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Updated Sept. 2017: Callaway & Edel - WITB!


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Seeing as just about everything including the bag itself has changed since I first posted, I figure its a good time to do a complete overhaul of the WITB. So here's the set-up as of September 2017:

 

 

 

Really happy with the set at the moment and I'm playing some of my best golf. When I got back into the game it was with a group of friends who were already established golfers and I'm now able to compete with them and consistently shoot in the upper 70's which has only gotten me more excited about getting out and playing.

 

 

 

 

 

The bag itself is actually the newest addition. It's a ClubGlove FCO III cart bag that's nicer than a lot of the staff bags I've seen despite being a few years old at this point. CG made these things to last and seemed to think of almost everything. I got it in a trade with a good friend of mine whose a master fitter for Edel thus the branding and the old school, original logo on the front. Swapped the XR16 Pro I'd been gaming with an Oban Tour Proto V430 that was stout as rebar for the bag and a lesson from him. Same friend was also a rep for Seamus in the past, so their presence in my bag is also his fault/influence.

 

 

 

The big sticks have all undergone some level of change. I became a bit of a shaft nut and fell into the rabbit-hole of perfect spin and launch numbers with the access I have to a simulator, but feel I'm finally getting over that sickness and now have a lot of confidence with the current set-ups.

 

 

 

 

Current driver is still the Callaway XR16 SubZero. In the head ports I have an 11.5g weight in the forward position, 9.5g weight in the rear (stock are 10g & 2g respectively) and close to another 8g in hotmelt that sits in a neutral position just behind the front weight in the forward 1/3 of the head. The acoustics of the head were totally transformed from stock with the extra weighting and melt. It sounds wicked. I play it turned down one degree to 8.5* of loft and in the "D" adapter settings so it sits a bit more open and upright since I play it at a shorter than stock 44". The shaft in this one is a 60g X stiff Oban Kiyoshi Tour Limited tipped 0.75" with a 12g TourLock Pro counterweight. The counter-weighting made it possible to add a lot of the extra headweight without making it sluggish and brought just a bit of extra pop to an already great feeling shaft. I'm not the longest guy off the tee, but I snipe fairways and have total confidence in trying to hit my desired line. Headcover is Seamus' "The Bear" hounds-tooth.

 

 

 

The 4 wood is a Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816 fairway at 16* that naturally sits a bit open. The stock weights in these heads are 16g & 3g, I've swapped out that 3g weight for an additional 16g one. Playing length is 42" on an Oban Kiyoshi Tour Limited 70g X stiff shaft with a 16g TourLock Pro counterweight in the butt-end. This has become one of my absolute favorite clubs in the bag. It's a rifle off the tee that's as easy as point n' shoot and from the turf its easy to elevate or flight down if needed. If wind is off the left I can typically play a high-fade with this thing to spots I'd normally only hit with my driver. Headcover is the "Thompson Modern" by Seamus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closer look at the heads, shafts, counterweights and the prep to install said counterweights. Oban is known for quality shafts, and the Kiyoshi Tour Limited are the nicest ones I've ever hit. The OCD part of me also really likes how the blue of the shafts matched the blue in the SubZero. Counter-weighting allowed for a bit more headweight and a higher total clubweight which I like and the TourLock systems are super easy to use and dial-in for the right spec and fit.

 

 

 

 

My Callaway Apex 2 Hybrid rounds out the top of my bag and plays right at 40" on an Oban Kiyosh White 95g X stiff hybrid shaft. This club is another favorite for its versatility. I don't do as much shaping with it as much as just trying to flight it high or low depending on needs with the windy courses I play around the SF bay area. No counterweight in this one, but there are a few extra grams under the weight port in this one so it plays up at D3 with my irons. The headcover is another Seamus, their BenRiach.

