Equipment
GolfWRX Insider: Week one on tour with the new Titleist TSi metal woods
The cat is outta the bag! After more than two years since the launch of the TS series metal woods, Titleist has cooked up something new, and from the response and comments on the Tour, this thing is a heater.
I had a chance to catch up with my buddy and Titleist Tour rep J.J. VanWezenbeeck while he is on a West Coast/East Coast whirlwind testing tour, and this is what he had to report.
JW: Overall, how are players responding to the new TSi drivers?
JJ: TSi launch has been a long time coming…but despite fires, heat, COVID-19 restrictions the product is coming out above it all. It has been 27 months since players have seen a new lineup from Titleist, so they were overly excited about seeing what we have been working on.
We have been working through playoffs, scheduling, travel restrictions, COVID rules/regulations, and safety needs to try and see as many players as possible, including this week in Portugal and Napa.
JW: In simple terms, what makes this driver unique/special vs other models?
JJ: TSi drivers have shown up in a big way from look, to feel, to launch monitor performance. Almost all players have to see ball speed increases out of the gate, but the stability of the head is what really is showing off—players are seeing incredibly consistent spin, speed, and direction numbers—this has let players find another gear (see Mark Blackburn post of Charley Hoffman TPI testing).
JJ Contd: We are incredibly excited about week one and what the coming weeks are going to bring with this product. The overwhelmingly positive comments from our staff is incredible. I would look out for some early and often success. Stephanie Luttrell and our R&D team did a phenomenal job. I can’t wait for all our Tour Staff and the rest of the golfing world to experience this product.
JW: How many players will most likely have it in play this week?
JJ: With players all over the globe, COVID-19, and scheduling challenges, we have not had a chance to see all our staff as we like to present the product in person and answer questions for them and get them fit perfectly. We have our worldwide teams on the road and seeing all of our staff over the coming weeks. This week, we have seen some early adopters on social media in Portugal after working with Liam McDougal, and we will have 15-plus players using the new metals in Napa after seeing them for the first time this week.
JW: Charley Hoffman has a white line down the face of his TSi3, what’s the reason?
JJ: Charley Hoffman has been drawing a vertical line on his driver for a while just to allow him to set up more centered. He was instrumental in helping with the new face graphics and felt like it framed the ball so well he may not need it. After discussing, he decided better to have and not need than not have.
*Tommy Fleetwood has also made the switch in Portugal, and from what I hear from my source, he’s killing this thing.
Driver: TSi3 9 @ 8.25 (D2 Surefit Setting) w/ Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
From early reporting from Napa, these players will have TSi drivers in play: Blaum, Bramlett, Brown, Campos, Cauley, Duncan, Haas, Hadley, Hoffman, Hubbard, Kizzire, Ledesma, Malnati, Pan, Shelton, Spieth, Streb, Taylor, Uihlein.
And on the Euro Tour, beyond Fleetwood, Haotong Li is most likely putting in play as well.
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Whats in the Bag
Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)
- Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
6-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2011 (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X Denali Blue 105 TX (3), Project X 6.5 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (50-12F), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-14F), Callaway Jaws Raw (60-08C)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (56, 60)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Mini DB
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy PistolLock 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Wrap
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s clubs in the forums.
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Equipment
Heavy Artillery: A look at drivers in play at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans
What are the driver and shaft combinations of the best golfers in the world? For gearheads, it’s an endlessly interesting question — even if we can only ever aspire to play LS heads and 7 TX shafts.
At this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, GolfWRX got in-hand looks at the driver setups of a wealth of players.
Check out some of the most interesting combos below, then head to the GolfWRX forums for the rest, as well as the rest of our galleries from New Orleans.
Rory McIlroy
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Alex Fitzpatrick
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Daniel Berger
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees @9)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Wrap
Rasmus Hojgaard
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Alejandro Tosti
Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees @10.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5
Grip: Golf Pride MCC Plus4
James Nicholas
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (8 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Kevin Streelman
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Sang-moon Bae
Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (9+ @8)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Russ Cochran
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke (9 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD TP 6 X
Grip: Golf pride MCC Align
MJ Daffue
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (10.5 degrees @9.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green RDX 65 TX
Grip: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord Align
Check our more photos from the Zurich Classic here.
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Whats in the Bag
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
- Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Prototype (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Utility: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 85 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex Pro (3), Callaway X Forged (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 130
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10S, 56-10S, 60-06C)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X
Putter: Odyssey Ai One Milled Eight T DB
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Hojgaard in the forums.
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ht
Sep 10, 2020 at 5:09 pm
A lot of professional PR jargon here. I understand that’s his job, but I still don’t know how this club differs from the other models, as asked in the first question. Saying it’s a little faster and a little more stable is nice, but every single new release from every single company says that. Would have been more interesting to hear the why behind all of the improvements instead of how “excited” titleist is for everyone to “experience this line”. Ok, great. I get it and you should be excited. I just wish I knew more about it because it’s a beautiful head. This is site made for golf geeks by golf geeks. Wouldn’t hurt to play to that audience a little more.
John Wunder
Sep 10, 2020 at 5:12 pm
Simple. Because Titleist hasn’t released any Tech data on it yet so beside excitement and first reactions there isnt anything more to say.We get the why, how and whats new VERY soon. Stand By.
Chuck
Sep 11, 2020 at 2:17 pm
John,
Three things:
First, your reply immediately above is of course absolutely correct.
Second, I have no doubt but that these new Titleist products are good. Tour players using them will hit drivers and fw’s longer and straighter.
Third — and this is the striking thing to me — is how artfully Titleist’s reps can go, to avoid saying the obvious. Namely, that the company can and will continue to design and build equipment to produce ever-increasing distances. So here, instead of saying that Charley Hoffman May get five more yards with new balls and drivers from Titleist, they say, “He’s able to find another gear,” or other such euphemisms.
8 Is The Number
Sep 10, 2020 at 4:57 pm
8 or 9 degrees? I saw some pictures with 8 and some with 9. I wish it will come at 8. Lower loft + tee-up high is a good formula for a low spin. I also wish Titleist sells different weights for TSi drivers.