Equipment

Forum Thread of the Day: “Best equipment change for you this year?”

Published

5 years ago

Dec 3, 2018

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from Eagle1 Eagle1, who asks fellow GolfWRX members what equipment change made the most difference for their game in 2018. For Eagle 1 Eagle 1, the move that helped the most was putting a Ping G400 Stretch 3-wood in the bag, and there have been plenty of other new additions that have aided our members out on the course this year.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

Gamble Gamble: “M3 Driver with Tour AD DI 7X. I am already down 3.1 shots in my handicap and should be able to push down to mid-single digits if I actually warmed up before my rounds and did not start bogey/double/bogey to start my rounds like I have on my last five rounds.”
noodle3872: “Coming back to Mizuno irons and wedges after trying PXG 0311’s, TM P730’s and P790’s. All great clubs in their own right, however, Mizuno feel, playability and consistency earn them placement in my bag.”
Bye: “Taking an inch off the length of my driving. And buying a Rogue 3 wood, possibly the best I’ve ever had.”
beaney: “Putter change for me too. Finally accepted that although I love the look of Scottys, I putt badly with them. The odyssey o works 1w tank, has been a fantastic find! Looks good, feels nice, suits my stroke and distance control is great.”

Entire Thread: “Best equipment change for you this year?”

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11 Comments

James

Dec 5, 2018 at 4:45 pm

Two things to do to your current stuff that absolutely help.

1) a REAL PUTTER FITTING on SAM Putt
lab. Absolutely amazing. I’m 6’2,
big & 3 back surgeries. Had the
loft ‘right’ for my stroke & since
I putt open & stand a little taller
2° up – like everything else I had
felt fine. I suffered from liprosy
for years which ceased to be
amusing and cost me A LOT of money
playing mini tour & section pro
events. Avg 2 a round.

After a day of training to use the
SAM system, I went through the
fitting & the loft was good, I
didn’t change my set up or stroke
but the Dave Pelz/NASA print out
suggested going 3° flat. Never in
my wildest dreams would I ever even
have considered anything like that.

We bent it a total of 5 degrees & I
rolled 9/10 in immediately from 12′
on our putter fitting platform.
No lip outs next dozen rounds.
Missed some for sure, but zero lip
outs.

2) Most graphite driver shafts are
pretty good compared to the GARDEN
STAKES painted the company color &
shoved in – or co-branded (I never
understood that – “Diamana by
Titleist – or Nike” whatever – they
were “Junk” compared to the real
ones, and the anon ‘TM or Callaway’
branded shafts were same grade.

Graphite technology is eons better
than a decade ago. Our customers
who get fit and DON’T want to spend
2-500 more on a super high end
stick will get the best available
no extra charge or low cost
optional ‘upgrade’ and then have it
SST PURED. Puring WORKS. PING is
probably our best selling ‘stock’
driver and most folks have us pull
& PURE the shaft and are very happy

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Patricknorm

Dec 5, 2018 at 11:57 am

I replaced my blade Nike Method ( counter balanced) with an EXO 7 works putter. I wanted better alignment and as a result my handicap went down nearly three strokes over about 8 weeks. Talk about strokes gained improvement. It’s the club you use the most , so any improvement is gold.

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A. Commoner

Dec 3, 2018 at 8:30 pm

Kind of weary hearing about ‘junk’ shafts. Maybe the self-imagined elitists could get an invitation to Monday morning’s executive meeting at ___ Golf Equipment Co. and join the discussion on ‘how we can limit our sales by pedaling a trashy product just like our competitors do.’

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Ol' Gaffer

Dec 3, 2018 at 6:51 pm

Went from a 12º driver to a 15.5º PING G2 driver with a 37 inch whippy soft stock shaft. Now I can hit the ball over 200+ yards consistently and straight. A miracle….!!!

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- Ol' Gaffer
  
  Dec 3, 2018 at 6:53 pm
  
  oooops… that’s 47 inch long shaft… for smooth effortless power …!!!!
  
  Reply Report comment
Tom

Dec 3, 2018 at 1:51 pm

Upgrade your wood shafts, stock offering from OEM’s are low quality. Heads pretty much all the same, warmed over designs marketed as breakthrough…

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TigerFan91

Dec 3, 2018 at 1:07 pm

I bought a Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 6S shaft, tipped it an inch, and made the final length of my M2 driver 44 3/4″. Made a world of a difference in my driving accuracy.

Reply Report comment
ogo

Dec 3, 2018 at 11:21 am

Yes.. yes.. yes….. it’s all in the equipment you have in your WITB weapons of golf destruction. Never mind any swing change because your swing is perfect as it is… it must be new equipment that you need to get you under the 90+ hump. Jeeeez….

Reply Report comment
- Evan
  
  Dec 3, 2018 at 12:16 pm
  
  Sometimes it’s the confidence that comes with different clubs that may improve a golfer’s performance however. You’re right, swing changes are necessary and will have a bigger impact.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - ogo
    
    Dec 3, 2018 at 6:47 pm
    
    Correct… and when the 460cc pineapple big drivers came on the scene golfer confidence shot up and everybody deluded they could conquer the game off the tee. Of course it didn’t happen because the stock graphite shafts were so bad the jumbo drivers flopped about in final release due to face angle disaster. Confidence mounted, performance dived.
    
    Reply Report comment
Dan

Dec 3, 2018 at 9:54 am

Replaced my TM M1 w my old Titleist 904 R w real 757 speeder. Lost about 5yrs and now get to hit from the short grass again

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Equipment

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

Published

10 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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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