In this video, Joel Tadman and Dan Parker go through every area of the golf bag from driver down to putter and golf ball and then pick their favourite models to each build their ultimate golf bag.
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00:00 - Hello everybody and welcome to another
00:02 Golf Monthly equipment video where myself
00:04 and Golf Monthly staff writer Dan Parker
00:06 are gonna build our ultimate golf bag.
00:09 Between myself and Dan we've tested everything
00:11 out there this year from driver all the way down
00:13 to putter and the golf ball.
00:14 So we're gonna pick our favorite clubs
00:17 in each area of the bag.
00:18 So it should be a really exciting video.
00:19 Dan are you excited to make your debut
00:21 on Golf Monthly's YouTube channel?
00:22 - Very excited, what better place to start
00:23 on the YouTube channel than with my ultimate golf bag
00:25 from this year, so I'm looking forward to it.
00:27 - Great, well without further ado,
00:28 let's dive in starting with the driver.
00:31 So Dan we're kicking off with the big dog,
00:32 why don't you start us off with your pick
00:35 of the driver in your ultimate golf bag.
00:37 - Okay, well I'll reveal it from here.
00:38 I have gone for the Ping G425 Max.
00:43 Now I was fitted for this myself this year,
00:45 I absolutely love it.
00:47 First off I'll go with the looks,
00:49 I think it's the best looking driver this year.
00:51 I love the all black crown with the matte finish as well.
00:54 And then I'm not a great driver with the golf ball
00:57 so I need all that forgiveness.
00:58 And this bought me loads of it.
01:00 With the adjustable weight and the plenty of forgiveness
01:03 across the face, I found it really, really good off the tee.
01:07 It also sounds great, I don't know if you saw
01:08 Victor Hovland at the BMW PGA, the noise it made
01:11 at Wentworth might have been helped by the acoustics there.
01:13 But this makes an awesome noise,
01:15 so this goes in my bag as the ultimate driver.
01:17 - Yeah, good choice, very straight driver,
01:19 definitely one of the straightest drivers out this year.
01:21 For me I'm going to pick something different.
01:23 Cleverly hidden it under my rain hood,
01:25 I've gone for the TaylorMade Sim 2.
01:27 Now it was a close call between my Titleist TSI 3 driver,
01:30 which I also love, but when I wasn't swinging
01:32 that driver overly well, I just felt like I was
01:34 a little bit more offline and I think that part of that
01:37 was because I was struggling to align it.
01:39 Well there's no such problems with the TaylorMade Sim 2
01:41 because as you'll see, it's really easy to align
01:44 with this gray strip at the front of the head.
01:46 So it sets up really squarely behind the ball,
01:48 gives you really good feedback on where you're aiming.
01:50 And the feel of it is absolutely fantastic
01:52 and that feel is translated into really good ball speed,
01:55 really good distance.
01:56 Undoubtedly one of the longest drivers I've tested.
01:58 Really nice streamlined shape,
02:00 feel like you can swing it fast.
02:01 Really forgiving, obviously you've got the max driver
02:03 as well if you want even more forgiveness,
02:04 but for me that combination of a nice launch,
02:07 low spin, good forgiveness meant I was long way down
02:10 the fairway and I was often in the fairway.
02:12 So for me, TaylorMade Sim 2 is my pick with the driver.
02:14 Okay Dan, let's move on to the fairway words.
02:17 And anyone who's seen my best fairway words 2021 video
02:20 will be not surprised to see that I've picked
02:23 the Cobra RadSpeed.
02:25 Now there's a whole host of things
02:26 I like about this club.
02:28 I love the rails on the bottom,
02:29 gives you a really nice skid through the ground,
02:31 especially when the ball's sitting down.
02:32 I feel like it just pops the ball up really nicely
02:35 out of those cuppy lies.
02:36 Really good forgiveness, good distance
02:38 was one of the longest models I tested.
02:40 And you've got adjustability as well for lofts
02:42 and you can get some drawbys in there as well.
02:44 So it's a very versatile club.
02:46 So it really does tick all the boxes
02:48 in terms of any golfer looking for a fairway
02:50 where they can use from different situations
02:51 around the course.
02:52 Cobra King RadSpeed delivers on that.
02:54 So that's my choice.
02:54 - Good choice.
02:55 - What are you going for?
02:56 - It's a very good choice.
02:57 I don't want to say you nicked my choice,
02:58 but it's a good choice.
02:59 I have gone and we're talking no price involved here,
03:02 ultimate bag.
03:03 So I have gone for the Sim 2 Titanium 3-wood.
03:08 This is a powerful club.
03:09 It's a really good looking club as well.
03:11 Like I said, I'm not a very good driver of the ball.
