Equipment

Fred Couples finally switches irons—after 10 years

Published

3 years ago

Nov 5, 2020

Fred Couples still moves the needle. For a Seattle-born gear junkie (me), pretty much anything the guy does is a big deal.

Earlier this summer, I wrote an article about the makeup of Couple’s bag. What you see is a player committed to feel and trust more than anything. He, like very few others, will stick with a club for years. His 3-wood is 12-years-old and his irons (at least a version of the same head) for over 10.

Until this week.

The part of his bag that I believe has made the biggest impact on his stellar play over the past decade was the switch to the Bridgestone golf ball (currently the Tour B RXS). It allowed Couples the ability to not tweak the overall DNA of his bag over the years, all while giving Fred the firepower and spin he needed off the driver and around the greens. Sometimes, players who love old gear can keep it current with a serious golf ball.

The PGA Tour Champions is in Phoenix this week for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Fred paid a visit to Ping HQ on Monday to test some gear.

Brad Millard (Ping Tour Rep) was the man running the session, and in a Herculean effort, was able to spin Couples out of some old standbys and into a new driver and irons. Trust me, it’s no small feat. If you get Freddy to change nine clubs in one sitting, you deserve a medal. Not because he’s difficult, he’s just Fred Couples, and if he’s making a switch it’s gotta do more than just impress on TrackMan.

Regarding the switch into the new Ping G425 LST driver, Millard said this

“Fred loved the look and feel of the G425, his launch and spin were perfect (12.5 launch spin around 2300-2400) and we dialed in the flight he wanted.”

Driver: Ping G425 9 LST (Dot Setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 65 TX (45 1/4″)

Couples cruises in around 108 MPH swing speed and 160-165 MPH ball speed—depending on how his back is feeling.

The irons were the next frontier. Couples isn’t one to play around in that category and has tested (at home) different sets from time to time but hasn’t ever found that true replacement for the Bridgestone Dual Pocket CB he has loved for 10 years.

Photo courtesy of @fullyequippedgolf on IG

Ping I210 irons seemed to get his attention quickly, however. Not only do they resemble a club from his past (Ping Eye 2) but they have a few things Freddy loves. Offset, bounce, and a long blade length. Once Millard dialed in the lies, it was a no-brainer from there.

Fred Couples’ new iron setup

Irons: Ping I210 (3-PW)
Shafts: Aerotech Steelfiber I110 CW X

Std Lofts, +.25 inches, and 1 degree up.

Fred is also testing Ping Glide 3.0 wedges 54-WS and 58 and 60-SS. We will confirm if any or all go in play. All wedges with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts.

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42 Comments

Pingback: What’s The Best Golf Club For A Beginner? – The Annika Academy
KingJames

Dec 16, 2020 at 8:41 am

Great article!

Reply Report comment
Boom Boom

Nov 15, 2020 at 3:56 am

Maybe its my ocd but why is there a pic of two Tensei AV Raw shafts if Freddie is using a Tensei CK Blue 65 TX?

On the other hand I was surprised to find out Freddie prefers offset and longer blade length.

Reply Report comment
Pick it clean

Nov 9, 2020 at 10:13 am

Has Freddie ever been a staffer for anyone?

Reply Report comment
- Scott McDonald
  
  Nov 9, 2020 at 12:40 pm
  
  Hogan early. Lynx
  
  Reply Report comment
Tom Duckworth

Nov 8, 2020 at 10:12 am

I would like that setup. The golf ball is interesting I think that many players could do well to look into what ball they play more.
I based what I play on feel more than anything but I think I should throw that out the window and do some testing and just look at spin numbers. You hear complaints about low spin irons I would like to see more testers use different balls when they test. Hit the same iron with low spin and high spin balls.

Reply Report comment
Jo Flo

Nov 7, 2020 at 3:43 pm

Paulo is a dck.

Reply Report comment
- Pureswinger
  
  Nov 7, 2020 at 8:28 pm
  
  Biden is President now so it’s time to get along.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Paulo
    
    Nov 8, 2020 at 8:10 am
    
    Over the moon Biden did it. Thank god that lunatic is out of the house. My dads older than him and we don’t trust him with the tv remote , never mind the nuclear launch codes
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Pureswinger
      
      Nov 8, 2020 at 10:53 am
      
      Didn’t you date Jennifer Anniston?
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Paulo
        
        Nov 8, 2020 at 11:55 am
        
        If she’s your mom then yes I did. Many times.
        
        Reply Report comment
        
        Purseswinger
        
        Nov 8, 2020 at 1:05 pm
        
        That’s great! Maybe you’re my Dad? I do have some issues about that. There’s this crazy gene in me that makes me want to screw sheep. Guess I got that from you. LOL!
        
        Reply Report comment
Peter

Nov 7, 2020 at 5:28 am

No glove and now Pings! Two things that Fred and I have in common. Yay!

Reply Report comment
- Abbie @Golf Mario
  
  Nov 22, 2020 at 1:36 pm
  
  I like your comment! My husband is the same way. Here in Utah we golf a lot during the season and he is a no glove, Ping golfer! Made me laugh when I read your excited about having that in common, haha!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Peter
    
    Mar 8, 2021 at 2:38 am
    
    cheers! Does he also hear the commentator in his head as he stands over the shot?. “6th hole, Couples’ second to the green…”
    
    Reply Report comment
Mick

Nov 6, 2020 at 9:03 pm

Cink wins a few weeks back with Ping i210. The LPGA has a heavy usage of Ping i210 ( most amateur men should watch what they play) . Now Couples switches to them. They will go down as an all time great for PING.

