Equipment
Tiger Woods testing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White Board driver shaft ahead of The Northern Trust
Tiger Woods has spent his 2018 season using the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 70TX shaft in his TaylorMade M3 driver, which he’s changed the weight settings on just about every event. But after a dismal driving performance at the 2018 PGA Championship — where he finished second place despite missing every single fairway during the front nine of his final round, and the infamous 17th hole tee shot that he blew right right of a hazard — it appears Tiger is considering switching up his driver shaft.
On Tuesday of The Northern Trust at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ, Tiger was spotted using a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White Board shaft in his driver, instead of the counter-balanced Tensei Orange he’s been accustomed to in 2018. The last time Tiger played in competition with a Diamana White Board? According to our records, it was back in 2014; that’s before the Tensei Orange, the Tensei White, the Matrix TP7HDe, and the Diamana Blue Board. Back in 2013-2014, Tiger was playing a Diamana White Board 73X.
Of course, GolfWRX members have already spotted the switch, and are speculating on why he’s switching, exactly what he’s switching to, and questioning why he isn’t switching into something else. See what they’re saying about Tiger’s shaft switch here.
According to our Tour photographer Greg Moore, Tiger has also added 1 degree of loft to his driver, in addition to sliding the M3 dual weights forward compared to their position at the 2018 PGA Championship.
He moved up 1 degree in loft too https://t.co/lD6xmn9PjV
— Greg Moore – PGA (@gdm43pga) August 21, 2018
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, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
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
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
In our forums, one user is sharing details of a recent round in which his playing partner was gaming an…unconventional driving iron.
@AbSWFPGA explained:
“Played with a kid the other day who was a good player and he used a TaylorMade qi max hl 4 iron as a driving iron. He hit it off a lot of tees and it was pretty money. I looked up the 4 iron in that set and it’s 18.5 degrees so that would make for a good driving iron in terms of loft. Has anyone done this and could share some feedback? Thanks”
Our members have been sharing their own perspectives and experiences with unique driving irons in the forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- Dave33: “I just got a new set of irons, Ping I540’s, and the 4 iron is 19 degrees. That’s basically as strong as the 2 iron in my 30 yr old custom set its replacing and I used to hit that 2 iron off the tee all the time. The I540 4 iron off the tee is an awesome club. ”
- Santiago Golf: “I have tried this a few times and they always went too high … Never really the stinger height I was looking for. I got a IDEA Pro style hybrid and it was the perfect mid launching club I was looking for.”
- DircaDelta: “I basically do this with a JPX 925 Hot Metal Pro 4iron (19 degrees). I tried a few driving irons but honestly this probably fits me best due to the shorter length, but it’s still hot and still has a wide sole which is nice. Great off the tee, turf, and punchy shots to lay-up on par 5s or get out of trouble. It has the same shaft as my irons (Modus 120X) so I could probably get more out of it from a different shaft, but it fits what I need in terms of gapping from my 5 iron (JPX Forged) and gapping and launch from my short 5 wood. I think it’s a good (and often cheaper) route so long as you can find one that suits your eye and gapping needs. I don’t like offset so the HMP’s help in the optics department over a “more typical” game improvement iron.”
Entire Thread: “Game Improvement Iron as a Driving Iron?”
If you’re not already a member, join is in the GolfWRX forums today!
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MF
Sep 5, 2018 at 12:50 am
The shaft in the picture is the D+ Limited Edition. The shaft has a “high balance point” (counter balanced) just like the Tensei Orange.
Chuck Barkley
Aug 22, 2018 at 7:05 pm
He will continue to fly the ball left and right out of play until he or they figure out how to STOP DIPPING AND DIVING INTO THE BALL ON THE DOWNSWING. There is no dropping 6-7″ and compressing the spine on the downswing and expecting any kind of
driving accuracy. The two way “final round” miss will continue until that issue is addressed.
Jimmy Ballard has left the building!
Mark
Aug 23, 2018 at 3:41 am
He’s not dropping 6-7 inches anymore. Levels are way more under control…it was clearly body tension and lack of rhythm triggered by stress.
geohogan
Aug 24, 2018 at 7:43 pm
He will continue to fly the ball left and right out of play until he or they figure out how to stop:
Hitting with his heads. As pics show, he trys to square the clubface with his hands(forearm muscles) with impact 5/10,000 second
impossible to time consistently.
Level Left, Tiger, Level Left
geohogan
Aug 24, 2018 at 7:50 pm
typo: SB Hitting with his Hands.
HDTVMAN
Aug 22, 2018 at 6:03 pm
I’d rather see him experiment with a Ping G400LST. Much superior to the TM.
Tee-Bone
Aug 22, 2018 at 2:17 pm
To quote the legendary Johnny Shanks, “It ain’t the club.”
Jack Nash
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:53 pm
So he wants to go further right?
William Davis
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:33 pm
I don’t understand why anyone would be interested in this.
Romes
Aug 22, 2018 at 2:24 pm
Clicked story? You.
