Clubs that should've been icons

[MtlJeff]

There are many unsolved mysteries out there (i learned this growing up watching a show about unsolved mysteries starring Robert Stack, i can't remember the name but i think it was "Cops")

 

Anyway, one think i've always felt is that the Callaway Mavrik family of woods deserved waaaaaaaaay more love. But it was sandwiched between 2 families of "Epic" wood lines which were way more marketed and recognized as more of the premium wood. The Mavrik was their "off year" driver.

 

I posted here in 2020 that the Mav Max was every bit as good if not better than the G400 max which became a sensation. The regular Mavrik had a very classic color and head shape, sat slightly open, had a somewhat deepish face, a crisp sound that could be loved by all---And came stock with a Aldila Rogue White MSI130 shaft to boot.

 

For 2 years i've been using Mavriks (i own the Max and the standard) wondering why no one else picked up on this.

 

Are there clubs you love and just don't understand why others never got it?

[GrandStranded]

An OEM like Callaway eats it’s own with their yearly release cycles.

You’re right, about th Mavrick  lineup. I hated the name and the color way, but there was no denying they were good.

BTW I use the same “off year” description when talking about Cally’s even year releases, yet for my money, the 2018 Rogue and Mavrick were better than the Epic lines that preceded and followed them.

Edited May 4, 2022 by john myrbch

[nitram]

Robert Stack hosted "Unsolved Mysteries" around the turn of the century.

 

The original Tour Edge Exotics CB1 & Cb2 fairways. Maybe it was the price tag that prevented them from being more popular, IHDK? But the were really that good.

 

The silver medal would go to Tourstage/Bridgestone. When the J33 line came out in '06, they were the best set of EVERYTHING available to us mortals, from driver to wedges. The Tourstage Z-101's are still my favorite irons, ever. Some say it has to do with Bridgestone being more interested in being a good ball producer, and the clubs are secondary. If their balls were as good as their clubs were a decade or so ago, they'd be in more bags than everything else, combined.

 

Honorable mention would go to Scratch irons and wedges. I know they were a big hit here on Wrx but just didn't seem to hit it with the mainstream.

Edited May 4, 2022 by nitram

[TLUBulldogGolf]

Titleist 905S. Was quickly overshadowed by the 905R but I always loved the shape and it was a low spin cannon.

Edited May 4, 2022 by TLUBulldogGolf

[MtlJeff]

1 hour ago, john myrbch said:

An OEM like Callaway eats it’s own with their yearly release cycles.

You’re right, about th Mavrick  lineup. I hated the name and the color way, but there was no denying they were good.

BTW I use the same “off year” description when talking about Cally’s even year releases, yet for my money, the 2018 Rogue and Mavrick were better than the Epic lines that preceded and followed them.

 

Yeah the orange wasn't for everyone, but what i meant was the crown was actually pretty classic, it was dark with only minimal lining on the contour.

 

I much preferred the Mavrik to the Epic lines also.

[Stinger83]

1 hour ago, MtlJeff said:

There are many unsolved mysteries out there (i learned this growing up watching a show about unsolved mysteries starring Robert Stack, i can't remember the name but i think it was "Cops")

 

Anyway, one think i've always felt is that the Callaway Mavrik family of woods deserved waaaaaaaaay more love. But it was sandwiched between 2 families of "Epic" wood lines which were way more marketed and recognized as more of the premium wood. The Mavrik was their "off year" driver.

 

I posted here in 2020 that the Mav Max was every bit as good if not better than the G400 max which became a sensation. The regular Mavrik had a very classic color and head shape, sat slightly open, had a somewhat deepish face, a crisp sound that could be loved by all---And came stock with a Aldila Rogue White MSI130 shaft to boot.

 

For 2 years i've been using Mavriks (i own the Max and the standard) wondering why no one else picked up on this.

 

Are there clubs you love and just don't understand why others never got it?

I agree with the Mavrik line. Best line Callaway has made. The mistake was not offering more adjustable woods and painting it orange. 

[drpino]

35 minutes ago, TLUBulldogGolf said:

Titleist 905S. Was quickly overshadowed by the 905R but I always loved the shape and it was a low spin cannon.

