Check out which clubs the PGA Tour’s best drivers are using now.
With the Fall Series and the West Coast Swing now in the rearview mirror and the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing having started, there have been enough events played in the 2021-2022 season to start to get a good statistical feel for the game. Most players have competed in at least four to six events, so their stats have meaning and are less likely to see wild changes based on one week’s performance.
One of the most coveted stats on the PGA Tour is strokes gained off the tee, which measures the advantage (or disadvantage) a player has exclusively from his performance on par 4s and par 5s off the tee. A positive number means a player is better than the average golfer on Tour, while a negative number means the player is worse than average. Golfers who excel in this statistic tend to make a lot of money, find themselves in contention on the weekends and become household names. The best season-ending strokes gained off the tee average ever was turned in by Bubba Watson in 2012 (1.485), and Rory McIlroy has finished the season ranked either first or second five times in the past 10 years.
Below is a list of the golfers who rank in the top 10 in strokes gained off the tee, along with the drivers they are currently using.
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Adding extra weight helps Mizuno’s newest putters deliver extra stability in classic-looing shapes.
Gear: Mizuno M.Craft OMOI putters
Specs: Forged and milled 1025 carbon steel heads with interchangeable weights
Who it’s for: Golfers who prefer head-heavy, stable putters in classic shapes
Available: March 17
Price: $349.95 each
The Skinny: By shifting more of the overall weight of each OMOI putter to the head, Mizuno has increased the stability in these classic-looking putters. The moveable weights in the sole allow for further customization.
The deep dive: While Mizuno has been making a concerted effort to grow its share in the wood market, as witnessed by the recent release of the ST-X 220 and ST-Z 200 drivers, fairway woods and hybrids, the Japanese company has long been known for making some of the most sought-after forged irons in golf. These folks know how to superheat metal and craft it into clubs that feel great when they hit a golf ball.
In 2020, Mizuno reentered the North American putter market. For those who might not remember, Scotty Cameron made putters for Mizuno in the early 1990s, and Bob Bettinardi had a line of putters with Mizuno in the 2000s, but the M.Craft series was all Mizuno.
The Mizuno M.Craft OMOI 1 putter (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The three new M.Craft OMOI putters, as with the previously released clubs, all look like putters you have seen before, in keeping with the Mizuno tradition of letting the performance do the talking. The #1 and #2 are classic-looking, heel-toe-weighted blades with a single black alignment line. The #1 is slightly deeper from front to back and has a small slant neck, while the #2 has a thinner topline, longer blade length and a plumber’s neck hosel. The #3 is a compact semi-circular mallet that is face-balanced and has a lone black alignment line and a double-bend hosel. They are each available in chrome, black or blue finish and come standard with a KBS Tour Black Ion-plated shaft and Lamkin Sink Fit pistol grip.
What sets the M.Craft OMOI putters apart is their weight. The #1 and #2 tip the scale at 370 grams, while the #3 is 383 grams. Each putter comes standard with a moveable 8-gram weight in the heel and toe areas of the sole, and a weight kit with two 3-gram weights and two 13-gram weights so players and fitters can customize the swing weight and overall weight easily.
The trend in putters over the last decade has been to make things heavier, but by opting for a slightly lighter shaft and grip, Mizuno said the M.Craft OMOI putters can deliver more stability by being more head-heavy. It also said its research shows that M.Craft OMOI putters make more consistent face rotation through impact, which means the face should point at your intended target more often as you strike the ball.
Swinging a standard-weight putter of about 350 grams, then a M.Craft OMOI at 370 grams, you can feel a subtle difference. It took me about 60 seconds to swap out the 8-gram weights and screw in the 13-gram weights, but the extra 10 grams of total weight did not create a massive difference in how the putter felt during the stroke. That’s probably a good thing, because if the M.Craft OMOI putters felt radically different than traditional putters, it could be unsettling. The trick is to make them look like one of your favorite putters, which they do, but have the benefit of extra stability that added weight can provide.
In the market for some new wedges? We’ve got you covered.
Remember the pitch shot you hit the last time you played golf that flew a little higher than you anticipated, bounced a few times and then rolled 15 feet past the hole? Technique plays a big role in the short game, but if the grooves are worn because your sand wedge or lob wedge is three or four years old, it’s time to consider investing in a new set of wedges.
