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In-hand look: Justin Rose’s Axis1 prototype putter

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Fresh from becoming a member of Team Honma, Justin Rose is set to kick off his 2019, as it was reported in our WITB piece yesterday, with a custom Axis1 prototype putter in the bag.

Our guys have been on hand at this week’s Desert Classic to check out the Englishman’s new flat-stick, which Rose will hope will be a crucial weapon in defense of his World Number 1 ranking, and secured plenty of photos of the new addition.

The Englishman, who ranked 21st for strokes gained putting last season, used the TaylorMade TP Ardmore 2 putter during his ascent to the summit of the game in 2018. After the FedEx Cup champ’s equipment change, Rose will now look to continue his excellent form on the greens with the Axis 1 prototype.

While the putter move will surprise many, Rose is no stranger to Axis1 putters and has been spotted on our forums in the past both testing a flat-stick from the company back at the 2016 Players Championship, and gaming one at the Dell Technologies Championship in 2017.

For more photos and discussion of Justin Rose’s new Axis 1 Prototype putter, make sure to check out the forum thread here.

 

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. anthony kelham

    Jan 25, 2020 at 9:41 am

    you cannot keep blaming the eqpt but to buy something this expensive is just marketing not going to put any more putts away

  2. Dan

    Apr 27, 2019 at 11:12 pm

    I just tried one of these as the founder is local here near Boston and a golfer too. I’ve never felt a putter that delivers it’s strike in such a solid, confident way. This is a game changer folks. I’m a convert and I’ve got one on order.

  3. Ron

    Jan 26, 2019 at 3:56 pm

    It’s designed to be a zero MOI, square-to-square stroke motion putter. I’m sure it works or it wouldn’t be in JR’s hands. Some of you are too young to remember the MacGregor Response putter Nicklaus won his last Masters (’86) with. When Jack first saw it at the MacGregor HQ, he thought it was the ugliest thing he had ever seen. Then he hit a few putts and the rest is history.

  4. BIG T

    Jan 16, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    If you check out axis1golf.com this thing is actually a very mild version of some of the contraptions they make. Some of those things are just TERRIBLE.

  5. BIG T

    Jan 16, 2019 at 5:53 pm

    That has got to be on of the ugliest putters ever made. And there have been some real doozies in the past. Just looks awkward and i cant imagine trying to use it with a tournament on the line.

  6. mr obvious

    Jan 16, 2019 at 3:38 pm

    JR will be come ….richer….not better #callcurtisstrange

  7. Tom

    Jan 16, 2019 at 1:11 pm

    Shankapotomus would be an appropriate name for it, catch it a little too far inside….and Shankaroo!!!

  8. STEVE

    Jan 16, 2019 at 12:23 pm

    Oooh. That neck and hosel alignment looks eerily similar to what I see when I look down at my putter — when I’ve had too many beers!

  9. Sp

    Jan 16, 2019 at 11:11 am

    It’s over for JR. He’s become the next Adam Scott, desperate to get rid of the yips.
    With great coaches you should be able to fix the problem. Otherwise, why do we need coaches? Just buy a contraption like this to fix it. Yeah.

    • Scott

      Jan 16, 2019 at 3:39 pm

      2, 2, T4, 8, 3, 1, 3, T17. Ranked #1 in the world. If that dude has the “yips” then every golfer in the world should want them. SMH.

      • Benny

        Jan 16, 2019 at 7:42 pm

        Well said. Rose is a stud. Did you know he lead the PGA last year in only allowing 7x… 7x doubles of worse? Thats nuts man.
        He may have a stumble out of the gates with new gear but he will never leave top 10.

      • Dosh

        Jan 16, 2019 at 8:49 pm

        He should’ve won the Tour Championship but his putting let him down and he gave it away to the most hated dude in golf in Eldrick

      • drbopperthp

        Jan 17, 2019 at 7:00 am

        Don’t SYH Scott – you’re doing a great job of proving that there are a lot of empty-headed ignoramuses out there who call themselves golfers.

