Clubs that should've been icons

[Valtiel]

10 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

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.

I was interested in this as well, and I agree regarding the Max. However, the Standard and to an even greater degree the Sub Zero were quite low MOI and very low CG, both in general and compared to their peers at the time. This was counter to the industry trend of pushing MOI higher and higher, and as a result they were just less stable and probably "launch monitor queens" more than practical gamers for most. It's a shame because those two were fantastic looking heads. 

[GHIN n Juice]

TMs SLDR irons were way underrated after being caught in a weird mid-cycle release.  

[Straphael]

Ben hogan icon irons is the obvious answer. Not only named icon but absolutely amazing irons. 
also mizuno mp 5 irons. Anyone who played them is still looking for something just as good that doesn’t exist. 

[mantan]

Threads I did not need to open! Finally reunited with the beloved G400 Max and saw threads on different boards praising the Mavrik Max.....

[Gohigh]

Mavrik was a good line, especially the FW and Hybrids. I owned both the SZ and Std drivers and I preferred the standard one more. Nothing wrong with it, but there was an improvement in feel and sound when I swapped over to Epic Max. I think what made Mavrik so great was it followed the Epic Flash, which performed admirably but sounded horrible imo. There was not enough hotmelt to make that sound better, and I resorted to using softer balls just to not have to hear it as loudly. 

 

I would like to say however that for me, the OG XHOT is still my go to... I still have the Mavrik 3w, 5w, and 3H and 4H in wrapper waiting for my XHOT Pros to come out of my bag, but at this rate, it will prob become as old as my Xhots before they make it in. I gamed the driver and I regret getting rid of it to this day, and these are my 3rd set of FWs Im using. Launch monitor and on-course, they are every bit as long as the new ones, and for me they are as understated at address as anything else you can find. No graphics, no gimmicks, just solid turf interaction that works both off the tee and deck. 

[jarediogolf]

12 hours 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.

As someone who just jumped back into the game this year and had 10+ years of gear to sort through, get excited about, and ultimately buy... 

 

I ended up buying a used Mavrick Max 9* turned up to 10* based on nothing other than reading reviews, watching youtube etc... And I love it. So considering this, maybe it got more street cred than you all think. But... I also got it for pretty cheap all things considered so maybe you are right lol.

 

 

[AdmiralPicard]

Three letters:

V

A

S

[GHIN n Juice]

The Mizuno mp55 would have been a classic had it been released in the US. One of their best irons ever but it was a Japan only product.

[mat562]

23 hours ago, drpino said:

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 😉

 

I've still got my old one with a Grafalloy Blue and some judicious hotmelting in the heel. A fantastic low spin combo.

[ColinKelvin]

On 5/4/2022 at 6:58 PM, 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.

 

+1 on the Ansers (v.2).  I have a set in my holiday bag and they are wonderful. I keep thinking about bringing them home...

 

[ColinKelvin]

On 5/4/2022 at 6:58 PM, Poor Mans Ty Webb said:

 

Duplicate post, apologies!

 

Edited May 5, 2022 by ColinKelvin

[SwingBlues]

27 minutes ago, ColinKelvin said:

 

+1 on the Ansers (v.2).  I have a set in my holiday bag and they are wonderful. I keep thinking about bringing them home...

 

 

👍 +3 Ansers V2

 

Had 2 sets of them but now regret moving them on but they are in loving homes.

[dgarland]

First off can we get some recognition for the absolutely hilarious unsolved mysteries intro?  
 

Secondly no… the Cleveland VAS irons should not have been iconic.  They were and abomination and if they hadn’t already made the 588 wedges the company probably would have folded. 
 

Lastly, since Cleveland didn’t go out of business they went on to make the should’ve been iconic Quadpro fairway woods.  Those were absolute rocket launchers. 

[RogerinNewZealand]

On 5/5/2022 at 3:12 AM, 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?

 

[Springsteennut]

3 hours ago, dgarland said:

First off can we get some recognition for the absolutely hilarious unsolved mysteries intro?  
 

Secondly no… the Cleveland VAS irons should not have been iconic.  They were and abomination and if they hadn’t already made the 588 wedges the company probably would have folded. 
 

Lastly, since Cleveland didn’t go out of business they went on to make the should’ve been iconic Quadpro fairway woods.  Those were absolute rocket launchers. 

My dad had a set of the Quadpro irons. I used them a bit after he passed away. They were really easy to launch and distance was good also.

[Night Putter]

Quad pro irons were like $1200 graphite in the era of $600 sets. The copper ring dampener, titanium plugs, a little offset, smooth irons. 

[dan360]

Golfsmith Tour Cavity Forged.   

 

Any other name on them, they'd be right up there..

Edited May 6, 2022 by dan360

[Jwin323]

The OG TaylorMade Raylors. No lie they could not handle, lots of pop in those tiny (by today’s standards) heads.

