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Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks 2026: New SM11 grinds will dial in your short game

Johnny Wunder — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:19:39 +0000

When you talk to wedge whiz Bob Vokey and his first lieutenant, Aaron Dill, the conversation eventually moves past lofts and finishes and settles on one thing: how the sole of the club moves through the ground. For the better player, that interaction can mean the difference between a tap-in par and a double-bogey.

Now, Titleist is leaning into that nuance by bringing six specific WedgeWorks grinds — the L, A, K, A+, V* and 62M — to the SM11 family.

These aren’t just “options”; they are specific solutions to environmental problems found on the PGA Tour. Here’s a closer look at each:

The Precision Tools: L and A Grinds

L Grind (effective bounce: 4°)

Vokey Wedge Works L Grind Titleist

The L is the scalpel of the Vokey lineup. It features a narrow sole designed for the player who isn’t afraid to see the leading edge sitting dead flush against a firm fairway. It offers a touch more “security” than the T Grind by keeping the CG low and the bounce minimal to prevent the club from skipping into the back of the ball on tight lies.

• The Tour Fit: This is for the “shallow” striker who creates a thin divot. It’s a preferred tool for Ludvig Åberg and Billy Horschel, who require that level of precision when the greens get lightning-fast.

A Grind (effective bounce: 4°)

Vokey WW A Grind Titleist

The A Grind is a “cleaner” version of the L. By removing the grind lines (the ribbon) from the sole, Vokey created a wedge that doesn’t “drag” through the turf. It was born from Geoff Ogilvy’s need for a wedge that could handle the concrete-firm “bounce-back” turf of the Australian Sandbelt.

• The Tour Fit: Wyndham Clark leaned on the A Grind’s ability to slide under the ball with zero friction to win his U.S. Open title.

Titleist Vokey SM11 Raw Custom Wedge

A Grind For Every Player For every player, there’s a set of grinds fit for clean contact. SM11 provides a leading combination of lofts, bounces, and grinds to promote solid contact (between grooves 2-5), predictable performance, and the confidence to take on whatever the shot demands. Grind Comparison Consistent CG Location For a given loft, SM11 features the same CG location in all grinds, resulting in a controlled, consistent launch angle. No matter which sole design fits your swing or course conditions, your launch window is locked in—leaving you free to choose the lofts and grinds that work for you. A Smarter Way To Spin The new Vokey Spin System combines an angled face texture, shot-specific groove shapes, and deeper spin milled grooves to deliver the right amount of spin from any lie, in all conditions

$229.99 from Fairway Jockey

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The Mid-Bounce Specialists: A+ and K*

Vokey WW K* Titleist

A+ Grind (effective bounce: 8°)

The A+ is essentially an M Grind that has been “smoothed out.” On Tour, players like Adam Scott have found the standard M Grind to be a bit too “stiff” or bouncy through the ground. By taking that M shape and removing the ribbon (the distinct grind lines), you get a sole that moves faster and more fluidly through the turf. It sits lower to the ground than a standard M, offering mid-bounce stability without the “clunky” feel.

• The Tour Fit: This is the ultimate “tweener” wedge for the player who needs bounce for bunker play but wants a low-profile look for nipping shots off tight fairways.

K* Grind (effective bounce: 6°)

It is critical to distinguish this from the standard K. While the full K is a “cheat code” out of the sand, it can be difficult to use from a firm fairway. The K* (K-Star) keeps the wide sole for bunker performance but adds a steeper pre-wear on the leading edge. This allows the club to sit lower at address, while the heel, toe, and trailing edge relief allow you to open the face without the leading edge jumping up.

• The Tour Fit: Justin Thomas and Cameron Young carry the K* because it provides high-bounce forgiveness without sacrificing the ability to hit high, soft flops from the short grass.

The “Digger” Solution: V

V Grind (effective bounce: 10°)

Vokey WW V-Grind Titleist

The V Grind is the high-bounce specialist for the player with a steeper delivery or those playing in soft, grainy conditions. It features a high initial bounce on square shots to prevent the leading edge from “digging,” but the aggressive relief in the heel and toe means you can still manipulate the face for open-side shots.

• The Tour Fit: World No. 1 amateur Jackson Koivun relies on the 60V for its “insurance” against the big miss in varied collegiate turf conditions.

