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Inside the TaylorMade Tour Truck: What are the equipment changes being made for The Masters?

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For equipment junkies, there’s nothing cooler than tales from inside the tour trucks.

Chris Trott from the TaylorMade Tour Truck joined Two Guys Talkin’ Golf live from The Masters yesterday to discuss the latest equipment changes by Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tiger Woods and more.

Audio was, as co-host Andrew Tursky put it, “sub-par and not in the good golf way,” so we’re collecting a few of the choicest morsels here.

On what the TaylorMade Tour Truck has been busy with this week

“A lot of wedges…heel grinding…getting the bounce right. Getting that channeling in the high toe for the bunkers…UDI 2-irons, UDI 3-irons.”

On Justin Rose’s new wedge

“Hi-Toe…launches it lower and spins a little more, but it’s got a sole that’s extremely versatile. Guys, like Justin Rose, that’s who I’ve done a lot of wedges for these past few weeks. He’s looking to find a grind that exactly works in the 64. He’s got the 60 right…he’s just tweaking the 64 a little, and I think the reason is he tweaked it to 62 in Houston last week, so when you take the loft off, that changes the bounce characteristics. So as a result, we’ve just deepend out that channel a bit…not too much, because obviously you need if for the fairways, which are cut into the player, but it’s enough to give it a bit more bounce out of the traps, which allows hit to hit certain shots. This flows back into his iron game, because it allows him to be more aggressive into pins when he knows he has a wedge that’s as versatile as we’re getting.”

On Jason Day’s switch to P730 irons

“Change in spin rates and descent angles into greens and just control with the spin [these are the reasons] he’s gone to the 730. He feels his can control the spin a bit more. He’s changed the lie angles a little bit…flattened them off a touch…People go, “that’s a big change.” It is a big change, but the thought, the detail, the measuring an remeasuring, the checking, the rechecking…the getting everything right, the TrackMan combination. That is a well-thought out tactical change….these things don’t just happened, it’s stuff that’s worked on and thought out….The shafts are Dynamic Golf X7s. That’s the same shaft he’s played.”

On the TW Prototype iron process

“It’s an ongoing project. I haven’t been involved in that project, but I know the engineers are working with him and enjoying getting his feedback…I know there’s been some findings as to what he needs that is quite different to what we’ve made. I think it’s a learning process for everyone, and we’re still on it…but it’s moving along. I don’t think it’ll be long before we have something else coming out here for him to test.

“We keep it to a very few people working with him on that. You get to see these guys and ask the questions, and there are certain things that he had, as you touch them, that are how he wants. And there are certain sights that he gets that are how he wants…but it’s a process…we went in there with what we might have put someone into to start, and then as we learn more about what he wants, what he likes to see, it’s a back-and-forth…but it’s been exciting to have the front-row seat.”

On Tiger Woods’ shaft change to the Tensei CK Pro Orange

“It was done off-site last week…there must be something he likes on that. I was actually around doing the Rory change when he went to Tensei Orange…it’s a counterbalanced shaft. You can add a bit of weight into the head, which in turn gives you, which gives you a bit more mass at that end of the golf club, which gives you a bit more speed. So, I’d be guessing that that’s what Tiger has done.

“When you go between the [Tensei] White and the Orange, this difference is counterbalanced versus non-counterbalanced. You can take the swingweight, which is the balance point, up, therefore it can give you more speed. It’s what we saw with Rory, and he gained five or six miles per hour on that…but for Tiger, he’s gone from a non-counterbalanced shaft to a counterbalanced shaft, so he’ll have to put a bit more weight in the head, which will give him more speed. It’s a nice shaft if you can handle all the weight, and I imagine he now feels like he’s got the speed, he’s gotten fit, and he’s got the feel back…and that’s the change he’s gone to.”

On Tiger ever switching to the Hi-Toe

“I know he’s had interest in Jason Day’s…Jason Day changed driver lengths, and I know they talked a lot about that, and he’s also shown an interest in Jason Day’s Hi-Toe…those top guys, they all talk…so I certainly expect that phone call to test out that Hi-Toe.”

On wedge stampings

“A lot of it is the personal touch…some of the guys request it…I think it’s nice and unique…but it also helps us identify. The stamping isn’t just for them…If you notice with the…Rahm stuff: Some of them get “Rahmbo” some of them get “JR”…we’re often working on things, and the only way to differentiate between grinds is to put a stamp on there.”

You can listen to the full conversation here.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Zach

    Apr 5, 2018 at 11:37 am

    That mean Rose is effectively carrying 5 wedges? Or does he have it gapped out for 4?

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Whats in the Bag

Club Junkie WITB, league night week 5: Another L.A.B. putter arises

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We will be one quarter of the way through Thursday night men’s league season after this week. BK played much better last week, so he is hoping to continue that success and post another good score.

Here are the 14 clubs that will hopefully win him some skins!

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops (9 degrees, neutral setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X (2024)

3-wood: Cobra Dark Speed LS Titanium (14.5 degrees, set +1)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7x

Fairway: Callaway Apex UW (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 8 X

Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops 4h (22 degrees, Flat Setting)
Shaft: KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 85 S

Irons: TaylorMade P770 Phantom Black (5-PW)
Shaft: KBS Tour 120 Stiff

Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (50-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff

Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (56-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff

Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (60-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff

Putter: L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max
Shaft: Accra x L.A.B. White

Ball: Titleist ProV1 Enhanced Alignment

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Whats in the Bag

Jon Rahm WITB 2024 (May)

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Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Aldila Tour Green ATX 75 2.8 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond T (High Launch, 16 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X

5-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond T (18 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X

Irons: Callaway Apex UT (21 degrees) Buy here, Callaway Apex Pro (4) Buy here, Callaway Apex TCB (5-10) Buy here.
Shafts: KBS Tour Hybrid Prototype 105 X (21), Project X 6.5 (4-PW)

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Forged (52-10, 56-12) Buy here, Callaway Jaws Raw (60-04C) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 125 6.5

Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Rossie S Buy here.

Grips: Golf Pride MCC midsize

More photos of Jon Rahm’s WITB in the forums.

More Jon Rahm WITBs

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Equipment

Limited-edition gear spotted at the PGA Championship

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The second major of the season is here, and with it, custom gear aplenty! Taking inspiration from both Louisville, Kentucky, and host course Valhalla, the OEMs have been having some fun with the designs.

Check out PGA Championship staff bags, some custom kicks, and a very cool putter grip from SuperStroke.

2024 PGA Championship staff bags

Callaway

Cobra

TaylorMade

Scotty Cameron’s putter cover features the Scotty Dog in Viking helmet

Bettinardi’s KFC-inspired putter covers

Ping’s bourbon-inspired putter cover

Rory McIlroy’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail-inspired Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 shoes

FootJoy x Todd Snyder Mint Julep Premier Series

(Photo courtesy of FootJoy)

Brooks Koepka’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail-inspired Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour shoes

(Photo courtesy of Nike)

SuperStroke’s PGA Championship grip

Check out all of our photos from Valhalla here.

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