Equipment

The “real” firsts of the golf industry

Published

4 years ago

May 11, 2020

Any time a new club is introduced, the phrase “for the first time ever…” is usually not far behind. In some groundbreaking cases, the statement is completely true and applies to the entirety of the modern golf industry, while in other cases it’s only a “first” for that particular manufacturer—so watch for the asterisk.

This ultimately begs the question: What were the true firsts of modern golf technology, and how did they change the direction of design?

After some in-depth research here is my list of true firsts.

The first metal driver: TaylorMade Original (1979)

As the story goes, Gary Adams took out a $24,000 loan against his house to found TaylorMade Golf. The focus of this new endeavor was to create a driver made from metal and to make persimmon a thing of the past. The first product to market was a 12-degree metal driver; the very first of it’s kind. It still took more than a decade to make persimmon obsolete, but as they say, the rest is history.

Moveable weight: TaylorMade R7 (2004)

TaylorMade engulfed the driver space when it launched the 300 Series metal woods and went on an ever further tear when it introduced the 500 series (they skipped the 400 names). Interesting fact—the number four is mostly avoided in global marketing because “four” is pronounced almost exactly the same as the word “death” in Chinese. It’s the same reason Callaway went from FT3 to FT5.

When the R7 Quad debuted, it was a game-changer because it was the very first driver to offer the consumer easily adjustable weights to help golfers fine-tune ball flight. I say “consumer” because club builders and tour vans had been using hotmelt to adjust CG for some time, but on a consumer level, the ability to tweak your driver on the range was unheard of. It was a lot of weight too: 24g total—more than 10 percent of the clubhead’s mass. After the R7 Quad, drivers would never be the same!

Sliding weight: Mizuno MP-600 (2007)

When it comes to drivers, Mizuno’s reputation for irons overshadows its history of producing innovation in the metal woods space. The MP-600 was the very first driver to offer a sliding weight track to fine-tune CG. Although the weights were only 8g a piece is was extremely innovative at the time and created new options for OEMs to help reposition mass around larger heads.

They have utilized the technology on and off over the years, but the newest ST200G is by far the most adjustable Mizuno driver yet.

Graphite (composite) shaft: Golfcraft (1954)

In 1954, Golfcraft (the same Golfcraft discussed here: Greatest Titleist Irons of all Time) announced a breakthrough in golf shaft technology: a shaft made from fiberglass that could one-day make steel obsolete, the same way steel made wood obsolete.

Beyond just the promise of more consistent shots, Golfcraft also declared the shaft vibration-proof, rust-proof, and almost unbreakable, something that modern club throwers would know is quite untrue. Although they never took off like the steel they promised to replace, it was the very first non-steel shaft to enter the market.

Soon after, a few other companies started to enter the market to offer these new fiberglass shafts for golfers, but it wasn’t until the late 1960s when Frank Thomas (yes, the same Frank Thomas that went on to be the technical director of the USGA ) used graphite to produce shafts for Shakespeare—the fishing rod company.

This is when the market completely evolved, and not long after its introduction, graphite shaft manufactures started to pop up to get into the game. Thanks to a better understanding of materials, and the physics of the golf swing with the help of highspeed camera and tracking tools, graphite shafts have never been more advanced than they are today.

Carbon composite crown: Mizuno MP-001 (2003)

The Mizuno MP-001 was released the year after the much talked about, but often ridiculed, Callaway C4—the very first (and only) carbon composite driver. It came in three different models released in succession; 360cc, 400cc, and then eventually 460cc, which if you are on the lookout for a value, the 460cc driver is still high on the list.

Beyond what Callaway was up to with Fusion Technology, the MP-001 was the very first driver to utilize a multi-material crown to save weight, and the results speak for themselves. It sounds extremely solid, offered low spin, boosted MOI—and looked really cool too.

Multilayer solid core urethane ball

This is the one breakthrough that has a hard-to-find solid start date—no pun intended. The first multilayer performance balls were the Precept (Bridgestone brand) EV Extra Spin and Extra Distance. At the time of its introduction around 1995, the Precept EV was competing against the Titleist Professional, which was still a wound ball. The EV offered more distance and great control while still not quite competing from a short game control perspective.

