Equipment
Scotty Cameron Futura X5 and X5R Putters
Oversized putters were once a rarity in professional golf, but not anymore. These days, they’ve become the norm, with as many as 50 percent of PGA Tour players using them each week on Tour.
Scotty Cameron’s new Futura X5 and X5R are a result of the increased demand for larger putters by the world’s best players.
“The Futura X5 mallet is for someone who likes the stability of a bigger head, the feel of a bigger grip and likes to look down and see more lines for alignment purposes,” Cameron said. “X5 is more of a mechanical shape where the X5R is a softer, rounder shape. There’s no right or wrong. Same performance, same weight, same feel. It all depends on what you like to look at.”
Futura X5
Futura X5R
Both putters have a multi-material design that includes a 303 Stainless Steel body and a 6061 aluminum sole plate. The use of aluminum extends into the “wings” of the putters and allowed Cameron to move weight to their extreme perimeter. That improves a putter’s stability and resistance to twisting.
And there’s another, not-so-hidden benefit to larger putters.
“The bigger the head, the more lines you can add for alignment,” Cameron said. “We worked with many players on tour and in the Putter Studio during the development of X5 and they all told us the same thing: It adds confidence.”
Futura X5
Futura X5R
The X5 and X5R putters also have single-bend shafts with a higher bend point that make them face-balanced.
“The single bend came from taking feedback from the tour and working with players in the Studio. Double bends have been around for years and for X5 we really wanted to clean up the look,” Cameron said. “We had many players say they wished that the shaft leaned at their target or on their line, so we worked to find the proper offset and lean of the shaft so, at address, the bend lines up pointing right at your target. That was a key one because the mechanical-industrial shape of the head and the clean mechanical-industrial bend match perfectly. What I didn’t want was a heavy, flowing bend onto a mechanical head.”
Each model has a 10-inch Matador Red Midsize grip that weighs 77 grams.
“The grip can complement or kill the design of the putter,” Cameron said. “I know that sounds strange, but grips make a difference. With blades, it’s a little more handsy, a little more flowing, a little more feel. With Futura X putters, it’s a little more robotic, a little more square-to-square and this larger Matador grip complements the head very well.”
The Futura X5 and X5R putters ($349) will be in stores on Oct. 31. They both have Cameron’s Silver Mist finish are are available in lengths of 33, 34 and 35 inches. For lefties, the X5 is available in lengths of 33, 34 and 35 inches.
Click here to see in-hand photos of the Futura X5 and X5R from the PGA Tour.
Futura X5 Dual Balance
A Futura X5 Dual Balance ($399) will also be available on Oct. 31. It has an extra 50-gram weight located under its aluminum sole plate, which is counterbalanced with a 50-gram weight in its 15-inch grip that can help smooth out certain golfer’s strokes.
Stock length is 38 inches, but lengths of 36-to-40 inches in 0.5-inch increments are available by custom order.
Click here to see in-hand photos of the Futura X5 and X5R from the PGA Tour.
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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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.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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j T
Jan 20, 2015 at 10:39 pm
I have every top line putter ever sold seriously and played them all but folks when you put a scotty in your hand you know it the feelins is totally exhilarating I would describe it as getting out boy a vega in to a Cadillac
DBN
Dec 18, 2014 at 4:11 pm
Umm why doesn’t everyone keep there opinions are so valuable since none of them are on tour. Lets get some responses to those who have actually tried the putter!! Tried it and loved it!! can’t beat a scotty and the way the ball releases off the face!!
Rich
Oct 16, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Yes the design is copied but as stated a few times below, it happens all the time in this industry. I think they are beautiful putter and from reading the article attached, it would seem at least there has been some thought go into the finer detail of these putter. I’m looking forward to seeing what they are like in hand.
dko
Oct 16, 2014 at 10:53 am
I wish, I wish, I wish … I could afford a Scotty Cameron putter.
