The one and only way to tell a genuine Taylormade FCT sleeve

Its been 5 months since I first started selling Taylormade R9 FCT sleeves. Since then, fakes or copies have started to circulate. It used to be easy to tell a fake, not now. A new kind of fakes, which are 'high grade copies' are circulating. So 'high grade' that some of you may not even tell them apart. Very well made to look like the real thing. In fact, you'll need a magnifying glass to tell them apart. Literally, no kidding. Look at the picture below. One is a high grade copy which I purchased via eBay, and the other is an authentic R9 FCT sleeve. You can hardly tell them apart eh? (CLICK ON ALL IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

Lets take a look at the weight:

It weighs the same! OMG! Well done!

Ok, so my friend who works in Taylormade told me theres only 1 true way to tell, because the copies do not have the right cutter machine...so there is a difference in finishing. Now, time to bring out the magnifying glass....it is that fine...it is that small. Yes, you need a magnifying glass. It took me 3 days to figure out what the heck he was saying, even with a magnifying glass, LOL!

Ok, when the FCT sleeve is made by an authentic Taylormade machine, it will produce very fine circular lines...very very very fine! At 3 different places. No I am not talking about the lines on the FCT 'teeth'. As you can see from my first picture, even the copies now have lines on the teeth. Check out the following picture:

On 1 and 3, it might get you into 50-50 situations, because on authentic sleeves, sometimes the prints are very vague. The best way to look at, which is also the hardest (because the lines are very fine) is on Part 2. I took 3 days to see the fine lines. Go experiment and have fun!

Hopefully all of you can benefit from this. There are many sleeves now, and new sleeves are coming out. Some have different numbers stamped at the bottom, a small minority have no numbers. More fakes are floating around. People are getting doubtful. With this little guide, hopefully it helps us to make an informed decision.

The fake I bought, the little 'step' is black instead of red:

Like I said, the fakes now even have lines on the teeth:

The fake is still very shiny on the inside. Not matt like the authentic ones:

Well in conclusion, the high grade copies are so good that even a picture on ebay can be dubious. Right now I am relying on the fine lines to help me tell them apart.

Cheers

Rubber washer - where it should rightfully be

Many people I know use the rubber washer wrongly. They insert it into the screw and then screw it into the FCT sleeve via the top. When the rubber washer shreds, they say that its damaged....but of course! It's not supposed to be used that way.

The rubber washer is supposed to go below the head, not on top together with the screw. REFER TO PICTURE.

The purpose of the rubber washer? To prevent the screw from falling out easily when you 'unlock' your FCT sleeve.

Cheers!

(click on image below to enlarge)

New R9/R9 460 FCT sleeves

Contrary to previous reports that Taylormade will not be releasing new FCT sleeves for the new line of R9 drivers,...turns out that they WILL be!

I already have 1 kind of new sleeve with me that is similar to the FCT sleeve for the Japanese market R9 MAX, the sleeve is adjustable in 1.5 degrees, instead of the 2 degrees that we all have now. This sleeve is available in standard or TP version. I will be selling this starting from tonight.

Another kind of sleeve, well, will be launched in a month's time. All I can say is, cosmetic wise, its a 150% improvement. There are patterns on the sleeve! COOL! They can even do a pink version for Paula Creamer. I can't disclose even a picture for this sleeve...not until at least in a month's time. Sorry.

The 1.5 version is worth a try....I always feel adjusting the club in 2 degrees is too much, so 1.5 is worth fuzzing around.

The best of all, be it old sleeves or new sleeves....they all fit into the R9 head (old R9 heads and the new R9 heads coming up).....so there's so much combination to play around with! FUN!

More fake FCT sleeves on eBay spotted (especially TP .335)

There are more and more fake FCT sleeves selling on ebay. Especially the TP .335

Well, people know what are valuable and will also produce whatever that makes a profit. What I wrote previously on how to spot a genuine FCT sleeve from a replica may not be applicable today, as many of these fakes have now been very well produced.

Take for an example, fakes now have what we call the 'production numbers' engraved below the sleeves. Fakes are also now grey in color (the shaft sleeve) instead of red (initial fakes very red = very fake).

Here are some newer updated techniques:

(Please click on each picture for an enlarged and clearer view)

The part where you insert the shaft should be

MATT GREY. Fakes used to be red...

they are getting smarter now by making it

in grey too....

but fakes are usually in SHINY GREY.

Authentic sleeves go through a special process

which makes the sleeves MATT rather than shiny.

ALL FCT sleeves should have these 2 dots below

if they are genuine. The 2 dots must match up according to the NU and L position respectively

Especially for TP sleeves, where there are so

many fakes around! Be careful...look out for

this small detail!

The TP logo - there should be a gap in

between the T and P. Its a small gap but can

still be captured on camera.

A lot of those I see on ebay DO NOT have

the correct TP logo

My favourite! The BEST way to spot a fake:

The horizontal lines on the teeth of the FCT

sleeves are what makes your FCT a genuine!

FCT = Flight Control Technology.

This is what helps make your club change its

lie angle, loft and face angle! The lines on the teeth

is produced only by a special knife which cuts the

FCT sleeve by machine during production.

You can't see the lines on the teeth for copy sleeves,

because they do not have the correct knife/machinery

to achieve this result. Buying a bogus sleeve means you

merely have have a socket to hold your shaft to your

clubhead, as simple as that. That's all, period.

You do not benefit from the FCT technology and the

adjustability of the R9 technology!

The body of genuine screw bolts should be darker,

with a shade of black.

Pictured on the left is a fake screw, on the right is a genuine.

A fake screw sticks to a magnet as its made of stainless steel.

A genuine screw does not stick to a magnet.

Some possible fakes:

1. Teeth of the sleeves are clearly fake. No horizontal lines.

Also,I noticed the .350 he used to sell comes with

the circular rubber washer!

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Latest Updates (Updated 5th Nov 2009)

1) Seller: dbsdnjsqo

The rubber washer being rounded is a dead giveaway

From this angle, you can see that these are straight bore sleeves with no adjustibility.

The screw is fake, it is too long. Look at my picture below:

(click to enlarge)

Numbers should not really be engraved in white

2) Seller: Tgenovese

(click to enlarge picture)

Well its pretty obvious....he has stated in his description that his

are straight bore sleeves, not genuine.

This is a nice seller, a very nice person. Well, he does not know

that I know him but yeah, I know he's a good man....I sound like a

stalker now, LOL

3) Seller: thl-pro-shop

No comments really....picture is so small

4) Seller: Brandnamegolfequipment

This picture is also a bit too small to tell, but I think the screw

looks odd...also, teeth looks too 'polished'....

but then again, its a picture that is not close up, tough call

Somehow this china guy cracks me up. Read his item description....

.the english makes me laugh, and below.......he made a very pissing

comment. He seem to think that someone gave him a negative

feedback on purpose and at the end, is he hinting that its

'iheartburner' aka me??

I don't know....if he meant it as getting the heart 'burnt' (hurt) or

was he referring to me, as in he thinks I sabotaged him?

Am I getting sensitive?

I don't know.....Well for the record, ITS NOT ME....

I did not give him the negative and I would not do such things. I believe

in karma...besides, I have a good reputation already on ebay,

I need not resort to such means. DUH!

Well he may mean it as a word heartburn or whatever,

I don't know. I seriously dont understand his English....

just look at his description, LOL

Guess I should not take it too personally

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The above posts are based on my honest opinion for open sharing.

I have no intention to harm anyone's 'reputation'

by discussing their items on this blog.