 

 

 

The gamer set of irons are now Edel's CB variable lengths on KBS C-Taper 120 Stiffs, standard length around a 38" 5 iron and built 2* upright at D3 swingweight . When I was doing the fitting for these with my friend that works for them I also tested out the single-length set that Edel makes and while those clubs felt fantastic and it was obvious just how much time and attention went into the quality of craftsmanship and technology behind it I couldn't get used to, or confident looking down at the SL clubs. I loved the no frills look and build of the CB, so we directed our attention to finding the best shaft fit for my swing. KBS C-Tapers is what we finally settled on to help moderate spin and give me more control over my ball-flight which had a habit of ballooning with my previous set-up due in part to my rather "upright" swing.

 

 

-Before refinish

 

 

 

-After Refinish

 

The first photo is what the Iron set looked like when I ordered them and they first hit the bag along with the wedges after I stripped them of paintfill. The subsequent ones are what the 7 iron now looks like after refinishing in a process that looks like a cross between black-oxide and an oil can finish designed for use on stainless steel (Edel heads are 304 SS) and a few rounds a golf where a patina is starting to develop. I had the irons made with the number of the club spelled out from "Four" to "Ten" and then the wedges have the specific lofts scripted out and my last name out along the toe. Love these clubs and my GIR and scrambling stats are the best they've been.

 

 

 

The E-3 is still firmly in the bag as it doesn't feel like the honeymoon phase has ended. After the refinish that this had done in December of '16 down at LabWorx in TX this things still looks as good as new. The Matte Raw finish they did kills any glare and the gold fill gives it just a touch of class. I play this at 33" with 80g of TourLock Opti-Vibe spaced out under my hands on the grip. Great distance control and feedback off the pixel face insert. I've got a BestGrips Rancher pistol style grip on this one that feels fantastic as well. Puttershoe is a Seamus Private Reserve with custom leather label.

 

Long-winded WITB update, but hopefully if you read this far you enjoyed it!

 

 

 

Keeping this one here to remember what the bag looked like back in Novemeber of 2016 at my 6 month mark getting back into golf after 15 years away...

 

 

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Nice tools ! Why did you stop playing for 15 years?

[color=#ff0000]Teaching out of Crystal Springs Golf Course[/color]<br /><br />Golf Digest Best Teachers In California 2005-2018<br /><br />Golf Digest Best Young Teachers In America 2007-2012<br /><br />[color=#0000ff]Head Men's Golf Coach Notre Dame de Namur [/color][color=#0000FF]University [/color]<br /><br />[color=#DAA520]My WITB[/color]<br /><br /><br /><br />[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/430688-zach-heussers-golf-clubs-putter-collection-and-man-cave-pics/"]http://www.golfwrx.c...-man-cave-pics/[/url]<br />@Zheusser on twitter

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Nice tools ! Why did you stop playing for 15 years?

 

Thanks! Feel like the bag is starting to come together.

 

Just got caught up in other sports is the biggest reason looking back on it. Disappointed I gave it up completely for that long. One of those sports was actually lacrosse - I played at NDNU, so I'm sure we crossed paths at some point. Small world.

 

I know Tyler and Tim from Crystal Springs. Still need to make it out there for a round one of these days like they keep telling me.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Couple updates to the bag since the original post:

 

 

 

Driver has been upped to a Callaway XR16 Pro 9.0* and plays at standard length on a X-Stiff Diamana D70+ white. Was looking for something a bit lower spinning in the driver and the transition from my previous XR to this one was easy. Really like the smaller head profile and the subtle change Callaway made to the crown. More importantly, I'm loving the numbers I'm getting.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally settled on a new 3/4 wood as well. Swapped out the Big Bertha 816 Alpha I had for a newer condition one at 16* loft instead of 14*, and on an X-Flex shaft instead of Stiff. It's a heavy head and the Kuro Kage TiNi felt like it was being overwhelmed a bit. Now on a Diamana D70+ white, which I also play in my driver, and the consistency in "feel" at the top-end of my bag is awesome.

