Do not mess with the Viking on Hovland’s Ping putter cowl.
Jonathan Wall
The gear crew at GOLF.com spends lots of time at Tour occasions snapping images of the instruments utilized by the perfect gamers on the earth. Posting membership photos with out context works in some instances, but it surely doesn’t assist the weekend golfer perceive the why behind a professional’s setup.
On this GOLF.com collection, tools editors Jonathan Wall and Ryan Barath reply these questions by highlighting attention-grabbing golf equipment in gamers’ luggage, distinctive weighting, loft sleeve settings and extra. Welcome to “Bay Spy.”
The Viking
Jonathan Wall/GOLF
Little or no in Hovland’s bag has modified in recent times — exterior of some gadgets. The obvious is a customized putter cowl — some may name it a stretch to connect a gear change to a canopy, however that’s OK — that made its debut final yr when Ping formally rolled out the “Hovi” Signature PLD Restricted putter.
For years, Hovland protected his Ping PLD DS72 putter with a easy white masking bearing the Norwegian flag. The latest protector of the wand is something however easy with a menacing Viking staring straight into your soul. It’s a glance we’ve seen from Hovland on a number of events.
Look nearer and also you’ll see a number of extra Easter eggs dotting the perimeters which might be symbolic of his life and pursuits. The orange and black stitching is little question a nod to his time spent at Oklahoma State College. And by the way in which, he nonetheless resides in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
It’s a enjoyable cowl that brings collectively his Norwegian roots, love for demise steel music and life in “Stilly.”
Quiet transition
Jonathan Wall/GOLF
It began with the lob wedge in 2023 and has quietly unfold to the opposite scoring instruments within the bag. I’m speaking about Hovland’s resolution to maneuver away from the all-KBS shaft setup he used within the irons and wedges for years and embrace True Mood’s Dynamic Gold Tour Difficulty.
True Mood Dynamic Gold Tour Difficulty Iron Shaft
$44.99
The True Mood Dynamic Gold Tour Difficulty is right for the participant in search of a low launch, low spin shaft designed for optimum management and accuracy. You should purchase the True Mood Dynamic Gold Tour Difficulty constructed to your required specs.
The True Mood Dynamic Gold Tour Difficulty is the Gold Normal by which all different irons shafts are measured. It’s the most profitable shaft within the historical past of golf and nonetheless continues to dominate on skilled excursions each yr. The Tour Difficulty shafts maintain the industries tightest weight tolerances for exacting efficiency demanded by the perfect gamers. You should buy the True Mood Dynamic Gold Tour Difficulty within the following flexes: S400, and X100.
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Arguably the most well-liked wedge shaft on Tour, Dynamic Gold Tour Difficulty marked the primary time Hovland deviated from utilizing an extra-stiff flex in his wedges since turning professional. The S400 provides a barely softer really feel than KBS’s Tour V however with an identical weight profile (132 grams vs. 130 grams). Choosing a heavier weight within the wedges can add a bit extra management and really feel across the inexperienced.
In Hovland’s case, going to a softer flex and including weight can ship extra really feel across the inexperienced for these tough contact photographs.
Observe my lead
Jonathan Wall/GOLF
Hovland’s Ping i210 irons are an ideal reminder that top-of-the-line gamers on the planet wields a set with a profile that deftly toes the road between higher participant and sport enchancment. With a thicker topline and wider sole than Ping’s better-player choices (Blueprint S and Blueprint T), i210 is geared for a variety of gamers — from scratch to mid-handicappers.
If something, Hovland’s setup, one he’s been utilizing since turning professional in 2019, highlights the significance of making an attempt different choices earlier than defaulting to the compact profiles littering skilled circuits.
In Hovland’s case, he discovered the i210 to be an excellent match within the mid to brief irons due to the decrease, extra managed flight they produced. Within the 4- by 6-iron, the extensive sole retains the pinnacle from needlessly digging into the turf. It’s a setup extra golfers ought to embrace.
Hiding in plain sight
Jonathan Wall/GOLF
Again in 2023, Ping launched a video of Hovland hitting flop photographs with Tour rep Kenton Oates by his aspect. It’s a enjoyable video meant to spotlight the huge short-game enchancment Hovland made with coach Joe Mayo that culminated in a torrid end to the season. To not point out a PGA Tour report for one-year earnings with $34.5 million. It was a very good yr for Hovland.
Hovland has transitioned into two Ping’s s159 wedges (50 and 56 levels) because the dream season, however the Glide 2.0 lob wedge stays. As for why Hovland nonetheless performs 2.0, Oates informed GOLF.com final season that it got here down to private preferences.
“The only real of [the 2.0] was at all times excellent for him,” stated Oates. “The heel and again have been excellent. Now if he wished to enter the 4.0 lob wedge with the identical traits, we’d in all probability should do barely various things to match it up.”
