new irons. what to buy

Hi James
For your info on serial numbers as all clubs that you purchase should come with a serial number. The serial number which is usually on the bar code sticker when you by them as well as being printed on the side of the club head where the shaft goes into it. With the iron sets they usually just bar code the number 8 or 7 iron where this number states to how many irons are in that set and data of when it was made, place, time etc. If you buy clubs seperate however like with pings they should come with a certificate of authenticity this again is on the bar code sticker that is near impossible to remove hence lack of ping fakes on the market.

This is not to say that the numbers on clubs can not be copied. If you should buy a club that you might suspect, then you can phone up and check, which in its self is quite simple and will tell you all the details even down to the shop / retailer they sold it to.

There are in the market some very good copies of fake gear and even they have produced copies with numbers that prove they are genuine ie the con artist / company buys a genuine set of irons then makes 1000 copies with the same number on it. So when you phone up the number relates to the irons you bought but unless you look at them closely for defects (which you shouldn't get in genuine ones) you will not know. However more and more companies are getting wise to this now and always ask you to register to stop these con artists from ripping us off.

Hope it helps
Cheers
Mark

There you go Ian

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-MIZUNO-MX-...QQcmdZViewItem


£315 including postage, only 5I - PW but you should be using that utility / rescue club instead of your 4I anyhow

Almost as good a bargain

Not all clubs have serial numbers, but the OEMs have gone to that method because of the fakes - not even the clones, but the fakes.

@cct: Check the last line of my sig. Tom Stites is the head guy at Nike. There's R&D in those clubs - no doubt.

@Mark: Paypal is not foolproof. I got hosed for $150 when paypal said I would be covered. I haven't seen the money.