Equipment
Billy Horschel gets hilariously trolled by Justin Thomas while talking about his custom Titleist irons
Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas have banned together recently in their loyalties to the PGA Tour, speaking out against the players who have decided to join the LIV Golf tour. Horschel had a heated press conference this week at the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open discussing the issue, and Thomas roasted Talor Gooch for his comments comparing LIV and the Ryder Cup.
In a Wednesday interview with GolfWRX, however, the pair enjoyed a bit of light-hearted fun.
As I was speaking with Horschel about the custom Titleist 620 MB irons he’s been using over the last year (and to win the recent 2022 Memorial Tournament), Thomas photobombed the interview, unbeknownst to Horschel. The moment is going viral over on GolfWRX’s Instagram and new TikTok.
Check out JT’s hilarious antics in the full YouTube video below (JT enters the scene around the 1:10 mark):
Not to be overlooked, however, there was a serious gear explanation by Horschel going on during the interview.
Here’s what he had to say about his custom irons:
“I’ve had issues over the last couple years with spin rates with certain irons being all over the map,” Horschel told GolfWRX. “Spin rates being a little too low, and then when I hit three-quarter shots, it’s really low, so a three-quarter shot goes just as far as a full shot.
“I wanted to go back to a full blade. I worked with Titleist at the Zurich last year. Unfortunately with the way my lofts are – I’ve always played a little bit stronger lofts – the irons just dug way too much for me.
“So the Titleist boys got together and put their heads together, and they actually came up with an idea. My 7 iron is a 6 iron head. If you look at it on the ground, it’s a 6 iron head. So what they did is they took a 6-iron head, bent it back to my loft, which obviously took the offset off, and added bounce. It had too much bounce, so they had to grind this little perforated edge here so this club could get in the ground a little bit and it wouldn’t bounce of the ground.”
“The Titleist boys do some great work and the irons have been really successful for me over the last year. Distance control has gotten better. Iron play has improved, so I can’t thank them enough.”
Of course, Thomas himself plays some one-off custom Titleist irons, too. At last year’s 2021 CJ Cup, Thomas debuted Titleist 621.JT irons that were constructed to have zero offset, and he used the irons to win the recent 2022 PGA Championship.
For all of GolfWRX’s recent content from the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open, check out the links below:
- WITB and general photos
- Scotland course tours (North Berwick and The Renaissance Club)
- Instagram interviews
- TikTok interviews
Stay tuned, because GolfWRX has a lot more on the way from Scotland!
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Equipment
Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron
As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)
What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!
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I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…
To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”
On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.
Here’s what he had to say:
You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?
MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.
And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.
When did it come back in the bag?
MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.
What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?
MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?
Do you remember how much you paid for it?
MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.
The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?
MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.
It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?
MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.
What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?
MT: Like high 170’s.
Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.
MT: Yeah. The butter knife.
Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons?
MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.
How far do you carry that?
MT: Like 235.
A good little wind club, I’m sure.
MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.
I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man.
MT: Absolutely.
To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (3/28/24): L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft
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 L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick putter with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft.
From the seller: (@hibcam): “L.A.B. GOLF Mezz.1 Max Broomstick- LA Golf Paige Spiranac Shaft- 44″/79.5. Brand new, never used brown leather cover. The head was professionally anodized from Orange to Blue (Orange looked bad with the Pink shaft so I had it changed). Only a few rounds on this combo. Please see last pic- slight ding on back corner. 8.5-10 condition. THE SHAFT COST $475/ THE PUTTER $625. $799 shipped in the US. ONLY $699 SHIPPED.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft
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
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Equipment
Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.
However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.
“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”
Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.
Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.
Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.
One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play with an additional degree of loft to help dial in his desired launch.
We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!
- Check out the rest of our pictures from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
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Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty
Jul 8, 2022 at 1:58 am
Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas have *BANDED* together recently…
Elton John
Jul 9, 2022 at 12:08 pm
You’re right. Justin’s the bottom.
Brian
Jul 7, 2022 at 10:39 am
The more I see/hear of JT, the more I like him. When he first hit the Tour, I didn’t care for him for silly reasons…I just though he had a smug, punch-able face. He’s really grown on me.
Throat Puncher
Jul 7, 2022 at 1:03 pm
I’d like to punch him in the throat.
Jed
Jul 7, 2022 at 9:30 pm
That’s a bit silly.
Throat Puncher
Jul 7, 2022 at 9:52 pm
Yeah. You think silly, till you get punched in the throat Jed.
Professor
Jul 8, 2022 at 10:45 am
Agreed! He’s proven himself to be quite thoughtful and he’s definitely dedicated to his craft. He’s getting better each season. Of course, being mentored by the GOAT doesn’t hurt.
Jimmy
Jul 9, 2022 at 8:39 pm
Jack Nicklaus is mentoring Billy horschel