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Cobra Fly Z and Fly Z+ Drivers, Fairway Woods and Hybrids

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Cells and bright colors? Maybe you were skeptical of Cobra’s Bio Cell line of drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. They looked cool or corny — depending who you asked — but quickly garnered respect as one of the longest, most forgiving products on the market. In our 2014 GolfWRX Gear Trial testing, Bio Cell drivers and fairway woods were winners of both our Forgiveness-First and Balanced-Performance categories.

For 2015, Cobra-Puma stayed with the bright colors for which it’s now recognized, but the company has continued to innovate and improve from an engineering standpoint. Thanks to a Flip Zone Weight System, a Speed Channel that looks like a moat around the club face and center of gravity (CG) that continues to drop lower, the Fly-Z line from Cobra is likely to surpass the performance we saw from the Bio Cell line.

Cobra’s Fly-Z line uses “Zones” — thus the “Z” — instead of cells, which places weight throughout the clubheads more strategically, along with a few other tricks that will separate the Fly-Z from the Bio Cell. And it’s cool, Cobra says, and keeps the ball in the air a long time, which is why the company is calling the line “Fly.”

Cobra Fly-Z+ Driver ($399)

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Some golfers need a driver with a CG that is located in the back of the club head to hit their longest drives. Other golfers need a CG that is more forward for maximum distance. Cobra’s Fly-Z+ driver allows for both with its Flip Zone weighting system.

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The Flip Zone is made up of two weight ports and a 15-gram weight that allows golfers to shift the driver’s CG by 4 millimeters from front to back. By placing the weight in the driver’s front weight port, golfers will lower its center of gravity, which Cobra says lowers spin rate by roughly 400 rpm and raises launch angle by 1-to-1.5 degrees. Placing the Flip Zone weight in the rear weight port will have the opposite effect, and it also makes the driver slightly more forgiving.

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Angle of attack may be affected as well, depending on how the individual player reacts to the weight change.

What’s different from the Bio Cell+? 

  • A Speed Channel
  • Cells vs. Zones
  • A Carbon Fiber Crown and Sole Inserts

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The Speed Channel on Cobra’s Fly-Z drivers is different than the slot technology seen in other companies’ clubs. The Speed Channel is located on the perimeter of the face rather than underneath or on top of the face, which helped Cobra engineers move 2 grams of weight lower in the club head. That increased the size of the drivers’ sweet spot by 18 percent, according to Cobra, leading to as much as 3 more yards on toe hits and 2.5 yards on heel hits.

What’s a “Zone?”

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Zone-weighting allowed Cobra to move more weight lower in the 460-cubic-centimeter clubhead. By doing so, the company picked up ball speed across the face, especially on mishits. The Fly-Z+’s Carbon Fiber crown and sole inserts, which are thinner and stronger than titanium, also helped the company save about 8 grams of weight from the chassis of the club, which was redistributed elsewhere.

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Like green? You got green. Starting March 15 2015, “Verdant Green” will be available at retail — conveniently close to both the Masters and St. Patrick’s Day. The rest of the colors — Black, Blue, Orange, Red and White — will be in stores on Jan. 23, 2015.

Similar to the Bio Cell drivers, the Fly-Z line has Cobra’s MyFly adjustable hosel, but it’s slightly lighter than the previous MyFly8 hosel design. It allows for five loft settings (8.5-to-11.5 degrees) and three draw-biased loft settings (9.0D-to-11.0D). It’s also backwards compatible with the MyFly8 shaft tips.

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MyFly8 works with the company’s SmartPad sole design, which helps keep the clubface relatively square even when you adjust loft/lie settings.

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The stock shaft is Matrix’s VLCT ST (60 grams), but other options include Aldila’s Tour Blue (76 grams), Tour Green (67 grams) and Matrix’s White Tie X4 (53 grams), which are available with no upcharge.

Cobra Fly-Z Driver ($329)

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The Fly-Z driver is designed for golfers who need more forgiveness, which was achieved by lengthening the profile of the all-titanium driver from front to back and adding a “Back CG Zone” with a weight that’s fixed on the rear of its sole. Its low, rearward CG will help most golfers hit longer, straighter drives.

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Just like the Fly-Z+, it comes equipped with Zone Weighting, a Speed Channel, a lighter MyFly hosel and a SmartPad.