I have a 905S with an original OEM installed Fuji Speeder 757.  Not the most forging but still great out of the middle of the face!  I don’t miss working on bore-thru clubs at all though 😉

[BCC1898]

A little off subject, but I think TM and Callaway do themselves a disservice by changing the colors all the time.  Makes people think that the line is disposable.  Titleist does a great job of keeping everything consistent.

[Kyfra]

1 hour ago, nitram said:

Robert Stack hosted "Unsolved Mysteries" around the turn of the century.

 

 

Pretty sure that was John Walsh. You’re probably thinking of Forensic Files.

[Bad9]

1 minute ago, Kyfra said:

Pretty sure that was John Walsh. You’re probably thinking of Forensic Files.

Robert Stack indeed hosted Unsolved Mysteries. John Walsh created and hosted Americas Most Wanted partly as a response to the murder of his son.

[Kyfra]

3 minutes ago, Bad9 said:

Robert Stack indeed hosted Unsolved Mysteries. John Walsh created and hosted Americas Most Wanted partly as a response to the murder of his son.

The OP was joking about not knowing what the show about Unsolved Mysteries was called. Seemed kinda obvious but I guess not…

[JShaw]

Lynx Black Cat irons.  The steel shafted ones were quite good and ahead of their time in design with notched weighting and vibration dampening. Unfortunately the heads flying off the graphited shafted ones eventually ruined the company.

[Bad9]

5 minutes ago, Kyfra said:

The OP was joking about not knowing what the show about Unsolved Mysteries was called. Seemed kinda obvious but I guess not…

If so went right over my head

[Poor Mans Ty Webb]

Although I don't think it's an "unsolved mystery," the forged Anser irons probably could have been more iconic, even at their price point, if you just replaced the "Ping" branding with "Titleist" and kept everything else the same.  They are really well designed irons.

 

I also understand the cult following of Eye 2s (and I'm not pushing back on it), but I personally prefer the forged Hogan Edge cavity backs from the late 80s.  Less offset, fantastic feel, effortless to launch.

[MtlJeff]

37 minutes ago, Kyfra said:

The OP was joking about not knowing what the show about Unsolved Mysteries was called. Seemed kinda obvious but I guess not…

 

LOL glad someone realized i was kidding haha. I'm 40 i grew up on Unsolved Mysteries

[MtlJeff]

30 minutes ago, Poor Mans Ty Webb said:

Although I don't think it's an "unsolved mystery," the forged Anser irons probably could have been more iconic, even at their price point, if you just replaced the "Ping" branding with "Titleist" and kept everything else the same.  They are really well designed irons.

 

I also understand the cult following of Eye 2s (and I'm not pushing back on it), but I personally prefer the forged Hogan Edge cavity backs from the late 80s.  Less offset, fantastic feel, effortless to launch.

 

Ping Anser irons are a great example

[holmes0412]

1 hour ago, BCC1898 said:

A little off subject, but I think TM and Callaway do themselves a disservice by changing the colors all the time.  Makes people think that the line is disposable.  Titleist does a great job of keeping everything consistent.

+1

[minhjn]

OG Ping Rapture 14* fairway wood. For 2006, this club was hot. Full titanium construction, deep face, lots of heel to toe camber, what more could you want?

 

The ZX fairway is honestly really really good but no one except me plays one

[dmeeksDC]

The Bridgestone J15CB is revered as it should be, but IMO they improved it by making the next iteration very similar but slightly shorter heel to toe.

 

But then they went and named it the Tour B X-CB, which sounds like an in-house tracking code for a club in development, and they also made it hard to find in the U.S., as that must be standard Bridgestone practice. But it’s a fantastic golf iron and those who have played it know. 
 

[Other Barry]

3 hours ago, Stinger83 said:

I agree with the Mavrik line. Best line Callaway has made. The mistake was not offering more adjustable woods and painting it orange. 

I was right there with you, until the orange. Love the color scheme they put on the Mavrik line. 

[MtlJeff]

1 hour ago, minhjn said:

OG Ping Rapture 14* fairway wood. For 2006, this club was hot. Full titanium construction, deep face, lots of heel to toe camber, what more could you want?

 

The ZX fairway is honestly really really good but no one except me plays one

 

The only potential problem with OG Rapture woods were they were massive

 

It was almost more of a mini driver than a 3 wood

[MtlJeff]

BTW speaking of Callaway --I felt another wayyyy under the radar club with them was the Diablo Octane Tour.

