Equipment
Tiger to wear new Nike TW ’17 golf shoes at Hero World Challenge
Tiger Woods will be wearing Nike’s new TW ’17 golf shoe this week at the Hero World Challenge, which is designed to accomodate the golfer’s revamped golf swing.
According to Nike, Woods has been working on the design of the shoe with Tobie Hatfield, Nike’s Senior Director of Athlete Innovation, since July 2015. The inspiration for its design was Woods’ new swing, in which Woods has shifted his dominance from his left leg to his right leg.

Woods and Hatfield with the TW ’17.
“This shoe is an absolutely integral part of my return to the sport I love and have missed so much,” Woods says. “Nike really got in the zone with me. I knew Tobie and I were on to something special back when I tried on the first prototype. I feel supreme support from this shoe which leads to the utmost confidence when I step onto the course.”
The most intriguing part of the shoe’s design is what Nike calls its “duo’s strapping system concept,” which was added to keep Woods “secure and locked down in his shoe.” According to Nike, the TW ’17 is the only golf shoe Woods has worn since undergoing two back surgeries in the fall of 2015.
The TW ’17 will be available in Spring 2017.
Whats in the Bag
Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)
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.
Equipment
TaylorMade MySpider Tour and Tour X: More customizable build options now available
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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Pickitup
Dec 1, 2016 at 8:58 pm
I just got to the point that I could stomach a Nike TW Golf shoe. I bought the last two models. Now this…..? Oh well back to fJ or Adidas. No way this is the shoe they are going to try and sell!
Malibu
Nov 30, 2016 at 9:35 pm
The First Tee of Detroit endorses these
Roger A
Nov 30, 2016 at 2:05 pm
They look like the shoes that you see the mall walkers wearing.
Mad-Mex
Nov 29, 2016 at 8:23 pm
Hey NIKE, please stop! want to stand out?!?! Go back to offering wingtips and saddle show combos, black on white, brown on white, classy not trashy like what you been dealing out!
Wizardofflatstickmountain
Nov 29, 2016 at 3:05 pm
Pretty sure it’s Tinker Hatfield. Unless Tobie is his less successful brother.
Wizardofflatstickmountain
Nov 29, 2016 at 3:10 pm
Despite my jest, I was completely correct. Those make FJ icons look like they’re from the future
new stuff!!
Nov 29, 2016 at 2:29 pm
sorry Woods – crazy respect for your golf game and hope you come back big – so you don’t have to spend time trying to design golf shoes. seeing the way you dress off the course – god gave you golf game not fashion sense
Dr Troy
Nov 29, 2016 at 8:23 pm
+100
Greg
Dec 1, 2016 at 10:09 am
I’m with you. I am pulling for him as a golfer. Just don’t try to sell me anything. His credibility is worthless now.
Rex
Nov 29, 2016 at 12:17 pm
Velcro nurse shoes
Sneaker
Nov 29, 2016 at 11:21 am
Wow! This injury is apparently far more serious than I ever thought it was.
RAT
Nov 29, 2016 at 10:06 am
Well at least there isn’t a 6″ swoosh on the toe platform .
G
Nov 29, 2016 at 10:00 am
They don’t look that bad in black
Adrien Jenot
Nov 29, 2016 at 9:53 am
I seriously think they are trying to get Tiger to quit Nike so they can stop the bleeding lol These are the worst things I have ever seen! What happened to focus group testing? Under Armour and Footjoy will be licking their chops at the site of these lol….
Mike
Nov 29, 2016 at 10:34 am
Have you seen UA shoes? If they want my dad to wear them, they’re doing things the right way…
Adrien Jenot
Nov 30, 2016 at 3:33 pm
I tough the tempo hybrids we’re quite nice. I like the sporty casual look and fit of them but to each there own right. These are moon boot though I think we can agree on that. Cheers
COGolfer
Dec 1, 2016 at 12:53 am
Footjoy will continue to control their market share. Undar Amour is quite a ways from making a shoe that is worth while. To be fair, shoes are not their strength. Much the same way that Nike couldn’t make clubs.
MR B
Nov 29, 2016 at 9:36 am
they look awfully similar to the old Dennis Rodman Nike Air Shake Ndestrukt…which is niiiiiice.
OH
Nov 29, 2016 at 9:32 am
In the words of Charles Barkley, “Those are turrible, man…turrible”.
D
Nov 29, 2016 at 9:24 am
Yikes