03:13 So I like to use my third off the tee quite a lot
03:15 and lofting this down,
03:16 which you can do with adjustable loft sleeve,
03:18 means I can hit it a little bit straighter than my driver,
03:20 but with plenty of distance as well.
03:23 Similar to the Cobra, you've got the V-steel sole,
03:24 which makes it really good out of slightly cuffy lies,
03:27 as Joel said, as well as fairway lies as well.
03:30 So I found it an equally versatile club
03:32 with loads of distance,
03:33 thanks to that speed pocket and that titanium head.
03:36 So this is my favorite 3-wood.
03:38 Right, let's look at hybrids.
03:40 A very important part of the bag.
03:41 Joel, I'll go first.
03:43 I have gone for the Callaway Apex 21.
03:46 I said it's an important part of the bag.
03:47 It's a hard part of the bag to get right, I think,
03:49 with lofts and what loft suits your game the best.
03:53 Big standout of the Apex is it's adjustable.
03:55 You don't get many hybrids that are adjustable.
03:57 You can adjust for draw bias as well as loft as well,
03:59 which is really helpful.
04:00 And this is also a really forgiving hybrid.
04:03 I've used this out of rough.
04:04 I use it off the tee a little bit as well.
04:05 But mostly out of the rough,
04:06 when you're a long way back on a par five,
04:08 you want to try and clamber some of that hole back,
04:10 this is really good for that.
04:11 You've got the gel brake blades in here,
04:14 which are giving me that extra distance.
04:15 And it's quite a nice look at address.
04:17 It's not a traditional look, by any means.
04:19 It's a little bit squarer than some hybrids,
04:21 but I like that.
04:22 And I think for distance, forgiveness, and versatility,
04:24 this goes in my ultimate bag.
04:26 - Good choice, Dan.
04:26 Definitely one of the better feeling hybrids out there.
04:28 - Yeah, definitely.
04:29 - I think I've tested.
04:30 And I have tested all of them,
04:32 but I'm going to pick something a little different.
04:33 Again, if you've seen my best of video,
04:35 you won't be surprised to see
04:37 I've gone for the Titleist TSI2.
04:39 Now, I'm a low-handicap golfer,
04:40 so you might be surprised to think I've gone for
04:43 the larger head of the hybrid range.
04:45 But for me, I like something that's going to give me
04:47 a lot more, a bit more playability.
04:49 You know, compact hybrids can be difficult to strike.
04:52 They can go a bit left sometimes.
04:53 This is a lot straighter.
04:55 It's very forgiving, as I said.
04:56 It's one of the longest ones I've tested.
04:58 I like the full-face white grooves here.
05:00 Just help me align that face a little bit more easily.
05:02 And it is adjustable for loft and line goal independently.
05:06 So you can really dial it in to hit the number that you want,
05:08 which is obviously really important.
05:10 So yeah, Titleist TSI2, really good surf interaction,
05:13 good distance, forgiveness.
05:14 I'm using it on tee shots, on par threes,
05:17 into par fives, into par fours.
05:19 It's a very versatile club,
05:20 so recommend it if you're looking for a new hybrid.
05:22 - Right, Joel, iron.
05:24 Now, this is a big choice.
05:25 I'm excited to see what you've gone for.
05:26 What's your ultimate iron for 2021?
05:28 - I've deliberated over this for a long time.
05:30 - I bet you did.
05:31 - 'Cause I love my P770 from TaylorMade,
05:33 but there was an iron that beat that this year,
05:36 and it's the Ping I59.
05:39 I mean, what a club.
05:41 Like, I mean, it's very expensive.
05:42 I think it's like 230 pounds a club,
05:44 but the performance on offer is absolutely fantastic.
05:48 It's so consistent for what is ultimately
05:51 a better player club.
05:52 You know, you put it down behind the ball,
05:53 it looks like a blade, really,
05:55 but it's got so much consistency and forgiveness built in
05:57 to what is a really compact, you know, tall-played club.
06:01 It's clearly designed for the low-handicapper,
06:02 but it's a lot more user-friendly than that,
06:04 and you just hit all the shots with this.
06:06 High, low, draw fade, it's able to deliver that.
06:09 It's easy to align.
06:10 It just, it looks fantastic.
06:12 So yeah, Ping I59.
06:14 You know, I'm really excited Ping are going to send me
06:16 the rest of the clubs to fill in the set,
06:18 which I'm very excited about.
06:19 I think they're going to go in the bag for a bit.
06:22 - Why not, why not?
06:23 - Why not, give them a try, 'cause I love them so much.
06:25 So yeah, that's my choice, Ping I59.
06:26 What about you, Dan?