The biggest mainstream change came when Mark O’Meara won the 1998 Masters with a multi-layer Strata ball and then went on to win the Open Championship the same year. Many attribute his win in part to the fact that he was using a new Strata multi-layer urethane ball that offered less spin off the driver and more spin around the greens.

A year later, in 1999, a year before Titleist introduced the Pro V1 (October 2000), Nike launched the Tour Accuracy ball (manufactured by Bridgestone), and with it came this…

Soon after, the Pro V1 arrived, and as the market leader, the impact was a seismic shift. The wound ball was officially dead, but we can’t forget the change that Precept/Bridgestone pioneered half a decade before.

What other “firsts” of the golf industry do you think are notable, GolfWRXers?

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Ryan Barath

Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

37 Comments

Delbert

May 31, 2020 at 10:45 pm

The first sand wedge by Gene Sarazen

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Psarro

May 29, 2020 at 11:15 pm

I would think range finders should be on the list?

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storm319

May 18, 2020 at 11:40 pm

Correction: The Precept EV Extra Spin was a 2-piece with a TPU cover. The first multilayer solid core ball was the Top Flite Strata in 1996 (cover was synthetic, but not urethane).

Reply Report comment
arnaud

May 16, 2020 at 4:28 pm

Tom Wishon (for SNAKE EYES, GOLFSMITH then WISHON GOLF) :

1st driver with adjustable hosel sleeve (1994)
1st heel weighted / draw bias driver (1996)
1st metal wood with cup face construction (1997)
1st driver with moveable weight for CG / draw / fade bias (2005)
1st illegal driver to achieve a COR of 0.900 (2006)
1st fairway wood to achieve a COR of 0.830 (2004)
1st hybrid to achieve a COR of 0.830 (2008)
1st set of irons to achieve a COR of 0.830 (2009)

and this is a short list …

Reply Report comment
andrew_s

May 14, 2020 at 5:18 am

COBRA E9 face technology (dual roll)

Reply Report comment
ColinKelvin

May 13, 2020 at 11:54 am

Ping Anser – a headshape with bumpers and a plumber’s neck which has been #1 in golf ever since, copied by all the leading putter makers over and over and over again.

Ping irons – peripheral weighting / game improvement through the ages.

Reply Report comment
Jin Teh

May 13, 2020 at 9:40 am

You missed the world’s first two piece ball…the first non core wound golf ball…Dunlop
DDH around 1980…I was the first to break the ball in half on with a driver!!!

Another first bring launched today…Face thickness fitting…drivers with different face thickness for different swing speeds 20-40 yards more 1st swing..who cares if they are not USGA Conforming…go to http://www.krankgolf.com

Reply Report comment
- Delbert
  
  May 31, 2020 at 10:41 pm
  
  My college golf team was given the DDH. They were workin out great until some started break in half.
  
  Reply Report comment
D

May 13, 2020 at 9:21 am

Ping putters
Ping irons
Adjustable hosels, who started that?
Ping Hoofer with dual strap

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J-Dog

May 12, 2020 at 7:08 pm

I thought the Callaway C4 would technically be the first driver to have a carbon crown.

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Nicklaus#1

May 12, 2020 at 1:09 pm

I could of sworn Northwestern made the 1st metal driver.

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alexva

May 12, 2020 at 11:51 am

Precept Flying Lady was hot for a while among better men players

Reply Report comment
- matt
  
  May 14, 2020 at 7:43 am
  
  haha i remember that
  
  Reply Report comment
Brandon

May 11, 2020 at 11:23 pm

How about that powerbilt driver with the nitrogen inside?

Reply Report comment
Stanley

May 11, 2020 at 10:52 pm

Pxg and their foam filled irons

Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  May 12, 2020 at 8:20 am
  
  Not a first . Taylor made , and maybe even someone before that.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Nack Jicklaus
    
    May 31, 2020 at 4:35 pm
    
    And their woods were foam filled before they made the foam filled irons too.
    
    Reply Report comment
C

May 11, 2020 at 9:52 pm

Scotty Cameron Putter Headcovers changed everything in what a headcover could be…seems trivial but he certainly upped the ante…Inspired a whole new generation of designers over the years in the process!

