For every shiny Nike Covert driver on display at your local golf store, there are thousands of old clubs gathering cobwebs in someone’s garage. Here’s some of my favorite forgotten equipment from the 1980s and ‘90s.
Medicus Hinged Club
David Feherty once said that Jim Furyk’s swing looked like “an octopus falling out of a tree.” That must have been the same theory behind the Medicus hinged golf club, which basically self-destructed any time you swung it the wrong way. My high school golf coach made us swing this around all day rather than practicing our short games, which was a really great strategy.
Greg Norman’s Secret
“Oh look,” you might say to yourself after seeing Greg Norman’s Secret. “That’s one of those splints they put on my wrist when I fell off the monkey bars.” But the Shark’s secret is more of a punishment than a remedy. I spent hours in my backyard growing up with this device strapped to me. It was supposed to help you feel the proper wrist angle at impact, but mostly it just strained the tendons in your hand and gave you a Velcro rash.
Top-Flite golf balls
You’ll be surprised to learn that Top-Flite Golf still exists. But back in the ’80s and ’90s, their golf balls were hugely popular, affectionately known as “Top Rocks” for their impenetrable covers and complete lack of spin. Here’s an ad explaining how you too can increase your driving distance from 220 yards to 230 yards thanks to Top-Flite.
Alien Wedge
Imagine the sound you’d hear if you hit a spoon against an empty coffee mug — that’s exactly what the bizarre Alien Wedge sounded like. This hollow metal club was designed to help struggling hackers get out of bunkers, but playing with this waffle iron on a stick must have been just as embarrassing.