Equipment
Former Masters champ debuts Artisan Golf prototype irons
Fresh off six missed cuts in six events on the PGA Tour this year, Charl Schwartzel finished T10 at The 2022 Masters. The blast-from-the-past type performance from the 2011 Masters Champ even included a hole-out eagle with an iron from the fairway on the 10th hole in Saturday’s third round.
While Schwartzel’s T10 Masters finish and masterful iron play may seem like it came out of nowhere, a deeper dive into the Artisan prototype blade irons he used provides some clarity.
Let me explain…
Back in 2011, Schwartzel was a Nike staff player who used the company’s Nike VR Pro Blades, which were made by legendary master craftsman Mike Taylor. At the time, Taylor (formerly of the Ben Hogan Equipment Company and Impact Golf Technologies) worked out of Nike’s manufacturing facility, called “The Oven,” in Fort Worth, Texas.
There at The Oven – until Nike Golf shut down its hard goods business in 2016 – Taylor handcrafted irons and wedges for Nike’s top pros, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Brooks Koepka, David Duval, and, of course, Schwartzel himself.
After Nike stopped making golf clubs in The Oven in 2016, though, Taylor did not. Instead, alongside John Hatfield, Taylor started a new company called Artisan Golf (watch the video above for more about their start). With a newly nimble crew compared to the Nike days, Artisan began making custom wedges and putters in the same building as The Oven, and using the same machinery.
For Schwartzel, since leaving Nike Golf’s staff in 2016, he’s used clubs made by various manufacturers. He had a stint as a PXG staffer from 2016-2019, and since then he’s been an equipment free agent.
Starting in 2019, and until the 2022 Masters, Schwartzel was using a set of Miura MB-001 blades that he made alterations to himself (pictured above). That’s right, for nearly 3 years, Schwartzel was using a set of irons that he ported himself using a drill press, and he later applied lead tape back onto them himself.
Taylor, obviously, was no longer grinding Schwartzel’s irons and wedges, since he was busy making clubs for Artisan Golf.
Recently, though, Schwartzel ran into some issues with his wedge game and decided to revisit Taylor at Artisan’s Fort Worth manufacturing facility. Schwartzel walked away with two new Artisan Golf wedges (54 and 60 degrees).
“I was struggling with wedges. I went to Mike. He built me a set of wedges, and the wedge problem was solved,” Schwartzel told GolfWRX ahead of the 2022 RBC Heritage.
Taylor and Schwartzel were reunited, but the newfound partnership didn’t end with wedges.
While Schwartzel was at the Artisan Golf facility for his wedge fitting, Taylor showed him a set of blade irons that were (and still are) in the prototype phase. Although Taylor and the Artisan team plan on bringing the blade irons to production in the future, they’ve only been released in the Japan market in limited qualities, but never in America.
Taylor had just gotten in some samples from overseas that he showed to Schwartzel during his wedge fitting.
Schwartzel, who still was using his homemade iron set, took a liking to the Artisan iron prototypes and asked Taylor to send him a set when they were ready. The problem was, Taylor and the Artisan team didn’t have sets readily available.
“When he was here, we had some iron prototypes, and I let him look at them,” Taylor explained on Tuesday. “Several weeks back, he’s like, ‘Hey, did you ever get my irons in?’
“I’m like, ‘I have a set of samples here that are all good.’
“So, we built those up for him. I don’t think he put any tournament heat on them, but I know he worked with them, practiced with them, and then he goes down there to Augusta and gets a top-10.”
As Schwartzel realized, the new Artisan irons brought back a familiar feel, even though they’re completely new irons.
“Mike built me clubs for 10 years. Probably the 10 best years of my career,” Schwartzel told GolfWRX. “I’ve been on him for awhile to build me irons again. So, he finally did. I think this is the first set that he sent me, just before Augusta. Augusta was my first tournament with them, but they’re very familiar for me. Mike is just so good with the way he weights his clubs. He uses more head weight than anyone else. They’re very familiar for me and I think the results show. I hit the ball really good last week [at The Masters].”
To Schwartzel’s point, Taylor goes against the grain of popular industry philosophies in regards to weight. He prefers to focus on total weight rather than swing weight, and he uses relatively heavy head weights, compared to industry standard, in order to maximize energy in the shaft.
The True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 iron shafts that Schwartzel currently uses.
