks I’m using a 3 wood from the tee - one of my playing companions told me I’d be very really long off the tee if I used a driver. He had to check my club when I said I already was ?. Another asked if I’d got it out of my loft...yup ?

I took my full set with me, and my 'new' Pings and did get some double takes at the range walking in as the Pings weren't in a bag, and people saw those first, as my bag was over my shoulder

GBC

 

[golfbluecustard]

Has anyone played with / own a Ping 1 a putter?

Seen some YouTube clips of them and all i can say is WOW !!! Feel slightly embarrassed I didn't know exactly where the ping name came from until now .....

GBC

 

[Crow]

Has anyone played with / own a Ping 1 a putter?

Seen some YouTube clips of them and all i can say is WOW !!! Feel slightly embarrassed I didn't know exactly where the ping name came from until now .....

GBC

Guy on here sold one recently, see page 23 of this thread, I assume he played a few holes with it before.

 

[golfbluecustard]

Thanks very much for your help crow! Much appreciated

Hi @Bdill93 did you ever play with the 1 A putter ? He great to hear about it / also did you ever sell it ?

GBC

 

[Crow]

Lovely set of Dunlop Peter Thomson clubs for anyone in the Norwich area, these date from 1966.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/407942846851158/

 

[Bdill93]

Hi @Bdill93 did you ever play with the 1 A putter ? He great to hear about it / also did you ever sell it ?

GBC

Oh you know I did!

It was pretty marvellous, I wont lie! Dont think the noise will ever be forgotten, a true DONNGGGG every time you made contact and a different noise the more off centre your putt was! I almost regret selling it but I used the money to help with my costs as im just starting out in golf.

I have sold it now - fetched around £100 on ebay.

In 10 years I may go on the hunt for one again, a true collectors piece in my mind.

 

[golfbluecustard]

Oh you know I did!

It was pretty marvellous, I wont lie! Dont think the noise will ever be forgotten, a true DONNGGGG every time you made contact and a different noise the more off centre your putt was! I almost regret selling it but I used the money to help with my costs as im just starting out in golf.

I have sold it now - fetched around £100 on ebay.

In 10 years I may go on the hunt for one again, a true collectors piece in my mind.

Good stuff, and glad you got to both experience it, and it helped fund your golf journey as well !!!

I'll keep looking on eBay and see what comes up

Play well

GBC

 

[DeanoMK]

I'm looking to cut down and re-grip the bullseye putter that I bought - absolutely loving putting with it but the grip is bugging me and it's probably 2 inches too long as well. How can I ensure I don't affect the swing weight if I do it myself?

 

[Crow]

I'm looking to cut down and re-grip the bullseye putter that I bought - absolutely loving putting with it but the grip is bugging me and it's probably 2 inches too long as well. How can I ensure I don't affect the swing weight if I do it myself?

Taking 2 inches off will have a big impact on swingweight, around 6 points less.
If you putt a heavier grip on than the one there now that will also reduce the swingweight, though not so dramatically unless it's really heavy.

To bring it back to where it is now the easiest fix is with lead taper an the back of the face, you'll need to add around 12 grams to offset the 2 inches.
Lead tape was used very commonly in the past but is rarely seen these days due to the adjustability of modern clubs.

Lead tape is easy to find on ebay, see below, many other sellers available.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10X-Lead...280191?hash=item48e926cfbf:g:d-sAAOSwvCtfDs3U

 

[ADB]

Oh you know I did!

It was pretty marvellous, I wont lie! Dont think the noise will ever be forgotten, a true DONNGGGG every time you made contact and a different noise the more off centre your putt was! I almost regret selling it but I used the money to help with my costs as im just starting out in golf.

I have sold it now - fetched around £100 on ebay.

In 10 years I may go on the hunt for one again, a true collectors piece in my mind.

More like PIIIINNGGG surely

 

[DeanoMK]

Taking 2 inches off will have a big impact on swingweight, around 6 points less.
If you putt a heavier grip on than the one there now that will also reduce the swingweight, though not so dramatically unless it's really heavy.

To bring it back to where it is now the easiest fix is with lead taper an the back of the face, you'll need to add around 12 grams to offset the 2 inches.
Lead tape was used very commonly in the past but is rarely seen these days due to the adjustability of modern clubs.

Lead tape is easy to find on ebay, see below, many other sellers available.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10X-Lead...280191?hash=item48e926cfbf:g:d-sAAOSwvCtfDs3U

Thanks. Didn't realise it would have that much of a difference. Getting a grip that's 58 grams. Will see how it feels once I've done it and go from there I guess

 

[Bdill93]

More like PIIIINNGGG surely

You'd think... but on a wet day - its a dong!

