Equipment
Don’t get AMP’d up. Rickie is just testing shafts, y’all
As you may have seen in our tour photos this week, Rickie Fowler has a new/old set of irons in the bag. Specifically, Fowler is gaming a set from 2013: the Cobra AMP Cell Pro.
But WHY?! Didn’t we just hear all the buzz about his self-designed Rev33? Well yes, we did.
Although the rumors and conspiracy theories may run wild, in this case, it’s a nothing burger.
He’s testing shafts folks, Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100, specifically, to get ready for major season.
But why didn’t he put them in the Rev33?
That’s a simple one as well: time and economics. Rather than pull apart his gamers or have a set chauffeured in from Carlsbad, Fowler, who was messing around with the AMP’s at home and who doesn’t have Rev33’s with X1oo’s hanging on his wall, brought them to Detroit this week to test.
If all goes well, we can count on a set of Rev33’s with X100’s to be built at HQ. If not, no harm, no foul, and we go back to the Rev33 with his normal KBS C-Taper 125 S+ shafts.
If anything, I find the coolest thing here is Rickie’s instinct to not be wasteful. That’s a good thing right?
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Whats in the Bag
WITB Time Machine: Danny Willett’s winning WITB, 2016 Masters
Driver: Callaway XR 16 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 60 X
Length: 45.5 inches
3-wood: Callaway XR 16 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 70X
5-wood: Callaway XR 16 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 80X
Irons: Callaway Apex UT (2, 4), Callaway Apex Pro (5-9)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Superlite
Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (47-11 S-Grind) Callaway Mack Daddy 2 Tour Grind (54-11, 58-9)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Superlite
Putter: Odyssey Versa #1 Wide (WBW)
Lie angle: 71 degrees
Ball: Callaway Speed Regime SR-3
Check out more photos of Willett’s equipment from 2016 here.
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Equipment
Project X Denali Blue, Black shaft Review – Club Junkie Review
Originally, Project X was known for low-spin steel iron shafts. However, the company might now be known for wood shafts. Denali is the newest line of graphite shafts from Project X. With the Denali line, the company focuses on feel as well as performance.
There are two profiles in the Denali line, Blue and Black, to fit different launch windows. Denali Blue is the mid-launch and mid-spin profile for players who are looking for a little added launch and Denali Black is designed for low-launch and low-spin. Both models are going to offer you a smooth feel and accuracy.
For a full in-depth review check out the Club Junkie podcast on all podcast streaming platforms and on YouTube.
Project X Denali Blue
I typically fit better into mid-launch shafts, as I don’t hit a very high ball so the Denali Blue was the model I was more excited to try. Out of the box, the shaft looks great and from a distance, it is almost hard to tell the dark blue from the Denali Black. With a logo down install of the shaft, you don’t have anything to distract your eyes, just a clean look with the transition from the white and silver handle section to the dark navy mid and tip.
Out on the course, the Blue offers a very smooth feel that gives you a good kick at impact. The shaft loads easily and you can feel the slightly softer handle section compared to the HZRDUS lineup. This gives the shaft a really good feel of it loading on the transition to the downswing, and as your hands get to impact, the Denali Blue keeps going for a nice, strong kick.
Denali Blue is easy to square up at impact and even turn over to hit it straight or just little draws and most of the flex of the shaft feels like it happens right around where the paint changes from silver to blue. The Blue launches easily and produces what I consider a true mid-flight with the driver. While it is listed as mid-spin, I never noticed any type of rise in my drives. Drives that I didn’t hit perfectly were met with good stability and a ball that stayed online well.
Project X Denali Black
When you hold the Denali Black in your hands you can tell it is a more stout shaft compared to its Blue sibling by just trying to bend it. While the handle feels close to the Blue in terms of stiffness, you can tell the tip is much stiffer when you swing it.
Denali Black definitely takes a little more power to load it but the shaft is still smooth and doesn’t give you any harsh vibrations. Where the Blue kicks hard at impact, the Black holds on a little and feels like keeps you in control even on swings that you try and put a little extra effort into. The stiff tip section also makes it a little harder to square up at impact and for some players could take away a little of the draw from their shot.
Launch is lower and more penetrating compared to the Blue and produces a boring, flat trajectory. Shots into the wind don’t rise or spin up, proving that the spin stays down. Like its mid-launch sibling, the Black is very stable and mishits and keeps the ball on a straighter line. Shots low off the face don’t get very high up in the air, but the low spin properties get the ball out there farther than you would expect. For being such a stout shaft, the feel is very good, and the Denali Black does keep harsh vibrations from your hands.
Overall the Project X Denali Blue and Black are great additions to the line of popular wood shafts. If you are looking for good feel and solid performance the Denali line is worth trying out with your swing. Choose Blue for mid-launch and mid-spin or Black for lower launch and low spin.
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Equipment
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
Bryson DeChambeau fired an opening-round 7-under 65 at Augusta National, hitting an impressive 15 of 18 greens in regulation in the process. Golf’s mad scientist’s play grabbed headlines and so too did his equipment. In place of the Ping i230 irons he had in the bag last week for LIV Golf’s Miami event, DeChambeau is gaming a prototype 5-PW set of irons from little-known direct-to-consumer manufacturer Avoda.
What is Avoda Golf?
Founded by Tom Bailey, also a Mike Schy student like Bryson DeChambeau, Avoda Golf is a direct-to-consumer golf equipment company that currently manufactures both single and variable-length irons in one model that are available for pre-order.
