Equipment
Tiger Woods puts a new grip on the “Elder Wand”
Yes, it’s just a putter grip, but hey, it’s Tiger—and the most famous putter in the world.
We spotted TW at Winged Foot this morning with a fresh (but super old) Lamkin Deep Etched Pistol grip to replace his trusty Ping Blackout, which he has played for the majority of his professional tenure (although Woods has opted for the non-blacked-out version in recent years).
Users on social media cited Woods using the grip in combination with an Odyssey Dual Force 660 putter while at Stanford and early in his career. Interestingly, while we’re used to seeing a Blackout grip in Woods’ hands, he used multiple cord and etched grips in his pre-Elder Wand days.
As our Gianni Magliocco pointed out earlier this month, the world No. 21 is in the midst of the worst putting stretch of his career.
Woods tried a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Timeless Prototype at the PGA Championship, but ultimately that experiment was short-lived.
Woods plays Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord grips on his woods and irons.
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Equipment
Michael Block spotted with full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons at Valhalla
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
On Monday at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Block had a full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons in the bag.
Block is the first player of many on the PGA TOUR to bag a set of the mysterious “Proto” irons. Rory McIlroy first switched into a “Proto” 4-iron at the Valero Texas Open, and Collin Morikawa followed suit at the 2024 RBC Heritage. Block isn’t using just the 4-iron, though, he’s using a full set to go along with a TaylorMade Stealth UDI driving iron.
Speaking with GolfWRX.com on Monday at the PGA Championship, Block revealed the full backstory.
“I hit a couple super “Proto” irons when I was at the Kingdom (TaylorMade’s fitting facility in Southern California) a couple months ago, and it was a 9-iron that didn’t have any badges or anything on it,” Block said. “I had no idea what it was … It was very similar to what I was using back then, you know, my old MCs, and very similar from the top. I hit it and absolutely loved it. For me to even think about switching irons from the last 11-12 years is crazy.
“I got this set about two weeks ago, and I’m working my way into them. I hit them more solid; it comes off the face more solid. Much higher. I think they’re still slightly too upright for me, so they’re being bent a degree flatter, because they’re going a little too high for me and drawing a little too much. When that starts to happen, I start to drop the club under and compensate too much, so I’m getting them flattened slightly, and I’m going to test them on the range again, and hopefully have them in play on Thursday…
“They go further, and they go higher … that combination is kind of a no-brainer. If I can take a 5-iron from 204 rather than a 4-iron, it’s good on me. It’s going to help me out for sure, especially at a major with the pin locations. Having that height coming in, that descent angle is going to be huge.”
With such new irons in the bag, after using the same irons for over a decade, surely you’d think there will be a bit of a learning curve. Block, however, is finding immediate comfort with the new “Proto” irons.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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Whats in the Bag
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2014 PGA Championship
It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Rory McIlroy outlasted Phil Mickelson at the 2014 PGA Championship. It’s even harder to believe McIlroy hasn’t hoisted a major trophy since his 2014 victory at Valhalla.
After a slow start to his final round, McIlroy tallied an eagle and two birdies on the back nine and his fourth major championship. Take a look at the clubs he played a decade ago in Kentucky.
Driver: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (8.5 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XTS 70X
3-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X
5-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (19 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X
Irons: Nike VR Pro Blade (4-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0
Wedges: Nike VR Forged (46, 52, 56, 60 degrees) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Putter: Nike Method 006 Buy here.
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Ball: Nike RZN Black
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.
WITB Time Machine is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
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Whats in the Bag
Tiger Woods WITB 2024 (May)
- Tiger Woods WITB accurate as of the PGA Championship. In-hand photos from 2024 Genesis Open. Check out more photos of Tiger at Valhalla here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (10.5 degrees @9.75)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 X
5-wood: TaylorMade M3 (19 degrees @18.25)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
- Check out more in-hand photos of Tiger Woods’ WITB in the forums.
- Check out more photos of Tiger at Valhalla here.
Irons: 2023 TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7TW (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 Raw (56-12TW, 60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
- Check out more in-hand photos of Tiger Woods’ WITB in the forums.
- Check out more photos of Tiger at Valhalla here.
