If Hovland knows something is off.
Jonathan Wall / GOLF
Welcome to Wall-to-Wall Equipment, the Monday morning gear wrap-up in which GOLF equipment editor Jonathan Wall takes you through the latest trends, rumors and breaking news.
With the US Open on tap, we’re switching things up on a weekly basis and taking a look at some of the clubs inside Viktor Hovland’s bag as he prepares to tackle The Country Club. Let’s get to it.
Small change, big difference
Hovland reduced the loft on his Ping driver earlier this year.
Jonathan Wall / GOLF
Hovland isn’t needed to modify his favorite club in the bag – provided the tweak produces results. In February, Ping reps sought to increase launch and combat a lower-than-comfortable spin rate on Hovland’s Ping G425 LST driver by removing the shaft tipping from his Fujikura Speeder 661 TR TX shaft to soften the overall build.
Head loft also slightly enlarged from 8.4 to 8.6 degrees and hot melt (three grams) was kept in the roof to keep Hovland from moving over. In the end, the changes appear in a consistent launch around 11-12 degrees with roughly 2,300 RPMs of spin.
The tweaks provide another important benefit:
Sharing is loving
When Hovland’s clubs were lost in Kapalua for the Sentry Tournament of Champions; A pro has to practice!
But what about the non-Ping clubs in the bag? It just so happens that Hovland and his caddie, Shay Knight, play the same 3-wood build – the only difference is a Fujikura Ventus Blue 7X shaft – all the way down to the Golf Pride New Decade MultiCompound grip.
Knight gave Hovland the 3-wood – and then watch as he got attached to the setup. When Hovland’s sticks finally arrive, he chose to keep Knight’s club.
Five-plus months into 2022, there’s no sign of Hovland giving it back.
“Where I’m concerned, it’s his club now,” Knight told me earlier this year.
Clean it up
Hovland recently added a hybrid to the bag to simplify his setup.
Jonathan Wall / GOLF
There’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple when it comes to the setup. Prior to the Memorial, Hovland was like a lot of Tour pros who adjusted their club makeup based on the setup and playing conditions. Depending on the situation, he’d regularly rotate between a Ping G425 Max 7-wood and long iron – either a 3-iron or utility iron – most weeks.
At some point along the way, Hovland decided to stop the search for a club that could serve both roles and offers a high launch with a versatile profile. Working with Ping Tour reps, Hovland settled into a 19-degree Ping G425 hybrid that splits the difference between the 7-wood and long iron and still carries around 240-245 yards.
While some players prefer the wood to extract the ball from the rough, Hovland found the hybrid to be a viable option from the short and long stuff. It’s a club that’ll surely see a lot of action this week as it attempts topple the US Open.
Take notice
If there’s one thing you take away from this piece, let it be this reminder that one of the best players on the planet wields a set of irons with a profile that deftly toes the line between better player and game-improvement. With a thicker topline and wider sole than Ping’s better player offerings (i59 and Blueprint), i210 is geared for a wide range of players – from scratch to the mid-handicapper.
Hovland’s setup highlights the importance of trying other iron offerings before defaulting to the professional circuit. In Hovland’s case, he found the i210 to be a good fit in the mid to short irons because of the lower, more controlled flight they produced. In the 4- through 6-iron, the wide sole keeps the head from needlessly digging into the turf.
What’s interesting is Hovland isn’t the only Ping staffer in the i210 camp. Lee Westwood and Tyrrell Hatton – two high-level ball-strikers in their own right – rely on the clubs as well. Maybe they’re onto something.
Cowboys and Norwegians
Hovland was born in Norway but left to attend home. More specifically, golf powerhouse Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Stillwater is your prototypical college town, which suits Hovland’s fun-loving persona.
Karsten Creek Golf Club – Oklahoma State’s home course – along with several other pros in the surrounding area.
In a nod to his Norwegian and Cowboy roots, Hovland carries headcovers featuring Pistol Pete, Oklahoma State’s mascot, and the national flag of Norway. In Hovland’s eyes, it’s important to remember where you came from.
Fresh look
If the top and bottom line aren’t aligned, Hovland knows something is off.
Jonathan Wall / GOLF
Hovland’s decision to add a Ping PLD DS72 mallet to the bag last season wasn’t made in the effort to shake things up. Hoping to keep things consistent for Hovland. There was no reason to reinvent the wheel – with one exception.
Hovland’s putter features two alignment lines, one on the flange and another on the topline. It’s a small addition that’s made it easier for Hovland to achieve consistent alignment.
“I’ve had different putters with those [alignment] lines, ”Hovland told GOLF.com. “One would have the bottom line, one would have the bottom line. So that’s where it came from. I just asked the guys at Ping if we could add both. It’s an easy way to help me line up the putter. If the top line and bottom line aren’t aligned, I know something is off. ”
Mix it up
Hovland transitions from 120-gram iron shafts into 130-gram wedge shafts.
Jonathan Wall / GOLF
Rory McIlroy’s wood shafts, but it’s important to point out that sometimes the weight varies in their irons and wedges as well. Going slightly heavier in the wedges can add a little more control and feel around the green. In some cases, players will even have to flex their weight when adding weight.
Hovland does not prescribe to the softer and heavier recipe. In his case, he’s fine going up while maintaining the exact same flex.
Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest Fully Equipped podcast below.