        • WhatOgoMeantToSay

          Jan 17, 2019 at 2:18 pm

          I’m more impressed that you spelt ignoramus right ????????

  10. Wes

    Jan 16, 2019 at 11:10 am

    That putter has a very odd look to it. I dont like the neck and hosel at all.

  11. bj

    Jan 16, 2019 at 9:51 am

    nope

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Whats in the Bag

Scottie Scheffler’s winning WITB: 2023 Hero World Challenge

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Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (8 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X

Irons: Srixon ZU85 (3-4) Buy here, TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW) Buy here.
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Hybrid Prototype 10 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (50-12F, 56-14F) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-06K) Buy here.
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Logan Olson prototype

Photo via Olson Putter Co.

Photo via Olson Putter Co.

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Buy here.

The winning WITB is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.

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Equipment

Driver, shaft combinations of strokes gained: off-the-tee leaders

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‘Tis the season for, well, looking back at the previous golf season. Hopefully, you’re still able to put a peg in the ground where you live.

However, if you find yourself stuck on the couch, staring longingly at your clubs in the corner as they begin their period of forced hibernation, we’re here to offer you an always enjoyable (we hope) diversion: a look at the equipment of some of the best golfers in the game this past season.

More specifically, we’re taking a look at the driver head and shaft combinations of the best drivers of the golf ball on the PGA Tour (as measured by their strokes gained: off-the-tee metric) for the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season.

Let’s get to it.

10. Hayden Buckley: 0.611

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)

Shaft: UST Mamiya Lin Q M40X Blue 6F5

9. Luke List

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana DF 70 TX

8. Viktor Hovland: 0.741

Driver: Ping G425 LST (9 degrees @8.4)

Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 661 TR X (45.75 inches, tipped 1 inch)

7. Keith Mitchell: 0.743

Driver: Mizuno ST-Z 230 (9.5 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5

6. Kevin Yu: 0.803

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro White 80 TX

5. Brent Grant: 0.806

Driver: Srixon ZX7 Mk II (8.5 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Black 75 TX

4. Patrick Cantlay: 0.852

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9.5 @8.75 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX

3. Rory McIlroy: 0.907

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (9 degrees @7.5)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

*McIlroy switched into TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver at the DP World Tour Championship. 

2. Ludvig Åberg: 0.982

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

1. Scottie Scheffler: 1.021

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (8 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X

There you have it, GolfWRXers. We’ll be back with more pieces of this nature as we X out the days in December.

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Equipment

Callaway Apex Pro, Apex CB, Apex MB combo irons – Club Junkie Reviews

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When Callaway released the new Apex Pro, Apex CB, and Apex MB irons in August, better-skilled golfers were very excited to get them out on the course to try for themselves.

The Apex Pro packs a ton of technology into a small head size with reduced offset and a thinner topline. Callaway updated the new Apex CB with a new sole design for better turf interaction and shot consistency. The Apex MB is the blade for elite players who are looking for precise distance control and shot shaping.

Callaway knows some golfers like to mix and match clubs from different sets to optimize their performance, so I was very intrigued to see how the Apex Pro Series Triple Play iron set combined all three irons.

Callaway Apex Pro Long Irons (4, 5, 6)

When you set the new Apex Pro irons down, you will be pleased with the look of reduced offset and a compact shape. The irons aren’t so small that you get intimidated, I think Callaway picked a good size. Being slightly larger than the CB and MB gives you a little more confidence that you don’t need to strike it dead center in order to get a good shot out of them.

The Pros use multi-material construction to add distance and forgiveness while the forged face and body give you soft feel and distance control. Urethane Microspheres are also used to dampen vibration and give the Pro irons a soft and solid feel. Now the GolfWRXer in me wishes the Pro had a touch less offset, but I like the overall shape and think the more rounded toe gives them a softer look.

