Equipment

Spotted: Justin Rose is testing a new TaylorMade “Hi-Toe” wedge

Published

6 years ago

Nov 15, 2017

On Twitter today, Justin Rose posted a photo of a never-before-seen TaylorMade “Hi-Toe” 60-degree wedge. As the name suggests, it appears the toe portion is raised; we’ve seen this high-toe design from other manufacturers, and the benefits of those designs included increasing face area on open-faced shots, and shifting CG (center of gravity) to where it’s more beneficial for wedge play (likely higher for more spin and a lower flight).

Testing an New 1 iron and Hi-Toe wedge from @TaylorMadeGolf today…. ???????? pic.twitter.com/0OU8tKZlf2

— Justin Rose (@JustinRose99) November 15, 2017

The wedge is also stamped with “MG” to suggest it’s a “milled grind” wedge, much like TaylorMade’s popular wedge line that’s in stores now. There also appears to be slots behind the face, likely to also shift CG to where it’s deemed more beneficial.

Talks of a TaylorMade wedge with a high-toe design were actually started by Dustin Johnson a few weeks ago in a press conference. His full comments on that wedge are above, and you can join the discussion about the wedge in our forums.

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13 Comments

Ben

Nov 17, 2017 at 3:51 pm

It’s a copy of the Callaway PM Grind, and I would take the PM over the TM any day of the week!

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- Matt Polivka
  
  Nov 29, 2017 at 11:39 am
  
  this wedge is actually slightly different.. the PM grind has grooves over the entire face.. this wedge still has the classic no grove toe and heel area.
  
  Reply Report comment
Odo

Nov 17, 2017 at 11:11 am

Is that a bronze wedge? Never saw one like that before. Looks cool.

Reply Report comment
Mike Singleton

Nov 17, 2017 at 6:45 am

I have been playing the Callaway Mac Daddy PM wedge for 4 years now and quite frankly it’s the finest sand wedge since the original Ping Eye 2. If you have game and want to improve your 50yds and in scoring
you owe it to yourself to try these. The hi-toe allows the face to be laid open for better flange use in bunkers & on flop shots…while the specific grind of the sole is ingenious…..Thank you Phil. If Vokey
had something like this in their line, they could pick up another 15% of their already dominant market share…..just saying Boy’s & Girl’s

Reply Report comment
The dude

Nov 16, 2017 at 8:12 pm

What is the significance of a high tie again????

Reply Report comment
etc.

Nov 16, 2017 at 3:34 pm

Looks like they gouged metal out of the sole flange and likely placed it into the toe and top to raise the CG. If so, this lob wedge is only good for golfers with high speed swings because a lower swing speed will lower the trajectory excessively.
It’s a Tour Only lob wedge.

Reply Report comment
- Odo
  
  Nov 17, 2017 at 11:12 am
  
  That’s good to know. Thanks.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Corey
  
  Nov 17, 2017 at 1:11 pm
  
  I understand your comment scientifically, but disagree. I play the 58 and 64 in the Callaway PM-Grind (which is the exact wedge this Taylormade is ripping off). Yes I have an above average swing speed, but I play with two 65 – 70 year olds who play the 56. If we’re purely talking about short game, it has become both of their go to clubs. The larger face unintentionally gives them a larger room for error and higher CG adds a ton of spin for stopping power with negligible loss in height. One of them actually consolidated wedges due to its versatility and added another hybrid.
  
  I will sing on the mountain tops for this design…even if is a straight stolen idea from Callaway Phil Mickelson design. 😉
  
  Reply Report comment
Pelle

Nov 16, 2017 at 11:40 am

This wedge looks pretty much as a combination of Callaways PM-grind and Cleveland CBX wedge. Neither of them seems to be any success. May be Taylor Made will find some customers?

Reply Report comment
- Piney
  
  Nov 16, 2017 at 1:49 pm
  
  Not sure what you’re talking about. Callaway’s PM grind has been very successful and has a pretty strong following.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Corey
    
    Nov 17, 2017 at 1:00 pm
    
    It even has the identical U-Grind sole…exactly like Callaway.
    
    Reply Report comment
C

Nov 16, 2017 at 7:29 am

How did 6 people rate this a shank?

Reply Report comment
- Chopper
  
  Nov 17, 2017 at 9:56 am
  
  By reading “TaylorMade” and left clicking the shank button.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

2 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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