Equipment
2017 TaylorMade irons being tested at the RSM Classic
PGA Tour players are testing new TaylorMade irons at the RSM Classic, according to the company. Even better? TaylorMade’s decision to add an image of the 2017 irons on its Twitter account, which gives us a good idea what they might look like when they’re released.
Update: In-hand photos below!
TOUR testing in progress. #RSMClassic pic.twitter.com/ZDPDOYmJH6
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) November 15, 2016
From the photo, it’s clear that the new irons are forged (see the toe engravings). Based on that, one can jump to the conclusion that the irons are a replacement for the company’s previous line of PGA Tour-inspired irons, the PSi (Players Slotted Irons).
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The PSi irons use a multi-material construction that helps make the long irons hotter and more forgiving, while maintaining compact, consistent short irons. The PSi Tour irons, on the other hand, are fully forged cavity-backs made from 1025 carbon steel with a size that’s fractionally larger than muscleback irons.
So are these new irons more like the PSi, PSi Tour… or something completely different? We’ll let you know as soon as we know.
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Protos in our forums.
Update 11/16
Based on photos shot at the RSM Classic, it appears there are two different prototypes from TaylorMade. One has a more compact look with a thinner sole, while the other has a thicker sole, and has “tungsten” stamped on the back badging. One can suspect that these will replace the TaylorMade PSi and PSi Tour irons based on the two different heads.
Forged Proto 9-iron
Forged Proto 9 iron w/ “Tungsten”
Forged Proto 7-iron
Forged Proto 7-iron w/ “Tungsten”
Forged Proto 4-iron
Forged Proto 4-iron w/ “Tungsten”
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Protos in our 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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Equipment
Putter Roundup: 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
We always get some great photos of some phenomenal putters at tour events and love to share them. Here are a few from the 2024 Zurich Classic that caught our eye and seemed interesting. (And as a reminder, you can check out all our photos from New Orleans here)
MJ Daffue’s Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype
MJ is going with the new Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype this week. The putter is a multi-piece mallet that puts an emphasis on stability with the wings on the back. Daffue’s putter does have a design that differs from retail with a monotone finish, which eliminates the black paint on the aluminum parts that we see at retail. He also has a half siteline milled into the top and an L-neck welded on for some additional toe hang. The face features a deeper milling that should offer a softer feel and slightly quieter sound.
Scotty Cameron T-7.5 Prototype
We spotted a few different Scotty Cameron Phantom models with modified rear flanges. It looks like the straight black flange was cut into a half circle for a little softer look at address. On this T-7.5, you can still see the raw aluminum from the back view, so this might have been a last-minute job to get them out on tour. The semi-circle also has a white line on it, maybe to frame the ball differently.
Alex Fitzpatrick’s Bettinardi SS16 DASS
Alex’s SS16 is made from Bettinardi’s famous D.A.S.S., or double-aged stainless steel, for a softer and more responsive feel. The face has a unique diamond pattern milling and features a logo that I feel like I have seen before, but can’t put a name to. The putter is a classic mid-mallet style with a simple, single white siteline on the top. The sole is clean with just the SS16, DASS, and a green triangle logo on it.
Steve Stricker’s Odyssey White Hot No. 2
This putter has made some amazing putts in its long career! Stricker’s White Hot No. 2 might be in the top 10 of most famous putters in golf. When you see all the dents and lead tape, you know the heel will be up and it will be sinking putts! The soft White Hot insert looks to be in good shape and has less wear on it than the rest of the putter. We don’t know how much lead tape is on the sole, but it has to be multiple layers compacted down over the years.
