If you use new golf clubs, then you’re already aware of the fact that innovation can sometimes be great, since it is the force driving all of us forward. However, sometimes it may look like a certain new piece is just what the world needs when, in fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Indeed, this is exactly what happened with some golf equipment that used to be seen as classic, but which is now seen as silly. Of course, there are pieces that were once truly great, and which were outgrown for the sole reason that technology improved, allowing equipment that couldn’t be built in the past to be built now.
Ping Golf Balls Two-Tone
These fun golf balls were not very well received in the 1980s, when they first came out, which is why they were discontinued. However, it is precisely this that has made them so rare, which is why they are now very much wanted by collectors, though some combinations of colors are preferred over others.
Adams Tight Lies Fairway Wood
At the beginning of the 1990s, Adams realized that the fairway wood would make for a much more forgiving piece of equipment if its top part was at the bottom. That’s how he got the idea to turn the club upside down, creating this line of wood. As you can very easily figure out from their name, these clubs were absolutely spectacular at helping the ball out of tight fairway lies. Two decades since, these woods were re-launched, keeping many of their unique features.
TaylorMade Nubbins Putter
The inserts found in the putter faces have experienced plenty of changes, as manufacturers played around with lots and lots of different materials. However, TaylorMade were the only ones who tried using what appeared to be rubbers from table tennis bats that were discarded. As unique as the idea may have been, these putters did not do great with golf players.
The Fat Lady Swings Putter
Bobby Grace, the creator of this particular putter, has created many designs over his career, but the Fat Lady Swings was perhaps the one who achieved the highest popularity out of them all, because it was used by Nick Price when winning the 1994 PGA Championship. This happened on August 14, and the day immediately after that, Grace found himself with as many as 25,000 orders. However, the popularity of this type of putter was short lived.
TopFlite Z-Balata
Balata golf balls used to be the number one choice for professional golfers not so long ago. Balata is a naturally occurring material that resembles rubber, and which was once used for covering golf balls. The reason this type of golf balls was highly preferred was that this cover allowed for spinning rates that were much higher than those of other types of balls, when used with wedge and iron shots. While they used to be extremely popular, they are no longer used, because the golf balls used today are much more advanced.
Wilson Invex Driver
This driver was oddly shaped, and some would argue that it was ahead of its time. Now, it was used by John Daly to win the Open at St Andrews in 1995, but it seems like he was the only one to have used it, since pretty much everyone else seemed to have disliked these drivers.
Cleveland VAS Irons
The VAS in the name comes from Vibration Absorption System, which is the reason why these irons used to be so popular back in the 1990s. Now, one may argue that all of this was merely just a marketing gimmick, but alas, many people used to swear by them.
Penfold Commando/Tornado Balls
These ones were used in the 1980s, and they worked great for those willing to make a trade-off between distance and cost. They played wonderful on the greens, which is what gave them their popularity.
Sometimes, the past offers great lessons. Other times, it offers an opportunity to have a good laugh. There are classics from the world of golf equipment that fit in either of these categories.