62M Grind (effective bounce: 8°)

Vokey WW 62M Titleist

The 62M is a niche but necessary tool. It’s Bob Vokey’s favorite M Grind shape, but with the loft cranked to 62 degrees. It’s designed for “emergency” situations where you have no green to work with and need the ball to go vertical and stop immediately.

Available Loft and Hand Options

All WedgeWorks offerings are finished in Raw, which will rust over time — a preference for players who want to reduce glare and potentially increase friction.

• 58L, 60L (RH/LH)
• 58A, 60A (RH)
• 58K*, 60K* (RH/LH)
• 58A+, 60A+ (RH)
• 58V, 60V (RH/LH)
• 62M (RH)

MSRP: $229 per wedge
Launch Date: March 27

Want to find the best wedges for your game in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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How to use your WHOLE set of wedges for better golf

Johnny Wunder — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 13:41:57 +0000

The title of this story says it all and I will raise my hand as someone who has done it wrong for YEARS.

Whenever I have had the opportunity to watch great wedge players in person, it was apparent to me that they had different wedges for different shots — unlike my way of making the 58 or 60 do literally everything from 80 yards and in.

This video with Vokey’s Aaron Dill is a masterclass (from him not me) in how to use your entire set around the greens. Keep in mind that it’s not even really to mitigate trouble (i.e. forgiveness), it’s to give yourself the opportunity to hit the best shot possible. There’s a difference.

These are the my three biggest takeaways from my short game test with Mr. Dill.

More loft doesn’t mean more spin

This was the hardest one for me to wrap my head around. Although in theory more loft DOES equal more spin, it’s not that simple around greens. The amount of face (i.e. grooves/surface area) you can apply to the ball makes a huge impact on wedge spin. I recall hearing Tiger Woods speak on this over the years, he always felt using a 56 out of the bunker was a more efficient play because of the forgiveness factor AND the fact he could always get more face on the ball.

Think of it like this: To hit the ball lower, the ball needs to stay on the face longer, higher loft means more of an open face and less time on the face. More time on the face means more spin, which means more control. Thats where terms like “Spin Loft” come to bear. It’s easier to get a 56 in the spin loft happy zone (45-55 degrees) than it is a 60. A rabbit hole, I know, but I now understand why Rocco Mediate doesn’t carry a 60.

Get the ball on the green rolling like a putt as often as you can

This is something I’ve heard Seve Ballesteros mention a bunch on YouTube. It’s much easier to roll it in than it is to fly it in AND it’s much easier to use the ground than rely on the perfect strike, carry number and spin to get it close. The less variables to manage, the better. Thats why Dill had me using 50 and 54 from just off the green, it’s not only more efficient and easier to play, the results were better. Who knew?!

Johnny Wunder and Aaron Dill talk through a simple chip at TPI in Oceanside, Calif. Fully Equipped

Your lob wedge is a speciality club — not your ONLY option

Again something I’ve heard but never accepted for my own game. It’s so easy to just keep it simple and make your lob wedge do 20 different things. I can attest that I have done it at a high level for years … until kids, lack of practice and bills were introduced into my life.

That lobber-or-die mentality only works consistently if you have hours a week to practice. Creating a solid wedge floor for yourself is essential. What that means in practice is building a set and a strategy for your short game that has safety built into it for the days you just don’t have it. Dill does it on Tour so it would make sense for us all to adopt.

Titleist Vokey SM11 Tour Chrome Wedge

Titleist Vokey Design’s new SM11 wedges feature a new precise CG position across each grind in a loft, meaning every wedge will now perform the same way with the same strike.

$199.99 from PGA Tour Superstore

Driving the ball in the fairway and a great short game will ALWAYS ensure lower scores. Videos like this are meant to spark a thought in all of us. We all want to play better, shoot lower scores, etc. What Aaron and I displayed here is the path to do that. Your wedge set-up should be something you not only take seriously but also something you should protect at all costs. I’m a huge advocate for finding something that works and doing the old rinse-and-repeat for years on end. Although wedge technology has progressed over the years, it’s meant to really work once the fundamentals are in place. One of those fundamentals is knowing what to use, when to use it and how.

The best players on the planet trust Aaron and his tools more than anyone else in the world, his messaging has been the same for years, and as years go on, the tools may get slightly better as we go but the messaging and strategy are the same.

Happy short-gaming.

