If you’re shopping for some new golf clubs then you’re going to be drawn to reputable brands like Cobra, Callaway, and Ping that make great quality golf clubs. The issue with these golf club brands is that their clubs are pretty damn expensive which gives rise to the temptation to shop elsewhere to bring your costs down a bit.
Now, there is nothing wrong with going for a more affordable golf club brand, but it pays to do your research. The last thing you want is to buy a golf club that falls apart when you could have got one for the same price or a little bit more that will last a lifetime, which is why we have put this article together.
Here are some of the golf club brands to avoid when you’re shopping around for some new clubs.
Precise
First up on our list of golf club brands to avoid is Precise and their issue is not their price but it is their quality.
Precise does make some very affordable golf clubs and thus they aren’t trying to pull the wool over your eyes when it comes to cost, as you pay for what you get in the golf club world most of the time.
But, their golf clubs are marketed as a great value for golfers on a budget but when it comes down to it, they are not of great value at all. Their golf clubs are made with subpar components and materials which means they wear out quickly.
If you play golf regularly you’ll find they deteriorate and you might have to invest in new clubs after 6 months or a year. Also, if you have a high swing speed, these will only fall apart faster, and you could even snap the shaft.
The only golfers Precise golf clubs would suit are either people who play a few times a year or as the first set of clubs for a kid who wants to try out golf, otherwise they should be avoided.
Yonex
Yonex is a Japanese brand that you have probably heard of and they are big players in both the tennis and badminton world, plus they make golf clubs too.
If you know your golf clubs, then you probably have a sense of trust that clubs made in Japan perform well and have good quality standards, and you wouldn’t be wrong, that is the cast, most of the time.
The issue with Yonex golf clubs is not that they are terrible golf clubs, it’s about their pricing vs quality. A Yonex golf club can cost just as much as a Callaway but when it comes to performance and quality for the price, there is a lot to be desired.
You can find less expensive golf clubs out there from other Japanese-made golf club brands that have a better feel and are of higher quality.
Hammer X
Hammer X is another golf brand to avoid and to be honest, you can tell this just by visiting their website. It’s utter trash and if you browse to it, you’ll see exactly what I mean. Unfortunately, their golf clubs are pretty much the same.
Hammer only makes drivers and all they seem to be able to do is drive a sales pitch down your throat in regards to dropping 10 strokes, fixing your slice, or adding 50 yards to your drive – if you buy and use a Hammer X driver.
Their golf clubs don’t feel, look or even sound right. I know it might be tempting to fix a slice or add some of the extra distance to your drives you’ve been looking for for years, but don’t think just a golf club is going to fix that.
A Hammer X driver is not going to last, and it probably won’t fix your game either, so do yourself a favor and avoid this golf brand.
Giga Golf
Giga Golf builds custom golf clubs to your specifications and they sell pre-built ones too, so if you’re looking for a custom set, your research will most likely have put Giga Golf on your map.
The one main issue with Giga Golf is that a lot of people haven’t tried them out as they aren’t very available and if you haven’t tried a golf club from a brand you’re thinking of buying from, how do you know that they suit your game? The answer, you don’t.
Also, as an average golfer, do you really know what you need from a golf club? To the point that you can create the right specifications? Chances are the answer is no again.
If you choose to go with a set of Giga Golf golf clubs, you’re highly likely to end up with a set of golf clubs that isn’t quite right for you.
One nice thing about Giga Golf is that their clubs are affordable and you can find a driver for under $200 but with lower costs comes lower quality overall, and you’re not just risking quality but the fact that the club might not suit you at all.
Yamaha
I’m sure you’ve heard of Yamaha as they have their fingers in a ton of different pies including boat engines, musical instruments, and now even golf clubs.
They are a renowned global brand that delivers quality products across the board. I spend a lot of time fishing and there is no other engine I’d want on the back of my boat than a Yamaha, that’s for sure.
The issue with Yamaha golf clubs is not their quality, they are excellent golf clubs, the issue is their price. You can buy a Yamaha driver for the same price as a complete set of golf clubs, which is a tad ridiculous in our eyes.
Now, it’s ok to pay whatever you like for a golf club as long as it delivers to your performance expectations, but considering the cost of Yamaha’s golf clubs, their pricing far outweighs their performance and you’d be far better off buying from a golf club brand like Cobra where you can buy 3-5 clubs, maybe even a whole set for the price of 1 or 2 Yamahas.