“I’ve learned a lot in the 11 years since he won the Masters about making golf clubs,” Taylor explained. “Let me just put it to you simply, we need to understand in this business that swing weights are a resultant. Again, swing weights are a result! We have a lot of weight variable in components nowadays, and you win when you make the shaft perform right. What makes the shaft perform right is when the shaft fits, it has to be built properly so it delivers the right amount of energy…it’s all about shaft performance and energy in the shaft. People have gotten way too hung up on swing weight, they don’t even know the total weight of their clubs…use the head weights you believe in to make the shaft work. End of the debate. The total weight when we pick the golf club up is what we feel. It’s all about total weight. A lot of clubs get under built (too light), and the shafts don’t work right.”
As for Schwartzel’s irons themselves, Taylor said he simply made loft and lie adjustments to the production prototypes. They were not actually made for Schwartzel, in particular.
“They’re straight outta the box,” Taylor said. “I didn’t even grind them. They’re a production set of heads set to his loft and lies…those heads are a set of sample heads that I thought looked really good and really consistent. The bottoms are how they’re supposed to be. I didn’t even think about, ‘Hey, here’s an opportunity for him to play these at Augusta.’ Charl wanted a set of irons, the guys a fantastic ball stirker, and has been for a long time. I wanted to put a set of irons in his hands. I wanted feedback.”
The irons that Schwartzel played are prototype versions of irons that Artisan Golf plans to sell sometime in the unannounced future. Taylor, who says he’s been working on the irons for about 2 years, isn’t yet committing to a date when they’ll be available; he doesn’t want to rush it, even though the consumer demand is unrelenting.
According to Taylor, the irons are precision forged, then use a four-axis machine process to control weight, dimensions and shapes (such as cavity, sole, grooves, hosel, etc.), and then they are hand polished. Aesthetically, the numbers on the sole are a throwback to his days at the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company in the 1980’s.
“I like them clean,” Taylor said. “I’ve been doing this for 35 years. Part of it is I want you to look at the numbers on the bottom those golf clubs. Those numbers on the bottom of these models, that’s my tribute to my beginnings at the Ben Hogan company. I wanted an old school, traditional looking number on there that says, ‘That’s Mike Taylor. He started doing this at the Ben Hogan Company in Fort Worth in 1987.’ It’s simple, but it’s good stuff. It’s not any big marketing story. Good grooves, good weights, good progression of shapes, and they deliver energy to the golf ball. You get fit and get the right shaft, you’re going to be good.”
With Ben Hogan-inspired numbers on their sole, and a Texas flag-inspired colorway inside the Artisan Golf logo stamped on their back cavity, Schwartzel’s new Artisan prototype irons helped him get his groove back at the 2022 Masters. It may have been with a new look, but it has that old feel.
For more photos and discussion of Charl Schwartzel’s Artisan irons, click here.
Looking to get your home simulator built, but don’t know where to start? PGA Tour Superstore is here to help you out. Superstores across the country have announced dedicated Golf Simulator Showrooms in stores nationwide.
According to an official press release, “The new showroom experience gives customers the opportunity to demo and compare a wide range of simulator solutions, from high-end systems featuring launch monitors, enclosures and projectors to entry-level net and mat options designed for residential, outdoor and commercial spaces.”
“At PGA Tour Superstore, we are committed to helping our customers improve and get dialed into their game. Simulator technology has become an incredibly powerful tool for that, giving players real data and feedback to practice more effectively and play better,” said Troy, Rice, CEO, PGA Tour Superstore. “At the same time, it has evolved into something much broader, a fun, social way for people to experience the game and, for many, a gateway into traditional on-course golf.”
The Golf Simulator Showrooms will include offerings from the biggest names in launch monitor technology, including Bushnell, Foresight, Full Swing, Garmin, Rapsodo, SkyTrak, Trackman, and Uneekor.
To learn more about simulator options and packages, visit PGA Tour Superstore’s Simulator Guide on its website.
In our forums, one user is asking for recommendations for a 3-wood in the 200cc range. Standard 3-woods come with heads in the 165cc to 175cc range.
@driverHATE asked:
“I still have and regularly came the Callaway 2 deep. Looking for something similar in size and function. Ideally, the head would be low spin. I have tried many of the other mini drivers from the past and they are either (a) too large or (b) way too spinny.
“Does not need to be a current offering. My research has pointed me to the OG SIM TI, which I will likely try. Just seeing if there are any other similar options I am overlooking. Thanks!”
