We Select Our 'Mount Rushmore' Of Golf Components. Do You Agree?

What are we talking about here? The “bits and bobs”? Just another name for components - so shafts and grips etc. Well, we are golf nerds.

In one of the latest episodes of Kick Point, Golf Monthly’s Joe Ferguson puts his selection of the four best-ever golf components to fellow host, Dan Parker.

Why four? Because this is the ‘Mount Rushmore of…’ something which is doing the rounds on social media (four US Presidents, keep up). Still not with us? Just Google it.

Here, according to Joe, are the four best golf components in the history of the sport.

Have we overlooked a certain product? Don’t agree? Please do let us know by leaving your comments in the box below.

WATCH: Dan and Joe from Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show discuss the best ever golf components (from 16:47)

1. Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip

This one is set in stone (a little Mount Rushmore joke there). Released in the mid 1990s, this golf grip can boast 30 years of domination.

“Pretty exceptional,” says Joe. “For me, the perfect mid point grip in terms of texture, tackiness, firmness, and simplicity. Absolutely bob-on.”

Tiger Woods - the GOAT, and one of a great many players to have trusted the Tour Velvet, one of the best Golf Pride grips, throughout his career - would agree.

You will of course find the Tour Velvet and its various other models in our best golf grips guide: ribbed, round, jumbo, undersize, Plus 4, and Align.

Earlier this year, at the Abu Dhabi Championship HSBC Championship, every player in the field played with at least one Golf Pride grip.

Ok, so not all of them were Tour Velvet grips, but this “versatile favorite” was everywhere - and has simply been a mainstay in the world of grips for years.

Joe’s particular favorite would be a Tour Velvet 360 in neat black. No patterns. “I like simplicity,” he says.

2. True Temper Dynamic Gold Shaft

Next on the list, it’s the True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft. Once again, this is about longevity, and tour and recreational usage.

“When we do 'What’s In The Bags' with players, it’s always Dynamic Gold True Temper Tour Issue X100 shafts in the irons down to X400 in the wedges,” says Joe.

There are, of course, exceptions, and as Joe points out, the likes of KBS and Nippon have a good presence on tour in irons; however, Dynamic Gold has been dominating its field for about 45 years.

Now, how many golfers know this? True Temper used to be called The American Fork & Hoe Co (they were tool makers).

The fundamental design of this shaft can be traced back to the 1940s, when the company became True Temper, although the shaft didn’t become known by the name Dynamic Gold until 1980.

Two of the best golfers in the modern era, Woods and Scottie Scheffler, are on a very long list of players to use True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts. Enough said.

3. Self adhesive lead tape

Dan’s not sure about this one. Can we really call lead tape a component?

It doesn't matter - this is Joe's list. Anyway, he actually makes a very strong case for lead tape's inclusion.

Why do golfers use lead tape?

For many decades, lead tape has been used by golfers to dial in weight. “The sign of a player,” says Joe.

“If you turn up for a match and they’ve got lead tape all over their bats, you’re thinking, ‘Crikey, he’s thought about this.’

“It’s one of the few components that can turn a dud into a diamond. You could have a club that is everything you want it to be but you just can’t strike it.

“Three strips of lead weight get that swing weight up four points or whatever and all of a sudden your timing is there. It’s phenomenal.”

Golfers also use lead weight to influence CG and, therefore, influence ball flight, helping players to create more fade/draw bias.

“It can even cover up a logo if you want to get that minimalist look,” adds Joe.

“There are companies now - and I'm not sure how I feel about this - branding lead tape.

“You can get strips of Titleist lead tape. I guess they didn’t want their logo covered up! It’s quite smart.”

4. Fujikura Ventus Shafts

The Fujikura Ventus shafts completes our Mount Rushmore of golf components - and it’s bumped a much-loved grip out of the top four, although we’ve had to give this one a special mention (see below).

Whereas the three components above have been around for decades, the Fujikura Ventus shafts are like the new kid on the block - which sort of makes them the Theodore Roosevelt.

“The sheer domination in the last four, five, six years is almost unparalleled,” says Joe.

“I’ve not seen any numbers like this on shaft counts until back in the time where there were only about two shafts available - and now there are hundreds.

“To get the level of dominance that Ventus has had in that arena is just staggering.”

A brief overview of the technology - or should we say VeloCore technology.

Basically, instead of relying on the outer layers of the shaft for stability, VeloCore utilizes that multi material core that runs the entire length of the shaft (handle to grip) to reduce twisting, particularly on off-center hits.

“I’ve seen it and it’s very quantifiable in testing,” says Joe. “The dispersion is noticeably tighter. It’s almost like a game improvement shaft.”

Or, as Dan says, “a shot improvement shaft”.

The color coding system has also been well received - red, blue, and black, so you’re know what you’re getting.

Expect Ventus to be around for a good number of years as one of the best driver shafts money can buy. As long as the Tour Velvet, Dynamic Gold and lead tape? Time will tell, but a lot of stock has been built up in this name.

A SPECIAL MENTION FOR…

… The Ping Man PP58 putter golf grip. There’s nothing too technical about this simple rubber pistol grip, but Tiger gave it cult status.

We could all see he had a Ping Man PP58 putter golf grip, even when, as a Scotty Cameron and Nike player, he used a Sharpie pen to try and disguise it.

Both Dan and Joe have visited the famous Ping Vault in Arizona and laid their hands on this iconic black grip.

“It almost feels like there’s just a little layer of tape over the shaft,” says Dan.

Woods loved it because he was a feel guy, and he liked a bit of rotation with his hands and a flow to the strike.

One of the best golf components of all-time and certainly one of the best putter grips, but sadly it’s not on our Mount Rushmore.

Would it be in yours? Let us know down in the comments.