Equipment
Six “Next Big Things” in Equipment that Weren’t
I hate to do this to you.
This being the beginning of the year and you all into new gear you’re sure will transform your game.
But it’s fitting to remember that The Next Big Thing isn’t sometimes. Just as every new social media site can’t be MySpace — sorry, I meant Facebook — some equipment fireworks fizzle. This Detroiter once owned a scarlet Edsel, so I know that a product of which they rave, “Once you’ve seen it, you’ll never forget it,” can become unforgettable for a whole other reason.
Which brings us to golf, where we’ve learned the Edsel lesson many times. Just for fun, a few products that were, briefly, the end all and be all. And then were not. Pan Am to Ipana, if you will.
Chime in if you remember others….
No. 1: Basakwerd Putter
Of all of designer Jim Flood’s remarkable introductions—the graphite shaft, Odyssey putters, the PowerPod (more later), the wildest was the Basakwerd, manufactured by a company called Orizaba. Imagine that your putter was run over by, well, an Edsel, and now the shaft was on the other side of the ball, the face of the blade still looked at the hole, and you had the sensation of putting a left-handed putter upside down and right-handed (reverse all that if you’re a lefty). Though it’s hosel-to-toe design gave the feeling of possessing zero MOI, it was so different it made revolutionary sense to many. Johnny Miller and Gene Littler played it on tour, and tens of thousands gave it a try until embarrassment or their natural putting strokes got the better of them. They sold 7,000 of them in two days when Littler got hot with it at the ’83 Los Angeles Open. You can still find one on Ebay.
No. 2: Featherlites
It’s hard to convey how hot Featherlites were back in the 1980s. Suddenly these lightweight irons, with swing weights in the mid Cs rather than Ds or even Es, were in the bags of tour pros and hackers alike. Golf made easy. Easy to swing. Easy to generate swing speed. And more in demand than anything since the Ping Eye-2. Designed by Dave Pelz, they were embraced by Golf Digest (and played by its longtime equipment editor, as I recall), tested by Tom Kite and Raymond Floyd, and put into the line of any number of manufacturers. But problems arose as quickly as a “whoosh” after a whippy swing. Some issues related to the lightweight materials: breaks in the shaft under the grip, for example. But more often it was that Featherlites proved, in reverse, the importance of feel during the swing. Golfers who found them easy to play when nothing was on the line couldn’t really feel the club head under pressure. Not a good thing. Featherlites are still out there, but what looked like a permanent change in our game were gone as fast as Flappy Bird.
No. 3: The Chipper
The only club champion in our household, my wife Julie, still has one of these in her bag, but the popularity of chippers, or “putter chippers” as they are also known, has mostly gone the way of Shia LaBeouf. Hybrids today can accomplish what the chipper set out to do: Provide a highly lofted (30 degrees plus) mallet for around the green. Most hybrids are longer than chippers, however, and chipping with them can be tricky, which is why a putter-length utility club seems to make sense. Chippers seem perennially poised to stage a comeback — there was even an illegal one with opposing faces so you could use it left or right, if that ever came up — but oddly enough they are challenging to use. Do I employ a chipping motion? A putting stroke? And which club does it replace? A wedge? A 7-iron? My wife has one made by Callaway. Adams’ Idea a70S Chipper is the latest, and may make you want to give it another try.
No. 4: PowerPod driver
It’s probably enough to say that when I met the man who would become Golf Digest’s Worst Avid Golfer, Angelo Spagnolo, I noticed that his driver was a PowerPod. He swore by it. It was the ultimate anti-slice club at a time in the mid-1980s when adjustable drivers and movable head-weights were only a dream. No adjustment necessary with this club: It was designed for golfers determined to turn their bananas into a “power fade,” no matter how ugly the process became. And the PowerPod, even to those who swore by it, was pretty ugly. It was a purple, polyurethane, plumbing-like fixture aligned on the shaft so that it pointed toward the golfer to such an extent that a normal swing would deliver the ball off a right-hander’s left shin. But thanks to Angelo and slicers everywhere, more than a million were sold. Unfortunately, according to designer Jim Flood, “about a third came back broken” due to an overly delicate head. That sunk the original Pod. In 2011, however, Flood introduced the PowerPod 2, and you can still get one from Tiger Shark.