William Davis
Aug 23, 2018 at 6:17 am
Just the headline and comments out of curiosity.
jc
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:01 pm
he can get one of those teeless drivers that noah begay is hawking on golf channel…he can use it off the ground!!!! it is the longest straightest drives ever made. Then get one of the green chippers, one of those automatic sand wedges and a warrior golf ball..he can’t lose
TONEY P
Aug 22, 2018 at 11:42 am
Doesn’t matter what shaft he swings, as long as he tries to fade the ball now he is going to have problems. He is a golfer who has been injured so he needs to learn to adjust to what is easier to play with a fused back. He has to let the club head go, which means he has to play tee shots right to left now . For some strange reason injured golfers turn the ball over easy.
Skip
Aug 22, 2018 at 11:34 am
Great shaft, I still play one in one of my 917 D3’s. I also still have Tiger’s old favorite Graphite Design AD-DI in another of my 917 D3’s. Like them both.
~j~
Aug 22, 2018 at 10:01 am
Someone let Tiger know the M4 has a D-Type also. 1* of increased loft = 1-2* more closed also.
Can’t speak to the Tensei Orange, never hit it. Buit those clamoring that the shaft won’t make a difference never belted the White Boards and then swung a V2. Not sure Tiger needs the counter-balanced shaft at all, but whatever increases SW nowadays…
the loft settings will do more to change his flight than anything. Oh the trouble we get into one we start messing with those. In two weeks he’ll have a hot duck hook.
Joe
Aug 22, 2018 at 9:52 am
He should be testing a PING G400 driver. Might straighten him out a bit. 1 more fairway hit last week and he’s a major winner.
Jack Nash
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:55 pm
And lose TM sponsorship? LOL
Carlos Augusto Carvalho
Aug 22, 2018 at 1:11 pm
Tiger missed an eagle putt and ended up making par on Saturday. Also missed birdies and par putts all over the week. So, driving bad was not the cause to miss a major.
Must work harder on the putting surface.
GW
Aug 22, 2018 at 8:18 am
This is usually where the “experts” chime in and tell us that the D+ is a made for OEM shaft.
ogo
Aug 21, 2018 at 11:54 pm
“…Tiger is considering switching up his driver shaft.”… No kidding!!!
I predict he will soon be playing a Seven Dreamer autoclave cured graphite shaft because all oven cured shafts are too soggy and floppy in the tip section causing Tiger problems.
Tyler Durden
Aug 21, 2018 at 10:43 pm
Gotta get ball speed to 185. Smh.
Tom
Aug 21, 2018 at 9:55 pm
Doesn’t twist face claim to correct dispersion?
Jack Tors
Aug 22, 2018 at 2:31 am
On off center hits. He hits the center of the face, he just can’t match up the face and the path.
TONEY P
Aug 22, 2018 at 11:57 am
That because he doesn’t want the face to turn, so he tries to hold off.
Sahil Singh
Aug 22, 2018 at 9:37 am
Thats an interesting point!! if taylormade are marketing to amateurs like me, Long and stright aaaaannnddd TIGER WOODS!!!! can’t hit it straight with all the tech at his fingertips no expense spared then what now???? @taylormade – can you make a driver that even tiger woods can hit straight???
Sahil Singh
Aug 22, 2018 at 9:38 am
Thats an interesting point!! if taylormade are marketing to amateurs like me, Long and stright aaaaannnddd TIGER WOODS!!!! can’t hit it straight with all the tech at his fingertips no expense spared then what now???? @taylormade – can you make a driver that even tiger woods can hit straight???
jc
Aug 22, 2018 at 7:12 pm
go back in time and get one of those offset drives…forgot who made them
Nack Jicklaus
Aug 21, 2018 at 9:52 pm
Get him an old King Cobra 8 degree with a DG X100 shaft.
ogo
Aug 21, 2018 at 11:58 pm
Steel driver shafts are still the gold standard for ball control and accuracy. Pros use graphite in drivers for mass marketing of lighter is faster fraud. It’s all about what sells and what pays.
Geohogan
Aug 22, 2018 at 4:47 pm
Agree Tigers clubs are too light. (there are 100 gram graphite shafts out there)
He should listen to Jack N.:
“I’ve always believed that the golf club should dominate you instead of you dominating the club. In other words, you swing the club, and your body reacts to how you swing it. Doing this forces you to use your lower body to initiate the downswing. Every other sport is played from the ground up. Watch a baseball pitcher: On the windup, he moves his lower body first, then his arm; on the forward motion, he leads again with the lower body, the arm trailing. This used to be true with golf, but today I see it being taught with the upper body dominating, partly because modern equipment is so much lighter. But if kids started with clubs slightly too heavy, it would teach them to swing back and through from the ground up. They would be forced to learn the proper sequencing of motion.”
dat
Aug 21, 2018 at 9:37 pm
Classic shaft, proven in his hands before. Hopefully he can make it work, it’s 99% mental anyhow.
ab
Aug 21, 2018 at 8:58 pm
That should help him be slightly straighter. Probably won’t be able to launch it like Koepka, but it’ll work
Travis
Aug 21, 2018 at 8:57 pm
That’s why he’s missing fairways… he’s closing his eyes during the swing…
Jack Nash
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:57 pm
????????????????????????????????