Difference between branded and clone clubs
The difference between branded and clone clubs is probably a lot less than you imagine. The fact is, if you have two clubs that are made from similar materials, with similar club head shape and characteristics on similar shafts there is very little difference at all in how those clubs will feel and play.
Big name brand manufacturers will, of course, publicly disagree with the above statement. But think about this, these same manufacturers rely on this very same principal when competing with each other. One manufacturer will come out with some hot new technology that plays a little better (perhaps it offers a bit more distance or control) and start selling a ton of that club. What do their competitors do? They copy the club, put their own brand mark on it and start selling it as "better" than the original design.
The research on this issue doesn't lie, and there is no need to override your common sense. Two clubs of the same type, weight and characteristics will play the same ... it's as simple as that. And today's golf club "clone" manufacturers are making extremely high quality clubs that match and sometimes exceed the playing characteristics of their "cloned" originals.
What are you paying for when you buy a "big name" brand then? Well, you're paying for TV commercials, professional golfer endorsements (you don't think Phil and Tiger pay for their fancy golf clothes with all of those brand names plastered everywhere ... do you?) and a bunch of other overhead items that will not do anything to lower your scores ... they will only lighten your wallet.
So next time you're looking to outfit yourself with a set of new clubs, ask yourself, would you rather pay for a name on the bottom of your club ... or more rounds of golf?