No. 5: The Response Putter
Jack Nicklaus’s victory at 46 in the 1986 Masters was miraculous for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the putter he used to accomplish it: The Response. The creation of legendary designer Clay Long, MacGregor’s aluminum Response ZT 615 putter was a flat-stick version of enlarged type. It was gargantuan. Long told Golf World’s Mike Johnson that when Nicklaus first saw the putter he said, “Is this a joke?” The putter dwarfed standard-sized putters Jack had used until then. The original Responses had virtually no grip, just a black cloth wrap, which made the experience of putting with it even weirder. Nicklaus added weight to his behind the face. And on April 13, 1986 he made five birdies and an eagle to shoot 30 on the second nine at Augusta and win by one over Tom Kite and Greg Norman. By noon the next day, according to Long, MacGregor had taken 5,000 orders for the club, and eventually sold 350,000. You can still find versions of it at Golfsmith. I also see there’s an “original” on eBay for $299.99. I have one of those first ones and putt very well with it indoors — where the wind can’t get at it.
No. 6: Square-headed Drivers
Above: As recently as 2012, Lucas Glover was using a Nike SQ2 Sumo Tour square-headed driver on the PGA Tour. But like most other PGA Tour player, he’s since moved on.
A friend of mine says that at his private club members are asked to operate by a simple rule: “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.” In other words, even if the by-laws allow it, you may not want to think twice. Which is how some of us feel about those square-headed drivers that popped up — and then back down — a few years back. When the USGA set MOI rules, it drove manufacturers to maximize stability — and with it, perimeter weighting. The square shape made for a very stable driver, but you had to look at it 14 times a round to gain the benefit. Some amateurs also found that it was hard to, well, “square” these clubfaces at impact, making for a very unshakeable slice. They weren’t, for the most, particularly long. Eventually, with new materials and manufacturing methods, designers accomplished the same thing with heads that were nice to look at. And the nerdiest driver in history, like many of our “Next Big Things,” faded into memory.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Like L.A.B. Golf’s larger DF 2.1 putter, the new DF3 is “fully automatic.” That means golfers will get the full experience of DF3 wanting to guide itself on the correct path on the way back and through. This is possible thanks to L.A.B. Golf’s patented Lie Angle Balance technology. The technology creates true zero-torque putters that stay square by themselves. Golfers can trust that L.A.B. Golf putters will return to square without any need for manipulation.
How we choose our testers
GolfWRX staff evaluates each entry against the criteria laid out in the testing thread to determine the best fit for each specific product — For example, if a game-improvement iron is being tested, game-improvement iron-playing golfers will be considered.
Overall tester feedback
Overall, our testers were impressed with the ease and precision of the remote-fitting process with its custom options. On the whole, even those skeptical about the DF3’s shape enjoyed the ease of alignment and consistent delivery of putter to ball, with some testers pointing to an initial “adjustment period.” Those who had played previous L.A.B. creations universally praised the improved feel of the DF3.
What our members said
“I try to take a lighter grip typically when I putt or at least when I am putting my best. I can do that for the most part BUT it is on the shorter putts lately where the grip gets a little tighter at times. The one thing I tried to focus on, after watching some videos Sam has putt online about how to putt with his putters, was to not feel pressure in my thumbs during the stroke and let the putter swing more freely. When you do this, this putter just wants to rock back and forth. Let the putter/tech do the work for you without your brain trying to telling to manipulate the face in any way. It was a different feeling not having that “torque” working against your hands in the feel of the stroke.”