Alien
Alien is a golf brand that targets beginner golfers who want an affordable set of clubs, to begin with, just to see if they like the game or not. But, even though these golf clubs are incredibly affordable, they don’t offer much value when you consider the quality.
Aline golf clubs are not well made, so much so, that if you go after a golf ball with a fast swing, you’re likely to break an Alien golf club in two.
The affordability of their clubs is very attractive but it’s worth spending a couple of hundred extra on your first set. That way, even if you don’t like golf, you can at least sell the clubs for more than pennies on the dollar.
Ryoma
Ryoma is a golf brand you may or may not have heard of. They are based in Japan, the country synonymous with great golf clubs, as we already discussed above.
Their golf clubs look sexy and there is no doubt that you’d like one of them to be sitting in your golf bag but when it comes to bangs for bucks, there is an issue.
Ryoma golf clubs just don’t have the right feel for a lot of golfers and if you love that satisfying sound when you find the sweet spot, you’re going to be disappointed with one of these clubs, they just sound off.
You’re better off going to another Japanese brand where you’ll find better performance and quality for a similar price.
Seven
Seven is another Japanese golf club brand and they are all about making top-quality golf clubs, and they do it well. Seven golf clubs are excellent when it comes to performance, looks, quality, and feel. So what’s the issue?
Firstly, their sweet spit is hard to find making them very unforgiving to play with, so if you’re not a pro, stay clear of these as your game will only suffer.
On top of this, Seven golf clubs are extremely expensive and why would you pay more for a golf club that is likely to make the game even harder? You just wouldn’t.
If Seven lowered their prices then what you’re getting might be worth it, but instead, they have done a similar thing to Yamaha and priced themselves so high that the clubs just aren’t worth the cost at the end of the day.
Don’t Stray From Golf Brands Either
It’s not just some golf brands that need avoiding, you need to be aware of both knock-off clubs and cloned golf clubs too. These are usually found on shady websites and when you stumble upon them you might feel like you have found the deal of a lifetime but you haven’t and here is why.
Knock-off Golf Clubs
Knock-off golf clubs are usually made in countries where copying a product and selling it is far too easy to get away with. Think about fake Rolexes and Louis Vitton handbags that you might find at a street market in Asia somewhere. Knock-off golf clubs are the same, they look the part but the quality is disastrous.
These kinds of golf clubs are made from terrible materials and are produced with zero quality control and they are illegal for people to sell. If you end up buying some knock-off golf clubs, you may as well set the money you paid for them on fire.
These types of golf clubs won’t last, they will break, and there is no warranty of anything like that to back them up. It’s far worth the extra money to buy from a reputable brand, and you’ll save money in the long run.
Cloned Golf Clubs
Cloned golf clubs are made in the same factories as the golf clubs they are copying and go through the exact same manufacturing process, but are far more affordable. If this is good news to your ears, then you might be disappointed.
Cloned clubs do not go through any kind of quality control or testing so you are highly likely to end up with a defective golf club. Common issues include bent handles, chipped heads, and more.
Is it really worth buying a new set of cloned clubs and spending all that money to have a new set of golf clubs that come delivered with a set of performance issues included? We don’t think so either.
What to look for when shopping for a good golf brand?
Here are some tips to follow when selecting a golf brand that should help you avoid buying a poor set of golf clubs or getting some that aren’t quite right for you.
Price Vs Everything
One of the biggest tell-tell signs of a good, bad, or overly expensive golf club is the price. Generally, you do get what you pay for when it comes to golf clubs but when something is too cheap warning bells about quality so should start ringing in your ears.
If a golf club brand is priced above a similar one from say, Callaway or Ping, then chances are the costs far outweigh the performance and you’re better off avoiding their clubs.
We’d highly recommend using Cobra as a pricing point as they make quality performance golf clubs with a price that isn’t too low or too high but matches perfectly for a great value.
Do Your Research
When you’re shopping for golf clubs you might be spending in excess of $1000 so it’s worth spending some time doing a little digging.
Once you have found the golf clubs you think you want, do a search on the forums to see if everyone likes them or if there are any issues. Walking into your local golf shop and chat to them about them, even ask your club pro if they have used them. This is a sure way to make sure you’re investment will last and work for you.
Branding Out
As you can see, shopping for golf clubs isn’t so easy as there are quite a few golf club brands to avoid for different reasons, and it pays to find the right brand and stick with them from the beginning if you can. You’ll get the feel for them and end up having a better scorecard over the years because of it.
