The ultimate gift guide for golfers
Davis Love III has a set of golf equipment that we can all learn.
Davis Love III is a certified golf legend. He converted from the University of North Carolina to a professional player in 1985. Since then, he has won 21 PGA Tour titles, including the 1997 PGA Championship and Players Championship (1992, 2003).
The 57-year-old is also a Ryder Cup idol, golf course architect, and writer. He recently hosted the 2021 RSM Classic on the island.
Since the era of persimmon wood club heads with steel shafts, Love III has been a professional, so in the past few decades, he has been at the center of the technology boom. As one of the old-school professional players on tour, it's always interesting to see what he recently decided to put in his bag.
Recently, at the RSM Classic, I was able to take photos of the hands of Love III golf clubs. Here are 7 things I learned from his setup.
Put a lead tape on one of Love's iron rods.
The little gray straps that professionals put on golf clubs are called lead straps. Inexpensive, heavy straps help increase weight. Depending on the location and number of applications, lead straps can actually help shift the center of gravity (CG) of the club head, thereby affecting the way the golf ball flies.
With the addition of two bars to the rear of his Titleist TSi3 8-degree head, Love III is likely to want to move the weight off the face to increase launch and fault tolerance.
All our market selections are independently selected and planned by the editorial team. If you purchase a linked product, GOLF.COM may charge a fee. Pricing may vary.
On his Titleist AP2 718 middle irons (No. 6 and No. 7), Love III has some lead straps in the middle of the back cavity, which may help increase the overall weight of the club head and place it more behind the center of the face. Lots of meat. However, on his No. 5 iron, Love III has only a small stripe on the heel. Although this may not be enough to change the center of gravity significantly, the placement of tape may help Love III release the club slightly faster for drawbar flight.
It is important to remember that position is important when putting lead tape on yourself! Don't put a lead tape on the club head just because it looks cool (although I do think it looks cool). If you are confused about where additional weight might need to be applied, consult a trusted fitter or local professional for advice.
Love's Titleist TS3 fairway wood.
Love III uses Titleist TS3 fairway wood. Compared with members of the TS2 family, this wood is designed to be smaller and has a lower launch distance. On closer inspection, he also used a 13.5-degree version of the club head instead of the more traditional 15-degree version.
Loft is an important aspect of finding the serve, spin and distance you need, so be sure to test multiple options before buying golf clubs. For Love III, he is probably looking for more penetrating fairway woods. On the other hand, most amateurs may benefit from a larger club in the loft!
Love III is the three-time best player in the United States at the University of North Carolina and won the championship six times, so when he becomes a professional player, he certainly does not lack confidence. He quickly proved his endurance in the professional team, winning his first PGA Tour championship at the MCI Traditional Golf Classic in Harbour Town in 1987. However, he never seems to forget where he came from, because he still uses his Stitch headgear to represent UNC Tar Heels.
Take a closer look at Love's iron rod.
Split irons (also called "hybrid" or "hybrid" clubs) combine different types of irons to take advantage of differences in club head design. Old-school golfers — Love III can certainly be considered part of this group — usually grew up using one model throughout their entire series. Usually, this means using very small, thin and unforgiving long irons. However, Love III has adopted a new school mentality that combines models.
For Love III, he used Titleist U-505 No. 2 Iron, U-500 No. 4 Iron and AP2 718 Iron (5-9 Iron). This means that his long irons will be relatively more forgiving, higher launches, and help increase the latitude of the entire face. His shorter irons help take advantage of spin and trajectory control.
Love puts a custom stamp on all of his wedges.
Wedge-shaped stampings allow golfers to express their creativity, sense of humor, sports fans, or yell at their families. But when you have a great nickname like "DL3", what else do you need from stamping parts?
Also pay attention to the attic gap of Love III's original Titleist SM8 wedge. The most interesting thing is that he used a 46-degree wedge instead of the AP2 iron set. Using traditional wedges instead of pitching wedges like regular irons can help golfers add a bit of control and spin, but with a slight loss of distance.
Love's Scotty Cameron putter.
Love III is no stranger to using Scotty Cameron on the PGA Tour these years. He even has his own "source of inspiration" model, made by Scotty Cameron himself. Because of the close relationship with Scotty, it is always exciting to see something flat in Love III's bag.
In RSM Classic, Love III uses the "Masterful" putter dedicated to the tour. The putter is made of high-end GSS (German stainless steel) with a polished surface.
Interestingly, the top line point is actually just made with a marker. When professionals have access to the best club builders and prototypes that money can buy, in the end only a keen person can make custom adjustments, which always makes me laugh. But hey, anyway.
Look at the axis of love.
Need to prove that shaft fit is very important? Love III uses four different models of shafts throughout the series. His driver uses Fujikura Ventus Red shaft, fairway wood uses Tensei CK Blue 80 TX, his iron (2) uses Project X HZRDUS RDX Smoke, and the rest uses True Temper Elevate Tour X shaft and wedge.
The lesson here is not to just assume that all your clubs need to be from the same shaft manufacturer. Since each club head is different, each club needs to be mounted on the shaft in a different way. Take the setting of Love III as an example.
Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a suitable location near you at True Spec Golf, a subsidiary of GOLF. For more information on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest fully equipped podcast below!
Andrew Tursky is the senior equipment editor for GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com.
GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine are published by EB GOLF MEDIA LLC, a division of 8AM GOLF