WHAT'S IN THE BAG?

Elliot Hall
GolfTEC Coach
Sacramento, CA

Driver: 7.5-degree Alpha C8302; Bang FAST 45g shaft, X-flex

This is one of the top driver heads in the long-drive contests. It has a plasma welded face vs. a titanium weld, which increases ball speed and distance. The shaft is what really makes this driver fly. It is a super light-weight shaft with spine-low technology. This allows the club to be swung faster without losing control or adding spin, which produces a boring, penetrating ball flight.

Fairway wood: 13.5-degree Titleist 909F2; Aldila Voodoo Red shaft, S-flex

I use this depending on the length of the course and weather conditions. It produces a nice low, penetrating ball flight. This is my go-to club on long courses and in windy conditions. If I’m playing a shorter course with less wind, I’ll stick with my hybrid.

Hybrid: 17-degree Mizuno MX-700; Exsar HS4 80g shaft, S-flex

This is one of Mizuno’s new hybrid designs. The ES-230 Hot Metal face provides a great feel at impact. It flies much higher and softer than my 3-wood, anywhere from 240-260 yards. If I need it to go 220-230 yards, I can choke down and still have the control and high ball flight. There’s not a more versatile club in my bag. It’s forgiving out of all types of lies: deep rough, bunkers, hard-pan, etc. Overall, I love this club!

Irons: Mizuno MP-60 forged blades (3-PW); X100 Dynamic Gold shafts

These irons have the softest and sweetest feel when you hit the sweet spot! The muscle back allows for some forgiveness on mis-hits, while keeping the workability of the club. The great thing about playing a forged iron is the feedback you receive on mis-hits. It has really allowed me to improve my ball striking and consistency. Plus, it is a great looking club!

Wedges: Mizuno MP-T Series (53-degree); Titleist Spin Milled Vokey (60-degree)

I use a three-wedge system for my scoring clubs (including my PW). I can change the distance of the shot simply by changing the length of my swing or how far I choke down on the shaft. There are about three yardages assigned to each club, based on a half, three-quarter and full swing. If I’m in between clubs, I usually take the longer of the two choices and then choke down. This allows me to stay aggressive with all my scoring clubs.

Putter: Pro Gear CG100 Classic Blade

This putter was fitted for me with a 34" length and balanced heel/toe weighting. The grip I use is an oversized putter grip. This allows me to take the hand rotation out of the stroke, which in turn keeps my ball on the selected line.

Ball: Bridgestone B330, B330-S

Since I have a higher swing speed, I play a high compression ball. Bridgestone has done a remarkable job on ball fittings based on swing speeds. The higher compression fits my driver swing speed, which reduces the spin rate, allowing the ball to curve less and carry farther. I play the B330 ball on longer courses with softer greens. On shorter courses with firm greens, I play the B330-S.