Top 9 Performance Surprises in the History of MyGolfSpy

At MyGolfSpy we don’t care about logos, only how a piece of equipment performs. For us, it’s not about getting you to buy more products, it’s about helping you buy the products best suited for your game.  And these products are proof of that.

Not every product comes with an reputation. Over the course of our time here at MyGolfSpy we’ve come across a handful of products that either because of the name, or I suppose, the lack of a name exceeded any and all reasonable expectations we had.

Toss in arguably the most revered driver in our history, a club that basically reshaped an entire category, and a putter that absolutely demolished everything else we’ve tested, and what you’re left with are the 9 biggest performance surprises in the history of MyGolfSpy.

Harrison Shotmaker

Who would believe that a small graphite tube inserted into your driver shaft (a different graphite tube) could dramatically improve accuracy? We sure as hell didn’t.

In our tests, however, Harrison’s Shotmaker insert improved accuracy by a shocking 45%. And while we certainly think one tester’s anomalous results exaggerated the totals, Harrison certainly wasn’t very far off the mark with their 40% claim.

For those who are interested, you can still find the Shotmaker on eBay, and a few dealers may have some leftover inventory as well, but that’s it. Harrison Golf shuttered its doors for good earlier this year.

TaylorMade RocketBallz

My personal experience with the TaylorMade RocketBallz is well documented. And sure, not everyone who picked up a RocketBallz 3 wood gained the whole of 17 yards, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re talking about a club that basically redefined the fairway wood category.

Call it an opinion if you’d like, but it’s based on conversations I’ve had with R&D guys inside several TaylorMade competitors. RocketBallz was undeniable. It outperformed every other steel-faced fairway on the market, and everyone inside the industry I’ve spoken with about it acknowledges as much.

Callaway basically closed the gap within a season (and did it without a slot), but others are only now finally catching up.

What’s inarguable is that fairway wood design was basically stagnant before RocketBallz, but quickly became the most rapidly innovated club category over the past few years.

Wilson Nexus Golf Bag

While many still think of Wilson as one of the most iconic brands in golf, few associate the brand with golf bags. That should probably change.

When we hear carry bag, most of us think PING or Sun Mountain, or maybe OGIO, but it was Wilson’s Nexus that surprisingly took home top honors in our 2014 stand bag test.

With its innovative, lightweight design, and more features than most any bag on the market today, the Nexus is practically in a class by itself.

PowerBilt Air Force One Drivers

Between the infomercials and the whole nitrogen-charged thing, we’ll freely admit that our gimmick alarms were ringing…loudly.

When we tested the original models our perceptions began to change. Newer product performed well in 2013 and the 2014 DFX product was nothing short of outstanding.

While you can make a case that PowerBilt has produced among the best-performing drivers in golf over the past few seasons, for those whose personalities push them away from the mainstream, it simply doesn’t get better than PowerBilt.

PING Ketsch Putter

We think the results of our 2014 Mallet test basically speak for themselves. The PING Ketsch putter absolutely destroyed the competition.

True Roll Grooves, the alignment aid, or the design itself, whatever the reason, the Ketsch is quite simply the best putter we’ve ever tested.

Unfortunately PING discontinued the Ketsch before many of you could put it in your bag. We can only hope that any new version lives up to the performance of the original.

Swing Caddie SC100 Personal Launch Monitor

We don’t mean to oversell this one. Swing Caddie’s personal launch monitor isn’t nearly as robust as Trackman, FlightScope or Foresight, but for what it is, it’s pretty damn awesome.

It doesn’t give you launch angle or spin rate, so it’s definitely not a fitting tool. It will reliably and accurately give you swing speed, ball speed, carry distance and smash factor, and it doesn’t it for literally THOUSAND of DOLLARS less than those enterprise class systems.

For the guy working on his consistency, looking to dial in his numbers, or simply get his gapping squared away, for less than $300 the SC100 is difficult to beat.

NVentix Nunchuck Shafts

We hadn’t heard of Nunchuck shafts until the guys at their PGA Show booth told us that Johnny Vegas had just won with their shaft. We actually went so far as to verify the info with Nike.

Tour validation is one thing, but a 104gram shaft in your driver? Why not? In our testing the Nunchuk improved dispersion and distance.

The specs alone will tell you that it’s not for everyone (it’s a beefy shaft), but for those looking for more control with lower spin, the Nunchuck is a surprisingly good option.

Scor Scoring Clubs

More than wedges, the Scor offers an array of shortgame alternatives designed to replacing anything from your 8-iron to your lob wedge.

Other than the range of options, what makes the Scor offering so compelling is that the company has found a way to make a consistent and forgiving club without compromising on the traditional design principles and aesthetic that most of demand in our wedges.

You don’t have to believe us, or Scor’s own accuracy data. The fact is that since the inception of MyGolfSpy, no other club has generated the amount of consistently positive feedback from our readers. Initially, we were surprised, but you guys are buying Scor Wedges, and you’re keeping them in your bags. As far as we’re concerned, that’s all the proof required.

Adams 9064LS Driver

I suppose it’s not really surprising that an Adams driver would perform well. It’s not really surprising than an Adams driver would be good enough in its day to stake claim to the top spot under our original driver review system. What is surprising is its longevity.

While a couple of other drivers eventually surpassed the 9064LS’s performance score, the fact that 4 years later we’re still talking about what I would submit was the last great Adams Driver speaks volumes about the club.

To this day the 9064LS remains largely the driver by which all others are judged.