Equipment

‘Put it straight in the bag’: Inside the Titleist GTS driver launch in the Houston

Published

2 months ago

Mar 28, 2026

With the PGA Tour heading to the Space City, what better place to launch a new line of drivers and get them in the hands of Tour players for the first time? At the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open, that’s exactly what Titleist did, showing off its brand new GTS lineup.

Three drivers were on display in Houston, along with a selection of fairway woods. Players were welcomed with pre-built setups to try, along with the options to get other builds made with either the GTS 2, 3, or 4 driver head. The new line sees a sleeker look compared to the older GT line. From a quick eye test, the GTS2 has an added front weight, while the GTS3 has a new rear weight. The GTS4 also sees a weighting update, with the front weight now heel-toe adjustable.

During the nonstop testing Monday to Wednesday at Memorial Park Golf Course, it was clear to see that three common areas were being picked up by players: spin, speed, and sound.

It’s definitely noticeable that the new GTS drivers’ spin consistency has been a standout focus during research and development. Players reported that across the face, spin numbers were very similar — an improvement from what they had seen in the old GT head.

“My problem with the GT line was just a little inconsistency with the spin numbers,” said PGA Tour winner Michael Brennan. “I felt like the toe balls kind of went way too far. The heel balls went too short, so that’s why I switched out of it. But I noticed with this GTS, it seems to be better again, need to go do some on-course testing, hit some shots with it, hit some more balls in the range with it. But initially, I’m hanging in the mid-3000 spin with the 3-wood, even on some kind of low face balls. Amazingly didn’t overspin, which I’m very happy about.”

Standout amateur and now big-hitting Tour pro Gordon Sargent had similar results with his testing. After struggling with the older GT line due to spin drop-off for misstrikes, especially seeing “some toe ones that were really low,” the 22-year-old had even returned to playing the previous TSR2 driver instead. With the GTS, the story is different.

“I just popped a 9-degree just like I’ve been playing and kind of hit a couple,” Sargent said. “It felt like any shot I hit was 2,600 to 2,700 spin, whether that was low or high, right to left, left to right, which for me, that’s huge, just it’s going to hang in there a little bit more. Just knowing, obviously, out of the center it’s good, but if you have a touch of forgiveness too, or if you happen to heal it or toe it a little bit and then, yeah, if I want to tee it down, hit the lower one, it doesn’t drop the spin a ton, it’s pretty consistent. So yeah, I kind of put it straight in the bag.”

With the added consistency, it was easy to see that players had more confidence to swing harder, even on the course, along with range testing. There seemed to be added comfort knowing spin wouldn’t disappear if a center strike didn’t occur.

From the first pro to test it on-site in Houston, Jeffery Kang, who saw ball speeds jump from 175 with his older GT to up to 180 with GTS, to Sargent, who ranks 12th on the tour in club head speed, there was a speed increase across the board. Sargent was seeing at least an extra 1.5 mph with the GTS and carry numbers over 320 yards, citing more comfort to swing faster knowing that his misshits were still playable.

“Yeah, I think so,” Sargent said when asked if he had more confidence to swing faster with the GTS line. “I feel like I’m swinging my best when I am swinging a little left and just knowing me just swinging is going to produce a little fade. I don’t feel like I’m trying to fade in a sense. So having that proper amount of spin, knowing where it’s going to fade versus I had a few issues with the GT of, I felt like I almost had to try and fade it and then I could get some really spinny ones and then I could hit a slight toe and it’d be less than 2000. So I’d say yeah, it naturally just fit my shot shape of a little flat cut, but then it wasn’t over-spinning at all, so I didn’t feel like I had to manipulate it, which was nice.”

It is appropriate to note that under tournament play, this may be another story, but the early signs are promising.

The final standout from three days of testing is the difference in sound that the GTS has. Plain and simple, and in the words of Brennan, the GTS is “more of a solid thud.” It’s certainly a lower pitch than the GT line.

For more on the GTS driver lineup, head to the forums to see all the heads going in play at the Houston Open and watch Inside the Ropes on the GolfWRX YouTube page.

Equipment

Spotted at the PGA Championship: Koepka’s new putter, L.A.B. Golf’s latest prototype and custom Philly gear

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

Aronimink Golf Club takes center stage for the 2026 PGA Championship, as the world’s best, along with America’s top club pros, take on the Donald Ross classic, just outside Philadelphia in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

Even on the first official practice day of the championship, there was plenty of gear news and storylines to dive into, with a three-time champion going through an extensive putter testing, as well as new prototype putters spotted and custom gear galore. Let’s dive into it.

Brooks Koepka’s putter testing

Three-time PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka spent plenty of time Monday morning and into the afternoon on the practice putting green in front of the Aronimink clubhouse, working with coaches and Tour reps and putting plenty of different flasticks through their paces, after apparently recently breaking his new TaylorMade Spider Tour X last time out at the Myrtle Beach Classic.

Koepka tested out a couple of Scotty Cameron heads, similar to that of Cameron Young’s Phantom 9.5R with a full sightline. It’s not the first time a Tour pro has asked to follow in Young’s footsteps. Justin Thomas had the same request last week at the Truist Championship. Why not follow the hot hand?

Koepka’s custom Cameron featured the same style Teryllium insert that he has used previously, most notably during his PGA Championship wins in a Newport-style blade. The putter, however, that looks to have the best chance of making its way into the bag come Thursday is a TaylorMade Spider Tour V, the model of head recently launched on Tour at the RBC Heritage.