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Loft settings for the Fly-Z range from 9-to-12 degrees with three draw settings (9.5D-to-11.5D). Stock shafts for the Fly-Z are 45.5 inches, 0.5 inches longer than the Fly-Z+. The stock shaft is Matrix’s VLCT SP (60 grams), but other options include Aldila’s Tour Blue (76 grams), Tour Green (67 grams) and Matrix’s White Tie X4 (53 grams), which are available with no upcharge.

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The Fly-Z driver is available in Green, Black, Blue, Orange, Red and White and will be in stores on Jan. 23, 2015.

Cobra Fly-Z+ Fairway Woods ($249)

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The Fly-Z+ has a compact head shape that sits slightly open at address. It also has what the company calls Front CG Zone Weighting and Crown Zone Weighting that moves the CG of the club head low and forward. Better players will appreciate the higher launch, lower spin and increased peak ball speed the weighting creates.

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The fairway woods are made from 455 stainless steel and also feature Speed Channels on their faces. The Fly-Z+ has a SmartPad and a MyFly hosel to help golfers gap their fairway wood yardages.

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Available lofts options include a 3/4 wood (12-to-15 degrees and three draw settings: 12D-to-14D) that measures 43 inches and has a swing weight of D3. There’s also a 4/5 wood (16-to-19 degrees and three draw settings: 17D-to-18D) that measures 42.5 inches and a swing weight of D3.

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Both clubs are available in left-and right-handed models, in X, S and R shafts. The stock shaft is a Matrix VLCT ST (70 grams), and Aldila’s Tour Blue (86 grams) and Tour Green (67 grams) are available at no upcharge.

All Fly-Z fairway woods are available in Black, Blue, Orange, Red and White.

Cobra Fly-Z Fairway Woods ($229)

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Cobra’s Fly-Z fairway woods have deeper head profiles and Back CG Zone weighting for more forgiveness. They also sit more square to the target than the Fly-Z+. Due to weight removed from the MyFly hosel, their CG is slightly more centered, away from the heel, than the Bio Cell. They have 465 stainless steel face inserts that are 20 percent larger and 18 percent thinner than the Bio Cell fairway woods’ face inserts.

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According to Cobra, the Fly-Z fairway woods produce 1.2 mph of ball speed more than the Bio Cell, which were one of the top-performing fairway woods in our 2014 Gear Trials fairway wood testing.

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The 3/4 woods have eight different loft settings (13-to-16 degrees and three draw settings: 14D-to-15D) with a 43.5-inch stock shaft (X, S, R, Lite) with a swing weight of D2. The 5/7 wood also comes in eight loft settings (17-to-20 degrees and three draw settings: 17D-to-18D) with a 43-inch stock shaft (X, S, R, Lite) and a swing weight of D2. Both woods come in both right-and left-handed with a Matrix VLCT SP 70 (70 grams) shaft.

Both the Fly-Z and Fly-Z+ fairway woods will be in stores on Jan. 20, 2015.

Cobra Fly-Z Hybrids ($199)

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Compared to the Bio Cell hybrids, Cobra’s Fly-Z hybrids are slightly larger and have a lower, more rearward CG to raise launch and lower spin. They also have Speed Channels in their faces for more forgiveness and ball speed. Like the Fly-Z fairway woods, the CG of the clubs was moved toward the center of the club head to create a more neutral ball flight, rather than a draw bias like the BioCell.

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The hybrids also have MyFly adjustable hosels and SmartPads to help their faces sit squarely regardless of loft setting.

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They’re available in 2/3 (16-to-19 degrees) with a 41.25-inch shaft wand a swingweight of D2.5, 3/4 (19-to-22 degrees) with a 40.5-inch stock shaft with a swingweight of 2.5 and 4/5 (22-to-25 degrees) with a 39.75-inch stock shaft (X, S, R and Lite-Flex) with a swingweight of D2.5. All hybrids are available in both right-and left-handed options and will be in stores on Jan. 20.

Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about Cobra’s new Fly-Z line in our forum.

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He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

48 Comments

48 Comments

  1. Payton

    Dec 20, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    So the Fly Z is higher launch and spin than the Fly Z+? Bothe are 460cc?

  2. SJ

    Jun 17, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    Last two years, I’m intermittently bombing my stock stiff shafted r11, but intermittent doesn’t help when you’re out of the hole. Decided to try the Fly-Z recently. Ball speed / launch etc statistics were all over the place with the R11 on two separate visits to the fitter, Fly-Z had much lower spin and better launch angle, ~20 yard average gain in distance due mainly to a smash average of 1.4. On the course, the bad swings that would normally produce a 25 yard slice now fade about 9-11 yards with the Fly-Z. Fantastic value.

