Equipment

DeChambeau makes history with 14 graphite shafts on PGA Tour (inside info from LA Golf Shafts)

Published

5 years ago

Oct 7, 2019

There was a lot of talk about golf history being made this week at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and much of it had something to do with LA Golf shafts.

First, we had Kevin Na, become the FIRST golfer in history (since available data) to be negative strokes gained: tee-to-green but still win the event. Kevin can thank his smoking hot putter, which helped him make over 558 feet worth of putts for the week—an Odyssey Toulon Madison with an LA Golf Shafts Ozik TP graphite putter shaft.

Kevin Na Putter

The other part of history had to do with Bryson “The Golfing Scientist” DeChambeau. Bryson became the first golfer on the PGA Tour to ever use graphite shafts in each one of his clubs from top to bottom—that’s right, all 14 clubs including his putter had graphite shafts.

This all started with his “Rebar” wedge shafts discussed here (GolfWRX Spotted: LA Golf “REBAR” Wedge Shafts) and in the talk with LA Golf Shafts Chief Product Officer John Oldenburg, he touched on how irons shafts were next. This week has proven that testing obviously went well, and while defending his SHCO title, DeChambeau finished with a final round 63 to finish fourth.

From John on the new iron shafts Bryson had in play

“In a nutshell, the ‘Texas Rebar’ shafts are really, really stiff. In a test session with Bryson a few weeks back, he noticed that as he went stiffer in iron shafts his performance improved as it relates to launch, spin, dispersion, and shot control.

“The versatility of composite materials allows us to add stiffness, drop torque, move the balance, and modify the flex profile without adding additional weight. We designed him ‘rebar’ for the 4-iron, 7-iron, and wedge, as those irons he likes to test with. He put the wedge shafts in play immediately in Napa, and then said, “let’s make the rest!”

“We sent him some more of the wedge shafts to Vegas along with some of the 4-iron prototypes. I was not there, but my understanding is that he put the 4-iron shaft in his 4 and 5-iron and put the wedge shaft in all of the other irons. Our original plan was to make a full set of individual shafts for each club, with a progressive frequency and tip stiffness profile. Bryson has chosen to play the shafts in his current configuration since he feels they perform so well.

“We believe this will be an ongoing process, and will continue to fine tune the shafts to meet Bryson’s performance requirements. The current wedge and 4-iron shaft are both around 120 grams. The 4-iron shaft is slightly softer overall and in the tip than the wedge. Although they are 10-15 grams lighter than the TT DG X7 they are nearly a full flex stiffer and are lower in torque than his previous X7 shafts.”

With Bryson, the testing never truly stops, and we look forward to seeing what will end up in his golf bag next!

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Ryan Barath

Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

34 Comments

Pingback: Graphite vs. steel iron shafts – what you need to know – GolfWRX
#1KuchFan

Oct 13, 2019 at 2:46 pm

He’s so quirky. I can’t get enough of these articles. They hardly ever mention the golfing scientist. So quirky.

Reply Report comment
- Simon Taylor
  
  Oct 14, 2019 at 11:59 pm
  
  Thick thick sarcasm…. best ????
  
  Reply Report comment
Jarnio Bubly

Oct 12, 2019 at 12:14 am

Some players make history with their stellar play while Bryson makes history with is equipment.

Reply Report comment
Zach

Oct 9, 2019 at 12:50 pm

PXG: Hold my beer

Reply Report comment
Cody

Oct 8, 2019 at 10:37 pm

I play aldila rip 115 slt tour x flex shafts. Super stiff and a torque rating of 1 to 1.4 depending on the iron.

Reply Report comment
- Cody
  
  Oct 8, 2019 at 10:38 pm
  
  Steel is dead graphite is the future.
  
  Reply Report comment
rjvanro

Oct 8, 2019 at 9:13 pm

All graphite is probably why Bryson has decided to pump some iron. Probably feeling a little less manly. LOL

Reply Report comment
Piter

Oct 8, 2019 at 6:06 am

Good on him for trying stuff. I hadn’t heard about SL clubs before untill i read about him using them, and am interested. I prefer graphite shafts, despite being strong enough (that silly common excuse for buying steel shafts), but because of the feel. Nice to see a pro not following convention all the time.

Reply Report comment
JThunder

Oct 7, 2019 at 10:49 pm

I just come on the internet to vent my frustration with life. Bryson sucks because he’s different. Lots of other suck because they’re too much the same. Tour issued clubs are better than what we can get at retail, so that sucks. But pros could play the same regardless of what’s in their bag, so that sucks. OEMs never invent anything new, just repackage and steal and it’s all marketing – that sucks. Amateurs need lessons and no golf club is going to improve their game, and that sucks too.

Reply Report comment
- PLightning
  
  Oct 8, 2019 at 12:07 pm
  
  Lessons from washed out hacks that never broke 80 that were taught on youtube suck.
  
  Reply Report comment
- A. Commoner
  
  Oct 8, 2019 at 2:00 pm
  
  Give life a chance. You might feel better.
  
  Reply Report comment
- rjvanro
  
  Oct 8, 2019 at 9:11 pm
  
  LOL JThunder you would be a great person to have a beer with. LOL snowing here in Calgary and that really sucks!
  
