Was the Alien wedge way ahead of its time?

[JerseyThursday]

Look at the all the wedges coming out with extra large soles/bounce:
I.G. Taylormade ATV Wedge, the Nike Dual Wide Wedge and the Cleveland Smart Sole Wedges.

These (I assume) are meant for people who aren’t looking for perfection out of bunkers and tall grass around the green. Just the easiest way out, somewhere on the green in one shot.

Which leads us to the much maligned Alien wedge from 20+ years ago. Sure they had terrible marketing (see TV commercial below). Not to mention they were ugly as sin, but give the devil its due, its premise is now now being rolled out by the major club manufacturers.

Pat Simmons, you saw the future and it was one filled with Aliens.

[mvmac]

Or did Alien get the idea from Hogan?

[Nemicu]

Gene Sarazen was probably ahead of his time when he devised a flange on the sole of his wedge to make a "sand wedge". Everything else is basically a variation of this design. Wide and chunky soles are nothing new, just as offset drivers and perimeter weighted irons - I'd don't really think that it's a case of giving the devil his due, but it's more a case of laziness is human nature - in other words, if you can't learn to hit something properly, then buy a gimmick to make up for what you lack in commitment to practice. I would put the Alien wedge squarely in "gimmick" territory. And where golf equipment is concerned, gimmick territory is rather large.