Equipment
Edwin Watts debuts “ARC” club matching
Golf retailer Edwin Watts has announcing the debut of its new “ARC,” a system, which will be released as part of the company’s Clubsmarts Report and provide golfers with a matrix that will help them find the club that best matches their particular needs.
The ARC system is the results of robot testing, conducted to try and help golfers find clubs that suit them. Edwin Watts has tested most of the big name drivers in a variety of categories and posted the results on its site (http://www.edwinwattsgolf.com/ARC.aspx) in order to show golfers unbiased results of club testing, which can be viewed free of charge.
Unbiased club testing is a pretty important tool in 2013, because manufacturers have been bery aggressive in their marketing strategies, hoping to convince golfers that new products are considerably better than previous models.
That is not to say that Edwin Watts’ system is perfect, because it is not. Most golfers don’t swing clubs like robots do, although I imagine the results might be appreciated by someone like say, Martin Kaymer, who might actually be a robot. And some golfers aren’t going to be fit into stock-length clubs, or stock-shafted clubs. But it will be a good starting point for many golfers to begin their testing. Furthermore, Edwin Watts doesn’t suggest you buy clubs based on this test, only that you use it as a guide for further testing based on your swing/impact type.
So what does the ARC club matching system reveal? Well, it shows a list of top-three performers for various categories, further subdivided by the type of contact made by the golfer (in this case, a robot). Do you hit most your shots off the toe? If so, maybe you should consider lessons.
But if you believe that lessons are for sissies, you could check the ARC results and see that the Tour Edge Exotics gave the robot the most distance on toe hits. Or you could find out that the RBZ had the highest ball speeds, or that the RBZ Stage 2 was the most accurate in terms of dispersion.
What if you tend to hit your drives thin (low on the face)? Well, if you are looking for distance on thin shots you might want to test the Ping Anser, which also had the fastest ball speed on those shots. So let me put it to you this way: If you hit it thin, just go buy a Ping Anser, OK buddy?
Of course, if you are like me and you hit dead solid perfect basically every time, the robot tells you that the Cleveland Classic is a low-spin bomber, as is the TaylorMade R1. Did I recently want to buy a Cleveland Classic? Yes I did. And now I want to even more, so thanks Edwin Watts!
The tests show results in five different categories: most distance, highest ball speeds, highest launch, most accurate and lowest spin. Those categories are further broken down into as many as six different categories based on where golfers can impact their drivers — high on the face, low on the face, on the toe, heel, sweet spot and an “overall” rating. Using those categories, golfers can pick some clubs to test based on their tendencies and see if they get similar results.
The results also seem pretty unbiased. Why do I say this? I’ll give you two reasons: Wilson and D100.
That club, which we’re yet to see used by anyone on the PGA Tour, was sprinkled all over the test. It ranks in the top three in a lot of the distance and ball speed categories, so much so that I thought for a second that Wilson endorser Padraig Harrington hacked into Edwin Watts website and just started doing stuff.
Would you have tested a Wilson club in your 2013 driver shootout? Put your hand down Kevin Streelman, because we know you would have. Then again, you happily hit your Ping G20 en route to his first Tour win at The Tampa Bay Championship, so maybe not.
While the robot results likely aren’t perfect, golfers would be foolish not to consult the Edwin Watts ARC results before they do their next round of driver testing. There are a lot of club tests out there, but very few that actually rank clubs based on anything not subjective, or that don’t recognize many different clubs with the same award.
Anything that helps golfers filter through the hype and even make an attempt to classify things in an organized matter is OK in my books.
Of course, Edwin Watts’ test doesn’t tell you at what swing speed the robot was set to, and the ARC system has not yet tested 3-woods, hybrids or even irons. But these are things that can be easily be done in the coming months and years. And while my guess is people will demand they provide a bit more details into the settings and results of the ARC tests, the bottom line is they have released information to the public that no one else has, and it’s something that can help the average golfer.