“At this point, I feel completely confident with this putter. I have never seen the ball roll this consistently end over end on my start line. It has made me realize that I definitely have a bit of work to do in the green reading department, but what’s really nice is that it never leaves me guessing. When I watch the ball start on my line and roll perfectly end over end, it is at least nice to be able to definitively say “oh I just misread that” while taking out almost every other variable.”
“Also for whatever reason people find the gimme getter so hilarious. It’s always just “oh cool that picks up balls?!”…Unless something wild happens this putter will be staying in the bag for the foreseeable future including the tournament schedule over the season, I’ve got almost nothing bad to say about it.”
“It’s everything I hoped it would be. I’m very happy I went with the heavier head option, I fear the standard weight would have felt a touch too light for my taste. So shout out to Calvin for being spot on there. At the current weight, I can have a light grip pressure and let gravity do the work. The head just feels incredibly stable and amazingly solid. Speaking of grip, I really debated what grip to go with and the Press Pistol seems like a great choice. The grip feels very versatile for different putting styles, maybe a bit less so for left hand low (imo). I’m mostly a “2 thumbs” guy but have gone back and forth with left hand low as well as claw. The grip tapers down to a smaller flat oval at the bottom. I didn’t love it for left hand low, but for a claw style grip it is really really good.”
“This putter isn’t going to magically turn a poor putter in to Brad Faxon on the greens. But what I can say with confidence is that removing the excessive face rotation from the putter makes creating a repeatable, consistent stroke infinitely easier to obtain. If you’ve been wanting to try a LAB putter, this is the one truly worth taking the dive on in my opinion. Having never been completely blown away with the Mezz or DF 2.1, this putter has really changed my opinion. I’ve always been really intrigued by the technology, and completely buy in to the concept, but I’ve never been able to get past what I perceived to be less than stellar looks, sound and feel. LAB, in my opinion, has address and improved on all of those things. While this putter still looks far from conventional, it did not take long to get comfortable with the look or footprint. It’s not overly obnoxious in size and sets up so well behind the ball.”
“As far as consistency, it’s ridiculous. You can hit these putters ANYWHERE on the face and the ball rolls end over end. And whether you hit it in the middle, on the toe, or on the heel. The balls roll pretty much the same distance, easily within 6″ of each other.”
“LAB really did a great job with the new smaller size as well. The DF 2 always felt like I was putting with a branding iron. The DF 3 is a perfect compact size and very easy to look down at.”
“The DF 2 I had was an armlock putter. So my only concern with the DF 3 was the grip. I have never been a hands pressed forward putter. It was recommended to me to go with the Press II 1.5* grip so I did. Went with the textured grip and it is perfect. I putt with the pencil grip and my hands are very comfortable.”
“As much as I love the roll that the PXG milled face putters (which I’ve been using for years) put on the ball the DF 3 is even better. Can’t believe I’m saying this but you will soon see my PXG putter on the BST.”
Member review themes
- Ease of remote fitting process
- Putter stability
- Surprisingly good sound and feel
- Ease of getting a putt on line
- Ease of alignment
Check out the full review thread here.
More about GolfWRX member testing
Member testing gives our forum members the opportunity to put the latest golf equipment through the paces. In exchange for getting a product to test (and keep), forum members are expected to provide in-depth product feedback in the forums, along with photos, and engage with the questions of other forum members.
For brands, the GolfWRX member feedback and direct engagement is a vital window into the perceptions of avid golfers.
You can find additional testing opportunities in the GolfWRX forums.
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Craig Russell
Jul 26, 2019 at 4:08 pm
How about onset irons. The J-stroke putter or the Gidar putter. A driver was produced but ruled illegal that was perimeter weighted only. Nothing in the center
vpn ????
Jun 22, 2015 at 2:52 pm
https://10.ef-it.eu
Tony Lynam
Mar 25, 2014 at 8:13 pm
Remember the Carbite ZG Polar Balance mallet putter? It was my first putter and the last time I bought a club off an infomercial.