  3. underdog58

    Apr 15, 2015 at 5:51 pm

    I hit the fly z plus at a demo last week at my course an they had a track man set up. I couldn’t believe how will I was hitting it, I gain almost 26 yds consisted. Launch angle was between 12 and 13 and spin was 2700 with weight in the front. So wow great, so I pulled out my sldr 430 set at 10.5 and it was a very big difference. Lost 25 to 30 yard of carry and spin was 2100 and angle was 12. Seems to me my old driver fell out the air. The bottom line is I order one, its here at the post office, I have to wait till tomorrow and pick it up.

  4. Chad

    Feb 27, 2015 at 11:13 am

    Just got fitted for a Fly-Z with a Fujikura Speeder Pro 66 stiff shaft. Sweet. 1.52 smash factor….was crushing it. Very happy. Highly recommend trying it if you haven’t. Get fitted!

    • chris

      Mar 27, 2015 at 8:11 am

      1.52 smash factor is almost impossible….very unlikely.

  5. Jeff

    Jan 15, 2015 at 7:32 am

    Why was the launch date pushed back until February?

  6. M

    Nov 14, 2014 at 3:14 pm

    “By placing the weight in the driver’s front weight port, golfers will lower its center of gravity, which Cobra says lowers spin rate by roughly 400 rpm and raises launch angle by 1-to-1.5 degrees”
    I am pretty sure that moving the weight towards the face will lower launch and spin, and moving the weight away from the face would increase launch and spin.
    Example: The SLDR driver moved the weight towards the face and now says “Loft up” to offset this effect

    • Anna

      Jan 12, 2015 at 5:08 pm

      wrong. Moving the Weight forward will definitely lower launch and UP spin while moving the weight back will give you a higher launch and LESS spin. Think about it.

  7. Pingback: Cobra Fly Z and Fly Z+ Drivers, Fairway Woods and Hybrids | Golf Gear Select

  8. Teaj

    Nov 10, 2014 at 11:24 am

    just curious if they have done some testing with turf and dirt getting into the channel on the face of the club, I guess you could clean it out like you would an iron but still. same reason TMag inclosed theirs

  9. marcel

    Nov 5, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    yeah longer slice or hook is this what average joey needs?

    • Anna

      Jan 12, 2015 at 5:09 pm

      Have you noticed the word “Forgiveness”? Maybe you should try it out before ripping it?

  10. Donal

    Nov 5, 2014 at 5:20 pm

    Cobra make very good Drivers but they also make total sh*t houses remember S3 mournfully they make more bad ones than good ones as my ruptured wallet well knows think back 2005 onward oh no not again Cobra

    • ck

      Nov 10, 2014 at 1:15 pm

      Not even close to the same group of people working at Cobra Puma golf now. That’s like saying TMAG isn’t any good now because their stuff was bad in the mid 90’s. At least try it before you rip on it.

  11. Phil

    Nov 5, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    Looks like a bite off the old Ping G30…

  12. jack b nimble

    Nov 5, 2014 at 3:41 pm

    waiting for July and 199 a club

  13. Jay

    Nov 5, 2014 at 1:03 pm

    It would be nice if they did launch and spin comparisons to their current line and not just the canned “it’s longer and more forgiving”.

    • Anna

      Jan 12, 2015 at 5:10 pm

      That’s what they did! Go to the cobra website and you can read a lot of articles on it or mygolfspy.com

  14. Ray

    Nov 5, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    I still play the Cobra Speed LD, 10.5, and can’t find anything better. Have Ping also, but their shaft weighting just feels like a 2X4 to me. To repeat, Nothing like a Cobra. Ditto my 3w Cobra Bio Cell – kills it !

  15. Dennis H

    Nov 5, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    I have had the Bio-Cell irons and Driver silence they came out. I was fitted and hit them better and they felt better than and other club I hit. This is my problem and one that I’m sure others will agree with. I paid full retail for my clubs and within 2 months, Cobra dropped the price of the driver from $299 to $199 and the irons dropped over 30% in price. Cobra almost seems that they don’t believe in their product and cut the price quickly making everyone hesitant to buy them. You would never see Ping drop their price like that. Cobra’s are Great clubs, but they just seem to cheapen themselves

    • Mat

      Nov 7, 2014 at 12:49 am

      You nailed it. Cobra won’t hold its price. You just have to be patient, and you can get them for a steep discount from original MSRP.