[Stonewalled]

Callaway should rerelease these!!! (This time include North America) These are one of 2 sets  I will never part with. 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Stonewalled

[BigFade]

The 2013 Callaway x Forged Irons were amazing but did not get a lot of love for some reason

[Jifmoli]

These. Well ahead of their time: first real oversized heads, single lenth well before Wishon and Cobra, oversized grips. Ultra-forgiving, can literally dig out a ball from any lie. Bold colours. 

 

Ok, fine, blade users may call them shovels..!

[wakit300]

I'll throw out a few here ...

 

Ping S57/56/55 irons - just too different for the Ping crowd and the Ping name scared away others who would've loved them.

 

Adams CMB - Spectacular

 

and last (but not ...) SCOR 4161 wedges - Phenomenal in all aspects of looks, feel and performance

[sconsetshow]

Cobra Amp Cell Pro MB irons. OG TM RAC Black Wedges. Goldwin Golf AVDP XXL400 Driver (take the sole plate off and add half a pound of lead, turned it into a sledgehammer!). Callaway original XHot 3 wd. Zebra Mallet putter. Founders Club 2000 Series blades. Maxfli A10 golf ball. Wilson Staff Ti Balata. Wilson Invex Ti (still have one in MINT condition, love that club!)

 

That is the complete list of golf gear that should have gotten WAY more love in their prime. And yes, I am in my mid 40's and nostalgic. You are welcome. 

 

***EDIT*** - MacTec line of woods back in 2007-8ish....the shafts were completely garbage and played like 2 steps too weak BUT....the heads were FREAKING NUKE HOT. I had an 8.5 with a Vista Pro 90X that was something stupid like 20 yrds longer than the R5 or Callaway Ft3...took a while to get the right shaft in it but holy jesus once you got that part figured out....

Edited May 6, 2022 by sconsetshow

[Bkgeneral]

16 hours ago, dgarland said:

First off can we get some recognition for the absolutely hilarious unsolved mysteries intro?  
 

Secondly no… the Cleveland VAS irons should not have been iconic.  They were and abomination and if they hadn’t already made the 588 wedges the company probably would have folded. 
 

Lastly, since Cleveland didn’t go out of business they went on to make the should’ve been iconic Quadpro fairway woods.  Those were absolute rocket launchers. 

As i fully back all this Cleveland love (and rightful disdain for the VAS), how about the Cleveland Classic Drivers.  I can't remember the naming on the 3 models.  But I had the one that was 2-3 degrees open.  In my never ending search to improve, I got rid of it for a driver I probably didn't hit nearly as well.

[simplytre]

On 5/4/2022 at 3:13 PM, 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

Saw this comment in the article round up and had to come here and give you a shout out. Best 3 wood i've ever had. Will never let mine go even though it's just sitting in the house as a back up. I had so much confidence in this 3 wood! She's a beaut for sure. 

[Golfingfanatic]

35 minutes ago, Bkgeneral said:

As i fully back all this Cleveland love (and rightful disdain for the VAS), how about the Cleveland Classic Drivers.  I can't remember the naming on the 3 models.  But I had the one that was 2-3 degrees open.  In my never ending search to improve, I got rid of it for a driver I probably didn't hit nearly as well.

I think you are referring to the 290 T3 head. 

[Mitchell]

46 minutes ago, Bkgeneral said:

As i fully back all this Cleveland love (and rightful disdain for the VAS), how about the Cleveland Classic Drivers.  I can't remember the naming on the 3 models.  But I had the one that was 2-3 degrees open.  In my never ending search to improve, I got rid of it for a driver I probably didn't hit nearly as well.

Had a Cleveland Classic 310 T version with a Miyazaki black 73x that should have kept myself, nice trip down memory lane there 👍🏻

Edited May 6, 2022 by Mitchell

[JShaw]

5 hours ago, sconsetshow said:

 

 

***EDIT*** - MacTec line of woods back in 2007-8ish....the shafts were completely garbage and played like 2 steps too weak BUT....the heads were FREAKING NUKE HOT. I had an 8.5 with a Vista Pro 90X that was something stupid like 20 yrds longer than the R5 or Callaway Ft3...took a while to get the right shaft in it but holy jesus once you got that part figured out....

 

I had a MacTec driver with an x100 shaft at somewhere around 44" maybe a little less.  The sound was terrible but it was a cannon and pretty easy to hit straightish.  I should have kept it around. I doubt I got much of anything for it.

[ITBVolks]

On 5/4/2022 at 4:16 PM, bladehunter said:

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 

I would agree here. Just picked up a TC Mav sub 7wd and I'm super impressed. The thing flat out screams high heaters. 

 

My biggest issue with it is just how FAR I hit it. I was looking for something to slot in right above my 20* U85 and this thing is ridiculously long (too long honestly).....

[ITBVolks]

Also agree with these 😉