Equipment
Tiger Woods testing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White Board driver shaft ahead of The Northern Trust
Tiger Woods has spent his 2018 season using the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 70TX shaft in his TaylorMade M3 driver, which he’s changed the weight settings on just about every event. But after a dismal driving performance at the 2018 PGA Championship — where he finished second place despite missing every single fairway during the front nine of his final round, and the infamous 17th hole tee shot that he blew right right of a hazard — it appears Tiger is considering switching up his driver shaft.
On Tuesday of The Northern Trust at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ, Tiger was spotted using a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White Board shaft in his driver, instead of the counter-balanced Tensei Orange he’s been accustomed to in 2018. The last time Tiger played in competition with a Diamana White Board? According to our records, it was back in 2014; that’s before the Tensei Orange, the Tensei White, the Matrix TP7HDe, and the Diamana Blue Board. Back in 2013-2014, Tiger was playing a Diamana White Board 73X.
Of course, GolfWRX members have already spotted the switch, and are speculating on why he’s switching, exactly what he’s switching to, and questioning why he isn’t switching into something else. See what they’re saying about Tiger’s shaft switch here.
According to our Tour photographer Greg Moore, Tiger has also added 1 degree of loft to his driver, in addition to sliding the M3 dual weights forward compared to their position at the 2018 PGA Championship.
He moved up 1 degree in loft too https://t.co/lD6xmn9PjV
— Greg Moore – PGA (@gdm43pga) August 21, 2018
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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MF
Sep 5, 2018 at 12:50 am
The shaft in the picture is the D+ Limited Edition. The shaft has a “high balance point” (counter balanced) just like the Tensei Orange.
Chuck Barkley
Aug 22, 2018 at 7:05 pm
He will continue to fly the ball left and right out of play until he or they figure out how to STOP DIPPING AND DIVING INTO THE BALL ON THE DOWNSWING. There is no dropping 6-7″ and compressing the spine on the downswing and expecting any kind of
driving accuracy. The two way “final round” miss will continue until that issue is addressed.
Jimmy Ballard has left the building!
Mark
Aug 23, 2018 at 3:41 am
He’s not dropping 6-7 inches anymore. Levels are way more under control…it was clearly body tension and lack of rhythm triggered by stress.
geohogan
Aug 24, 2018 at 7:43 pm
He will continue to fly the ball left and right out of play until he or they figure out how to stop:
Hitting with his heads. As pics show, he trys to square the clubface with his hands(forearm muscles) with impact 5/10,000 second
impossible to time consistently.
Level Left, Tiger, Level Left
geohogan
Aug 24, 2018 at 7:50 pm
typo: SB Hitting with his Hands.
HDTVMAN
Aug 22, 2018 at 6:03 pm
I’d rather see him experiment with a Ping G400LST. Much superior to the TM.
Tee-Bone
Aug 22, 2018 at 2:17 pm
To quote the legendary Johnny Shanks, “It ain’t the club.”
Jack Nash
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:53 pm
So he wants to go further right?
William Davis
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:33 pm
I don’t understand why anyone would be interested in this.
Romes
Aug 22, 2018 at 2:24 pm
Clicked story? You.
William Davis
Aug 23, 2018 at 6:17 am
Just the headline and comments out of curiosity.
jc
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:01 pm
he can get one of those teeless drivers that noah begay is hawking on golf channel…he can use it off the ground!!!! it is the longest straightest drives ever made. Then get one of the green chippers, one of those automatic sand wedges and a warrior golf ball..he can’t lose
TONEY P
Aug 22, 2018 at 11:42 am
Doesn’t matter what shaft he swings, as long as he tries to fade the ball now he is going to have problems. He is a golfer who has been injured so he needs to learn to adjust to what is easier to play with a fused back. He has to let the club head go, which means he has to play tee shots right to left now . For some strange reason injured golfers turn the ball over easy.
Skip
Aug 22, 2018 at 11:34 am
Great shaft, I still play one in one of my 917 D3’s. I also still have Tiger’s old favorite Graphite Design AD-DI in another of my 917 D3’s. Like them both.
~j~
Aug 22, 2018 at 10:01 am
Someone let Tiger know the M4 has a D-Type also. 1* of increased loft = 1-2* more closed also.
