We got exact specs for 5 PGA Tour bombers. Here’s 1 thing they all have in common

April 18, 2020

Cameron Champ (top left clockwise), Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and J.B. Holmes have led the Tour in driving distance over the last five years.

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If you’re a true gearhead, there’s a very good chance you can reel off the drivers used by some of the biggest names in the sport at this very moment. But what about the nitty-gritty specs? Swing weight, shaft length and grip preference (not to mention tape wraps) aren’t widely publicized. For some players, Tiger Woods included, these specs are part of the “secret sauce.” You don’t share them with just anybody. Others, of course, are far more willing to offer up their build specs.

In this case, we managed to gain access to the detailed build specs for the drivers used by the leaders in driving distance on the PGA Tour over the last five years. As you’ll notice, every driver is different, from the shaft length down to the swing weight. Rory McIlroy and Cameron Champ both attack the ball with reckless abandon, but they don’t possess the same swing, attack angle or thought process.

Shaft tipping: Cutting off section of the shaft

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When should you consider tipping a golf shaft? Follow this handy guide

While it’s easy to pick out the differences from one driver to the next, locating commonalities takes a bit of digging. So what’s the one thing all five of the drivers on this list share? Each player prefers to have their driver shaft tipped at least 1 inch during the build process.

If you’ve never heard the term “tipping” before, it’s essentially removing material from the shaft to alter how it performs. In this case, tipping will make the shaft play stiffer while also lowering the amount of torque for less twisting through impact. For players like Rory and Dustin Johnson, tipping is one way to fine-tune the shaft to get their preferred flex and feel.

Check out the detailed specs for all five drivers below.