Equipment
Fred Couples finally switches irons—after 10 years
Fred Couples still moves the needle. For a Seattle-born gear junkie (me), pretty much anything the guy does is a big deal.
Earlier this summer, I wrote an article about the makeup of Couple’s bag. What you see is a player committed to feel and trust more than anything. He, like very few others, will stick with a club for years. His 3-wood is 12-years-old and his irons (at least a version of the same head) for over 10.
Until this week.
The part of his bag that I believe has made the biggest impact on his stellar play over the past decade was the switch to the Bridgestone golf ball (currently the Tour B RXS). It allowed Couples the ability to not tweak the overall DNA of his bag over the years, all while giving Fred the firepower and spin he needed off the driver and around the greens. Sometimes, players who love old gear can keep it current with a serious golf ball.
The PGA Tour Champions is in Phoenix this week for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Fred paid a visit to Ping HQ on Monday to test some gear.
Brad Millard (Ping Tour Rep) was the man running the session, and in a Herculean effort, was able to spin Couples out of some old standbys and into a new driver and irons. Trust me, it’s no small feat. If you get Freddy to change nine clubs in one sitting, you deserve a medal. Not because he’s difficult, he’s just Fred Couples, and if he’s making a switch it’s gotta do more than just impress on TrackMan.
Regarding the switch into the new Ping G425 LST driver, Millard said this
“Fred loved the look and feel of the G425, his launch and spin were perfect (12.5 launch spin around 2300-2400) and we dialed in the flight he wanted.”
Driver: Ping G425 9 LST (Dot Setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 65 TX (45 1/4″)
Couples cruises in around 108 MPH swing speed and 160-165 MPH ball speed—depending on how his back is feeling.
The irons were the next frontier. Couples isn’t one to play around in that category and has tested (at home) different sets from time to time but hasn’t ever found that true replacement for the Bridgestone Dual Pocket CB he has loved for 10 years.
Photo courtesy of @fullyequippedgolf on IG
Ping I210 irons seemed to get his attention quickly, however. Not only do they resemble a club from his past (Ping Eye 2) but they have a few things Freddy loves. Offset, bounce, and a long blade length. Once Millard dialed in the lies, it was a no-brainer from there.
Fred Couples’ new iron setup
Irons: Ping I210 (3-PW)
Shafts: Aerotech Steelfiber I110 CW X
Std Lofts, +.25 inches, and 1 degree up.
Fred is also testing Ping Glide 3.0 wedges 54-WS and 58 and 60-SS. We will confirm if any or all go in play. All wedges with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts.
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...
Steve
Jul 29, 2024 at 2:31 pm
I thought Freddie was going to game the new Bettinardi irons? Lol. I guess they just paid him to shill for them.
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KingJames
Dec 16, 2020 at 8:41 am
Great article!
Boom Boom
Nov 15, 2020 at 3:56 am
Maybe its my ocd but why is there a pic of two Tensei AV Raw shafts if Freddie is using a Tensei CK Blue 65 TX?
On the other hand I was surprised to find out Freddie prefers offset and longer blade length.
Pick it clean
Nov 9, 2020 at 10:13 am
Has Freddie ever been a staffer for anyone?
Scott McDonald
Nov 9, 2020 at 12:40 pm
Hogan early. Lynx
Tom Duckworth
Nov 8, 2020 at 10:12 am
I would like that setup. The golf ball is interesting I think that many players could do well to look into what ball they play more.
I based what I play on feel more than anything but I think I should throw that out the window and do some testing and just look at spin numbers. You hear complaints about low spin irons I would like to see more testers use different balls when they test. Hit the same iron with low spin and high spin balls.
Jo Flo
Nov 7, 2020 at 3:43 pm
Paulo is a dck.
Pureswinger
Nov 7, 2020 at 8:28 pm
Biden is President now so it’s time to get along.
Paulo
Nov 8, 2020 at 8:10 am
Over the moon Biden did it. Thank god that lunatic is out of the house. My dads older than him and we don’t trust him with the tv remote , never mind the nuclear launch codes
Pureswinger
Nov 8, 2020 at 10:53 am
Didn’t you date Jennifer Anniston?
Paulo
Nov 8, 2020 at 11:55 am
If she’s your mom then yes I did. Many times.
Purseswinger
Nov 8, 2020 at 1:05 pm
That’s great! Maybe you’re my Dad? I do have some issues about that. There’s this crazy gene in me that makes me want to screw sheep. Guess I got that from you. LOL!
Jim
Jun 3, 2024 at 7:54 pm
Boy you look like an idiot now don’t you,lol
Peter
Nov 7, 2020 at 5:28 am
No glove and now Pings! Two things that Fred and I have in common. Yay!
