Equipment

Latest Aldila Buzzz

Published

17 years ago

Oct 2, 2009

Not many items get the GolfWRX forums as excited as the announcement of a new shaft. I’m a victim of this myself – the promise of better performance, enticing graphics, and something that is more elite than what is off the shelf really gets me quite excited every time. One day my game might even catch up to my fancy equipment!

At any rate, the Aldila RIP has been seen in spy pics for several weeks now and has some sweet skull and crossbones graphics. The shafts have been spotted on Tour (including in winners’ bags like Heath Slocum) and are rumored to be released to everyone else in the near future (maybe).

The En Fuego shaft series have spicy names and graphics to match. The buzz info is that the MSRP on these will be $99 and there are three versions: Habanero – mid to high launch R,S,X; Wasabi – mid launch R,S,X; and Serrano – low to mid launch R,S,X. These have an early 2010 release date to the masses. That Habanero looks mighty tasty to me!

Possibly the most interesting thing about these shafts is the amount of chatter that has evolved from the names that Aldila has chosen for the new line. Now I’ve said it before, as a surfer/skater first and golfer second my gear can have skulls and be named just about anything under the sun and I’ll game it. Honestly, I am more concerned with performance and improvement in my game. If something makes me hit the ball with greater accuracy/distance/etc. then the looks and name are secondary as far as I’m concerned. Not everyone feels this way at all. In fact, there are some very strong feelings about these shafts:

“Recently Aldila has named their shafts “Voodoo” and now with RIP (with skull picture) etc. What the heck? Aldila, I am avoiding your SATANIC names. I only wish you’d use better names because I am very interested to buy more shafts from you.”

“What were they thinking? Was the Aldila marketing dept walking down the spice aisle at the supermarket when they named theses shafts?”

“Yeah, they walked in the Asian spice store for the Wasabi name but they were in their satanic cult session when they named VooDoo and RIP. What a bunch of IDIOTS at Aldila! If they think of golfers who are staying away of the shafts because of those evil-sounded names, they will realize how much money they lose in business. A neutral name equals more businesses just like in any other product.”

“I’d have to say you’re in the minority if you won’t play a shaft because of its name. I think the idiot comment may be a self-reference not a term to use against a good company? For your information, RIP stands for “Reverse Interlaminar Positioning” which is the design/processing of the shaft. People have been putting skull and cross bones on golf merchandise way before the VooDoo came out. The VooDoo is supposed to be funny as in the shaft is magically good! Wasabi was so named because it has extra kick! I think the pepper marketing is funny. Hot, hotter, hottest…It’s not that farfetched.”

“I appreciate the updates in this thread. On another note, this thread contained some of the stupidest comments about Aldila’s naming convention. Yes, it’s not “vanilla” naming, but that’s the point, the name is meant to make an impact and formulate a descriptive association for their product. I don’t see these as demonic or devilish. If we really wanted to nit-pick on devilish names then we could call out Callaway for their “El Diablo” woods…but seriously, who’s really cares. It’s not like your purchase is subsidizing satanic activity!”

Equipment

Building the Bag: How Neal Shipley’s switch-up on spin has developed his setup

Published

54 mins ago

Jun 9, 2026

Alistair Cameron

Neal Shipley survived “Golf’s Longest Day” to qualify for the U.S. Open next week at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and is set to make his first appearance at his national open since he earned low amateur in 2004. So what better time to be featured in another edition of “Building a Bag.”

It’s also a significant time for Shipley to have a breakdown of his setup featured here at GolfWRX, as the Ohio State alum has been through some substantial gear changes over the past few months to combat one thing – over-spinning the golf ball.

So let’s dive into Shipley’s setup:

Big changes start with the ball

Shipley’s major bag update for this season has been a change in golf balls. Initially, in the Titleist Pro V1, Shipley had to remove loft from his long irons to tackle the fact that he overspins the golf ball. But after testing and transitioning to the Pro V1x Double Dot, he was able to find the right numbers and also launch the ball higher.

“I’ve struggled with spin for a long time and I was battling that, especially in my longer irons and had to take a lot of loft off,” Shipley told GolfWRX. “So I struggled when I got the irons in the right spin rates in the right spin windows, not getting enough height. So I was able to go to this ball and add loft, get the lunch I need, without really adding too much spin.”

The lower-launching and lower-spinning Pro V1x variant is a golf ball that transformed Cameron Young’s game and plenty of players have tested it out on Tour, including Kris Ventura and Jhonattan Vegas.

“It’s been nice to kind of launch the ball a little bit more and get some height more with my launch rather than with the ball downfield,” Shipley added. “So it’s been a nice addition. It’s really good in crosswind. It’s great off the tee.”

