New Sticks, New Season: Why Tour Pros Are Changing Gear
From drivers to irons, I've been watching the subtle shifts in players' bags and what's driving these key equipment decisions.
Marcus Santana · Founder & Lead Tester, Homie Golf · August 4, 2026
Original reporting & analysis · Homie Golf Tour desk
Players are making strategic equipment changes, particularly in drivers and irons, driven by new tech, course demands, and the eternal search for marginal gains.
The setup
One of the most talked-about changes this season has been Rory McIlroy's driver. He's been spotted testing the new TaylorMade Qi10 LS, opting for a lower-spin head than his previous Stealth 2 Plus. Then there's Collin Morikawa, who has always been meticulous about his iron play. He's moved into Titleist's new T100 irons, a classic player's iron, but with subtle tweaks to weighting and feel. Further down the bag, I've seen more players tinkering with fairway wood lofts, some even adding a 7-wood to bridge gapping issues. It's a continuous, often quiet, evolution, but the sight of a top player's bag being altered always catches my eye.
What happened
The immediate impact of these changes is what I'm always looking for. Rory's driver switch, in theory, aims to reduce spin and potentially add distance, particularly beneficial on courses where he needs to hit through wind or maximize carry. I've seen him hitting some absolute rockets with it already. Morikawa's iron change is more about feel and control. The T100s, for him, likely offer a slightly different launch window or spin profile that he feels gives him more precision into greens. For both, it's not about huge yardage gains, but rather tiny, incremental improvements in dispersion and shot-shaping. These players are so dialed in that even a fractional improvement can separate them from the field.
What it means
What does this mean for the everyday golfer? A lot, actually. These pros aren't switching clubs for the fun of it; they're looking for quantifiable improvements in areas like spin, launch, and feel. Rory's move to a lower-spin driver highlights how important it is to match your driver's head to your swing characteristics, not just buy the newest model. Morikawa's iron choice reinforces that feel and workability are still paramount for consistent ball-striking, even with all the modern technology. It's a reminder that getting custom-fitted, understanding your own numbers, and prioritizing what truly helps your game on the course is far more effective than simply chasing what the pros are playing without understanding why.
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