Abbie @Golf Mario
Nov 22, 2020 at 1:36 pm
I like your comment! My husband is the same way. Here in Utah we golf a lot during the season and he is a no glove, Ping golfer! Made me laugh when I read your excited about having that in common, haha!
Peter
Mar 8, 2021 at 2:38 am
cheers! Does he also hear the commentator in his head as he stands over the shot?. “6th hole, Couples’ second to the green…”
Mick
Nov 6, 2020 at 9:03 pm
Cink wins a few weeks back with Ping i210. The LPGA has a heavy usage of Ping i210 ( most amateur men should watch what they play) . Now Couples switches to them. They will go down as an all time great for PING.
AG
Nov 6, 2020 at 7:02 pm
What’s with the weird Bridgestone golf ball ad thrown into the middle of the article?
“Fred Couple switches irons… but first let me tell you how amazing this golf ball is!”
John Wunder
Nov 7, 2020 at 8:09 am
It’s not a weird ad, if you wanna know why a player can maintain older equipment for a longer period of time, the golf ball is the lynchpin of the whole thing. to not reference it is a discredit to the whole process. We don’t do weird ad’s in the middle of a players bag info.
Pureswinger
Nov 8, 2020 at 12:15 am
Your grammar sucks!
John Wunder
Nov 9, 2020 at 7:16 am
Well, thank god I have experts like you to track it all and make sure it’s called out.
Thanks for reading.
Zach
Nov 9, 2020 at 10:16 am
Can we confirm what he bagged? I think the driver and irons were in there. What wedges?
FamousDave
Nov 9, 2020 at 6:44 pm
I’d guess Freddie has bagged a lot during his career. LOL!
Mike Barnett
Nov 6, 2020 at 5:46 pm
Would you guys consider the Ping i210 irons a low handicap player set? I see they are high bounce.
Paulo
Nov 7, 2020 at 2:45 pm
Hi Mike. Fred can have them any way he wants. He’s one of the all time greats. His are probably hand forged unlike the retail models. What’s your index ? Ping might make you a custom set with your exact bounce spec. Drop them a line as they may have lost your contact details and club specs
FamousDave
Nov 6, 2020 at 11:07 am
This confirms even more that Bridgestone is getting out of making clubs.
Paulo
Nov 6, 2020 at 3:13 pm
Excellent point and a huge shame. Still don’t understand the shift to ping irons though , obvious choice from Bridgestone would be hand made irons by whomever he wants to make them because he’s Fred couples after akt
Desert Hacker
Nov 6, 2020 at 3:26 pm
Yep, I would’ve expected the same. I have the 2015 version of those Bridgestone irons and I’ve been waiting for something to come along and replace them…might go back to Mizuno. Not going to be easy to take them out of the bag.
DJ
Nov 19, 2020 at 10:51 am
Bridgestone Tour 201mb and 201cb. We’ll see if they come to the US market.
Imafitter
Nov 6, 2020 at 10:03 am
Very satisfies with my Ping i500’s, 3.0 Eye2 Wedges, 410 fairway & hybrids, and especially my G400MAX driver, which I shortened and re-weighted. Just outstanding equipment!
Dave M.
Nov 6, 2020 at 9:58 am
I sold those bridgestones this year on eBay for $300 more than I bought them for in 2014…I guess they are good, I just hit them too much to the right
Dave M.
Nov 6, 2020 at 3:14 pm
I meant to the left
pureswinger
Nov 6, 2020 at 4:47 pm
You liberal golf you!
Paulo
Nov 7, 2020 at 3:22 pm
Maybe you were aiming there or presenting dynamic lie too upright or, Jesus H Christ it could be a thousand things but I promise you it was unlikely an inherent design defect in the iron head .
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Delbert
Nov 6, 2020 at 9:47 am
What’s his specs? That would be cool to see. Didn’t he play a set off the rack once?
Pureswinger
Nov 6, 2020 at 10:04 am
They’re posted you dummy! Tiger should switch to these and give his body a break. With the Steelfiber shaft, they are great sticks. The driver is a beast. Anyone struggling with their game should seriously consider Ping for everything.
Kalle
Nov 6, 2020 at 9:44 am
The i210 are legendary. I may never abandon them.
Karsten's Ghost
Nov 6, 2020 at 6:03 am
The i210 keeps getting more and more… it’s an all-timer.
Mark it Zero
Nov 6, 2020 at 8:30 pm
It’s cool to see the love for the i210 because I’ve had a lot of success with mine. But, obviously, I’m no Fred Couples, or other staffers who have had success with them. Also, aren’t they bound to be replaced soon? I’ve had mine for two years…
Paulo
Nov 6, 2020 at 12:17 am
Is he a ping staffer now?