Want to dial in your wedges in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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How Scottie Scheffler's fitter preps for TaylorMade Qi4D driver fitting

Johnny Wunder — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:16:58 +0000

The following article and video are as “inside baseball” as I can provide in terms of what actually happens when a Tour fitter preps to work with a Tour player.

The star of the show: TaylorMade fitter Adrian Rietveld, who has the the three top players in OWGR under his watchful eye. You read that correctly — Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood all rely on “AD,” as we call him, to watch over their tools.

I want to let the video (in player, below) and Adrian do most of the explaining but there are three things he addresses that I think can be beneficial for any golfer, not just the best in the world.

Start from an HONEST point: The first part of the video shows Adrian doing something I’ve seen frequently on Tour trucks. He gets the bag of the player in his hands and starts to spec them out to create apples-to-apples circumstances. There’s no “ideas,” “whims,” etc. His goal is to get any club on offer as close to the gamer as humanly possible — and not just loft, shaft and swing weight. Think total weight, exact loft and lie, face angle, scoring lines vs. actual lie, shaft tipping, grip size, etc. This allows that “first hit” to inform the fitter what direction the player needs to go.
Ask players what they see: EVERY player reacts differently to how a club sits. For example, I love to see loft. When I see loft, it tells my brain that I can stay on top of the shot and trust that the club and the setup will be there with me when I need them. When I don’t see loft, I start to “help it,” which has a diminishing-returns effect through my bag. I begin to have a “woods swing” and an “irons swing.” It’s impossible to play that way. Adrian (or any great fitter) will ask those questions: “How do you like the look?” “Do you see the loft you want to see?” I don’t hear this in typical fittings, but I always hear it with Tour fitters.
Ask players what they’d like to see: In the video, Adrian asks me, “What kind of ball flight do you want to see?” In my case, I want the ball to start straight and fall left with a left miss, i.e., I don’t want the driver going to the right — ever. These are ball flights that a fitter can control. Once AD knows I fear a right miss, it eliminates a variable and he can start to focus on fitting me into a driver that starts left and goes left. As a player, I can then step up to any tee trusting that regardless of what swing I make, the flight of the ball will stay in a sandbox I can live with.

TaylorMade Qi4D Custom Driver

SHAPED FOR SPEED The re-engineered head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics developed through advanced simulations. FACE FOR DISTANCE 60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that provides weight savings, incredible ball speed and more consistency vs. a titanium face. ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for optimized flight. TOUR PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES New and improved cut-through Speed Pocket™ protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face strikes. Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation of TaylorMade driver performance. Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to strategically place mass in areas of the head where it maximizes performance, speed, and stability.

$649.99 from Fairway Jockey

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This isn’t a commentary on how consumer fitters “don’t do it right;” there are many great fitters who really take the time to put you, the golfer, in the best position to succeed. I look at this deep dive more from a mindset across the industry.

With so much incredible club tech on the market in 2026, I’m passionate about this being the year that fittings methods crank up the volume a bit. If you been watching “Fully Fit,” you will see each company has its own way of doing it.

It’s all effective among the top brands, but if I’m a fitting company or even an OEM, I’d be replicating (in a realistic way) what Adrian does. Yes, this is a man who works with the best in the world, but his process to getting it right comes from a fitter taking ownership over the situation.

Fittings are a financial transaction, but the spirit of them should never be. It’s a contract between fitter and player with one deliverable: the process will make you a better player. That’s not all ball speed and launch, it’s trust. That’s why on Tour, fitters work in pods with players so that trust can be established. I believe there is a version of all of this (and what you will see in a video later this week) that can be adopted by anyone who calls themselves a fitter.

Fujikura Ventus Black Wood Shaft (Velocore+)

$350.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Fitting is a craft. There are Jedis, apprentices and pretenders. AD is a master, no question, but it’s not only because he’s gifted. He also cares more than anyone I know about getting the process right, and through that he has been able to gain knowledge, make mistakes and enjoy the victories. He ascended to this level because he cares his players getting better.

I get my haircut from the same stylist every time because when I first met her, she asked me these questions: “Where do you want your hair to be in 6 months?” “What do you like about it now and what do you hate?” “Are you a person who takes crazy ideas and makes them a reality sometimes?”

That woman will be cutting my hair as long as I live in this neighborhood. Why? I trust her, and she cares.

