Equipment
TXG: Does shaft weight and torque matter?
We’re excited to announce a new video partnership with Tour Experience Golf, a Custom Golf Club Fitting Studio in Toronto, Canada. Check out the announcement video here for more information.
In the first video, TXG isolates shaft weight and torque as the only variables in a club test to see how those factors influence delivery and ball flight. Check out the video below, and let us know in the comments what topics you’d like covered next time!
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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Equipment
Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron
It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.
We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.
From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.
“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.
TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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Whats in the Bag
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
- Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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Ted Noel
Sep 14, 2018 at 9:09 am
The discussion of shaft weight is solid, but misses the point. Each player, as shown in the discussion, has a “felt weight” that matches his swing. That “felt weight” can be measured as dynamic moment of inertia. If the player hits at his best MOI, he will have the most consistent swing and best probability of center face strikes. If that MOI is measured from a point between the hands (typ about 4″ from the butt), the entire set of clubs can be matched to that MOI and the player will be more consistent throughout the set.
In the case of the player tested for the video, the middle weight shaft resulted in his best MOI match.
On a related subject, we need to see fitting discussions related to the real (non-professional) world. I need to better fit my 220-230 yard driver swing, not drool over a 300 yard bomber.
dat
Sep 13, 2018 at 11:00 am
It’s mostly snake oil. You need to be a tour caliber player to see any benefits.
pr
Sep 13, 2018 at 2:30 am
My girl says it’s always about the girth and heft
CrashTestDummy
Sep 13, 2018 at 12:17 am
It is great to test isolated variables to see the affects and how to fit properly. Weight definitely affects the golf swing in terms of tempo. However, I disagree that weight was the root cause the inconsistency with the test results. To me, it was the torque that caused most of the inconsistency in the dispersion of the groupings.
The guy on the right thinks that torque is only a “feel” variable and doesn’t think torque affects the dispersion because impact is too short of time frame for the club to twist to cause an off line shot. I totally disagree because twisting of shaft does not just occur at impact. Twisting of the shaft occurs throughout the golf swing. So, throughout the golf swing the clubhead will be twisting depending on the player’s golf swing. Therefore, the clubhead could be off a few degrees off at impact because the clubhead was twisting on the downswing.
Generally speaking, the higher the torque will cause a strong swinger to spray shots more than a tighter lower torque shaft. To me, there is generally a sweet spot for a torque for each player depending on how much player influences a shaft. Torque definitely affect dispersion.
stevet
Sep 13, 2018 at 1:46 pm
The clubhead not only twists the shaft, the shaft tip “droops” so the clubhead CG aligns with the shaft axis. This closes the driver club face for impact. During impact the clubhead kicks back for a few microseconds before it launches the ball. Shaft flex is complex.
CrashTestDummy
Sep 13, 2018 at 9:57 pm
Shaft flex is complex because there is so much variation in flex patterns. However, I would bet if you compared a same weight shaft to the one in the test (where he was spraying his shots) with another shaft that has around a point lower torque, the dispersion would be tighter. I have done that test several times over the years. I truly believe there is still a torque sweet spot for players that enables them to release the club more squarely through impact.
Gary
Sep 12, 2018 at 7:02 pm
These guys are the best fitters period. Watch there videos. Hi Im 66 and 85-90 mph and for my quick tempo swing i play a 330 gram driver, 64 stiff diamana r series midsize grip callaway fudion head 10.5 with 14 gram weight at 45 and st club championi tried everything head snd shaft and nothing beat it. Lighter is not faster for quick swing. For je weight anf torque first.
stevet
Sep 13, 2018 at 1:54 pm
330 gram driver must be total weight because driver heads are in the 200 gram weights. You are correct that how you load your shaft is more important than shaft weight.
Travis
Sep 12, 2018 at 2:42 pm
Not as much as a good or bad swing matters…
2putttom
Sep 12, 2018 at 1:27 pm
oh you betchya it matters
EE
Sep 12, 2018 at 1:06 pm
Do shaft weight and torque matter?
Yes they do
Wade
Sep 12, 2018 at 12:57 pm
Have you ever done any testing with multiple versions of the same shaft to see differences in manufacturing?
Judah Aderhold
Sep 12, 2018 at 11:59 am
Those cpm ratings are all just measured at one spot right? Cause couldn’t the shafts have different stiffnesses (cpm ratings) throughout the rest of the shaft even though they all are the same stiffness in that spot?
joe virdone
Sep 12, 2018 at 9:33 am
Good stuff. How do you look at fitting a slower swinger…I’m 74, play the Epic Star and am always looking for more distance. My carry distance is ~ 220 yds, relatively high ball flight. Swing speed in ~85-90 mph. Always thought r flex, lighter shaft and relatively high torque. Does this match with your studies? Thanks…/JV
Steve McIvor
Sep 12, 2018 at 6:58 pm
Hi Joe, it sounds like if you’re swinging it at 85-90 and getting 220 carry, you’re doing pretty well. Realistically, it will be pretty difficult to get much more out of it. Especially by playing about with shafts. At the end of the day, club head is the most important thing. Don’t let anyone tell you different.
stevet
Sep 13, 2018 at 1:50 pm
What is your driver face loft? 10º? 12º? 14º? You may get more distance with higher lofts to match your lower swing speed.