TT X
Oct 15, 2014 at 3:33 pm
He copied an Odyssey and the Yes Sandy which is more round on the wings. The Odyssey was well before the YES which was 2012. Callie is an Anser style and Tracy has an Anser body but a double bend face balanced shaft. No hosel.
Kmac
Oct 15, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Who cares? He makes great putters. They mass produce.
TT X
Oct 15, 2014 at 8:24 pm
Didn’t say he doesn’t make great product, simply stating the facts as they are.
JB
Oct 16, 2014 at 1:44 am
All this nonsense about who copied who. Are we 12? Who cares, IMO. If it makes me a better putter, copy it from Tommy Armour for all I care.
Don Koo
Oct 16, 2014 at 10:51 am
Yup. Well said. EVERYTHING on the market today is a variation of something already there.
TT X
Oct 16, 2014 at 11:32 am
As long as the designer is compensated it shouldn’t matter copied who.
Jeff
Oct 15, 2014 at 3:24 pm
I think the odyssey #7’s popularity came from the Yes! Tom Watson used in almost winning the 2009 Open Championship. So it’s not really surprising to see the design make the rounds.
Kevin
Oct 15, 2014 at 2:25 pm
Any idea why they didn’t make the face deep milled like the Select line?
JB
Oct 16, 2014 at 1:46 am
I was wondering the same thing. Wonder if the deep mill didn’t really benefit that big of head?
Tom D
Oct 15, 2014 at 10:53 am
Should’ve named the X7, since they are obviously the Odyssey #7 shape.
Jeff
Oct 15, 2014 at 3:18 pm
+1
Will
Oct 15, 2014 at 10:39 am
Yes, this putter looks very similar to the odyssey #7 or sabertooth. But for those of you complaining about the similarities I hope you also complain about any anser/Newport style putter from Odyssey, Taylormade, Cleveland, see more etc as those are just a copy of the original Ping anser.
I have used an odyssey #7 for years now but I’m looking forward to a deep milled version.
GR
Oct 15, 2014 at 10:35 am
Zac, thanks for your articles and information. They are very helpful.
I do have a question though. Due to a tendency toward pulling putts, I have changed to center shafted mallets with a more straight back and forth putting stroke. However, I see mostly heel shafted (like the Futura outlined). More than likely it is a demand issue. What is the % of pros and/or golfers that use the center shafted putters? Any recommendations? Thanks.
Zak Kozuchowski
Oct 15, 2014 at 10:56 am
Center-shafted putters are rare on tour, but some players swear by them. It’s all about preference and confidence.
I used to play a center-shafted mallet as well, but I’ve since switched to a heel-shafted mallet after I saw that I got better numbers with those models on a SAM PuttLab. If there’s a SAM in your area, I’d recommend that you try it. Otherwise, guess and check is a great process.
And if your putter is working for you, why switch?
Thanks for reading, GR.
Food
Oct 15, 2014 at 9:58 am
Gimme some seed, I’ll go till the field with these and feed the world with the food I can grow
Baka
Oct 15, 2014 at 9:51 am
Blatant copy of Odyssey Tank Cruiser and Versa #7 putters. At Titleist, we don’t innovate we imitate.
Joe W
Oct 15, 2014 at 10:18 am
everyone copies everyone for the most part. they just add their little/tiny differences to the mock up.
Lane
Oct 15, 2014 at 1:06 pm
True, but I think the Cameron X5 looks better than its predecessors. IMO, it’s imitated AND improved.
t-ball
Oct 15, 2014 at 10:46 am
If we want to blame Scotty for copying, we have to blame Odyssey too ! I think the first version of this style head was a YES Callie. Plus, you really can’t compare a plastic insert to a deep-milled face.
Jeff
Oct 15, 2014 at 3:20 pm
Tracy. Callie’s a blade.
Rich
Oct 16, 2014 at 5:09 pm
Tracy is a blade too. Tracy was a face balanced blade and Tracy II was a short slant neck blade.
JB
Oct 15, 2014 at 9:48 am
This just made my day! Counting down the days!!