Equipment

Why does Charl Schwartzel have an upside-down Wilson logo on his putter?!

Published

4 years ago

Feb 15, 2022

I noticed something odd on the practice putting green on Tuesday at the Riviera Country Club ahead of the 2022 Genesis Invitational.

Or, at least, I thought it was odd for a brief moment in time.

Charl Schwartzel was experimenting with two different putters during a practice session on Tuesday, so I stopped to observe for a minute. The first putter was a gold Ping Vault Voss 2.0 putter, and his caddie was holding the other option. There was nothing noteworthy going on so far, and I nearly lost interest, although I was mildly curious to know what the other putter was.

Schwartzel then handed the Ping putter back to his caddie and began putting with the other option.

He laid the putter down behind the ball, and I thought to myself, “Wait, what?”

There was an upside-down Wilson logo in the back cavity of his putter head. I was standing a bit far back, so I couldn’t quite understand what was going on. It didn’t look like a Wilson putter, and even it was, why would the logo be upside down?

Well, when I looked a bit closer, the answer was obvious.

It’s absolutely not a Wilson putter, as you can clearly see above, and I felt dumb for thinking it was even for a fleeting second. While testing out his 2007 Scotty Cameron Catalina Classic putter, Schwartzel added a bit of weight to the putter head using Wilson lead tape he had in his golf bag.

As per the product information on tennisnuts.com:

Wilson Lead Tape allows you to customize your tennis racket by adding weight for more power and stability. Furthermore, by adding weight, you can improve your performance and match your racket to your style of play. The tape has clearly marked measurements by inches for easier use and easy application. This means you can accurately apply the tape for even application.

2 X 50cm strips (approx. 19.5 grams each)
Each inch weighs 1 gram, with clearly marked measurement by inch

I didn’t immediately pick up on the fact that it was lead tape, because this specific lead tape is actually made for tennis. Usually, the lead tape you see on PGA Tour clubs is completely gray with no logos. Schwartzel’s Wilson-made tennis lead tape, obviously, is more brand identifiable.

I’m not huge into tennis, so I learned something very important today: Golf is not the only sport that uses lead tape to fine-tune weighting and enhance performance. Also, Wilson’s tennis lead tape is actually easier to measure out exactly how much weight you’re adding.

Golfers, take notes.

Additionally, upon further inspection of his putter, Schwartzel uses all-gray lead tape directly below his Ping putter grip. This placement can help counterbalance the putter by reducing swing weight.

For more of our photos from the 2022 Genesis Invitational, check out the link here!

Also, check out the link below to listen to our recent podcast interview with the owner of an Instagram page dedicated to lead tape application on golf clubs (@leadtapechronicles).

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

4 Comments

Pingback: Charl Schwartzel switches putters after a phone call with Adam Scott – GolfWRX
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TLW

Feb 16, 2022 at 5:29 pm

Turskey just came back. Cut him a break.

Reply Report comment
Mark

Feb 16, 2022 at 3:59 am

“This placement can help counterbalance the putter, or add overall weight without increasing swing weight in the head.”

Fixed it for you.

‘This placement can help counterbalance the putter, or add overall weight without increasing swing weight.’

Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Putters that never made it: Check out some of the best tour builds that didn’t make the cut

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

Alistair Cameron

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.

Whats in the Bag

Patrick Reed WITB 2026 (May)

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

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

See more photos of Patrick Reed’s clubs here.

Equipment

Which of Tiger’s major winning irons are your favorite? – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

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”