Let's face it, golf can be a pretty costly hobby to get into. And whilst no-one wants to pay any more than they need to, golfers worldwide want to ensure that the tools they use are going to enable them to play to their full potential, thus maximizing their enjoyment of the game, not to mention success.

This is where clone golf clubs have found a significant part of the golf club market.

With the quality and performance meeting the exacting standards of their branded cousins these days, there is no reason to feel concerned that your value-conscious purchase will be anything like substandard. Value, in your golf club purchase, does not mean you have to compromise at all these days.

Certainly, clone golf clubs are now manufactured to the same high standards as the better known brands, with great care being taken from design, through materials sourcing to manufacture and delivery.

From a technological point of view, just as much energy is expended as you would expect for the more well known brands. Yet clone golf clubs are followers of design and not innovators as such. The leading brands set the standards and the clone brand manufacturers follow.

It's important to recognize that your financial outlay, even though it might be lighter on your pocket, will be still buying an excellent product. It's just that costs are typically between 50-75% lower than the corresponding brands. Since most manufacturers used shafts and grips from the same sources, it's down to the club head where the differences are seen.

Remember too, that manufacturers of clone golf clubs have to be very careful to observe patent and copyright laws, so there will be differences.

Legitimate clone golf club manufacturers produce clubs which have similar design elements to branded clubs, but are considered "distinct and different" enough, without breaching relevant registered patents.

In fact, clone golf club manufacturers work closely with the leading brands to ensure that they fight off the worse threat to their industry, that of counterfeit goods, illegally branded and passed off as originals - an increasing problem in many industries.

So, why would you ever buy a well-known brand, if on value and performance terms clone golf clubs are as good as they seem? Here are a few reasons:-

1. You get leading-edge technology, design and materials innovation.

2. You might just feel that you need to have a set of well-known clubs in your bag for reason other than performance, such as status when golfing with your company president.

3. It might just be that some players get extra confidence by spending all that cash on a branded product, in the belief that they will play better using these clubs.

Unlikely, but true!

Enough reason for you? To pay double or more for a quality of club that is second to none and with a posh and well-known brand name? Maybe - it is, of course, up to you.

In truth, as long as you have a reasonable set of clubs, it's much more likely to be the technique you use, rather than something that costs twice the price, that makes the difference. Clone golf clubs will, without question save you money, without any compromise on quality.

So, if you are considering your next set of clubs right now, but can't really justify the most well known, then don't feel that you will be less well served if your purchase is for a brand new set of clone golf clubs, rather than something with a name you might see more on your TV screen.