What’s in Zach Johnson’s Bag?
April 9th, 2007
With unwavering belief in himself and trust in his equipment, Titleist brand ambassador Zach Johnson secured his place in golf history by winning the 2007 Masters Tournament. Congratulations Zach. With challenging conditions at Augusta National and the world’s best players surrounding him, Johnson displayed patience and perseverance to earn his first major championship and second career PGA TOUR title. Johnson’s previous win was at the 2004 BellSouth Classic in just his 13th PGA TOUR start.
Johnson, relying upon the New Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, Pro Titanium 905R (8.5) driver, 503.H (19.0) utility iron, 735.CM (3-4) and 695CB (5-9) irons, Vokey Design pitching (48) and sand (54) wedges and a Vokey Design Spin Milled lob wedge (60) for his success, posted three birdies in a crucial four-hole stretch on the back nine on Sunday en route to his two-shot victory. Johnson closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 1-over 289, tying for the day’s best round and for the highest winning overall score in Masters history.
You may remember the posting on this blog April 3: Bob Vokey with Zach Johnson: This is what Voke had to say about Zach’s preparation for the Masters:
"Zach was looking to tweak his wedges a little bit in preparation for the Masters, especially his 60°. He is going to experience a lot of tight lies and fast greens at Augusta National, so he was looking for a lob wedge with a little less trailing edge and a little less bounce that he could more easily slide underneath the ball. I also made him a couple Spin Milled backups for all his wedges and sent them to his home so he could practice with them during his off week. His current wedges were getting worn and he wanted a little more bite this week. Zach had a Top 10 finish at Doral. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get another one at Augusta."- The Voke
| Golf Ball | New Titleist Pro V1x |
| Driver | Pro Titanium 905R driver 8.5° |
| Shaft | Aldila NV 75 graphite shaft |
| Utility Iron | 503.H utility iron 19° |
| Shaft | UST iRod Hybrid 90 |
| Irons | Titleist 735.CM 3-4 |
| Shaft | True Temper Dynamic Gold Steel |
| Irons | Titleist 695CB 5-9 |
| Shaft | True Temper Dynamic Gold Steel |
| Pitching Wedge | Vokey Design 200 Series Pitching Wedge 48° |
| Sand Wedge | Vokey Design 200 Series Sand Wedge 54° |
| Lob Wedge | Vokey Design Spin Milled Lob Wedge 60° |
| Shafts | True Temper Dynamic Gold Steel |
Entry Filed under: Tour
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What flex shafts does Zach use in his clubs?
Zach’s driver has the Aldila NV 75-S shaft and his irons have soft stepped Dynamic Gold X-100 shafts. For those that don’t know, soft stepping occurs when a shaft that is tip trimmed for a longer club is placed in the next shorter club (for shafts that allow for tip trimming). The shaft is then trimmed for length on the butt end. The resulting longer tip section plays slightly softer than the stock shaft.
I may be wrong, but it looked to me that Zach was hitting Project X Rifle shafts??
We assure you that Zach plays with soft stepped True Temper Dynamic Gold X-100 shafts in all of his irons.
Why doesn’t he use an S-300 or an S-400 instead of soft stepping the shaft?
Zach likes the feel and weight of the X-100, but with the slightly softer feel he gets from soft stepping. He also gets a slightly higher launch angle with this setup.
– Steven Felix Mata
What is slightly softer? Would it be like the S400?
There is no mention of the type of putter Zach uses!
Twelve of the fourteen clubs in Zach’s bag are made by Titleist. Those clubs are listed above.
What is the length and stiffness of the hybrid shaft?
What is the length of his irons?
What is stiffness of the wedge shafts?
I feel great for Zach and I can’t wait to hit those new drivers….
What are the bounce angles on his Vokey wedges?
Zach has 6° bounce in his 48° wedge, 12° bounce in his 54° wedge, and 8° bounce in his 60° wedge.
– Steven Felix Mata
What made Zach choose the Pro V1x over the Pro V1?
What were the other two clubs he had in his bag, and what are the bounce angles on his wedges?