Most recreational golfers buy their wedges one at a time right off the rack. A 56-degree wedge needs to be replaced, just drive to the store and buy a new one, right?
Maybe, maybe not. Many pros and elite golfers tend to swap out their sand wedges and lob wedges at the same time for two reasons: they wear out both clubs equally fast and they don’t pay for their wedges.
Meanwhile, you do pay for wedges and probably don’t practice and play half as much as the pros do, so it could be tempting to replace clubs one at a time. If your financial situation dictates that, then do it, but replacing your higher-lofted wedges together means you can expect the same type of spin and performance regardless of which club you use.
Pitching wedges and gap wedges are a little different. Those clubs are extensions of your iron set, and you might even use the pitching wedge that came with your irons. That’s fine, just be aware of the distance gaps as you move from your irons to your wedges. Some game-improvement pitching wedges can have as little as 41 degrees of loft, so a typical gap wedge with 52 degrees of loft would create a massive gap in your scoring clubs. A good custom fitter can help you find the ideal mix of irons and wedges, and even manipulate lofts if necessary, to make your gaps logical and systematic.
Lots of research goes into wedges, with new groove designs and head shapes constantly being tested. However, while several companies come out with updated wedge models every year, other companies run wedges on two-year product cycles.
It is also common for brands to introduce a new wedge family but keep the previous generation of wedges available for a second season.
Checking out the clubs below is a great way to start your journey to more spin and better performance around the greens.
In the market for some new irons? We’ve got you covered.
Golf’s surge in popularity over the last two years has brought an influx of new players to the game, many of whom either borrowed clubs from friends or rented sets from the course. Maybe they just reached into the demo bucket at the local range and discovered that while golf is challenging, it is also rewarding, especially when you hit a great shot.
When it comes to irons, there are more options than ever before, ranging from muscleback blades for elite players who want to maximize their ability to curve the ball and shape shots to distance-enhancing irons to clubs that look and perform like miniature hybrids.
The best way to discover which set of irons is best for you is to work with a good custom fitter and try as many different combinations of heads and shafts as possible. The irons listed below can act as a great starting point on your journey to finding your next perfect set.
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Find a driver that can not only deliver performance on your best swing but also on mishits.
Elite golfers like Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa and Tony Finau experience what it’s like to hit a great tee shot all the time, but for recreational golfers, that magical moment never comes often enough. Slices, hooks, moonballs and tops are a part of the game for golfers who struggle to break 80, 90 and 100.
Taking lessons and developing a reliable, efficient swing is important, but so is finding a driver that can not only deliver superior performance on your best swing but also help to compensate for your shortcomings on mishits.
But the best way to find the ideal driver for your game is to work with an experienced custom fitter who has a launch monitor so you can try combinations of heads, shafts, lofts and weight settings. The drivers listed here are all state of the art and can act as a great place to start your journey to better performance off the tee in 2022.
The ST-Z 200 and ST-X 200 were designed to offer golfers more ball speed with extra forgiveness.
Gear: Mizuno ST-Z 220 and ST-X 220 drivers Price: $449.99 with Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue or Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black shaft and Lamkin ST Hybrid 360 grips Specs: 460 titanium heads with carbon-fiber crowns, carbon-fiber sole pieces, stainless steel back weights, and adjustable hosels. Available: February 3
In September, Mizuno released the ST-G 200 driver, one of the most technologically advanced drivers on the market. It features a carbon-fiber crown, three moveable weight tracks, a thin titanium face, and an adjustable hosel to allow players and fitters to fine-tune the center of gravity and find the ideal launch angle and spin rates.
Now the Japanese sporting goods giant is releasing two more drivers that may seem less sophisticated. However, the ST-Z 200 and ST-X 200 were designed to offer golfers more ball speed with extra forgiveness and stability.
The ST-Z 200 and ST-X 200 feature a titanium chassis and a forged SAT2041 Beta titanium face that is thinner and stronger than most faces in modern drivers. That should allow the face to flex more efficiently and provide a larger sweet spot.
Both the ST-Z 200 and ST-X 200 feature Wave Technology in the sole to increase ball speed. It is a series of ridges that look like an accordion in the bottom of the head, directly behind the leading edge, that allows the lower portion of the face to flex more efficiently on low-struck shots.
Both clubs were designed with large carbon-fiber crowns and pieces of carbon fiber in the heel and toe areas of the sole. Compared to the previous generation of ST-Z 200 and ST-X 200, the carbon-fiber pieces on the sole are 40 percent larger, saving more weight and letting designers increase the stainless-steel weight found in the back of each club from 11 grams to 20 grams.