06:27 - So, Joel, my iron, I've gone for a very desirable iron
06:30 for this year, is the Titleist T100.
06:33 - Excellent choice.
06:34 - Yeah, I think these are two very good choices we've made.
06:37 For me, I'm a 10 handicapper.
06:39 This is a little bit more of a desirable iron for me.
06:41 I don't think it's as forgiving as some on the market,
06:43 but as I said, I think it looks so good
06:45 that I would have it in my bag.
06:46 It's surprisingly forgiving for what it is.
06:48 A very small club head, very little offset, a thin top line.
06:52 So I can get away with it, but like I said,
06:54 I think it looks so good that I would put it in my bag.
06:57 If I was to go for something in the Titleist range,
06:59 which has been excellent this year,
07:00 I'd probably look at the T200 for someone like me
07:02 with a little bit more forgiveness.
07:04 But because I'm building my ultimate bag,
07:06 I've gone for the ultimate Titleist iron at the minute,
07:07 which is the T100.
07:09 - Well, Dan, we're moving on to wedges.
07:10 Very important area of the bag to try and get up and down.
07:12 Keep your score going, it's very important.
07:14 And I've gone for the TaylorMade Milled Grind 3,
07:18 new offering for this year.
07:20 A few things I like about this,
07:21 it's got that milled sole on it
07:23 with those kind of very slight bumps in it,
07:24 which I just feel like gives me a nice skid
07:27 through the ground when it's slightly wet
07:28 or the ball's sitting down.
07:29 I feel like it pops the ball out
07:30 of those sorts of lies really well.
07:32 I think it feels excellent.
07:33 The spin control from the launch monitor data I've tested,
07:37 shows that this is one of the highest spinning wedges
07:40 that I've ever used.
07:41 It's very comparable with everything else on the market,
07:43 if not better.
07:44 And the shape of it definitely suits my eyes.
07:46 It's more kind of traditional in the way it looks.
07:48 It's not too funky in the shape
07:49 and the way it sits down behind the ball address.
07:51 And there's enough versatility in the options
07:53 and the bounces to produce a set
07:56 to pull off the shots that you need to around the green.
07:59 So it was a tough one,
08:00 but I've gone for the TaylorMade Milled Grind 3.
08:02 What have you gone for?
08:03 - It's a good choice, Joel, it's a good choice.
08:04 It's a compelling argument, but I think,
08:06 and I hope everyone at home agrees with me here,
08:07 an old die on this hill for this wedge.
08:10 And I think it always has been, always will be,
08:13 the Titleist Vokey SM8.
08:14 I mean, the Vokey's just the ultimate wedge, isn't it, Joel?
08:18 If I'm building my ultimate bag,
08:19 I can't look too far past this club.
08:21 The SM8 improved nicely on the SM7,
08:23 slightly different center of gravity,
08:25 which made it feel great
08:26 from slightly longer distance shots I found.
08:29 And with the amount of grind you can get this in,
08:30 the amount of finishes you can get this in,
08:32 there's a slate blue version, a black version.
08:35 If I'm building my ultimate bag,
08:36 I'm going to get these properly fitted,
08:38 make them look fantastic.
08:39 And I can customize them,
08:40 maybe I'll get some stamps on them as well, I don't know.
08:42 I just think for everything you get,
08:44 the full package, the amount of grinds,
08:46 how good they are looking in the bag,
08:49 it has to be the SM8 for me.
08:51 Right, Joel, last club in the bag, putter.
08:54 Probably the one you'll be using the most.
08:55 This is an important one.
08:56 I'll kick us off.
08:57 And I've gone for the Odyssey 2 Ball 10.
09:00 With my putting, I'm not a great putter.
09:03 I'm not doing myself much justice here,
09:04 but I'm an okay golfer.
09:06 I need forgiveness and I need help with my alignment,
09:08 and this does both of those things.
09:10 I'll start with the alignment.
09:11 You've got the classic 2 Ball shape on the top,
09:14 so you line your ball up as a third ball.
09:15 That's really helped me get my line consistent,
09:18 providing I'm hitting the putt correctly.
09:19 And then forgiveness as well.
09:21 If you look at the size of this mallet shape,
09:22 it is super forgiving, plenty of MOI,
09:25 and I find I can roll this ball really consistently,
09:27 even if I catch it a little bit off the toe
09:29 or a little bit low,
09:31 and that stops me three-putting too often.
09:34 Lovely grip on it as well,
09:35 and I think it's a pretty complete putter
09:36 for those who like a mallet, that is.
09:37 I think if you like a blade, you'll struggle with this,
09:39 but for me, who likes a mallet, it's pretty much perfect.
09:42 - Very good choice.
