Equipment
10 revealing photos from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
GolfWRX was live this week from the 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and if you haven’t browsed the galleries yet for this week, I highly suggest you do so now. There’s nothing quite like the beauty of the Monterey Peninsula, and our Tour photographer Greg Moore captured it wonderfully.
But what were the most telling photos from the week? Here are 10 revealing photos from Pebble Beach.
Golf in a nutshell
I wonder how us golfers appear from an outside perspective. We must look certified; using balance beams, T-squares, feet pads and mirrors, all for the sake of improvement. Call us crazy, but we’re certainly resolute.
The lead-tape effect
If I’m reading these notes correctly, this TaylorMade RBZ went from a swing weight of C7.5 to D1 due to the application of lead tape. These photos are my favorite; the ones that offer a look into how Tour players tinker with and refine their equipment.
Ian Poulter still owns Ferarri’s
Poulter had his Ferrari collection stamped on his Titleist SM5 wedges, and he’s back with the stampings on his SM6 wedge this year. If ever you need a reminder that PGA Tour players live the good life, just remember that Ian Poulter has his Ferrari collection stamped on a golf club that he gets paid to use… at Pebble Beach.
Well, that doesn’t seem very fair
Justin Rose recently put the new TaylorMade M2 in his bag. That’s awesome! You can buy the new driver and be just like Justin! Except the fact he’s playing an 8.5 degree head, which isn’t even offered in a retail model. I suppose there are perks to being a former U.S. Open champion.
In jail
Well, at least Kevin Na’s golf ball didn’t end up in the Pacific Ocean. But to get the ball out of this predicament — in jail between a rock wall and a huge bunker lip — he may end up pulling a hamstring and costing himself a few shots in the process.
Overprotective wedges
I can understand wanting to safeguard wedges this raw, but “take at your own risk” is almost daring someone to steal it, no?
Risk reward
How daring would you be with your tee shot on Hole No. 18 at Pebble Beach? Take it over the water and left of the tree and you’re left with an eagle possibility. Or, would you play right of the tree with an iron or hybrid and play for par?
Chillin’
If you hook your ball left into the ocean on the 18th hole and you’re about to snap your driver over your knee, just remember there’s a seal who’s sleeping on the rocks who couldn’t care less.
TaylorMade’s new Mini-Spider
After seeing overwhelming success with its SLDR Mini and AeroBurner Mini drivers, TaylorMade decided to use a similar concept with its putters. Enter: The TaylorMade Mini-Spider.
Glorious
It’s one of the most famous closing holes in golf for good reason. Aside from the entertainment of a risk-reward, closing par 5, it’s simply one of the most beautiful golf holes in the world. Where else can you play golf and have waves crashing in your backswing, with water splashing over your head?
Equipment
L.A.B. Golf launches new VZN.1i putter
L.A.B. Golf has been the pioneer when it comes to Lie Angle Balanced putters for years now. When you talk to another golfer and zero torque putters comes up, as it will since it is the hottest thing in golf, the first brand out of their mouthes is L.A.B. Golf. Currently their putter line up has something for every golfer, wether your like blades or mallets. But the company has a new creation for golfers that we saw out on tour just a few weeks ago and is now available to us, the VZN.1i putter.

One of the big stories with the new VZN.1i putter is alignment in the form of the shape. L.A.B. has always given us plenty of alignment options in their putters with different line formations and shapes that can be laser etched onto the top of the putter. With this new design they used the shape of the head and the open cavity in the middle to help enhance the alignment for players. These shapes help players lock into their intended line to improve accuracy and concistency.
“VZN.1i was approached formulaically by combining everything we’ve learned from the success of previous L.A.B. Golf models into a familiar mallet shape that’s easy on the eyes and even easier to putt with,” said Cameron Day, Senior Vice President of Product at L.A.B. Golf. “Every L.A.B. putter is engineered to roll the ball on its intended line through Lie Angle Balance technology. With VZN.1i, we took things a step further by simplifying another critical aspect of putting: alignment.”