Later this week, you will see the actual fitting video, which is also fascinating. Being able to work with someone like Adrian (who is also one of my closest friends) is always a treat, but like Aaron Dill from Vokey, this TM “AD” is someone I learn a ton from every day. I have spent hours on the phone with this man discussing Tommy, Scottie, Rory, our games, etc. It’s always a passionate conversation and all credit to TaylorMade for continuing to let Adrian grow, evolve and flourish with their all-star lineup of staff players.

Adrian is at the top of his game, and for me to share his process and expertise with you all for educational purposes is a huge honor.

Enjoy the content.

Want to find the best Driver for your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post How Scottie Scheffler’s fitter preps for TaylorMade Qi4D driver fitting appeared first on Golf.

Callaway 'Tour issue' drivers now available at Fairway Jockey

Johnny Wunder — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 17:14:27 +0000

It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it’s a big deal — well, a big deal for us gear heads, anyway.

The cause of our excitement: regular golfers having the chance to get their paws on Tour issue equipment.

In Callaway’s case, to have a club with the coveted “TC” serial number on the hosel represents something special. So special that it creates urban legend about what these “Tour Issue” parts actually do. Thing is, most of the those legends are just that: myths.

In simple terms, Tour equipment is slightly more nuanced to complement a player’s preferred look, launch window or spin profile. No, the clubs aren’t hotter, just more specific.

If you want the full nitty gritty, here is an article I wrote for in 2023.

Today — exclusively on Fairway Jockey — you can now get your hands on Callaway Tour-issue equipment. Check out all the cool offerings below:

Paradym Ai Smoke TD+: Same head shape as TD but with a higher CG for more spin, i.e., weight port up front

Paradym Ai Smoke TD/S: Similar head shape as Paradym TD/S but a slightly higher CG for more spin (420cc vs 455cc)

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond S Tour Issue Custom Driver

Ai SMOKE TD S DRIVER – TOUR EDITION The Paradym Ai Smoke TD-S is a Tour Edition model within Callaway’s revolutionary Ai Smoke driver lineup. Tour issue models feature tighter loft, lie, weight and CT tolerance than retail heads. Previously reserved for Tour pros only, now available in limited quantities from Fairway Jockey. The TD-S features a more similar head shape to the original Paradym triple diamond with a slightly higher CG for more spin. World’s First Ai Smart Face™The all-new Ai Smart Face optimizes driver performance using swing dynamics from thousands of real golfers. The result: optimal launch conditions and tighter downrange dispersion, tailored for elite performance. Tour-Inspired Shape and PerformanceThe Triple Diamond S (Tour Edition) features a neutral-to-fade biased face progression and a compact, Tour-preferred head shape. Designed for highly skilled players, it delivers maximum workability and control. It comes with a 7g front weight and a 9g back weight configuration, allowing players to fine-tune spin and launch for aggressive, low-spin ball flights.

~~$599.99~~ $399.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Paradym Ai Smoke TD/MAX: New, slightly larger version of TD. Mid spin with neutral shot shape. Highest MOI of all the TD models. Basically, it’s a smashed-down version of a TD that’s easier to turn over.

The post Callaway ‘Tour issue’ drivers now available at Fairway Jockey appeared first on Golf.

Even during Masters rainout, equipment trucks stay busy (kind of)

Johnny Wunder — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 22:47:32 +0000

AUGUSTA, Ga. — As I neared rain-soaked Augusta National at around 1 p.m. Monday, I drove into what I would call the most organized traffic jam I have ever seen.

What could have been 90 minutes of teeth-gnashing turned into a wholly tolerable 15-minute delay. Everything about Augusta National and the community that houses the historic club is as dialed as a Scottie Scheffler 8-iron. On what is my first trip here, I’m in awe of the operation — and I still haven’t even been on property!

Bad weather may have closed the course and forced patrons to a late lunch or a handshake at Hooters with John Daly, but the Tour trucks just outside the main entrance were still open for business. When I popped by to say hello, here’s what I observed.

It was a wet (and quiet) day at ANGC. getty images

What happens on Tour trucks during a rainout?

There are a few different things that happen on these days, either independently or at the same time.

