A new year brings a fresh lineup of golf clubs from the industry’s biggest brands. TaylorMade, Ping, and Callaway have all announced their latest models of drivers, woods, hybrids, and irons. There will be plenty of new options to choose from as you look to upgrade your bag this year. Take a look at what are sure to be the most popular new 2021 golf clubs. [Read more…] about New 2021 Golf Clubs
Counterfeit Titleist 718 AP3 Iron Set
We recently received a counterfeit Titleist 718 AP3 iron set, but we were able to identify that they were fake. Below are some comparison photos between the counterfeit iron and an authentic version, as well as some of the factors that helped us identify the inauthentic clubs.
Counterfeit Titleist AP3 718 Iron Set Differences
- These clubs are pretty good counterfeits. The differences are much more minor at first glance than some of the other examples we’ve had in the past. First, there are a few details on the back of the head that give it away.
- The “AP3” engraving is very slightly different. On the counterfeit version, the letters are a little thicker. The line connecting the two sides of the “A” is much thicker than the authentic version. The “P” is much more compact. The “3” does not have the same curves as the version on the real club. The “AP3” is stamped higher on the club, just a bit closer in the direction of the sole on the fake club.
- The club number on the sole is very close, but there are subtle differences that you can see when you compare it to the real thing. The number is a little thicker and smaller.
- The sole is wider on the authentic version. Notice in the photo below how the sole near the hosel is much thicker on the authentic version. You can also see how the general shape of the back of the head has much sharper, upward angles than the fake.
- Another thing to note that is common on a lot of counterfeit clubs is the holographic sticker on the shaft just under the shaft label. On all authentic clubs that have holographic stickers, the sticker is usually under the grip on the underside of the shaft, or down by the hosel of the club also on the underside of the shaft. Counterfeiters seem to think that putting in a visible location will fool more people.
- The most significant and noticeable difference that made it easy to catch this counterfeit set was the shaft band. This is meant to be a KBS Tour 90 FST shaft. A quick comparison to a legitimate version of this shaft shows that the counterfeiter didn’t come close to replicating the shaft band correctly. As you can see in the photos below, the counterfeit band is much wider. The “KBS” text is similar, but has been stretched in comparison to the real thing. The “Tour 90” text doesn’t even come close to matching the legit version. The sizing of all of the text on the band is incorrect. The red color used is also different. A great way to identify counterfeit clubs is through suspicious looking shafts.
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Counterfeit Callaway X Forged 2018 Iron Set
We recently received a counterfeit Callaway X Forged 2018 iron set, but we were able to identify that they were fake. Below are some comparison photos between the counterfeit iron and an authentic version, as well as some of the factors that helped us identify the inauthentic clubs.
Counterfeit Callaway X Forged 2018 Iron Set Differences
- The details on the back of the head are notably different on the counterfeit club in comparison to the authentic version.
- The angles of the design around the cavity, near the toe, and along the bottom of the sole are much rounder and not as sharp as the original club.
- The text in the Callaway logo engraving is incorrect. All of the letters are larger, and the alignment and shape of the letters do not match the accurate version of the logo.
- The text for the X Forged engraving is much closer to the original club than the Callaway logo, but there are still small differences in the spacing and the font.
- The face shape is slightly different, especially near the toe, where the counterfeit version has a more rounded and fatter edge.
- The shorter grooves on the face near the top of the head extend much longer along the face in the direction of the neck on the authentic club than they do on the fake model.
- The finish on the authentic clubs is a shinier metal than the counterfeit version. You can see in the photos below the authentic club reflecting through the shiny sole, while the more matte finish on the counterfeit gives no reflection.
- The entire shape and size of the head is very clearly different when held side-by-side. You can see in the photo below of the soles that the sole of the authentic club is much broader, and that the angles are very different in the cavity areas.
- The N.S.Pro shaft does not match an authentic version of the same shaft. The graphics on the shaft are a different color and the font does not match the authentic version.
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Counterfeit Titleist 716 AP2 Iron Set
We recently received a counterfeit Titleist 716 AP2 iron set, but we were able to identify that they were fake. Below are some comparison photos between the counterfeit iron and an authentic version, as well as some of the factors that helped us identify the inauthentic clubs.
