Equipment

Forum Thread of the Day: “Weak lofted 3-wood a good option?”

Published

2 years ago

Aug 28, 2019

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from ludddy who opens the discussion on the benefits of using a weak lofted 3-wood in his set-up. At the moment, ludddy is currently only using his 3-wood on long par 5s and would like to use it more going forward off the tee. Our members give their thoughts on whether changing to a weak lofted 3-wood is the right move.

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.

Celebros: “I just recently took my 15* out of the bag and replaced it with a 4-5 wood that is adjustable 16-19*. In my case, it was because I usually didn’t need that much club into Par 5s and on tight/shorter Par 4s I typically hit an iron off the tee. The higher loft gives me much gapping into the rest of my set as well.”
RacineBoxer: “I’ve gone through this a time or two. There almost comes the point where no matter what you do, you’re going to have a club in your bag that you rarely use. If it’s not the 3 wood, then it’s some sort of driving iron or low lofted hybrid or 4 iron or maybe you carry both a 58 & 62 degree wedges. Maybe the longer and longer you hit it the more you gap your clubs and eventually use everything, but for us mere mortals you’re likely to find a little bunching somewhere. I don’t use my 3 wood much. I find the bigger head of the driver more forgiving. I get more horrible shots with the 3 wood because the head is just so small (talking topping the ball or popping it up for 80 yards types of horrible tee shots). If I need a fairway finder on a short, tight, hole, I’m going 5 wood or hybrid. I’m a straight to fade player, and the 3 wood is a club I’m comfortable getting going a little right to left off the tee, so I’ll use it non-routinely for a hole that calls for that shot shape. But usually, I find going to 4 wood or 4h a safer play to find the middle of the fairway.”
Bye: “It’s such an individual thing, that really the only way to find the answer is to play with a few different options. For me, as long as I can put enough spin on it, the 3 wood is the best option. I had a few 4 woods; I just kept fiddling with them.”
Boognish: “Loft is generally your friend with fairway woods. Your confidence from the tee should guide your head shape decision if you need it for tee layups. There is a trade-off for deep face (flat flight) tee clubs when you want to use it off the turf. I’m a big 5 wood guy, but they can often launch/spin too high for regular tee use. If you only carry one fairway wood, my recommendation would be a 4-wood with a lower spin shaft.”

Entire Thread: “Weak lofted 3-wood a good option?”

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Whats in the Bag

Jason Kokrak’s winning WITB: 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge

Published

21 hours ago

May 30, 2021

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: TaylorMade SIM (9 degrees @8.5)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 85 M5 Proto

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 6.5 80 TX

7-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max (21 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 6.5 80 TX

Irons: PXG 0311 T Gen4 (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy (52), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (56-14F), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 WedgeWorks (60-T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 38
Grip: SuperStroke Pistol GT

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Golf Pride MCC (Black/White)

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Whats in the Bag

Jordan Spieth WITB 2021 (May – Charles Schwab Challenge)

Published

1 day ago

May 30, 2021

GolfWRX Staff

Jordan Spieth what’s in the bag accurate as of the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Driver: Titleist TSi3 (10 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X

Caddie Michael Greller stands in front of Jordan Spieth’s bag during a practice round ahead of the Charles Schwab Challenge.

3-wood: Titleist TS2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X

Hybrid: Titleist 818 H2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 95 X Hybrid

Irons: Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: True Temper Project X 6.5

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (46-10F, 52-08F, 56-10S), Vokey Proto (60-T)
Shafts: True Temper Project X 6.0 (6.5 in 46)

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A post shared by Aaron Dill (@vokeywedgerep)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Circle T 009
Grip: SuperStroke Traxion Flatso 1.0

Grips: SuperStroke S-Tech

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x (2021)

Michael Greller holding up a sleeve of Spieth’s Pro V1x golf balls.

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Equipment

Phil Mickelson’s bag: How it compares to past wins at Colonial

Published

3 days ago

May 28, 2021

GolfWRX Staff

Editor’s note: We filed this piece for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report.

Following his improbable PGA Championship triumph, Phil Mickelson is right back in the thick of the action. Twice a champion at Colonial Country Club, Mickelson returns for the Charles Schwab Challenge.

The 50-year-old’s current setup has certainly changed from the artillery he chose early in his career.

Indeed, the equipment landscape itself is entirely different than it was when Mickelson won his first of now 45 PGA TOUR events (as an amateur) in 1991! Titanium drivers were only beginning to show up on TOUR in Lefty’s early years, and Mickelson’s longtime sponsor, Callaway, didn’t release the Great Big Bertha until 1995.

The history of modern golf equipment has literally played out in Mickelson’s bag as a professional.

The differences in Mickelson’s current setup compared to 2000, when he won the first of his two Charles Schwab Challenges, are immediately apparent. His Yonex Super A.D.X. driver was a fraction of the size of his 450 cc Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond. Mickelson has been leaning on a TaylorMade Original One Mini Driver as his second fairway wood this season – the total amount of technology in his two Yonex fairway woods of 2000, or even his Callaway FT-5 driver and FT Tour 3-wood of 2008, is the difference between the Ford Model T and the Ford GT.

Interestingly, Mickelson played Ping Eye 2 wedges throughout his early years and had a 60-degree Eye 2 in the bag for his 2000 win at Colonial. One look at his current PM Grind wedges, and it’s clear the Eye 2 shaping was the original inspiration for the design Mickelson and Callaway engineers continue to refine.

Also notable on the similarities front: the 8802-style heel-shafted blade putter Mickelson has preferred throughout most of his career was present in the bag for both victories and will be in Phil’s hands this week as well. In 2000, Mickelson gamed a custom Bettinardi blade. In 2008, it was the same Odyssey “Phil Mickelson” blade shape that he won with at last week’s PGA Championship.

Check out Mickelson’s WITBs for his 2000 and 2008 wins at Colonial and what he has in the bag this week.