What’s unique about Koepka’s new Tour V putter is the custom length L-Neck (plumbers) hosel that he has equipped. The extended version looks ot reduce the toe-hang of the putter along with adding stability to the stroke.

The putter change comes with a plethora of additions to Keopka’s bag after his split with Srixon/Cleveland. Along with already playing a Titleist ist Pro V1x golf ball, Koepka added Vokey wedges to his Grove XXIII staff bag last week in South Carolina. The 36-year-old is using SM11s in 48.10F, 52.12F and 56.10, along with the WedgeWorks 60B, a special grind with an interesting letter choice.

Look at Koepka’s full bag here.

L.A.B. Golf’s new vision

As GolfWRX continued the long tradition of capturing players’ bags and equipment, we got a glimpse of the latest L.A.B. Golf putter in the bag of Adrian Saddier. The Frenchman, who’s making his PGA Championship debut at Aronimink, is rolling with the newly added VZN.1i putter, which features a closed-back, winged-mallet design, resulting in a square cutout in the middle of the mallet.

Saddier’s new stick is center-shafted with two thick white alignment lines. The VZN.1 is the latest L.A.B. putter to be spotted. It comes after the traditional blade-style LINK.2.1 & LINK.2.2 were released on Tour, featuring a heel-shaft.

Take a look at the full gallery here.

Custom Philly-themed gear

As with every major championship, the PGA sees a bevy of custom gear from equipment manufacturers to highlight the theme of the week. With Aronimink sitting just west of Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love takes full focus.

Callaway is ringing the Liberty Bell with its Philly special-edition staff bag that tour players will be rocking at Aronimink. The bag features a pin-striped design, embossed with the Liberty Bell itself and a special green-fluff strap for the Philadelphia Phillies’ mascot, the Phillie Phanatic.

TaylorMade is also theming the staff bag around the birth of a nation, with a specially crafted staff back to celebrate the city where American independence was born. The bag features Philadelphia’s fingerprints with Independence Hall lives on the ball pocket, the Liberty Bell graces the valuables pocket, and Benjamin Franklin holds court on the back. The bottom collar reads – City of Brotherly Love – and custom “LOVE” zipper pulls pay tribute to the iconic Robert Indiana’s sculpture situated in the city center.

Tileist has adopted a different design for its GTS headcovers, going with Kelly Green, for the 2025 Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles.

Check out more custom gear in the forums.

Whats in the Bag

Alex Fitzpatrick WITB 2026 (May)

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X

7-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

9-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

Irons: Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X (5-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (46-10F, 50-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-A+)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X (46, 50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (56, 60)

Putter: Odyssey Ai-One #7S

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Equipment

Lead Tape Hall of Fame: Hideki Matsuyama

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Andrew Von Lossow

Today is a very special day for the Lead Tape Hall of Fame. Our second inductee is announced, and with great honor, we welcome Hideki Matsuyama to the Silver Jacket ceremony. Hideki’s meticulous attention to detail and precision have earned him his place in the Lead Tape Hall of Fame.

Hideki turned professional in 2013 and began his career on the Japan Tour. He was the first rookie on the Japan Tour to lead the money list, highlighted by five wins in his first season. His first appearance on the PGA Tour was the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, where he came in 10th place in his debut. In 2014, he won his first PGA Tour event at Memorial. Hideki is currently at 11 PGA Tour wins, including a scoring record at The Sentry in January 2025 at 35 under par. In 2021, he won The Masters. An incredible career and still full of momentum, what kind of tools does Hideki use to get in the mix week in and week out?

Matsuyama has been a career Srixon and Cleveland staff player. Typically with Graphite Design shafts in his woods and True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts in his irons. A unique trait is that in his wedges, he will play X100 shafts that suit his launch preferences. Rarely do you see a stiffer profile in wedges compared to irons.

Speaking of wedges, Hideki plays the Cleveland RTX4 Forged wedges. These debuted in 2018, but due to his level of detail, this is what he plays today. You can see the lead tape placed on the wedges in different places on the back flange. Usually erring towards the heel promoting certain launch characteristics and if anything a slight draw ball flight. In a 2021 GolfWRX interview, we found Hideki does not want to see the ball fall to the right. He wants the ball to fall to the left.

We see the use of lead tape on clubs like his fairway metal, where we see a small strip near the ferrule and even at the base of the grip. Looking at the details, Hideki operates; everything is done with purpose and measured for his stats. Not the type of feel player that doesn’t know how much weight is where and says, “That’s fine.”

Srixon told us, “We also travel with pre-cut lead tape in half-gram and one-gram increments, and Hideki will apply the tape to different areas of the club (muscle, flange, hosel, shaft), depending on how the club feels while testing.”

Hideki and his team have his club spec’d to the half gram for what to add or subtract from his set. This is Hall of Fame level here, nearly alone, but with Hideki’s meticulous attention to detail for each club is amazing to see.

This attention to detail carries down to the putting green as well. Hideki rotates through a series of Scotty Cameron Newport putters with subtle changes on sightlines, bumpers, and welded plumber’s necks. Sometimes on the bottom of the putter? A strip of one-inch lead tape. The tape has been on there so long that you can see the hand-stamped logo underneath. That is absolutely Hall of Fame grade!

It is incredible to see through the lens of the level of detail that Hideki operates in. We see lead tape anywhere from the shaft, above the hosel, in different positions on the back flange of wedges, and on the bottom of the putter. The precision he brings to the course has translated into a record of winning results from the beginning. We will have to stay tuned if his new Silver Jacker accompanies his Green Jacket in the trophy room!