Equipment
The top “outside-the-box” equipment ideas in golf
There is no shortage of ideas, or products, introduced to help make the game of golf easier. Some are revolutionary and others lived for only a few brief moments in the sun.
In reality, this list could be a mile, long but we decided to focus on some of the biggest winners as well as some of more fringe, no pun intended, product ideas in recent memory.
Here’s our list.
One-length irons
If there was ever a set or style of clubs most tied to an individual golfer, it’s one-length clubs and Bryson DeChambeau. He burst on the scene winning the U.S. Amateur using a set of custom one-length irons from Edel Golf, based in Texas, and after turning professional took an endorsement contract with Cobra and built a one-length set around his game. The thing is, Bryson wasn’t the first, in fact, we can look back 90 years to see Bobby Jones’ set consisted of mostly one length clubs.
Picture: Lyle Slovik -Twitter
The first mainstream marketed set was the Tommy Armour EQLs, introduced in 1989. They sold well out of the gate, but many customers had issues with distance, and trajectory control. Not long after a short run with just average sales, Tommy Armour dropped the set from its line up, because of the number of unsatisfied customers returning them.
Of all the modern iterations, Cobra seems to have figured out the secret sauce to ball speed, trajectory, and control, and if we had to give them the proverbial thumbs up or down, this is an idea that can help a lot of golfers play better.
Reverse-taper grips
Grips are a fun thing to experiment with, because compared to the other required components to build a club, they are inexpensive and can be easily switched out. Putter grips still get the majority of the attention but at times there have been grips designed for full swing clubs that have certainly tried to flip the industry on their head.
The release grip was first introduced and marketed by Feel Golf and featured a reverse taper design where the largest part of the grip was in the bottom hand – completely opposite of the traditional taper grip. It went through a number of variations including a multi-material rubber cord version, but eventually, the final version was a 2 piece soft polymer grip. Unfortunately, if you are looking to try these out you are going to have to find old stock because the company is no longer around.
Graphite/steel shafts
Similar to one-length irons, the steel X graphite combo shaft can be identified by one man—Bubba Watson and his True Temper BiMatrix Prototype. The shaft design is getting close to 20 years old and even though it has seen some changes through the years the construction has remained mostly unchanged.
Graphite/steel shafts aren’t exclusive to woods either. Adams did a “tour set” in the late ’90s that featured the same bimatrix technology in a set of irons but reversed the steel and graphite, with the graphite section in the tip getting longer in the longer irons to help boost launch and spin – it was a clever idea. Wison also did a steel/graphite shaft in a set of game improvement clubs around 10 years ago, and although the concept worked, it was never a big seller.
The most modern iteration is the Binary shaft set from True Temper that features a mixed set of 100 percent graphite and steel shafts that can be mixed and matched through the set for players that need extra launch. The shafts are not intended for players at the higher end of the swing speed spectrum but get but a big help for golfers needing extra launch in lower lofted clubs. This one gets a big thumbs up from me since graphite shaft technology and adoption rates continue to climb for players of all abilities and with the greater design flexibility with graphite, we should continue to see this technology evolve.
Flight-correcting golf balls
Let’s be very clear—this golf ball and its asymmetrical dimple pattern is 100 percent non-conforming, and its the only non-conforming product on this list. Its meant for recreational golfers just looking to hit straighter shots and have more fun by being less frustrated on the course. Polara balls launched into the market around a decade ago and were a really big hit for a new product, but over time, maybe because golfers weren’t losing as many (wink), sales really leveled out.
The golf ball market is driven by tour performance and value, and a ball designed for a niche market will never be a big seller, but you can still find these available today and yes they do really work. You have to line them up fof every shot meaning you have to break more rules adjusting your lie around the course, but once again if you are a golfer just looking to hit a few more fairways, why not?
You’d never be found using one of these, but I’m still going to give it a thumbs up for making the game more enjoyable.
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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