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Holla

May 11, 2020 at 7:47 pm

Pedersen began making metal headed woods back in 1927.

Reply Report comment
KP

May 11, 2020 at 7:45 pm

Let’s not forget PING and the innovation of perimeter weighted irons!

Reply Report comment
- Steve
  
  May 13, 2020 at 9:24 am
  
  This!!
  
  Reply Report comment
Daniel Howard

May 11, 2020 at 7:22 pm

Spalding Tour Edition

Reply Report comment
- Gary
  
  May 13, 2020 at 11:46 am
  
  Yep, first urethane cover.
  
  Reply Report comment
Think A. Little

May 11, 2020 at 6:12 pm

First driver with removable/sliding weight???

Whoever used lead tape first on whatever they were using.

Reply Report comment
Eric Seatvet

May 11, 2020 at 6:05 pm

Adams Golf – Hybrids. They may have not been the first, but they made category big.

Reply Report comment
BodineJCS

May 11, 2020 at 5:51 pm

Taylormade Golf …founded in Mchenry Illinois , my hometown were I still live … Those were the days …

Reply Report comment
Lou Cesarek

May 11, 2020 at 2:55 pm

Investment cast irons.
Titleist AC 108 and Ram Accubar .
The Accubar had the largest sweet spot of irons during this time frame .

Reply Report comment
Regis

May 11, 2020 at 2:50 pm

First rescue (hybrid for non TMAG) Taylormade

Reply Report comment
Richard Douglas

May 11, 2020 at 2:29 pm

Hogan Edge: the first perimeter-weighted, forged iron

Cleveland VAS 792: the first set of garden tools to be converted into golf clubs

Ping Anser

TM Rocketbladz

Polara Ball

SoftSpikes

Reply Report comment
- Nack Jicklaus
  
  May 11, 2020 at 9:53 pm
  
  I think I was one of about 10 people who thought the VAS irons were beautiful back then! I still laughed out loud when I read your comment though…
  
  Reply Report comment
dwayne bretzky

May 11, 2020 at 2:18 pm

tough luck for Mizuno making those great innovative moves in the driver industry and really never getting a hold of the market share at all over the years. I have used multiple mizuno drivers over the years and they were all great..I guess this really proves how marketing campaigns help a product.

Reply Report comment
Nick

May 11, 2020 at 1:29 pm

I think you’d have to include the r11. First white driver, sparked a market frenzy. This club and Taylormade’s marketing made everyone seriously question “Should I be playing a white driver?” It allowed companies to see the success that selling a product predominantly a different color than black or grey. This same idea holds true to Taylormade’s red putters…now Odyssey had their own line of red putters too.

The thing that always makes me chuckle is how they are such masterful marketers. Not only did they convince the golfers around the world that the coolest drivers are white, they flip the market on it’s head and come out with the R1 SPECIAL EDITION BLACK DRIVER! I mean how genius…like it or not they know how to play the game, literally and figuratively!

Reply Report comment
- stam
  
  May 11, 2020 at 6:10 pm
  
  COBRA made the first white driver..
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Holla
    
    May 11, 2020 at 7:30 pm
    
    MacGregor made a white driver in the 50’s
    
    Reply Report comment
Kep

May 11, 2020 at 1:12 pm

I have an old Yonex Super ADX 0 driver with a pressure molded graphite head. I believe this was before the composite Callaway C4 mentioned here but i cant seem to find any info about it.

Reply Report comment
- JIM
  
  May 11, 2020 at 6:21 pm
  
  My wife still has a C4 sitting in the garage, I know for a fact it lasted 2 rounds in her bag….I had to take her out to buy a new driver right away. Also the instructor at the range I use was the first to show us that grip pressure took most of the good away from movable weights in driver heads….his slog-gen the tighter the grip the more money you waste on movable weights in your driver.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Mark M
  
  May 13, 2020 at 9:21 am
  
  That’s exactly the club I was thinking of when I read the C4 listing. I think it was mid to late 90s – came out the same time as the Yonex Super ADX tour Forged cavity back irons which were magic.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

14 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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