So good for Edwin Watts, good for us, and good for Wilson!
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Equipment
Webb Simpson Equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T-100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T-100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for, like, comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two.So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives nearby Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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- Pavon’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 Max (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
3-wood: Ping G430 LST (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X
Irons: Ping i230 (3-PW)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: Ping Si59 (52-12S, 58-8B)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Ping Cadence TR Tomcat C
Grip: SuperStroke Claw 1.0P
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Pavon’s gear here.
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Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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thatsjapanesesfor far
May 1, 2013 at 11:36 am
I appreciate any testing of clubs and i think ewg is less biased than say golf digest since golf digest does get big advertising dollars from the major companies but i love reading their testing also get all the info available and go enjoy the game more, make friends make birdies, make great memories.
Kj
Apr 20, 2013 at 8:23 am
As a data point I think this is great. Bottom line, you have to get fit. The hardest part for some of us is that very few fitting carts have X flex shafts. It becomes a guessing game after that.
BobD
Apr 9, 2013 at 4:07 pm
This relative ranking is next to useless without the associated data. You need to publish the means and standard deviations for each driver in each category as well as the configurations and environmental data for this to be meaningful at all.
Roger Faithfull
Apr 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm
Well done Erwin Watts! A simple visual guide punters can understand. If Wilson has a $100 lower price point…………
Thats called winning market share.
If the TEE works real well, and has a more consistent flexing shaft
in true CPM numbers than this years Callaways (all over the place based on reader reports) then test it out and be Open Minded!
I will bag any brand that works Better Than What I Got Now
and hits More Fairways/Greens in Regulation. 44/45 inch Drivers will help you get Centre Impact…but we all knew that. Cheers.
naflack
Apr 9, 2013 at 12:33 pm
I agree that this very unscientific but a great place to get the ball rolling…
Joe S
Apr 9, 2013 at 12:05 pm
This testing is flawed for sure; And they do need to provide more info. like clubhead speed, AofA, Path, etc. (i.e. full ‘trackman’ data points) and shafts utilized. That said, this is FREAKIN AWESOME. There is so little objective/’scientific data’ out there, I feel this is a big step forward; maybe will help get the ball rolling for more and help us see thru the haze of the manufacturers hype. Robot testing is fine as far as I can see to help establish a base line; particularly as it would relate to ball flight characteristics/spin rates on center /off center hits. I applaud EW for their efforts.
Bill Marshall
Apr 9, 2013 at 9:24 am
You want fitted clubs that work for you,go to a professional club fitter,and not some cut and glue guy.You want the same thing you currently have,clubs that don’t work as described for you,go to an “off the rack” store. Newer version than current heartache,but still a heartache. Bill Marshall, certified level 10 club fitter AGCP,Lakeland Florida
J
Apr 8, 2013 at 8:17 pm
So… The Wilson and the Exotics come with aftermarket real deal shafts.
Not sure, but the comment seemed like a backhanded insult to those drivers…
Seems to me that those are great driver options at a great price point with great shafts..
I don’t and won’t play either one of them but for someone’s money… Seems like a good deal
hbugolf89
Apr 9, 2013 at 10:09 am
False…….TEE uses watered down versions of these high end shafts with the retail graphics. The CB 4 had a made for RIP and the XCG series has a made for DI shaft. Not big into following Wilson, but I’m sure it correlates respectivly.
Joe Golfer
Apr 10, 2013 at 1:00 am
I’m not surprised. Clubs would be too expensive if they used the real deal aftermarket shafts. The Graphite Design Tour AD DI, if that’s what you mean by the “DI”, retails for $380. The Aldila RIP shafts go for about $160.
