GigaGolf clubs - any experience?

Parent Cafe
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<p>S2 started playing golf this summer, and he is completely obsessed . We went to a golf store over the weekend to buy him some clubs (he’s been using a random assortment of borrowed clubs). He just turned 12, but he is 5’3", and too big for junior sets. The salesman suggested that we get a used set of adult Calloway X-18 irons, missing #3 and #7, for $150 and they would cut them down for S2 for free. We said that we’d check with S2’s pro (as we would before any purchase) and come back. On the way home, we went to a large sporting goods store for another reason, and I checked out their clubs. They had similar sets of Callaway irons (X-20, X-22, X-24), the prices went up with number, and the X-20s were $400. So the price of the X-18s doesn’t look that great, considering that 1/4 of the clubs are missing.</p>

<p>I did a lot of internet research, and learned that cutting down adult clubs for kids is not considered a good idea. I also learned that it would be better to get selected individual clubs, since young beginners don’t use the low-numbered irons, don’t use drivers, etc. I came across the GigaGolf website, and it looked good to me. They sell custom clubs; you select the heads, the shafts (select length, thickness, material, flex), the grips. If you need to change the shafts later, for a kid who is growing, you can do it inexpensively. I priced out a #7 iron, and it was $26, which seems reasonable. They have some guides on selecting length, thickness, etc., based on hand and body measurements. There is a 30-day money-back return policy - they are only online. The site has glowing testimonials, comparing the clubs favorably to Ping (are they good?) but I don’t know how to find independent reviews.</p>

<p>S2’s pro has not heard of the site, but he offered to call them. </p>

<p>Does anyone know anything about this company?</p>

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<p>At 5’3" he is tall enough for a regular set – look at women’s sizes, which are usually an inch shorter than men’s. Or, senior’s, which have a softer flex (which is the issue of cutting down a men’s club – it gets stiffer and changes the swing speed). He could choke down an inch or two until he grows. Or an inexpensive house brand set from your local golf store IFF they will allow you to return it later for a small credit against an adult set. </p>

<p>Companies like GIGA may be “good” but there is no after-market for their used clubs, so not worth buying IMO. Stick with the major brands. Use the self-measurement link on PING’s website to give you an idea on sizes. </p>

<p>btw: your S does not need a 3, but a 7 would receive a lot of use.</p>

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<p>^^I agree – we went with womens’ clubs for my golfing son when he was not yet tall enough for men’s but too tall for juniors. Also agree if he is just learning, he won’t need a complete set quite yet so you can build a set as he grows alittle taller and more proficient.</p>

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<p>I’ve spent most of the summer picking out new clubs for my H, who is himself becoming golf obsessed!</p>

<p>When my S was about that age, my Dad made him custom clubs which he still plays with. But my Dad made them himself and he was really into making clubs at the time. They’ve held up very well and he’s been happy, although he doesn’t play much right now. </p>

<p>What my H did when he was shopping for a new driver was to go to Golf Galaxy, they are a chain. For a nominal fee, you can hit different brands of clubs and they have a machine which measure velocity and other stuff (I am so technical lol!) and see which clubs work best for you. So he could hit men’s clubs and women’s and senior’s and see which worked best for him. It’s all about what is most comfortable for you.</p>

<p>What my H did this summer was buy two hybrid clubs, they are between an iron and a wood. He loves them and they have replaced his long irons. He loves his 3 and 4 hybrid so much he wants to get a 5 hybrid also. They are so much easier to hit than long irons.</p>

<p>I just started to play this year. I use my driver, my 5 hybrid, and some of my short irons. I can hit my 5 hybrid anywhere, even out of the rough, I love that thing. My H bought me a nice starter set and I love it. It’s so much easier to hit my new clubs than it was for our friend who had a mishmash of older clubs. But I didn’t need anything too nice.</p>

<p>From what we’ve heard they have made great strides in the technology of drivers, woods and hybrids. Irons have not made as big of strides so older technology is still good, ie older irons. </p>

<p>Maybe this was too much information, can you tell what we have been talking about in our empty nest lol!</p>

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<p>My son plays competitive golf in high school and considering the time and effort spent in selecting his current set, there’s no way I’d ever consider purchasing clubs at a place that only sells them on-line, especially if you are not familiar with the proper way to measure and evaluate clubs.</p>

<p>Even with a 30-day guarantee, its really important that they try the clubs before purchasing and make sure they are measured properly.</p>

<p>My son spent almost 60 minutes in the swing cage testing irons before settling on a Nike set; another 30-40 on a different trip to test a driver and hybrid club. The sales staff used marking tape to allow them to see how/where he was hitting the ball as a tool to determine whether the club heads were right for his swing, as well as whether the angle of the club head would need adjustment (I never realized that the angle could be adjusted!). We used a large, nationally-known golf store that seemed to have competitive pricing and a 90-day playability guarantee for the more expensive clubs (providing a 90% credit if returned within 90 days after playing with the club).</p>

