News
Retail versions of Wilson’s Triton driver ruled non-conforming by USGA
Retail versions of Wilson’s Triton driver — the winner of Golf Channel’s Driver vs. Driver reality TV show — were ruled non-conforming by the USGA, as reported by Wilson on Monday, Dec. 12.
The major concern is with the two interchangeable sole plates but it’s possible the issue will be rectified as early as Dec. 19, according to the company. Wilson has made an adjustment to the sole plates, indicated by “DvD” printed on the sole, which would make retail versions of the drivers legal by swapping out the old sole plates for the new. The Triton comes with two different sole plates — one is titanium and one is carbon; both were ruled non-confirming.
Related: Read more about the technology used in the Triton driver.
Due to the confidential nature of the television show, circumstances were different than a normal club release, according to Michael Vrska, Global Director of Innovation at Wilson.
Wilson explained further in a statement released on Monday.
While a traditional product submission process would afford Wilson Golf and the USGA the opportunity to review a product several months prior to its commercial launch, the timeline for testing, modifying, manufacturing and shipping a final, comprehensive Wilson Staff Triton driver was compressed. This shortened timeline was due to the nature and confidential format of the show. Since the time of our submission, we have worked closely with the USGA on its review of the Triton driver.
Crown: What Wilson hopes will be conforming by Dec. 19 (left), and the current retail version
The rear edge of the sole plate has been reduced “by a few millimeters,” according to a press release from Wilson.
The USGA has assured us this small modification to the sole plates will bring all three lofts into conformity with its “Plain in Shape” Rule. Further, this small reduction is consistent with the sole plates of the Wilson Staff 9-degree Triton DVD model.
The Triton 9-degree DVD model referred to in the statement above is the driver that’s expected to be played by Wilson staffers Kevin Streelman and Ricky Barnes, which is conforming under the USGA rules.
Sole: What Wilson hopes will be conforming by Dec. 19 (right), and the current retail version
While there was no concern from Wilson as drivers hit shelves on Nov. 22, it turns out the USGA had issue with the sole plate creating “two cavities” in it, according to Vrska. He maintains that there is only one cavity, which would make the driver legal, but apparently, the USGA disagrees.
A secondary concern by the USGA with the Triton driver deals with a particular setting, using a 12-gram adjustable weight in the 10.5 and 12-degree heads. The Triton driver has three weight ports in its soles, where the player can make adjustments to the center of gravity (CG) to give it a draw, neutral or fade bias. In a setting that has a 6-gram weight in the rear port, a 6-gram weight in the heel port, and a 12-gram weight in the toe portion for a max-fade bias, the driver did not pass the USGA’s inspection when hit on a certain area on the club. In this setting, “the USGA observed a CT (Characteristic Time) that was slightly above their allowable limits and testing tolerance,” according to a press release from Wilson.
To rectify the issue with that particular weight setting, Wilson will no longer offer the 12-gram weight in its adjustable weight kits that come with purchase of a Triton driver. To make up for that, Wilson is giving a dozen Duo golf balls to those who have purchased a Triton driver.
Wilson will also offer any refunds on drivers purchased, although Vrska doesn’t believe consumers will want to.
“We stand by the performance of the driver, and we know people believe in the technology,” Vrska said. “This is just a slight hiccup.”
Related
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!”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
- GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
Memorial Tournament Tour Report: Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young switch up drivers, and more
Cadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
Best irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
J.T. Poston’s winning WITB: 2026 Memorial Tournament
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
Details on Jason Day’s latest prototype Avoda iron setup
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...