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS prototype
Grip: Ping PP58 Blackout
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X (2024)
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord 58R
- Check out more in-hand photos of Tiger Woods’ WITB in the forums.
- Check out more photos of Tiger at Valhalla here.
More Tiger Woods WITBs
- Tiger Woods WITB 2024 (February)
- Tiger Woods WITB 2023 (November)
- Tiger Woods WITB 2023 (February)
- Tiger Woods WITB 2022 (December) (new in-hand photos)
- Tiger Woods WITB 2022 (July)
- Tiger Woods WITB at the 2022 PGA Championship (with a new 2-iron!)
- Tiger Woods WITB: 2022 Masters
- Tiger Woods WITB 2021 PNC Championship (new in-hand photos)
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The Hammer
Sep 20, 2020 at 8:29 pm
We call his putter Excalibur.
BigG
Sep 16, 2020 at 12:50 pm
Do you guys ever stop with this garbage. What next?
Tiger is eating a sandwich.
Tiger is tying his shoes.
Tiger is taking a crap.
Tiger is taping his finger.
Give it a rest.
John Wunder
Sep 16, 2020 at 10:18 pm
I think its fun. The guy doesn’t move the needle, he is the needle. If the guy changes shoe laces people care. You may not which is fine but if a poll was taken, I would bet money that anything the guy does is interesting to most.
gwelfgulfer
Sep 29, 2020 at 1:00 am
No John, if Tiger changed his shoe laces, no one other than the wrx ‘writers’ would care…
The Dude-Dudeness
Oct 3, 2020 at 9:38 pm
Hey when can hear about how and with who he cheated on his wife?
Or driving under the influence?
He was the greatest jerk of all time until this,
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/tiger-woods-dui-arrest-golfer-had-five-drugs-system-toxicology-n792856
DB
Sep 16, 2020 at 8:24 am
Main change here is the weight. PING is 58 grams, the Lamkin Deep Etch cord is usually 80-85 grams. That makes a big difference, most prefer a heavier putter head with the heavier grip.
Jordan
Sep 15, 2020 at 8:45 pm
He probably should give the greatest putter grip of all time a try: The Scotty Cameron Studio Design
John
Sep 16, 2020 at 8:55 am
LOL
Bobby
Sep 16, 2020 at 2:17 pm
The Pingman Blackout is basically the same exact grip as the studio design, just 2 grams heavier but very little difference between the two!
Gianni's dad
Sep 15, 2020 at 7:03 pm
Give is a few more starts, he’ll be in a super stroke 5.0 and left hand low.
Adult
Sep 15, 2020 at 6:26 pm
Is there anything cornier than calling his putter the “elder wand?”
Chris
Sep 15, 2020 at 7:42 pm
Only your name
Adult
Sep 15, 2020 at 8:32 pm
OK guy who thinks calling a putter “elder wand” is cool
John
Sep 16, 2020 at 8:56 am
What a sad comeback to a great post from chris.
Mike Dropped.
Adult
Sep 16, 2020 at 9:03 am
OK guy who thinks calling a putter “elder wand” is cool
Ryan
Sep 16, 2020 at 10:56 am
guy’s name is Eldrick. It sorta works and, since you asked, you probably cannot come up with anything cornier for his putter. You definitely nailed a cornier comebacks though!
Adult
Sep 16, 2020 at 11:01 am
OK guy who thinks calling a putter “elder wand” is cool
Mike
Sep 16, 2020 at 8:04 pm
Hey!
Funkaholic
Sep 16, 2020 at 8:53 am
You must be a blast at parties.
John Wunder
Sep 16, 2020 at 10:15 pm
Nothing corny about the Elder Wand…. watch Harry Potter, that stick was a world-beater.
Gene Kennedy
Sep 15, 2020 at 6:14 pm
It takes SO long for pro’s to change anything and they have access to Everything! Please, Don’t say superstition, or TW would’ve kept his original SWING~~
Delbert
Sep 15, 2020 at 3:07 pm
There’s feel in them old cords.
stanley
Sep 15, 2020 at 1:13 pm
this is a big change. putter grip isn’t anything to laugh at. i wonder if he is uncomfortable with his putting at this time.
Captain obvious
Sep 15, 2020 at 9:25 pm
You wonder? You wonder? I what gave it away?