Equipment
2015 Gear Trials: FAQ
There’s a running joke around the GolfWRX office during the winter months. Before he goes to bed, GolfWRX Founder and President Richard Audi reviews the incoming votes from our Gear Trials Panelists. At least once.
[quote_box_center]”During the two weeks we are receiving the votes of our Gear Trials Panelists, I’m all over Zak [GolfWRX’s Editor] to send them to me ASAP,” Audi says. “I’ll open up all six on my computer so I can review them all on my screen at once. That’s where my wife says, ‘Just stop it.'”[/quote_box_center]
What our founder is in search of, like many golfers, is insight into the best-performing new clubs on the market. What new driver will be in his bag in 2015? Is it finally time to add a new fairway wood? Or a hybrid to replace that pesky long iron? Or a larger, more forgiving set of irons?
These are the questions that keep GolfWRXers up night, and the reason we created our Gear Trials Club test.
We hold Gear Trials sacred, because we understand its importance and special place in the industry. There is no shortage of best clubs lists, but Gear Trials is the only test we know of that’s 100 percent based on the feedback of the top club fitters in the world, and verified by independent Trackman testing.
The golf equipment space is more confusing now than ever, with more new club models currently in stores than at any time in the industry’s history. That’s why we designed Gear Trials to cut through the noise, and give golfers a short list of the best-performing clubs in the following categories:
- Drivers
- Fairway Woods
- Hybrids
- Players Irons
- Game-Improvement Irons
- Blade Irons
Armed with our Gear Trials lists, golfers can narrow their new club search to just a few top-performing models. We hope that will save them time, money and most importantly, help them play better golf… or have more fun. Preferably both.
So what else goes into our 2015 Gear Trials: Best Clubs Lists? Here’s a list of frequently asked questions.
Who votes?
Our Gear Trials: Best Clubs Lists are created with the votes of our Gear Trials Panel, which includes six of the top golf club fitters in North America. Four of the fitters are on Golf Digest’s list of the best club fitters in America, while the other two (Modern Golf and True Spec Golf) are top international club fitters.
Our Gear Trials Panel includes:
- Carl’s Golfland (Michigan)
- Cool Clubs (15 locations in 4 countries)
- Haggin Oaks (California)
- Miles of Golf (Michigan, Ohio)
- Modern Golf (Canada)
- True Spec Golf (Bahamas, Miami, NYC)
The staffs of each Gear Trials Panelist perform more than 1,000 professional fittings each year — and more than 6,000 yearly fittings between them all. That level of experience is what we feel sets Gear Trials apart from all the other best club lists.
How the voting works
Each of our Gear Trials Panelists was asked to rank the top-performing clubs in three categories, which allows us to highlight the clubs that are the best for:
- Distance: The clubs that fly the farthest.
- Forgiveness: The clubs that are best on off-center hits.
- Best Overall: The clubs with the best blend distance and forgiveness.
Our editorial team tallied the votes, and the six models that received the most votes in each category made our lists. If there were ties — for example, a three-way tie for fifth place — our Gear Trials Editors acted as tie breakers.
Who are the Gear Trials Editors?
- Richard Audi, GolfWRX Founder and President
- Zak Kozuchowski, GolfWRX Editor
- Andrew Tursky, GolfWRX Assistant Editor
Was a club test performed?
Gear Trials Panelist Miles of Golf performed an independent club test at its facility in Ypsilanti, Mich., for the each of the Gear Trials categories:
- Best Drivers: 26 models tested
- Best Fairway Woods: 20 models tested
- Best Hybrids: 16 models tested
- Best Players Irons: 24 models tested
- Best Game-Improvement Irons: 14 models tested
- Best Blade Irons: 14 models tested
The club test, which was arranged by Miles of Golf‘s team of trained club fitters, took place over the course of four weekends. It included 41 testers of different ages and ability levels, and was performed on Trackman launch monitors to verify the performance of the clubs chosen by our Gear Trials Panel.
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Equipment
A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic
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.
View this post on Instagram
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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Whats in the Bag
Alejandro Tosti WITB 2024 (April)
- Alejandro Tosti what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees @10.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 80 TX
Hybrid: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue (22 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 6.5 100
Irons: Srixon ZX7 Mk II (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Cleveland RTX6 ZipCore Tour Rack (50-10 MID, 54-10 MID, 58-10 MID, 60-06 LOW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100, S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Plus4
Check out more in-hand photos of Alejandro Tosti’s WITB in the forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Drew Brees WITB 2024 (April)
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Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)
Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper (13.5 degrees)
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (19 degrees)
Irons: TaylorMade P790 (4-8, PW), TaylorMade P760 (9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09, 56-10, 60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Prototype
Check out more in-hand photos of Drew Brees’ clubs here.
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Jordan
Sep 16, 2015 at 3:29 pm
Thanks for the great review.. the same with bradford i want see real results during real game. Golf for me is a great sport to learn about…
Chris C.
Apr 8, 2015 at 4:53 pm
I agree with those who have expressed a desire to actually see the results of the extensive testing performed at Miles of Golf. All that effort spread out over the course of 4 weekends, thousands of shots and hours spent collating the myriad data points only to produce the numerical equivalent of gold and silver stars. This strikes me as a terrible waste of time and talent. You had the opportunity to actually provide details delineating distance( longest/average/mean/consistency). You had the opportunity to assess which clubs better suit different types of golfers( axis, launch angles, etc.). You had a chance to detail accuracy and consistency.Obviously, my critique applies not only to the driver tests but also to the fairway wood and hybrid tests. I spend WAY too much time reading club reviews so it frustrates me when I see such a wasted opportunity.
Golfraven
Mar 25, 2015 at 7:03 pm
ok, so where is the data from all those test? You have it on the table so why not sharing?
E
Mar 26, 2015 at 12:39 am
Agreed no relevant information is provided, I frequent the forums to get someone’s feeling on a club. Disappointed golfwrx is seriously lacking in the testing/review department compared to some other sites…
Non of the top 7 were close to the best preformer for me and Id like to see some numbers showing how they came to those conclusions.
Seems this is just a re-done golf digest hot list.
I appreciate the time and effort that went into the trials, just wish a better comparison was does with some evidence behind it.
8thehardway
Mar 25, 2015 at 5:15 pm
I’ve held my own Gear Trials since 2007:
Pre-trial goal – 10 more yards (dispersion not a problem)
Round 1 – Hit everything
Round 2 – Pit the best against my 2005 Ping G5
Round 3 – Re-grip Ping G5
cliche
Mar 25, 2015 at 4:17 pm
would like to see that with wedges
bradford
Mar 25, 2015 at 11:31 am
Looking forward to results. They will provide a great method of determining which clubs to choose for simulator golf. Unfortunately, without actual on the course testing, none of it will be very telling- as each club will behave differently for each person, especially under “real-golf” situations.