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.

Your Reaction?

LIKE2
LEGIT1
WOW1
LOL1
IDHT1
FLOP1
OB1
SHANK1

Equipment

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

Published

9 hours 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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

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!

Your Reaction?