Theres no man or woman on earth who'd name their brand DONG though is there, so Ping must have stuck.

 

[DeanoMK]

Thanks. Didn't realise it would have that much of a difference. Getting a grip that's 58 grams. Will see how it feels once I've done it and go from there I guess

Just an update. I took two inches off and put the new grip on fine and to my surprise the weight feels exactly the same to me - played with it today and whilst I didn't put great the size and weight were perfect, 33" is 100% the right size for me.

 

[Crow]

Just an update. I took two inches off and put the new grip on fine and to my surprise the weight feels exactly the same to me - played with it today and whilst I didn't put great the size and weight were perfect, 33" is 100% the right size for me.

Prefer a shorter putter myself, but most vintage putters are a stock 35".

I'm sure the putters I use are miles apart in swingweights, I find half a dozen rolls with putter of the day are enough to give a feel for the round, I'm not on tour after all.

 

[Crow]

When I saw this one on ebay I had to have it for the collection, arrived today.

The "DW" Brand is considered by many to be the first example of this iconic style of iron, often referred to as a reverse muscle where the weighting is towards the top line for a lower flight rather than towards the sole for a more forgiving head.

This example is hickory shafted so probably dates between 1920 and 1935, I need to try and find the registration number, not easy even with the internet.
This style disappeared from UK clubs for a while but was taken up by MacGregor in the US, often attributed to Tommy Armour who emigrated to America in the 1920s and most likely took examples of Brutish clubs with him, including the "DW" Brand?

MacGregor produced the next well known version of the style, an early example the 3852 is shown below. This became very popular and was copied by others. After a visit to the US by several British Pros, they returned with examples of American clubs and asked John Letters to produce a version, his first example was the Masters Model in 1947, shown below.
This style stayed in the Letters range for many years and most manufacturers had a version in their range at some time/
Below are further examples by Slazenger, Harold Bird & Son, Mizuno and Cobra.

 

[Canary Kid]

Hi Crow. Thought you might be interested in this article in Golf Australia magazine. I hope you are able to read it ... if not, let me know and I’ll try and find an alternative way of getting it to you.

 

[Crow]

Hi Crow. Thought you might be interested in this article in Golf Australia magazine. I hope you are able to read it ... if not, let me know and I’ll try and find an alternative way of getting it to you.

Thanks CK, I can read it fine!

Interesting article but I think he's overegging the idea of a "revolution" a little, there's been a slight increase in interest and club sets on ebay that previously I'd be the only bidder on I'm now sometimes being outbid, but there are still barely a handful of people playing the old clubs. Maybe it's different in Australia?

I'd also question his statement that there was only 5 metres difference between his persimmon driver and his titanium, the CoR on the titanium driver is much higher, the spin lower and the shaft longer, all will contribute to at least 15 or 20 metres I'd say.

 

[FELL75]

Saw this thread and looked at some of the items discussed. What does constitute 'vintage'? I have a set of mizunos in the garage that I haven't used for 25 years. I guess they are a collection item only of they were good in their day say like the ping eye 2 or in great condition? Just curious. Thanks

 

[Crow]

Saw this thread and looked at some of the items discussed. What does constitute 'vintage'? I have a set of mizunos in the garage that I haven't used for 25 years. I guess they are a collection item only of they were good in their day say like the ping eye 2 or in great condition? Just curious. Thanks

There is no set definition, which is why I used it for the thread title, in golf there are loose categories with some crossover which can be summed up as below:

Hickory - This one appears easy as it's any club with a hickory wood shaft but even then there are sub-categories.
Clubs played before the rubber ball, roughly pre 1900. These are usually smooth faced irons and longer headed woods, the earliest will have shafts made of other woods such as ash.
Common hickory, includes the above but for competitions usually stipulates clubs made up until 1935, although in the USA they allow new clubs made in old style.

Classic - As a period this generally covers from the end of WWII up until the demise of wooden headed woods, roughly 1945 to 1985.
It also covers iconic or revolutionary clubs produced more recently such as the Callaway Big Bertha or Titleist Tour Model irons.

You'll note that there's no category for early steel shafted clubs, roughly the late 1920s to 1939, to my mind this is a great tragedy as there was a lot of development going on during this period and currently the clubs are considered junk. I've bought a few sets that I thought would otherwise be thrown away, which is what's happening to many of these clubs.

So your 25 year old Mizuno could well fall into the classic/iconic category.
Classic Mizuno clubs would be such as TP-9 and TP-11, or more recently the MP-32 and MP-33.
Not so good would be such as the Astron or Impact.
Condition is always a factor!