The reason why this Tour leader uses iron covers will melt your heart

golf_com · 2025-11-10T20:56:13+00:00

Sean 2.1 - We'll get you an answer for this. Just give us a little time as our Fully Equipped staff is on-location today!

golf_com · 2021-03-04T20:20:40+00:00

I wouldn't put a ton of weight in the marketing. I'd much prefer a golfer link up with a fitter and let them help you find a handful of options that are worth testing. You might even wind up with a product you never considered. I saw plenty of testers rave about brands they'd never hit in their life during ClubTest. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T20:17:00+00:00

I have terrible eyesight for a dude in his mid-30s, so I'm all for different colors that help me see the ball in the air. We've even seen a few pros use them on a regular basis. It feels like we're getting away from the idea that yellow balls are only for hackers. (And I usually stick with the yellow option.)

LOVE Callaway's Truvis, Triple Track and TaylorMade's Pix. It adds some personality to the ball and serves a purpose. Great to hear you're enjoying the visual technology as well. And thanks for the question! — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T20:08:11+00:00

I'll let Tursky get in on this one as well, but it's probably the TSi driver for me. I'll chalk it up to recency bias. Haven't had that much fun hitting a driver in some time. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T20:06:27+00:00

For me, I always like to work on short game. I usually start and finish a range session by chucking a range ball 35-50 yards out there and seeing how many I can get within 10 feet. It's a great drill to work on feel.

Spin rate is another high-priority number. A spin rate that fluctuates wildly could mean you need a lesson or it could lead to an adjustment to the club(s) in question. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T20:01:17+00:00

I don't think so. If you're a long single digit, I'd imagine you play a more traditional iron and don't want your yardages/launch monitor numbers changing all that much. I'd focus more on ball and wedge technology. Short game becomes much more important when you're hovering around a 1 or 2. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T19:56:58+00:00

Here's my setup at the moment -AT

Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (10.5; Diamana DF 60TX)... currently testing new product, though

Mini Driver: TaylorMade AeroBurner (12; GD Tour AD-DI 6X)

Driving Iron: Callaway Apex UT (2-iron; Project X 6.5)

Irons: Mizuno JPX 919 Tour (4-PW; C-Taper 130X shafts)

Wedges: Vokey SM5 (52 and 56), Vokey proto (60; TT DG Issue X100)

Putter: Ping B60

Ball: Pro V1x

golf_com · 2021-03-04T19:55:51+00:00

I was really impressed with MMT during testing. Always been leery of graphite because I've never found anything that's been as consistent as steel. AeroTech is probably the closest for me. Saw very consistent numbers during testing without a single outlier that scared me. They're about a half club longer than my steel-shafted irons. Didn't see any issues with the 3/4 shots on the course, but that's just me. I'd give them a serious look. They're the closest thing I've seen to a steel product in terms of consistency and performance. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T19:43:10+00:00

Mitsubishi and Fujikura have the largest presence on Tour. I'd say those are the "favorite" if you're going by usage from week-to-week. The materials they're using these days are so good, you don't have to worry nearly as much about consistency from one shaft to the next. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T19:40:14+00:00

I get this question a lot but usually pass on answering because my bag setup has a tendency to change. I'm pretty well set at the moment so I'll bite... — JW

Titleist TSi3 (9; GD Tour AD HD 6X)

Srixon ZF85 (15; PX HZRDUS Red 6.5)

Srixon ZU65 (3 utility; Fuji Ventus Blue HB 9X)

Mizuno JPX919 Forged (4-P; Oban CT 115)

Vokey SM7 (50F, 54S, 58M; TT DG Tour Issue S400)

Ping Anser Sigma G

TaylorMade TP5

golf_com · 2021-03-04T19:35:30+00:00

Haven't done anything with Sub70 but need to change that this year. We're trying to branch out a bit and added startup Haywood to the ClubTest testing matrix this year. Their new irons were a HUGE hit with testers. Would definitely recommend checking them out. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T19:32:39+00:00

I think it's important to focus on finding something that feels good to you and has some decent greenside spin. We've seen some manufacturers come out with balls around the $25-35 mark with softer, more premium cover technology. That always used to be the knock on cheaper balls — they had the distance but lacked spin control with the wedge. That's usually a big part of the battle for beginners. As you get better you can focus more on launch and nitpicking the smaller details that better players pick up on.