Archie Bunker
Mar 26, 2014 at 3:08 pm
What about “The Hammer”? I thought Zolex was the next big thing in super metals.
jim
Mar 24, 2014 at 11:34 am
my all time fave was the putter that was so big it stood up by itself so you could get behind it to line up putts…lmao made by condor or something
joro
Mar 19, 2014 at 7:27 pm
I have seen it all in my 60 yrs and the Featherlites were the worst. I remember talking to Pelz at the PGA show and realizing he had no clue about how to build a club. They were so lite even a regular shaft played Xstiff in those heads. That is if the didn’t fall apart before you could play a round.
The bassakward and Power Pod was make be a good friend who was very interesting and had some good theories that worked. His little David Irons were pretty good and he made a mini sized fairway Wood called the Ball Buster that hit it a ton. He always felt 300cc was the ultimate size for a Driver, which was the size of the Callaway VFT, which is still a Rocket Launcher.
Nicklaus response Putter was showed he was a hypocrite when it came to him. He said more than once it should be illegal it was so good, yet he used it and won. When it came to grooves he was one of the 4 that bitched Ping which they said were illegal, yet his Putter was OKAY. I still have one and it is huge. (it was given to me and never used)
There were many clubs on the market that were “odd” that worked very well, like the Cleveland VAS, funny looking but very good in design along with the square Woods, perfect balance and even weight;, but like most things, ugly. This is a subject that could go on for hours.
dmabe
Mar 19, 2014 at 4:48 pm
I loved the Polara slice reducing balls and a Wilson Whale driver. Also, my Jerry Barber shankproofs competed with my Browning .44 irons. A Console wedge and Thing putter rounded it out.
Dan
Mar 18, 2014 at 4:09 pm
I can’t believe they didn’t mention the “Hickory Stick”
Archie Bunker
Mar 18, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Shakespeare clubs with the black fiberglass “Wondershaft”. Gary Player endorsed them, but hated them so much, he replaced them with steel shafts painted black (to fool the public). I really wanted a set back in the 1960’s!
I have the replacement for the PowerPod, which was the PolyRocket. Same plastic material in a more conventional club head design. The same plastic was used to make the first Odysey putter inserts.
Archie Bunker
Mar 18, 2014 at 4:30 pm
LiquidMetal golf clubs! Remember the demo on how long a dropped ball would continue to bounce on a liquidmetal face compared to a conventional metal? Guess it didn’t matter. And how about TaylorMade balls vacuum packaged to protect them from distance-robbing moisture?
Rich
Mar 15, 2014 at 1:05 am
What about that mini cube shaped putter. It was no bigger than a ball. Can’t really say it was the next big thing but certainly out there. Or the ping balls with half mini putt color and half white? What was that about. Agreed this speed slot thing or whatever it’s called is pure gimmick exaggerating the benefits. Long before Nike came out with a square head there was another one, I think it even had holes through it for air flow. Not sure of the name. Diamond face wedges were pretty ridiculous and the fat shafts should definitely have made the list. Interestingly enough, Wilson had some nice currie putters back in like 2005 that had counter balancing in the shaft, now it’s all the rage, maybe see it on this list circa 2015?
Dave
Mar 15, 2014 at 8:12 am
The ping ball was for putting practice. I still have one and use it sometimes to practice my stroke. You can tell if you are rolling it true or not.
Craven
Mar 16, 2014 at 7:58 pm
I have a half dozen ping balls as well. Perfect for putting drills.
Dave
Mar 14, 2014 at 4:41 pm
Tommy Armour Ti-100 irons. All titanium and the size of a dinner plate. No chance to hit them on the sweet spot. Apparently they designed them, produced them, and rushed them to the store…. without ever hitting them.
Art
Mar 12, 2014 at 12:11 pm
Great memories of some of these flops. My favorite personal flop was from the late 60’s or early 70’s – The “Top Dog” driver. Innovative for it’s time because it had a graphite shaft AND a totally graphite head (Gee Whiz!).
