Equipment
McIlroy switches to prototype MRC driver shaft
Rory McIlroy is using a new driver shaft this week at the U.S. Open, a prototype by Mitsubishi Rayon that is similar to the company’s Kuro Kage Silver shaft.
McIlroy was previously playing another prototype Mitsubishi shaft, a Diamana Prototype 70X, which had a similar balanced profile to the company’s 4th-generation Blue Board shaft, which is called the B-Series.
While the new shaft McIlroy is using looks nearly identical to Mitsubishi’s Kuro Kage Silver shaft that golfers can buy off-the-rack, it is made with different materials, according to a tour representative from Mitsubishi.
The Kuro Kage Silver shafts are made of graphite material that Mitsubishi calls “High-Density Prepreg,” which has more carbon fiber and less resin than the company’s previous shafts to give it more strength and feel.
McIlroy’s prototype shaft has the same profile as the Kuro Kage Silver, a stiff tip and mid section with a softer butt section, but the graphite is reinforced with Mitsubishi’s Elastic Titanium Fiber, which is an alloy comprised of Titanium and Nickel.
The alloy, also called “TiNi,” is used to create the company’s Bassara W-Series shaft that has been used on the PGA Tour by Matt Kuchar. According to Mitsubishi’s website, the TiNi fiber allows a shaft to “deform and then recover immediately to its original shape.”
Check out the photos below of McIlroy with the new shaft in Wednesday’s practice round. He plays the shaft in a Nike Covert Tour driver that is set to 10.5 degrees with a neutral face angle.
On a side note, Nick Watney has changed from a prototype Mitsubishi Kuro Kage Silver driver shaft that he has been using all season to the Mitsubishi White Board 83X shaft he used in 2012.
According to the source, Watney was also playing a Kuro Kage that uses the company’s TiNi alloy. That source tells us that we will be hearing more about McIlroy’s newest shaft in the coming weeks.
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- Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Prototype (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Utility: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 85 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex Pro (3), Callaway X Forged (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 130
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10S, 56-10S, 60-06C)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X
Putter: Odyssey Ai One Milled Eight T DB
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Hojgaard in the forums.
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- Rory McIlroy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: TaylorMade Proto (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9)
Shaft: Project X 7.0 (4-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-K @59)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X3
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s WITB in the forums.
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Ping PLD putters have been a very common site on profesional tours. Pros seem to gravitate toward the PLD line’s custom options and precision milling. We have seen the PLD line expanded over the years, but we haven’t seen too many, if any, large mallets.
This week we spotted a PLD putter in Nate Lashley’s bag that has a similar look to the old Ping Wolverine head shape. This putter is a large mallet with the famous “claws” on the outside and oval center that housed the alignment aid.
Nick’s putter has the PLD logo on the back but also looks like it might have an insert installed on the face. It is hard to tell but at the address picture, it looks like the face is a lighter material than the rest of the putters. The putter is center-shafted and should be face-balanced with a high MOI for stability and forgiveness on mishits. The sole is completely milled and has no markings of name or technologies that might be present in the head. A single white site line is on the top of the putter for alignment.
Nick’s putter is finished off with a chrome steel shaft and a Super Stroke Zenergy Flatso 2.0 grip in black and white.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
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Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)...
Rory McIlroy WITB 2024 (April)
Rory McIlroy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)
Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees...
Will Zalatoris WITB 2024 (April)
Will Zalatoris’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)...
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owler
Oct 17, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Im sure I spotted Rory playing this week in the Korea Open with a TaylorMade R11.
Linn Sinquefield
Jun 19, 2013 at 4:18 am
I think both McIlroy and Watney are struggling with their new nike equipment. They performed much better last season than they did this season.
Curt
Jun 13, 2013 at 10:06 pm
Amazing how much love the WB still gets. I need to pull one out of the closet to give it another go, because I remember the butt section being way too soft!!