What you can learn from Brian Campbell’s unique Ping iron setup

One of the PGA Tour’s shortest drivers just won his second PGA Tour title the week after the Tour’s longest got his first.

While there will certainly be some attention to why Brian Campbell uses a Ping G440 LST driver with a Fujikura Ventus Black 6-TX shaft, a setup that would be commonly associated with bombers, it’s his iron setup that draws our attention.

At the John Deere Classic, Campbell used Ping’s Blueprint S irons in his 5-PW and the unreleased Ping iDi driving iron for his 4-iron in his second Tour victory this year. The Blueprint S has been around on Tour for almost two years now and serves as a better player cavity-back option between the Blueprint T blades and the popular i-series.

Blueprint S has been wildly successful on Tour with many players adopting them straight away in part because of the added forgiveness compared to the original Blueprints and Blueprint T, and added control. Precision-Pocket Forging creates an optimized weight pocket in the longer irons to help optimize launch.

PING Blueprint S Custom Irons

Developed following extensive testing with PING’s top tour pros to meet their “must haves” — control and precision — Blueprint S delivers the score-lowering performance demanded by the best players in the world. COMPACT SHAPE The compact shape fits the discerning eye with a thin top line and minimal offset. The 8620 carbon steel head boasts a clean cavity design, distinguished by an eye-catching forged textured pattern and hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish. PRECISION POCKET FORGING This patented forging technique allows PING to forge a pocket into the cavity of the 3, 4 and 5 irons. The pocket saves 10 grams of weight, which is re-allocated to increase the MOI and optimize the center of gravity position for more distance and trajectory control.

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore

But for a player like Campbell who needs help creating height, he uses the new iDi driving iron as a 4-iron to help create extra launch and spin from his longest iron. This is a growing trend we’re seeing out on Tour with more players, even faster ones like Justin Thomas, turning to hollow-bodied players distance irons, or even driving irons, to replace their long irons to hit the ball higher and hold greens.

And remember when we said Campbell uses a TX flex shaft in his driver? Well, he goes the other way with his irons, using the KBS Tour 120 S all the way down to his pitching wedge. Yes, there are players on Tour who don’t use extra-stiff flex shafts! Ironically, he then uses the KBS Tour 130 X in his gap wedge, before dropping back down to stiff flex in his sand and lob wedges.

KBS Tour Iron Shaft

The KBS Tour is Kim Braly’s signature shaft and is ideal for players desiring shot versatility and mid trajectory. It’s perfect for club builders and players who want to customize the shaft’s effect on ball spin and ball flight. You can purchase the KBS Tour in the following flexes: regular, regular plus, stiff, stuff plus, and x-stiff. You can buy the KBS Tour built to your required specifications. JOCKEY TIP: The KBS Tour is ideal for the player looking for a mid launch, mid spin shaft that also provides the player a smooth, responsive feel.

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It just goes to show you two things: 1, no flex from brand to brand is equal, meaning one company’s stiff could be another’s X or even R. And 2, that just because you’re stiff in one club, doesn’t mean you need to be stiff in every club. Every club is different and you swing each one a little bit differently. The more you can optimize each club in your setup, the better off you’ll be.

Learn from Campbell and optimize every club in your bag and you’ll be well on your way to shooting lower scores.

Want to optimize your irons for 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.