Counterfeit Titleist 716 AP2 Iron Set Differences
- This is one of the more obvious fakes that we’ve spotted. The design differences with the text on the cavity are very poorly done on the counterfeit. It would be hard to pass these by almost anyone as legitimate.
- The most noticeable and poorly done difference is in the “Tungsten” text. On the counterfeit club, this text is a completely different font. The letters are very close together, and it is not italicized. This is a glaringly obvious difference.
- The AP2 logo isn’t quite as obvious, but there is a subtle difference. The indentions in the “2” on the counterfeit club are very rounded. The real club cuts into the “2” at the top and bottom at a much sharper angle.
- The Titleist logo in the cavity is a pretty close replicate to the real thing in terms of font, but the finish is more of a matted silver. It is not as shiny as the finish on the authentic logo.
- There are also slight differences to the text of the word “Forged”, though very minor. The placement of the word is higher, more towards the sole on the authentic club.
- The black rubber piece inside the cavity with the Titleist logo on it is different. On the authentic version, this piece has eleven raised lines, while the fake club only has nine.
- A simple eye-test shows how different the angles and sizes of components within the cavity are in comparing the two clubs. All of the pieces within the counterfeit cavity are much smaller and tighter than on the real club.
- The creator of these counterfeit clubs did a much better job at matching the head shape than they did at getting the details of the design correct. There aren’t any obvious differences that just stand out when comparing the faces. But when viewing from the soles, we can again see the discrepancies.
- The sole of the authentic club is slightly broader, making for larger overall head size.
- From the sole, it is easy to see the differences in the cavity again. The components inside the cavity on the counterfeit club do not sit nearly as deep within the cavity as they do in the authentic version.
- The wear on the sole is consistent with cast clubs, not forged.
- Another thing to note that is common on a lot of counterfeit clubs is the holographic sticker on the shaft just under the shaft label. On all authentic clubs that have holographic stickers, the sticker is usually under the grip on the underside of the shaft, or down by the hosel of the club also on the underside of the shaft. Counterfeiters seem to think that putting in a visible location will fool more people.
- The Titleist text on the grips is not straight. The font is clearly off when compared to how this text looks on an authentic grip. The grips also have a strong rubber smell, which is common with counterfeits.
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Counterfeit TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set
We recently received a counterfeit TaylorMade Burner 2.0 iron set, but we were able to identify that they were fake. Below are some comparison photos between the counterfeit iron and an authentic version, as well as some of the factors that helped us identify the inauthentic clubs.
Counterfeit TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set Differences
- The ferrule on the counterfeit clubs is shorter and does not have the silver ring like the original club.
- The finish on the authentic clubs is a shinier metal than the counterfeit version.
- The design within the cavity on the counterfeit clubs is embossed differently than on the authentic version. It is not raised as high and is a lighter color.
- The silver portion on the top of the counterfeit club is larger. The angles cut much wider than on the authentic club.
- The neck of the authentic clubs has a serial number just above the TaylorMade logo.
- The TaylorMade logo on the neck of the counterfeit club is inaccurate. The font is different and the specialized “T” is set too far from the rest of the name.
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Counterfeit Titleist 910D2 Driver
We recently received a counterfeit Titleist 910D2 Driver. This club had some obvious differences from the authentic version. While we didn’t have another 910D2 in stock, we were able to compare it with a 910D3. Check below for a description of the differences and a look at some side-by-side comparison photos.
Counterfeit Titleist 910D2 Driver Differences
- One of the most noticeable signs that this club wasn’t authentic was the poor craftsmanship on the shaft adapter. The adjustable pieces are not aligned and don’t fit together properly.
- Another obvious difference from the authentic club is in the coloring of the lettering on the bottom of the club. Both the Titleist logo and the 910D2 text are much darker than the authentic version. Even if you did not have another 910D2 to compare it with in person, you could easily spot this by simply comparing it to authentic photos found on Titleist’s website.
- The font for the loft is very close to the authentic version, but it has some slight differences.
- The Titleist emblem on the crown is too close to the front edge on the counterfeit club.
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