The gear crew at GOLF.com spends a lot of time at tour events taking pictures of the tools used by the world’s best players. Posting clubhouse photos online without context sometimes works, but it doesn’t help the weekend golfer understand why the pros are setting up. In the new GOLF.com series, equipment editors Jonathan Wall and Ryan Barath answer these questions by highlighting fun clubs in players’ bags, unique weight, upper sleeve settings and more. Welcome to “Bay Spy”.
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Special delivery
When Morikawa sees his Goldendoodle, Koa, he generally feels warm and fuzzy inside—unless he’s chewing on his shoe. Dogs are not allowed to attend PGA Tour events, so Morikawa has to wait until after the Tour to play with the pup.
Golf ball wearing his dog cup (above) is not exactly Same thing, but still a fun way to keep the Koa front of mind when it’s in the thick of battle.
Since TaylorMade unveiled its MySymbol program, many pros have embraced ball customization and replaced the play number with something a little more meaningful. In Morikawa’s case, it’s Koa. For TaylorMade teammate Charley Hull, it’s a ball that bears a caricature of the 27-year-old.
No word yet on whether Morikawa’s scoring average will improve without the traditional play number, but Koa’s photo is sure to bring more smiles to the course.
tedious process
Not all blades are the same. The overall look of Morikawa’s P7CM custom iron is very P7MB-esque, but the sole geometry isn’t standard. Morikawa went through a blind test with 11 different models—each iron featuring a different tip radius, sole, and rim—before landing on a combination much like the P7MC’s sole: standard bounce, standard leading edge radius and thin sole.
The overall feel and performance of the blade allows him to play a combo of P7MC (5-6 iron) and P7CM (7 iron through wedge) and not have to worry about altering grass interaction with two iron models in a bag.
It’s a small change that made a big difference for one of the best strikers in the world.
Driver setup
There are many ways to implement a fade. You can change your setup or make some adjustments to the head and let the club do some of the work. In Morikawa’s case, it is in the preparation department. While it has an adjustable 15-gram heavy weight in the slide track—available in 4, 10, and 15 grams at retail—it’s set slightly toward the heel.
It is not sufficient to make a noticeable change in the shape of the shot, thus allowing Morikawa to pass the ball in the form of his choosing. As much as we cherish the benefits of driver adjustability—and they are numerous—sometimes it’s best to rely on setup changes to achieve proper launch and direction.
Anything works
Fairway forests remain the hardest ballpark to take out of the bag, especially when you have something to count on. Morikawa’s TaylorMade SIM Titanium Rocket 3-wood definitely falls into this category. The Rocket version wasn’t as popular as the standard head, but the stronger loft gives Morikawa a serious secondary option off the tee.
In the current top-sleeve setup, Morikawa’s face is 1.5 degrees closed with an additional 0.75 degrees of loft. The overall setup actually gives it a little more spin (about 150 rpm), which isn’t a bad thing when you need to find the right lane or take a shot in the green.
More dojo
Morikawa’s Stealth 2 Plus driver is guarded by a familiar face. Similar to the dog-inspired golf ball he’s using at the moment, it’s all about finding ways to add some personality to his equipment setup. Tiger’s “Frank” and Rory’s St. Bernard is one of the most popular covers in professional golf, but Koa is definitely moving up the power ratings.
any dog do his Instagram He will always be in the discussion.
His job
Morikawa is another professional who shares the wedge and barbell setup from Tiger Woods. Instead of running the same flex shaft through the bag, Morikawa starts with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts in his TaylorMade irons and then moves up to the softer S400 in the wedges.
While it varies from player to player, most will notice a slight decrease in ball flight and a more even feel in the hands with a softer elasticity. For some, it can also help maintain spin compared to using the same shaft across the board. Considering that many Tour players prioritize feel, consistency, and control on shorter approach shots, it’s easy to see why so many doubles go down with wedges.
Although Morikawa’s wedge shafts are a bit softer for feel purposes, they’re actually on the heavier side for timing his touch shots. If you decide to tinker with softer bending in the pickets, make sure the shafts are heavier than the iron ones. Given all the touch shots you play with a wedge, shifting your swing weight in the opposite direction can lead to inconsistencies with delivery, contact, and turf reaction.
constant connection
We’ll leave you with a picture that all golfers should hang next to their clubs as golf season officially begins in most parts of the country. What stands out when you look at the wear spot on Morikawa’s Stealth 2 Plus Fairway wood? Most would point out that it is slightly towards the toe, which is certainly a site of impact that deserves further discussion about Fully equipped Podcast. However, in this case, I prefer highlighting the rest of the face and the fact that the black color still looks original.
If you’re doing anything this summer, aspire to a Morikawa-esque effect consistency. Jokes about getting your money’s worth out of a full face aside, focusing on enhanced impact will make carry yards and launch characteristics more predictable. This, in turn, will make the game more interesting. This is my way of saying that you need to stop focusing on unexpected distance gains and worrying about finding more green lanes.
Want to fix your bag for 2023? Find a suitable location near you at the GOLF affiliate True Golf spec. For more on the latest gear-related news and information, check out our latest fully geared podcast below.