News

The Big Review – John Letters T9+ Driver and Fairway Woods

Published

15 years ago

Feb 9, 2011

John Letters may not be a familiar to many but there was once a time when they were one of the greatest brands on the planet. At their peak, John Letters supplied a record 8 out of 10 of the British players in the 1949 Ryder Cup – a record that still stands to this very day.

In fact, in Sam Torrance and Bernard Gallacher John Letters have two players who went on to captain Ryder Cup teams and John Letters' clubs are found in the bags of more than a few players on the European Seniors Tour. Their recent announcement at the PGA show that they are opening a workshop in St Andrews in Scotland showed that they are on the way back into the limelight. Bag Chatter got to try out the T9+ driver and fairway woods over the winter period to see how they performed.

So what are we told about these clubs; The T9+ Beta Titanium driver features a head made from strong but lightweight titanium to allow for a redistribution weight across the clubhead and towards the heel and toe areas to provide more stability and extra forgiveness on every drive.

The fairway wood uses discretional weighting to push more weight in the heel and toe areas for maximum forgiveness and stability on off centre strikes. A special Maraging steel face transfers more energy at impact whilst 'Feel Cell' technology in the sole of the clubhead helps to disperse vibrations at impact, giving an improved sound and solid feel.

Appearance

The T9+ clubs are good looking in a fairly understated way. The glossy pure black finish and the chrome and blue sole is not as lurid as some (and it's certainly not all white!).

The driver is not quite as appealing as the fairway woods. With it's broad face it's functional rather than pretty and the closed face will mean that slicers will love it but it will look wrong to those that fear the left side of the course.

With their shallow profile and square face the fairway woods are another matter. They set up beautifully at address and ooze class.

Performance

The driver is a good honest club without excelling in any one area. Forgiveness is probably the category where it scores the strongest where the heel and toe weighting means that strikes away from the sweetspot still travel almost as far. Distance as a whole is good, coming from a high trajectory launch and the spin levels are pretty much middle of the range. You can tell from the straight flight that this driver is aimed squarely at the sort of golfer who struggles to hit the ball straight and who is not interested in working the ball. With the face being so strongly closed, there is a definite tendency for the ball to go left and given that the sort of golfer that this club is aimed at more often struggles with a slice than a hook, this makes perfect sense.

The fairway woods are top notch. The shallow face means that it works as well from the fairway as from the tee. You can even use them in light rough where the sole allows you to glide through the grass. In fact, the low profile head is reminiscent of the iconic Adams Tight Lies fairways both in appearance and in performance. With the low COG, it's very easy to get the ball up in the air but there is no ballooning. These really performed beautifully throughout a rather grotty winter period in less than ideal conditions. Even when the fairways were soft and heavy, it was easy to clip the ball off the turf and send it arcing towards the green. With the high launch and mid spin, these are very good for approaching the green on par 5's and longer par 4's.

The review clubs came with Project X graphite and Aldila RIP shafts which did a great job at controlling spin levels as well as offering a superb sense of location throughout the swing.

Conclusion

While the driver does not have the changeable hosel technology that golfers have come to expect in the big dog, the solid performance at only £149 means that for the budget conscious golfer it deserves some consideration.

The fairway woods are excellent whichever way you look at them. Fantastic performance and good looks make them a real surprise package that should be considered whatever your price bracket but for under £70, they are probably the best option in their price bracket.

For more information, visit www.johnletters.com

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user is wondering how many birdies other players have had in a round while still failing to break par. @Lalan45, unfortunately, asked the question after a unique experience of their own.

They wrote:

“Today I managed 8 birdies but still shot even par, could have been a round to remember! What’s the most birdies you’ve made in a round and still didn’t break par?”

Our members in the forum shared their own experiences with successful rounds that still resulted in a score over par. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

kwcsports: “I’ve had 5 a few times, still shot 80+ haha.”
jda: “I played a course for the first time, had 8 birdies, 9 doubles and an eagle. The infamous no-par round. I kept the scorecard. Every shot had a creek that I did not know about, or I was within 8-10 feet for a birdie look. To this day, I have no idea if I should be really jacked up or mad about that performance.”
jvincent: “I think my record is either 5 or 6. Probably shot 75.”
Instron4204: “3 birdies and shot a 92…man I suck!”

Entire Thread: “Most Birdies Without Breaking Par.”

News

Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user is asking for thoughts on the best stock shafts offered in 2026. Stock shafts are the shafts included with a club when it’s purchased from retailers or OEMs.

@DTorres asked:

The last couple years has seen a lot of updates and additions to no upcharge stock shafts, which do you think is the best offering in 2026?

Im a bit of a shaft nerd and recently during my Members Testing with the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond I found the updated Project X Denali Frost Black to be a fantastic stock shaft. I absolutely did not mesh well with the original Denali. Just curious what other people think are the current best Stock shaft offerings out with new models and stock Ventus options and LinQ options popping up here and there.

We were given the option for any stock shafts for our members review. I went with the 70g Black Frost 6.5 because it’s a shaft I don’t have, it’s an updated version of the original Denali and hear little about. I typically use a Diamana WB, GD VF or a HOF Raptor. I’m not saying it was neck and neck with any of those but it was a pleasant surprise I’m not accustomed to in stock shaft offerings.

Our members in the forum have been offering up their own thoughts on the best stock shafts available in 2026. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

rsballer10: “IMO – MCA Ka’ili White Darkwave, Tensei 1k Black/white, UST Lin-Q White. People are free to spend their money however they see fit, but for me personally the shaft catalogs these days have enough options that I don’t see the value of a $400 upcharge. I have never had a problem finding a no upcharge shaft that fits the bend profile and weight that I need. Whether the paint job is good enough or not is above my pay scale.”
bcflyguy1: “Project X Titan Black. I’ve had one in 60TX in my Quantum TD Max for several weeks now. Have to give Titlieist their flowers for finding a way to make it available as a featured option; very shrewd bit of business and one that I suspect will be duplicated by the other companies. TT/PX have a certified banger on their hands with Titan.”
CTG77: “Undoubtedly, it’s the Tensei 1K RIP shafts from Titleist. The Tensei line gives about 98% of the performance of a Ventus VeloCore+ shaft at a tiny fraction of the cost if you’re looking for a blue or red profile. The white is not an exact match for Ventus Black, but it’s closer to it than the non-VeloCore+ Ventus shafts that come from Callaway or formerly came from TaylorMade.”

Entire Thread: “Best current stock shaft 2026.”

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.