The reps play catch-up: Pros may drop in for re-grips, loft and lie adjustments, new wedge builds and maybe even to grab a new club to test (it’s a major so that’s rare) — but that’s about it. Generally, these days are quiet; rainouts can sometimes be a nice reset for the reps to take a breath, whereas regular major days often mean an onslaught of players visiting the trucks for tweaks and tune ups (sometimes placebos, other times not).

Food, music and conversation: Yes, there is some fun to be had as well. In the Callaway truck on Monday, Tour rep Johnny Thompson created a new Masters sandwich by mashing together a chicken breast sandwich and a Masters club. He called his concoction a “Masters Cordon Bleu.”

In many cases, staff will pop in and just hang out while their sticks are being worked on.

Akshay Bhatia and Max Greyserman are regular visitors in situations like this.

Inside the Callaway truck on Monday. Johnny Wunder

Video games and horror films: Some trucks are equipped with game kits attached to 60-inch flat screens, and it’s not uncommon for battles between reps and players to break out. I’ve seen more than a few NBA2K rumbles on the Ping truck. Movies will also sometimes override Golf Central; the genre of choice is usually a good old-fashioned horror flick.

Here’s the thing at the majors: they’re unlike any other week in the trucks, too. These weeks are not your normal fit, build and test free-for-all. They’re for the finest of fine-tuning. If you set foot on Augusta National Monday morning unsure if the clubs in your bag are dialed…you’re going to have a long week.

The reps grind it out in the weeks before majors to ensure their players’ gear is locked in. So, when it does rain and the work is done…Halloween 4 it is!

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

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This is a sleeper stat on Tour we need to pay attention to

Johnny Wunder — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 20:44:05 +0000

One of my great missions in life — beyond being a good dad and a golfer I can be proud of again — is finding a bag setup that maximizes what I do. Yes, that’s always the goal with any fitting, but what is the metric to really identify if that new driver actually levels you up?

There is a really fun stat on PGATour.com that represents exactly that. It’s called Total Driving Efficiency. TDE is the combination of two key metrics:

Carry Efficiency: “The ratio of a player’s average carry distance and his average swing speed when measured by the radar device (Average Carry Distance / Average Swing Speed). This creates a ratio of yards per miles per hour.” — via the PGA Tour

Distance Efficiency: “The ratio of a player’s average total distance and his average swing speed when measured by the radar device (Average Total Distance / Average Swing Speed). This creates a ratio of yards per miles per hour.” — via the PGA Tour

Add these rankings up and you get a number that is Total Driving Efficiency.

Why does Total Driving Efficiency matter?

Most popular Tour stats live around carry distance, ball speed and accuracy. But what stat out there speaks to the perfect fit of a golf club? That’s TDE.

Simply put, it speaks to how well the driver (for this discussion) in hand harmonizes with a particular player. Have you ever had a “unicorn” golf club? That one club you hit outta the middle, went a mile, went straight, all the time? Well that’s what this stat references — and it’s not talked about enough.

Think of it in terms of optimization. Let’s use Tour leader Greyson Sigg as our example. Sigg is 175th in swing speed at 109.56 mph but he also averages 296 yards off the tee. Granted that’s carry plus rollout, but that is a big number for that swing speed. According to TrackMan optimization, which is a chart that shows the perfect numbers at specific swing speeds and launch conditions, Sigg is at the tip of the spear. That means that beyond swinging it faster, his driver numbers can’t get any better. That’s called maxed out, people, and it’s a beautiful thing.

European Ryder Cupper Sepp Straka is another one that checks off this box. He swings it at just shy of 112 mph and averages 295 yards off the tee, ranking him third on Tour.

Sepp Straka’s Callaway Ai-Smoke TD Max (@8.9, N/S, 8GF, 8GB) Johnny Wunder

Sepp Straka’s Fujikura Ventus Blue Velo+ 6X (45.25 EOG, D3.5, Tipped 1) Johnny Wunder

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke TD Max Driver

$399.99 from Fairway Jockey

AlSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway

This performance is a Tour fitter’s badge of honor because what they have accomplished is two-fold:

1. They put the perfect head in harmony with the perfect shaft into the player’s hands.

2. They legitimately took a player that may live speed-wise in one category but allowed them to compete in another because the club worked so well.

When a fitter and a product can provide that much value to a player, it’s crucial. Yes, technique is a huge part of this, but it’s not often that things come together at this level. It’s a very hard thing to pull off at a Tour level. So when it does happen, there’s a ton to learn.

