Equipment
Do you own your set of clubs or do they own you?
By Greg Moore
GolfWRX Staff
Do you own your set of clubs or do they own you?
If you’re a mid-to-high handicap player and you truly owned your set, then you would have taken the time to get them custom fit.
During a custom fitting session, golfers are fit for shaft material (steel or graphite, maybe both in a mixed set), shaft flex, length, lie angle, overall weight, swing weight, grip size and style. Recent technology in hybrids and long irons means that set make up is something golfers should be aware of when selecting a new set of clubs — it is where a lot of players make the decision to let their set “own” them. But some players are more worried about the price they can get when they sell or trade their new set of clubs before they even buy them.
If most mid-to-high handicap players built their set make up around their weaknesses and not their egos, they would likely have a set made up of two or three different models of irons, and as many as four wedges (48 degree, 52 degree, 56 degree and 60 degree, probably with steel shafts). Their 8 iron and 9 iron might be a muscle back or cavity back with little to no offset and steel shafts. Their 6 iron and 7 iron (and maybe 5 iron) would then have a bit more offset and be a cavity back game-improvement model.
Next, they might have a couple of hybrids — at least 4 hybrid with a graphite shaft.
Their driver would have the correct amount of loft to allow them to maximize launch angle, as well as the correct shaft flex and length to help reduce the spin to optimize carry and roll-out. The fairway woods that they are fit for will allow them to once again launch the ball up into the air — their 3 wood might be a 15 degree or 16 degree, possibly even higher. The set make up might also include a 5 wood and 7 wood.
Just because the USGA Rules of Golf limits you to 14 clubs in the bag at one time doesn’t mean you can’t own more than 14 clubs. Changing out clubs, based on the course and conditions you are playing, means you might have a 5 wood in the bag one day and a hybrid the next. Or you could have four wedges in the bag one day and four woods (for a different course). Maybe you would include a strong lofted 3 wood (around 13 degrees) and no driver for that short, really tight golf course that eats up all your golf balls that you hit off line trying to steer your 9 degree driver, when distance isn’t the major factor in scoring.
Is this my opinion? No, professional golfers do it on tour all the time.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with set make up, but most importantly, spend the time and money to get a set that fits you.
Equipment
Putters that never made it: Check out some of the best tour builds that didn’t make the cut
Arguably, the best perk of being a professional golfer on the PGA Tour is the ability to request or even just be handed pretty much any club you could think of. It happens more often than you think, usually with putters around the practice green from one event to the next. Come Wednesday, the Tour bags lining the edge of the putting surface become resting places for fallen flatsticks that never made the cut.
So let’s take a look at some of the best we’ve seen out on Tour this year that never made it to the competition. (You may notice none of Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Scotty Cameron putters made this list. There are too many.)
Let’s start with this custom Damascus Milled Odyssey Rossie made for Ryo Hisatsune. Featuring a single line and the short-slant hossel, we’ve seen plenty of Number 7 and jailbird heads featuring the Damascus Milled insert, but this is the first and only one we’ve spotted in a Rossie. Hisatsune primarily putts with an Odyssey Black Series iX #9, but we have seen him recently with a TaylorMade TP Collection SOTO, so there could be potential that the Damascus Milled Rossie could end up in the bag.
Everyone wants to be Cameron Young right now. We’ve had Justin Thomas and Tom Hoge both game the Scotty Cameron 9.5R prototype. Well, for the PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka nearly joined that list after requesting the same style of putter, with the full-length alignment line. But the Scotty Cameron reps took the request a step further and made one specially for Koepka with a Teryllium insert, similar to one in his previous Newport 2 gamers. The reason why this one didn’t go into play, though? Because it was too heavy.
Harry Hall was the third-best putter on Tour last year, so when Bettinardi made him a custom proto, you know it was going to be good. The custom BB28 blade features VDF face milling, a custom-welded single-bend shaft, and the owner’s initials – HH – on the sole of the putter. Hall, who usually games an Odyssey O-Works #7 W, has dabbled with a TaylorMade Spider Tour X already this year. Maybe there’s a chance this Bettinardi might make his bag.
Honestly, this one doesn’t need a description. It’s Kieth Mitchell’s custom Scotty Cameron Napa. One Scotty Cameron face stamp, two Scotty Dogs, two Scotty Cameron 7-Point Crowns and one Circle T. That is all. Oh, except for the Cashmere Cameron headcover.
Finally, and just for fun, how about we pour one out for this TaylorMade Spider Tour X made for Scottie Scheffler in its new torched finish. It’s unlikely we’ll see a putter change anytime soon from the best golfer in the world. In fact, he hit just two putts with it on the Harbour Town practice before going back to his trusty gamer.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (9 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 130 M.S.I. 70 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X
7-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
Irons: Grindworks PR-202 (4), Grindworks PR-101A (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Cleveland RTX6 Tour Rack (52-10 Mid), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-08M), SM11 (60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat 1.5 Tour Prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
In our forums, our members have been discussing their favorite major winning irons used by Tiger Woods. WRXer ‘golferdude54’ kicks off the thread saying:
“Mizuno MP 14/29. Titleist 681T. Nike Forged Blades. TaylorMade P7TW.
Among these irons that helped Tiger win 15 majors, which is your favorite in terms of looks?”
And our members have been naming their favorites and why in response.
Here are a couple of posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- SwingBlade: “I prefer the early blades he played and the more recent TM TW’s especially because after Tiger had his major behavioral setbacks, part of Nikes support payback was making Tiger play a Nike putter and cease using his beloved uniquely customized Scotty putter.”
- ProjectX: “This (Nike Forged Blades) and there’s not even a close second.”
Entire Thread: “Which of Tiger’s major winning irons are your favorite? – GolfWRXers discuss”
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Patrick Reed WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Titleist GT3 (9 degrees) Buy here. Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 130 M.S.I. 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (15 degrees)...
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Driver: TaylorMade M6 (9 degrees) Shaft: Aldilda Synergy Blue 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Michael Block WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 5 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees @14.25) Shaft: Mitsubishi...
Bryson DeChambeau WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro (6 degrees) Shaft: Project X Prototype 3-wood: Krank Formula Fire (10 degrees) Shaft: LA Golf BAD...
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Big O Rick
Sep 17, 2012 at 6:59 pm
I went through a Hot Stix fitting in Orlando and bought what they spec’d only to learn later I paid about $500 too much. To top it off they put me in a regular shaft and a somewhat forgiving club. I did hit that club farther but very generic results. I then went to my local Edwin Watts and bought their recommendation with much better results. Bottom line fitting is good but you don’t always get what you pay for. I would never go back to Hot Stix again.
2putttom
Sep 14, 2012 at 1:55 pm
It took me over a hundred rounds to get what I wanted outta my fitted set. The over all benefit is a more enjoyable round of golf.
pablo
Sep 13, 2012 at 3:54 pm
great article. when i got new clubs i deleted my old 10.5 degree driver, 3 metal and 3-SW set, and instead got a 11.5* degree driver, 15* 4 metal, 3h, 4h, 5-pw cavity backed forged irons, and bought used 48,52,56,60* old ping ist solid copper wedges to fill it out. never played better!
Chico
Sep 13, 2012 at 1:05 pm
Good article. This is very true. Somedays I will play four wedges and others three and two hybrids. Just depends on the course and conditions I will be playing in. Once you get fitted don’t be afgraid to do some research and use the information that the pro gave you to go out and piece together a few new clubs. After all this is the best place to do it!