 

It was quickly overshadowed by the FT line if i recall. But that Octane Tour was the LICK

 

Similar to the Mavrik in a lot of ways, super classic head shape (the DOT was all black on top, no alignment aid even) that sat open. Just a super crisp, explosive feel, multi material but kinda low key about it.

 

the DOT was sooooo good but didn't seem to get the love either. Again another case of i think where Callaway just really marketed another line more.

[bladehunter]

6 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

There are many unsolved mysteries out there (i learned this growing up watching a show about unsolved mysteries starring Robert Stack, i can't remember the name but i think it was "Cops")

 

Anyway, one think i've always felt is that the Callaway Mavrik family of woods deserved waaaaaaaaay more love. But it was sandwiched between 2 families of "Epic" wood lines which were way more marketed and recognized as more of the premium wood. The Mavrik was their "off year" driver.

 

I posted here in 2020 that the Mav Max was every bit as good if not better than the G400 max which became a sensation. The regular Mavrik had a very classic color and head shape, sat slightly open, had a somewhat deepish face, a crisp sound that could be loved by all---And came stock with a Aldila Rogue White MSI130 shaft to boot.

 

For 2 years i've been using Mavriks (i own the Max and the standard) wondering why no one else picked up on this.

 

Are there clubs you love and just don't understand why others never got it?

Amen to that. Mavrik subzero fairways are goat level.  Truly.  I regret swapping out of stupidity. Or boredom.  
 

on the flip side I hated the epic right before those.  Horrible sounding driver and woods 

[PhilsFanDrew]

1 minute ago, MtlJeff said:

BTW speaking of Callaway --I felt another wayyyy under the radar club with them was the Diablo Octane Tour.

 

It was quickly overshadowed by the FT line if i recall. But that Octane Tour was the LICK

 

Similar to the Mavrik in a lot of ways, super classic head shape (the DOT was all black on top, no alignment aid even) that sat open. Just a super crisp, explosive feel, multi material but kinda low key about it.

 

the DOT was sooooo good but didn't seem to get the love either. Again another case of i think where Callaway just really marketed another line more.

 

You beat me to the punch.  I believe it was actually the Razr line that overshadowed the Diablo Octane Tour line.  The FT line if i remember correctly preceded the Diablo Octane/ Razr line up. 

[PhilsFanDrew]

I was always a fan of the Adams Fast 12 driver.  It was nothing special to look at and at the time Adams had the reputation like Tour Edge does now of being a "senior" tour sponsor brand but I remember that thing being more accurate and longer that most of the other offerings from the major OEM's that year.  They also had a low spin head as well. 

[MattM97]

While I've never played them I've lusted over a set and kick myself for not buying a set pre-covid prices but the Adams Idea MB2 are just pure eye candy and also ahead of their time with the weighting. I'll give honorable mention to the Idea CMB irons because they weren't available in LH. 

[wam78]

1 hour ago, dmeeksDC said:

The Bridgestone J15CB is revered as it should be, but IMO they improved it by making the next iteration very similar but slightly shorter heel to toe.

 

But then they went and named it the Tour B X-CB, which sounds like an in-house tracking code for a club in development, and they also made it hard to find in the U.S., as that must be standard Bridgestone practice. But it’s a fantastic golf iron and those who have played it know. 
 

Could not agree more, but you already know that… haha…

 

The cobra pur wedges were outstanding!  Great shape and look with no colors on the cavity.  Awesome leading edge and felt nice and crisp.  One of the best gap wedges I ever played.

[Stonewalled]

1 hour ago, MattM97 said:

While I've never played them I've lusted over a set and kick myself for not buying a set pre-covid prices but the Adams Idea MB2 are just pure eye candy and also ahead of their time with the weighting. I'll give honorable mention to the Idea CMB irons because they weren't available in LH. 

You beat me to it on the MB2's Matt. Very pretty iron, like u said ahead of their time. Here's some eye candy. I have a 6-pw (Bought them for the beautiful patina they acquired along the way) along with a new 5 & PW. Sold a satin tour set I  had, that was  silly of me. 

[JAM01]

Taylormade Speedblades. 

[Springsteennut]

Adams XTD line. Those clubs flat out performed if not the prettiest clubs.