Equipment

Tour equipment junkies rejoice! TaylorMade opens “The Vault”

Published

10 years ago

Mar 25, 2014

Last year, we discussed TaylorMade not selling the equipment that its professional staff use on Tour. And if you’re a GolfWRX forum junkie, you’ve likely seen this topic debated for years on our site.

Well, for those of you looking to get your hands on legitimate tour-issued clubs directly from TaylorMade, the wait is over. Or, more precisely, the wait has begun to see what the TaylorMade Vault holds.

The Vault (accessible here) is essentially an online store within the TaylorMade website. At undefined intervals, the company will release a limited amount of tour equipment.

As TMag’s website states:

The Vault holds rare, and collectable TaylorMade equipment you don’t come across every day. We’re talking about prototypes, limited-runs, one-offs and the occasional custom-build for a Tour pro. Most were built in our Tour Department in Carlsbad, California or our rolling, 18-wheel workshop that travels the PGA Tour. Quantities are always limited, so check back often and act fast.

So, that’s what The Vault is in theory. Let’s take a look at what it has looked like (and will continue to look like) in practice.

The Carlsbad-based company has already released an ATV prototype wedge and a very cool Ghost Tour prototype Monte Carlo 72 comparable to the model Jason Day used to win the WGC-Accenture Match Play earlier this year.

Upcoming releases include the following.

SLDR Tour Head: April 8

The head is lighter in weight than the standard SLDR, allowing a player to keep the club’s total weight down when using a heavier shaft. It appears price for this head has not yet been determined.

Screen shot 2014-03-25 at 9.28.02 AM

R1 V2 TP Head: April 1: $300

Again, like the SLDR head, the R1 head is lighter in order to accommodate a tour spec shaft. Screen shot 2014-03-25 at 9.29.14 AM

Itsy Bitsy Tour Prototype Putter: April 1: $350

As TMag’s Vault page indicates, “It’s not often a putter comes to you straight from the TaylorMade Tour department, and this face-balanced beauty is as rare as it is distinct in design.”

Screen shot 2014-03-25 at 9.32.43 AM

Tour Preferred MC Onset Irons (2011): Available Now: $1,200

When TaylorMade released the TP MC in 2011, Tour pros love the feel and workability of the club, however, as the company states, “a number of pros made a request: Give us the same head minus the offset.” Here is the result, available for your purchase.

Screen shot 2014-03-25 at 9.33.47 AM

TaylorMade junkies and lovers of all things tour issue will be champing at the bit to see what comes out of The Vault next, to be sure.

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21 Comments

KK

Sep 6, 2015 at 11:51 am

Honestly, looks like mostly old tour stuff gathering dust that TM wants to unload. But hey, more options is a good thing for golfers.

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Larry

Mar 29, 2014 at 6:27 am

A few years ago on Vacation in Vegas I was playing with 3 young men that were all hitting the same driver…on the 16 hole they ask me if I would like to hit their driver…. it was a tour van (kids brother worked for Taylormade) made driver, when he handed it to me I could feel the most balanced club I ever felt…swing easy I was told and again wow, yes even a duffer like me could feel and see a huge difference… if you ever get a chance to hit a real “tour” club you will see we are buying some real junk off the rack….

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Mad-Mex

Mar 26, 2014 at 10:17 pm

So riddle me this Batman,,,,,,,,,,,, this equipment wont do me a bit of good unless,,,,my swing matches what this equipment was built for? And second, unlike other equipment, value will just,,,,,drop and become nothing more than a “look what I got” conversation piece?

Please enlighten me if I am way off,,,,,,,,

Reply Report comment
Nick

Mar 26, 2014 at 4:42 pm

If they actually begin to catch up to more current equipment, which it seems they are getting closer with the latest release of the SLDR coming, this will be very intriguing. If they continue to be months and even years behind the actual release it’s a total waste of everyone’s time.

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Charlie

Mar 26, 2014 at 4:41 pm

You guys are forgetting tour issue stuff on the black market has zero warranty. Hopefully with these prices full warranty will be in effect!

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LorenRobertsFan

Mar 26, 2014 at 4:14 pm

This will be a fail. Anyone who pays $1300 for TM irons is crazy, and this stuff is so much cheaper to buy elsewhere. And most of these are old models? That’s a slap in the face by a company that always tell us that their latest and greatest is so much better than previous models

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Double Mocha Man

Mar 26, 2014 at 3:44 pm

Just bought a tour-issue, COR tested Taylormade driver off ebay.

