Equipment
The top-5 longest drivers on the PGA Tour and their driver/shaft combos
Let’s take a look at what the PGA Tour’s biggest bombers thus far in 2018-2019 are using to launch their rockets.
1. Cameron Champ
Average drive: 315.6 yards
Driver: Ping G400 Max (9 degrees @ 7.9)
Shaft: Fujikura Pro 63 TS (44.75 inches, tipped 1.5 inches)
T2. Luke List
Average drive: 314.4 yards
Driver: TaylorMade M6 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana White D+ 80TX
T2. Rory McIlroy
Average drive: 314.4 yards
Driver: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK White 70TX
4. Tony Finau
Average drive: 311.5 yards
Driver: Ping G410 Plus (9 degrees @ 8)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana RF 70-TX (45.25 inches, tipped 1 inch)
5. Wyndham Clark
Average drive: 311.4 yards
Driver: PXG 0811 XF GEN2 (10 degrees)
Shaft: Accra Prototype (45.25 inches)
- LIKE298
- LEGIT33
- WOW21
- LOL12
- IDHT5
- FLOP7
- OB5
- SHANK54
Whats in the Bag
WITB Time Machine: Danny Willett’s winning WITB, 2016 Masters
Driver: Callaway XR 16 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 60 X
Length: 45.5 inches
3-wood: Callaway XR 16 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 70X
5-wood: Callaway XR 16 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 80X
Irons: Callaway Apex UT (2, 4), Callaway Apex Pro (5-9)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Superlite
Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (47-11 S-Grind) Callaway Mack Daddy 2 Tour Grind (54-11, 58-9)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Superlite
Putter: Odyssey Versa #1 Wide (WBW)
Lie angle: 71 degrees
Ball: Callaway Speed Regime SR-3
Check out more photos of Willett’s equipment from 2016 here.
- LIKE7
- LEGIT0
- WOW1
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Equipment
Project X Denali Blue, Black shaft Review – Club Junkie Review
Originally, Project X was known for low-spin steel iron shafts. However, the company might now be known for wood shafts. Denali is the newest line of graphite shafts from Project X. With the Denali line, the company focuses on feel as well as performance.
There are two profiles in the Denali line, Blue and Black, to fit different launch windows. Denali Blue is the mid-launch and mid-spin profile for players who are looking for a little added launch and Denali Black is designed for low-launch and low-spin. Both models are going to offer you a smooth feel and accuracy.
For a full in-depth review check out the Club Junkie podcast on all podcast streaming platforms and on YouTube.
Project X Denali Blue
I typically fit better into mid-launch shafts, as I don’t hit a very high ball so the Denali Blue was the model I was more excited to try. Out of the box, the shaft looks great and from a distance, it is almost hard to tell the dark blue from the Denali Black. With a logo down install of the shaft, you don’t have anything to distract your eyes, just a clean look with the transition from the white and silver handle section to the dark navy mid and tip.
Out on the course, the Blue offers a very smooth feel that gives you a good kick at impact. The shaft loads easily and you can feel the slightly softer handle section compared to the HZRDUS lineup. This gives the shaft a really good feel of it loading on the transition to the downswing, and as your hands get to impact, the Denali Blue keeps going for a nice, strong kick.
Denali Blue is easy to square up at impact and even turn over to hit it straight or just little draws and most of the flex of the shaft feels like it happens right around where the paint changes from silver to blue. The Blue launches easily and produces what I consider a true mid-flight with the driver. While it is listed as mid-spin, I never noticed any type of rise in my drives. Drives that I didn’t hit perfectly were met with good stability and a ball that stayed online well.
Project X Denali Black
When you hold the Denali Black in your hands you can tell it is a more stout shaft compared to its Blue sibling by just trying to bend it. While the handle feels close to the Blue in terms of stiffness, you can tell the tip is much stiffer when you swing it.
Denali Black definitely takes a little more power to load it but the shaft is still smooth and doesn’t give you any harsh vibrations. Where the Blue kicks hard at impact, the Black holds on a little and feels like keeps you in control even on swings that you try and put a little extra effort into. The stiff tip section also makes it a little harder to square up at impact and for some players could take away a little of the draw from their shot.
Launch is lower and more penetrating compared to the Blue and produces a boring, flat trajectory. Shots into the wind don’t rise or spin up, proving that the spin stays down. Like its mid-launch sibling, the Black is very stable and mishits and keeps the ball on a straighter line. Shots low off the face don’t get very high up in the air, but the low spin properties get the ball out there farther than you would expect. For being such a stout shaft, the feel is very good, and the Denali Black does keep harsh vibrations from your hands.
Overall the Project X Denali Blue and Black are great additions to the line of popular wood shafts. If you are looking for good feel and solid performance the Denali line is worth trying out with your swing. Choose Blue for mid-launch and mid-spin or Black for lower launch and low spin.
- LIKE4
- LEGIT4
- WOW2
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Equipment
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
Bryson DeChambeau fired an opening-round 7-under 65 at Augusta National, hitting an impressive 15 of 18 greens in regulation in the process. Golf’s mad scientist’s play grabbed headlines and so too did his equipment. In place of the Ping i230 irons he had in the bag last week for LIV Golf’s Miami event, DeChambeau is gaming a prototype 5-PW set of irons from little-known direct-to-consumer manufacturer Avoda.
