Equipment

Phelps can swim, but he hopes to “sink” with Ping

Published

13 years ago

Jan 30, 2013

Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps can swim — he has 70 medals in international competition that confirms it. But recently, he’s been spending more of his time learning how to sink — sink putts that is.

Phelps has signed an endorsement contract with Ping to play a full set of the company’s custom-fit clubs, including the new G25 driver, fairway woods, hybrids and irons. Around the greens, Phelps will be using the new Tour wedges with Gorge grooves and Scottsdale TR (True Roll) Senita putter.

PING customized his new set in a red, white, and blue theme honoring his 22 medals in Olympic competition. But at 6-feet 4-inches tall, Phelps needed more than aesthetic changes to his clubs to make them work for him. His G25 irons are 1 inch longer than standard and 3 degrees upright. To accommodate his large hards, his grips are 1/32 inches over standard.

Phelps’ official debut with the clubs starts when he tees off at the Annexus Pro-Am at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where he’ll be paired with Masters Champion Bubba Watson.

“Michael is a legendary sports icon, and we all watched with great pride as he represented the United States while dominating his sport in international competition over the last decade,” said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “We’ve custom-built his clubs to ensure he has every chance to improve and we believe he’ll dedicate himself to golf with the same intensity he gave to swimming. His global presence as a golfer will bring PING tremendous exposure and just as importantly, shed additional light on the game in general.”

Phelps golf career is only five years young. In that time he has been able to establish a handicap of 16, just two shy of how many gold medals he has won. Golf fans and swimming fans will be able to see more of Phelps’ Ping set when Golf Channel’s “The Haney Project” airs on Feb. 25, where the swimming star will be the subject of an eight episode series with Hank Haney.

“I know how difficult the game of golf is, but I’m really serious about getting better and the experts at PING have already helped me a lot,” Phelps said. “They looked at my swing on the range and dialed me into clubs that perfectly fit my stance and swing. Considering how tall I am and the length of my arms, they showed me how important and beneficial it is that I play with custom-fit clubs. Once I had clubs that were built specifically for me, my ball flight improved right away. PING has a long history of helping golfers play better, so I’m excited to see how much I can continue to improve my game with the help of their equipment.”

Here’s what’s in Phelps’ bag:

Driver: Ping G25 (9.5 degrees)

3 Wood: Ping G25 (15 degrees)

Hybrid: Ping G25 (20 degrees)

Irons: Ping G25 (4 through U Wedge)

Wedges: Ping Tour with Gorge grooves (54 and 58 degrees, SS grind)

Putter: Ping Scottsdale TR Senita

Check out the photos in the gallery below:

Equipment

Interesting clubs at top of bag – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

12 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, users are talking about top of bag setups that are non-traditional or thought-provoking in some way. Original poster @SuperSpurs106 inquired about other members who might use unorthodox set-ups to help with gapping issues or weak spots.

They wrote:

“I currently have a PING G430 driver, TM Qi35 3W and a TM Qi4D 7W. Driver and 7W are fine but can’t get on with my 3W and have always struggling with this club over the years. Thinking of adding a 2H which I know would look odd. Just wondering if anyone else had a weird set up at the top of their bag?”

Our members in the forum have offered up their thoughts and personal experiences with non-traditional top of bag set-ups, and their reasoning for thinking outside of the box to begin with. 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.

BowMain42: “Don’t worry about what “looks” odd. If the club does what you need it to do, it’s the right club.”
scooterhd2: “I cant hit 3 woods either. Thats why I roll with a unicorn XL Hibore 2 wood. 400 cc head at 16 degrees of loft and its just a monster 3 wood off the tee. Off the deck, we are playing the f6 baffler. 5 wood at 41.75 inches and its easy to control.”
phizzy30: “I had driver, 3 metal, 2/4 hybrid once upon a time as a higher ss player. 4 hybrid is gone and in place is a driving iron nowadays. I don’t think what you’re proposing is weird in anyway, however the yardage gap might be glaringly huge between driver and 2 hybrid. What is it about your 3 metal that has got you all messed up? You could always go 4 metal with shorter shaft and see if that works.”

Entire Thread: “Interesting clubs at top of bag”

If you aren’t a member, join us in the GolfWRX forums today!

Equipment

Members of the Mini Driver Club – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

12 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user has gone searching for fellow users of a mini driver. In a post, @TightFade asked for other mini driver users to chime in with their weapon of choice, the reason for employing a mini, and what club follows it in the bag.

@TightFade asked:

“What mini are you playing? What spot in the bag did it take over? What’s the next club after it? For me: Elyte mini 13.5. Replacing 3w. Next up club looks like it’ll be 5w.”

Our members in the forum have been sharing their own bag setups featuring the mini driver, and the various reasons they purchased one in the first place. 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.

RCGA: “Ping G430 Max 12* ‘Thriver.’ Next club is a 4w and 2i (I play a weird course).”
JMB3: “R7 at 12.75 with Diamana BB 63s. 3w replacement. Next Club: Elyte Ti 5w at 17*.”
ColdOkieGolf: “R7 15.5 turned down to 13.5 It replaces the 3w. I found it surprisingly easy to hit off the deck, and it’s very rare that I need or want to hit something beyond 250 from the fairway, so next club is my 7w.”
ChaosTheory: “I’m sub-90 MPH with driver. But I’m able to hit DOD. I have been wanting something like the R7 15.5, so I just ordered one. I have a spot in the bag so nothing has to go. But I could see it replacing my trusty 4 wood, which I never use for approach shots. Just tee shots and lay ups. If I drop the 4 wood, I will turn my 7 wood down to ~20 degrees and will have good gaps. I recently tried a thriver build: 12 degree driver turned to 14, with a heavier 44 inch shaft and added head weight. I hit it great. Very accurate and not overly high, but the problem was that it sometimes went as far as a typical drive. And that’s not what I needed. So I will probably turn the 15.5 up to 16.5 or even 17.5. It’s all theoretical at this point. ?”

Entire Thread: “Members of the Mini Driver Club…Check In.”

If you aren’t a member, join us in the GolfWRX forums today!

Whats in the Bag

Chris Gotterup WITB 2026 (June)

Published

12 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Chris Gotterup had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.

Drivers: TaylorMade Qi4D (8 degrees), Ping G440 LST (9 degrees @8), Ping G440 LST (7.5 degrees)
Shafts: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Grey 6.5 TX 70 g, Project X HZRDUS T1100 Handcrafted 6.5 TX 70 g, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Grey 6.5 TX 70 g