Our members in the forum have been offering up advice on options driverHATE might consider trying. 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.
- Ben B: “I mean the new Qi4D core is 185cc and the max is 200cc. Much like the Qi10 fairways, the 4Ds are starting to gain a lot of traction.”
- phizzy30: “OG SIM ti has a bigger foot print with a deep face. It’s considered lower launch/spin with high ball speeds which I agree with after having one for years. I would recommend it or if you want something a bit newer that’s more versatile, the Qi10 tour is it. Qi4d tour is also amazing as well. These two have deeper faces as well and are great tee options. They’re also good off the deck as well provided you can elevate the ball.”
- hammergolf: “You will be very hard pressed to find a better performing club than the OG Sim Ti fwy wood. If you can find a rocket model even better.”
Neal Shipley survived “Golf’s Longest Day” to qualify for the U.S. Open next week at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and is set to make his first appearance at his national open since he earned low amateur in 2024. So what better time to be featured in another edition of “Building a Bag.”
It’s also a significant time for Shipley to have a breakdown of his setup featured here at GolfWRX, as the Ohio State alum has been through some substantial gear changes over the past few months to combat one thing – over-spinning the golf ball.
So let’s dive into Shipley’s setup:
Big changes start with the ball
Shipley’s major bag update for this season has been a change in golf balls. Initially, in the Titleist Pro V1, Shipley had to remove loft from his long irons to tackle the fact that he overspins the golf ball. But after testing and transitioning to the Pro V1x Double Dot, he was able to find the right numbers and also launch the ball higher.
“I’ve struggled with spin for a long time and I was battling that, especially in my longer irons and had to take a lot of loft off,” Shipley told GolfWRX. “So I struggled when I got the irons in the right spin rates in the right spin windows, not getting enough height. So I was able to go to this ball and add loft, get the lunch I need, without really adding too much spin.”
The lower-launching and lower-spinning Pro V1x variant is a golf ball that transformed Cameron Young’s game and plenty of players have tested it out on Tour, including Kris Ventura and Jhonattan Vegas.
“It’s been nice to kind of launch the ball a little bit more and get some height more with my launch rather than with the ball downfield,” Shipley added. “So it’s been a nice addition. It’s really good in crosswind. It’s great off the tee.”
Soft stepping experiment
From 5- to 9-iron, Shipley plays Ping’s Blueprint T irons, of which he believes are “one of the cleanest looking blades out there.”
The model has been in his bag even before they even went to retail. What’s most interesting about his iron setup, though, is what he’s doing with the shafts.
Shipley plays Dynamic Gold X100 120 shaft, a pretty common low-spinning, low-launch shaft out on Tour. What he and the Ping team have begun experimenting with is soft-stepping, for a few reasons.
“Trying and get a little more, just touch, more height and spin on the ball, a little more deflection,” Shipley said on the process of changing the stiffness of a set of irons by putting the lower-numbered iron shaft throughout the set and changing the distance from the first step in the shaft to the hosel. (ie. The 8-iron shaft is put in the 9-iron and so forth.)
Essentially, the shift makes the shaft slightly weaker by cutting more off the butt end of the club. The change aligns with the ball swap, with Shipley’s freedom now to launch the ball higher with loft without it overspinning. Shipley has also done the same to his i240 4-iron.
No need to de-loft
Shipley plays some of the lowest-lofted clubs out on the PGA Tour. His older Ping G440 LST has just 6.8 degrees of loft – yes, you read that correctly!
Now with the ability to add more loft, thanks to the golf ball change, Shipley’s current driver is at 7.6 degrees. The 9-degree LST head is cranked down on Big Minus on the Ping adapter hosel.
It’s still a stout build, however, as Shipley plays a Fujikura Ventus TR 7x that has been tipped at 2 inches. He also uses the heaviest high-density tungsten back weight available at 35 grams.
More than just the stamps
Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley said. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
There’s more to just the stamping. He’s stuck with the S159 wedges since graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour, as he feels confident in the head shape.
“I prefer the shape a little bit more of the leading edge, not as rounded of a leading edge, a little bit more straight on,” Shipley added.
The added confidence helps him with adapting to the different grinds needed week-in-week-out on Tour. Shipley is happy to game three different grinds with his lob-wedge.
“Primarily use the T, the H, and then I’ll do a 58S,” Shipley said. “These are actually at 59 degrees. I’ll do the 58 strengthen to take a little bit of bounce off in the S grind and then we’ll shave some trail edge and heel edge relief. Just helps act as like a higher bounce essentially. So kind of stick with those most of the time.”
