The Ryder Cup is one of the biggest events on the golfing calendar. With matches so often going right to the wire, finding tiny ways to gain on your opponent could be the difference between a win and a loss. One aspect of that is in golf equipment. We’ve put together the ten biggest equipment stories that we’ve seen at Bethpage Black this week.
Look good, play good?
There’s often plenty of opinion when it comes to the clothing worn by both teams during Ryder Cup week. Over the years we’ve seen some truly shocking outfits, particularly from the US team.
This time around though things are a little less controversial.
Team USA will be wearing Ralph Lauren outfits for the sixth successive time. Expect to see lots of red, white and blue, and lots of Stars and Stripes during the week.
Meanwhile the European team will be looking to the past for inspiration when it comes to their clothing. Their practice day outifts are designed based on the clothing worn during the team’s previous away wins. These came in 1987, 1995, 2004 and 2012.
The gear is going to be made by luxury Italian fashion brand Loro Piana, who’s golf clothing has eye-watering price tags.
Any last minute tweaks? There’s only one place to go…
True Temper are the only brand who will have an equipment truck on site this week.
The OEMs are not required, or invited, apart from to supply things like balls and gloves. There’s no scope for extra advertising at the event, and the idea is that this keeps things non-partisan and allows the focus to remain on the contest.
Players will have already sorted their gear before heading to Bethpage Black, especially as most have had a couple of weeks break.
The True Temper truck is there to look after things like grip changes, or check the loft and lie of players’ clubs. They’ll also be able to help out with any last minute repairs or tweaks to gear if necessary.
Hovland’s unusual practice aid
Viktor Hovland is no stranger to playing around with his golf swing. He’s gone through plenty of coaches over the last couple of years as he tries to recover his best form.
He’s also not afraid to try something different, which is what we saw earlier this week on the driving range. Hovland was using a G-Box practice aid, developed by renowned LA-based coach George Gankas.
The G-Box works like a belt around your stomach, with a foam box that you velcro on to your side. For Hovland, putting the box on to his right side helps to encourage him to keep his hands in front of his body as he transitions in to the downswing, to improve timing and sequencing.
A new putter for Rose?
Earlier this week, Justin Rose’s caddie Mark Fulcher posted a video of his man grinding on the putting green. He was using what looked like a prototype Scotty Cameron T-11.5 putter.
This is a change from the putter he used to win just a few weeks ago on the PGA Tour at the FedEx St Jude Championship. The Englishman has had a solid year on the greens, ranking 10th on the Tour for Putting Average and 55th overall in Strokes Gained.
Therefore it may come as a bit of a surprise to see him debating a switch. However the T-11.5 features a slightly more forgiving shape, with better alignment features than Rose’s existing T-5. Could this prove to be the difference when holing those clutch putts?
Bryson being…Bryson
Well, it wouldn’t be an equipment piece without a couple of Bryson stories, would it?
The eccentric American is known for his attention to detail and out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to his golf equipment. This week we’ve seen yet another example.
Golf magazine’s Johnny Wunder provided a tour of the True Temper equipment truck earlier this week. It showed an engineer applying rubber cement on to the shafts of his irons before regripping them.
This is because Bryson’s huge JumboMax grips are made from foam. As a result, the traditional solvent used for applying grips wasn’t working as well as desired. The rubber cement is said to provide a more secure and stable application, effectively ‘cementing’ the grip in place.
One of Team USA’s pairings sorted?
Both Cameron Young and Bryson DeChambeau have recently been using a new prototype Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot golf ball. Bryson recently suggested that it was launching and spinning a little lower than his previous ball.
Could this make them an ideal foursomes pairing? They were paired together for the Monday and Tuesday practice sessions and, considering that this golf ball won’t suit everyone, it makes sense that the two players would stick together so that they can both benefit from it.
If they do team up, there could be fireworks as Young and DeChambeau are arguably the two longest hitters in the US Team, so expect plenty of big drives and birdie chances.
LAB Golf to make history at Bethpage Black
LAB Golf’s stock has been on the rise for the last few years. It’s about to go a step further this week. That’s because JJ Spaun is set to become the first player to use a LAB putter at the Ryder Cup.
The American has enjoyed a hugely successful season, winning the US Open and climbing to sixth in the World Rankings. Much of that success has been down to an improvement on the greens. He’s gone from 149th on Tour in 2023 to his current ranking of 72nd in SG:Putting.
LAB Golf produce zero torque putters, designed to keep the head more stable throughout the putting stroke. It’s technology that has really captured the imagination, and most of the major equipment brands in golf have since followed suit with their own zero torque models.
Harris English’s old faithful
Some golfers love testing new gear, and for others, once they find something that they like they tend to stick with it. Harris English definitely falls into the latter category.
The American will tee it up at this week’s Ryder Cup using the same 14 year-old Ping HoHum Putter that he first started using during his time in college.
When he played back in 2021, he was forced into last-minute alterations as his putter grip, which is almost as old as the putter, was deemed non-conforming and had to be fixed by vice-captain Davis Love III.
A blast from the past!
As we mentioned earlier, one of the considerations a captain has to make when it comes to pairings is whether they use similar golf balls.
One person who is definitely an outlier is American Ben Griffin.
That’s because he uses a MaxFli Tour X golf ball, which is going to be used at a Ryder Cup for the first time this century. The best part for us, is that the ball is much more affordable than other premium balls with an RRP of around $40 per dozen.
It marks an amazing comeback for a brand which almost dropped off the face of the earth in recent years. It just goes to show that there is a product for everyone, and it’s definitely worth trying products from brands other than just the ‘big names’.
Is Collin Morikawa searching for something?
Ever since he first came on to the PGA Tour, the thing that has seemingly held Collin Morikawa back from winning more regularly is the putter.
The American has won six times, including two majors, but ranks all the way down in 141st when it comes to putting this season.
As a result, we’ve seen him change putters pretty regularly. The latest switch came just a couple of weeks ago at the ProCore Championship. He was testing a new centre-shafted TaylorMade Spider Tour V Putter. This isn’t zero torque, but it’s definitely designed with stability in mind, helping to reduce rotation.
He was also spotted using a new TaylorMade P-DHY driving iron last time out, although it remains to be seen whether he may go back to a fairway wood to deal with the conditions at Bethpage Black.
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