News

Behind Matt Kuchar’s switch to the Bridgestone Tour B X ahead of last week’s win

Published

8 years ago

Nov 15, 2018

If you’re reading this article, you almost certainly know Matt Kuchar ended a four-year victory drought with a win at the Mayakoba Golf Classic last week. You may not know, however, about an interesting equipment change Kuchar made prior to hoisting the trophy.

Following a sub-par 2018 season that saw him record just four top-10 finishes in 24 starts, the Georgia Tech alum felt he needed to make some changes.

One of those changes: his golf ball. Now, given Kuch’s club head speed last year — 107.97 mph (183rd on Tour) — your wouldn’t have thought the happy warrior would switch to a lower-spinning golf ball. However, that’s just what he did, making the move from Bridgestone’s Tour B XS to its Tour B X. And according to the company, he did so after a recent fitting session in which he was driving the X seven yards farther than the XS.

I had a chance to ask Elliot Mellow, Bridgestone’s Golf Ball Marketing Manager, and Adam Rehberg, the company’s Golf Ball Fitting Manager, about the switch.

So, what was the thinking/data that had Matt Kuchar playing the XS originally?

Mellow: “Matt had historically been in our higher spin spec — he appreciated the spin control into and around the green. For years, the B330-S and then the Tour B XS, allowed Matt to hit his windows and optimize trajectory. As he started to reevaluate his fit, there were really two things in play here that allowed the door to be opened for Matt to explore a more distance spec ball: Over the years, we have continued to soften the covers of all Tour balls. So in our distance spec, the Tour B X, you really don’t sacrifice spin for distance, it still is a great spin control ball with irons and wedges. The other thing to consider is some of the club set-ups for Matt have changed, which allowed us to reevaluate his fit.”

Why test at this point in time, and what was the testing like? What were the results?

Mellow: “During the off season, Matt was really taking a look at every aspect of his bag. If you look at his equipment setup during the FedEx Cup compared to what he has in play these last couple of tournaments, basically everything changed: club heads, shafts, mix of clubs, etc. With those changes it’s natural for Matt, and any golfer really, to want to reevaluate their ball to ensure it still fits their needs.”

“Ball testing for Matt involves looking at the performance of the ball with every club in the bag. It’s no secret that Matt isn’t the longest driver of the golf ball so driver distance and ball speed are important to him. We take a look at what’s going on with the driver and work backwards from there. In short, start from the tee and work our way down to the green, much like you would play a hole.”

Rehberg: “Matt began initial testing of the Tour B X golf ball in Vegas with our Tour team. After seeing some great results on the range with increased ball speed, reduced spin and 7 yards longer distance, he decided to test the ball during the Pro-AM. Ultimately he made the decision to switch models for tournament play.”

“Coming out of Vegas Matt was starting to get comfortable with the Tour B X and carried that positive momentum over to Mexico as the ball gave him confidence to attack fairways (T3 in Driver Accuracy) and pins (79% GIR). In the small sample size since switching over to the X ball, Matt has seen an increase of 7 yards in Driver Distance, tighter dispersion and lower more piercing trajectory compared to his set up from last season.”

What this would seem to speak to, then, for the average golfer, is the detriments of picking a ball and playing if for years on end and the need to be re-ball fitted, if you will…

Rehberg: “There is a lot that goes into choosing a ball. And in Matt’s case, he went through a pretty significant equipment overhaul, especially with his shafts. We encourage golfers to include looking at their ball performance when they go through the process of rebuilding their bag. That’s exactly what Matt did. He noticed some increased spin numbers on his irons and driver during these shaft and driver changes and took advantage of switching to a ball that fits his game better.”

Mellow: “Your swing, club head, and shaft selection all factor into the science, the physics of the ball fitting process. You change one of these variables and the conditions at impact change, the launch data changes. As the data changes it creates a situation where your ball fit will need to be reevaluated.”

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

8 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

8 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.