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
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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.
View this post on Instagram
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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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
????????????????????????????????