What is even more amazing is that, some “made for” shafts are actually made by the same company that has the graphics, just watered down versions with lower technology, less graphite and more resin, higher torque, etc etc…
And some of those “made for” shafts are not even made by the company that has their name on them. This was revealed in a blog by component company Hireko’s Jeff Summit. The real deal shaft company just takes the money and lets the clubmaker use their name and graphics, but the clubmaker can have a totally different company make that shaft, which just might be a piece of garbage or it might be something reasonably decent, but hardly the quality of the real deal.
thatsjapanesesfor far
May 1, 2013 at 11:29 am
they are not aftermarket shafts they are the stock shaftsthose companies choose and most all major companies have the same ability to put whatever shaft in they like the pings and titleist do not have made for shafts in 2013 it is the true shfts which sell for big dollars as well as the callawy razr extreme with the same shaft as exotics in it’s option package
paul
Apr 8, 2013 at 2:56 pm
I tried the Wilson D100 at the golf show when it came to town. What a great club. I hit it farther then the anser…
Adam
Apr 8, 2013 at 1:51 pm
I can say with 100% certainty that this testing is bogus. There is no way that the Ping Anser is the highest launching anything.
purkjason
Apr 8, 2013 at 1:32 pm
I smell money being exchanged under the table on this testing. Like everyone else I was shockingly suprised with the outcome of this testing. 1)Wilson Staff D100 …. now that’s funny. 2) Where are all the Adams Drivers? 3)The lack of Callaway hitting better scores. I did my own testing this weekend for 4.5 hours hitting every driver possible at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy and the “Winner For Me” in distance and accuracy was the Callaway X Hot 9.5 Standard Head with a FREE upgrade Project X Velocity Pro 5.5 Shaft cut down 1.5″ to make it feel more like a 6.0 . The “FREE UPGRADED SHAFT” is what made the “BIG DIFFERENCE”. Outdrove every driver with that shaft by 9 yards !
thatsjapanesesfor far
May 1, 2013 at 11:32 am
Funny you should say that since dicks doesnt carry wlson products anyway.
rtylerg
Apr 8, 2013 at 1:12 pm
This ARC system is not a scientific test. Unless they’re using the same shaft with the same length in each of these heads matched to the same swing weight, which wasn’t mentioned anywhere on the website, there are far too many variables to determine which head is really the best. After checking on the Wilson D100 and Tour Exotics specs, it turns out that both these drivers come with premium aftermarket shafts whereas the other heads come with “made for” shafts. I could put a premium shaft in a KMart driver head and it would perform better than most drivers with “made for” shafts. I guess if you just want to buy a driver off the shelf then this testing is fine. However, most good manufacturers have aftermarket shaft options that will make a world of difference compared to their “off the shelf” shafts. Those of you using premium shafts in your drivers know what I’m talking about.
SV
Apr 11, 2013 at 11:56 am
This article simply states the ARC system gives starting information for people to consider based on manufacturer offering. It doesn’t pretend to be all encompassing. The majority of people can’t break 90 and a lot can’t break 100. I doubt premium shafts are going to make a difference. Until you have someone consistently in the low to mid 70s the premium shafts are just an ego trip and a waste of money.
thatsjapanesesfor far
May 1, 2013 at 11:26 am
Thw matrix in the exotics and wilson are stock shafts and the shafts for ping and titleist are not made for shafts anymore either the callaway raxr x has the same matrix shaft as the exotics also But just the comment itself is a little funny to me, if you go looking at a corvette and a chevy cruz do you ask them to put the ls9 in th cruz to check performance no you test what the companies produce so that arguement is kind of silly sounding.
Double Mocha Man
Apr 8, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Very good catch John.
John
Apr 8, 2013 at 12:10 pm
Very good article
Jaacob Bowden
Apr 8, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Interesting. 🙂
Wish this test would include a lot of the smaller manufacturers that have great products but limited marketing budgets.
Last I checked, I found 97 different companies that make a driver model…bet there would be some surprises in there.
Displayname
Apr 8, 2013 at 11:59 am
This is awesome! Glad to see Wilson shine, but I really wish Adams would have been included.