<p>Oh…and I’ve never heard of this GigaGolf site.</p>

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<p>I am a somewhat reluctant golfer (it takes too much time and I am not a country club type), but play reasonably often for business. I can do so because my mother was an excellent athlete and golfer (and PE teacher) and insisted I learn to play at an early age. I thank her for it because I can play passably without hours of practice. </p>

<p>I have two full sets - good ones - and had them fitted at a pro shop. They make a difference, and it is worth the effort and money to have them fitted. Mizuno titaniums (easy to hit), and Titleist 804’s (harder to hit cleanly but hits fantastically high and long iron shots). </p>

<p>I have, however, bought one-off drivers and putters and a sand wedge from GigaGolf, and I have been very satisfied. One driver I bought was excellent, but it is now illegal because it has too much spring on its face. I couldn’t live with that, so I gave it to my brother in law (and great friend), who absolutely loves it. The kind of cheap putter I bought from Giga is the one I use most often. Hope this helps.</p>

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<p>msmayor I agree with you but there is a huge difference between a 13 year old learning to play and a varsity golfer. By the time my son was almost full grown and a JV golfer yes, he was highly selective of his clubs. But for a young person just learning a decent set of women’s used clubs or some cut down clubs and really only needs one driver, a couple irons and a wedge until they are more proficient</p>

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<p>True…I’m not going to dispute that a difference exists. However, in the sport of golf equipment matters, and to a child that is learning it really is important to get the equipment right. It matters, because in attempting to teach and learn the proper swing motions if your equipment is not sized correctly (or has the wrong flex) a student will tend to make corrections that can be hard to un-do later on.</p>

<p>I’m not saying that a custom set is necessary for a 13-year-old…but buying mail-order clubs just doesn’t seem prudent. There are too many combinations and variations of club heads and shafts (and grips) and without testing them out in person there is great potential to wasting a lot of time and money on incorrect equipment. Even in a less-expensive set of clubs, a good golf shop will let you test them in a swing cage and suggest adjusting the angles of the heads or length of the shafts.</p>

<p>I will say this: the first set my son owned in his early teens was a box-set off the rack which he used for three years. When we got him fitted properly, he almost immediately knocked 10 strokes off his 18-hole score.</p>

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<p>I’m going to give my two cents… I’m a woman who occasionally plays golf, and I have my own set of custom clubs. I’ve had my current set since I was 15 and they are currently almost 13 years old. My dad made mine for me. When you build a golf club, you have all the various parts… the golf head (3 iron, 4 iron, etc) and you have your shaft (the pole) which comes very very long (the pre-made clubs are cut to a standard size, custom you make them to what size you want), and you have the grip at the end. A few other stuff goes into it - double sided masking type tape, epoxy, stuff for weighting, etc… but you get the jist. Prior to having the full set of custom clubs, I had a junior set of about five or six custom clubs. Since my dad does club making as a hobby so that’s the only way I’ve ever done it. I actually just got a new putter last year because I left mine at a mini golf course (oops!).</p>

<p>Anyway, Calloway makes very nice golf clubs… (Ping are nice also.) But they are kind of pricey… They are very very widely known throughout golf. I’ve never heard of GigaGolf. But from what you said, they seem kind of cheap for custom clubs, so I’m not sure about the quality of them… and if you don’t know what you are doing and you are just picking from random things online, you could have a big mess. Also, keep in mind what you are spending because any day now your son is going to sprout up like crazy!! When I got mine, I was pretty much fully grown so we had no problem making me a full custom set. Honestly, the set that they recommended missing the 3 and 7 iron probably would be fine - he may not even use the 3 iron. I very rarely use those mine - and it wouldn’t hurt anything to cut the shafts down as long as they do it right… that’s how clubs are made anyway… by cutting the shafts. . Having clubs that are the right size can make a lot of diference. So if you buy the full set for 400 bucks and they are still too big, you may wind up having someone make them smaller for him. If you ever need to make a club longer, you can just have someone put a new shaft on it. </p>

<p>Regarding what someone said about womans clubs… They may be okay for him… he’s still fairly small, but as a woman I HATE when guys use my golf clubs. They are made for me and I’m always afraid they will somehow snap them because they aren’t meant for a guy to be swinging with. Men typically are stronger and typically put much more umph into their swing. Mine, being graphite, have considerable flex when I am swinging them (which is great for me)… I can just see one of my bonehead friends breaking them. They flex (bend) quite a bit more when my buddies use my clubs at the driving range. Maybe snapping is not even possible, who knows. </p>

