Equipment
Forum Thread of the Day: “Best fairway woods of 2019?”
Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from pollock21, who opens the discussion concerning what are the best fairway woods of the latest releases. On the lookout for a new fairway wood, pollock21 asks for fellow members feedback on the new editions, and our members provide it in spades.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- chadly643: “I did some initial testing of all the main available options last weekend. They are all very close in terms of performance. Ballspeeds were all identical. Ping was definitely the highest flight. I disliked the Ping shape, however. Srixon was the best looking option and felt really good. The winner for me, however, was f9. Those rails really do offer something useful that the others don’t have. In all honesty, all the big manufacturers have a great option this year. You can’t make a mistake with any of them. It comes down purely to preference on looks and feel.”
- JustinM: “The epic flash SZ fairways are great. I replaced my PXGs for these both 15 and 18 degrees. The head is small, and the face is tall if that makes sense. I’ve tested them all and a clear winner.”
- Sh00terMcGavin: “I’m going to go with TEE CBX for best fairway. I will say that the Epic Flash sz does look mighty appealing to hit. Guys on TXG were raving about the ballspeeds it was producing for a fairway wood.”
- Honman: “I’ve hit most of this year’s fairways, flash sub zero was by far the best on ball speed, and I like the feel. PXG was a good number two. G410 felt the most forgiving by a long way, but I couldn’t control the spin, and they didn’t have the LST to try. I think that would be a good head for me. In a separate session, I’ve hit the ST190 and was putting a good flight on that, dialled down to 14 and really liked the feel. The TaylorMade fairways both want to go really high this year.”
Entire Thread: “Best fairway woods of 2019”
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Whats in the Bag
Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)
- Chesson Hadley what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.
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Whats in the Bag
Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)
Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5
- The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!
3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X
Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron
As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)
What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!
View this post on Instagram
I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…
To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”
On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.
Here’s what he had to say:
You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?
MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.
And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.
When did it come back in the bag?
MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.
What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?
MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?
Do you remember how much you paid for it?
MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.
The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?
MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.
It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?
MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.
What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?
MT: Like high 170’s.
Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.
MT: Yeah. The butter knife.
Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons?
MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.
How far do you carry that?
MT: Like 235.
A good little wind club, I’m sure.
MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.
I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man.
MT: Absolutely.
To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.
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Tom54
Mar 18, 2019 at 5:20 pm
Don’t know about most of the readers but the 3 wood is probably my least important club in my bag. Rarely hit it off the tee, cause if I need 3 wood distance I’ll choke down on a driver. Will try to reach par 5s if the distance is just right otherwise I’m laying up with an iron or a hybrid which are so much easier to hit than a 3 wood. Have a older model M2 3 wood which suits me just fine.
Jack Nash
Mar 20, 2019 at 4:05 pm
Got rid of my 3W and started using a 4W. Works out great. Easier to hit and same distant. More workable too.
John C.
Mar 18, 2019 at 1:31 pm
I tried all the big guys, Titleist, Callaway, Ping, TaylorMade, Cobra, and PXG. It wasn’t even close, Callaway’s EpicFlashSZ fairway woods are crazy long. I was able to hit them high off the deck as well.
HDTVMAN
Mar 18, 2019 at 1:04 pm
I am so sick of “spin” it drives me crazy. Players, most have never had a sub 80 round, come into our store and hit ball after ball, standing there looking at the spin! Spin has it’s place, but it’s mostly created with your swing & ball contact, and it changes on every shot! When I was visiting a major manufacturer and learning about their new products in Carlsbad, their master fitter, who fits many of the pros, said just be concerned with distance and dispersion. “Don’t worry about spin”.
Timmer9
Mar 18, 2019 at 1:31 pm
When I got fitted last year, the spin numbers went in one ear and out the other. As a low ball hitter I wanted a higher trajectory and hopefully a little more distance. Mission accomplished!
Brad
Mar 17, 2019 at 6:15 pm
The Cobra F9 fairway wood is the best I’ve tested in a long, long time. Very impressive performance with fantastic sound and feel a well.