The 2021 Ryder Cup is being held at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Sheboygan, Wisc., which a monstrous Pete Dye-designed layout . Measuring 7,390 yards for the event , driving the ball long will be a helpful weapon this week.
As GOLF’s Dylan Dethier explained in his 11 observations from on site , the rough is shorter near the fairway than golf fans may be used to. But the fact remains, driving the ball well throughout the event will play a crucial role in the outcome of the matches.
Below, we list the driver setups that each member of Team USA will have in their golf bags. If you’re interested in trying one of these drivers for yourself, remember to consult a trusted fitter or local golf professional to ensure you’re getting the absolute best driver for your game. While reading through each player’s driver setup, take note of the different models, lofts and shafts that each player is using; when purchasing your new driver, you want to make sure the driver is built with the proper specifications for you .
*The drivers listed are accurate as of each player’s most recent appearance
Daniel Berger
Berger’s Driver: TaylorMade SIM (Fujikura Ventus Black 6X shaft), 9 degrees
Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay’s Driver: Titleist TS3 (Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60TX shaft), 9.5 degrees
Bryson DeChambeau
Cobra Radspeed Driver
$449.99
OUR TAKE: With a hammer-like sound and impressive feel, RadSpeed delivered in a big way during GOLF’s ClubTest. As one tester raved, “I love the aesthetic. There’s some slight carbon fiber you can see in the back, and you can’t go wrong with matte black. Feels great, looks great.” This was the general consensus with Cobra’s latest big stick. In addition to noticing lower spin and a more penetrating flight — thanks to a reimagined adjustable sole weighting system — the eye-catching CNC milled face offered sneaky alignment assistance, framing the ball at address. It’s easy to see why this neon yellow and black beauty is Bryson’s driver of choice.
THE DETAILS: Cobra is known to push boundaries with its technologies. This year is no different. Building upon standout designs, such as the new-age CNC infinity milled face and carbon fiber crown, Cobra has
also reimagined its sole weighting system. The OEM used tenants from a popular engineering formula, called the Radius of Gyration (“Rad” stands for “radius”), to spread the weights in the soles of the drivers further to the front and the back of the head for desired performance enhancements throughout the lineup. The RadSpeed standard head is lower spinning and lower flying, the RadSpeed XB (“Xtreme Back” weight) is higher launching and more forgiving, and the RadSpeed XD (“Xtreme Draw”) has heavy heel weighting to encourage a draw shot shape.
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As Jonathan Wall (GOLF’s Managing Editor for Equipment) explains in this article , DeChambeau often tests numerous drivers on the week of an event to find the one that’s working best at the time.
In his most recent appearance at the 2021 Tour Championship, DeChambeau used a Cobra King Pro LTD driver (LA Golf prototype shaft) at 7.5 degrees. As spotted at Whistling Straits , however, DeChambeau is testing a Cobra King Radspeed prototype (LA Golf prototype shaft) with 5.5 degrees of loft.
Harris English
English’s Driver: Ping G400 (Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XD 70TX shaft), 9 degrees
Tony Finau
PING G425 LST Driver
$499
OUR TAKE: Some drivers offer flashy distance, while others provide sturdy stability. Ping’s new G425 drivers, though, checked both boxes for our testers. In his first time hitting the Turbulator-crowned driver, one GOLF tester called the G425 “wife material” due to its speed and forgiveness. “All my mishits went straight,” another said. Players also found that the impact sound sings a deep, booming note.
THE DETAILS: By combining tech from previous releases, Ping says it was able to design its most forgiving driver ever with the G425 Max. No wonder why testers found its performance dependable. The G425 Max drivers measure a USGA limit 460cc and have a 26-gram adjustable tungsten in the back of the heads to help increase launch and forgiveness. For golfers with a slice, Ping offers the G425 SFT draw-biased option, and for higher-speed players who need reduced spin, Ping offers the G425 LST.
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Finau’s Driver: Ping G425 LST (Mitsubishi Diamana White D+ 70TX shaft), 9 degrees with 7 degrees of actual loft
Dustin Johnson
TaylorMade SIM2 Max Driver
$529.99
OUR TAKE: Asked to describe the look of the new SIM2 drivers, our testers labeled them as “futuristic,” “modern” and “fast.” And who can argue when there’s all of that new-age carbon on the sole? While TaylorMade’s SIM2 drivers carry on the original name of the SIM (Shape in Motion) drivers that excelled in 2020, the company has made a few big changes. One initially skeptical GOLF tester took notice of the improvements: “I tried to hit the original SIM last year, but this new one feels a million times more solid. This is going to be tough to beat.”
THE DETAILS: To craft its new SIM2 heads, TaylorMade combined proven technologies from recent years (TwistFace, Inertia Generator, Speed-Injected faces, thru-slots, carbon crowns) with all-new designs to make the drivers more forgiving. Most notably, a new sole plate is made up entirely of carbon composite to save weight, and there’s a new blue aluminum back ring, which connects the rear sole to the crown. The new pieces work together to drive weight back for better performance on mishits. Not a fan of the blue colorway? TaylorMade is now allowing for personalized color changes on five different areas in the heads through its MySIM2 custom platform.
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Johnson’s Driver: TaylorMade SIM2 Max (Fujikura Speeder 661 X prototype shaft), 10.5 degrees
Brooks Koepka
Koepka’s Driver: TaylorMade SIM2 (Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60TX shaft), 10.5 degrees
Collin Morikawa
Morikawa’s Driver: TaylorMade SIM (Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 60X shaft), 8 degrees
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele’s Driver: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond (Graphite Design Tour AD-BB 7X shaft), 10.5 degrees with 9 degrees of actual loft
Scottie Scheffler
PING G425 LST Driver
$499
OUR TAKE: Some drivers offer flashy distance, while others provide sturdy stability. Ping’s new G425 drivers, though, checked both boxes for our testers. In his first time hitting the Turbulator-crowned driver, one GOLF tester called the G425 “wife material” due to its speed and forgiveness. “All my mishits went straight,” another said. Players also found that the impact sound sings a deep, booming note.
THE DETAILS: By combining tech from previous releases, Ping says it was able to design its most forgiving driver ever with the G425 Max. No wonder why testers found its performance dependable. The G425 Max drivers measure a USGA limit 460cc and have a 26-gram adjustable tungsten in the back of the heads to help increase launch and forgiveness. For golfers with a slice, Ping offers the G425 SFT draw-biased option, and for higher-speed players who need reduced spin, Ping offers the G425 LST.
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Scheffler’s Driver: Ping G425 LST (Fujikura Atmos Black 7X shaft), 9 degrees
Jordan Spieth
Spieth’s Driver: Titleist TSi3 (Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X shaft), 10.5 degrees
Justin Thomas
Thomas’ Driver: Titleist TSi2 (Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX shaft), 9 degrees
Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ANsgVbBSA52V5P7TejKjT