So for all of you out there that want to know who is the most dialed? Follow the Top 50 on Total Driving Efficiency.

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

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Fully Equipped: Thomas Bjørn's gear sabotaged in Spain

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 17:44:07 +0000

On this week’s Fully Equipped GOLF’s Jonathan Wall and Golf Laboratories Gene Parente discuss Thomas Bjørn’s claim that his gear was sabotaged in Spain.

The post Fully Equipped: Thomas Bjørn’s gear sabotaged in Spain appeared first on Golf.

Fully Equipped mailbag: Are shorter driver shafts still a thing?

Ryan Noll — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 17:51:32 +0000

Welcome to another edition of the Fully Equipped mailbag, sponsored by Cleveland/Srixon Golf, an interactive GOLF.com series in which we field your hard-hitting gear questions.

Are shorter driver shafts still popular among better players? – Daniel D., California

Great question, Daniel. And yes, shorter-than-standard driver shafts are most definitely still a thing among better players, and we think they should be a thing for a lot of amateurs, too. (By “shorter”, we mean playing a driver that is at least an inch shorter than the typical 45.5-inch or 45.75-inch driver sold off the rack.) Below, we’ve put together a few reasons why shorter driver shafts make sense. And, because it’s our job to see things from both sides, we’ve added a few reasons why some players might want to avoid a shorter shaft.

Shorter driver shafts make it easier to hit solid shots

Typically, the closer you stand to the ball, the easier it is hit the ball solidly off the center of the clubface. I know what you’re thinking—for some of you, fairway woods are harder to hit than drivers are and loft plays a huge part in how easy a club is to hit. But for all intents and purposes here, shorter clubs are easier to swing and produce better shots with. We won’t get too scientific here, but part of that has to do with the distance the eyes are from the ball. The closer the eyes are to the ball, the easier it becomes to make a solid strike.

There is a major caveat to using shorter shafts, though. Using a shorter club means you can’t swing it as fast. With a shorter radius, the clubhead swings on a smaller arc and doesn’t have as much room to generate speed prior to making contact with the golf ball. That said, a reduction in clubspeed in favor of more solid contact usually works out to straighter and longer drives overall.

Solid shots fly farther and straighter

Obviously, the perfect combo is a fast swing and a solid strike, but for many of us, that happens less often than we want. For instance, if you consistently miss the sweetspot by a couple centimeters using a longer shaft, it’s likely you’ll lose 10-20 yards of distance (and varying amounts of accuracy) that you would’ve had if you had struck the ball directly on the sweetspot. Cleveland Golf is one of few companies out there that knows the benefits of shorter shafts and offers its Launcher XL drivers in one-inch shorter iterations for golfers who want added control without having to tweak or change the way the clubhead feels.

Cleveland Launcher XL driver

With the most MOI ever in a Cleveland Golf driver, Launcher XL will have you thinking less about the club in your hands and more about carrying bunkers, clearing hazards, and finding the fairway.

$349.99 from www.clevelandgolf.com

An inch might not be worth it

Let’s say you have a 44.5-inch driver and are curious to try a 45.5-inch driver. You’ve also done your research and for the average player, adding an inch could mean adding somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 more yards off the tee. But if that extra inch means you’ll miss the sweetspot more often, it might not be worth the occasional extra yardage and loss of accuracy. Robot tests have certainly proven that longer shafts equal more clubhead speed, but that doesn’t mean things will compute the same way in the computer between your ears. Longer shafts also require a whole new assessment of your optimal shaft flex and swingweight, too. Simply swapping your same shaft model for one that’s an inch longer could mean your driver will produce a drastically different feel and ballflight trajectory. You have every right to disagree, but we contend that a straighter drive that lands a few yards shorter in the fairway is almost always better than a longer one 10 yards further into the rough.

Your height plays a big role in what length you ought to have

Hope we don’t offend anyone here, but if you’re a golfer under 5’5” and the length between your fingertips and the ground is 29 or 30 inches when at your side, a 45.75” driver shaft is likely way too long for you in the first place. Having your hands that low with a long driver shaft will position the clubhead’s toe up in the air at address which will increase the likelihood of heel hits. And no matter what driver you use, heel hits usually produce far worse results than do misses out towards the toe.

