Equipment
New for 2019: Callaway ERC Soft, Supersoft and Supersoft Magna Golf Balls
Callaway Golf has announced its newest golf balls for 2019 — the Callaway ERC Soft, Supersoft, and Supersoft Magna.
All three models hit retail stores on February 8.
Callaway ERC Soft
With the new ERC Soft Golf Ball, Callaway Golf introduces its new Hybrid Cover. The soft multi-material cover is designed to promote a combination of faster ball speed for longer distance with a soft feel, while also providing higher spin for excellent control around the green.
The ERC Soft also contains Callaway’s largest Graphene-infused Dual SoftFast Core yet, which features a larger inner core which aims to maximize compression energy for fast ball speeds, while minimizing driver spin to promote a high launch for greater distance.
With the ERC Soft, Callaway has also introduced its new Triple Track Technology. The new technology utilizes Vernier Acuity Precision (a visual technology used to land planes on aircraft carriers) and aims to improve alignment compared to a regular side stamp alignment aid.
The ERC Soft comes with a price tag of $39.99 per dozen.
Callaway Supersoft
The new Supersoft combines Callaway’s lowest compression with a new softer cover and HEX Aerodynamics.
The HEX Aerodynamics of the Supersoft Golf Ball aims to lower the spin rate to reduce drag while enhancing lift for increased carry, higher flight and longer distance.
The Ultra-Low-Compression-Core is designed to create low spin for a longer, straighter flight on full shots. While combined with the new soft Trionomer cover, the Supersoft Golf Ball aims to provide golfers with better feel and greater shot-stopping spin around the green.
The Supersoft cost $22.99 per dozen.
Callaway Supersoft Magna
The new Supersoft Magna is an oversized ball that still conforms to the USGA Rules of Golf. The bigger size aims to provide developing golfers and slow swing speed players, to make better contact on the clubface.
Its larger size, higher center of gravity and high MOI are designed to offer a higher launch and contact that you would typically get when a ball is teed up.
The Supersoft Magna also contains the same characteristics of the Supersoft Golf Ball, including the Ultra-Low Compression Core, HEX Aerodynamics and Soft Trionomer cover to provide golfers with all the benefits of the Supersoft Golf Ball.
The Supersoft Magna costs $22.99 per dozen.
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- Patrick Reed what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G400 (8.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70 Tour X
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125MSI 80 Tour X
Hybrid: Callaway Apex Pro (18 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila RIP Phenom Hybrid 100 TX
Irons: Titleist 716 TMB (2), Grindworks PR-202 (4), Grindworks PR-101A (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50-10 Mid), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-08M @55), SM10 (60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot RX Pt Customs No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
More photos of Patrick Reed’s WITB in the forums.
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Welcome to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
In the last two PGA Championships held at Valhalla, Tiger Woods won in 2000 – when he famously pointed his golf ball into the hole during the historic duel with Bob May – and Rory McIlroy won the 2014 event, basically in the dark on the final hole.
The point is, history shows that Valhalla tends to produce top-tier champions and plenty of drama.
This week at the 2024 PGA Championship, GolfWRX got its first up-close look at what some of the LIV Tour players have in their bags in 2024. We also caught back up with a few PGA Championship legends, such as Rich Beem and John Daly, and we dove into the bags of PGA Sectional qualifiers, too.
In total, we captured 47 different photo galleries this week, including 32 individual What’s In The Bag (WITB) forum threads. Click here to see all of our photos from the event, or continue reading to see my 10 equipment highlights from Valhalla.
1) Brooks Koepka’s new putter
Koepka was previously using a Scotty Cameron T5.5 putter with a slant neck, which he used to win at the beginning of the month in Singapore on the LIV tour. This week, however, he tried a T5.5 with a plumbers neck instead of the slant neck, and it’s immediately going in the bag. According to Scotty Cameron Tour rep Drew Page, Koepka already loved the head, and now finds the plumbers neck a bit more familiar to the blade-style putters he’s used throughout most of his career.
2) The lead tape king returns, with putting goggles
Phil Mickelson has always been one of the GOATs when it comes to lead tape usage, so it was no surprise to see his 64-degree custom Callaway wedge slathered with slabs of lead tape on the back.
The big surprise was that lefty was spotted using ProAim putting training goggles on Wednesday during his warm-up session.
The ProAim goggles are helpful to find center lines and ensure proper alignment to the target.
See Phil Mickelson’s full WITB from the 2024 PGA Championship
3) Dobyns’ old-school gamer setup
Speaking of lead tape, check out Matt Dobyn’s old Titleist 718 T-MB irons, which are so loaded with lead tape that the club is nearly unrecognizable.
Respect.
The head professional at Meadow Brook Club is making his sixth start in a PGA Championship, and he’s using a throwback Callaway GBB Epic driver with MOI-boosting lead tape and adjustable weight placements.
As GolfWRX Forum user “InTheBag” pointed out in our Matt Dobyns’ WITB thread, he has the type of setup that makes you want to hide your wallet: “I don’t know Mr. Dobyns, but one look at that bag tells me he can take your money,” writes InTheBag.
Spot on.
4) John Daly’s custom Sub70 irons and wedges
We first saw John Daly using $750 direct-to-consumer Sub70 659-CB irons and TAIII wedges at the 2023 PNC Championship, and he still has them in the bag, but he’s since stepped up the customization on the Sub70 clubs.
Does Daly ever NOT keep things entertaining?
View this post on Instagram
A true showman.
