This brand is the surprising leader when it comes to drivers on LIV Golf

With many LIV Golf gamers forgoing gear contracts (or having contracts expire) to signal with the breakaway league, taking a look at membership utilization affords a novel view into how a few of the world’s greatest golfers arrange their luggage with out being tied to a particular brand.

With that in thoughts, we determined to dig into the world of substances on the LIV tour and uncovered some attention-grabbing outcomes, together with the No. 1 driver brand, together with unearthing some older fashions which might be nonetheless getting used. One of the oldest nonetheless in use belongs to reigning PGA champion Brooks Koepka. At the most up-to-date occasion in Las Vegas, Koepka was noticed with a TaylorMade SIM2 driver, which is a membership he has gone backwards and forwards with after successful the 2023 PGA utilizing a Srixon ZX5 LS MKII (though Hideki Matsuyama simply gained utilizing the ZX5 LS MKII final week at Riviera).

The SIM2 went again into Koepka’s bag round the Ryder Cup final fall, and since he’s a creature of behavior, I count on to see it in his bag for the foreseeable future.

The No. 1 driver?

This is the place it will get attention-grabbing. Driver counts on the PGA Tour are largely pushed by sponsorship {dollars}, with most contracts stipulating that any golfer tied to the brand has to play with one in every of the most up-to-date fashions, with a couple of exceptions made for specific gamers.

Of course, each producer makes nice merchandise and affords a line of drivers that may be adjusted to match nearly any swing, however with the elimination of any form of contractual bias, the No. 1 driver on LIV is the PING G430 LST (with some gamers mixing in different G430 fashions).

Yes, Ping does have a number of employees gamers — together with current Masters invite Joaquin Niemann, Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson — however there is an nearly equal quantity of golfers taking part in the driver with none form of monetary incentive. Pros like Matthew Wolff, Taylor Gooch, Brendan Steele, Abraham Ancer, and Martin Kaymer are all utilizing a Ping driver regardless of earlier offers with different manufacturers.

Ping G430 LST Custom Driver

$579.99

The PING G430 LST Driver features an exclusive Low Spin Technology (LST) Carbonfly Wrap, a lightweight composite that covers the crown and wraps into the heel/toe sections of the skirt to save weight and lower the CG for more ball speed, less spin and higher MOI. The 8-layer, one-piece composite saves four grams and weighs 11.5g fully installed. A moveable 22-gram, high-density tungsten backweight influences shot shape ±7 yards between the Draw, Neutral and Fade settings. At 440cc, the smaller tour-style LST is available in 9° and 10.5° lofts (adjustable +/-1.5° and lie up to 3° flat from standard) and best fits faster swing speeds.
THE DISTANCE DIFFERENCE. MORE BALL SPEED.
A shallower, variable-thickness face is thinner to create more face deflection for generating faster ball speed for our biggest distance gains to date.
THE SOUND SOLUTION
A new integral rib structure and increased curvature of the crown, skirt and sole fine tunes clubhead frequencies to produce a desirable sound and impact experience.
SPINSISTENCY
A variable roll radius, with less loft low on the face, enhances spin consistency and carry distance.
CARBONFLY WRAP
Lightweight composite crown wraps into the heel and toe of the skirt to save weight and lower the CG for more ball speed with higher MOI.
MOVEABLE BACK WEIGHT
A 25-gram, high-density tungsten moveable backweight influences shot shape +/-10 yards between the Draw, Neutral and Fade settings.

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As for the No. 2 driver brand, that title belongs to Callaway, with the most notable gamers being Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson and Charl Schwartzel, electing to use both a Paradym or Paradym Smoke Ai mannequin.

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Golf.com Editor

Ryan Barath is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s senior editor for equipment. He has an extensive club-fitting and -building background with more than 20 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. Before joining the staff, he was the lead content strategist for Tour Experience Golf, in Toronto, Canada.