Heavier the better
The final piece to Shipley’s puzzle is his custom Ping PLD Anser 4D. It’s somewhat of a gentle giant, featuring a heavier-than-usual head, but a custom aluminium insert.
“It’s a little bit heavier, I think this one’s 355 to 360 grams, so a little bit heavier head,” Shipley said. “So the heavier head I feel like has helped me on some of the shorter putts with a little bit of stability.
“But the insert, I think, has been helpful in some of the longer putts. Just kind of slowing the ball down with the softer insert in the grooves.”
Shipley’s one of the few players left on Tour playing an actual Anser blade, having said in the past that he naturally sets up to the right on putts and allows the face to rotate through. Something which he hasn’t been able to mimic with a mallet.
Shipley’s full bag:
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees @ 7.6)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7X (45 inches, tipped 2 inches)
Mini driver: Ping prototype
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 8X
3-wood: Titleist TSR3 (13.5 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 8X
Irons: Ping iDi (3 @ 19.25), Ping i240 (4), Ping Blueprint T (5-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 X100 (4-9 soft-stepped)
Wedges: Ping s159 (46-12S, 50-10S, 54-12S, 60 T or H @ 59)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 X100 (46-50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (54-60)
Putter: Ping PLD Anser 4D
Grips: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot
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Golfguy
Apr 20, 2022 at 6:24 pm
Love the clean look, the story and would probably love the clubs. As for people complaining about the price…if you can’t afford them don’t buy them, but don’t jump up on your soapbox about them being overpriced. Just because you can’t afford them doesn’t give you the right to disparage them.
I couldn’t justify spending $1300 on a custom TM Stealth driver so I didn’t buy it, but I also didn’t talk smack about it being overpriced.
When I look down at my clubs I want to be happy with what I see and completely confident that if I make a good swing I’m going to get the most out of them.
By the way, money can buy happiness, maybe not ultimate happiness but it can buy happiness in uncertain terms.
Sweet
Apr 17, 2022 at 11:42 am
The people on here making comments about Artisan being overpriced have absolutely ZERO clue what they are talking about. I have an Artisan putter.. very expensive… But you don’t get Artisan products without being fit by Mike or John. You pay for the expertise and attention to detail from two of the most talented and respected club makers in the history of the game. I spent 2.5 house 1 on 1 with John going over my putting game… It wasn’t a lesson but it was. He had me try a few small changes to my putting that were incredible and that process informed how he would build my putter. And I am no one special… An 11 handicap. The club he built for me is unbelievable and gives me a level of confidence I didnt know was possible.
So speak all you want about the price on the clubs, but until you have gone through the process you couldn’t possibly properly assess the value. But hey, good luck at Golf Galaxy…
AF
Apr 18, 2022 at 9:18 pm
You are right on all accounts Sweet. I actually consider it a great value given all the short game wisdom I learned talking with both John & Mike during a couple visits there.
ericsokp
Apr 15, 2022 at 12:47 pm
Beautiful irons (that look really hard to hit!). Can’t wait to see a 16 handicapper at my local muny show up with a set! 🙂
Jason
Apr 14, 2022 at 8:14 am
The irons look very nice, but there’s nothing that would separate them from other brands, except for the price. You won’t see average income, scratch golfers playing these. And that’s a shame. Golf has become way too expensive for people to enjoy, and more of an ego trip. $650 for a pair of used Artisan wedges on ebay, no thanks.
Max
Apr 13, 2022 at 6:44 pm
Mp-33 much?
Davys Doobies
Apr 13, 2022 at 11:02 pm
Every other muscleback iron since 1960s much?
HR Fernández
Apr 13, 2022 at 12:07 pm
Nice story and nice set.
Unfortunately,like everything Artisan, probably highly overpriced.
HR Fernández
Apr 13, 2022 at 7:26 pm
If you can afford a caddy you can afford Artisan irons.
RH Hernandez
Apr 13, 2022 at 7:52 pm
I can’t afford a caddy.
H.R. Fernández
Apr 14, 2022 at 10:21 am
Don’t hate because you can’t afford a nice lifestyle coward, lol…
Benny
Apr 13, 2022 at 11:34 am
what a story. awesome. Love all of it and gets me fired up.
I want a set hahahaha!!