      • Chris

        Nov 12, 2014 at 3:09 pm

        As someone who works in the retail side of things, this kind of thinking is part of why the industry is suffering right now. The whole “I’ll just wait until it goes down in price halfway through the season,” kills these companies. The only reason why they drop prices is because nobody is buying at the full retail anymore, and it’s not just Cobra that does it. Usually the first to drop prices is TaylorMade either with a promotion or permanent markdown. Year to year you don’t see much gain in buying a new driver, so rather than buy one on sale every year why not wait a couple years, set aside the money for it and buy it at full retail to keep these companies from panicking and throwing out a price drop in May.

        • Tony

          Nov 23, 2014 at 11:23 am

          Why don’t the manufacturers reduce the frequency at which they come out with new clubs, say when they have real performance gains to offer? That’s what’s killing the industry.

  16. Robert

    Nov 5, 2014 at 11:36 am

    I agree with the previous commentary on how Cobra has kind of covertly slid under the mainstream radar of really really good and user friendly clubs. Being a club builder / fitter I generally get to try out just about everything that comes to market and I have to say that no company consistently impresses me any more than Cobra. Their marketing to the “younger” crowd may have something to do with their perception, but there is nothing “immature” about their performance. That’s for sure. I personally game a biocell+ driver and have my biocell fairways and hybrids on tap anytime I have a match that really matters. They are point and shoot. Another thing I like is that they don’t have the ultralight feel of alot of current clubs. They feel substantial without being bulky. Feel and sound is as good as anything available IMO. I will definitely be picking up some of these new woods when they hit the stores. And I’m quite sure I will be thoroughly impressed as usual with Cobra products. Good job Cobra.

    …..and get me that Master’s green asap!

  17. Josh

    Nov 5, 2014 at 10:54 am

    I was recently reading a technical paper by Tom Wishon regarding loft changes with this type of adjustable hosel, and he went on to prove that it was not possible.

    For the driver most people just set it where it feels comfortable and leave it that way, but what does that mean for the fairway woods and hybrids? Has anyone tested w/ trackman, comparing say the 16 degree setting vs. the 19 degree setting on the 2/3 hybrid?

    • Kurt

      Nov 5, 2014 at 11:24 am

      I believe he is measuring the static loft of the head when soled only, which won’t change because you are changing the angle of the shaft into the head with these adjustments. But the dynamic loft when compared to the shaft does change. Which in my opinion is what matters since the dynamic relationship between the shaft and head is what matters when swinging and hitting a ball.

    • Chuck

      Nov 5, 2014 at 2:04 pm

      I am not sure if Tom Wishon is correct about asserting that Cobra’s hosel adjustability claims can’t be true; but Tom is almost invariably right.

      My question is why would a manufacturer even try to do anything that takes away a consumer’s ability to move the face angle along with loft? My guess is that there are an awful lot of advanced players who are less concerned with actually de-lofting a driver face than they are with a hosel adjustment that allows them to make the driver play more open.

  18. other paul

    Nov 5, 2014 at 12:27 am

    I would switch to cobra irons and woods based on performance. The good looks are a bonus ???? my driver would be tough to beat, it’s pretty much optimized.

  19. tim

    Nov 4, 2014 at 10:29 pm

    I’ve been playing the bio cell 3/4 wood the past few months with a matrix shaft and it’s a beast. If this new offering is actually better…. damn!

  20. Barry S.

    Nov 4, 2014 at 7:26 pm

    I hit a guys Cobra Long Tom at the range yesterday. Unbelievably sweet feeling club and the best looking head of any driver I’ve seen in a long time.

  21. nikkyd

    Nov 4, 2014 at 6:04 pm

    I bet youll take a nice gouge out of a premium ball if you hit a ball right square in the speed groove channel.

    • ChiefKeef

      Nov 4, 2014 at 11:36 pm

      If you’re hitting it that far off center then you have a lot more problems than a mark on a golf ball lol

    • graymulligan

      Nov 7, 2014 at 12:35 pm

      If you’re somehow bringing the last 8th of an inch on the perimeter of your driver face into play, maybe you shouldn’t be buying premium balls.

  22. Teaj

    Nov 4, 2014 at 12:29 pm

    For what ever reason, people just overlook Cobra as a premium golf club manufacture. the guys that play them love them, I myself have tested and would have been pleased to play some of their equipment but other manufactures offerings just seem to pull me in a little more. why is that? who knows, and if I can’t figure it out I’m not sure they will be able to, than again thats why they get paid the big bucks so who knows.