The other two clubs in Zach’s bag were a 3-wood and a putter, neither of which were manufactured by Titleist. As a forum dedicated to focusing on how Titleist works behind the scenes on Tour, it is our policy to refrain from posting or commenting on our competitors’ products, marketing strategies or other players that endorse their products. We prefer to keep the topics related to Titleist equipment and Titleist sponsored equipment and golf ball players. Thanks for understanding.
Where are Titleist golf clubs manufactured?
Bret.
Titleist golf clubs are assembled at the Titleist Golf Club Assembly Facility in Carlsbad, California.
Great!
Nice to know Titleist wears the “Made in USA” tag. Rare nowadays.
Bret.
I have a set of DTR irons that need new shafts. Where and how can I get the shafts replaced? Will the cost be more than buying a new set?
One option is to have your clubs sent to the Titleist repair department via any Authorized Titleist Golf Shop. Specific repair questions should be directed to our repair department at 800-742-7609.
Can you tell me if Zach’s irons are standard loft and lie, or does he have them adjusted?
Because of the strong lofts of the 695CB irons, what wedges do you typically see players using with these irons? Also, what wedge lofts would you recommend for this set?
There really is no “typical” when it comes to set composition. Each player has different needs, abilities, and comfort levels playing particular shots. Please see the comments here for more on set composition as it relates to wedge lofts.
He doesn’t use an X-flex shaft in the 905R?
That is correct, he does not use an X-flex shaft in his driver.
Thought you all might like this inside information that Zach shared with us in the Tour Van today. Zach has two Pro Titanium 905R drivers that he travels with — his gamer and a back up. After using his gamer for the first two rounds last week at Augusta, he went with the back up for the final two rounds. The specs on the two drivers are identical with one exception: his back up has ½° more loft (9°). The additional loft makes it slightly easier for him to turn the ball over and work it from right-to-left. I’d say it worked out all right for him!
– Steven Felix Mata
How often do Titleist players switch their clubs? Just like Zach changed his driver during the tournament last week, how often do they change iron sets?
We have some players who will change every six months and we have other players, like Zach Johnson, who will stick with the same set of irons for a couple of years.
– Mata
Steven, just wondering how you got onto the Tour Van and what your background is? I have always been fascinated by the work done for Tour professionals and I think working with them would probably be my dream job. Sadly I live over in England, but I was just hoping you could shed some light on how you got where you are, and if it’s really as much fun as it sounds?
Thanks,
Ed
Please see the entry from March 27 that links to an interview with Steve for more information. You may also want to check out the on demand webcast with Steve that was recorded in Augusta leading up to the Masters.
I see a lot of players going with the 17° or 19° 585.H instead of the 18° 906F2. Your thoughts please.
PS, love the blog.
Our research indicates that, at the average PGA Tour ball speed, the 17° and 19° PT 585.H utilities have a flatter trajectory and carry a shorter distance than the 18° PT 906F2. The research also indicates that the utilities provide a good yardage gap between a 3-iron and a 15° PT 906F2 at this ball speed. Of course, each player is different, so we recommend consulting with an Authorized Titleist FittingWorks Partner if you are considering purchasing new long game clubs.
While I understand that there are many factors that go into the proper fitting of any golfer and any golf club, I’d appreciate a little general advice. My bag currently holds a 9.5° Titleist 983K, 14.5° and 18.5° 975F fairways, and DCI 822OS irons (3-PW). All clubs have Titleist Ultralight Graphite regular flex shafts. Well, I’m not as young, and more importantly, as flexible as I once was. Measured clubhead speed with the driver, though now several years ago, is typically no greater than 90 mph. All other things being equal, would I benefit from a change in equipment and/or specifications (loft, shaft, etc.)? Unfortunately, I live in a modestly-sized town not frequently visited by a Titleist representative and thus local retailer “demo days” are far and few between. Thanks much!
We encourage you to visit our industry-leading fitting website, FittingWorks.com, for more information. The site features tools that enable you to find both Authorized Titleist FittingWorks Partners and Titleist Demo Events within 100 miles of your location.
I’m interested in finding out Zach’s ball speed and swing speed in mph?
Zach’s driver ball speed is typically around 161 mph with a clubhead speed of about 109 mph.
You guys work with Camilo Villegas, right? I’m also from Colombia, can you guys tell me what clubs he uses?
