I'm thinking of buying a set of John Daly Hippos for around £230. This will be my first set of clubs as I'm just starting to play on a regular basis. I've played a few times in the past but now I've got more time on my hands I want start playing more. Do you think it would be a waste of money buying a cheap set? (Is £230 cheap) Or should I save a bit more money and get a better set? Any recommendations appreciated. Also has anyone used these clubs. I had a feel of one in my local shop and it felt a lot better than any of the rentals I've ever used.
Thanks in advance, Barry
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 Barry, I don't think you need to spend more if you've found some clubs that you like the look and feel of. Also, you might want to see if you can get them custom fitted, to make sure they're right for you. £230, whilst towards the bottom end of the scale for reknowned brands isn't cheap.
I'm sure you'll prefer your own clubs to the hired ones.
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 Nowt wrong with Hippo's - used 'em myself till my handicap made it worthwhile getting something better.
If the clubs are the limited edition John Daly irons I would suggest that they may be a little less forgiving for someone just starting to play regularly, as they are the irons that John himself uses and more suited to a low handicapper. In fact they are a copy of Titleist DCI irons. The Hippo Plus Impact might be more suitable and it had brilliant write ups.
If that's what you have to spend, don't just buy something you like the look of, make sure they are suitable for your game (a lot of shops will measure your swingspeed and tell you if the shafts are right for you) It will cost no more to buy from somewhere that will check you out. There's a lot of good clubs at around that price but as I said - nowt wrong with Hippo's.
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I too am looking for a first set. I considered Hippo but until a week ago they had a miserable outdated 2001 website pointing to freeby web space. They did not respond to my email. Now it seems that hippogolf.co.uk is pointing to a subdirectory at http://www.direct-golf.co.uk/hippo/
I get the feeling that Hippo are just rebadge resellers of made in China stuff.
Someone has pointed out that it is worth getting custom fit clubs. How can this be suitable for a new golfer and what benefit would I get from getting them custom fit to my less than perfect, but developing swing.
So, what I really want is a bog standard out of the box, Mr average set of decent clubs that will take me to a 12 handicap. Then I may consider faffing around with custom fitting.
But not Hippo.
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 Some interesting and differing advice for you to consider, Barry. Eventually I'd be inclined to get a set fitted to your swing and tempo but for the moment, get yourself a good second hand set of graphite shafted irons from your local PGA pro (for about £150) and invest £50 in a course of lessons. Practice regularly and if you get hooked and develop a repeating swing, in about a year get some irons custom-fitted. My first set 30 years ago, cost me £25 (all odd ones ex-pawn shop) and I got down to 15 handicap in two years with them.
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OK - I do not work for Hippo, in fact I play with Mizuno (the dog's gonads) irons but Ray I think you are being unreasonable to Hippo (Howson) equipment.
Firstly the website that you give IS the Hippo website, not a subdirectory and not only shows their product range but also gives details of staff players (you might be surprised).
Also you seem to think that a company like Hippo just rebadge stuff made in China. Well I'd rather pay the prices that 'Hippo' charge for their Chinese manufactured equipment than the price 'Taylor Made' charge for theirs.
Do some research before you slag off a good British company.
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Alan,
When I enter www.hippogolf.co.uk I get redirected to http://www.direct-golf.co.uk/hippo/
This is a subdirectory of a golf store and suggests that Hippo is not a British company but a brand name of a uk golf store.
There are no contact details for Hippo on the so called 'Hippo' website which is very strange.
All very strange.
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The Hippo site does seem to be hosted within the direct-golf.co.uk URL. However, even if it was hosted independently I don't think it would be very different. I certainly didn't notice any buttons saying "click here to buy" sending one through to the direct-golf online shop. Looks like they might have done a seperate deal to me.
As for custom fitting... sure your swing will change over time Ray, as you improve, but if you're taller or smaller that average it might be that you'd be better suited to having shaft length added or taken away. It's not only about offsets.
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well chances are direct golf bought the domain name as to sell golf clubs as if i wanted to sell taylor made clubs i could go reg www.taylor-made-golf.co.uk and have it pointing to my shop selling my one third hand taylor made driver. But im sure if the threatened legal action and or offered me money for said domain id cave in :)
hippo is a company its howson as i remember it checking hippogolf.co.uk regestration details we find its howson:
Domain Name:
hippogolf.co.uk
Registrant:
Howson Sports (UK) Ltd
Trading As: Howson Sports (UK) Ltd
Registrant's Address:
Mosely Business Park
Moseley Street
Burton-on-Trent
Staffordshire
DE14 1DW
GB
and remember someones online persona does not allways match up with the ideas u have of that company many people get ripped off for web design domain names get kept when bills are not payed or held ransom when u call in the cowboys.
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 Ray
For someone about to purchase their first set of irons you claim to know an awful lot about hippo.
they've been around donkeys years providing good value clubs for people such as yourself at the first rung of equipment.
I would suggest however that £230 pounds is a little steep for a first set.
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 Thy,ll be fine for a first set and the drivers are as good as anything out there and longer than most.
Don't be a hippo crit and get them bought and give em a good lash.
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 My missus has Hippo clubs and they seem good value for the £150 she paid for 3 woods and 9 irons, all with graphite shafts in L flex. They seem to suit her fine and look to be excellent quality for the money.
James
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 Hippo's revised web-site is now up and running at http://www.hippo-golf.com/home.asp.
Well, at least the European side is. The US part is still under development.
Looks like they have some nice looking equipment.
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 I have some OS4 Hippos had them 2 months and love them, I got the stand bag, 4-sw rescue, 460 driver & 3w + towel for £80 on ebay. So i will play these for a while and once I feel im not progressing with them I may think of changing them for a branded set.
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If you look on Direct Golf website, you could probably build a set cheaper/better than the Hippos. Wilson Fat Shaft IV irons £150, Ram Serbera 3 Wood £40, John Letters bag £20 + putter. As a beginner don't bother with a driver, the ones in boxed sets are not very good anyway, wait 'till your more confident and then buy a driver to suit you.
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 My own experience of my first set of clubs. I booked myself a course of 8 lessons in March this year at my local driving range before i even went out on the course. Just before my first round of golf, the Pro suprised me by handing over a set of old Hippo XXL second hand irons in a bag with an old driver, wedge and putter, they had been traded in and he didn't want to resell them so offered them to me for my own use. They did me fine using them twice a week (yes, they did look a bit rusty etc but still meant i was able to see if i enjoyed the game before comitting any serious funds on clubs) Used them for about 2-3 months before i picked up a new set of clubs from ebay for £100 that had everything i needed (Prosimmon Icon, they seem to have gone up to £180 since then though). Not looked back since then, the girlfriend bought me a Scotty Cameron putter and Callaway wedge for my birthday (now that was a suprise!) and they are the only additions to the set. They are seeing me quite happily in the mid/high 80's round the courses here. Gave the Pro back his set and he told me that he has given them on to someone else who is using them now.
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| Edited: 10/10/07 13:40 |
Why not use a driver from when you first start? and why spend £250 on a set of ok clubs when you can get a decent all in one set for half that price? For me the Hippos are great the driver is just as good as any mid range one and at £80 from Ebay rrp at £200 a bargin that I dont mind giving up next year for a set of X20s.
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I too started out with a set of OS4 clubs and think your got an absolute bargain (they were about £150.00 12 months ago). I handed mine on to a mate who still uses them. I particularly liked the 3 wood which was sweet off the tee and the putter was also pretty reliable. Mine were green so stood out a bit as well. Think they will serve you well for at least a year.
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