Equipment
Tour Insider: Tiger will rethink his bag (and 3 other equipment predictions for 2021)
1. Free agents are here to stay
More free agency. It’s become something we have seen more and more as each year passes. The day of the long-term big-money contract is dying away. NOW, it’s not to say the model is dead. There will be plenty of big-name stars who ink multi-million dollar contracts, but the appeal of freedom—especially for the player is the 35-45-year-old range—will be way more of a thing than it ever was.
You can thank Tiger for this. The reason being, prize money is through the roof. The necessity to have a club financial buffer doesn’t outweigh the risk of it going awry. What good is $150,000 per year from an OEM if you can’t make a cut?
The OEMs are seeing this too. To be honest, it means more for validation in some cases if a guy puts a club in play who doesn’t get paid than the other way around. Take Titleist and the TSi for example, how many top name players had it in play who were not getting paid to play it.
This week at the DP World Championship in Dubai for starters, Titleist doesn’t pay any of the below, but the free exposure in the hands of Fleetwood or Reed says a lot to the quality of the product. Point is, if it’s good, players like Fleetwood, Reed, Casey, Rose, Horschel, Koepka, and Fitzpatrick can call on the reps, get it in the bag and nobody gets to whine about it.
Patrick Reed (TSi3 9*)
Tommy Fleetwood (TSi3 9*)
Matt Fitzpatrick (TSi3 9*)
Thomas Pieters (TSi2 10*)
Marcus Kinhult (TSi3 10*)
Branden Grace (TSi3 9*)
Joost Luiten (TSi3 9*)
Kalle Samooja (TSi3 10.5*)
The poster boy for free agency is Koepka. Not only is he a free agent, but he continues to be after three majors and a truckload of money waiting for him if he wants it. So why not take it? Freedom and self-belief, basically. Players like BK will bet on themselves 12 times out of 10. So keep an eye out for more big names to go this way, not overnight, but you’ll see more black Vessel bags than you ever have.
2. More two-driver setups
Yes. Get used to it. I honestly see a ton of players testing this theory out on the west coast. If someone wins, it’ll be a serious thing at Augusta. A 47-inch missile launcher, 44.5-inch bb gun, and a 4 wood. So long 3-wood, folks. It actually makes a ton of sense for any players in the high 170+ ball speed category, where having a club that gets you to the high 180s on command is a serious weapon. If you cant out muscle Bryson, might as well take your chances with a bigger stick.
3. Tiger Woods will rethink his bag
Driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 3-PW, 56, 60. Over and over for years and years. That’s the set makeup of Tiger’s bag. However, the one thing Tiger is not afraid of is knowing his limitations, and at this point in his career, he will have to start thinking about things in a totally different way.
In my opinion, it’s going to be something at the top of his iron set. 3 and 4-iron may go to a cavity back for more height. We may see a 7-wood, and a blind prediction would be adding a fourth wedge….that’s right. TW with a 52.
Call me crazy, it’s a just a hunch, but if a bag shakeup was going to happen, it will happen now. Granted to add a wedge, he might need to rethink the lofts on his irons. Will it happen? Who knows. I’m basing this whole theory on my following Tiger since junior golf and knowing his ability to accept change when change is needed. Basically, he’s stubborn about these things—until he’s not.
He still has plenty of gas left in the tank to win, but to compete through the air, he may have to look at the bag a bit. If I’m right, it’ll break the (golf equipment) net.
4. This will be the key driver battle
The whole town is on fire in the driver category. At this point, I’ve seen it all, and without giving away anything, I’ll say this: There will not be a clear cut best driver like we had in 2020. SIM dominated everything and rightly so, it was hands down the best stick. 2021 will be a bit different. Not only is TaylorMade bringing a serious hammer, but the rest of the market is following suit.