Because the wedge sport continued to enhance final season, Hovland got here to Oates on the 2023 Gamers Championship and requested for a real 60-degree Glide 2.0 TS. Earlier than the change, he was utilizing a low-bounce 58TS (Skinny Sole) wedge bent two levels weak to a said loft of 60 levels to reap the advantages of much more versatility across the inexperienced.
Hovland hasn’t appeared again since that week.
PING s159 Customized Wedge
$179.99
With the addition of two grinds and new lofts, the tour-style s159 wedges can be found in 25 loft/grind combos to match a wedge to your enjoying circumstances and approach whereas making certain a correctly gapped set. In depth testing with prime PING tour gamers helped create wedges that can attraction to golfers of all skills. The brand new WebFit Wedge app gives a fast and simple option to decide the s159 grinds that greatest suit your sport.
Tour-Confirmed Design
The tour-inspired 8620 carbon metal head incorporates a comfortable really feel and clear form with a straighter lead edge for improved outcomes on full photographs. Two performance-enhancing finishes (Hybropearl 2.0 Chrome and Midnight) can be found in all loft/grind combos.
Extra Grooves. Extra Spin.
Wheel-cut grooves are precision-milled to various dimensions, relying on loft. The 46-to-52-degree wedges are milled to maximise groove quantity for higher management on full photographs. The 54-to-62-degree choices function extra tightly spaced MicroMax grooves to impart extra spin, particularly across the greens.
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“Now he’s enjoying a real 60-degree wedge that’s going to be extra versatile,” stated Oates. “It’s going to take a seat decrease to the bottom as a consequence of having much less bounce, but it surely’s additionally going to require extra ability. Ever since he modified, his stats have slowly gotten higher and he’s by no means requested to return [to the 58-degree]. That reveals the work he’s put in studying expose that bounce and hit these photographs somewhat bit cleaner.”
And if you would like a little bit of inside baseball, Hovland’s lob wedge is definitely one of many earliest s159 prototypes. It says Glide 2.0 on the pinnacle, however the sole geometry and turf interplay is designed to imitate Ping’s newest scoring instruments. Speak about hiding in plain sight.
Regular as she goes
Jonathan Wall/GOLF
Hovland isn’t afraid to change his favourite membership within the bag — supplied the tweak produces outcomes. And when the outcomes bear fruit, the tinkering stops.
In case you want proof, look no additional than Hovland’s G425 LST driver. In 2022, Ping reps labored with Hovland to extend launch and fight a lower-than-comfortable spin price by eradicating the shaft tipping from his Fujikura Speeder 661 TR TX shaft to melt the general construct.
The pinnacle loft additionally elevated barely from 8.4 to eight.6 levels and scorching soften (three grams) was positioned within the toe to maintain Hovland from overdrawing the ball since his path began shifting extra proper. In the long run, the adjustments resulted in a constant launch round 11-12 levels with roughly 2,300 RPMs of spin.
The small tweaks present an all-important profit: Hovland didn’t have to fret about spin dropping to harmful ranges on the occasional mishit anymore.
The changes have been so good Hovland has stored the driving force construct frozen in time. That’s when you already know you’re doing one thing proper as a Tour rep.
Protecting it constant
Jonathan Wall/GOLF
The membership grip is one other merchandise within the bag that hasn’t modified going again to Hovland’s time at Oklahoma State. Golf Satisfaction’s New Decade MultiCompound (58R) is a well-liked possibility utilized by a myriad of execs, together with Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy. (It was McIlroy who helped put “MCC” on the map round 2011.)
Golf Satisfaction New Decade MultiCompound Midsize
$11.99
The Golf Satisfaction New Decade MultiCompound grip fuses the efficiency of rubber and rope for a brand new feel and look. It options Golf Satisfaction’s unique black Velvet Wire within the higher hand space for agency, all-weather management, and a comfortable, rubber materials within the decrease hand for final management and responsiveness.
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Designed with a brushed cotton twine within the higher hand for stability, and rubber within the decrease hand for management, MCC was one of many first grips to mix two feels and textures. For Hovland, the grip gives a relentless really feel and reliability that turns out to be useful (no pun supposed) when he’s testing completely different heads.
Depart it as-is
Jonathan Wall/GOLF
Concluding this version of “BagSpy” with back-to-back grip notes feels anticlimactic, but it surely’s arduous to not save area for Hovland’s 15-inch Winn grip. When Hovland and Ping began engaged on a brand new prototype mallet in 2020, the 26-year-old staffer made it clear he didn’t need to mess with a distinct grip. The seen put on on the crimson deal with (the above picture was taken on the Memorial Match) is additional affirmation that Hovland has no real interest in making an attempt the rest.
The 36-inch putter isn’t almost so long as the 38-inch counterbalanced construct Rickie Fowler popularized final season, however the addition of an extended grip permits Hovland to choke down a bit extra for added stability through the stroke.
Wish to overhaul your bag for 2022? Discover a becoming location close to you at GOLF’s affiliate firm True Spec Golf.