Doug Ghim’s Scotty Cameron T-7 Prototype
This T-7 should win the award for “best color finish” in this list with its deep chromatic bronze. It looks like Scotty added a cherry bomb dot to the heel of the deep-milled face and filled it with a very dark blue paint. The rest of the putter looks pretty stock with its single site line on the topline and twin site lines down the “fangs” of the putter. Twin 5-gram weights are installed in the sole and the putter is finished off with a gloss black double bend shaft with a fill shaft offset.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
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Equipment
Spotted: Project X Denali hybrid shaft
Project X’s Denali wood shafts have been seen in more and more golf bags this year as we start off the season. As a refresher, Denali Blue is the mid-launch and mid-spin model while Denali Black is for players seeking lower launch and spin.
Denali combines great feel with stability and increased ball speed. Currently, Project X only offers Denali Blue and Black in wood shafts, but we spotted a hybrid shaft in Daniel Berger’s bag at the 2024 Zurich Classic.
The shaft looks to be a Denali Blue 105G – HY in TX flex. No word on details from Project X yet but we can assume that this is a mid-launching shaft that weighs around 105 grams in Tour X-Stiff flex.
Berger has this shaft in his TaylorMade P770 3-iron, likely for some added launch and spin to hold the green from longer distances.
Hopefully, this means we will see some more shafts coming under the Denali name in the future, as I think many of us would like to try one in a hybrid or utility iron!
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
- Check out in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s full WITB here.
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RAT
Dec 1, 2016 at 10:08 am
can you say MIZUNO
Jack Nash
Nov 22, 2016 at 9:04 pm
TM = Mizuno rip off.
JJ
Nov 17, 2016 at 9:24 pm
So, the Forged Proto is a re-modified MP-25.
I wish TM designers would just go back to making the TP MB Smoked and only that, with EF grooves, and call it a day.
Rac
Jan 17, 2017 at 2:24 pm
JJ, please search in Google Taylormade RAC TP iron and you will see the origin of the new proto iron. You will also realize it has no relation to MP-25 but rather a recycle of an old TM idea.
TM RAC TP release date Nov 2008, MP-25 release date Sep 2015, mmmm so who copied who?
KL
Nov 17, 2016 at 4:31 am
No slots on them?
JJ
Nov 17, 2016 at 6:31 pm
No. Because they finally realized how crappy the slot made it feel. No real need for them
Dat
Nov 17, 2016 at 8:40 pm
You mean plastic gimmicks?
Matty
Nov 16, 2016 at 9:21 pm
They seem of release TP irons every 3 years, so I think these are the new TP irons.
Wow.....
Nov 16, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Interesting that there’s tungsten in every head even the short irons (tungsten model).
Like everyone else said I really hope they don’t “eff” them up with badging and horrible color schemes. I hope this is the final product.
gunna22
Nov 16, 2016 at 3:17 pm
It seems like the address pics for the 7 and 4 irons have been switched?
gunna22
Nov 16, 2016 at 9:08 pm
Looking again, and yeah it definitely seems like you have the “tungsten” vs non-tungsten ones mixed up
Rich
Jan 20, 2017 at 4:42 pm
I thought the same thing
MIKEYP
Nov 16, 2016 at 9:53 am
It looks the the 2005 Rac tp’s and the 2014 Tour preferred CB’s had a child together.
D
Nov 16, 2016 at 10:37 am
the 2005 Rac TP’s were great
Dat
Nov 16, 2016 at 6:14 pm
Called it! Finally got rid of the slots!
Bofhus
Nov 16, 2016 at 4:47 am
Looks so clean and nice. Expect them to ruin it with tacky colours…
Mat
Nov 16, 2016 at 2:18 am
Anyone want to tell me that everyone’s reaction to Ping this year hasn’t influenced the market? Those look quite nice. If they’re not totally jacked, they’d be a very respectable addition.
How about that… a TM release that doesn’t make you want to roll your eyes!
Guia
Nov 15, 2016 at 10:48 pm
My guess is much of the same thing already available, but with new packaging. After so many years of the same old jargon, it is hard to believe that there is another 6 month tech breakthrough.
TMBob
Nov 15, 2016 at 9:53 pm
All sneak peaks….New tread for TM it seems….same thing happened with the M2 last year