What is Avoda Golf?
Founded by Tom Bailey, also a Mike Schy student like Bryson DeChambeau, Avoda Golf is a direct-to-consumer golf equipment company that currently manufactures both single and variable-length irons in one model that are available for pre-order.
What irons is Bryson DeChambeau playing?
Per multiple reports, DeChambeau is playing a custom-designed set of single-length irons that incorporate bulge and roll into the face design. The two-piece 3D-printed irons were reportedly only approved for play by the USGA this week, according to Golfweek’s Adam Schupak.
Regarding the irons, DeChambeau told Golf Channel the irons’ performance on mishits was the determining factor in putting them in play this week. “When I mishit on the toe or the heel,” DeChambeau said. “It seems to fly a lot straighter for me and that’s what has allowed me to be more comfortable over the ball.”
What can we tell about the design of the clubs?
These days, it is a little hard to speculate on what is under the hood with so many hollow body irons. DeChambeau’s irons look to be hollow on the lower section as they do flare back a decent amount. That “muscle” on the back also looks to be fairly low on the iron head, but we can assume that is progressive through the set, moving up higher in the short irons.
A screw out on the toe is probably used to seal up the hollow cavity and used as a weight to dial in the swing weight of the club. From pictures, it is hard to tell but the sole looks to have a little curve from heel to toe while also having some sharper angles on them. A more boxy and sharper toe section looks to be the design that suits Bryson’s eye based on the irons he has gravitated toward recently.
What are bulge and roll, again?
Two types of curvature in a club face, traditionally incorporated only in wood design. Bulge is heel-toe curvature. Roll is crown-sole curvature. Both design elements are designed to mitigate gear effect on off-center strikes and produce shots that finish closer to the intended target line. (GolfTec has an excellent overview of bulge and roll with some handy GIFs for the visual learner)
What else is in DeChambeau’s bag?
Accompanying his traditional Sik putter, Bryson builds his set with a Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, a Krank Formula Fire driver and 5-wood, and a TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver, all with LA Golf graphite shafts.
- LIKE119
- LEGIT39
- WOW31
- LOL17
- IDHT9
- FLOP9
- OB10
- SHANK25
-
19th Hole4 days ago
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole5 days ago
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Charlie Woods finds it tough going on American Junior Golf Association debut
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Addiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Anthony Kim says doctors told him that he ‘may not have much time left’ ahead of LIV return
Steve R
Jun 7, 2019 at 5:35 pm
Interesting that Champ plays a Ping driver with a stock Callaway shaft (albeit x flex tip trimmed). I play a Callaway Epic Flash sub-zero with a shaft commonly found in a Ping or TM driver – the Aldila Xtorsion. He’s a little longer than I am…lol… but I found 20 yards with this combo over the stock Tensei CK blue it usually comes with. My other changes were a midsize grip and switch the moveable weight from 12g to 15.5g.
Bart
May 31, 2019 at 9:50 am
New to golf here. What does “tipped 1.5 inches” mean?
Dan
Jun 2, 2019 at 9:51 am
Tipped means the club was trimmed at the tip ( bottom ) vs the but ( top ) to make the shaft stiffer.
Dave Bryce
Jun 3, 2019 at 7:21 pm
It means 1.5 inches cut off of the tip!
Rich Douglas
May 29, 2019 at 7:20 pm
Most players use the best driver they can muster under their equipment contract, so no revelations there. (That’s why the WITB articles are boring–WITB is what they’re paid to put in there.)
But notice the shaft lengths of the three players who listed them. All three are shorter than the “standard” length (45.5″) found off-the-shelf at your local golf equipment dealer. Like Tiger (44″) and Justin Thomas (42″), they know that making solid, centered contact is more valuable than the added clubhead speed created by a longer shaft. Longer distance and more accurate.
Yet we see so many people hitting 45.5″ drivers with 9-degree lofts, even though they can’t possibly get the best out of them. Where are these guys? Look in the woods; it’s full of them.
Adam Boyle
Jun 14, 2019 at 8:18 pm
I would be more interested in the longest drivers on tour who don’t have a club sponsor. Now that would be interesting
Gunter Eisenberg
May 28, 2019 at 9:59 am
I thought DJ would be on that list too.
joro
May 27, 2019 at 2:57 pm
Interesting, but these guys would be long with Knights from Walmart.
AltaD
May 27, 2019 at 8:38 am
Gotta love those Ping drivers! I’ve got a G400 LST and it’s not leaving my bag anytime soon.
Deron
Jun 5, 2019 at 2:56 pm
G400 LST may be the best driver every created. It does spin more than some others but if you find the right shaft for it, it’s a bomber.
Alex
May 26, 2019 at 11:35 pm
Lots of Mitsubishi on the list. Not surprised their stuff has been great forever.
Brooks woz ere
May 26, 2019 at 9:51 pm
Why don’t you put the driver tee shots that actually count under pressure and use those stats for this, huh?
howdoeshisdictaste?
Jun 3, 2019 at 6:51 am
You mean like the shot he hit in the water at the Masters when he had a chance to win?
2putttom
May 26, 2019 at 9:01 pm
PING !
JK
May 26, 2019 at 5:07 pm
2 wins among them all this season. I hope Champ can get better with his wedge game and become a top player