Equipment
2023 Bettinardi HLX 5.0 Forged wedges: Everything you need to know
What you need to know: New tour-inspired face milling and a five-percent higher center of gravity — thanks to new milling — are the hallmarks of the soft carbon steel Bettinardi HLX 5.0 wedges, which are available in two finishes and with two well-considered grind options.
2023 Bettinardi HLX 5.0 Forged wedges: Key technology
Bettinardi relies on a new High Helix Cut machining process for the softest forged wedge the company has created. The machine cuts the metal at such a rate that generates a more pronounced groove depth, creating maximum spin on the golf ball, which pushes USGA groove limits. “According to the nation’s leading club fitter, Bettinardi HLX wedges consistently perform with 10% more spin and 12% lower launch than the top wedge manufacturers in golf,” the company says. Additionally, Bettinardi re-engineered ladder milling on the back flange to raise the center of gravity by five percent.
What Bettinardi says
“By utilizing this finer milling technique, we were able to keep more weight on the flange, which raises the center of gravity and helps golfers achieve a lower-flighted shot,” said Sam Bettinardi, President of Bettinardi Golf. “Since 1998, Bettinardi Golf has been known for making the finest putters in the world, and we are so proud to continue to evolve our wedges and push the envelope on design, craftsmanship, and quality.”
“Forging our HLX 5.0 Wedges from soft carbon steel, as opposed to casting, gives consumers and Tour players the premium feel that they have come to expect from the Bettinardi name,” says Robert Bettinardi, CEO/Founder of Bettinardi Golf. “Since the inception of our forged wedge line in 2014, each generation of wedges has continued to evolve with additional finishes, lofts, grinds, and technology, which has made Bettinardi a proven player in the wedge category.”
Specs, availability
$220 MSRP
At retail: November 16
Finishes: Chrome, Graphite PVD
The C-Grind sole is a traditional wedge sole, intended for players who love making simple square-faced shots.
The RJ-Grind is a more versatile, high-bounce wedge sole with more heel, toe, and trailing edge relief, making it the most playable wedge in the lineup.
Shafts: KBS High Rev, True Temper S200 & S400, or the Nippon Pro Modus 115. All wedges will be paired with a custom
Grips: Bettinardi Crosstour Soft Gray and Black Lamkin grip
More shots of the wedges in the video from Bettinardi, below.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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Equipment
Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron
It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.
We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.
From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.
“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.
TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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Whats in the Bag
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
- Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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Brian H
Oct 25, 2022 at 10:59 am
Is it me or do these looks exactly the same as the 3.0 wedges with just a different number stamped on the hosel. $220 per wedge? Yikes.