 

 

 

Odyssey Putter is now sporting a stepless True Temper shaft, counterbalanced with TourLock's 80g Pro weight, BestGrips Ostrich Leather pistol grip will minor quills, and the Odyssey "Support Your Local Muni" headcover from the tournament at Harding Park in San Francisco a few years ago. Live in SF and am a Giants fan, so yeah... The counterbalancing was much needed. Huge improvement in distance control and consistency of stroke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last few here are some more shots of the bag/extras

 

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Nice bag. Got my eyes on the Alpha 816 fairway myself. So cheap in the UK now. I am thinking of getting the 5 wood and turning it down to 17.

 

I see you dialled the shaft in, so I will go for a shaft fitting on it myself before pulling the trigger.

XR16 Driver 11.5 Prolaunch Blue Axis reg spine aligned FLOed 45.25" 245y
Adams Speed Line Fast 12 Fairway 17 degrees stock Prolaunch Blue Speedcoat reg spine aligned FLOed 220y
Wilson19.5 Fybrid FY(fairway bridge) stock reg Prolaunch V2 spine aligned FLOed 200y
Adams Super Pro 23 Hybrid Stock Prolaunch Platinium reg spine aligned FLOed 190y
i25 Black Dot 4i-9i Z-Z65 1/2" Long(4-7i with bounce grind) 180-130y
i25 Black Dot UW weakened to 48 Z-Z65 1/2" Long 115y
TM TP 52-9(bent to 53) DG SL300(close match to Z-Z65) 1/2" long 100y
TM TP 58-10(bent to 59 bounce ground to 6) DG SL300(close match to Z-Z65) 1/4" long 85y
Evnroll ER5 370g Hatchback 34" No 30g counterweight 69 degrees Lie 4 Loft Winn Jumbo Lite Pistol 59g Grip Black Tone
All 13 grips GP MCC+4 Grey Logo hidden/down midsize +1 tape layer
Callaway Chrome Soft Ball White
Mizuno Skintite Glove

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Nice bag. Got my eyes on the Alpha 816 fairway myself. So cheap in the UK now. I am thinking of getting the 5 wood and turning it down to 17.

 

I see you dialled the shaft in, so I will go for a shaft fitting on it myself before pulling the trigger.

 

Do it! The club is a cannon. Have also done some more on-course testing since bagging it and have swapped the position on the weights around. Not sure if its a real physics of the club driven difference, or just a psyche one, but I'm finding it easier to get the ball airborne.

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Some fun stuff being added after rummaging around in the attic when pulling stuff down for the holidays...

 

Granddad's old Sunday bag with some fun items. Not entirely sure what a lot of these clubs are and the internet searches didn't turn up a whole lot. If anyone knows anything about these clubs I'd love a bit of background and history.

 

 

 

These are what the "Professional" irons looked like after what was probably close to 30 years of collecting dust in the attic. Grandpa has a 2 & 5 iron in these as well as another 2 & 5 from an old B.J. Model (Bobby Jones as best as I can gather) set like the putter below.

 

 

 

This is what they look like now after a bit of cleanup. Some pretty deep pit marks and some delamination of the chrome, but they buffed-out well enough and the grooves still have decent edges. The grips on all of them are the original leather wraps that actually took pretty well to the cleaning/conditioning and have some tack back in them.

 

 

 

Last one here is the B.J. Model #10 Putter. The "McCoy" stamped on there is my grandfather's last name and was my first shot at club stamping which I did as a gift to him for Christmas. The old man can still drop 'em out on the greens with the thing.

 

 

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Putter Update!

 

My Edel E-3 is finally back in the bag after a couple trips down to Texas. First one was to Edel HQ where they installed a new counter-balanced shaft and new sole weight as well as adjusting lie after a tune-up fitting by the Edel master fitter in SF. Second trip was to Labworx where the putter was resurfaced, finished in their Matte Raw, paint-filled in gold and got the "KING" stamping done to match my wedges. Couldn't be happier with how it came out. New grip to be installed shortly is a BestGrips (also TX) Rancher in saddle brown.

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

Few changes to the bag in the last couple months, so here's a couple shots of the bigger changes:

 

 

 

Stepped-up the headcover game with some Seamus items. A friend of mine was a rep for them in the past and got a few of us that golf together turned onto their stuff. Figure you're into it or you're not, but all their stuff is fantastic quality.