Can’t speak to the Tensei Orange, never hit it. Buit those clamoring that the shaft won’t make a difference never belted the White Boards and then swung a V2. Not sure Tiger needs the counter-balanced shaft at all, but whatever increases SW nowadays…
the loft settings will do more to change his flight than anything. Oh the trouble we get into one we start messing with those. In two weeks he’ll have a hot duck hook.
Joe
Aug 22, 2018 at 9:52 am
He should be testing a PING G400 driver. Might straighten him out a bit. 1 more fairway hit last week and he’s a major winner.
Jack Nash
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:55 pm
And lose TM sponsorship? LOL
Carlos Augusto Carvalho
Aug 22, 2018 at 1:11 pm
Tiger missed an eagle putt and ended up making par on Saturday. Also missed birdies and par putts all over the week. So, driving bad was not the cause to miss a major.
Must work harder on the putting surface.
GW
Aug 22, 2018 at 8:18 am
This is usually where the “experts” chime in and tell us that the D+ is a made for OEM shaft.
ogo
Aug 21, 2018 at 11:54 pm
“…Tiger is considering switching up his driver shaft.”… No kidding!!!
I predict he will soon be playing a Seven Dreamer autoclave cured graphite shaft because all oven cured shafts are too soggy and floppy in the tip section causing Tiger problems.
Tyler Durden
Aug 21, 2018 at 10:43 pm
Gotta get ball speed to 185. Smh.
Tom
Aug 21, 2018 at 9:55 pm
Doesn’t twist face claim to correct dispersion?
Jack Tors
Aug 22, 2018 at 2:31 am
On off center hits. He hits the center of the face, he just can’t match up the face and the path.
TONEY P
Aug 22, 2018 at 11:57 am
That because he doesn’t want the face to turn, so he tries to hold off.
Sahil Singh
Aug 22, 2018 at 9:37 am
Thats an interesting point!! if taylormade are marketing to amateurs like me, Long and stright aaaaannnddd TIGER WOODS!!!! can’t hit it straight with all the tech at his fingertips no expense spared then what now???? @taylormade – can you make a driver that even tiger woods can hit straight???
Sahil Singh
Aug 22, 2018 at 9:38 am
Thats an interesting point!! if taylormade are marketing to amateurs like me, Long and stright aaaaannnddd TIGER WOODS!!!! can’t hit it straight with all the tech at his fingertips no expense spared then what now???? @taylormade – can you make a driver that even tiger woods can hit straight???
jc
Aug 22, 2018 at 7:12 pm
go back in time and get one of those offset drives…forgot who made them
Nack Jicklaus
Aug 21, 2018 at 9:52 pm
Get him an old King Cobra 8 degree with a DG X100 shaft.
ogo
Aug 21, 2018 at 11:58 pm
Steel driver shafts are still the gold standard for ball control and accuracy. Pros use graphite in drivers for mass marketing of lighter is faster fraud. It’s all about what sells and what pays.
Geohogan
Aug 22, 2018 at 4:47 pm
Agree Tigers clubs are too light. (there are 100 gram graphite shafts out there)
He should listen to Jack N.:
“I’ve always believed that the golf club should dominate you instead of you dominating the club. In other words, you swing the club, and your body reacts to how you swing it. Doing this forces you to use your lower body to initiate the downswing. Every other sport is played from the ground up. Watch a baseball pitcher: On the windup, he moves his lower body first, then his arm; on the forward motion, he leads again with the lower body, the arm trailing. This used to be true with golf, but today I see it being taught with the upper body dominating, partly because modern equipment is so much lighter. But if kids started with clubs slightly too heavy, it would teach them to swing back and through from the ground up. They would be forced to learn the proper sequencing of motion.”
dat
Aug 21, 2018 at 9:37 pm
Classic shaft, proven in his hands before. Hopefully he can make it work, it’s 99% mental anyhow.
ab
Aug 21, 2018 at 8:58 pm
That should help him be slightly straighter. Probably won’t be able to launch it like Koepka, but it’ll work
Travis
Aug 21, 2018 at 8:57 pm
That’s why he’s missing fairways… he’s closing his eyes during the swing…
Jack Nash
Aug 22, 2018 at 12:57 pm
????????????????????????????????