Reply Report comment
AG

Nov 6, 2020 at 7:02 pm

What’s with the weird Bridgestone golf ball ad thrown into the middle of the article?

“Fred Couple switches irons… but first let me tell you how amazing this golf ball is!”

Reply Report comment
- John Wunder
  
  Nov 7, 2020 at 8:09 am
  
  It’s not a weird ad, if you wanna know why a player can maintain older equipment for a longer period of time, the golf ball is the lynchpin of the whole thing. to not reference it is a discredit to the whole process. We don’t do weird ad’s in the middle of a players bag info.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Pureswinger
    
    Nov 8, 2020 at 12:15 am
    
    Your grammar sucks!
    
    Reply Report comment
    - John Wunder
      
      Nov 9, 2020 at 7:16 am
      
      Well, thank god I have experts like you to track it all and make sure it’s called out.
      Thanks for reading.
      
      Reply Report comment
  - Zach
    
    Nov 9, 2020 at 10:16 am
    
    Can we confirm what he bagged? I think the driver and irons were in there. What wedges?
    
    Reply Report comment
    - FamousDave
      
      Nov 9, 2020 at 6:44 pm
      
      I’d guess Freddie has bagged a lot during his career. LOL!
      
      Reply Report comment
Mike Barnett

Nov 6, 2020 at 5:46 pm

Would you guys consider the Ping i210 irons a low handicap player set? I see they are high bounce.

Reply Report comment
- Paulo
  
  Nov 7, 2020 at 2:45 pm
  
  Hi Mike. Fred can have them any way he wants. He’s one of the all time greats. His are probably hand forged unlike the retail models. What’s your index ? Ping might make you a custom set with your exact bounce spec. Drop them a line as they may have lost your contact details and club specs
  
  Reply Report comment
FamousDave

Nov 6, 2020 at 11:07 am

This confirms even more that Bridgestone is getting out of making clubs.

Reply Report comment
- Paulo
  
  Nov 6, 2020 at 3:13 pm
  
  Excellent point and a huge shame. Still don’t understand the shift to ping irons though , obvious choice from Bridgestone would be hand made irons by whomever he wants to make them because he’s Fred couples after akt
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Desert Hacker
    
    Nov 6, 2020 at 3:26 pm
    
    Yep, I would’ve expected the same. I have the 2015 version of those Bridgestone irons and I’ve been waiting for something to come along and replace them…might go back to Mizuno. Not going to be easy to take them out of the bag.
    
    Reply Report comment
- DJ
  
  Nov 19, 2020 at 10:51 am
  
  Bridgestone Tour 201mb and 201cb. We’ll see if they come to the US market.
  
  Reply Report comment
Imafitter

Nov 6, 2020 at 10:03 am

Very satisfies with my Ping i500’s, 3.0 Eye2 Wedges, 410 fairway & hybrids, and especially my G400MAX driver, which I shortened and re-weighted. Just outstanding equipment!

Reply Report comment
Dave M.

Nov 6, 2020 at 9:58 am

I sold those bridgestones this year on eBay for $300 more than I bought them for in 2014…I guess they are good, I just hit them too much to the right

Reply Report comment
- Dave M.
  
  Nov 6, 2020 at 3:14 pm
  
  I meant to the left
  
  Reply Report comment
  - pureswinger
    
    Nov 6, 2020 at 4:47 pm
    
    You liberal golf you!
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Paulo
    
    Nov 7, 2020 at 3:22 pm
    
    Maybe you were aiming there or presenting dynamic lie too upright or, Jesus H Christ it could be a thousand things but I promise you it was unlikely an inherent design defect in the iron head .
    
    Reply Report comment
Pingback: Morning 9: Sneds ahead in Houston | Why fans now? | Couples’ new irons – GolfWRX
Delbert

Nov 6, 2020 at 9:47 am

What’s his specs? That would be cool to see. Didn’t he play a set off the rack once?

Reply Report comment
- Pureswinger
  
  Nov 6, 2020 at 10:04 am
  
  They’re posted you dummy! Tiger should switch to these and give his body a break. With the Steelfiber shaft, they are great sticks. The driver is a beast. Anyone struggling with their game should seriously consider Ping for everything.
  
  Reply Report comment
Kalle

Nov 6, 2020 at 9:44 am

The i210 are legendary. I may never abandon them.

Reply Report comment
Karsten's Ghost

Nov 6, 2020 at 6:03 am

The i210 keeps getting more and more… it’s an all-timer.

Reply Report comment
- Mark it Zero
  
  Nov 6, 2020 at 8:30 pm
  
  It’s cool to see the love for the i210 because I’ve had a lot of success with mine. But, obviously, I’m no Fred Couples, or other staffers who have had success with them. Also, aren’t they bound to be replaced soon? I’ve had mine for two years…
  
  Reply Report comment
Paulo

Nov 6, 2020 at 12:17 am

Is he a ping staffer now?

Reply Report comment

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Equipment

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

Published

7 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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