Like most of the other L.A.B. mallet putters the VZN.1i is machined from a solid block of aluminum and features a 303 stainless steel face insert. Steel face inserts on all L.A.B. putters not only enhance the sound and feel but they improve ball speed for better distance control. The new shaping also offers two ways of picking up your ball, using the sole or the rear flange can scoop up the ball. The company is offering the VZN.1i with a 1.5 degree forward shaft lean or a vertical shaft option in order to fit more golfers. Each VZN.1i is hand balanced and 10 other stages before it is complete and ready to ship. L.A.B. has its custom program where the golfer can select their length and lie but also head color, shaft upgrades, and grips to make their VZN.1i fit them perfectly.

The VZN.1i is available now starting at $499 for stock models and $599 for custom.
Equipment
2026 Edition: Most comfortable walking shoe? – GolfWRXers discuss
In our forums, one user has asked a question sure to interest all sorts of golfers. What’s the most comfortable walking shoe of 2026?
@RobDMB posed the following question:
“Looking for suggestions/recommendations on the currently available most comfortable walking shoes – preferably waterproof. Essentially looking for something comfortable like a running shoe, but with some stability and waterproof for golf. Decent room in toe box as well. Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks!”
Our members in the forum have been sharing their own recommendations on the best walking shoes that can also survive a number of golf rounds. 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.
- SheriffBooth: “To check all your boxes I’d vote for whichever of the current Nike lineup fits your feet the best. Obviously the Victory Pro 4 and Victory Tour 4 are good enough for the two best players in the world, but the new Pegasus, Next% Tour 3, and Tempo all look really good too.”
- i*windows: “when I had issues with my feet I played in Asics running shoes they were a little bit like the hoka’s above, very comfortable, now I’m back to Ecco shoes which are great.”
- mshills: “Everyone’s feet are different so this will be a long list of lots of different shoes. For me, anything from Ecco’s Biom lineup. Nothing else comes close.”
Entire Thread: “2026 Edition: Most Comfortable Walking Shoe?”
If you aren’t a member, join us in the GolfWRX forums today!
Equipment
AVL gets fit for a KBS TGBlack driver shaft
AVL says: When it comes to the equipment you play, you have countless options. It is dizzying and exciting at the same time. What is best for my game? With a recent trip Carlsbad, California, and with that I had the pleasure to visit the KBS Golf Experience.
KBS has been a household name when it comes to steel shafts. Kim Braly is the author of countless wins in tour golf when it comes to shaft design. Now with the graphite TG Black the lineup expands. Specifically, I visited KBS with getting fit for a new driver shaft in mind, it was time to get this locked in with the new KBS Tour TG Black driver shaft.
I was met by Andrew in the shop and got to see some great merchandise, custom colors for putter shafts and snuck in a few putts before we went to the fitting bay to hit this TG Black. We based the driver off my current gamer. Plenty of options and more when it comes to getting a driver to match your gamer and beyond. Hit a few balls to warm up and we were off and running.

When I’m on the course, I like to see a little left to right ball flight with driver. Andrew and I talked about some of the things were seeing during warm ups and then started to dial in with TG Black. I was hitting a TG Black 70X. After a few swings I knew this shaft was very stable and responsive. The ball sounded really good off the club face as well. As we worked through the fitting I was talking with Andrew on some scenarios you would have on course.
I went through with hitting a lower drive with changing the tee height and trying some swings as if I was on a par 5 where you could let it rip. The shaft was feeling really solid on both kind of swings. Need to have the shaft be able to be there for you with a stock with and when you get in situational scenarios like hitting it low in the wind or letting one go downwind. The TG Black was right there.
I’m no robot and I liked how the shaft performed on strikes outside of the sweet spot: It didn’t climb too much with spin on mishits. The dispersion stayed very consistent. The first shaft was a pretty good fit, but we tested further to see what else we could capture with the data. I found with a lighter shaft, along with my tempo changing, the mishits were exaggerated but it was amazing how the club felt. Very solid.

