I had one of my best competitive years in 2026. Here’s how my gear helped | Gear

Last year, I had perhaps my best competitive season since high school, and a big reason was the new confidence I gained. my equipment.

This season, I shot 71 twice, made an albatross, got my handicap index back under 1.0, and qualified for my first state amateur or mid-amateur in five years. The journey began, however, when we embarked on Fully Fit, a fitting bonanza that gave me the opportunity to get fit from six OEMs and decide which clubs would be in my bag for next year. While I had been GOLF’s equipment editor for about a year, I also had to take this kind of holistic look at my entire golf bag with each OEM. In fact, at that point, he had a full bag that only fit two of them.

It’s not so much that I had gaping holes in my bag, but there was so much that I didn’t try. While many of my fittings ended up in a product that I would have expected, in other places I tried something new.

How my gear helped my game in 2026

For me, no change from this year ended up being as significant as my iron shaft change to the Nippon NSPro Modus3 Tour 120 X paired with Cobra’s 3DP iron platform. Before TaylorMade’s Brandon Dooley and Cobra’s Andrew Lusty got me into that unique, softer profile shaft, every fitting I ever made resulted in the rugged Project X 6.5.

What was the result? This summer, I had the best competition of my career, including shooting 71 twice in tournament rounds, making a solid run in my club championship again and qualifying for my first state amateur, the Pennsylvania Mid-Amateur, in five years.

Having the slightly softer iron shaft introduced an element of feel that not only helped me drastically reduce my dreaded lefty, but also allowed me to be more creative with my box and even added a left to right ball flight that I never had before.

The shaft combined with the remarkable forgiveness of Cobra’s 3DP platform it allowed me to hit some incredible iron shots, including my first albatross in June.

I also got into a position with my wedges that left me absolutely fearless around the greens. Titleist TPI installer Louis Raynard moved me to Vokey’s M-grind and finally the WedgeWorks A+ grind in the lob wedge when released.

During my PA Mid-Am qualifier in August, for the first time in competition, I got up and down on each of my five missed greens on my way to qualifying.

dance: Titleist ’25 Pro V1 Alignment Enhanced
Drivers: TaylorMade Qi4D 9.0 ̊ (Fujikura Ventus TR Black+ 7-X)
Mini drivers: TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini 13.5˚ (Fujikura Wind TR Blue 7-X)
Hybrid*: Ping G440 20˚ (Fujikura Ventus Blue HB+ 9-X)
7-wood *: Titleist GT1 4-Hybrid 20˚ (Fujikura Ventus Blue HB+ 9-X)
Utility Iron*: Titleist U505 20˚ (Project X HZRDUS 80 6.5)
Ferries: Cobra 3DP Tour (4), 3DP MB (5-9) (Nippon NSPro Modus3 Tour 120 X)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM11 (46.10F, 50.12F, 54.14F @ 55, 60A+) (Nippon NSPro Modus3 Tour 120 X, Project X Wedge 6.5)
Putter: Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset
*Utility iron, hybrid and 7-wood based on course/conditions

Which club helped me the most in 2026

7-wood (4-hybrid)

Chief: Titleist GT1 20˚
tree: Fujikura Wind Blue HB+ 9-X
Loft: 20˚ @ 19˚
SureFit parameters: D1
SureFit CG: 5g front, 11g rear
Length: 40.5″ EOG
Tip: .5″
Swing weight: D3

Why it mattered: As someone who has struggled to find a reliable and versatile third tee club for a long time, I never thought I’d find it in a game-improving hybrid, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The oversized profile of the Titleist GT1 hybrid made it perfect for me as a compact 7-wood option that gave me something I could dig out of the rough and hit high. It also proved useful off the tee on many of the short courses I played throughout the competitive season. The GT1 served a valuable role in my bag, alternating with my mid-flying hybrid and a utility iron.

I would also be remiss not to mention my shaft change to the Fujikura Ventus Blue HB+. I used a much heavier shaft in my hybrid to help fight the left foot, but it was causing my back, which did not help my hybrid land with any kind of control. When it was suitable for the GT1, I also made the change in my G440 hybrid and both clubs.

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Ferris

Set composition: Cobra 3DP Tour (4), 3DP MB (5-9)
kegs: Nippon NSPro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Length: +.5″ (37.75″ EOG 7 iron)
lie: 2˚ Flat (60˚ 7-iron)
Loft progression: 22.5/26/30/34/38/42
Swing weight: D2.5-D3

Because they mattered: What more can I say about my Cobra 3DP irons and Modus 120 X shafts? They never left my bag all year and gave me so much confidence to hit every shot between 160 and 220 yards.

