Why aren't there any Maltby club reviews?

rough dweller

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Does anyone know if there are official reviews of the Maltby woods (KE4, stw2) out there? I looked at all of the major golf magazines, mygolfspy, etc and it doesn't seem that these clubs ever make their review list, let alone their top equipment list.

The components come at an excellent price point for someone like me who can't afford a $500 driver, but there's really no way of knowing how good they are (or not) unless you buy them and try them out. Which wouldn't be too bad since their head prices are $60 - $80.

Also - does anyone know why? I have to imagine some people are buying them because I get their catalog every year, but to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen anyone in my groups playing their equipment.
 
I consider THP one of those places 😀
In fact better, but I’m biased.

the honest answer is they don’t want it and don’t submit to anybody. It gets requested, but either the brand doesn’t want comparisons or feedback or they don’t care. Their choice.

Good news is on top of the reviews on THP, this forum is a great place for feedback.
 
The only Maltby reviews I see are from Fit2you Golf on Youtube. Dave, the owner of the site is a club builder who reviews all of their products. He has helped me to decide on several of their clubs.




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Does anyone know if there are official reviews of the Maltby woods (KE4, stw2) out there? I looked at all of the major golf magazines, mygolfspy, etc and it doesn't seem that these clubs ever make their review list, let alone their top equipment list.

The components come at an excellent price point for someone like me who can't afford a $500 driver, but there's really no way of knowing how good they are (or not) unless you buy them and try them out. Which wouldn't be too bad since their head prices are $60 - $80.

Also - does anyone know why? I have to imagine some people are buying them because I get their catalog every year, but to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen anyone in my groups playing their equipment.

Me:

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Me:

6da7aefcb2d78faca95146666a1c80ff.jpg

7b333b2c60c21a5e34f4db61947d40c2.jpg



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Usually component brands lack in looks. I’m not a huge fan of red but those clubs look better than their renderings in The Golfworks catalog.
 
I’ve been playing the MMB-17’s for a long time now, have almost full selection of heads for testing & the TS line are really nice.

Malt by tend to say their clubs are built more forgiving than household brands & back it up by using same measurement system to compare playability.


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I kind of understand. Try finding discussions on Tom Wishon's designs!
 
Does anyone know if there are official reviews of the Maltby woods (KE4, stw2) out there? I looked at all of the major golf magazines, mygolfspy, etc and it doesn't seem that these clubs ever make their review list, let alone their top equipment list.

The components come at an excellent price point for someone like me who can't afford a $500 driver, but there's really no way of knowing how good they are (or not) unless you buy them and try them out. Which wouldn't be too bad since their head prices are $60 - $80.

Also - does anyone know why? I have to imagine some people are buying them because I get their catalog every year, but to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen anyone in my groups playing their equipment.
Ralph Maltby founded Golfworks in 1976 and started selling his own designs and components through his store in Ohio and by catalog. Tom Wishon worked for him at one time. Golf Galaxy bought Golfworks in 2006 and started carrying Maltby clubs in their Golf Galaxy stores. Dick's Sporting Goods bought Golf Galaxy/Golfworks in 2007 and pulled the Maltby clubs from the Golf Galaxy stores saying it wasn't "their vision" for Golfworks who is now along with Golf Galaxy a wholly owned subsidiary of Dick's Sporting Goods. Dick's wants to keep the current golf retail/OEM business model exactly as it is.

I play Maltby irons and wedges and they are very very good. Both forgiving and accurate. The wedges are extremely versatile as well. Knocked Cobra, Callaway and Cleveland irons and wedges from my bag. I haven't tried their woods or hybrids yet so I'll leave those reviews to others.
 
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I think basically you're either a guy who considers Maltby equipment or you are not.

I personally think they make nice stuff. Dave @ Fit2you on Youtube reviews their stuff as does @Popeye who frequents this forum.

Pros:
  • Maltby is an OEM although a small one.
  • They produce original equipment designs, not clones, and their designs prioritize club attributes Ralph Maltby believes offers the greatest playability.
  • Their value for the dollar for new, custom fit equipment is unmatched in my opinion.
  • Many people on the web highly regard the quality and performance of the Maltby equipment.

