2018 Masters runner-up and Mercedes-Benz golf ambassador Rickie Fowler joins host Michael Williams to talk about how his equipment changes have him more ready than ever to win at Augusta. A must-listen!

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Michael Williams: So, first off our guys are equipment guys; you know, gear heads. So let’s talk about your current equipment. Were there any big changes coming into 2019 for you in terms of your bag and your choices there?

Rickie Fowler: For me the biggest change, because I really don’t change equipment a whole lot and I went over to TaylorMade and playing the TP5x this year. Yeah, that was obviously a big change, you know…played Titleist pretty much my whole life and, you know, they’re like family to me. We had great relationships and still do, so, you know it was an interesting decision, it was not easy, but …

Michael Williams: So you said it was an interesting decision, what went into that decision?

Rickie Fowler: Well I just felt like I had some really cool opportunities with TaylorMade and, you know, some stuff that I’ll be able to do here and the near future and down the road. You’ve seen the X ball come out, you’ll may end up being able to do some stuff with that, but I reached a point in my career where I felt like it was, it was proper time. Like I said I’ve had a great relationship, I still have a great relationship with everyone at Titleist: like I said they’re like family to me. So, no it was just that I looked forward to, you know, doing the testing towards the end of last year and getting into the ball …

Michael Williams: Did you have input into the development of the ball even at any level?

Rickie Fowler: No, but I’m playing the TP5x that you can get off the shelf.

Michael Williams: Which is nice to know because sometimes there’s things that you guys have access to that we don’t necessarily have access to and it’s marketed as if it’s the same.

Rickie Fowler: Yeah and I think some people are seeing that I definitely love equipment, I love understanding and knowing what other guys are playing, why they are playing it, how things work for different guys…but I know some people will notice the side stamping, and I think on the production TP5x the arrows on the side stamp are gray and the ones on the tour ball are black. It’s the same ball, it’s just that’s the way they’re marking their tour balls. I know sometimes they check and make sure each ball is basically perfect. In production, I know they’ll do a check on every so many balls, you know, a little less than the tour run, you know, maybe going into a dozen of golf balls. The balls that they’re giving us, they want to make sure every single one is exactly how they would want. Yeah.

Michael Williams: Anything else in the bag that you use, let’s say specifically for Augusta, do you switch up your bag and put a different club in there for a specific shot that you know you have to hit on this golf course?

Rickie Fowler: You know, I don’t. So, everything in my bag this week is basically, I mean, what I played last week. I have the Speedback 4 from Cobra, which I’ve played in the Fall last year to the start of this season and I think I’m probably going to leave that in the bag over my 5-wood, which typically I play a 5-wood here at Augusta, but I feel sometimes you can get, not windy conditions but some gusts and really the shots I’ve looked at it would be number four, 13 and 15, the second shots into those two and I feel like the Speedback 4 iron is going to be a little tighter window and if I happen to get those to where they’re maybe back into the wind, I’m not gonna have to worry about the ball getting hurt as much as I would with a 5-wood that may be spinning more and be up a little higher. I can get the Speedback 4-iron plenty high, I’m not worried about that, so that’s a good thing to have in there.

Other than that, I mean, I think a big thing last week is I started doing some shaft testing in irons because when I did go to the TP5x, I was excited about the change and wanted to learn the golf ball, see how it could work for me, how well it could work for me, but I didn’t want to change anything else in my bag, to start out with I wanted to have one variable. I think the big mistake a lot of people make is they make one change and they decide to change something else along with it, well know you don’t know which is causing what. So, I wanted to have one variable, learn the golf ball, figure out how it works and then go from there.

Michael Williams: A logical mind at work.

Rickie Fowler: You know, I try to think I’m smart at times! So, yeah now I’ve had a few months with the golf ball, I know what it does, how it works, and I’ve gotten to know it really well, so, I wanted to see if I could get a little more spin in my irons.

Michael Williams: So did you make a little shaft change there?

Rickie Fowler: I did last week. So, I was in the KBS C-TAPER 125g S+, which was great, loved it, it worked well, I’ve played with it for about three years or so and just in a position going into the TP5x which spins less than what I was playing. So, I tried out a number of shafts and different stuff from KBS, the Nippon to Oban to Project X, as well as True Temper and I ended up playing S-400’s last week in irons. I wanted to go to a little softer shaft, see if I could get a little more spin but some more flight. I feel like they actually brought back a shot that I hadn’t really had in, you know, the last maybe couple of years, kind of a … it’s hard to explain, but a three quarter low flighted ball that spins at the same time but doesn’t float. So, it was great to be able to hit some of those shots last week.

Michael Williams: That driving spinner, I totally get that. Gorgeous; I can’t hit it, but I get it!

Rickie Fowler: And there are ones that you hit more with maybe wedge to 8-iron. So, you getting windy conditions, you know you get on firm greens, you want it to fly and get through the wind but at the same time you don’t want it to land and take off. You want to still have that control. So, that’s where I was last week. Once I got past, you know, learning the golf ball and understanding what we had, now I can start fine tuning and see how good we can make it.

Michael Williams: Last year you did an interview where I was so impressed with you, when you were asked the question, “who do you think is the favorite to win?” And you just gave this look, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more serious look on your face. You said, “well me, who else would I choose but me?” And I was so impressed with that and I thought this is a man who’s ready to win this thing and you almost did last year. Do you still feel that way?

Rickie Fowler: For sure, I definitely believe that. I mean this is, even more so than last year, this is the most ready I’ve been to go win, especially here at Augusta. Yeah, we could go and talk about different players and who I think, you know, this place will suit, guys who have played well here, that should play well, and it’s fun. I enjoy seeing other players play well and I want them to play well, because when I go win or beat them, I wanna know I beat them when they’re playing well and that’s when you get the most satisfaction, when you know you’re playing against someone and they’re having a good week and you just one up them. When I’m playing and my buddies are playing tournaments or it’s cool to have it be like, “hey man, good job you beat us this week.” You know, it’s cool when you beat your friends, well, because the guys you hate to lose to the most are your buddies. You don’t want them to have the bragging rights.

Michael Williams: I don’t care who else you lose to, as long as you beat your buddies everything’s good with the world right? It’s spinning in the right direction.

Rickie, I know you got to go. Thanks so much for spending the time, really appreciate it. Love your game, and hopefully we can get you back on the show real soon to talk about your victory.

Rickie Fowler: Sounds good. I like it. Appreciate it.