Cobra 3DP MB custom irons

The 3DP MB iron combines the look and feel of a traditional forged muscle with the forgiveness of a cavity iron. The most forgiving blade on the market, the MB has captivated Tour players by checking all the boxes and exceeding expectations with its exceptional stability and feel. FORGIVING REAR BLADE MUSCLE SHAPE A slightly revised shape from the KING MB inspired by feedback from PGA Tour player Max Homa, the MB features a thin topline and enhanced offset. Internal 3D printed latex and heel, toe and tungsten hosel increases MOI for stability, and positions the CG perfectly centered and lower than the KING MB to promote a higher launch. EXTREME FORGIVENESS MEETS SWEET FEELING The 3D printed internal mesh structure not only optimizes weight savings, but also provides stiffness and strength to support the face and tunes the acoustics of each iron to produce the most appealing sound and feel at impact. TUNGSTEN WEIGHT Discretionary weight savings from the 3D printed latex allowed 55g of tungsten to be positioned low in the heel, toe and hosel, resulting in the perfect blend of a compact blade shape with a low CG and high MOI that reflects an iron to improve play.

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Cobra

Lob wedge

Heads: Titleist Vokey SM11 WedgeWorks Raw
Lofts/grinds: 60A+
kegs: Project X Wedge 6.5
Length: 35.5″
lie: 62˚
Swing weight: D6.5

Because they mattered: When Fully Fit was launched, the A+ Grind was not yet available, but Louis Raynard had the intuition that this is where we end up. He was right. The A + is a brother of the M-Grind that was initially fit in, but with the tape on the only ground off. This made my lob wedge glide through the bent grass I play in the Northeast much faster than the M. That is not to say that the M never sees my bag. I still use it every time I go south to play in Bermuda. Raynard told me this how to do with the absence of the tape or the knot on the A +. In the softer or denser turf, as I saw in the Northeast, the smoother sole helps my wedge glide through the grass, but when the turf is firmer or less dense like Bermuda, the tape gave me forgiveness to hit.

Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks SM11 A+ Grind Custom Wedge

The A+ Grind is a mid-bounce wedge that originated by removing the grind lines from an M Grind – the same modification that turns an L Grind into an A. Therefore, the A+ moves faster through the turf than its M Grind counterpart, but features more bounce and a wider sole than the A. This helps the A+ Grind excel in neutral conditions. “Over the years, we’ve started to see some loyal M Grind players find that the sole is a little too bouncy for their taste,” said Dill. “Those players found that the tip of the A+ was a little lower, and the wedge moved more quickly on the ground, unlocking a little more versatility.” The 2013 Masters champion is one such player, regularly shooting a 58A+ on the PGA TOUR.

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Putter

Chief: Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset
Length: 35″ EOG
Loft: 2.5˚
lie: 69˚
Hosel: The beginning
Enter: PEBAX
Line of sight: EyeQ
Total Weight: 551 g
Grip: Golf Pride Reverse Taper Small Pistols

Why they mattered: Like the GT1 hybrid, the Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset was a big surprise for me. I had a chance to try it during Fully Fit, but I didn’t get my hands on it until four months later in April, when it actually came out. Back then, I was at a point where I knew my experience with low torque putters was at an end, but the Ally Blue Onset was something different. The way this putter releases is exactly what I need to feel to hit short putts consistently. In fact, I’ve probably made more putts within 15 feet with this putter than during any other season of my golfing life.

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Other changes

Drivers: I made a move on the Ventus TR Black with VeloCore+ as soon as it was released after a really amazing test session at home. The stability has really helped my starting lines, but there are days where I struggle to get enough launch. Will look to remedy that this winter.

Mini Drivers: I love my TaylorMade R7 Quad and my Titleist GTS300. The Quad saw my bag at every tournament until the Pennsylvania Mid-Am when I gave the GTS300 a shot because I was struggling with the low spin with the TaylorMade. I’m not ready to choose one or the other right now. The GTS was really good in practice, but the Quad has been in the bag for almost two years.

What I expect in 2027

Some potential for new irons

If this year was a driver year, next year is set to be a banger of an iron year. We have already seen Srixon’s second generation ZXi irons as well as Mizuno Pro S-4 hit the market. Until I had this job I always played with Mizuno irons and I just started checking out the latest entry and I really like what I see.

It really gets in shape for a driver and putter shaft

None of my drivers have the same shaft in them that was suitable. I don’t advise anyone to do that. I’m still not 100 percent sure I have it right, but I also know I have some issues with my setup that have also contributed to a year of overall bad driving for me. In 2026, I’m waiting to find the right driver shaft or just get the confidence that I’m in the right.

The same goes for the putter. I had one of my best years putting with what was essentially a stock Ally Blue Onset. I look forward to dialing in that putter more when I get the next chance.

More competitive reps

The only tournament I qualified for, the PA Mid-Am, was cut short by rain. But after my performances this year, I can’t wait until my next qualification and I hope I can build on my successes last year.

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