Equipment
Wait, what?! Check out Spencer Levin’s WILD new putting technique and obscure putter from 2004
Spencer Levin is already a folk hero in the golf world, and his legend is likely to grow this week thanks to a new putting technique he’s implementing – and he’s using the technique with a putter from 2004 that he found in his dad’s shed.
On Tuesday ahead of the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open, GolfWRX.com spotted Levin – who qualified for the event via Monday qualifier – using a hammY putter, which was released to the public in 2004. A quick Google search reveals that the putter is currently being sold for $119.95 at intheholegolf.com.
"What's up Happy Gilmore" ?
Spencer Levin breaks down his unique putting @ShrinersOpen pic.twitter.com/vudR79LHLn
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 5, 2022
According to the product description of the hammY putter, it’s built with a longer length (37-38.5 inches), a split grip, and a triple-bend, center shaft construction. It’s designed to be used with a hands-spread grip and a 45-degree open stance, with the ball played back in the stance to allow for a natural forward press and better view of the line.
LPGA player Natalie Gulbis actually first made the putter famous by winning with it in 2007, and now Levin is bringing the design to the PGA Tour 15 years later.
GolfWRX caught up with Levin on Tuesday in Las Vegas to get the backstory of how the hammY ended up in his golf bag:
“I’m going split grip. That’s the way I think it says you’re supposed to use this putter. I think when they designed it they wanted you to tuck your arm in and stand open with it, and use your right hand only, but I know that’s illegal now so I’m just taking my arm off [my chest].
“The only reason I tried it was because I was fooling around with a short putter and I was just gripping way down the shaft, and I was starting my short putts on line. So then I remember, it’s funny, this [putter] came out of my dad’s shed. He’s had this putter for like 30 years. I remembered he had it, and I went to fool around with it, and the first day I used it I made 11 birdies with it. Ever since then I been using it, so. Hopefully I keep it rollin.”
Wait, so Levin really found this hammY putter in his dad’s shed, and he’s using it to play in a PGA Tour event?
“I knew he had this putter in the past, and it was kinda similar to what I was messing around with, you know?” Levin said. “And then I just grabbed it and put a new [SuperStroke] grip on it…the first time I used it was in a Monday for Napa, and I putted good, and I used it yesterday, and I putted good yesterday. So it’s just kinda, something I been using…ever since I’ve used it, I haven’t even thought about using a different putter. Whereas before I was changing putters everyday.”
The rest of his bag setup is just as legendary as his putter, too. Most notably, he’s using TaylorMade Burner TP fairway woods (which were originally released in 2007), and he’s using them with stock shafts. He’s also using a headcover made by Seamus Golf that’s inspired by “The Dude” character in the 1998 movie The Big Lebowski – if you haven’t seen the movie, then “obviously you’re not a golfer.”
Check out Levin’s full WITB setup at the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi 10 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 70 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi 10 Tour (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P790 (3), TaylorMade P7MC (4-6), and TaylorMade P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 54-11SB, 58-08LB)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Reserve Juno
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
Check out more in-hand photos of Pierceson Coody’s WITB here.
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Ben Griffin might be a little too young to remember some of the iconic Maxfli golf balls that won on tour, but that isn’t stopping him from putting the newest Tour X ball from the brand in play. Today, Maxfli and Griffin announced an exclusive partnership that will see the PGA Tour player using the company’s four-piece golf ball.
While Griffin might be the first PGA Tour player to put a new Maxfli golf ball in play, he isn’t the first profesional golfer to do so. Lexi Thompson has been playing the Maxfli Tour golf ball on the LPGA Tour since the beginning of the 2024.
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We caught up with Ben at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas this week to ask him about the new ball switch.
“I was able to finally get my hands on some and try it and immediately I saw faster ball speed with the driver, which is always something every golfer wants to see.
“Then I had to test a lot around the greens and test irons, test spins, test everything like that. Basically, I came to the conclusion that I thought this was probably one of the best golf balls for my game.
“And so I decided to make it official and partner with them and very excited to help kind of launch this golf ball and see where it takes us.”
Griffin’s ball of choice is the Maxfli Tour X, a four-piece golf ball that is made for highly skilled players that want consistent distance off the driver and spin around the green. An updated core design helps add the ball speed that Griffin mentioned and two ionomer mantle layers separate low spin driver shots from higher spin iron and wedge shots. Maxfli uses Center Of center-of-gravity balancing to ensure each ball has consistent flight in the air and roll on the green. Like all golf balls on tour, the Tour X features a cast urethane cover for maximum performance, and it has a tetrahedron dimple pattern to enhance aerodynamics.
It is exciting to see a golf ball at a lower price point — $39.99 at Golf Galaxy — being used by a top 100 ranked player in the world like Ben Griffin, and equipment junkies will be keenly watching his performance with the new ball.
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The tournament bearing the name of one of golf’s all-time greats is now known as the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Back in 2017, it was still the AT&T Byron Nelson and Billy Horschel was still a full-bag PXG staffer. The Florida Gator leveraged those wares to a playoff victory over Jason Day securing his fourth PGA Tour win in the process.
Check out the clubs Horschel had in play seven years ago in Texas.
Driver: PXG 0811X (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Black 6 X
3-wood: PXG 0341X (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 75 6.5
5-wood: PXG 0341 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 75 6.5
Irons: PXG 0311T (3, 5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: PXG 0311T Milled (52-10, 56-10, 60-07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: PXG Bat Attack
Grip: SuperStroke Flatso 1.0
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos of Billy Horschel’s gear from 2017 here.
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi 10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi 10 Tour (15 degrees)...
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Steve Long
Oct 7, 2022 at 5:20 pm
It looks like the set up pre-tensions the torso and shoulders a bit. So going back releases it a bit and the forward stroke tightens it again. This might be a good idea.
Do your job
Oct 6, 2022 at 7:52 am
Finally a true GolfWRX article. More of this stuff please. Great work.
Dingus
Oct 5, 2022 at 11:15 pm
Those re-ax shafts sucked.
Al Cervik
Oct 5, 2022 at 9:45 pm
$100 bucks he misses the cut.
Dunce
Oct 5, 2022 at 8:19 pm
What an absolute legend