Old vs New Golf Clubs: How We Gained 30 Yards Instantly

💥 Old equipment costs distance — new tech gives it back instantly.

⚙️ Fresh grooves grab the ball, add spin, and create instant stopping power.

📏 Over 1,200 more RPMs of spin means shorter rollout and tighter control.

🎯 Ideal wedge launch is under 32° with spin near 6,000 for consistent stopping.

🧠 Worn grooves make the ball slide up the face, launching higher with less spin.

🚀 New 7-iron tech boosted ball speed from 94 to 108 mph — a 27-yard gain.

📊 Modern loft design (stronger by 4°) keeps launch ideal while adding distance.

🏌 Same swing, new club — nearly 30 more yards without any technique change.

📈 More distance turns 7-irons into 9-irons, making approach shots way easier.

🔧 A proper fitting can unlock 20–30 free yards hiding in your bag.

0:00 - Fantastic outfit choices. Oh, you as well. Yeah, like we definitely didn’t coordinate this, but we’ve been trying to do this for a long time, so this worked out really well. This will make this big day. So, we’ve got two clubs here. What we’re going to do is test some stuff out. I’ve got some old irons — this is a Callaway X18 and a Mizuno wedge. The iron’s from around 2005, the wedge from 2011 or 2012. These are super old. So, what we’re going to do is have you hit these and then compare them to your current fitted clubs. We’ll start with the wedge, then move to the 7-iron, talk about the data, and the differences — and why fitting is so important.

0:38 - Sounds good. Let’s do it.

0:44 - [Music]

0:48 - Wedge testing time. Oh yeah. So, we have this Mizuno from around 2011 or 2012 — obviously been around a long time. What we’re going to have you do is hit four shots of about 40 yards. I’ve got a green up here with a flag at exactly 40 yards. Hit four shots, whatever you’d normally do for that distance. We’ll get the data, then hit your current 56° wedge and compare differences.

1:19 - Yeah, I changed. That’s probably too hard. Nope — that’s perfect. Landed at 36. All I’m looking for is carry around 40 yards. Doesn’t have to be exact — that’s where the plus or minus will come in.

1:43 - Okay, so Lexi, you now have your brand new Callaway Opus SP wedge, which stands for “Super Powerful.” Um, I actually don’t know — “Spin Pocket.” Spin Pocket! There you go — you taught me something. Oh yeah. So now, same test: hit a few 40-yard shots. We’ll compare launch, spin, and data against the Mizuno.

2:09 - But now you can add some speed to it. That was good.

2:28 - So here we are — let’s compare the data. Mizuno on top, Callaway on bottom. You actually had the same carry distance on average, which is perfect for this comparison. The big difference is backspin — that’s why wedge fitting is so important. The old Mizuno averaged around 4,500 RPM, while the new Callaway came in at about 5,670 — roughly 1,200 RPM higher. That’s a big jump just by switching wedges.

3:16 - That difference adds stopping power. The two key numbers I care about in a wedge fitting are launch angle and spin rate. I like launch under 32°, and you were great on both: 31° with the old wedge and 27° with the new. The backspin number close to 6,000 is ideal — you had 5,670 vs. 4,530. That’s a huge difference. With your old wedge, you’d have to plan for 10–15 yards of roll — tough to predict if you don’t practice a lot. With the new wedge, it carries 40 and stops at about 42 or 43, so you don’t have to think about roll as much.

4:21 - Yeah. Very cool. Why do you look for a launch angle under 32°?
So, with older grooves, the ball hits and rolls up the face, launching higher with less spin. With fresh grooves, the ball grabs faster, launches lower, and spins more. That’s why pros hit those low pitch shots that bounce a couple of times and stop.

4:58 - Those two numbers — launch and spin — are the big ones to watch. Really cool to see how much difference the new wedge makes.

5:04 - Super cool. Lot of offset in this club. Yeah, a lot. It’s probably pretty heavy — I think there are some jumbo grips on there. Definitely not fit for Lexi, which is fine, but it serves the purpose today. Let’s hit a few shots, get baseline numbers, and look at the fitting software.

5:27 - Whoa. Oo. Pretty straight. Wow. Maybe I do like this club.

5:35 - Okay, so Lexi, now your 7-iron — this is what you were fit for. We’ve got baseline numbers for the old X18 you hit, and now you’ll hit your Mizuno JPX 925 Hot Metal. Then we’ll compare everything.

5:59 - 7-iron moment of truth. We had the Callaway X18 versus your JPX 925. The backspin numbers are pretty close — maybe 150–200 RPM difference. Offline, similar. Descent angle, within a degree. The big difference? Ball speed. The older X18 averaged 94 mph, your Mizuno 108 mph — a massive gain. That’s why your ball carried roughly 27 yards farther.

6:52 - That plus a slightly lower launch made a big difference. You carried 185 with the new one versus about 158 with the Callaway. Some of that’s loft: the X18 is 33°, your Mizuno around 28–29°, a 4° difference. Manufacturers strengthen lofts to balance new technology — otherwise, modern clubs would launch too high.

7:36 - What’s really cool is your other numbers — spin, descent angle, dispersion — stayed nearly the same, but you hit it almost 30 yards farther. You didn’t change anything technique-wise — no grip, takeaway, or swing adjustments. Just the club.

8:36 - That’s almost 30 yards with a 7-iron, which is crazy. Now, with a 130-yard shot into a green, you’re probably hitting a 9-iron instead of a 7. That can make a big difference in scoring. I don’t care how good you are with a 7 — if you’re closer with a 9, you’ll hit it tighter. It’s just math. Closer to the hole = easier golf.

9:00 - So, if you haven’t been fit — this is your sign. Go get fit. It’s a shameless plug, but it’s true. This makes a huge difference in your game. Go find someone who knows what they’re doing. A fitting could give you 20–30 more yards if you’re using older tech.

9:24 - [Music]