Equipment
Wilson’s Driver vs. Driver is back for a second season, entries now open
Wilson announced today that The Golf Channel has given the go ahead for season two of Driver vs. Driver — a reality show that follows the process of designing a new driver while its contestants compete for a cash prize. The new season is set to premiere in the Fall of 2018 and the “Call for Entries” is now open.
#DriverVsDriver is set to return! Submit your design by 6/4 and you could be a Season 2 contestant!#WilsonStaff
? https://t.co/O8pjtUtk86 pic.twitter.com/wInahEoraP
— Wilson Golf (@WilsonGolf) May 2, 2017
To enter your driver design, you or your team are required to submit a “short video” describing your concept and why you believe it to be golf’s next great driver innovation. No experience as an engineer or inventor is necessary, but it certainly will help since the competition will be stiff based on season one. The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. ET on June 4, 2017.
In case you forgot, last season’s winner was Eric Sillies who helped produce Wilson’s Triton driver. As promised, Wilson brought that driver to market, although it didn’t hit stores without a hiccup. Retail versions of the Triton were initially deemed illegal, but Wilson made slight adjustments to the sole plate of the driver to make it conforming.
You may also recognize the driver sketches in Wilson’s promotional images from somewhere. Ahead of season one, I visited Wilson’s headquarters to learn about the challenges of designing a driver, as well as the difficulties of making the driver not only legal, but effective and marketable. I can attest the entire process is far from easy, so season two’s winner will certainly earn their victory.
Good luck to all entrants and contestants of season two!
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Whats in the Bag
Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB: 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: TaylorMade Proto (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0 (4-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-K @59) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X3 Buy here.
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x Buy here.
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s WITB in the forums.
View this post on Instagram
The winning WITB 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
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
- 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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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
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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Sandy Bunker
May 5, 2017 at 7:26 am
I’d like to submit my 25 year old Wilson Invex driver remodelled to today’s specs ( 460cc TI head & tricked up shaft ) and see how it goes on the Trackman , GC Quad etc. Man that driver was ahead of its time.
H
May 4, 2017 at 12:49 pm
“it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
H
May 4, 2017 at 12:49 pm
“it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Michael
May 4, 2017 at 11:05 am
There are currently no titanium driver heads manufactured in the US. The last one made here were prior to the Ping G-series drivers. There are persimmon drivers still being made in the US though.
ooffa
May 4, 2017 at 8:53 am
Wow, That was boring!
ooffa
May 4, 2017 at 11:26 am
Nope, just boring.
ooffa
May 4, 2017 at 12:49 pm
Yep. too bored with your comment to bother.
ooffa
May 4, 2017 at 6:51 pm
ZZZZZzzzzzzz
rebfan73
May 4, 2017 at 7:43 am
Zzzzzzz
Mad-Mex
May 4, 2017 at 2:28 am
How about this, make it a K-Sig driver theme, Tour Grade quality for less than $199!!!
Then you will have me watching!
setter02
May 3, 2017 at 11:16 pm
Simple, 99% of it isn’t made in the US, happy shopping!
joro
May 3, 2017 at 11:58 am
Not again, I just got my Triton setup for my swing. It was okay when I got it but it get a lot better when I worked with the settings and got it just right. It is now my best Driver, better than the BB or the M2. Not another one!!
Dj
May 3, 2017 at 8:18 am
The Triton is actually a decent driver. My biggest surprise of demo day for sure
Mr Muira
May 3, 2017 at 7:12 am
If the engineering gonzos had a brain you would forget about the exterior looks and think about what they could do internally to make a driver work better than the $40 hollow pieces of crap they sell for $600.
H
May 3, 2017 at 2:17 am
I guess Wilson must have some money lying around not doing anything to throw it away on more junk that nobody will ever buy
H
May 5, 2017 at 2:13 am
We know its you Smeagol, why don’t you just go ahead and jump into the cauldron and fizzle
Rex
May 2, 2017 at 9:30 pm
Stop!
tlmck
May 2, 2017 at 5:43 pm
I would like to submit my new/old Titleist 909 D3 for consideration. Far superior to any new tech on the market.
taco breath
May 2, 2017 at 9:13 pm
i was thinking of something similar but for me its the 905r
Dj
May 3, 2017 at 8:17 am
Lol that thing wouldn’t come within 5 mph of ball speed of the m1 and epic
golfraven
May 2, 2017 at 3:20 pm
Please learn from series one and don’t f.. with R&A and USGA so next driver actually has a chance in the market. I like that Wilson are bold and give this a shoot though.
JS
May 2, 2017 at 2:13 pm
the tv money must outweigh the money they lose on these drivers.
chinchbugs
May 2, 2017 at 1:53 pm
***Conforming drivers not required***
Blake
May 3, 2017 at 4:53 pm
This was what i said also. Someone should go in and tell wilson “Why are you trying to compete with tit, tmag,etc on conforming drivers when 99% of golfers never play in a usga sanctioned event. Own the non conforming driver market. And therefore own the amateur market”
TR1PTIK
May 5, 2017 at 4:11 pm
How many guys in your foursome use non-conforming clubs (that were purchased as non-conforming clubs)? Wilson would be dealing themselves a much quicker death if they followed your advice.
Robert
May 2, 2017 at 1:27 pm
I would think season 2 will be much better now that it’s a known entity. They should get way more entrants. I was surprised at some of the teams that actually made the show and thought the WRX Driver you guys built was the best of all of them.
setter02
May 3, 2017 at 11:18 pm
Wilson is a known entity, how’s that working out for them?