Ryan Palmer WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
-
Equipment6 days agoMemorial Tournament Tour Report: Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young switch up drivers, and more
-
News2 weeks agoRussell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
-
Equipment3 days agoBest irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
-
Whats in the Bag4 days agoJ.T. Poston’s winning WITB: 2026 Memorial Tournament
-
Equipment1 week agoDetails on Jason Day’s latest prototype Avoda iron setup
-
Equipment3 weeks agoCJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
-
News2 weeks agoCharles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
-
Equipment2 weeks agoDetails on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
Egor
Dec 15, 2016 at 11:14 pm
The top view of the driver strikes me as ugly. Even their own website product images barely show the top of the driver. Of all the rotation images, 5 are of the bottom, one of the side, none of the top. They have to know it is ugly looking down at it and for me, something has to go sideways in my swing for me to look at the bottom of the driver at address or during my swing. Tmag, ping, Callaway, Mizuno, all fairly pretty (some may say ‘sexy’) drivers from the address position.
jgpl001
Dec 13, 2016 at 6:15 pm
Conforming or non-conforming who cares???
This is piece of rubbish like all Wilson drivers, it will be long forgotten in a few months
Move on, and stop wasting valuable website time on this “nothing” club
Tom
Dec 14, 2016 at 1:26 pm
Booooo
tzed
Dec 14, 2016 at 2:26 pm
Try hitting it. I did at my shop and the ball flies.
jgpl001
Dec 14, 2016 at 5:46 pm
In the shop?
There are no scorecards in the shop, and everything flies on a monitor….even a Dunlop!
I am not against Wilson, I learned to play with a set of staff blades
But this driver is still rubbish, absolute rubbish
The Rules of Golf
Dec 13, 2016 at 8:29 am
See what I have to put up with?
Mike Honcho
Dec 13, 2016 at 7:18 am
Here’s a dozen Wilson Duo balls for your trouble….Hey Rusty, here’s shiny new nickel if you will rub Granny’s feet.
jon
Dec 13, 2016 at 1:28 am
Absolutely agree with you there, what a joke, Subjective rubbish – they were obviously butt-hurt because Wilson didn’t follow standard procedure and send in samples to the USGA before release. They got their retribution by claiming it doesn’t fit in with their “Plain and Simple” rule which has no quantifiable value. WS could probably sue here.
Alan
Dec 13, 2016 at 2:07 pm
Even stupider, golfwrx mixed up the driver heads in the 2nd picture. Even they can’t properly tell what is conforming or not. The one on the right is the conforming driver head not the one on the left. They had issues with the sole plate sticking out as a “lip”. so shaving it down to have a less rounded shape but no lip is more in line with “plain in shape.” “plain in shape” is a stupid term when it is purely subjective. Whether the sole plate sticks out or not probably has effect on the club performance I bet, its just a dumb way to keep golf archaic as its always been.
WAY TO GROW THE GAME R&A….
James
Dec 13, 2016 at 7:48 pm
And the big cavity in one of the past Nike drivers was OK?
Haamess
Dec 15, 2016 at 12:55 pm
Eggggggggggggggzactly!
Chris C.
Dec 12, 2016 at 8:42 pm
How can any amount of cavities or shape of a sole plate violate USGA’s artistic interpretation of “plain shape”? How can sole weight distribution impact the ability of the face to flex? Finally, the elimination of the 12 gram weight will result in swing weights less than D-0 when using the carbon sole plate. My local GG had the titanium sole driver set up at D-6 and the carbon sole set up at C-6.
James
Dec 13, 2016 at 7:51 pm
Again how did Nike get away with that huge cavity in their past model? Also 12 years ago there was the driver with the big hole in the bottom (which still sits in my garage)..
Yearight
Dec 14, 2016 at 10:57 am
I agree. The USGA’s usefulness as an organization is really waning. Maybe it’s time for a different ruling body to watch over golf with a more modern take on the game. Let’s make golf great again 😉
McPickens
Dec 14, 2016 at 6:25 pm
I know just the guy, unfortunately he’s busy for at least 4 years
Dugan
Dec 12, 2016 at 8:17 pm
“A secondary concern by the USGA with the Triton driver deals with a particular setting, using a 12-gram adjustable weight in the 10.5 and 12-degree heads. The Triton driver has three weight ports in its soles, where the player can make adjustments to the center of gravity (CG) to give it a draw, neutral or fade bias. In a setting that has a 6-gram weight in the rear port, a 6-gram weight in the toe port, and a 12-gram weight in the heel portion for a max-fade bias, the driver did not pass the USGA’s inspection when hit on a certain area on the club. In this setting, “the USGA observed a CT (Characteristic Time) that was slightly above their allowable limits and testing tolerance,”
I’m curious about one thing. If they don’t allow this weight configuration, what happens when someone sticks six grams worth of lead tape on the heel and uses it?