It was supposed to be ultra long and accurate (naturally)and deliver a huge increase in club head speed because of the ultralight head. Of course, it was a total piece of junk. You could launch it 270 yards easily but 200 of the yards was into the woods.
melrosegod
Mar 11, 2014 at 8:12 am
Fat Shaft!
BamaPhiSig
Mar 10, 2014 at 7:03 pm
In a year or two “Speed Slots” will be added to the list.
Nagar
Mar 9, 2014 at 4:20 am
What about Wilson’s Killer Whale . Biggest Headed Driver I. It’s day at a sopping 280cc.
Tony Lynam
Mar 25, 2014 at 6:57 pm
I used one of those, bomber back in it’s day.
Tom
Mar 8, 2014 at 3:28 pm
How about Copper Beryllium irons, Pelz 3 ball putter made out of plastic
and Sounder hollow head irons.
mark b
Mar 17, 2014 at 3:01 pm
BeCu irons would still be around today if the EPA hadn’t banned the casting of the alloy. And a set of 25 year old Ping Eye 2 BeCu’s can fetch $300 to $500 on Ebay. Hardly a flop.
Dan
Mar 18, 2014 at 4:03 pm
I still use my Ping Eye 2+ BeCu Lob Wedge and it’s the best looking club in my bag.
maslie
Mar 8, 2014 at 11:28 am
I’ll say gripless shaft! .600 butt with no grip. Redirect slice for another +17 yards. Who won’t like it?
Tanner
Mar 8, 2014 at 7:26 am
graphite/steel shafted clubs
Tanner
Mar 8, 2014 at 7:25 am
About 10 yrs ago there was a graphite and steel shaft in one club. Do not recall who made it.
Ross
Mar 10, 2014 at 11:34 am
it was an adams golf set of irons that had a steel tip, however graffaloy still make a shaft the bimatrix. Bubba watson games it
Square
Mar 8, 2014 at 5:48 am
The Alien Wedge and the Perfect club were good calls within the past 20 years. However, I didn’t see a mention of the Jerry Barber Shank Proof irons. Also, if I see one more commercial for the true roll putter and that creepy guy kissing his club while saying “Money” I think I’ll puke.
And that cheezy fake ball which makes it’s way to the hole….come on! I will say the best informercial cult classic clubs were the Orlimar trimetals. Those things flat out worked….
Carey Freeman
Mar 14, 2014 at 12:58 pm
LOL on the creepy guy! Every time I see that commercial I think, “If anyone sees this guy around a school, please call the cops?”
Brian Stowell
Mar 19, 2014 at 6:16 pm
That has to be one of the dumbest ads of all time. When he kisses the putter I think it is because no woman would have him. Just like no real golfer would want that putter after seeing the ad.
Joe Golfer
Mar 8, 2014 at 1:55 am
Here’s another fad that didn’t last. It was probably in the late 1980’s or thereabouts.
I can’t recall the name, but there was a shaft that was very thick at the grip end, though the wall thickness was very thin. This was too eliminate the weight of a grip. Instead of a standard grip, one simply wrapped some sort of thin tacky tape-like grip onto the shaft to help hold onto it better. I recall several top pros actually using this fad for a brief period, though it didn’t last.
These were expensive shafts (at the time) and were not some cheapo infomercial thing.
Perhaps someone knows the name of these shafts from that fad.
One company that used something similar was called Goldwin Golf, which had a shaft called AVDP, which stood for some French word like Avec Dupois??? regarding the weight distribution, as one was supposed to feel the majority of the weight in the clubhead.
John Muir
Mar 10, 2014 at 9:22 am
That was the AJ Tech “Gripless”. Their shafts are still the best (though hard to come by). Low 50g and 2.5 torque. Nobody has come close to something that light and low torque.
