Have You Ever Carried a 'Gimmick' Club in Your Bag?

[ChetlovesMer]

Okay, I just saw this for the first time: 

 

About The Straight Shot Putter

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Info on the new way to putt, the Straight Shotz Putterhe Straight Shotz Putter is placed flat on the green thereby helping steadying a Disabled or any unsteady Golfer. The Golfer looks straight at the Cup The putter slides...

To me this seems like a terrible idea. It also seems like it would be illegal. Anyhow, it got me thinking about all the gimmick clubs I've seen over the years. I started to wonder. Has anyone ever purchased any of these? And if so, did they actually use them. 

Personally, I once bought a XE1 wedge at a garage sale. I goofed around with it a bit, but it never made it into my bag. The one thing I think is really cool about it, is that I think I sold it on Ebay for more than I bought it. 👍

Oh, and just in case you don't know what a "Gimmick" Club is; Here's a short not necessarily complete list of examples. 

• Hammer X Driver 
• The Square Strike Wedge/Chipper
• The Teeless driver 
• The Vixa V-12 fairway wood
• The GX-7 fairway wood
• IRT-5 hybrids
• F2 Face Forward irons
• The Alien wedge 
• The C3i wedge
• The XE1 wedge
• The Hammer X putter
• Pyramid putter 
• The Moon-Wood

 

So come on fess up. Have you ever had one in your bag? 

[mcanadiens]

I found an alien wedge behind the 18th green late one Saturday afternoon and turned it in to the shop. What a funny looking thing that is.

Never thought about trying one.

[woodzie264]

I've considered getting my dad, a senior who occasionally plays (5-6/year) the GX-7 FW (which I guess is similar to the Moon-Wood) as it looks like it may be easier for him to hit than some longer irons, but I have not thus far. 

[dagolfer18]

I think it would be fun to try a few gimmick clubs, but that’s not to say I’d put them in my bag. My coach, given the fact that he hates 60 degree wedges (found that out the hard way!), would definitely not approve.

[jsgolfer]

10 minutes ago, woodzie264 said:

I've considered getting my dad, a senior who occasionally plays (5-6/year) the GX-7 FW (which I guess is similar to the Moon-Wood) as it looks like it may be easier for him to hit than some longer irons, but I have not thus far. 

I’ve thought about the same thing for my Dad.  He’s 76, plays only when I’m there and only plays with about 5 clubs.  He won’t hit a hybrid, says he tops them too much. But I’d like to get him a club that he could hit a little farther off the fairway other than his 5 iron which only goes about 115 Yds max.

Best thing I ever did was convince him to play forward tees, much more enjoyable for him.

[Piz]

I tried an Alien wedge, years ago, just for the hell of it.  I gave it a couple rounds then went back to my Wilson.  At present I have a left-handed club in the bag...although I do not think of it as a "gimmick".

[iacas]

If you consider a 7-wood in 1995 a "gimmick" club — I carried it for about a month and once hit three shots in a row up in the air and backward, over my head — then I voted yes, for awhile.

2 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

It also seems like it would be illegal.

It is.

[mchepp]

I've never tried any of these. I have sort of made my own gimmick club. I took a 12 degree Ping driver and pulled the shaft and put a 3 wood shaft in. I have a bunch of lead stickers on it to get the swing weight back. I have looked at clubs like the teeless driver to replace it, but I love the large face that driver/3w has. I have tried and tried to replace it but so far nothing has.

[IowaGreg]

How about a swingless Driver...

You Can Buy A Swingless Golf Club That Can Hit The Ball Over 200 Yards - SPORTbible

[ChetlovesMer]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

If you consider a 7-wood in 1995 a "gimmick" club — I carried it for about a month and once hit three shots in a row up in the air and backward, over my head — then I voted yes, for awhile.

It is.

I guess you can classify "gimmick" club any way you'd like. When I wrote the post I was mostly thinking about one of the ones you see on infomercials which are "Guaranteed to shave 5 to 7 strokes off your next round". 

They nearly always say something like this "Don't play with a club designed for a tour pro... play with a club designed for your swing." To which I always wonder why on Earth any engineer would design a club for my ugly-ass swing??????? 🤪

4 minutes ago, IowaGreg said:

How about a swingless Driver...

You Can Buy A Swingless Golf Club That Can Hit The Ball Over 200 Yards - SPORTbible

Good one, Not sure how I forgot to put that on the list. 

[dennyjones]

I have gadgets but don't carry them in my bag.    I have a Medicus 5 iron and it stays at home.    I have hit balls with it many times.  I learned to manipulate my swing to make it work!  I have an Orange Whip but it's not really a gadget as much as it is a warm up tool.   

 

[Bonvivant]

I answered no, but I used to have a putter that was on some sort of infomercial. I haven't had any luck finding anything on the web about it, but if I can find it, I will snap a picture of it.

[bwdial]

I've never owned one, but my cousin had a graphite shafted Big-Tex wedge when we were in college.  I hit a few shots with it, but it was useless anywhere but in the bunker.

[cooke119]

I don't know if you call it a gimmick club but I'm trying a 9W. Trying it for higher launch and softer landing on the green. A friend in the league plays with all woods and shoots well so I thought I would give it a try. We'll see if it stays in the bag.

 

[GolfLug]

Is the PM grind Callaway high toe classify as gimmicky? If so, I was very strongly considering putting it in my bag. Mainly because it WANTED to sit with face open when I addressed it. But then I sat on it a couple of weeks and decided I would get over the 'gimmick' and do what I do with my normal wedge. 

In this case, I needed to improve the stroke not buy one..

[Sandy Divot]

I remember when Eye 2s were kind of considered a gimmick club. I remember the first tournament I ever went to was the 1985 Heritage, and a lot of guys carried Ping 1 or 2 irons, but I really can't remember seeing anyone with a full set. The old blade guys thought they were the ugliest things they ever saw, and would never consider putting them in their bags.

[weil2020]

Never done it.

[ChetlovesMer]

On 1/30/2021 at 2:07 PM, GolfLug said:

Is the PM grind Callaway high toe classify as gimmicky? If so, I was very strongly considering putting it in my bag. Mainly because it WANTED to sit with face open when I addressed it. But then I sat on it a couple of weeks and decided I would get over the 'gimmick' and do what I do with my normal wedge. 

In this case, I needed to improve the stroke not buy one..

In my opinion, I don't think the high-toe classifies as a "gimmick". I was thinking more about the as seen on tv clubs, or clubs that used to be sold on the last couple of pages of golf magazines, or anything with Jack Hamm in the commercial. 

However, as I did leave room for your own interpretation. You can classify the high toe anyway you'd like.