Equipment
Forum Thread of the Day: “Most iconic/best cult following driver of all time?”
Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from Pert1862 who asks fellow members for their view on which driver is the most iconic and has the best cult following of all time. Our members delve into the driver’s they feel deserve the top spot in this category, with the Cobra L4V proving a popular choice.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- jrshields3: “Adams 9015D was THE cult following driver when I first joined this group. I had 3 with different shaft combos, still have one that I occasionally take out to the range.”
- pert1862: ” Cobra L4V driver. A legend that can be had for 50 bucks on eBay! My kinda club. I bet she still holds her own with the modern drivers.”
- Big A HG: “Has to be the Cobra L4V by GolfWRX standards. I rarely saw them in the wild, but I actually gamed two L4V’s because of the thread and finally got kicked out of the bag last year for me.”
- Krosch3: ” Superquad for me. It still is in my bag to this day. Have tried others, the Ping g400 LST was most recent. My accuracy with the R7 is unmatched and distance wise I can’t see myself getting much longer than I already get out of it.”
Entire Thread: “Most iconic/best cult following driver of all time?”
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.
TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.
The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.
One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.
Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.
See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:
MySpider Tour
MySpider Tour X
Equipment
Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory
In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.
McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.
So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?
Driver
2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)
McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.
What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)
The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.
Fairway woods
2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X
The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.
The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.
Irons
2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.
With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.
Wedges
2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.
Putter
2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.
Ball
2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)
As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Grips
2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC
Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black...
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Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
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Timmy
May 17, 2019 at 9:06 am
R7 Superquad. Wish I still had mine. Been scouring ebay for one in good shape recently.
Aztec
May 11, 2019 at 2:31 pm
Orlimar HIP 420 Ti.
Gino
May 18, 2019 at 9:50 pm
Kuch is a d bag
Mike Brincko
May 5, 2019 at 10:07 pm
Tour Edge Exotics Tour Proto, in another thread I stated my Rogue has been replaced by it. IMHO a much better driver for me at least, still a rocket launcher.
Brando
May 5, 2019 at 5:41 pm
Lot of Good choices in the comments. I am 39 so my first good driver was the original King Corba 9 degree deep face. Thing was a rocket with a unique sweet spot and Greg Norman and Tiger Used it. The Big Bertha war bird was awesome as well. 975d 905r 983e all very good. Yes Taylor Made 510tp First of the 757 Fujikura shafts and 580xd very good. I can’t seem to kick my 430 sldr with a 757 out of the bag . Tried 10 of the newer drivers can’t find one I like better. Maybe this year I will find something.
Scratchscorer
May 13, 2019 at 9:39 pm
I have an SLDR with the TP shaft and I cannot imagine replacing it with anything else. Might even purchase a backup of the same model and shaft combo.
Paul Latina
May 5, 2019 at 5:29 pm
975D. Best driver I ever hit and hit my longest drives ever with it. I had the EI70 x stiff shaft in it as well. Just beautiful and felt so good, maneuverable which ever way you wanted to go.
Jim Rockford
May 5, 2019 at 4:00 pm
Original titanium Great Big Bertha. That driver was the biggest single leap forward I think we will ever see. Maybe the first TM metal wood surpasses but that was just before my time to be able to make comment. Surely the GBB since the early 80’s though. And I hit the GBB with the terrible stock shaft. I can imagine that driver with a modern shaft likely being borderline game-able.
Greg
May 5, 2019 at 8:37 am
Anybody ever tested these against the current group? Particularly curious how the Adams 9015 stacks up on spin,forgiveness ect…
Mike
May 4, 2019 at 9:24 pm
I see more guys still using a TaylorMade Burner 2007 driver than any other.
Christian Larsson
May 4, 2019 at 9:16 pm
R510TP easily
TerryTMAC
May 4, 2019 at 9:25 pm
Of ALL time?
I’m going old school. Callaway Big Bertha – War Bird.
Best driver name too.
XLS CULT
May 4, 2019 at 6:47 pm
I’m going Cleveland Hi Bore XLS as well. Set up perfect, sounded nice, hit it nice distances and was a SERIOUS fairway finder. Why has Cleveland not made an adjustable version. I know people who still bag this driver…. nothing better.
Scratchscorer
May 13, 2019 at 9:41 pm
Agree with everything except the sound. That thing sounded atrocious lmao.
Greg Ellis
May 4, 2019 at 5:28 pm
Come on guy. Us old folks played persimmon. 1969 persimmon adapted with a very early adila graphite shaft and a “gamma fire” glass insert.
Dan Walker
May 4, 2019 at 4:05 pm
Nike Vapor Pro the blue and black version
Max R
May 10, 2019 at 11:46 am
“Supposedly” the best Nike driver ever built was the SQ2.
Timmy
May 17, 2019 at 9:09 am
Never owned one but tried and was very good. I had both red coverts. But the blue was just too fugly for 99% of buyers. RIP Nike golf equip.
Chris G
May 4, 2019 at 3:13 pm
Titleist 905S!
John Agnew
May 4, 2019 at 2:58 pm
Taylormade 580 XD …legal version…too easy to hit high and deep.
Jim
May 4, 2019 at 2:25 pm
2016 Taylormade M2 will go down as the best driver ever made
15th Club
May 4, 2019 at 2:07 pm
There actually is a rather clear answer that none of you are in thinking about.
Toward the end of the persimmon driver era, top players and collectors were madly buying up prime specimens of the MacGregor tour drivers from the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s. The king was the Tommy Armour 693T, designed by Toney Penna. They sold, if you could find one, for upwards of a thousand dollars. A $1500 driver in 1977 would be more than $6000 in today’s dollars. The market was so frenzied that gold magazines were doing stories about it which only drove prices higher.