 

 

 

 

Another driver change as its been my biggest swing change since I started about a year ago: Now playing an XR16 SubZero with a 7 gram weight in front and a 5 gram weight in the back paired up with an Oban Kiyoshi Tour Limited 60/05 playing at 45 inches. Thank you to the guys selling this stuff on the classifieds as I would never be able to afford this set-up retail, haha. Famous last words, but I think I may finally be done with searching for driver tweaks. I get a nice controllable little draw with great trajectory and spin out of this combo that nothing else has been able to consistently match, let along beat-out.

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  • 4 months later...

Bag is looking solid my man!

 

Love the Seamus. I have been rocking my RMG's all year but may have to snag a few Seamus this offseason.

 

Everything looks dope!

 

Appreciate it; I've got you to thank for some of it! I'm really excited to finally have everything come together. But now I don't know what to do with myself when I go on BST and don't "need" anything.

 

The Seamus stuff is top notch and Akbar, family and the rest of the team in Portland cranking out gear are the nicest people to meet and work with. Highly recommend. My balmark, pitch tool and scorecard holder are all by them as well.

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Just after posting that I felt the bag was set for a while, I ho'ed a new shaft for my driver...

 

Picked this up from an awesome member here. It's a one-off Oban Kiyoshi Tour Limited 70/05 that's been tipped an inch and now plays at 44.25" in my XR16 SubZero with a 12g counterweight.

 

 

 

Shaft is a gorgeous deep black and with the contrasting graphics it looks killer in direct sunlight; just kind of hard to capture with a phone camera + my mediocre photography skills.

 

 

 

This last weekend I got out for a round and put it into play for the first time and liked the bit of extra heft. It's tipped a bit more than my last one and the difference is subtle in terms of what I can feel, but the flight looks good and the feel is still top-notch. Spin seems like it may have come down a touch as I was getting out to spots on the course that were reserved for flushing one previously even into the wind. I'll be trying to get on the LM this week to confirm what I'm thinking is there, but even if it's just a placebo effect the confidence is there.

 

 

 

No denying it: "Hello, my name is Evan and I'm a golf shaft ho."

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  • 1 month later...

Couple minor updates heading into the winter months where things will slow down a little bit in terms of getting out and playing on the actual course, but lots of simulator time trying to work on things and do a bit of tinkering.

 

First up, modifications made to the 4 iron:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still loving the Edel CB's with the KBS C-Tapers, but in my longer irons I struggle to get some of the height I need out of them to hold greens even with adequate spin on long par 3's in the 210-215 yard range. There are a couple of those holes on courses I play that are also forced carry which makes it prohibitive to just punch something low and run it up to the green which let me to looking into an alternative shaft option for my 4 iron. The result is what you see above. New shaft is a KBS Hybrid Prototype 95X shaft playing at 39" in a 23* iron - hardly dedicated driving iron set-up as I can launch and spin this thing at will and should be able to play it from the fairway without issue. Will be aiming to get it out on the course this weekend, but initial testing is promising. I can easily float one out at around 205 carry that stops quick, or step on one and sling it out with a more penetrating draw as an option off the tee. Tee shot numbers from the LM: 98mph club speed, 136mph ball speed, 11 degrees launch, 3580 rpm backspin, carrying 216 and rolling out to 238 yards. Definitely a fun club I'm excited to get out and do some more testing with.

 

As sort of a progress report being a year and a half into the game now, here's what the swing looked like with the old 4 iron set-up that I got as a baseline:

 

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  • 8 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Beautiful set. Those irons are one of the coolest I've seen, did you refinish it yourself?

 

I'm considering getting a single/variable length combo set. I know the topline on the SL is huge, but was there a difference in the size of head lengthwise?

 

Thanks, sorry for just now seeing this. I did the finish myself, and its an easy touch-up every dozen rounds or so so keep them looking fresh.

 

Let me see about getting some comparison pics of the SL next to the Variable length. Where would you be transitioning the set you think - as in SL to what iron?

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