John
clubmaker-online.com
RG
Mar 7, 2014 at 9:30 pm
You are all forgetting “The Perfect Club.”
billy
Mar 19, 2014 at 10:02 am
Ill defend the “Perfect club” a bit…gamed the original for 2 seasons (got it off Craigslist for $25) and it was deadly from 160 – 170 out on most any lie. It was a precursor to the modern hybrid’s of today and was easy to hit.
Just say’en
Tommy Truth
Mar 7, 2014 at 8:06 pm
The biggest gimmick was that company called Taylor Made that sold all those garbage clubs to suckers. Remember the “white headed driver” and the “Rocketballz” that promised 17 more yards? LOLOLOLOL. And that driver they called “SLDR”.
Calemardo
Mar 23, 2014 at 4:30 am
HAHAHAHA couldn’t agree more! I used to love TM but after the Rocketballz BS i’ll never buy another. I’ll keep my R9 and love it!
Tony Lynam
Mar 25, 2014 at 8:05 pm
Yeah, and remember those idiots at PGA golf tournaments would yell out “ROCKETBALLZ” when a TMAG player would tee off? Seems just like yesterday.
Shotmark
Mar 7, 2014 at 4:50 pm
Low profile irons. Cleveland VAS irons (mark 1& 2).
Ryne
Mar 6, 2014 at 9:29 pm
I’m just thinking of all of the products I’ve seen in infomercials, even from reputable manufacturer’s. TaylorMade Firesole, Carbite Putter, Pure Spin Wedges, the Hammer (POW!!!), and my personal favorite, the Adams Spin Controlled Driver.
Joe Golfer
Mar 8, 2014 at 1:21 am
My bro-in-law still plays TaylorMade Firesole fairway woods.
He’s tried numerous other fairway woods over the years, and he owns several others, but he always stays with those old Firesoles, so they must have some value to them.
My best friend was given “the Hammer” driver. We both tried it a few times at the driving range. We both considered it to be a piece of junk. But that guy in the infomercial sure could hit it 🙂
You’ve come up with a good list of junky clubs to add to the list.
I also like the one by the guy who noted the Cleveland VAS irons.
A buddy owned them, the original version. They actually hit the ball decently, but looking at them was no treat.
joro
Mar 19, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Don’t forget “The Incredible Alien” off the rock in the middle of the lake. The darn thing was really good though, but nobody had the balls to carry one. lol
ajc
Mar 6, 2014 at 7:17 pm
I still use a square driver. Whatever. I paid less than $80 for it now that they’re discontinued.
If the primary arguments against it are that it “looks weird” and has been replaced by adjustable weighting and hosel technology on drivers that cost 3-6 times what I paid…then I’m ok with that 🙂
dhack33
Mar 6, 2014 at 11:01 pm
Couldn’t agree more!
Magna ball
Mar 6, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Easier to find!
Greg
Mar 6, 2014 at 3:14 pm
Still have my Featherlites and the Response putter…. collecting dust in the garage! 🙂
Clay
Mar 6, 2014 at 2:02 pm
Yea, well only one of these products won a major championship and only one was rooted in good physics. Oh, and only one of these was used by the greatest player of all time for over ten (10) years. So…as you saw the three ball putter reinvented as the two ball putter (best selling putter of all time)don’t be too surprised if you putter doesn’t grow one of these days as well! I may be biased but…..
Clay Long
Joey
Mar 6, 2014 at 9:58 pm
Still have mine that I actually bought and was using before Jack won the Masters if I’m remembering right.
Tim
Mar 6, 2014 at 1:54 pm
I had a yonex graphite driver, it sounded very odd but the ball went miles, unfortunately it started disintegrating within about 3 months and I took it back and exchanged it for a Callaway big Bertha warbird.
Fred
Mar 6, 2014 at 1:20 pm
I don’t have time to read this, I’m off to play 18. Can’t wait to tee up my oversize Top Flite Magna ball, and hit it with my nitrogen-filled Powerbilt driver. Gonna be my best round ever.