<p>My personal opinion is, if you are going to buy him custom clubs, wait till he is fully grown and do them right… have someone actually do measurements and get ones that work for him. They can be a great investment. In the mean time, get him a decent set (possily cut down) that can hold him over until then. I just personally would suggest staying away from womens clubs. Acually, if you got seniors clubs they are more then likely created for a guy to be swinging them and are probably smaller then the mens. </p>

<p>Again, just my two cents.</p>

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<p>Thank you all for the great advice! The thing is, getting the GigaGolf custom clubs is the least expensive option, cheaper than buying the used Calloway clubs with the missing #3 and #7 (and I agree that he would never use the #3, or a couple of the clubs that are there, but he would use the #7). I priced a custom club on the Golfsmith site and it was well over $100. GigaGolf is just under $30.</p>

<p>Unlike some of your sons, S2 is a rank beginner. So he doesn’t have an idea of what is good for him. Whatever we get, it will be a guess. </p>

<p>So my choice is between an off-the-shelf inexpensive (or used better quality) club, cut down in length, or the Gigagolf club, that at least fits him according to their electronic fitting guide, with much more flexibility. He will be growing, and with Gigagolf the shafts can be changed. I realize that buying custom clubs sight unseen is not optimal, but it seems that it might be better than finding some random clubs and changing (at most) the length. I have read enough reviews to know that GigaGolf clubs are made with high-quality components. With the 30-day playing guarantee, it seems a reasonable option.</p>

<p>GigaGolf would start with a women’s shaft, because little cutting is needed for my 5’3" son. fendergirl, S2 just turned 12 last week - not much umph in his swing!</p>

<p>If he continues playing as enthusiastically as he does now, we will certainly invest in custom clubs at some point. But I don’t see why a cut-down decent set is a better option than online custom.</p>

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<p>How do they exchange the shafts? Do you have to mail back in your club and they just put a new one on? Does that cost money? It’s all stuff to consider. Does he need woods too? You didn’t mention them so i wasn’t sure.</p>

<p>I agree an expensive custom set isn’t right for someone who is just growing and growing… I can tell you, my clubs were built with materials from golf smith, and I have a 1,2,3,5,7 wood as well as a 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 irons, pw, and a putter. I’m sure you’ve priced enough clubs to know how much that all adds up to. $$$. However, I’ve had them going on 13 years and I have no desire to replace them anytime soon. Sometimes you get what you pay for. (Though about a year ago one of my lovely male friends was messing around with my driver and he somehow put a dent in the top of it. lol. it’s not on the side that hits the ball, so it’s still fine to use, but it’s an eye sore!! men!)</p>

<p>But for him, i think you’d be fine doing it either way… off the shelf or on the website. I just feel a bit skeptical of them because they are so cheap. (You can buy cheap clubs on golfsmith too, I just don’t normally suggest buying the cheapest because it’s usually cheapest for a reason). That being said, if the reviews are good and they are custom, go for it. </p>

<p>May I make a suggestion though? If you get the gigas, and if he doesn’t have much “umph” in his swing, upgrade to graphite shafts. I brought up the website and they seem to be like 6 dollars more. They should help him hit the ball further and if he’s a beginner he can use all the help he can get. :)</p>

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<p>Thanks, fendergirl. They recommended graphite, so I’d been planning on getting it. As far as exchanging the shafts goes, you send the club in, and they do the exchange. I’m sure it costs something, but probably less than a whole new club.</p>

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<p>my kids buy, sell and trade golf clubs quite frequently. have you checked with a local golf shop? pro shop? at your son’s age i would think you could find some used sets and he could get a feel for what he likes and doesn’t like–and then trade up as he grows and perfects his game.</p>

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<p>Just an update for anyone who may be interested - S2 has had his clubs for several weeks now, and he loves them. His game improved immediately. He says that he can hit the ball better now, and he has more control over distance and direction. He raves especially about his new 3-wood, and he loves the other clubs, too. The pro is very impressed.</p>

<p>On the advice of someone at Gigagolf, I ordered graphite ladies’ shafts, L-flex, P3 clubs. According to some measurements that you put into their online calculator, the shafts were cut down half an inch, and he has a standard grip. For about $188, we got 6 clubs (3-wood, 4 and 5 steel hybrids, and 3 irons - 7, 9, and U-wedge? not sure now… and covers for the non-irons).</p>

<p>I think this is a very good solution for beginners who are not going to invest in true custom clubs.</p>

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<p>FWIW… in the future as your S grows, check out Calloway. If I recall correctly, when my D & S (both HS varsity golfers in their day) played, Callaway allowed a re-shafting or trade in as they grew. Kids didn’t have all Callaway clubs, but did love the ones they had.<br>
Callaway is not a stupid company either. They knew to cultivate future golfers—gave the HS teams support and special deals wherein kids where able to get up to 12 free golf gloves per year; hats, and reduced prices on clubs, etc.
H & I were recipients of many Xmas gifts from Callaway :)</p>