If anyone has a slight advantage, it’s Titleist having gotten to market first with their best offering maybe ever, but make no mistake, the rest of the OEMs have serious metal hitting early 2021, and in my opinion, the company that wins will be the one that conveys the best story, educates the masses, and pumps content into the atmosphere. These days, having a good product and telling a great story are both necessary. Let the games begin!
- LIKE199
- LEGIT26
- WOW8
- LOL10
- IDHT7
- FLOP13
- OB8
- SHANK52
- Kris Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.
View this post on Instagram
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.
TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.
TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.
Can you see where this is going?
Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”
View this post on Instagram
TaylorMade PUDI
TaylorMade PUDI technology cutaway (via TaylorMade)
Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.
In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.
TaylorMade PDHY
TaylorMade PDHY tech cutaway (via TaylorMade).
Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.
Club Junkie’s take
Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.
For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.
PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?
TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:
- PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
- PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
- Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
- PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
- PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family
Pricing, specs, and availability
Price: $249.99
At retail: Now
Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)
Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)
PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed
PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed
- LIKE15
- LEGIT4
- WOW3
- LOL3
- IDHT1
- FLOP2
- OB2
- SHANK4
Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/3/24): Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
From the seller: (@wwcl): “Has been gamed as pics show. 33.5 includes original h/c and grip. $575 includes shipping and PP fees.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
- LIKE1
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Kris Kim WITB 2024 (May)
Kris Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here....
Richy Werenski WITB 2024 (May)
Richy Werenski what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Houston Open. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1...
Wesley Bryan WITB 2024 (May)
Wesley Bryan what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple...
Adam Scott WITB 2024 (May)
Adam Scott what’s in the bag accurate as of the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (10.5 degrees)...
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
-
19th Hole1 week agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
Equipment3 weeks agoJason Day on his recent switch into Srixon ZX5 and ZX7 Mk II irons
Delbert
Dec 15, 2020 at 10:02 pm
Why Wunder? LOL! Tiger should go with Ping. Enough said.
Dyson Bochambeau
Dec 14, 2020 at 10:52 pm
This wunder guy is a tool
delbert
Dec 12, 2020 at 10:25 pm
When Tiger changes his ego, the bag set up will change and he will win big.
HKO
Dec 12, 2020 at 9:57 pm
wait. so the prediction on tiger’s bag was based on Wunder’s arse? what a bait…
John Wunder
Dec 13, 2020 at 9:55 am
It’s a prediction. Just my opinion on what I think could happen. Supposed to be fun no?
ChristianR
Dec 12, 2020 at 6:30 am
mmm…that thing of the two drivers is an hot topic but I’m wondering why they cannot simply stick to a 3 wood considering at that speeds they are anyway around 300yds, and lot more control and shot shaping.
Todd S
Dec 11, 2020 at 11:09 pm
hey johnny, you mention free agents using titelist tsi driver, but which driver is most popualar on tour amongst those not paid to play? My money is on Ping…thoughts or stats to back it up?
John Wunder
Dec 13, 2020 at 9:58 am
Hard to say as free agent would mean a FREE bag 100. Koepka TM Fleetwood TSi Reed TSi Rose TM Fitz TSi Sergio TM Casey TM Horschel TSi and the use if TSi was to explain free exposure not that its the go to.
Alex Howe
Dec 11, 2020 at 10:22 pm
SIM as the best driver hands down last year? Ummm
matt
Dec 11, 2020 at 6:15 pm
I really can’t believe Tiger still carries that 3 iron. I mean its ridiculous, he’s playing a game that doesn’t exist anymore, i could understand if he ever hit it off the tee, but when’s the last time you saw that?
The two drivers thing is very real. I remember chuckling at Phil when he did it at the US Open (which one was it again). But it just makes a lot of sense, 3 woods are really hard to justify when you could go this route and pop in a 4w like you say. DJ has officially brought back a limited wedge set as far as I’m concerned. Get a nice versatile lob wedge, one you like in bunkers and can hit distance wedges with. Then go get something in the 53-56 degree range. Learn to feel your distances. This isn’t for everyone, but I think I’m this kind of golfer. It just so happens to open up a spot in the bag too.