Joe Golfer
Mar 8, 2014 at 1:24 am
Doesn’t Powerbilt still use some nitrogen gas in their clubheads, supposedly to increase Characteristic Time?
Ganzoo
Mar 10, 2014 at 5:40 pm
Love it! Well played sir…
Carey Freeman
Mar 14, 2014 at 1:02 pm
I found a Top Flight Magna on the course the other day. Had to do a double take.
E
Mar 6, 2014 at 1:05 pm
Cleveland Golf has just made a new chipper, the Smart Sole C.
hebron1427
Mar 6, 2014 at 12:28 pm
first thing that came to mind was the square head driver. probably should have put graphite head drivers on the list too
Rob
Mar 6, 2014 at 12:15 pm
C4 driver was supposed to be the next big thing and it also destroyed Callaway
James
Mar 6, 2014 at 12:02 pm
I agree with other that you could add “bubble” shafts to this list among other things. Golf is littered with all sorts of gimmicks guaranteed to shave 5-7 strokes off your game. I should be shooting 55s by now with all that stuff.
Chris
Mar 6, 2014 at 11:33 am
John Daly’s PGA championship win sold a lot of those Cobra drivers that were ceramic. And how can we have a list like this without the HAMMER Driver??? BOOM!!!!
Martin
Mar 6, 2014 at 2:37 pm
That was a Ping driver back then.
Christopher
Mar 6, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Wasn’t his driver made of Kevlar? I remember him mentioning he tried to blow a few of them away with a .45.
matt
Mar 10, 2014 at 7:59 am
driver was called Cobra Ultramid, was white with a red titanium shaft
Spit
Mar 6, 2014 at 11:31 am
Apparently they missed the covert driver….
ChuckWeber
Mar 6, 2014 at 11:18 am
I have a brand new set of featherlite in the ladies flex. A very nice looking club, to bad it had problems.
ND Hickman
Mar 6, 2014 at 10:29 am
If we’re looking at TaylorMade then the white headed driver. They dropped that for no discernible reason. I cannot understand why they dropped that.
Colm
Mar 6, 2014 at 9:47 am
What about – “Space Age Technology” = Ceramic Driver !
I had a friend who had one way back, it went miles but sounded odd – never took off though
Danny
Mar 6, 2014 at 9:45 am
Bubble shafts?
Cavity back drivers?
Those Top Flight balls that you matched with a Burner Bubble to increase gear affect?
Rob
Mar 6, 2014 at 10:50 am
I had a Ti Bubble 2 back in the day. It was pretty sweet. I actually just got it out of my parents basement to see how it feels 15 years later.
McQuezo
Mar 6, 2014 at 9:40 am
What about the 1990s Tear Drop putter, with “roll face technology”.
Taylor Zalewski
Mar 6, 2014 at 12:09 pm
Tear drops were incredible putters. I may have to reshaft mine and put it back in the bag.
SwingerWinger
Mar 6, 2014 at 9:27 am
What about the Bubble Shaft in 1990’s TaylorMade drivers. I saw them everywhere for a while, never understood them, and then they disappeared.
Dan
Mar 18, 2014 at 4:00 pm
My buddy received one from Hale Irwin about 2 yrs before they were available retail. It felt amazing vs the retail.
Drew Farron
Mar 6, 2014 at 9:12 am
Excellent article ….I remember the Featherlite craze!
Glad to find out that you are a fellow Detroit’er!
LorenRobertsFan
Mar 6, 2014 at 9:07 am
Might as well go ahead and add the SLDR Minidriver to this list
paul
Mar 6, 2014 at 8:31 pm
Ha ha, best comment so far. I still think the best idea I saw that never was, was the driver with the shaft in the middle of the head. Instead of on the heel.
Dave
Mar 6, 2014 at 10:58 pm
What about the Alien wedges? Guaranteed to get you out of a bunker (with zero technique).