Out on the course, the 4, 5, and 6-irons are easy to hit and do offer you a little extra firepower for those longer shots. The feel is soft and muted, even on mishits, and the turf interaction from the Dynamic Sole design resists digging in soft conditions. The 4-iron is a real cannon off the tee on short par 4’s and long par 3’s, giving you the distance as well as added height to stop the ball on the green.

Off the turf, you can easily elevate the 5 and 6-iron shots into greens, but all of the Pro irons offer better forgiveness than you might expect. My miss is generally off the toe and those shots still get up in the air and carry. When you miss, you can still carry that bunker or get the ball to the front of the green.

Apex CB Mid Irons (7, 8, 9)

These might be my favorite looking out of the three iron sets in terms of size and shape. They blend some of the roundness from the Apex Pro with a slightly sharper toe and more compact size. The Apex CB have very little offset, and the transition from hosel to leading edge is done well and without too much curvature.

The soles are more narrow, but you can see more of the angles in the Dynamic Sole. The pre-worn leading edge and trailing-edge relief stand out more and work very well. I play in Michigan, and you rarely come across a firm and fast fairway, so turf interaction is very noticeable in these softer conditions. Much like the Apex Pro, the CB gets into the turf immediately and wants to shallow out and exit quickly.

Solidly struck shots feel so solid and soft with a heavy “thud” at impact. When it comes to feel, these irons will easily hold their own against other popular forged CBs. Shots hit thin or off the toe will bring more vibration to your hands and produce a clickier sound.

Distance control with the Apex CB irons is very, very good. Well-struck shots seem to fly exactly the same distance and height every time. The launch is a little lower than the Apex Pro but you still can elevate them off the turf or tee. These irons also seem to spin a bit more as you notice shots having a little more curvature to them. Into the wind, you can see a touch of rise in the shot. You will notice a little more of a dropoff in carry when you miss the center of the face, but directionally the ball stays online well.

Callaway added MIM weights in the toe, and as much as they perfect the balance of each iron, they seem to add some forgiveness as well. Skilled players will love the shotmaking ability of the CB: You can hit them high, low, left, or right, and in any combination of the aforementioned.

Apex MB Short Irons (10, 11)

First, just having irons with a “10” and an “11” on the sole is flat-out cool. That little difference is fun to see and they always get comments from other golfers. While all of the new Apex irons blend well together, these have the most distinctive look to my eye. They are the edgiest look with a sharper toe and straight leading edge. There is a lack of softness and roundness to the me, but again, they blend in well with the set.

I only have the pitching and gap wedge in the set, but that is about where my skill tops out! The MB will demand your attention as they obviously are the least forgiving in the set. While well-struck shots will reward you with impeccably soft feel and a solid “thud” sound, off-center will be a little more harsh on your hands and ears. My misses tend to be the most dramatic and you will see a big drop off in distance when you hit it out on the toe. Where the Apex Pro will get you on the green, the MB can keep you just off depending on the miss.

For being such high-lofted clubs, they do keep a lower ball flight that carries a lot of spin into the green. You can easily fire at tight pins with confidence that the trajectory and spin will keep the ball close to its landing spot. And since they are MBs, you can flight those shots any way you would like with ease.

Turf interaction is good, but these will dig the most out of the set. But even with the deeper divot, the irons get through the turf very quickly.

Matching the gap wedge to the set is something I have liked in this set. There is just a feeling of consistency on full, or close-to-full shots that you don’t get with a sand wedge-style head. Those full shots kind of feel like you are just hitting a pitching wedge but at a shorter distance. The “11-iron” still works around the green, and you can hit little pitch and chip shots with plenty of spin, even with an open face.

Overall, Callaway’s Triple Play offers a little bit of everything for players who need a little help in the long irons but want consistency in the scoring clubs. Feel, distance, and forgiveness are all added to the mix in good amounts in order to balance out the set. If you are a single-digit handicap who wants a players look from address but needs a little help, Callaway’s Apex Pro Series combo sets are well worth trying out.

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