Cons:
  • Resale value is going to be low and clubs will typically not be accepted for trade in. However, if you have $300 in a Maltby set and you can sell it for $100 are you better off than if you buy $1,000 a popular OEM set and can sell it for $500?
  • Although many clubs look nice, aesthetics are not as refined as top selling OEMs.
  • R&D dollars are obviously less than many OEMs. Whether this manifests itself in performance is something you'd have to consider. The primary source of back to back data I've found is from Popeye and I haven't seen any performance loss.

If you're going to keep equipment for a while I think the Maltby line is a great option. If you are a club ho and will buy multiple sets a year then I would not recommend it.

There are actually quite a few of us here who have used their products. Feedback is generally positive.

Dave
 
Usually component brands lack in looks. I’m not a huge fan of red but those clubs look better than their renderings in The Golfworks catalog.

Yes, they absolutely look better in person than I had expected.


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I think basically you're either a guy who considers Maltby equipment or you are not.

I personally think they make nice stuff. Dave @ Fit2you on Youtube reviews their stuff as does @Popeye who frequents this forum.

Pros:
  • Maltby is an OEM although a small one.
  • They produce original equipment designs, not clones, and their designs prioritize club attributes Ralph Maltby believes offers the greatest playability.
  • Their value for the dollar for new, custom fit equipment is unmatched in my opinion.
  • Many people on the web highly regard the quality and performance of the Maltby equipment.

Cons:
  • Resale value is going to be low and clubs will typically not be accepted for trade in. However, if you have $300 in a Maltby set and you can sell it for $100 are you better off than if you buy $1,000 a popular OEM set and can sell it for $500?
  • Although many clubs look nice, aesthetics are not as refined as top selling OEMs.
  • R&D dollars are obviously less than many OEMs. Whether this manifests itself in performance is something you'd have to consider. The primary source of back to back data I've found is from Popeye and I haven't seen any performance loss.

If you're going to keep equipment for a while I think the Maltby line is a great option. If you are a club ho and will buy multiple sets a year then I would not recommend it.

There are actually quite a few of us here who have used their products. Feedback is generally positive.

Dave

I don’t consider trade in value when I buy clubs, and at the prices I pay I more than get my money’s worth. Plus I usually expect to keep them for quite a while.


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Does anyone know if there are official reviews of the Maltby woods (KE4, stw2) out there? I looked at all of the major golf magazines, mygolfspy, etc and it doesn't seem that these clubs ever make their review list, let alone their top equipment list.

The components come at an excellent price point for someone like me who can't afford a $500 driver, but there's really no way of knowing how good they are (or not) unless you buy them and try them out. Which wouldn't be too bad since their head prices are $60 - $80.

Also - does anyone know why? I have to imagine some people are buying them because I get their catalog every year, but to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen anyone in my groups playing their equipment.
Some of the other forums are populated by golfers who embrace club building. The HP just doesn't have as many.. sure there are quite a few in here but its more popular elsewhere. In those forums you will see more activity about Maltby gear.
In the past I have posted on HP some of my reviews on their gear and all you hear is crickets.
I have a thread on another forum that is based on the TS-2 irons and the post count is over 1000 and the views are over 96000.
As for the KE4 TC driver head I have done exhausting simulator testing with matching shafts and same measured loft vs the TM SIM head,, and the Maltby more than proved itself against a SIM head. Actually edged it out in data but that was splitting hairs.
Golfworks doesn't care to be forum supporters and submit their gear for testing which is truly a shame.
Every Maltby head i test goes against a matching OEM. There is no loss of performance and often will perform better. The cosmetics in past years could have certainly been better. But performance was always over looks. Some of Maltbys designs have been in production for over 10 years. Yet they keep selling. Their latest clubs are truly state of the art in design, materials and they venture into new building techniques all the time. The DBM black finish was actually introduced by Maltby which is now growing in OEM offerings.
I really wish they became a sponsor and submitted gear. They would hurt a lot of feeling in the big name world.

