My article this week is something I didn’t plan on writing. While counterfeit golf equipment is a real problem worldwide, here in the Philippines it doesn’t seem to be discussed all that much. Is it because we seldom encounter fake clubs or is it because those who have bought fake clubs still don’t know they were scammed? Whatever the reason is, I think sellers of fake clubs and golf equipment should be reprimanded.

My experience with counterfeit golf products was a very minor one, but I was surprised at how much it affected my golf.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, I finally bought myself a new driver. As someone who prides himself in getting bargains, and has no problem using pre-loved clubs, a brand new driver was a treat.

After eight years since my last driver purchase, I finally got myself a Ping G430 Max 10k. I got to try it with a few drivers at demos and simulators and had already been eyeing the Ping for a few months.

So with my brand new driver in hand, I decided to have the original grip replaced at my trusted club fitter. The stock Tour Velvet was okay, but I prefer the cord in my grip and I could use more traction due to sweaty hands.

But before that, I needed to make a quick trip to a public course in Taguig to buy some used golf balls as I was running low on practice balls.

After getting a few dozen balls, I was ready to head to Mandaluyong for grip replacement at Custom Clubmakers. When I checked Waze though, it would take an hour due to heavy traffic.

Just as I decided to have the grips replaced some other day, I saw a pro shop just before exiting the course. I didn’t even park properly as I just wanted a peek to see if they had grips.

To my delight, they had exactly what I wanted, Golf Pride MCC Align. I have MCCs throughout my set and wanted to try the Align variant.

Perfect, I thought to myself. It was just a grip, It was just the grip, but it had all the signs of an original one (tear-off plastic with bar codes, etc). I even asked the person at the shop if it was original and he said yes.

So while waiting for at most three minutes, I was browsing around the shop and kept noticing items that looked counterfeit.

You tend to see them at small pro shops at driving ranges and public courses. I say some and not all, because, of course, there are genuine products at these places too. But I saw caps and visors, and bags, accessories that looked “Class A.”

So it got me thinking about the grip I am having installed. But, I thought, it’s just a grip. It looked fine, felt fine and at the end of the day, a grip is a grip.

Fast forward a couple of days, and I’m taking my new driver out for its first spin.

Since there is no driving range at my home club, my first hit with my new driver was at the first tee of Midlands.

Boom, hooked it low left. One more ball, and boom low left again. After a few adjustments and many lost balls later, I finally managed to hit one solid shot. I had to swing it with a slice just to get it to go straight. I was starting to hate my new driver. I hated the ball flight, the feel, everything about it. It didn’t help that my golf buddy kept offering to buy my new driver.

So after holding out for years to buy a new driver, I just made a mistake with the Ping. Or did I? Luckily, I gave it one more chance, but not after a proper fitting.

I was so frustrated with my new driver. Was it the stock shaft? Is there a setting I need to put it on? Do I need an aftermarket shaft? Only my trusted fitter can have the answers so I booked a driver fitting ASAP.

Unfortunately, Jake was at the Philippine Open, so I had to wait till the Monday after the tournament.

At his shop, with his trademark greeting “Men, kumusta?” Jake took one glance at my new driver, and even without taking the head cover off, said “Bro, bakit fake yung grip mo?”

He then showed me the difference between a real and a fake grip. But more importantly, he explained how the weight difference between real and counterfeit grips affects balance, swing weight, overall weight, and how the club felt. Seeing that I was embarrassed for being duped, he told me it’s a common occurrence these days. Counterfeit grips are everywhere, and since they seem minor, people seem not to mind.

If I was at a less-than-honest fitter, they might have blamed the shaft to make me buy an aftermarket one. But Jake has built his reputation not just by being the best, but for honesty and integrity. He stopped me from my intention of having a driver fitting and just suggested a grip change. I already had Ventus Red 5s in mind. But Jake said it was just the balance due to the heavy fake grip.

He asked me to play with the new grip before considering a shaft change because my stock shaft might be good enough for my swing. I couldn’t test it right away since grips take time to dry but after a few days, I had a tournament and got a chance to warm up with my newly gripped, new driver at the range before my round.

So, what was the verdict?

Perfect! It was, unbelievable as it sounds, just that freaking fake grip! The altered swing weight, the counter-balancing effect the heavy fake grip gave, all that ruined what should have been a perfect driver for me.

My new driver behaved like it was supposed to, my misses were as expected, which is what I’m after. After playing golf for over 30 years, I know what my bad swings should produce. So my new Ping driver performed as expected.

May this serve as a lesson for everyone. The smallest things can have such a big effect on golf equipment.

If it looks fake, it probably is. If it costs much less than usual, it’s fake. If you want to have anything checked, or replaced, or if you feel something off with your clubs, go to your trusted fitter. You get what you pay for.