Equipment

Gainey’s driver tweaks pay off big at The McGladrey

Published

12 years ago

Oct 22, 2012

It’s no surprise that The McGladrey Classic champion Tommy Gainey isn’t the most technical golfer on the PGA Tour.

The former baseball player wears “Two Gloves” when he plays, which is how he earned his nickname in the golf world. And it’s fitting that the former Big Break Champion also has a swing that looks more geared for home plate than it does for the first tee. But that doesn’t bother the 37-year-old former assembly line worker.

“I look at it as it’s what I’ve got,” Gainey said after winning his first Tour event on Sunday. “It’s what I’m working with. I mean I don’t need to change it. I mean it works for me.”

While Gainey is generally content with his swing mechanics, one thing he has been tinkering with is his Callaway Razr Fit driver. Before the first round of the PGA Tour’s Playoffs for the FedExCup, Gainey wrenched his 9.5-degee driver to the upright setting. He also changed the adjustable weights in the head, adding 3 grams of weight to the toe of his driver and removing 3 grams from the heel (his setup became 8 grams in the toe, 6 grams in the heel). This allowed Gainey to hit his preferred hard-cut shot and added 100 rpms of spin to his drives, which increased his carry distance.

Before Gainey’s breakthrough performance at The McGladrey Classic, Callaway Tour representatives built him an 10.5 degree driver. They added 10 grams of glue inside the head, increasing the center of gravity in a way that could not be done with only adjustable weights. Since the extra weight inside the head made the club heavier, lighter weights had to be used in the adjustable weight ports to keep the swingweight consistent. The higher loft and extra weight, which was located on the crown of the driver and toward the heel, added 250 rpms more spin to Gainey’s drives, which increased his carry distance as much as 15 yards.

What else was in Gainey’s bag:

Driver: Callaway RAZR Fit Driver (10.5-degree) with Aldila RIP NV 65X shaft

Fairway wood: Callaway FT-I Tour FW (15-degree) with Aldila RIP NV 65X shaft

Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro a12 Proto (20-degree) with an Aldila RIP Hybrid shaft

Irons: Callaway RAZR X Forged Irons (4-PW) with Royal Precision Project X shafts

Wedges: Callaway Forged Wedges, 50, 54 and 60 with Royal Precision Project X shafts

Putter: Callaway Odyssey Backstryke Blade Putter

Ball: Callaway HEX Black Tour golf ball

Click here to read a recap of the tournament, or Click here for more discussion in the “Tour Talk” forum.

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Whats in the Bag

Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)

Published

14 hours ago

Apr 22, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage.

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond T (15 degrees @16)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Check out more in-hand photos of Sam Burns’ WITB in the forums.

Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB ’24 (4-AW)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (4-PW), True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Tour Issue (AW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-14F @55), WedgeWorks Proto (60-T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Tour Issue (56, 60)

Check out more in-hand photos of Sam Burns’ WITB in the forums.

Putter: Odyssey Ai-One #7S

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour X

Check out more in-hand photos of Sam Burns’ WITB in the forums.

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Whats in the Bag

Will Zalatoris WITB 2024 (April)

Published

15 hours ago

Apr 22, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Will Zalatoris’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage.

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X (44.5 inches)

3-wood: Titleist TSi2 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X

See more photos of Will Zalatoris’ WITB in the forums.

Irons: Titleist T350 (3), Titleist T150 (4-PW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Prototype G.O.S.T. 10 ST X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-08F, 54-10S @55, 60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

See more photos of Will Zalatoris’ WITB in the forums.

Putter: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max

Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord

See more photos of Will Zalatoris’ WITB in the forums.

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Equipment

New Level launches new 480-DB irons, blending performance and forgiveness

Published

18 hours ago

Apr 22, 2024

Brian Knudson

New Level has been making some really good golf equipment since the company started up in 2018. Offering irons that are more geared towards the better player, precision has been a fundamental philosophy for New Level in creating irons and wedges.

The 480 line of irons has been the flagship of the brand, and the newest member of that team is the 480-DB iron that is now open to pre-orders. A new cavity design is what the whole 480 line is about, and the 480-DB takes advantage of that with added ball speed and a larger sweet spot.

For players who require their irons to offer the best feel, rest assured the DB is a fully forged (from 1020 carbon steel) one-piece golf club. No multi-piece, hollow design with this iron.

While the 480-DB is the next generation of the popular 902-OS, New Level didn’t follow the current trend in golf by chasing distance with the new iron. They actually weakened the lofts on the 480-DB with the spec sheet showing a 33-degree 7-iron and 45-degree pitching wedge. These lofts allow the DB to have less offset while still offering consistent distance off the face.

A traditional design was also at the forefront of the new irons to make sure that golfers with an eye for detail can look down at them with confidence that they will perform under any condition.

A weight low in the back cavity will allow their master club builders to dial in the perfect weight for the golfer, no matter the length or shaft being used. New Level believes that the new 480-DB is one of the most forgiving one-piece forged irons on the market today. A pre-worn leading edge on the sole should get through the turf quickly and with reduced digging for better turf interaction.

You can pre-order the New Level 480-DB right now on the New Level website.