Equipment
Alignment Pro: The Hottest New Training Aid on the PGA Tour
Each year, golf equipment companies spends millions of dollars trying to get their new products in the hands of the best golfers of in the world. Success is often measured in getting just a few players to try a product. Getting one of them to use your product during a tournament? A monumental success.
So how did a relatively unknown Class-A PGA Professional from Utah get his product in the hands of more than 130 PGA Tour players with almost no investment? He had an idea to improve a product that nearly all of them use and all function basically the same: an alignment stick.
One day, Matt Baird was giving a lesson at Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah, and a student asked him to explain the arc of the putting stroke. Baird had recently watched a YouTube video where another instructor was explaining how the putter head arcs during the stroke, but the shaft moves in a straight line. The instructor used a practice station made up of a driver shaft and two chairs to demonstrate the concept.
Baird says that got him thinking, “Who’s going to want to take two chairs on the putting green?” He had the idea to create a similar practice station with a modified alignment stick. If two hinges were added to its construction, it could function just like the two chairs and driver shaft. He mentioned the idea to the father of one of his students, who he knew had a friend who was an engineer.
Five months later, Baird had a functioning prototype, and soon after, a PGA Tour player who wanted it. Zac Blair was on the putting green with Baird at Riverside as Baird was practicing with his hinged alignment stick. At the time, Blair was using a large piece of wood as a putting training aid. Blair immediately saw the benefit of the hinged alignment stick, Baird says, and asked Baird if he could have it. Of course, Baird agreed, and when Blair took it to the PGA Tour players started asking him about his new training aid.
Shortly after, Baird received a call from PGA Tour equipment rep Mark Gerent, who said he could get the product into the hands of more PGA Tour players. Baird had 43 units made in the product’s first manufacturing run, each of which went to the PGA Tour and eventually home with a Tour player. The next 50 units, same story.
Tiger Woods had an Alignment Pro in his bag during the final round of the 2016 Hero World Challenge.
Baird estimates that more than three dozen PGA Tour players are regularly using his product, which because of its two-hinge design, can do things that fixed alignment sticks simply can’t, both in putting and full-swing practice.
“There are a lot of guys using it in creative ways that I haven’t even thought of,” Baird says. “You can use it to help you with just about any problem you’re having.”
Baird’s company, Alignment Pro, sells the hinged alignment sticks for $39.99 on his website, along with black or white leather sleeves ($19.99) that are meant to protect golfers and their clubs from the Alignment Pro’s pointed ends. Notable users of the product include Tiger Woods, who had an Alignment Pro in his bag when he made his return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge, as well as 2016 U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson, Jim Furky and K.J. Choi.
Baird says the Alignment Pro will be available in select Dick’s Sporting Goods stores starting in mid-January.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
JIM IMRIE
Jan 11, 2017 at 4:22 pm
I use three simple things: 1. Two long tees with a heavy carpet thread 2. Just the heavy thread on the putting surface 3. Equilateral triangle with the thread for alignment.
Furky?.
Jan 5, 2017 at 3:21 pm
Shoot, if Jim Furky is using one, I want one.
Matt
Jan 4, 2017 at 9:44 am
and it aerates your green free of charge, leaving annoying holes for the rest of us to deal with.
Mad-Mex
Jan 1, 2017 at 10:46 pm
How in the world did this get 238 likes?!?!?! Seriously,,,
JR
Dec 24, 2016 at 5:31 am
Better cover that tip or else its gonna gouge your 500 dollar driver.
Good wood
Dec 24, 2016 at 12:19 am
A string attached to some sticks=$0
Good wood
Dec 24, 2016 at 12:15 am
Dave pelz has some metal sticks with string attached to them for $20. Save your money people!
Philip
Dec 23, 2016 at 5:07 pm
I think I’ll just go with two thin knitting needles and some twine. Placing one needle after the hole.
Gary
Dec 23, 2016 at 1:56 pm
Looks like something Tin Cup would use.
Sam
Dec 23, 2016 at 12:57 pm
Another item for the joy of golf…what ever works and it is toys for the avid golfer…just like new drivers every year or two, we got to have something to be excited about, after all something has to rank second to the thrill of making the tee time…..
Jason
Dec 23, 2016 at 11:44 am
Yeah, so after watching this….what can I use this for? This commercial is very underwhelming. I’m sure I could think some something to use it for, but this commercial doesn’t do a good job explaining that.
Gregory M Platupe
Dec 23, 2016 at 11:36 am
That’s awesome Matt. Glad to see you’ll doing well. I knew Matt in Los Angeles, we all knew each other through certain friends. Ben Krug and Scott from the The hunt golf club
KV
Dec 23, 2016 at 11:22 am
This apparently doubles as a green aerator. Why such a large pin? I’m not sure my superintendent is going to be pleased with the large punch marks.
Double Mocha Man
Dec 23, 2016 at 12:49 pm
I know Scotty, my greens superintendent, would be “all over me” if I stuck that thing into the practice putting green!
RAT
Dec 23, 2016 at 11:03 am
Putting is not all mechanical , this nor any other thing will help as much as learning to read the greens have feel with touch in putting the ball. It’s like holding an egg with just the right amount of pressure ,using your minds eye along with your dominate eye . Then be calm and confident ! If you have doubt in anything you do there is a greater chance that it will not be the outcome you desire.
The other in the mechanical – is the putter the correct length for you. Also does it have the eye appeal that gives you confidence . Just because the putter cost you +300 bucks doesn’t mean it’s right for you. I had a lot of different style and priced putters from cheap to very expensive and I finally put away my ego and decided that I would play the putter that gets me the best results .Guess you know it wasn’t the Scotty and Bett. etc. The one I use is producing great results. I play a mallet style 34″ Cheap in cost , you can’t argue with results. I really like beating those expensive putter guys . Taking there money is great and it kills them when my non +300 dollar putter is knocking them in the cup. Its not an image thing, it’s WINNING!
Jax
Dec 23, 2016 at 10:31 am
If you have any style at all you will dump your crappy Home Depot sticks and replace it with these sick alignment pros. I love these sticks
Egor
Dec 23, 2016 at 4:45 pm
Sarcasm right? The “pros” must have straighter lines right.
Guia
Dec 23, 2016 at 10:07 am
Curious if the putter actually connects/touches the alignment stick, or does not touch and is free wheeling?
Egor
Dec 23, 2016 at 9:56 am
My driveway markers from Lowe’s do pretty good for $4
BIG STU
Jan 4, 2017 at 1:43 pm
Mine were $2.50 at Home depot
Weekend Duffer
Dec 23, 2016 at 9:49 am
Pretty cool. I think I will stick with my $2 driveway markers though.