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I just ordered one of their 19 degree utility irons that should be here in a few days. The prices are awesome and the reviews speak for themselves and you can pretty much get whatever shaft you like - that totally works for me. As the old saying goes, "haters gonna hate" and opinions, well, we all got 'em.

I am one that desires what works for me and really don't care about what name or color either (unless it is something that just seems off whack in my eye line) is on it. If it works for my game and enjoyment and my score is lower, that counts at the end of the day. :cool:
 
I think it boils down to the interest in the clubs. They might be good clubs but the interest in reading reviews of them is limited.
 
Some of the other forums are populated by golfers who embrace club building. The HP just doesn't have as many.. sure there are quite a few in here but its more popular elsewhere. In those forums you will see more activity about Maltby gear.
In the past I have posted on HP some of my reviews on their gear and all you hear is crickets.
I have a thread on another forum that is based on the TS-2 irons and the post count is over 1000 and the views are over 96000.
As for the KE4 TC driver head I have done exhausting simulator testing with matching shafts and same measured loft vs the TM SIM head,, and the Maltby more than proved itself against a SIM head. Actually edged it out in data but that was splitting hairs.
Golfworks doesn't care to be forum supporters and submit their gear for testing which is truly a shame.
Every Maltby head i test goes against a matching OEM. There is no loss of performance and often will perform better. The cosmetics in past years could have certainly been better. But performance was always over looks. Some of Maltbys designs have been in production for over 10 years. Yet they keep selling. Their latest clubs are truly state of the art in design, materials and they venture into new building techniques all the time. The DBM black finish was actually introduced by Maltby which is now growing in OEM offerings.
I really wish they became a sponsor and submitted gear. They would hurt a lot of feeling in the big name world.

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Golfworks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dick's Sporting Goods so their hands may be tied on what they can and can't do. I would like to see someone with deep pockets buy both Golfworks and Xcaliber shafts and truly market them and submit them for testing. Now that would upset the apple cart.
 
Maltby has always put out some pretty decent clubs IMO.

A close friend has the KE4 driver and the TSW wedges. I really like the feel and feedback of the driver, and my Vokey's feel dead after hitting the TSW's.
 
I just ordered one of their 19 degree utility irons that should be here in a few days. The prices are awesome and the reviews speak for themselves and you can pretty much get whatever shaft you like - that totally works for me. As the old saying goes, "haters gonna hate" and opinions, well, we all got 'em.

I am one that desires what works for me and really don't care about what name or color either (unless it is something that just seems off whack in my eye line) is on it. If it works for my game and enjoyment and my score is lower, that counts at the end of the day. :cool:

Same here for the most part......there are some irons that I just don't like the look of at address.

If it works, it's in the bag.
 
Golfworks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dick's Sporting Goods so their hands may be tied on what they can and can't do. I would like to see someone with deep pockets buy both Golfworks and Xcaliber shafts and truly market them and submit them for testing. Now that would upset the apple cart.
That right there would be my ultimate lottery first purchase. I've been playing Maltby gear for 20 years and Xcaliber ahafts for 15 years. Sort of obsessed with both.

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Golfworks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dick's Sporting Goods so their hands may be tied on what they can and can't do. I would like to see someone with deep pockets buy both Golfworks and Xcaliber shafts and truly market them and submit them for testing. Now that would upset the apple cart.

We have reviewed tons of XCaliber shafts and have more coming and are giving them away. Including every shaft that is coming soon
 
Golfworks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dick's Sporting Goods so their hands may be tied on what they can and can't do. I would like to see someone with deep pockets buy both Golfworks and Xcaliber shafts and truly market them and submit them for testing. Now that would upset the apple cart.

The Dick's thing scares me. I wonder how long Maltby will last under them.
 
The Dick's thing scares me. I wonder how long Maltby will last under them.
I was worried it would end up like the Taylormade/Adams deal or ordeal but they've lasted 13 years under them so far.
 
The Dick's thing scares me. I wonder how long Maltby will last under them.
Actually Golworks is Global and does pretty darn well and I believe they lead the industry in sales for club supplies. I've had contact with Britt Lindsey a bunch of times. They do well and have been with Dicks for quite a while now.
Im actually working on the second part of that equation with Xcaliber.

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