Equipment
Japan Golf Goods Association endorses sale of non-conforming clubs
As Mike Stachura of Golf Digest originally reported, the Japan Golf Goods Association announced it will support the distribution of non-conforming equipment. The JGGA is the trade organization for golf manufacturers in Japan, the world’s second-largest market for golf equipment.
The announcement comes ahead of the JGGA-sponsored Japan Golf Fair (Feb. 13-15 in Tokyo), which is the Japanese version of the PGA Merchandise Show.
As Stachura notes:
[quote_box_center]”The JGGA is advocating that products be clearly marked as nonconforming, although it has not indicated what specific efforts or product labeling will be made. Its main motivation seems to be to cater to golfers seeking more enjoyment without performance limits imposed by the rules.”[/quote_box_center]
The JGGA’s statement reads, in part:
“JGGA believes that it is desirable for the stimulation of the golf market to have a wide variety of golf equipment available in the market from which all types of golfers may choose in order to find one that really fits their respective purposes and needs, hoping that more and more golfers will enjoy playing golf as a result of such improvement in the golf equipment market
“From this point of view, JGGA has left it to the judgment of each member company whether to manufacture and/or sell golf equipment that doesn’t fully conform to the specifications set forth in the Rules of Golf promulgated by R&A.”
“For the most of amateur golfers, nothing give[s] more pleasure than long driving distances and control of a golf ball on the green with a back spin as professional golfers do. That is why quite a few of golfers are still using and wanting nonconforming golf equipment and why nonconforming golf equipment is still available on the market in response to such demand. Some golfers may be using or buying nonconforming equipment without knowing that they don’t conform to the Rules.”
No major U.S. golf manufacturer has a current line of non-conforming equipment, and the JGGA’s decision is likely to start a conversation stateside.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.
TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.
The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.
One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.
Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.
See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:
MySpider Tour
MySpider Tour X
Equipment
Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory
In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.
McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.
So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?
Driver
2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)
McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.
What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)
The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.
Fairway woods
2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X
The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.
The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.
Irons
2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.
With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.
Wedges
2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.
Putter
2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.
Ball
2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)
As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Grips
2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC
Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.
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Hamish
Feb 16, 2015 at 8:37 pm
Hoary! Bring them to The USA!
I hope more ‘Quality’ Japan golf equipment come’s to the USA…for the simple reason that OEM’s in USA will have to ‘up’ their quality to match the better Japan forgings & shafts
USA golfers are fooled by ‘made for shafts’ thinking they have the exact one the Pro has…or heads made in China from inferior materials compared to Japan manufacturers.
I also hope more golfers in USA ‘can compare’ their buying choices to Japan offerings…
The Japan club market needs to open up more in USA…
Daniel
Feb 8, 2015 at 7:00 pm
Golfers already gives too much attention to clubs, clothes and other equipment.
I say put your time and money into practice, lessons and playing tournaments.
Nonconforming clubs is just another distraction from the game.
Golf
Feb 7, 2015 at 6:01 am
I’m thinking that there are some that can and want to swing out of their shoes to see how far they can’t hit a high COR driver and that’s ok if that’s what you want to do. Then there are some that for whatever reason i.e. getting older, handicapped etc, that want to simply take a normal swing and possibly pick up a few yards. I believe that this is what Arnold P was talking about. Another thing that is interesting to me is that there is the .830 COR limit, but most of the advertisements for Drivers say that their special designs make them go farther and farther. Farther than what? Ok, so most likely there are $millions being spent on R&D to find out how to make .830 COR driver go farther and get around the distance limitations. Those R&D costs are passed on to the consumer when we purchase one of those new high tech drivers. The non conforming drivers that I’ve seen are a fraction of the cost of the conforming drivers. It would be interesting to see a live TV show and have golfers of different abilities and ages, swing speeds, etc, test the latest high tech drivers against the latest non conforming drivers. One other thing. I’m not criticizing any golf club company. They all have wonderful equipment. I’d just like to see a real live side by side comparison. Not robots and/or math calculations.
