Equipment

LA Golf Shafts announces partnership with Bryson DeChambeau

Published

6 years ago

Aug 28, 2018

Less than 48 hours after his win at the 2018 Northern Trust, LA Golf Shafts has announced that Bryson DeChambeau has become a partner with the shaft company.

“But,” you say, “DeChambeau wasn’t even using an LA Golf Shaft product during his win! He was using a TPT driver shaft, HZRDUS fairway wood shafts, and True Temper shafts in his irons and wedges.”

Yes, you’re right that he was using those shafts at The Northern Trust. But actually, DeChambeau was using an LA Golf Shaft… in his putter. And it was specially designed for him.

When LA Golf Shafts, founded by Reed Dickens, announced that it was purchasing Matrix Shafts and all of its assets, the company said that it wouldn’t just pay players to play product, but that it would partner with golfers and fully customize their equipment from scratch (Dickens started the popular Marucci baseball bats with a very similar approach). It seems that DeChambeau and his putter shaft is the first of these ventures. For further clarification, here’s how LA Golf Shafts explains it in its press release on the partnership that was issued on Tuesday: “Through strategic partnerships with touring professionals like DeChambeau, the players have an equity stake in the company and have direct involvement in their product development rather than the added frustration of picking product through trial and error. The company’s mission is to bring the same signature series products to golfers at every level.”

It’s interesting, and probably fitting, that LA Golf Shafts chose DeChambeau as the first face of this endeavor. Here’s what Dickens has to say about the partnership:

“Bryson’s analytical approach to the game, emphasis on data driven improvements in his equipment, and his ability to communicate meaningful input into designs make him an ideal partner for LA Golf Shafts,” said Dickens. “I can’t think of a more appropriate strategic partner for our mission to bring the technically advanced shafts used by the pros directly to golfers.”

According to the press release about the partnership, DeChambeau worked with John Oldenburg, who’s the current lead product developer at LA Golf Shafts and former lead shaft designer at Aldila. Together, the duo created DeChambeau’s new “performance driven and technologically advanced” LA Golf putter shaft.

In addition to just a putter shaft, the press release says that DeChambeau and Oldenburg “have plans to develop custom shafts for additional clubs… in the months to come.”

Bryson DeChambeau weighed in on the partnership himself:

“I love the science behind the game, so the concept of actively participating in the development of my own shafts is very appealing,” said DeChambeau. “I’m excited to partner with a design innovator such as John Oldenburg, to not only improve my game, but bring those same solutions to recreational golfers everywhere.”

Here’s what Oldenburg had to say about the new job at LA Golf Shafts:

“It’s extremely liberating to take the shackles off and be in a situation with significantly more design freedom than I have ever had in terms of profiles and cost constraints,” said Oldenburg. “The opportunity to develop signature lines directly with the players and provide every golfer the access to those shafts and creating advanced designs in the main line is incredibly motivating for me.”

LA Golf Shafts, according to the press release, “will be launching new product lines this year,” in addition to its current OZIK line.

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Equipment

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

Published

60 mins 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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