Golf

This gear constant has propelled Scottie Scheffler to new heights

Scheffler hasn’t regarded again since switching to Qi10 on the WM Phoenix Open.

Getty Images

Scottie Scheffler has six victories this season, together with a second inexperienced jacket. It ought to come as no shock that his gear setup has remained static for the reason that win in March at Bay Hill. Shaking up the setup isn’t an choice whenever you’re on a heater.

If you want proof, simply examine the setup from Arnie’s place to the setup he used to log title quantity six on Sunday on the Travelers Championship. It’s copy and paste when Scheffler hits paydirt.

Playing gear favorites is an unattainable activity whenever you’re streaking, even when recency bias tells us Scheffler’s change to a TaylorMade Spider Tour X mallet — a change that went down at Bay Hill — was an important gear shakeup of the 12 months. (You can learn concerning the putter transfer in a current deep dive.)


TaylorMade Qi10 Custom Driver

$599.99

Wrapped in a clean and confident package, the Qi10 driver has been strategically engineered to help players optimize distance and enhance forgiveness. 
THE QUEST FOR INERTIA

TaylorMade’s goal with the Qi10 family is to make each driver as forgiving as possible, using advanced multi-material constructions to increase inertia. Qi10 is engineered for a balanced blend of distance and forgiveness.
COMPLETE PERFORMANCE

The Qi10 Driver features a lower CG projection and higher MOI than its predecessor, delivering balanced performance without any tradeoffs.
NEW INFINITY CARBON CROWN

An Infinity Carbon Crown covers 97% of the total crown area, creating a strategic advantage for mass redistribution and enhanced forgiveness.

View Product

But let’s neglect concerning the putter for the second and shift the main focus to one other early-season transfer that turned out to be equally vital for Scheffler’s driving.

Back in February, Scheffler moved away from TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 driver into Qi10 after going by means of in depth testing classes relationship again to simply earlier than the Ryder Cup. Scheffler discovered Qi10 to be an intriguing choice, however it wasn’t till the WM Phoenix Open that he determined to pull the set off and make the change official.

“There was no way he was considering switching out of the Stealth 2 for even the same performance,” TaylorMade Tour rep Adrian Rietveld informed GOLF.com. “He saw a little bit of ball speed, but that didn’t matter to him at all. He values accuracy so much, which is why he hardly looks at a ball speed number. His range of spin is wider than other players because he hits so many different shots and trajectories. He’s hitting shots at 6 and 12 degrees of launch.”

Scottie Scheffler's TaylorMade Qi10 driver pictured on golf course
Scheffler’s Qi10 driver has been a critical weapon on the course.

Jonathan Wall/GOLF

The “core” head, higher referred to as TaylorMade’s middle-of-the-road providing, is an intriguing beast. During GOLF’s 2024 robotic testing, Qi10 introduced a decrease spin charge and launch angle than a majority of the drivers examined, two issues higher gamers with velocity have a tendency to gravitate in direction of. Another factor that intrigued Scheffler was the ball velocity retention and constant spin charges he noticed on off-center strikes.

With every testing session, Scheffler may sense they had been getting nearer. During the ultimate meetup at TPC Scottsdale, Scheffler pounded drivers with Qi10 on the TPC Scottsdale driving vary as caddie Ted Scott and Rietveld noticed the outcomes.

The launch and spin numbers had been dialed. The solely factor that remained was eliminating the left facet of the course with inside adjustments and a small loft adjustment, one thing Rietveld was ready to obtain with a last loft sleeve adjustment.

“It’s getting dark and we’ve just made the final adjustment, moving the head one click higher back to standard upright, which is what he normally plays the 8-degree head,” Rietveld recalled. “Launch didn’t change, spin didn’t change, but the thing that changed for him is that he felt like there was zero left. There wasn’t even a straight shot. He really felt like he could commit to his start line. He was trying to take the whole left side of the golf course out.”

Scheffler gained the primary week out with Qi10 and hasn’t regarded again. For somebody who lives within the fairway, Scheffler has gotten even higher this season — a scary realization, to ensure. He’s gone from discovering the golf green 62 p.c of the time final season to virtually 72 p.c this 12 months.

The spectacular enchancment in accuracy highlights the main focus TaylorMade positioned on decreasing the efficiency delta on mishits throughout product creation. Reduce the penalty for a miss and every thing begins trying up.

In Scheffler’s case, adjustments to the motive force have coincided with a season that rivals Tiger Woods’ incredible 2000 campaign. One change didn’t fully alter the trajectory of Scheffler’s season, however there’s no query it performed a job in making the 28-year-old almost unbeatable on the course.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a becoming location close to you at True Spec Golf.

JWall

Jonathan Wall

Golf.com Editor

Jonathan Wall is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s Managing Editor for Equipment. Prior to becoming a member of the employees on the finish of 2018, he spent 6 years protecting gear for the PGA Tour. He could be reached at jonathan.wall@golf.com.


Source link

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button