Every year brings an onslaught of clubs to the market. Just think about all of the clubs that have been released within the last 10 years. There are hundreds! Within the last decade, there have been some winners and of course some duds, but we’d like to focus on the winners. Here’s the 10 can’t miss golf clubs of the past decade, in no particular order.
TaylorMade R11 Driver
When the TaylorMade R11 came out, the internet was abuzz about new white drivers. Not only was white the new black, but TaylorMade made the driver's innovative technology seamlessly blend in with the look of the club. All you could see was its smooth white, non-glare crown when set up at address – not all of its components. Besides the amazing view, the club debuted several key technologies:
- Adjustable soleplate (ASP) allowed you to adjust the face angle
- Movable weight technology gave you the ability to adjust the center of gravity location
- Flight control technology that let you adjust the loft
This driver made our list because of its white finish and performance. Unlike other glossy-topped drivers, you didn't see any hot spots or glare – a true game changer.
Titleist Vokey Spin Milled Wedge
Master craftsman Bob Vokey and Titleist introduced the "spin milled" wedge back in 2005. It wasn't until 2009 that Titleist introduced the Vokey Spin Milled Wedge, a club that retained a classic teardrop shape. Bob Vokey worked by hand on the bench with the sole and back of each wedge. He developed a precise grind that enabled golfers to hit what he called "touchy-feeling" shots. Notable features of the wedge included:
- CNC milled face for better spin retention on partial shots
- Tour Chrome finish
- TrueTemper Dynamic Gold S200 shafts
Used by countless Tour professionals, Vokey Spin Milled wedges are a club that performed well out on the golf course. They belong on this list because they are for players who know how to get the most from their wedges.
Ping G10 Fairway Wood
This fairway wood made the Golf Digest Hot List in 2009 for its superb forgiveness, long distance and high launch. The Ping G10 took weight from the crown, face, and hosel and repositioned it into a weight pad on the sole of the club head. You got higher trajectory shots due to its low center of gravity. Also, the crown intersected with the sole. This seamless joint created an extremely low profile design. Other nifty features included:
- Shallow, longer face for increased hitting area
- Lower lead edge
The G10 is on the list because it's easy for players of all skill levels to achieve long distance and high launch from the fairway, tee box or rough.
TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Irons
The 2.0 irons are a good improvement over the most popular Burner of 2009. Plus falling in love with them was easy. The distinctive TaylorMade Burner black color on the toe and heel along with the carbon fiber cavity back had an attractive appeal. The irons also incorporated size progression - the long irons had large heads, thick toplines, and wide soles while the short irons had narrow toplines and sole widths. Other subtle performance enhancements included:
- Thinner club faces for faster ball speed
- Recessed areas along
- Precision-placed center of gravity location
The combination of distance and ease of use made this iron especially popular. That’s why they have made it to the list.
Titleist 910 Driver
Titleist took driver performance and fitting to a new level with the introduction of the 910 driver. The revolutionary SureFit Tour (SFT) dual-angle hosel allowed the loft and lie to be independently adjusted and set. You had a sleeve and a ring, each with four settings. Combined together, they made for a matrix of 16 unique loft/lie combinations. This allowed for improved flight, launch and spin improvements. At the time, other competitive adjustable hosel drivers were limited by only offering a single angle for dependent adjustability. This meant every time the setting changed, loft and lie were altered and that limited the ability to optimize ball flight. Other than the SFT, other unique features of this driver included:
- Face design with a larger maximum ball speed area
- Sleek, sloped, ultra-thin crown design for low and deep center of gravity
- Black PVD finish with white scorelines for help setting up
The Titleist 910 made it onto our list because of its SureFit Tour technology. It was the first club where you could adjust loft and lie, as well as change the shaft and weight of the driver right on the tee.
Cleveland 588 Wedge
Many people still recall the 588 wedge as the best wedge they have ever owned. It was the one piece of equipment that many golfers wished had never gone away. The 588 hit the ball out of bunkers effortlessly and was consistent on pitch shots and green side chips as well. With this wedge, you could really hit the ball closer to the hole and lower your score. Other notable features included:
- Precision forged carbon steel for soft, solid feel
- RTG finish option to maximize spin and reduce glare
Predictability is what made this wedge a must-have for golfers everywhere. This club made it to the list because it's considered an old favorite.
TaylorMade RocketBallz (RBZ) Fairway Wood
TaylorMade claimed the RBZ fairway wood would send balls 17 yards longer than any other fairway wood on the market. Most people thought the club had no chance of living up to this claim. But after testing it, no one could deny how unbelievably long it was. Making the club dramatically longer required more flexibility. TaylorMade achieved a trampoline-like effect by creating a SpeedPocket running parallel just behind the face. Engineered to boost ball speed, you get more distance due to its rebound effect. Some other features of the RBZ included:
- Thick-thin crown design created a lower center of gravity
- Low center of gravity promoted high launch and low spin
- Lightweight shaft and grip promoted faster swing speeds
We added this stick to our list because of its revolutionary Speed Pocket. Better players saw a considerable gain in distance which was quite an unexpected promise.
SeeMore FGP Original Putter
A winner at the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship, the SeeMore FGP Original putter was an all-around winner and personal favorite among Tour professionals. The special technology with this club is the patented RST or Riflescope technology. It allows the golfer to setup the putter perfectly at address by aligning a red dot behind the shaft so it can't be seen. Features included in this putter were:
- Cast 303 stainless steel with milled face
- "Square to plane" face that helped improve putting stroke
The RST alignment system easily squares up your shots. It made it to the list because the alignment really works.
Titleist AP2 Irons
The AP2 irons were one of the most-played model on the PGA Tour in 2008 and '09, as well as the most-played iron at the '09 Club Professional Championship and the '09 US Amateur. The key technology to these irons is a multi-material head with a medallion in the cavity that enhances sound. Aimed at serious golfers, these clubs enhance feel with Tour-like performance. Its other features were:
- 55-gram tungsten nickel sole which improves feel and forgiveness
- True Temper Dynamic Golf shaft
Golfers added these irons to their bag because they were attractive to better players. They made our list because of their popularity and stylish good looks when set up at address.
Titleist Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Putter
These famous Scotty Cameron putters are milled entirely from 303-stainless steel. Stainless steel requires much less maintenance and is corrosion-resistant. Tiger Woods also used Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Steel putters for the majority of his career and during the majority of his major championship victories. Other features of the putter include:
- Introduction of the red color design
- Wider soles for increased confidence
- Multiple body and neck options provide different amounts of toe flow throughout the stroke
Known for their distinct sound, looks, and feel, these stainless steel putters make our list because of the pure feeling you get when you strike the putt.
Adams Idea Pro Hybrid
Crafted for better amateurs and professionals, the Adams Idea Pro Hybrid was well tested on Tour before making its way into the retail space. A number of Tour professionals, such as Trevor Immelman, John Rollins, Jason Wagner, Kevin Stadler and Allen Doyle won championships with this club. Golfers preferred the Idea Pro hybrid because it was an iron-like players-hybrid. Some of its key features included:
- Innovative "upside-down" design with a longer, flatter sole and a shallow face
- Weight screw to promote lower spin and faster ball speeds
This unique hybrid is on our list because of its compact head and ability to handle a variety of turf conditions.