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5 equipment questions with Nick Dunlap’s club fitter about his winning setup

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Nick Dunlap recently shocked the world by winning The 2024 American Express as a 20-year-old amateur, but really, his playing resume should have been an obvious sign of early success on the PGA Tour.

Dunlap, who’s currently a Sophomore at the University of Alabama, won the U.S. Junior in 2021, and the U.S. Amateur in 2023. He also won his first collegiate event in March 2023, then reeled off wins at the Northeast Amateur in June and the North and South Amateur in July.

Now, he’s a PGA Tour winner.

Following Dunlap’s historic victory at The American Express, GolfWRX.com caught up with his longtime fitter and TaylorMade Senior Tour Representative Cory Johnson for a five-question, gear-focused Q&A.

Check out our interview with Johnson below, or head over to Nick Dunlap’s Winning WITB to see his full-bag specs.

GolfWRX: When did you start working with Nick? Was there anything performance-wise, or in terms of his equipment setup, that stood out to you about him?

Cory Johnson, TaylorMade: I started working with Nick in 2015 when he was 11. He was put on our radar by a past KFT staffer and I’ve been helping him through TM’s elite amateur development efforts ever since. From the beginning, he was ultra-competitive and just hated to lose. I remember an AJGA event when he was 14; he took fifth place and had to be talked into staying for the trophy ceremony since he was so mad at not winning.

Currently, compared to PGA Tour players, how do his launch monitor numbers stack up? Does he have exceptional speed or consistency? What are his strengths? 

Nick’s numbers are usually in the mid 180’s with the driver and he has about four speeds that he can move it. He essentially has a low/mid/normal tee shot, and full ship-it shot for what the hole puts in front of him. He has plenty of speed, but I think his huge strengths are his ability to hit it those different ways, and put it in play depending on the hole/wind.

Would you consider Nick a “gear head”? Does he enjoy getting into the tech part of golf, or is he more of a feel player? 

Nick added a launch monitor to his normal practice in this past year so he has become way more in tune with those numbers, which a big part of his wedge game improving. When it comes to the actual specs on the clubs, he falls way more in the feel category and doesn’t get in to that very deep. Most of the initial feedback is going to be on head shapes, loft/lie looks, and weight.

What was the fitting process like for the Qi10 LS driver, specifically? How did he improve by making the upgrade? 

We were fortunate to have Nick test some prototype heads in August before he won the U.S. Am, so we had a pretty good idea what we needed to start this year off. Nick wants a driver that will not go left, can maintain enough spin when he hits the low tee shot, and starts in his intended window. The Qi10 LS was about 2 mph faster than his previous driver, and launched a little higher. He played the new driver for 4 rounds on a trip to Forida before coming to Palm Springs, then the three practice rounds at Amex, and just basically never missed a shot. At that point, he was ready to go, which shows how good the Qi10 line is because he isn’t usually a tinkerer with equipment and is hesitant to change quickly.

Does he have anything particular spec-wise that stands out, such as lie angles, lofts, grip size?

The usual tricky part with the driver is Nick liking a driver that won’t go left, but his eyes naturally go to a club head that is fairly upright and around 44.75 inches. When he is playing his best, his driver is more a push-straight ball that just never moves. Right now he is playing the driver in the “Std upright” position to get that start line where he needs, and the sliding weight is all the way in the “Fade” position.

Thanks, Cory!

For more photos and info on Dunlap’s setup, don’t forget to head over to his Winning WITB from the 2024 American Express

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.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. FreddieKruger

    Jan 25, 2024 at 1:32 pm

    Great insight, thanks for the knowledge! Now, if only I can find a dependable “No Left” driver! The search is ON!

    • Benny

      Jan 28, 2024 at 2:34 pm

      Hahahaha, well said. I guess I would be happy in the 180’s no matter where it went.

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Equipment

Tour Edge unveils all-new Exotics mini driver

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Tour Edge Golf has today introduced the all-new Exotics mini driver, engineered to deliver a powerful combination of speed, control, and versatility in the long game. 

The Exotics Mini combines a titanium face with a stainless-steel body in design to balance ball speed with stability and control, creating a versatile option at the top end of the bag. 

