By:
Jonathan Wall
January 16, 2023
Korda parted methods with Titleist to signal a multi-year settlement with TaylorMade.
TaylorMade
Welcome to Wall-to-Wall Gear, the Monday morning gear wrap-up through which GOLF tools editor Jonathan Wall takes you thru the newest developments, rumors and breaking information.
Large deal
Nelly Korda’s tools future is settled for the subsequent few years. Over the weekend, Korda introduced she had parted methods with Swedish clothes firm J.Lindberg to signal a profitable take care of attire large Nike.
On Monday, she made an much more intriguing transfer, inking a multi-year take care of TaylorMade Golf — GOLF.com first reported the approaching signing on Saturday — to play all 14 golf equipment, together with the TP5 golf ball.
Korda ascended to the highest spot in girls’s golf throughout her time with Titleist, however in keeping with the 24-year-old, she noticed the chance to take her sport to new heights with TaylorMade’s tools.
“I signed with TaylorMade due to their confirmed means to raise the sport of the very best golfers on this planet,” she mentioned. “In testing with the TaylorMade Tour Group, it was clear that not solely was I working with high-performing tools, but in addition a crew that shared my ardour for working as arduous as doable to be in the very best place to win. I’m thrilled to be part of Group TaylorMade.”
Nelly Korda indicators Nike attire deal — and it’s simply the beginning of massive modifications
By:
Jonathan Wall
This week’s Match of Champions occasion in Orlando will probably be Korda’s first official begin with new TaylorMade gear, however she’s spent the higher a part of a month testing and getting acclimated to the brand new setup at Concession Golf Membership in Bradenton, Florida.
In keeping with TaylorMade, Korda plans to exchange her light-weight Titleist TSR1 driver with the draw-biased Stealth 2 HD (9 levels), and TS-Sequence (TSi2 and TSR2) fairway woods with Stealth 2 (15 and 21 levels). A blended set of P770 (5-6)/P7MC (7-PW) irons and Milled Grind 3 wedges (50, 54 levels) spherical out the setup. (With no point out of a lob wedge, it’s very probably Korda will retain a Vokey WedgeWorks prototype for the second.)
After which there’s the change from Titleist’s Professional V1 to the TaylorMade TP5. Nothing is extra essential for elite execs than getting in sync with a brand new ball. For Korda, it very probably is the gear change that defines her change to TaylorMade.
One among us
Main tools producers have been unveiling new golf equipment at a livid clip over the previous few weeks, together with Callaway and Ping. Whereas weekend golfers have to attend till the official retail drop to get their palms on Paradym and G430, execs have the luxurious of testing actually all the pieces earlier than we even know what’s coming to market.
The considered testing each out there driver may sound formidable to some golfers — however former Masters champion Adam Scott isn’t considered one of them. The Aussie posted an Instagram snap from an early-week observe session in Hawaii with the caption, “Now testing.”
Resting comfortably in Scott’s bag have been three drivers: TaylorMade’s Stealth Plus, Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond and Ping G430 LST. Scott, who was already utilizing Stealth Plus, wished to know the way a couple of of the brand new low-spin choices stacked up in opposition to his gamer.
In the long run, Scott opted to stay with Stealth Plus. Testing could be numerous enjoyable, however as Scott’s newest session revealed, a well-fit gamer is all the time going to be powerful to beat.
Again-to-back
Callaway’s Paradym Triple Diamond driver
Jonathan Wall/GOLF
Callaway’s Paradym Triple Diamond driver has been on Tour for 2 weeks and already has two wins (Jon Rahm and Si Woo Kim). It’s secure to say Callaway’s newest low-spin creation is beginning to warmth up.
Together with Kim, Callaway Tour rep Joe Toulon confirmed over 70 p.c of staffers switched to Paradym throughout the first full-field Tour occasion of 2023. A number of non-contract gamers — a very good barometer for the way a driver is performing in head-to-head testing — additionally selected to offer Paradym a shot in competitors, together with Jimmy Walker and MJ Daffue.
“It’s an excellent share at this early stage of the product,” Toulon informed GOLF.com by way of textual content.
Return to type?
Chris Kirk gained three of his 4 PGA Tour titles taking part in Callaway tools and carrying TravisMathew attire. On the Sony Open, the 37-year-old confirmed he was returning to Callaway and TravisMathew for 2023.
“That is my first week again,” Kirk confirmed. “I spent some years on employees with Callaway Golf, and wore TravisMathew clothes for most likely my first 9 years on tour. That is my first week again with each of these corporations, as a employees participant for Callaway Golf, carrying TravisMathew clothes. Yeah, positively been enthusiastic about that and excited to get going.”
Kirk wasted little time acclimating to new gear as he logged a third-place end on the Sony Open, his finest displaying since a runner-up end result on the 2016 Sanderson Farms Championship.
Optimistic motion
Titleist Professional V1x (L) and Professional V1 golf balls throughout the first week they have been made out there for testing in Las Vegas.
Ryan Barath/GOLF
Sony runner-up Hayden Buckley posted the very best end of his PGA Tour profession with Titleist’s Professional V1 within the bag. Buckley admitted he often prefers to maintain the tinkering to a minimal. Nonetheless, after testing Professional V1 at residence, the outcomes swayed him to make a ball change for the primary time in 4 years.
“I actually don’t like change in any respect,” he mentioned. “I believe most of my golf equipment keep the identical. The ball stayed the identical for 4 years. However seeing issues enhance, and I noticed it within the driver, I’m seeing it within the ball. Seeing issues enhance and understanding that individuals are again residence actually testing this stuff out and placing plenty of effort and time into, it’s actually comforting to me understanding that I’m taking part in the very best.”
Efficiency was good across-the-board throughout testing, particularly with the motive force, a membership he’s come to depend on.
“With the ‘23 ball, I noticed ball flight was a bit of bit larger, which was good. I noticed the spin come down a bit of bit. I’m a high-spin man. So, for me, it’s very powerful when it’s very windy. And I checked out, left and proper smart, I noticed the ball being a bit of bit tighter. A variety of photographs have been catching the sting of the inexperienced as a substitute of lacking. And actually simply across the greens, it was good. All the pieces that I wished. However for me, the motive force’s an important factor, and it’s considered one of my strengths. And I noticed a bit of bit extra pace with the brand new ball, which I don’t assume anyone complains about extra pace. And a bit of little bit of spin off. I used to be spinning the motive force fairly a bit, and I noticed that spin come down a bit of bit. And that’s one thing that all of us search for.”
A complete of 29 gamers within the subject used both Titleist Professional V1 or Professional V1x prototypes in Hawaii.
Need to overhaul your bag for 2023? Discover a becoming location close to you at GOLF’s affiliate firm True Spec Golf. For extra on the newest gear information and data, try Absolutely Outfitted podcast under.
Jonathan Wall
Golf.com Editor
Jonathan Wall is GOLF Journal and GOLF.com’s Managing Editor for Gear. Previous to becoming a member of the employees on the finish of 2018, he spent 6 years masking tools for the PGA Tour.