5) DJ’s custom putter
Dustin Johnson has always been one to test multiple putters week-to-week, and he has a keen eye for different alignment lines and crowns. This week, he’s opting for a completely gray TaylorMade Spider Tour “T3.0” prototype with a short slant neck.
See the rest of DJ’s WITB from the week here
6) Patrick Reed still rocking GrindWorks irons
Patrick Reed knows his stuff when it comes to equipment, and he’s a prolific tester. Still, however, the GrindWorks PR-101A irons are squarely in the bag after his departure to the LIV tour.
The most notable new addition to Reed’s bag is this Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond 3-wood.
Click here to see Reed’s full WITB from this week
7) Beem’s Scratch set
Rich Beem, who won the 2002 PGA Championship at Hazeltine National, came to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla with a bag full of Scratch Golf irons, which are loaded with lead tape and equipped with some of the coolest custom ferrules in professional golf.
See Rich Beem’s full WITB here
8) Jon Rahm’s 10-iron
Before going to LIV, Rahm was using a Callaway Apex TCB pitching wedge.
Now, he’s using a Callaway Apex TCB “10 iron.”
He’s also since upgraded to three Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke metalwoods, and fresh stampings on his Jaws Raw wedges. Click here to see Rahm’s full WITB from the 2024 PGA Championship.
9) “Why so serious?”
Tyrrell Hatton, another LIV player in the 2024 PGA Championship field, channels his inner Joker to ask everyone, “Why so serious?”
10) Block’s “Proto” iron, from address
As you probably know by now, Block switched out of his old TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2014 irons, and into a full set of TaylorMade’s new “Proto” irons. We’ve already seen the Proto 4-iron in the bags of Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa, but this is our first look at the higher-lofted irons in the set.
Here’s a look at the 7-iron from address:
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Proto irons in our Forums
And, with that, we say goodbye to Louisville, and the second major championship of the 2024 season. We’ll see you next week at the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas after a champion has been crowned.
Until then, don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week at the 2024 PGA Championship!
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We will be one quarter of the way through Thursday night men’s league season after this week. BK played much better last week, so he is hoping to continue that success and post another good score.
Here are the 14 clubs that will hopefully win him some skins!
Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops (9 degrees, neutral setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X (2024)
3-wood: Cobra Dark Speed LS Titanium (14.5 degrees, set +1)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7x
Fairway: Callaway Apex UW (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 8 X
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops 4h (22 degrees, Flat Setting)
Shaft: KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 85 S
Irons: TaylorMade P770 Phantom Black (5-PW)
Shaft: KBS Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (50-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (56-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (60-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Putter: L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max
Shaft: Accra x L.A.B. White
Ball: Titleist ProV1 Enhanced Alignment
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Bobtrumpet
Jan 7, 2019 at 10:13 am
The three lines on the ERC Soft reminids me of Dave Pelz O-Ball.
DanT
Jan 5, 2019 at 12:27 pm
Living in Virginia, I generally play golf from April to November. Last year I used the supersoft ball, and liked it. So for my birthday, and Christmas I ask my family to buy me the supersoft golf balls as a gift. I have about 7 dozen ball, that will clearly last me throughout next year.
Here is my problem with Callaway – I asked for the supersoft balls as on each box I own (given as presents) it states “New and Improved”. Foolishly, i assumed, and was told by my local golf store – Callaway normally comes out with improved golf balls product line every other year. (I know that golf clubs are revised annually, but not golf balls.) So, i assumed with the “new and improved” on each box sold in 2018 – Callaway would change/improve/modify the supersoft in 2020. I guess the market need to come out with newer and greater overrides printed “hyperbole” on the box.
Art Williams
Jan 4, 2019 at 8:46 pm
I know they say it is still a super low compression. Does anyone know what the actual compression is? The current Supersoft is said to be 38 degree. Have to wait to hear what the new Supersoft is. I remember many years ago that some company had a larger ball. It was a dud and went away quickly.
Yes Sir
Jan 4, 2019 at 12:56 pm
The fact they use the word “technology” when talking about 3 lines painted on a golf ball is just obscene. Comparing technology on an aircraft (3 lines mind you) and lines painted on a golf ball. GET THE F OUTTA HERE. I just lost ALL respect for callaway. All these major brands are just making a mockery of people while trying to take their money.
Chuck Dietz
Jan 4, 2019 at 11:23 am
Time will tell how it sells to consumers. No mention of colors….might up the interest?
The thought that a slightly larger ball might be easier to hit may be more in the golfer’s head, but the intended audience is likely not very aware of the distance they would hit any ball, and at low swing speeds, the differences are likely very small.
Chip
Jan 4, 2019 at 11:18 am
I hope they got rid of the chrome soft name
That would piss people off!
Rich Douglas
Jan 4, 2019 at 10:54 am
Great. Now everyone can see how you mis-hit that putt!
The Magna ball is odd. That’s been tried before (by Spalding Top Flite). It doesn’t make sense. There’s a reason the USGA puts limits on how SMALL and how HEAVY the ball can be. Making it bigger and keeping the same weight isn’t an improvement. The ball will travel less distance and the notion that some golfers will be able to “make better contact on the clubface….” is odd; the difference is too small to matter on the clubface, but large enough to matter in the air–in a not-good way.
Simms
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:25 am
.of course they do own the patents form Top Flite. Only 22.99, let see Costco 3 piece urethane $23.99 for two dozen?? and my Costco had two full pallets sitting in the aisle just yesterday. Still have over 5 dozen of the Kirkland 4 piece but like the 3 piece much better..