At the core of the design is Tour Edge’s proprietary Combo Brazing technology, a high-precision thermal bonding process that seamlessly fuses a titanium cup face to a stainless-steel body into a single, continuous structure. By eliminating energy loss found in traditional multi-piece constructions, Combo Brazing is designed to deliver faster face response, more efficient energy transfer, and a uniquely powerful yet controlled feel.

The multi-material construction also allows mass to be positioned lower and deeper in the head in a bid to increase stability, while the thin titanium face is engineered to maintain ball speed across a wider impact area.

“While the initial goal was to enhance control and versatility in the long game, Combo Brazing ultimately drove measurable gains in ball speed and distance within the mini driver category. In robot testing, we’ve documented higher ball speeds, higher launch, reduced spin, and increased carry and total distance compared to leading models.” – Vice President of R&D Matt Neeley

In addition to distance performance, the Exotics mini emphasizes forgiveness through a heavier stainless-steel body that shifts mass toward the perimeter. This configuration increases MOI relative to traditional all-titanium mini drivers, helping preserve ball speed and directional stability on off-center strikes. Paired with Pyramid Face Technology from the Exotics metalwood line, the design is intended to support consistent speed across the face.

To further enhance MOI, a lightweight carbon fiber crown frees additional mass that is strategically repositioned low and deep in the head in design to improve stability and promote optimal launch with controlled spin.

“We designed the Mini to be about five millimeters shallower than other mini drivers on the market. That change improves playability off the deck. From a clean fairway lie, it can function as a strong 3-wood alternative while still providing control off the tee.” – Tour Edge CEO David Glod

An adjustable hosel system allows for loft and lie tuning to dial in trajectory and shot shape, while a fixed 13-gram rear weight helps stabilize the head through impact to improve dispersion consistency. The Exotics Mini Driver is available in 11.5 and 13.5-degree lofts in right-handed models.

Pricing & Availability

The Exotics Mini Driver is available for pre-order beginning today for $399.99 USD at touredge.com, and will be available for purchase at retail outlets worldwide on May 22, 2026. 

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Equipment

Srixon ZXi combo or TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo? – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, our members have been pitting a Srixon ZXi combo against a TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo. WRXer ‘edutch22’ is on the hunt for a new set of irons and kicks off the thread saying:

“Looking at picking up a new set of irons and think I’ve narrowed it down to Srixon ZXi combo or Taylormade P7CB/770 combo. I am currently a 5 cap and allbeit I feel irons are my weakness. My miss is a little to the toe side. I am decently steep at 4-5 down. Always thought I am high spin but recently on trackman my 7 was spinning at 5800 roughly. 

My question or looking for thoughts on which one would benefit me more from a forgiveness standpoint? Or is there another iron is should be looking at entirely? I only get to play about once or twice a week, if I am not playing a 2-3 day event. Thanks in advance.”

And our members have been sharing their thoughts and suggestions in response.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • manima1: “You just can’t go wrong with Srixon ZXi7.”
  • MattM97: “You have to hit them to know, the V-Sole on the Srixon can be make or break for many.”
  • dmeeksDC: “P7CB is more forgiving for me than ZXi7 because my main miss is low middle and the P7CB still flies and spins great on that miss. These are both really nice irons but I like the P7CB more than the Zxi7 and the P770 (or P790) more than the Zxi5. The Srixons are larger so if that gives you confidence that is the way to go. I don’t feel like I get any benefit from the V-sole and the P7CBs live up to their high Maltby forgiveness rating so the TaylorMades have been great for me.”

Entire Thread: “Srixon ZXi combo or TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”

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Equipment

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: 2024 Wilson Staff CB/Blade combo

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @pianoman0123 has a 2024 Wilson Staff CB/Blade combo up for grabs.

From the listing: “2024 Wilson Staff CB/Blade Combo.  4-8 irons are CB’s and the 9,PW are Blades.  5-PW have Project X 6.0 Shafts and the 4 Iron has a Steelfiber CW110 Stiff Shaft.   Standard Length, Lie and Lofts.  These are in very good condition the shafts just don’t work for me.  Like new Lamkin Grips on the 5-PW and a stock Golf Pride on the 4 Iron. $525 OBO.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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