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Jamie Sadlowski discusses his new Cleveland driver, WITB (2018 PGA Show Demo Day)

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Jamie Sadlowski, newly signed with Cleveland-Srixon, was on the range at Demo Day showcasing his refined golf swing that’s now made for professional golf, rather than the distance-first swing of his long-drive days.

We had the pleasure of spending some time with Jamie as he took us through his bag from top-to-bottom. He also spoke about his new swing changes, and he described what’s different about Tour life versus the long drive tour.

See all of our photos from the 2018 PGA Show Demo Day.

Cleveland Launcher HB (10.5 degrees, turned to 7.25 degrees)

Jamie says: “We’ll start with the driver, the Cleveland Launcher HB driver, with 7.25 degrees of loft. It’s the standard head, everything you can buy off the shelf. Everything’s bent a little open, just to take loft off. Obviously being a high-speed player with a high launch driver, I’ve taken launch down. With the Nunchuk shaft, 45 inches, I believe the swing weight’s D5 on this. Just very stable, not much curvature, kills a lot of spin. I’ve been in that shaft for 5 or 6 years now, and haven’t been able to get away from it, just for me it loads real good. Can’t get out of it, cannot get out of it.”

Srixon Z-U65 and Z-965 irons

Jamie says: “Then I work into the UT, it’s actually a 16-degree, so 18 turned down to 16 degrees. I believe finished its 40.5 inches with the 105X prototype tipped 2 inches. Pretty stout. That’s kinda like my acting 3 wood.

Then from there I go into a 3-iron UT 20-degrees, X7 shaft. Standard loft. 1 degree flat. Swing weights on all my irons are D3 I believe, maybe D4. Then I play 4 iron thru wedge in the 965s. Again, all X700’s. 46-degree pitching wedge.”

Cleveland RTX-3 wedges

Jamie says: “Then from there I go into a 53-degree RTX-3 gap wedge, pretty standard grind, 10 degrees of bounce. Then we roll into the 56 degree, again RTX-3, 8 degrees of bounce, pretty standard stuff. All three of these wedges here are X100s, then the 60-degree I have them kinda put a C-grind on it, just because it makes them a little more versatile. I don’t carry anything higher than a 60-degree just because… I honestly don’t need it. With that grind I can kinda of turn it into whatever I want. All the stuff is obviously heavy, I believe the wedges go from D6 to D7 in the lob wedge.”

Why so much lead tape?

Jamie says: “The reason being I play a big grip, plus-4 midsize, so we lose a lot of swing points there. Obviously the irons don’t look as pretty as they should with all the lead tape, but that’s just what it takes to get ’em to proper swing weight.”

The Flatstick

Jamie says: “This is a Cameron Tour (prototype) Newport. Looks good.”

Toning down the swing speed

Jamie says: “I mean I’m not swinging 150 mph, I’m still swinging 135 mph, but to me that feels slow. So it’s controlled. There’s times when I need to hit a big shot, whether it’s need to make birdie on the last hole to make the cut, win the tournament, whatever you need. I know I have the power if I need it. There’s always an advantage to hitting it far when you’re hitting a pitching wedges versus guys hitting 6 irons. So I’m not looking to take away distance, but I’ve obviously refined it to where I can hit controlled shots with good ball flight and good spin numbers.”

Srixon Z-Star XV golf ball

Jamie says: “The XV golf ball has been a huge change for me. The ball combination with all the clubs, but especially with the driver is exceptional. I’ve always been a high-spin player and (the golf ball has) taken my ball flight down, even flighting wedges. I’m able to get to back pins now. The wind doesn’t affect the ball.”

Do you intimidate fellow Tour pros with your distance?

Jamie says: “I guess it depends. I just go there and play my game. If you’re playing on tour you’re going to go out there and play your own game. If I’m paired with an amateur who’s a 10-handicap, I’d say yea thats probably pretty intimidating when they’re hitting 3 woods to my 6 iron. But when I play tour events, I don’t think it affects anyone that much. If I’m hitting 5 iron in and they’re hitting 3 woods… there’s different ways to skin a cat. I just happen to hit it really far.”

Are you getting more comfortable out on Tour?

Jamie says: “After a full year of playing Mackenzie this year. I’ve gained a lot of confidence playing a full year and signing my name to a scorecard for once. Hopefully this year will be a big year with the swing changes I’ve made, I’m feeling more comfortable with them.”

Swing changes

Jamie says: “(I’m getting) the backswing a little more on plane. I’ve always been a little up and rolled to the inside and across the line and I’ve really fixed that. Got it more on plane going back, more on plane coming down. It ables me to hit more shots, versus that loopy little draw. So I’m able to cut it now, hit some hold shots into right, left winds, where I didn’t really have that shot. Flighting wedges, anything inside 150 yards is kinda where I spend most of my time now.”

See all of our photos from the 2018 PGA Show Demo Day.

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6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Jack

    Jan 24, 2018 at 11:04 pm

    I think it’s a typo saying he uses X700 iron shafts. I mean, I guess he could but probably they are the X100 shafts LOL. Or maybe they are the X7 (same as Day)?

  2. Jack Nash

    Jan 24, 2018 at 12:59 pm

    So he left Callaway because he kept caving in the Driver face?

    • Kurt

      Jan 24, 2018 at 4:51 pm

      No… he got more money from Cleveland… so obvious.

  3. rz

    Jan 24, 2018 at 11:09 am

    How did you know that it was the GolfWRX moderator that posted a comment? I suspect this happens but I am not certain.

    • Kurt

      Jan 24, 2018 at 4:50 pm

      When a WRX moderator responds to a comment you can’t reply because you are locked out. It happens every time and it’s so obvious. The mod always gets the last word.

  4. Kurt

    Jan 24, 2018 at 12:23 am

    In this article on Fujikura shafts the WRX moderator claimed:
    “Nobody uses a 100 gram shaft in the driver….”??!!!!
    http://www.golfwrx.com/486954/fujikura-launches-new-pro-2-0-and-pro-2-0-tour-spec-shafts/#comment-626110
    I said tour golfers did use heavier driver shafts.
    ————————————
    Sadlowski uses a 104 gram NUNCHUK driver shaft, here:
    https://www.nventix.com/tech.php
    ——
    START EATING YER SHORTS, BART S …LOLOL

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Equipment

Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

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As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

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I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

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Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (3/28/24): L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick putter with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft.

From the seller: (@hibcam): “L.A.B. GOLF Mezz.1 Max Broomstick- LA Golf Paige Spiranac Shaft- 44″/79.5. Brand new, never used brown leather cover. The head was professionally anodized from Orange to Blue (Orange looked bad with the Pink shaft so I had it changed). Only a few rounds on this combo. Please see last pic- slight ding on back corner. 8.5-10 condition. THE SHAFT COST $475/ THE PUTTER $625. $799 shipped in the US. ONLY $699 SHIPPED.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.

However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.

“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”

Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.

Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.

Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.

One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play with an additional degree of loft to help dial in his desired launch.

We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!

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