Since August 1, brands such as Callaway, Cleveland, Mizuno, Ping, PXG, TaylorMade and Tour Edge have released new gear.
The Halloween candy-induced sugar rush is starting to wear off, summer is a distant memory and Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. We can excuse you if some interesting releases of new golf equipment slipped past you in the last few months.
Not too long ago, late summer and early autumn were quiet times in the world of gear, but not anymore. While the major driver and iron launches still typically drop in December and January, manufacturers started releasing some products into the market ahead of that time because, for retailers and golf lovers in the sunbelt, golf season is kicking into high gear.
Since August 1, brands such as Callaway, Cleveland, Mizuno, Ping, PXG, TaylorMade and Tour Edge have released new gear. You can see it all below.
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Take a closer look at some of the most popular golf balls.
Let me start out by stating the obvious: Kids, don’t try this at home. And grown-ups, you might not want to do this either. Using pipe cutters and hacking up a few dozen golf balls to reveal what they look like inside gets expensive.
In general, the outer appearance of golf balls has remained fairly unchanged for more than a century. Tiny depressions called dimples cover the balls to improve their aerodynamic properties. White is still the most popular color, but yellow balls are common and several manufacturers even offer red, orange and green balls. Some offer balls that feature high-visibility patterns that involve multiple colors.
Under the outer cover, golf balls have transformed in recent decades and they all look different. Manufacturers are consistently trying to develop cores (or multi-core systems) that transfer energy from the club to the shot more effectively. The rubber materials that are used are all synthetic, because natural rubber varies too much in quality. Those materials are often blended with other materials into a mass that looks like cake batter. The core material is mixed and rolled into sheets before it is cut into plugs that look like D-sized batteries. The cores are then placed into molds that are heated and pressed, forcing the core material into a round shape.
Joel Botelho works in the core molding area at Titleist Ball Plant III in Fairhaven, MA.–(Golfweek/Tracy Wilcox)
The color of a golf ball’s core does not mean anything. According to a spokesman for Titleist, different colors are added to rubber mixtures so factory workers can quickly identify material batches for different balls and keep them organized. Red, blue, purple, orange: The colors are irrelevant. But neatly cutting a ball in half reveals its layers and just looks cool. Below are several popular balls, cut in half, to show you what they look like under the cover.
Fresh wedges can bring more spin and control to your short game in autumn’s damp, heavy conditions. Here are seven new models to consider.
The Ryder Cup is in the books, and the start of autumn is bringing cooler temperatures and softer conditions to many parts of the country. In the Northeast and Midwest, morning dew is hanging on the grass longer and bunkers are retaining moisture deeper into the day, making the sand around the greens heavier.
Pros on the PGA Tour often obtain fresh wedges every four to six weeks because they practice short game shots so often and play several times a week. The grooves in their sand wedges and lob wedges lose their sharpness, and when competing on firm, fast greens surrounded by thick rough, sharp grooves are a must. Recreational golfers, on the other hand, often use wedges until the grooves are as smooth as glass, disregarding their loss of spin and control.
If you are in the market for new wedges, here are seven models that have been released in 2021 you might want to try.
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Mizuno’s newest wedges have enhancements to improve feel and spin.
Gear: Mizuno T22 wedges Price: $159.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Wedge shafts and Golf Pride Z Grip at Carl’s Golf Landand Dick’s Sporting Goods. Specs: Forged 1025 boron steel with milled grooves and four sole grind options. Lofts from 45 to 62 degrees. Available: October 14
To create muscleback and cavity-back irons for elite golfers, Mizuno has used a special forging process and specific materials for years, subtly tinkering with the shape of things like the leading edge, the topline and the sole width. However, from one generation to another, the clubs tend to look very similar because that’s what college golfers, aspiring pros and golfers with powerful, repeatable swings tend to like.
When it comes to wedges, Mizuno has traditionally followed the same recipe. Sure, the Japanese company has tinkered with blue-finished wedges, but there has always been a satin chrome option, a traditional teardrop shape and groove technologies to enhance spin that don’t distract golfers in the address position.
With the release of the T22 wedges, Mizuno continues to bring spin and control enhancing features to the short game in a package that should appeal to those who love the look of classic wedges.
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