I tried a heavier TG Black as well and it just didn’t sync up as well with my swing. I think it was one of the most important parts of the fitting was trying shafts that I normally wouldn’t hit. It was confirming to see why you play what you play. It is truly individual when it comes to fitting, and that’s the main thing I really liked being at KBS, they have seen it all when it comes to shafts.
From the fitting, we found the TG Black 70 X was the best fit for me. We went over to the workshop and Mitch built the shaft to spec. Tipped the shaft a half inch, got the grip on there, logo down of course, and soon enough it was ready to hit. I know the TG Black is going to be one to be swung with confidence when it comes to tournament time!
More on KBS TGBlack driver shafts
Most golfers know KBS Golf shafts but not many know about their graphite wood shafts. KBS is one of the leaders is golf shaft design but their reach goes much further than just iron shafts. Your whole bag can get the same high performance that your irons have whether it is a driver, fairway, wedge, or even putter. Earlier this year KBS launched brand new driver shafts; the PGW and the TGBlack to fit a wide range of golfers depending on their needs.
The team at KBS went to work on a new driver shaft and sought out feedback from some of the best players in the world on multiple professional tours. What they came up with is the new TGBlack wood shaft for those players who put control and stability first. We have seen quite a few players out on tour with the new TGBlack already like Jason Day who has the TGBlack in all of his woods.
TGBlack is a shaft designed to produce a more penetrating flight with lower spin. KBS uses high modulus carbon fiber throughout the shaft to create a stable tip section to optimize launch and lower spin. To hold all of that high-modulus material together KBS designed a special resin system to increase the feel of the shaft so even stronger, faster players can get a smooth feel from a stable shaft. Usually those two things do not always compliment each other. The EI profile of the TGBlack is smooth in order to use stored energy better to help keep ball speeds up across all weights and flexes.
KBS made sure that the TGBlack can fit a wide range of golfers with their weight and flex offerings. You can get the shaft in a 40g regular all the way to an 80g TXX stiff flex. This range will allow your fitter to test out a few options in order to find the best performing shaft for your swing!
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KK
Feb 17, 2016 at 11:28 pm
Ian Poulter sures tries hard to put people off. I think its great that he collects Ferraris and has the money to buy so many. I understand that professional golfers have a skill that very few people have and use that skill to make the money they make. I never complain about how much money a professional athlete earns or make blanket statements like they aren’t worth what they make. But to stamp your wedge with the model of every one of your Ferraris is just so smug, elitist, and just douche bag status. What’s the point? To remind yourself how good your life is? To be completely honest, 90% of the wedge stampings I have seen on this website make me think to myself….why??
Reeves
Feb 15, 2016 at 6:10 pm
I think moat if not all training aids have there one big ah ha moment then become useless garage clutter…..tip search ebay for used training aids because used ones are just as good as the new one still have that 20 second ah ha moment built in for you…then off to the storage unit…
[email protected]
Feb 14, 2016 at 1:34 am
TaylorMade is a joke. Boycott them
Fahgdat
Feb 15, 2016 at 1:05 am
You’re a joke
JR
Feb 13, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Reference 1st pic. Pros use plenty of training aids. The “popular” instructors who post in the instruction forum will tell you training aids dont work.
Joshuaplaysgolf
Feb 14, 2016 at 3:24 am
I think it depends on what sort of training aid your talking about. Really he’s just checking his alignment and trying to increase the feel in his feet. I don’t really see that as a training aid as much as an effort to make sure he’s square, bottoming the club out in the right place, and feeling his weight centered and shifting through his feet. When I think of ‘training aids’ I think of the wonky infomercials we all see on golf channel and late at night that are filled with straps, bars, hinges, or whatever else these people think of. I saw something for a samurai golf school a few weeks back. Ridiculous. BUT, if we are filing everything from alignment sticks to the robo swing machine under the ‘training aid’ umbrella, then I would be wrong. Personally, I think checking your alignment is highly useful, if not necessary…and if you have to strap a bunch of stuff to you or whatever to make the ‘perfect swing’ (doesn’t exist), it’s junk and we should all stay far, far away.