Tom Wishon
Feb 6, 2015 at 11:55 am
It’s certainly true that one could criticize the Japan OEMs to say that this statement is simply them wanting an avenue to sell more equipment. On the other hand, many do not remember that drivers with a COR higher than the 0.830 limit were legal for play in all countries under the R&A rules until 2008. When the USGA enacted the COR limit at 0.830 in 1998, the R&A balked and refused to go along. So while the US and Mexico players had to keep their driver under 0.830 COR starting in 98, for ten years after that all players in R&A jurisdiction countries, including the Euro Tour, Japan Tour, Asian Tour, SAfrica Tour could play drivers with as high of a COR as they could lay their hands on.
As such no golfers in the US ever had to give up a longer hitting driver to have to play a shorter hitting club as happened in all these other countries including Japan when the R&A did change course and adopt the COR limit of the USGA in 2008.
No matter what, this situation of non conforming clubs is most definitely a polarizing issue. Because 50% of our business has always been in countries under the R&A rules, I designed an 0.890 driver that we sold to the international customers up until 2008. We did most definitely put a clear statement in the catalog each year saying this driver was non conforming in the USGA countries. But it was interesting that we would still get nasty emails from US golfers from time to time accusing us of helping golfers “cheat” by offering this driver.
In reality, the difference between an 0.830 and 0.890 driver is really just not that great for avg golfers with a clubhead speed of under 100mph. If we believe the stat that says the avg male golfer has a driver clubhead speed of 87mph, for that speed a change from 0.830 to 0.890 would represent not more than 9 yards more distance.
The other fascinating thing I remember about those years when the R&A allowed the higher COR driver was what happened in 1999 on the European Tour. With high COR drivers legal for play on the Euro Tour in 1999, at the start of the season 56 players started the season with what at that time was the highest COR driver, the ERC II from Callaway. By year’s end, 4 were still playing the ERC II, 52 had given it up and gone back to a USGA legal driver no higher than 0.830. Players who switched were asked why and the overwhelming majority said because it was more difficult to keep the higher COR driver in the fairway.
So what did that say? I take it to mean that distance is self policing. And from that, one certainly could say that if the JGGA does begin to offer higher COR drivers, most likely it will have no effect on harming the game except for the occasional argument or fight that may occur when a “hawk” takes offense at a playing partner using such a club.
As a long time designer, I am all for rules to prevent equipment from harming the game. Especially for the ball because that is the one piece of equipment for which technology does exist that would harm the game. I also believe that some of the equipment rules enacted in the past 15 yrs were unneeded and enacted from a standpoint of emotion and lack of technical or practical knowledge – 460cc limit on driver size, 48″ limit on length, 2010 groove rule, body anchored putters.
I can also see that if a golfer ONLY plays for fun and never in a competition, and there are a lot in that category, they should be able to play with non conforming clubs if it means they keep getting out to play and enjoying their time on the course. But it is a potentially devisive issue, no question about that.
Derrick
Feb 5, 2015 at 10:16 am
I say to each his own. Play what you want. If you don’t like someone playing non-conforming clubs in casual play then you need to remove the stick from your behind.
Bruce
Feb 5, 2015 at 4:43 am
I personally have no reason to play NCE….but…
it will be interesting to see how far these companies can take equipment.
I want to see a ball that goes 400 yards and stops on a dime.
jj
Feb 5, 2015 at 1:36 am
Golf has become a crooked farce played by robots….. its not a great game anymore!
par guy
Feb 4, 2015 at 3:22 pm
Encourage the wide world of amateurs and give them everything science can create and control the professionals so they can teach us what is humanly possible. Thank you Japan
Juan L. Fourqiet
Feb 4, 2015 at 1:14 pm
Do you want a 10/15 additional yards from your driver? Get fitted by a competent clubmaker, no need resorting to nonconforming ones . I tell you from my own experience.
leftright
Feb 6, 2015 at 8:13 am
The “competent” club fitter I went to tried to convince me only $400 shafts would get me the yardage I needed so I got one and lost yardage because higher end shafts tend to be stiffer and have lower torque numbers and many people cannot load them. I had a shaft that I had no use for worth half of what I paid and then I find out the fitter is endorsed by the shaft manufacturer and gets commission. I’d be curious to know who is endorsing Tom Wishon who advocates golfer spends tons of money to play golf from fitting, special golf clubs and shafts, expert instruction, etc in every article. I have heard “more” fitting horror stories than I have ever heard someone say it really helped them. Byron, Ben, Arnold, Jack, Tom, Lee, Sam, Walter and Gene did not get fitted.
