The Green Fee Its time to have some discussions on the most influential golf clubs of all time. When I say influential I had to dig down deep and come up with clubs that changed golf design and not just come up with clubs that were really good. I could have put something in there like the Titleist 910 driver. It is very good but simply didnt have the influence that some of these other clubs did. If you think I missed something or I ranked it wrong let me know in the comments below!
5) Taylormade R7 Quad
This driver changed driver design by introducing moveable weights. The use of the adjustable weight allowed fitters and the public themselves able to tweak their ball flight with a simple twist of a wrench. We had never seen the ability to customize our ball flight like that. We saw Taylormade lean heavy into this tech from the R7 in 2006 all the way to the SIM in 2020. When Taylormade introduced this tech it sent all of the other companies scrambling to match them. Callaway didnt release their first adjustable driver until 2011 with the RAZR Fit. Those years that Taylormade had adjustable weight tech they passed Callaway as golfs largest brand. The R7 was the driver to have. The guys who used the R7 loved it especially the Superquad. When I was working at Golf Galaxy in 2011 we had a guy, who was a good player, bring his R7 Superquad into the store with a cracked face. He was practically in tears worried he couldnt find something half as good.
4) Odyssey #7
This is probably the most controversial choice on this list. Before you click away calling me an idiot let me present my case. I considered putting the 2 ball here because it really brought mallet putters into the forefront but before the Odyssey 7, the 2 Ball was pretty much the only mallet out there. When Odyssey introduced the #7 it was adpoted by quite a few tour players quickly and has remained one of the top puterr lineups on tour. You also see a lot of these at your local course on the weekends. Since the introduction of the #7 every manufacturer has introduced a version of a fang mallet. I havent seen many version of a 2 Ball. The #7 has everything you could want from a putter: good weight, good alignment help, and great forgiveness.
3)The Original Big Bertha
The original over sized driver. Drivers changed after this. While it is tiny compared to modern standards the Big Bertha changed the game in a way we havent seen since. The Big Bertha delivered forgiveness and distance that hadnt been seen before it. It really ushered the transition from wood to metal in drivers. Since the Big Bertha, drivers have only gotten larger and larger until the USGA limited the size to 460 CC. The game of golf changed the day this driver was introduced. This was the biggest innovation in golf at the time and until the introduction of moveable weights, nothing had changed drivers more.
2) Ping Anser
The design that changed putters. You cant talk about the history of golf without mentioning the PING Anser. Before the Anser golfers used a Bullseye type putter. If you have 0 idea what I am talking about, the bullseye was a brass version of a mini golf putter. The Anser ushered in a new wave of perimeter weighting. The perimeter weighting gave golfers the forgiveness that they never knew they needed or wanted. This design has inspired putters from everyone you can think of. Scotty made his career off his Newport which is a clone of the Anser. The Odyssey #1 is a Anser style. While a little light by todays standards the more collectible ones go for about $150 and a plain ol’ common model will still fetch 30 bucks or so. Ping built its brand on this putter and our number one entry
1) Ping Eye2 Irons
The first real perimeter weighted irons introduced. The iron game changed forever after these. When a guy had these in the bag other golfers knew they were playing a guy who took the game serious. Every high school golfer wanted a set of these in their bag. It inspired a ton of knock offs. The cavity back, while not the first cavity back in existence provided forgiveness not seen before. The sole grind helped golfers around the green and on their full shots. It was dang near the perfect golf club when it came out. The Eye2 is so influential in the 2011 groove rules change THEY HAD TO HAVE A LEGAL BATTLE TO KEEP THEM ILLEGAL! On the USGA website FAQ for the rule change there is a specific section for the Eye2. Hell, my dad still uses them. I could find him a newer set but for the price and how often he golfs its not really worth it. They are that good. It helps they are damn near indestructible.
Honorable Mentions
White Hot Putter– Insert was so good, Odyssey reintroduced it 20 years later. Brought insert putters to the masses
RBZ 3 Wood– Changed 3 woods and turned it into a weapon. I saw guys pick up 20 yards with the club.
Vokey Spin Milled– Brought the introduction of different grinds and bounces to the everyman. Really made people think about their wedges and how they performed
Taylormade Rescue– Its debatable who invented the hybrid but the first main stream hybrid was the Taylormade rescue. Made the game a lot easier for joe schmo