KK
Dec 12, 2016 at 7:37 pm
Wow. Punch to the gut for Triton and Wilson’s Driver vs Driver program. At least the dude gets to keep his $500k.
Guia
Dec 12, 2016 at 7:17 pm
The TV show was a joke and boring and Wilson’s decision to produce this Driver really hurts their credibility. For a company so long in the equipment business to make this mistake is unbelievable.
At one time they produced some of the best equipment available and of course ruled the forged iron sales for many years. This mistake will cost them many customers.
Someone needs to be fired!
Jeff D.
Dec 12, 2016 at 9:05 pm
I’m with you and that someone is Tim Clarke – President of Wilson Golf. I’d love to tweet him but he’s blocked me from direct tweeting him after I criticized him and the show, lol.
DM
Dec 12, 2016 at 9:19 pm
I cannot fault Wilson for taking a chance… if folks did not think outside the box we would still be using Persimmon Drivers and Bullseye putters with a wound ball…
If equipment makers stop innovating, why buy new equipment…
Rd
Dec 13, 2016 at 3:28 am
Er, no DM, we wouldn’t. People have always tried to make things better, go far, faster and hit straighter with all kinds of materials that are malleable. But it took a lot of technology advances to make them be cost-effective and feasible for mass production. Look at the way computers and electronics developed from the 50’s and 60’s and into the 70’s, and what they cost. The 70’s nearly killed the world with its oil crisis. Look at the weapons and rocket and airplane tech developed in the 60’s during the Vietnam period. It all coincides. It took a long time for all that tech to become small enough and skills to be good enough to manipulate the materials to get to where we are today.
Jerry
Dec 12, 2016 at 9:55 pm
Come on Wilson has been a joke all the way back to 1965 when they did not re-sign John Daly. How much do you think trying to get this club to market because Nike bailed may have led to a product not being tested properly, who else would release a club without it being on the USGA Conforming list…someone is looking for a new job today I would bet…
tzed
Dec 14, 2016 at 2:29 pm
John Daly didn’t resign in 1965? Ok then. I have an Infinite putter and two PMP wedges. I’ll put them up against anything.
jon
Dec 13, 2016 at 1:27 am
you aren’t serious right?
Remember when the Wilson Staff FG Tour F5 Driver was released? Nope, of course you don’t, because NOBODY was talking about it. This has been an absolute master class in brand awareness marketing strategy. You are talking about the new Wilson Staff driver. That man deserves a raise – not fired lol. This is why you make peanuts and they make millions my friend.
3PuttTerritory
Dec 12, 2016 at 6:27 pm
A darn, darn shame. I’ve seen people hit this driver well.
They still don’t buy it, but you know, not bad.
4puttfor90
Dec 12, 2016 at 6:13 pm
Poseidon called, he wants his copy-write back.
Wilson
Dec 12, 2016 at 5:58 pm
Nice of them to offer a refund, those 5 people that bought one will be very happy.
Boobsy McKiss
Dec 12, 2016 at 8:00 pm
ROFL.
alan
Dec 13, 2016 at 1:04 pm
“ROFL” ?? is this 1995 and we are in an aol chat room ttyl
new stuff!!
Dec 12, 2016 at 4:59 pm
it’s ok Wilson – at least this is something that can be fixed with out replacing the whole driver head.
silver lining = fixable + more press – this is the most I’ve ever heard about Wilson golf ever.
Jerry
Dec 12, 2016 at 9:58 pm
You missed John Daly winning the British Open with that odd looking Wilson Driver….
tzed
Dec 14, 2016 at 2:31 pm
Or Padraig winning 3 majors with Wilson.
DevilDog18
Dec 12, 2016 at 4:45 pm
Whoops $$$$