You can learn more about Titleist Pro V1 player Camilo Villegas’ clubs here.
If I remember correctly, Zach has been a long time user of the 503.H utility, even back when it was just a prototype. I love my 22° 503.H, it’s my go to club. Are there any plans for Titleist to offer another utility iron in the near future? Thanks.
What is the most playable set of irons that Titleist makes?
The 775.CB irons, a blended iron set for the aspirational player seeking maximum playability and a high, straight ball flight, are Titleist’s most playable irons. The iron product pages on Titleist.com offer side-by-side feature comparisons of our complete iron line.
I am aware that Titleist will not disclose what brand his 3-wood is. But can you tell me the loft?
15°.
I am wondering why Zach and some other Tour players haven’t already switched to the 907D2 driver?
All of our players are shown new product when it comes out, however, not all players choose to use the newest product nor do we force them to play the newest product. Some players don’t like to change. The bottom line, though, is that both the 907D2 and Pro Titanium 905R are great drivers.
It looks like Zach has two PT fairway wood/utility covers, can you explain?
Zach uses Titleist PT headcovers on his fairway and 503.H utility.
What finishes are his wedges?
Tour Chrome.
I have just purchased my first Titleist club - the Pro Titanium 905R 460cc 9.5° driver and I absolutely love it. My previous driver was only 340cc which I won in a golf scramble raffle and for 3 years was inconsistent with it. Within 24 hours of purchasing the club, I went out to hit balls and couldn’t believe the accuracy I gained - at least 30-40% more accurate than my previous driver. I went to play in my league the next day, and the same thing happened - gripped and ripped. Even off-center hits went straight. I was shooting 48 for nine this season (missed fairways) and now I’m shooting 40-41 (85% fairways hit). Now I can’t blame the driver - maybe I should buy a Titleist putter.
I was wondering if anyone knew the loft on the DCI 822OS pitching wedges that were out about 4 or 5 years ago?
The DCI 822OS pitching wedge has 46° loft. Information on past Titleist club models can be found at the Club Archive on Titleist.com.
I currently have the 3-5 690CB and 6-P 690MB irons. I used to have all 690CB but could not control the trajectory with the 7-P irons. They would balloon and it was difficult to hit a knock down. But I feel I am at a disadvantage using the muscle backs. They currently have S400 shafts. What would be your opinion for a more forgiving iron?
We recommend an iron fitting from an Authorized Titleist FittingWorks Partner to help you determine the proper irons for your game.
I’m basically a beginner and I just bought one of your Vokey Design Spin Milled wedges and it is by far my most favorite club. I went to your archived clubs page and was wondering when Mr. Vokey started designing your wedges? Is it just the ones bearing his name, or all of them?
All of the wedges that Voke has designed have been released as Vokey Design wedges.
Can you be more specific on which 200 Series Zach plays. I see the 248.08 and the SM60.08, but in the 54 degree, I only see a 254.10 or a 254.14 available for sale, not a 12° bounce.
The grind on Zach’s wedge makes it effectively play at 12° bounce.
I have a set of 735.CM irons that I would like to get re-shafted. Can you tell me what shaft diameter to use? I’m looking to re-shaft with Project X shafts.
You will likely need .350″ diameter shafts with a taper tip. The club building professional performing the re-shaft should verify this before installing the new shafts.
I was wondering if you know which grips Zach uses on his clubs?
Golf Pride Tour Velvet, .620″ with rib.
I am currently looking to change the shaft in my 905R driver. Do I buy the shaft and have my club pro make it bore-thru, or do I buy it already set up for the driver? If so, what specs should I look for?
Please contact the Titleist Repair Department at 1-800-742-7609 to speak with someone about re-shafting your driver.
What flex does Zach play in his wedges?
Zach uses soft stepped Dynamic Gold X-100 shafts in all of his irons.
I noticed that Zach uses the 735.CM 3 and 4 irons. I play the full set, and absolutely love them! Will Titleist be coming out with another blended set of irons in the near future? Any chance in the next set that they will also make the 7 iron a muscle back, so just the 2-6 are cavity backs?
Be sure to visit Titleist.com often for the most up to date new product information.