15th Club
May 4, 2019 at 2:10 pm
Sorry “golf” magazines not “gold”. But still the greatest bubble market in the history of golf equipment.
Pelling
May 4, 2019 at 9:49 pm
I played Toney Penna persimmon (driver, 3 wood, 4 wood, 5 wood) throughout the 1980’s-1990’s. Have them still, but haven’t hit in about 20 years. Don’t recall paying that much, but Penna’s were the best!!
Jim
May 4, 2019 at 6:21 pm
You’re absolutely correct. Sad thing is that most of today’s golfers are 20-30 something and don’t know any history at all, only current “events”.
Nack Jicklaus
May 19, 2019 at 8:05 am
Enlighten us all on the details of mashies and niblicks then. Tell us about teeing up gutta percha on a mound of sand. What is the best hickory shaft? Everyone knows their own time period best, including you.
chad bilkins
May 4, 2019 at 1:39 pm
Superquad is money. I bought a new head on ebay and stuck an oban kyoshi white shaft in there. Destroyed the rogue on the launch monitor last year
bob carroll
May 4, 2019 at 12:54 pm
PING G2
JC
Jun 7, 2019 at 11:08 pm
Finally, someone else sees the light! I game one currently, can’t find anything that can beat it, most underrated driver of the mid-2000s IMO.
Regis
May 4, 2019 at 12:39 pm
R7 limited. Box set came with 3 shafts. Low Medium and high flight. All good shafts. Took adjustability to the max. Way before it’s time
Walt
May 4, 2019 at 12:25 pm
My favorite was the Taylormade with a bubble shaft. I still have it and although I don’t currently use it I am constantly tempted to bring it back into play
Fred schubert
May 4, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Powerbilt citition
MarioB
May 4, 2019 at 11:50 am
Looks like no one knows the meaning of iconic. Or we would get interesting answers like McGregor super eye o magic, Powerbilt Citation, Woods Bros All American, Taylormade Burner, Callaway Big Bertha, Titleist 975D etc…
Bryan
May 4, 2019 at 9:07 am
The 460 Cleveland Launchers were super popular back in the college days.
Richard Douglas
May 3, 2019 at 4:14 pm
Almost all of the comments are about drivers that are iterations of what changed it all. I suggest going back to these three that, in order and together, changed drivers forever:
1. Taylormade Pittsburgh Persimmon. The club that popularized metal drivers.
2. Callaway Big Bertha. The club that started oversize metal drivers.
3. Callaway Great Big Bertha. The club that popularized titanium.
Everything else comes from the genesis created by these three clubs. Every development since is an incremental change, but those clubs are the foundation.
Harry H Adam
May 4, 2019 at 12:01 pm
Spot on.
Dan mead
May 4, 2019 at 1:53 pm
This is the answer. Probably need to consider ping eye 2 driver which was really the first oversize driver in its time. Big bertha and great big bertha where ahead of their time and the change from getting a new driver was real back then. These days the next model does next to nothing
Chris
May 4, 2019 at 7:52 pm
Nailed it. I remember when the BB, Great BB (and then Biggest BB) came out thinking, “holy crap, how much bigger can they possibly go?” They definitely changed the game.
Of the more “recent” (I.e 460cc era) drivers, I loved the Bridgestone J33r. Such a clean, simple look and solid feel off the club face.
Scott
May 4, 2019 at 8:54 pm
Yes. My thoughts exactly
Richard Chon
May 5, 2019 at 12:50 pm
Shoot. I didn’t even play golf when I was younger, but I remember how exicted my hockey teammates were about the GBB.
jgpl001
May 3, 2019 at 1:18 pm
905R all day long
983K out of the dead middle was a serious driver too
Brian
May 3, 2019 at 9:09 am
I do have a soft spot for the L4V. Back in those days I had just started spending time on the forum and I definitely got caught up in the hype (which was very real, by the way). Threw a Protopype in it and everything. If we’re being honest though, going back a tad further, the Titleist 975D is the standard by which all other “cult classics” are measured.
Dennis Sweeney
May 3, 2019 at 8:00 am
07 Burner TP, still have one and still use it quite often.
Dave S
May 3, 2019 at 12:54 am
905R, see a lot on the board. The R 460 head that went straight. Titleist put enough spin in there to fix what TM and Cally couldn’t.
The dude
May 2, 2019 at 10:13 pm
TM Superfast TP….if we are being honest (for good players)
Brandon
May 2, 2019 at 8:56 pm
Cobra LTD pro, Cleveland Hibore XLS.
JP
May 2, 2019 at 6:50 pm
905R should be at the top of that list.
Of course the Big Bertha should be hailed for its greatness and trailblazing ways, but it didn’t have the following the 905R did.
Nack Jicklaus
May 2, 2019 at 6:38 pm
The only golf club name that I have EVER heard non-golfers know of or talk about is the Big Bertha. I would say that somewhat indicates the reach and status of that club during its time and way after.
S
May 2, 2019 at 3:56 pm
SLDR, of course! The best driver ever made, and what started it all
Scratchscorer
May 13, 2019 at 9:44 pm
Agree
Tim Dennis
May 2, 2019 at 2:38 pm
905R and 910D3, M2 would be there with a little more consistent hit. Just too erratic for the weekend golfer. 905R was long and straight.
Mike Rohmann
May 2, 2019 at 1:54 pm
R7 SuperQuad especially the 282 version. Slightly different hosel I think. I have one that is almost brand new.
Adam
May 2, 2019 at 4:54 pm
back in highschool when I was on the golf team the superquads were badass
Alec
May 2, 2019 at 1:54 pm
Cobra LTD is probably themost recent Cult Driver
Alex
May 2, 2019 at 12:34 pm
905r and R7 superquad hands down. Epic and M2 will be in this thread in 5 years.