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- leftright
  
  Mar 27, 2014 at 11:26 am
  
  Buy an Adams XTD and save money. Better driver, better quality and more technology. Heck, Justin Honea from Adams is the guy behind SLDR anyway. Best business decision in golf was TM buying Adams and the only reason TM has a slot in it’s club. Adams owns that patent for 17 years.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - John
    
    Mar 31, 2014 at 9:59 am
    
    I agree it was a good idea, it puts a quality manufacturer behind a quantity manufacturer…where you’re slightly off though is the patent…I’m not sure how long they hold the patent for the slot, but it is irrelevant…companies can license that technology from them if they like, in some cases without a licensing contract…the reason other companies don’t is because there are better ways to maximize COR in metal woods, so the rest if the industry is allowing tmag/Adams to have that as their “claim to fame” because it doesn’t really provide any real benefits that others can achieve in other ways…taylormade/Adidas is a global marketing company first, golf oem second….they market the crap out of their equipment so that you (hypothetically) buy their stuff before you even hit it…someone gains one yard on a drive, they say to themselves “oh well I’m not that good so I can’t expect a whole 17 yards everytime, so I’ll take it!!!” Then they’re taylormade suckers for life…I used to work in the industry, and my god do I wish I could tell you all the cost to taylormade of manufacturing one club, it would blow your minds…btw I am no taylormade hater, I’ve used an r9 3 and 5 wood since they came out, and a couple drivers since, I just like understanding how things work and made it a point to figure out the hype behind taylormade, as well as the “haters” because I hear the word “fanboy” religiously on this site and it makes me cringe everytime I hear it mostly because it just sounds childish and dumb, but they are “fanboys” because taylormade molded them that way, consciously or subconsciously, they were dooped into brand loyalty for the wrong reasons…”Sweet, now I can by the same club DJ plays?!”…gets out credit card and pays $60o for a stock “tour club”…there is no difference other than they spend more time balancing the club and hotmelting the face, both of which have always been available to the public if you get a real custom fit
    
    Reply Report comment
Rich

Mar 26, 2014 at 12:45 pm

Played TM at one time till I found out from a TM endorsed player that my “tour” irons weren’t even made of the same steel let alone the same design. Was I naive, absolutely. But coming from the tennis world where the equipment is the same construction for the same model, that was completely unacceptable. This isn’t a surprise move. TM has always had a “we know what’s best for you and it happens to be more profitable” stance on equipment. “But we’ll paint them white so they’ll feel like pros.”

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- johnleg
  
  Mar 27, 2014 at 7:11 pm
  
  every company does that, derp.
  
  Reply Report comment
- KK
  
  Sep 6, 2015 at 11:49 am
  
  Just because someone has an equipment endorsement doesn’t mean he suddenly becomes an equipment engineer and expert. The vast majority of pros choose equipment based on feel and ball flight and know/care very little about the tech because honestly, it doesn’t matter all that much to their games. Pro V1X, DG X100, blades or AP2/AP2 equivalent, Scotty or Odyssey, TM/Titleist/Ping driver. Bam, that’s like 98% of all PGA wins. The different is in the fitting. Most guys are too cheap to go for a normal fitting. I doubt they (or you) would pony up for a tour fitting which is probably worth a few grand at least. And you don’t have a pro’s game. Why do you even want the exact same equipment that pros play?
  
  Reply Report comment
Gerard

Mar 26, 2014 at 6:15 am

Would love to see the comments change tune if a Titleist or a Ping did this…

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- Mike
  
  Mar 27, 2014 at 4:42 am
  
  of course they do, we’d be naive to think they didn’t.
  
  Reply Report comment
Chuck

Mar 25, 2014 at 10:24 pm

Bookmarked.

Reply Report comment
Curt

Mar 25, 2014 at 6:53 pm

Come on TM. Dont put left over, old product, in the Vault. It has to be current for this to be of value to the consumer, otherwise, its just a BS way to capitalize on stuff that cant be used by pros or TMAG.
Only newbie idiots will fall for that BS……………

Reply Report comment
steve

Mar 25, 2014 at 4:43 pm

Seems like this is not current tour issued equipment, except for the sldr

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Blake

Mar 25, 2014 at 4:29 pm

I think this is great. I have been gaming r9 460 and r9 supertri tour issue heads for a year now (i switch back and forth between 8.5 and 10.5 degrees of loft depending on conditions). I can definitively say my tour issue heads spin significantly less than the retail r9 heads I previously owned. My swing weights also feel much better with the tour issue heads given i was fit for a 77 gram vts shaft. Tour issue heads aren’t for everyone but can make a big difference in the right person’s bag.

Reply Report comment
mike

Mar 25, 2014 at 4:16 pm

seems to me like they’re just pushing clubs that are left over tour issue models

Reply Report comment
Dumb

Mar 25, 2014 at 3:24 pm

WOW. I can pay double for pretty much the exact same product.

Reply Report comment
J

Mar 25, 2014 at 2:25 pm

Overpriced equipment that can be had for cheaper on the street.

Bravo.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

1 hour ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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