  23. Ry

    Nov 4, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    2 things:
    1- The Fly-Z + is a 460 head? Even the Bio Cell + was a smaller head. Setting up for a smaller Pro model during the middle of 2015 I’m guessing.

    2- What are companies thinking announcing something 2 months before the holidays but saying it won’t come out until a month after the holidays? This driver could have KILLED it for holiday sales for cobra and now they just got killed themselves. I mean everyone wants a new driver for Christmas or Hanakah or whatever they celebrate.

    • Mikec

      Dec 26, 2014 at 11:55 am

      OEMs release in Oct-Nov or in the spring/late winter and those that do the latter will always announce at this time. May seem perverse but it is marketing none the less.

  24. Michal B

    Nov 4, 2014 at 11:40 am

    Does anyone knows, if there will be any pro version of this driver?

  25. RAT

    Nov 4, 2014 at 9:17 am

    I still play the first version of the ZL driver, this might make me up-date but it would have to beat out the ZL..

    • peter ruggles

      Nov 5, 2014 at 12:13 pm

      Tried the ZL, long enough straight enough then tried the ZL Encore, a bit longer, then tried another white Encore; for some reason it’s 15-20 yards longer. I’m not complaining, and I can’t figure out why, as I’ve juggled all combinations of heads and shafts.

    • Payton

      Dec 20, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      Like you, I play an original ZL that I purchased here @ WRX and it”came off the Tour van”. Not sure what they did to it, if anything, but it’s in the bag. Have compared it to many others, including the ZL Encore and it’s tops.

  26. cb

    Nov 4, 2014 at 9:01 am

    Looks like it is the year of the speed channels

  27. ABNJM

    Nov 4, 2014 at 8:23 am

    I look forward to smashing golf balls with this. I’m still bagging an AMP CELL Pro Driver cause I hit it so well. Love Cobra Drivers.

  28. Jim

    Nov 4, 2014 at 8:18 am

    Another great looking club from Cobra. But no one seems to mention that Cobra’s hosel adjustment only adjusts one way and therefore the grip will change positions each time you adjust it. Doesn’t work well with grip position, or helper grips. Just a thought. I’m surprised they didn’t use a hosel similar to Titliest’s (I know they’re not business partners anymore).

    • Steve Barry

      Nov 4, 2014 at 9:17 am

      True, it does change the orientation when you change the settings. I personally don’t like this, but everything I’ve read, adding a cog like this adds weight to the adapter. Ping clubs change orientation and I believe Nike’s do too. Callaway’s didn’t used to, but I’m not sure about their latest iteration of it or not.

      I believe it’s just one more reason to get properly fit, even though most on this site (including myself) choose to buy all the latest goodies and just see if we strike lightning.

    • Robert

      Nov 5, 2014 at 11:34 am

      I agree about the ZL. One of the best drivers ever and still a performer.

  29. Johan

    Nov 4, 2014 at 8:12 am

    Cobra hits the wicket again with their forward-thinking, practical design. The colors are a little garish but who cares? My current Cobra driver kills it!

  30. Jonny B

    Nov 4, 2014 at 7:59 am

    Looks sweet, can’t wait to hit it. I think all the colors are bad business for retailers because they won’t know which to stock, but regardless – if this performs better than the BioCell it is sure to be a good seller.

  31. BC

    Nov 4, 2014 at 7:57 am

    Very, very excited for this product. Quietly, Cobra engineers have been hitting home runs with their metal woods the last few years and it shouldn’t change in 2015

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Equipment

Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

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As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

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I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (3/28/24): L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that 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, there is a listing for a L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick putter with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft.

From the seller: (@hibcam): “L.A.B. GOLF Mezz.1 Max Broomstick- LA Golf Paige Spiranac Shaft- 44″/79.5. Brand new, never used brown leather cover. The head was professionally anodized from Orange to Blue (Orange looked bad with the Pink shaft so I had it changed). Only a few rounds on this combo. Please see last pic- slight ding on back corner. 8.5-10 condition. THE SHAFT COST $475/ THE PUTTER $625. $799 shipped in the US. ONLY $699 SHIPPED.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Equipment

Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.

However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.

“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”

Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.

Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.

Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.

One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play with an additional degree of loft to help dial in his desired launch.

We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!

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