09:42 Obviously, you've got the option
09:43 of the triple track as well.
09:44 - Very good point.
09:45 That's like triple alignment, isn't it?
09:47 - But if I had to hold a 10-foot putt down for my life--
09:50 - For your life.
09:51 - I'm going to be going for the Evenroll ER2V.
09:56 I love everything about this putter,
09:59 mostly the way it looks and also how consistent it is.
10:02 So you've got these parabolic grooves on the face here,
10:04 which definitely help gear the ball back to straight
10:07 and also give you more consistent speed.
10:09 It's not the quickest putter in terms of off the face,
10:12 but it's very good on quick greens.
10:14 The grip on it is excellent.
10:15 I love this Tortac shape,
10:17 so it's got a nice tacky feel to it,
10:19 kind of reference points for your thumbs.
10:21 And the other thing with this V-Series
10:23 is you've got the adjustable neck and shaft system.
10:27 So with the screw on the bottom,
10:28 you can take the head out
10:30 and put in different neck designs
10:31 to suit your stroke the best.
10:33 So you go through a fitting process,
10:34 you can get that dialed in.
10:35 So it really is, as you mentioned,
10:37 the complete package like with the Odyssey.
10:39 I think the Evenroll is arguably
10:40 even more of a complete package, frankly.
10:42 And I've putted really well
10:44 ever since I put this in the bag.
10:45 So yeah, Evenroll V-Series.
10:48 The ER2V model in particular is the one I've gone for.
10:50 - Okay, last but not least in our ultimate bag,
10:54 Joel, golf ball.
10:55 What have you gone for?
10:56 - You do need a golf ball when you play golf.
10:57 - You do need a golf ball, yeah, essential.
10:59 The one I've gone for is Titleist Pro V1X.
11:02 It's the ball I've played for a very long time.
11:04 And for me, it's just the consistency
11:07 and the predictability of it.
11:08 You know, when you hit a good shot,
11:09 you want to see the golf ball
11:10 doing exactly what you expect it to be doing.
11:13 And this just delivers that.
11:14 I mean, the profile of it in terms of the way it feels
11:16 and the way it spins is actually quite similar
11:18 to the Pro V1.
11:19 It's not a great deal of difference.
11:20 It does feel a little bit firmer around the greens,
11:22 which I actually prefer.
11:24 And a slightly higher flight with the driver.
11:25 Other than that, it's pretty similar.
11:26 But this is just an excellent all-round package.
11:28 Delivers around the greens, on the greens,
11:31 iron shots off the tee.
11:32 It's that perfect blend of distance
11:34 and spin when you need it.
11:35 So Titleist Pro V1X for me.
11:37 What are you going for?
11:38 - Good choice, Joel.
11:39 Hard to argue with that.
11:40 I think a lot of golfers at home will think,
11:41 well, the Pro V1's a pretty complete golf ball.
11:43 I've gone a little bit left field.
11:44 I've gone for the TaylorMade TP5X Picks.
11:48 You'll see the likes of Ricky Fowler
11:49 and Matt Wolf use these on tour.
11:51 And I thought, at the start of this year,
11:52 I thought I'd give them the go
11:53 'cause I like the TP5 ball and the TP5X ball.
11:55 So I thought, let's give this ClearPath Alignment a go,
11:58 which is these sort of triangle diamonds you'll see here.
12:01 And firstly, it made the ball look a little bit bigger.
12:03 It was a bit of an optical illusion,
12:04 but it made me feel a little bit more confident
12:07 behind the ball with iron shots and with wedges and stuff.
12:09 So that was a good positive point.
12:11 And it's great to help with my putting.
12:13 I think with lining up as well.
12:15 And it lets me know, rolling end over end,
12:17 whether I've hit a good putt or not.
12:18 When I see it rolling end over end,
12:19 I know I've struck it well.
12:20 If I see all these ClearPath Alignment bits go offline,
12:23 I know I've not hit such a good one.
12:25 I've really enjoyed it.
12:26 And I think with the TP5X,
12:27 you get a very good golf ball as well.
12:28 So it's a nice addition to that.
12:30 And well worth a try if you're looking for something
12:32 a little bit new or a little bit different.
12:34 - Great.
12:35 Well, that concludes our look at the Ultimate Bag.
12:37 We've both built it from driver
12:39 all the way through to putter and golf ball.
12:40 Hopefully, you've enjoyed watching us build it
12:43 all the way through.
12:44 And do comment down below.
12:45 Is there any clubs that you think we've missed out
12:47 that we should have included in our Ultimate Bag?
12:49 We'd love to hear from you.
12:50 But that's all from us from Burley Park Golf Club
12:52 here in Stanford.
12:53 We'll see you next time.
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