How you swing matters, too

If you swing over-the-top (hey, nobody is perfect and some of the best players in the world have a slightly over-the-top move), a shorter shaft will make it easier for you to square the clubface through the hit and can help straighten out your outside-in swingpath. It can make rotating the hands easier too, helping to turn your weak fade/slice into a more powerful draw.

Distance isn’t everything to everyone

For some players, a distance reduction in favor of hitting more fairways is a welcome prescription for lower scores. A shorter shaft may lead to lower, more piercing drives that fly straighter than do drives hit with longer shafts that fly higher and sometimes, farther away from the target. To get the max benefit from a shorter driver shaft, most fitters say you should opt for a slightly softer flex rating and a heavier profile. This will keep the club feeling balanced and easier to control.

Gear

The basics every golfer needs to know about golf shafts

By: Jonathan Wall, Andrew Tursky, Luke Kerr-Dineen

On the other hand…

Some players might have better success with longer shafts

By now, you should know that not everyone follows convention and robot testing and/or controlled testing doesn’t mean the results will be the same for everyone. Some golfers might actually increase distance and accuracy by using a longer shaft (like a tall player, or someone who needs a flatter stance/swing). Or maybe you’re a skilled enough player and miss-hits aren’t your issue. In either instance, a longer shaft might be better, not worse, for your driver performance. A great way to find out if longer is better for you is to demo some clubs with impact tape/spray and check your results.

You might prefer a lighter shaft

When you use a shorter shaft, it typically corresponds with using a slightly heavier shaft to prevent the club from being too light. But maybe a lighter shaft has been a saving grace and the notion of using a heavier one is not something you want to do. Lighter shafts usually help golfers hit the ball higher, so if height is an issue, it’s probably not worth the tradeoff to try a shorter/heavier shaft.

In any case, whether you opt for a shorter or longer shaft, it’s best to visit a reputable clubfitter and do some trial and error to see which one works better for you. We suspect many of you will find better results with a shorter shaft, but some of you might not.

Ready for an equipment overhaul? 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.

The post Fully Equipped mailbag: Are shorter driver shafts still a thing? appeared first on Golf.

A squeaky-clean technique to clean your grimy golf grips (and save money doing it)

Jonathan Wall — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 17:28:52 +0000

They’re your only connection to the club, so why are you treating your grips with so much disrespect? They deserve more.

A bucket of warm, soapy water remains the obvious answer when those dirty handles — be they Golf Prides, Lamkins or any other from the game’s major grip manufacturers — need to be cleaned. And this means a few times a season. The oil and sweat from your mitts will break down the rubber over time, but semi-regular baths can extend the life of any grip.

Irons

This PGA Tour winner's latest gear change is one to adopt | Fully Equipped

By: Jonathan Wall

Wiping down wet grips with a fresh towel should bring back some of the tacky feeling, but if that isn’t enough, try adding a common household item: Windex.

“It’s going to sound like something straight out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” says Fully Equipped cohost and GOLF’s new equipment guru Ryan Barath, “but I still believe in the process of hitting the grips with hot water, soap and giving them a little scrub as often as possible. Here’s the secret sauce, however: While your grips are still warm and a little bit wet, hit them with some Windex and give them a nice scrub. They’ll feel like new.

“Just remember to do this only on rubber grips — not anything with leather.”

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? 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.

The post A squeaky-clean technique to clean your grimy golf grips (and save money doing it) appeared first on Golf.

Why you don't want to get caught breaking a gear embargo | Fully Equipped

Jonathan Wall — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 11:26:50 +0000

For gearheads, this is generally considered to be the start of the most wonderful time of the year. New gear is teased or unveiled on a near-weekly basis from now until the middle of January on Tour, on social channels and media outlets. It’s important to note almost every piece of gear has an embargo date attached to the release.

As we discussed on the latest episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast, sticking to the embargo date is important. While we’d all love to break a gear story, there are consequences for going early, especially if it’s an important product.

Such was the case in 2014 when Nike launched its Vapor line in New York. While at the hotel where the product launch took place, I heard the story of a guy who risked it all to get photos of Nike’s new gear to the masses before the embargo lifted.

He wound up learning a valuable lesson. Check out the video above for the entire story, and then listen to the rest of the episode (embedded below) to hear our thoughts on all of the new gear dropping in Napa.

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