If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hairspray and the electric toothbrush. We asked actor Alfonso Ribeiro — who recently partnered with TGI Fridays for the launch of its Under the Big Top outdoor-dining experience — about the golf clubs, aftershave, and throat spray he can’t live without.
You can’t have the hair look all sweet and juicy if you don’t put something in it, right? This product has always been the best for my hair. It gives a little moisture, a little sheen, and helps my hair hold its shape a little better than when I go au naturel. It’s what I’ve always used, probably for a decade, so it’s tried and true.
I’m a die-hard Yankee. I grew up in the Bronx, in Riverdale, and I’ve been a fan ever since Dave Winfield and Reggie Jackson were playing in the ’70s and ’80s. I have my hat — and my shirts and jerseys and I even got a big old Yankees puffer jacket, so when out somewhere in the snow, I can still wear my Yankees gear. I’m always representing.
Golf is a huge part of my life. The ball is the most important piece of equipment. You need a ball that responds to the way you hit it. There are people who need super-hard balls that go further but don’t have a lot of spin. There are other people who want a really soft ball that has a lot of spin and might not necessarily go as far. I used to play with Titleist’s Pro V1x balls, which are really high-flight. But I already hit the ball extremely high, so I didn’t need a ball that went higher. I needed one I could keep down, especially when I play in windy conditions. That’s why I switched to the Pro V1, which to me is the best ball in golf. I get the softness I want around the greens, but I don’t have to give up on distance off the driver.
Black guys get ingrown hairs. My barber, Stacy Kutz, turned me on to Tend Skin. You shave and do everything you normally do, then rub it on. It’s kind of like an aftershave, but specifically designed to prevent ingrowns. When I was doing Fresh Prince, I would end up with a face full of ingrowns after every shave. My makeup artist or barber or whoever would have to pick them all out. But the Tend Skin now takes care of that. I cannot shave without it — and I won’t shave if I don’t have it. I’ve got the big jugs at my house to make sure I don’t ever run out.
All of my jobs involve talking, so it is very important that my voice always works and is protected. When I filmed Catch 21, we’d shoot six episodes a day, four days a week. So by the time I got to the end of the week, I had no voice left. This helps moisturize the vocal cords. I spray it before every performance. Even if I use my vocal cords the wrong way, it still protects me and gets me through the week. It doesn’t taste like candy, but it also doesn’t taste like medicine. It’s an acceptable taste.
My 7-year-old son plays baseball now, and I’ve become one of the coaches. I played as a kid — I was quite good, but miniature, so I was never going to play for real. When I agreed to coach, I went out and got myself this glove so I could play with the kids. My son has taken to the game really well. Like me, he’s very analytical. He receives feedback and applies it immediately. I really enjoy seeing him make those little adjustments, as a dad and as a coach. He’s not the biggest kid on the team, but he plays big, and that makes me really proud.
I normally golf two or three times a week. I was sponsored by Nike for many years, but when that ended, for the first time in a long time I had the ability to go wherever I wanted to find the best equipment for me. As I researched Ping, I liked it more and more — it’s a family-run company, and I felt it fit my style better. Then I looked at the numbers and saw it is No. 2 in every category across the board, which to me made it No. 1. This driver is really long, really accurate, really forgiving, with a great sound and feel.
Even though it no longer sponsors me, I still think Nike makes the best apparel in the golf business. Its polos are the exact style I want on a course. With golf, you’re turning and pivoting and moving, so you want something that has a little bit of elasticity to it. This material has the best feeling — it’s the most comfortable for all conditions. I like my Tiger red — but not if I play on Sundays, because Tiger is the only one who should be wearing red on Sundays.
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