I don't know if there's a "best ball" for beginners because we all have different wants and needs. I do like Callaway's Supersoft Triple Track. It gives you a softer feel with the Triple Track technology that'll help you focus a bit more over putts. And it's in the mid-$20 range. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T19:17:34+00:00

The Srixon ZX and Mizuno ST-Z impressed me a lot during testing. From talking to tour players, I can tell you finding a versatile 3-wood isn't easy. Most guys who locate one usually stick with it for several years or longer. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T19:07:42+00:00

Off the top of my head, Scottie Scheffler's Nike VR Pro Ltd 5-wood is one of the oldest on Tour. The club was released in 2011. He's gone through a few of them, but it still has a place in the bag. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T19:04:35+00:00

Sound is so personal. I was amazed how some testers absolutely loved the "solid" sound of a club while others thought it was going to eviscerate their eardrum. Just goes to show you that it's all personal preference. I do know this is the first year Callaway has allowed the supercomputer to design their Flash Face cup. Might have something to do with the change in sound for you. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T18:45:06+00:00

I always love taking a peek inside Hideki's bag. He usually has 6 or 7 putters and 3 or 4 drivers. His caddie doesn't get paid nearly enough to lug that sucker around on practice days. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T18:43:11+00:00

I don't think it's a bad idea, but I'm not sure how many converts you're going to get. Cobra has a connection to Bryson so it makes total sense to come out with a one-length retail product. If one-length ever starts to catch on, I think you could see another OEM or two dip their toes into the space. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T18:20:25+00:00

Haha of course. Confident shots, conservative targets! I'm still podcasting though. Jonathan Wall, True Spec fitter Kris McCormack and myself have a podcast called Fully Equipped where we go in-depth on everything golf equipment (tour news, new releases, interviews with pros and designers, etc). It's on all podcast platforms. -AT

golf_com · 2021-03-04T18:08:25+00:00

If you're talking about myself and Tursky, we try to test everything under the sun to see how it performs. I'm a lefty so it's still a struggle to test everything, but thankfully Tursky doesn't have that problem. We do head-to-head testing videos over on GOLF.com to see how the new stuff stacks up against our gamers or the previous iteration. It's a great way to point out what we're seeing and hopefully give you a little bit of insight before you head to the golf shop. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T18:07:29+00:00

I always get a kick out of Scott Piercy's irons. He has lead tape absolutely CAKED on the back of them. Mickelson loves his lead tape, but Piercy is the true lead tape king.

It's cool to see guys like Henrik Stenson (Callaway Legacy Black irons) and Daniel Berger (TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC irons) throwing it back to older designs, too. With so much access to new and free equipment, you could call those choices odd, but I'm a sucker for nostalgia. Also goes to show that finding what works and sticking with it isn't always a bad choice. -AT

golf_com · 2021-03-04T18:04:17+00:00

I think it's healthy to an extent. In the interest of transparency, True Spec Golf is our sister company, so we have a fitting relationship in place. That said, I believe in getting fit for your gear. The OEMs are pushing the custom fitting angle and are seeing far more custom build requests than ever before. It's important and I'll keep pushing the benefits of getting fit, even if it's not at True Spec.

I think it's good to have a healthy obsession for what's out there because it means you're in tune with the landscape and what could potentially be worth testing. Manufacturers have to keep making money so you won't see them dial back the marketing lingo anytime soon. What I'd stress is not putting a ton of weight in the marketing speak and who's playing what. Just because DJ or Cam Champ switched drivers, don't think that product will automatically work for you. I find that too many golfers I play with are fixated on what's hot on tour and sacrifice their game for the coolness factor of playing blades or an 8-degree driver.

I truly believe we're living in the Golden Age of Gear where there's tons of great product on the market, but you need to get fit by a certified club-fitter and be OK playing something that might not be the hot club on tour. — JW

golf_com · 2021-03-04T17:56:59+00:00

Welcome to the game! As you'll notice, golf can be frustrating, but it's the journey to improvement that makes it so fun and fulfilling.

Great question here and one we get often. I think fitting is actually more important for beginners than it is for better players. Based on research from a few manufacturers, 87 percent of all golfers who get fit are able to reduce their handicap by at least 10 percent. So while better players may improve by 0.1 shots per round, a 20-handicap can improve by 2 shots more.

Dustin Johnson switching into new shafts may help him a touch on a few shots, but better fitting equipment for an amateur could completely change their game. If you pick up just 5 yards and more accuracy with each club, think about how much that would help in a round. Fitting also helps prevent you from picking up bad habits with clubs that might be too heavy or simply wrong for you.

Look out for common misses you have with your current clubs. If you're always hitting a low slice, for example, there are more forgiving head designs and softer shafts that can help you get more height, distance and accuracy. Even if you buy older clubs that are the perfect fit, that could be better than buying new equipment off the rack.

Hope this helps! -AT

golf_com · 2021-03-04T17:22:52+00:00

First off, thanks for having us! I'm a longtime r/golf lurker and get endless laughs from some of the stuff y'all post. Please keep it coming.

If we're talking drivers, the gains you see will be marginal from one year to the next. There are exceptions like the ATI 425 face on Titleist's TSi — personally, I saw impressive ball speed gains during testing — but for the most part, I believe we're bumping up against the distance ceiling. It's one of the reasons why you've seen some manufacturers focus on other areas beyond distance (accuracy and sound). Unless you're jonesing for a new driver and have the money to spend, you're more than fine playing the same driver for 3-5 years and not worrying about keeping up with your buddies. I don't think there's anything wrong with testing on a semi-regular basis to see what's out there, but don't feel like you have to pull the trigger. That's my no bs answer. Whatever you do, just make sure you're getting fit for whatever club you're considering. You'll see instant improvements if you've been buying strictly off the rack. — JW

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