Rory
Dec 11, 2020 at 8:54 pm
Tigers 3 iron loft is pretty close to most other guys 4 iron loft.
stephen
Dec 12, 2020 at 11:26 pm
Rory hits a 3 iron
Speedy
Dec 11, 2020 at 5:30 pm
It ain’t the arrow.
matt
Dec 13, 2020 at 9:26 am
Rory dropped the bladed 3 iron for something with launch assistance.. P770ish type club. If Rory wanted to carry one that’s fine, Rory has tons more speed than Tiger. DJ carries a blade 3 iron I think, again he’s one of the rare guys who is a terrific striker with massive speed. Tiger was obviously once that guy, but those days are long gone.
The loft point is valid though.. still think that club needs to go though.
Brandon
Dec 11, 2020 at 5:10 pm
What color is the top of the Sim 2?
Travis
Dec 11, 2020 at 3:52 pm
He definitely will never change the bottom of his bag. He has decades of feel with those wedges. Adding a 52* and changing his PW would do nothing but force him to re-feel different lofts and shots. He would have to have mounds of data showing his proximity is significantly worse when using a weak PW versus a 46/52 or 48/52 setup.
Tiger will also never change to CB irons. He’s said time and time again he both trusts and likes the look of blades. He won’t be able to have confidence in a CB iron the same way.
However, he’s been on record to say he’d have no problem adding a 7W when the time is right. I specifically remember an interview with him years and years and years ago where he said he added the 5W because he couldn’t really hit his 2-iron the way he wanted to anymore. In that interview he said, when he feels he can’t hit the 3-iron anymore, he’ll add a 7W, then a 9W, etc.
E
Dec 11, 2020 at 2:51 pm
why would Tiger add a 52* when his PW is 49*/50*?? makes no sense
John Wunder
Dec 11, 2020 at 2:57 pm
If you read the whole article, you’ll see I try to explain what might happen…its just a theory.
Gianni still sucks
Dec 11, 2020 at 4:19 pm
Your theory sucks, just like your articles. This is just keyboard conversation, acting like it’s an inside tip.
John Wunder
Dec 13, 2020 at 10:01 am
There’s my Troll!!!!! Wouldnt be an article without yah. God bless.
CT
Dec 14, 2020 at 9:20 am
I would take this with a grain of salt. He thinks a lot of things suck. I’m sure he’s a gem on the golf course too.
Eric Draven
Dec 11, 2020 at 8:46 pm
Tiger is still by far the best player in the world 5 Iron down, it’s not even close. His distance control is impeccable so why would he change the wedge setup? And just because you’re here on the west coast doesn’t mean you have any idea what you’re talking about bruh.
John Wunder
Dec 12, 2020 at 12:11 pm
Im not on the West Coast and this article was just a fun exercise of what ifs. Not gospel by any stretch.
George costanza
Dec 11, 2020 at 10:52 pm
One of your free agents will be off the free agency board. Sit back and wait for the news. Also John guys like Thomas Pieters and Brendan Grace don’t move the needle. Irrelevant as far as what is in their bag. Just a FYI bud!
John Wunder
Dec 13, 2020 at 10:00 am
True on the Pieters and Grace, the point was to show that having your driver in a non staffer bag doesn’t hurt your cause.
Paulo
Dec 12, 2020 at 5:10 am
So aggressive and unnecessary. . The point E made was completely valid !
John Wunder
Dec 12, 2020 at 12:12 pm
I don’t understand this one. What was aggressive and unnecessary?
AC
Dec 31, 2020 at 9:50 pm
Ping is for kids! Not specifically tailored towards highly skill Players.
AC
Dec 31, 2020 at 9:56 pm
Different Bounce… makes a lot of sense.