Soft stepping experiment

From 5- to 9-iron, Shipley plays Ping’s Blueprint T irons, of which he believes are “one of the cleanest looking blades out there.”

The model has been in his bag even before they even went to retail. What’s most interesting about his iron setup, though, is what he’s doing with the shafts.

Shipley plays Dynamic Gold X100 120 shaft, a pretty common shaft out on Tour. What he and the Ping team have begun experimenting with is soft-stepping, for a few reasons.

“Trying and get a little more, just touch, more height and spin on the ball, a little more deflection,” Shipley said on the process of changing the stiffness of a set of irons by putting the lower-numbered iron shaft throughout the set and changing the distance from the first step in the shaft to the hosel. (ie. The 8-iron shaft is put in the 9-iron and so forth.)

Essentially, the shift makes the shaft slightly weaker by cutting more off the butt end of the club. The change aligns with the ball swap, with Shipley’s freedom now to launch the ball higher with loft without it overspinning. Shipley has also done the same to his i240 4-iron.

No need to de-loft

Shipley plays some of the lowest-lofted clubs out on the PGA Tour. His older Ping G440 LST has just 6.8 degrees of loft – yes, you read that correctly!

Now with the ability to add more loft, thanks to the golf ball change, Shipley’s current driver is at 7.6 degrees. The 9-degree LST head is cranked down on Big Minus on the Ping adapter hosel.

It’s still a stout build, however, as Shipley plays a Fujikura Ventus TR 7x that has been tipped at 2 inches. He also uses the heaviest high-density tungsten back weight available at 35 grams.

More than just the stamps

Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.

That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.

On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley said. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.

“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”

On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”

“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.

There’s more to just the stamping. He’s stuck with the S159 wedges since graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour, as he feels confident in the head shape.

“I prefer the shape a little bit more of the leading edge, not as rounded of a leading edge, a little bit more straight on,” Shipley added.

The added confidence helps him with adapting to the different grinds needed week-in-week-out on Tour. Shipley is happy to game three different grinds with his lob-wedge.

“Primarily use the T, the H, and then I’ll do a 58S,” Shipley said. “These are actually at 59 degrees. I’ll do the 58 strengthen to take a little bit of bounce off in the S grind and then we’ll shave some trail edge and heel edge relief. Just helps act as like a higher bounce essentially. So kind of stick with those most of the time.”

Heavier the better

The final piece to Shipley’s puzzle is his custom Ping PLD Anser 4D. It’s somewhat of a gentle giant, featuring a heavier-than-usual head, but a custom aluminium insert.

“It’s a little bit heavier, I think this one’s 355 to 360 grams, so a little bit heavier head,” Shipley said. “So the heavier head I feel like has helped me on some of the shorter putts with a little bit of stability.

“But the insert, I think, has been helpful in some of the longer putts. Just kind of slowing the ball down with the softer insert in the grooves.”

Shipley’s one of the few players left on Tour playing an actual Anser blade, having said in the past that he naturally sets up to the right on putts and allows the face to rotate through. Something which he hasn’t been able to mimic with a mallet.

Shipley’s full bag:

Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees @ 7.6)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7X (45 inches, tipped 2 inches)

Mini driver: Ping prototype
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 8X

3-wood: Titleist TSR3 (13.5 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X

5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 8X

Irons: Ping iDi (3 @ 19.25), Ping i240 (4), Ping Blueprint T (6-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 X100 (4-9 soft-stepped)

Wedges: Ping s159 (46-12S, 50-10S, 54-12S, 60 T or H @ 59)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 X100 (46-50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (54-60)

Putter: Ping PLD Anser 4D

Grips: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot

Whats in the Bag

Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)

Published

2 hours ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S

3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 63 S

7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, C1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Designs Tour AD DI-6 SR

Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4), ZXi7 (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Steelfiber i80 CW

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ Tour Rack (50 MID-10, 56 MID-10, 60 LOW-06)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro 980GH D.S.T. R

Putter: Scotty Cameron Xperimental 3.2 Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

Check out more in-hand photos of Hannah Green’s clubs here.

Equipment

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Tour Issue Ping G440 LST

Published

5 hours ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @Slinger24 is selling a tour-issued Ping G440 LST driver head. The item, verified by the club maker, has nine degrees of loft.

From the listing:

First up is a tour issue PING G440 LST 9 degree head. Head-cover included. Has been verified by PING with the serial number and you can see the spec sheet from PING as well. This thing is an absolute spin killer. I just can’t hit it high enough. Asking $380 shipped in the lower 48 UPS for the head.

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.