Vintage Golf

[Crow]

Most woods are okay with a ProV1 but the ones above don't have any inserts, they're just wood, so I'd definitely use a Supersoft with them.

It's the ball cover that does a lot of the damage, the old Surlyn covers are terrible.

I try and play most of my golf with soft balls as it's kinder on the clubs and once you get used to them, switching to a firmer ball feels weird.

 

[Bigfoot]

A recent ebay acquisition, 3 woods and a set of 8 irons all 1930s.

I doubt that many will be interested in the woods (probably true of the irons too!) so I'll just post the one picture; Laurie Auchterlonie, Driver, Barssie and Spoon.

I'm really excited about the irons, however, instantly one of my favourite sets.

They're by Gradidge and this model seems to have been used by several club Pros as I've seen it with at least one other Pro's name and also stamped "Whitcombe Model".
I'm pretty certain that this will be a 1930s set, Jimmy Ross joined Gradidge in 1934 to launch a golf division so that would limit them to a 5 year period up until the start of WWII, the Gradidge factory in Woolwich, London was hit during the blitz.

Looking at the soles, the oft used term "butter knife" seems to have been coined with these irons in mind.

The clubs are in excellent condition and the grips are works of art in themselves.
All end caps present and correct too!

The 1 iron looks like my type of club !!

 

[Voyager EMH]

Absolutely superb! Must be one of your best buys ever. Methinks the seller should have put them in a top-end auction rather than ebay. His loss your gain. Brilliant.

 

[Crow]

Absolutely superb! Must be one of your best buys ever. Methinks the seller should have put them in a top-end auction rather than ebay. His loss your gain. Brilliant.

Sadly these are the sort of clubs that not even many collectors seem interested in, the 1930s early steel shaft era.

But, as you say, it means I don't have to spend silly money buying them.

Personally I think that there are some really innovative designs from this time, as well as a fair share of rubbish!
I'll be putting together a YouTube video on coated shaft clubs soon.

 

[Crow]

Here's the latest video for insomniacs, featuring the early history of Slazenger's golf division, which includes Gradidge.

 

[chrisd]

I'll be putting together a YouTube video on coated shaft clubs soon.

Sounds good for an Oscar nomination ?

 

[Crow]

Sounds good for an Oscar nomination ?

X-rated.

 

[jmcp]

Hi,

I have a set of Rawling Penna lites that I bought new in the 80’s and I was wondering if I was to get them reshafted, would modern shafts fit into them ? Shafts currently on them are DG R300, not sure if shaft diameters have changed since these were made. Thanks.

cheers, John

 

[Crow]

Hi,

I have a set of Rawling Penna lites that I bought new in the 80’s and I was wondering if I was to get them reshafted, would modern shafts fit into them ? Shafts currently on them are DG R300, not sure if shaft diameters have changed since these were made. Thanks.

cheers, John

Can't answer that one I'm afraid but I imagine that they'd be standard diameter.

The best thing would be to get them measured with a micrometer or shaft gauge and go from there.

One word of caution though, the irons might be from the short-lived craze for lightweight clubs and if so then the shaft will be more flexible than a standard modern shaft.
If you put new shafts in then either choose a soft flex or be prepared to add lead tape to the heads to bring the weight up.
(Check the overall weight or swingweight)

 

[jmcp]

Funny you should say that as when I had a couple of practice swings with one of them, it felt very head heavy, thought it was because they have R300 shafts when I usually use S300, also, the clubs are all slightly shorter than modern clubs for some reason. Thanks.

cheers, John

 

[Crow]

Funny you should say that as when I had a couple of practice swings with one of them, it felt very head heavy, thought it was because they have R300 shafts when I usually use S300, also, the clubs are all slightly shorter than modern clubs for some reason. Thanks.

cheers, John

The length difference will just be because the lofts were weaker, if you measure the loft and then compare it against a modern club of the same loft they should be pretty similar in length.

 

[Voyager EMH]

'Scuse me for butting in. Why change the shafts? The heavy-head feel might suit those clubs. I have a set of Powerbilt irons from 1980s that feel just like that (head heavy) compared to more up to date clubs. I soon got used to them in just one round and enjoyed the solid feel to the strike with an easy going swing.
It will depend on whether you are prepared to adjust to the clubs (no cost, little time) or have the clubs adjusted to you (more cost and more time)

 

[jmcp]

The length difference will just be because the lofts were weaker, if you measure the loft and then compare it against a modern club of the same loft they should be pretty similar in length.

Thanks, that makes sense ?

cheers, John

 

[jmcp]

'Scuse me for butting in. Why change the shafts? The heavy-head feel might suit those clubs. I have a set of Powerbilt irons from 1980s that feel just like that (head heavy) compared to more up to date clubs. I soon got used to them in just one round and enjoyed the solid feel to the strike with an easy going swing.
It will depend on whether you are prepared to adjust to the clubs (no cost, little time) or have the clubs adjusted to you (more cost and more time)

I have a bee in my bonnet about the shafts having not been used for a long time and maybe not flexing the way they should, also, I had thought they were a little short but as Crow said above, it is more likely that it is because they are weaker lofted than modern clubs So, maybe just maybe, the shafts will get a reprieve. It would be easy to go and try them out to see if they played ok but I’m out injured at the moment (rotator cuff) so not able to do that.

Cheers, John

 

[Voyager EMH]

I had that rotator cuff problem over two years ago after mistakenly chucking broken slabs into a skip shot-putt style. After a few months off came back tentatively with a bit shorter and slower swing which I have stuck with and am playing and scoring better than for a long time and embraced a little reduction in distance.

 

[jmcp]

I have had mines approx 4 months now, came about after my garden fence blew down during a storm and it was digging out the concrete stumps and rebuilding the new fence that did mines, stupidly thought it would be ok after a few ibuprofen and continued on with some other heavy stuff which no doubt made things worse. I have had a couple of attempted returns to golf but they were short lived returns, hopefully not too long now before another attempt.

cheers, John

 

[Tashyboy]

https://linksharing.samsungcloud.com/j4LNpNGeN3lh
Charity shop in ludlow

 

[Crow]

https://linksharing.samsungcloud.com/j4LNpNGeN3lh
Charity shop in ludlow

The Benny was a very good seller for Ben Sayers and stretched across the decades.
If you putt well with it, buy it!

 

[Crow]

Coated shaft clubs; the unfashionable and ignored end of golf club collecting, but why when there are so many absolute gems from that time?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Set of Prosimmon Peter Senior bats in a local charity shop - going for pennies but they look a bit naff tbh - and I'm not interested. There must be many thousands of such models of clubs and thousands of sets of each out there. Once upon a time each set would have been owned, played and treasured by someone. I suspect that most end up in a skip.