Dutxdeanster
Feb 4, 2015 at 9:25 am
non conforming wedges are definately a game changer.
adam
Feb 3, 2015 at 10:56 pm
Everyone here is talking clubs. I want a non-conforming bag
joe cline
Feb 3, 2015 at 3:05 pm
i beg to differ WRX on your statement that no U.S. OEM has ever produced an illegal club. was not the ERC 2 by Callaway a non-conforming club and later discontinued. i remember one Arnold Palmer endorsing it!!
Daniel
Feb 3, 2015 at 9:43 pm
The article says “No major U.S. golf manufacturer has a current line of non-conforming equipment”
Scooter McGavin
Feb 3, 2015 at 12:57 pm
This is a good thing. Honestly, if the golf “industry” as a whole wants to attract players, they need to prevent new people from getting discouraged and frustrated with the game. The vast majority of golfers do not compete, so there is no point in them making the game harder for themselves if they just want to go out and have fun.
Andrew
Feb 3, 2015 at 12:21 pm
Bravo Japan!
Double Mocha Man
Feb 3, 2015 at 12:06 pm
I’m fine with non-conforming equipment. Just don’t fool yourself into thinking you are better than you are. And don’t enter into club tournaments.
Personally, I use the non-conforming swing…
Jason
Feb 3, 2015 at 11:57 am
I would love play with some non conforming equipment just to see how much or even if it would benefit my game, but I would feel that I was cheating.
Tom
Feb 3, 2015 at 11:47 am
The news is ‘Japan Golf Goods Association endorses sale of non-conforming clubs’. JDM manufacturers have been producing and selling non-conforming drivers, wedges and balls for a long time now. In fact one of Japan’s larger chain golf shops ‘Golf 5’, which stocks all the big OEMs, has their own brand of non-conforming golf balls and wedges which they sell in store. In other words the JGGA is just recognizing the reality of their market and members.
Mike
Feb 3, 2015 at 11:09 am
This is not a good direction… I wish the limits were harsher making the game shorter. Shorter drivers and balls means shorter courses, less use of land, less water and more conservation.
Bernal Castillo
Feb 3, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Sorry, but golf courses eat more carbon dioxide and product more oxygen than almost any other type of terrain, either man made or natural.
You are kidding right?
Feb 4, 2015 at 5:56 pm
Really with this? Cows breaking wind produce more methane (an actual greenhouse gas) daily than anything manmade. Don’t believe me? Look it up. Its the reason several countries cannot meet international standards of methane production. Also where are you getting this conservation nonsense. Wouldn’t you want more large areas of grass and trees… I dunno… kinda how the earth was before urbanization? Its not like some magic wand will be waived and convert the left over land from your “shorter courses” will become nature preserves. Most likely it will become residential or commercial property due to the high value of land. You are literally the first person I have ever seen comment on how eliminating acres from golf courses would be beneficial to the environment. Considering all the real environmental issues that are out there, course land area should be at the bottom of your laundry list of complaints. Actually, scratch that, it shouldn’t even be on your list.
graymulligan
Feb 5, 2015 at 10:13 am
The whole cow fart “fact” is fun, but completely untrue. Cows produce more methane from their mouths than their behinds, and while they are the third largest producer of methane in the US behind a couple of industrial sources, methane isn’t the only greenhouse gas, and it trails behind carbon monoxide in overall greenhouse gas production.
Cars are still “killing the environment” way more than cows are. The more you know!
west
Feb 3, 2015 at 10:45 am
I think Grenade drivers have been selling non-confirming drivers for a while now. And why not? People pay good money for their tee times, let them hit the clubs they want. If anything, it will help promote the game, as beginning players will be less frustrated with this highly challenging game. As they improve their skills, I’m sure these same people will gravitate towards conforming clubs.
And if not, let people have fun hitting 300+ bombs!
As long as people don’t use them in sanctioned tournaments, I think it’s good for the game!
Sully
Feb 3, 2015 at 11:05 am
West,
Thanks for your comment. The Grenade golf driver is USGA legal but still very long. I am actually launching a separate company over the next few weeks for illegal golf drivers, more info to come. Feel free to reach out if you have questions 802 448 2094
chad ryan
Feb 3, 2015 at 10:26 am
This will be interesting. I’ve always wondered what kind of performance a non conforming club can achieve. I think a lot of WRX’rs will be shopping the JDM marketplaces soon.