Equipment

How Justin Thomas is driving the ball 15 yards farther

Published

8 months ago

Sep 14, 2023

As Andrew Tursky detailed for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report, Justin Thomas is adding a new driver build to his arsenal. JT is complementing his 10-degree Titleist TSR3 and 44.875-inch Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX shaft with some heavy artillery: a TSR3 with a 45.625-inch Graphite Design VF 5 X shaft.

Why the additional option? In a word: bombs.

According to Thomas, the new shaft helps him pick up big distance compared to his usual gamer driver.

“I wanted a longer driver option to have,” Thomas said in his Wednesday press conference in Napa. “I wanted something to where maybe I travel with it every week and it’s like maybe I use it five times a year, maybe I use it once, whatever. It’s just three-fourths of an inch longer, but it’s an instant 2 or 3 mph club speed [increase], and it goes quite a bit further.

“It was just something I wanted to have…we kind of screwed around and [Titleist Tour rep J.J. Van Wezenbeeck] sent me some stuff in the mail, but hadn’t done like a proper fitting for one, because I know my driver’s great. It works how I want it to…I’ve driven it really, really well with the longer driver actually the last two weeks using it,” he continued. “So I don’t know. I mean, I’m going to go hit some balls and make a decision. It will be most likely just end up using my gamer, but it’s just something that I’ve — I just wanted to have more than anything, and I was hitting it really good the last couple weeks and I’m like, well, maybe we’ll end up playing this more than we thought, but we’ll see.

“It’s an instant 3 to 5 [mph ball speed increase]. You know, when I hit it hard, hit that hard high one, it’s a 15-yarder, which is a nice thing obviously to have.”

More about Thomas’ driver and a custom Titleist T100 4-iron he’s testing over at the Equipment Report.

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Equipment

Michael Block spotted with full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons at Valhalla

Published

14 hours ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.

On Monday at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Block had a full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons in the bag.

Block is the first player of many on the PGA TOUR to bag a set of the mysterious “Proto” irons. Rory McIlroy first switched into a “Proto” 4-iron at the Valero Texas Open, and Collin Morikawa followed suit at the 2024 RBC Heritage. Block isn’t using just the 4-iron, though, he’s using a full set to go along with a TaylorMade Stealth UDI driving iron.

Speaking with GolfWRX.com on Monday at the PGA Championship, Block revealed the full backstory.

“I hit a couple super “Proto” irons when I was at the Kingdom (TaylorMade’s fitting facility in Southern California) a couple months ago, and it was a 9-iron that didn’t have any badges or anything on it,” Block said. “I had no idea what it was … It was very similar to what I was using back then, you know, my old MCs, and very similar from the top. I hit it and absolutely loved it. For me to even think about switching irons from the last 11-12 years is crazy.

“I got this set about two weeks ago, and I’m working my way into them. I hit them more solid; it comes off the face more solid. Much higher. I think they’re still slightly too upright for me, so they’re being bent a degree flatter, because they’re going a little too high for me and drawing a little too much. When that starts to happen, I start to drop the club under and compensate too much, so I’m getting them flattened slightly, and I’m going to test them on the range again, and hopefully have them in play on Thursday…

“They go further, and they go higher … that combination is kind of a no-brainer. If I can take a 5-iron from 204 rather than a 4-iron, it’s good on me. It’s going to help me out for sure, especially at a major with the pin locations. Having that height coming in, that descent angle is going to be huge.”

With such new irons in the bag, after using the same irons for over a decade, surely you’d think there will be a bit of a learning curve. Block, however, is finding immediate comfort with the new “Proto” irons.

Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.

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Whats in the Bag

WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2014 PGA Championship

Published

16 hours ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Rory McIlroy outlasted Phil Mickelson at the 2014 PGA Championship. It’s even harder to believe McIlroy hasn’t hoisted a major trophy since his 2014 victory at Valhalla.

After a slow start to his final round, McIlroy tallied an eagle and two birdies on the back nine and his fourth major championship. Take a look at the clubs he played a decade ago in Kentucky.

Driver: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (8.5 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XTS 70X

3-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X

5-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (19 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X

Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.

Irons: Nike VR Pro Blade (4-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0

Wedges: Nike VR Forged (46, 52, 56, 60 degrees) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Putter: Nike Method 006 Buy here.

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Ball: Nike RZN Black

Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.

WITB Time Machine is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.

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