What irons is Bryson DeChambeau playing?
Per multiple reports, DeChambeau is playing a custom-designed set of single-length irons that incorporate bulge and roll into the face design. The two-piece 3D-printed irons were reportedly only approved for play by the USGA this week, according to Golfweek’s Adam Schupak.
Regarding the irons, DeChambeau told Golf Channel the irons’ performance on mishits was the determining factor in putting them in play this week. “When I mishit on the toe or the heel,” DeChambeau said. “It seems to fly a lot straighter for me and that’s what has allowed me to be more comfortable over the ball.”
What can we tell about the design of the clubs?
These days, it is a little hard to speculate on what is under the hood with so many hollow body irons. DeChambeau’s irons look to be hollow on the lower section as they do flare back a decent amount. That “muscle” on the back also looks to be fairly low on the iron head, but we can assume that is progressive through the set, moving up higher in the short irons.
A screw out on the toe is probably used to seal up the hollow cavity and used as a weight to dial in the swing weight of the club. From pictures, it is hard to tell but the sole looks to have a little curve from heel to toe while also having some sharper angles on them. A more boxy and sharper toe section looks to be the design that suits Bryson’s eye based on the irons he has gravitated toward recently.
What are bulge and roll, again?
Two types of curvature in a club face, traditionally incorporated only in wood design. Bulge is heel-toe curvature. Roll is crown-sole curvature. Both design elements are designed to mitigate gear effect on off-center strikes and produce shots that finish closer to the intended target line. (GolfTec has an excellent overview of bulge and roll with some handy GIFs for the visual learner)
What else is in DeChambeau’s bag?
Accompanying his traditional Sik putter, Bryson builds his set with a Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, a Krank Formula Fire driver and 5-wood, and a TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver, all with LA Golf graphite shafts.
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Tdawg
Jul 4, 2020 at 11:30 pm
Im just confused as to why dabble in a tournament??? All these guys have the best of the best in home sims with all the data and the best facilities to test equipment.
Shane
Jul 4, 2020 at 4:06 pm
I can see the testing of the shafts, but why at an event where you’re playing for a living instead of just testing at home? Thanks for the article!!
jmho
Jul 4, 2020 at 10:43 am
IF this is true, this seems stingy on behalf of Cobra. But I am gonna assume that he’s trying different irons altogether but they want to keep pushing the 33’s and it’s harder to do that when Rickie is playing something else.
Chip2win
Jul 3, 2020 at 7:38 pm
Uh…I hate to say it, but he’s not just testing shafts. After he hit a shot today on TV, you could clearly see he’s got the AMP Cells in the bag this week. They are pretty cool looking blades.
Mr C
Jul 4, 2020 at 11:19 am
Of course he’s using the Amp Cell Pro this week. It’s the entire point of this article. He using a set of Amp Cell Pro with X100 so he can test the X100 shafts as he doesn’t want to pull the shafts from him current gamers and replace them with the X100.
gwelfgulfer
Jul 4, 2020 at 8:11 pm
Although its a bit of a weak argument. If the ‘gamers’ were working so well, why not just use them. It takes them nothing to build/rebuild a set of irons.
Brandon
Jul 3, 2020 at 9:38 am
Might want to stick with the amps as he actually played well for the first time in a while yesterday.
Mr. C
Jul 4, 2020 at 11:21 am
The Amp Cell Pro are the best blades Cobra has ever produced in my opinion. I’m not surprised he played well with them.
Jack
Jul 2, 2020 at 11:43 pm
This story is so shallow and lacking in research ! Waste of space..
John Wunder
Jul 3, 2020 at 12:18 am
How exactly? The point to the story is there is to inform that 1) He’s just testing shafts 2) This was the easiest way to do it 3) He isn’t planning on switching out of his Rev33’s . Lacking in what research? It’s straight from the person who builds his clubs.
matt
Jul 2, 2020 at 11:12 pm
makes absolutely no sense… what does he learn from testing a shaft in a completely different head? I mean sure he might love this combo – but doesn’t mean squat for the performance in different iron. I think the rev is done – that club is ugly as sin and I think Rickie is coming to grips with his ill-conceived thoughts for that club.
John Wunder
Jul 3, 2020 at 12:25 am
Makes sense to him and the people that work with him. Unless I’ve been talking to a Cobra Tour Truck Catfish that is obsessed with golf club cover ups and conspiracies . That would actually be a fun reality show. Anyway thanks for reading;)
Nack Jicklaus
Jul 3, 2020 at 1:48 am
I’d watch Tour Truck Catfishing the reality show.
John Wunder
Jul 3, 2020 at 7:11 am
Right!!?? So would I
Brandon
Jul 3, 2020 at 9:41 am
Did you happen to ask the tour truck guy why Rickie prefers the F9 to the SZ? He seemed to take the SZ out of the bag really quickly at the beginning of the season.
Geo P
Jul 3, 2020 at 12:32 pm
Cool story, John! All these clowns saying negative stuff are just keyboard warriors that can’t break 100…..so their useless drivel means nothing! Keep up the great work ????
matt
Jul 3, 2020 at 8:27 am
love your content Johnny… I don’t doubt that’s what you were told. honestly I’m an iron shafts nerd – i think its a good story unto itself. Wonder what Rickie is after with the switch? He had that cup of coffee with S400s last year and got back into the the C-tapers. My guess is its a stats thing – probably sees how great his driving and putting is and thinks maybe the irons aren’t quite right somehow.