  Reply Report comment
Kevin

Oct 7, 2019 at 5:52 pm

https://us.v-cdn.net/6024507/uploads/ipb/monthly_01_2010/post-94483-12644619954416.jpg

I believe Phil Mickelson used all graphite shafts in each one of his clubs when he was with Yonex at one time. He was with them in from 1992-2000 and know the iron and putter were graphite. Not sure how much research this writer did to make the claim however a quick search of this side shows his bag.

Reply Report comment
- chip75
  
  Oct 7, 2019 at 6:19 pm
  
  My thoughts went straight to Mickelson as well, there were times (when he was Yonex) when Phil had an Eye2 wedge in his bag and a Titleist PT fairway wood (it might have been a Taylor Made Tour Preferred?), but I’m pretty sure he gamed a full set of graphite shafts.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Joe
  
  Oct 7, 2019 at 10:09 pm
  
  I think you are correct.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Lefty
  
  Oct 8, 2019 at 5:58 am
  
  Dear Numpties,
  
  Lefty had a steel putter shaft.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - chip75
    
    Oct 8, 2019 at 4:14 pm
    
    From what I remember he did have a steel putter shaft, but he gamed graphite for a time too. It would have been around 1995-1996.
    
    Reply Report comment
JP

Oct 7, 2019 at 5:40 pm

If it speeds up his pace of play, I’m all for it…

Reply Report comment
Caroline

Oct 7, 2019 at 5:03 pm

Bryson is like every pro out there when he is on he is on….no rotation in the shaft makes it easier to hit straight shots, and very little open/close of club face to curve the ball. I would think the stiffest shafts work well with that concept as any kind of bend is going to move the club face…and his swing is around and through with little wrist/hand angles at all (Steve Stricker) or Moe Norman with a wrist set that does not open or close the club face….

Reply Report comment
Jason B

Oct 7, 2019 at 5:00 pm

He changes shafts quicker than he putts 8 footers.

Reply Report comment
C

Oct 7, 2019 at 4:52 pm

Another reason proving pros suck now compared to Jack and Arnies days.

Reply Report comment
dat

Oct 7, 2019 at 3:15 pm

But, will it actually help his game and will he win?

Reply Report comment
Rich Douglas

Oct 7, 2019 at 2:14 pm

Disclaimer: “Professional Golfer. Do not try this at home.”

Reply Report comment
Dave

Oct 7, 2019 at 2:10 pm

In other news LA Golf sold out of their entire inventory of rebar shafts due to rampant demand from every GolfWRX “scratch” golfer under the sun who thinks they should play the stiffest shafts on the planet.

Reply Report comment
- Rich Douglas
  
  Oct 7, 2019 at 2:15 pm
  
  Thank you. Now if we could just get them to shut up about the no-offset forged blades they use to hit all those shanks….
  
  Reply Report comment
Shallowface

Oct 7, 2019 at 2:08 pm

I like Bryson, but if any of this stuff really mattered he’d never lose. As it is, he wins a few, loses most, has some high finishes and misses some cuts. Just like everyone else. And if he decided tomorrow to go with a bag of conventional gear, his results would be exactly the same. Or maybe better, who knows, as it might clear his head of some of the clutter. I believe he will eventually try it.

Reply Report comment
- Eastpointe
  
  Oct 7, 2019 at 2:55 pm
  
  I would tend to agree with you if we were talking about a new driver head or new putter head but we are talking about an outside the box completely unheard of shaft profile. I think this is really interesting and with time and practice Bryson could revolutionize golf club setups
  
  Reply Report comment
- Brandon
  
  Oct 7, 2019 at 10:17 pm
  
  Exactly. People occasionally survive jumping off the golden gate bridge, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
  
  Reply Report comment
DukeOfChinoHills

Oct 7, 2019 at 2:06 pm

This is a passing fad.

Reply Report comment
James

Oct 7, 2019 at 1:46 pm

Yea, this is history worth remembering. I’m sure he he huddled with his PR people and said, let’s make history. Just wow.

Reply Report comment
Bing Hogan

Oct 7, 2019 at 12:30 pm

We’ll see how long this lasts…

Reply Report comment
- Rich Douglas
  
  Oct 7, 2019 at 2:22 pm
  
  Right. Because he’s the only pro golfer–or golfer of any stripe–who tinkers.
  
  252 golfers have won 5 or more PGA tour events in the history of professional golf.
  
  Five golfers have ever won the NCAA and US Amateur in the same year.
  
  Bryson is on both of those lists.
  
  Oh, and he’s been playing single-length irons the entire time. So that shows quite a bit of commitment to a concept.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Benny
    
    Oct 8, 2019 at 7:34 am
    
    Well said Rich Douglas. I don’t like Bryson’s attitude and not shaking hands while tossing a baby fit. But have to hand it to him. He hits bombs (which most don’t know) and the dude is doing something never heard of.
    I commend him and regardless if this is a PR move to get LA Golf Shafts name out there. It shows the dude is not stopping anytime soon. I have seen a number of guys online and in Boston area swear by single length. Lets see where this goes..
    
    Reply Report comment

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Equipment

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

Published

14 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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