Equipment

Brendan Steele shows off prototype Wilson Staff driving iron on Instagram

Published

5 years ago

Feb 22, 2019

Wilson Staff has been making waves recently with a lot of high profile activity including the signing of Gary Woodland and the new Staff blade iron prototypes he has in the bag. It appears that the R&D team at Wilson has just gotten started for 2019, considering another new prototype driving iron has popped up thanks to Brendan Steele posting some very nice pictures on his Twitter and Instagram.

We don’t have a ton of information except for the caption from Brendan’s own post

“Check out this sweet new toy! @wilsongolf was awesome enough to let me create a new prototype driving iron and it couldn’t have turned out better!”

It has some similarities to the previous V4 Driving Iron from Wilson by the looks of both the screw and the knurling around the hosel

but the cosmetics and certainly more inline with the new Staff Blades pictured below along with also appearing to have a shorter heel to toe length and a higher overall toe profile:

Whether or not this new driving iron will show up at retail like the Staff blades, it is definitely something to keep an eye out for.

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Ryan Barath

Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

13 Comments

JM

Feb 23, 2019 at 1:00 am

Why bother posting pictures if you aren’t going to include players view, looking down. That’s the only view that matters.

Reply Report comment
Shallowface

Feb 22, 2019 at 1:13 pm

The W/S Shield logo is iconic!

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Dave r

Feb 22, 2019 at 11:50 am

Is it just me or are companies getting away from hybrids? Can’t seem to find much on them or new ones being produced. As a older golfer I like them but hard to find a good model,most have faces so closed .
Would like to see an article on just hybrids.

Reply Report comment
- Christopher
  
  Feb 22, 2019 at 12:59 pm
  
  The current Titleist and Ping G410 models have options to flatten their hybrids, along with the option to change the lofts (I think if you lower the loft it opens the face), you should be able to find one that sits square to open. If you need a 4-hybrid try a 5-hybrid and lower the loft until it suits your eye. If you need 6,7 or 8-hybrids, Callaway offer models to suit. A fitter should be able to help.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Thomas A
  
  Feb 22, 2019 at 4:02 pm
  
  Seriously? Every major brand has brand new hybrids on offer.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Eric
  
  Feb 23, 2019 at 7:02 am
  
  Wilson Staff has new D7 hybrids out now
  
  Reply Report comment
rex235

Feb 22, 2019 at 11:35 am

It’s 2019.

Very nice looking design, but-

More than likely these will be just like Wilson’s FG Tour 100 Forged iron model…

RH Only.

Reply Report comment
Tom

Feb 22, 2019 at 11:21 am

Same old.. same old….nothing meaningful except cosmetic changes in golf equipment due to the equipment standards of the USGA. Save your money, re-grip what you have and be on your way.

Reply Report comment
J.E.D.

Feb 22, 2019 at 9:53 am

First the FG Tour 100s now these! Who ever is designing Wilsons irons needs a raise. Wilson, Srixon and Cobra hitting home runs this year in the iron department. I personally think those 3 are putting out some of the best looking bladed irons ever.

Reply Report comment
- O
  
  Feb 22, 2019 at 10:42 am
  
  Cobra blades are the same ones from 3 years ago lol
  
  Reply Report comment
BJ

Feb 22, 2019 at 8:37 am

man Wilsons neew clubs look clean!!!

Reply Report comment
C

Feb 22, 2019 at 8:15 am

Did someone misclick on ‘Shank’?

There are nice!

Reply Report comment
- PJ
  
  Feb 22, 2019 at 11:18 am
  
  They must have, that can’t be right. Or they work for TaylorMade, Callaway, etc.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

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

Published

4 hours 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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