What is the biggest surprise you added to your bag in 2021?

[Pepperturbo]

Biggest surprise, changing how my bag plays.  I've always had the same shafts in 2i-PW.  After going to lighter i95g and 105g weight composite shafts in hopes of regaining some lost distance, I ended up finding those yards using Tensei AV White AM2s in 2i-4i and MMT 125s shafts in 5-LW.

Edited November 13, 2021 by Pepperturbo
Oops almost a double post. :(

[Nixhex524]

For me it has to be the driver.  The SIM2 really shined right out of the gate and has been saving me more than I deserve.  I am not accurate off the tee, struggle to find fairways but have found a way to hit this thing long enough that I'm not getting hurt.  I expected to just receive and trade this head but not gonna be the case!  It stays.

[libtech75]

I know so many people who swear by Ping, and even those who don't use Ping have respect for their products. Everytime I am up for new equipment, I give Ping another chance but none of their equipment, whether irons, drivers, etc have ever felt good to me. I had a G410 4H I purchased a couple years ago on this same thinking.  Compared to my TS2 hybrid felt terrible, so I put it away.  Brought the Ping by accident a couple months ago and played it and it was a revelation! Super forgiving, very long and now that feel I thought I hated felt like true crack everytime I hit the ball instead of the metallic (ironically) PING sound I heard  when hitting the TS2.  Now it's the best club I hit with and so good I went and got a 3H which I hit equally as well.  All with a stock Alta shaft.  That and the PXG Sugar Daddy wedges I purchased, especially the 56 with an Accra I series shaft - it's literally changed my game. Friends think my short game has gotten so much better through practice, or technique or whatever.  But I swear I'm hitting it exactly the same. Just the touch and feel is so superior with the PXG wedge....

[Kitchen]

Playing around with some distance players irons (Apex '21). Really took some pressure of me mentally and allowed me to smooth out my swing. I immediately was swinging my regular (T100S) irons better. 

 

I think I'll keep the Apex around and mix it up with them here and there!

[Nelson.br.1515]

Accra shafts in my woods. Had never used them before but very impressed with the feel and performance. 

[CKaneb]

2 things:

 

1) Nike Vr Pro Sand Wedge and Gap Wedge: I've been a Nike guy my entire life and i've wanted to have at least one club from the swoosh in my bag and im glad I was able to accomplish that while not playing a "bad" club

2) PING Anser Hybrid: another super old club that has been and out of my bag forever but I finally found the right shaft for it and i'm so happy its back in the bag

[doc52]

It’s between an armlock putter and a driver from 2015 for me. 

[Rapidcat]

A third hip flask filled with decent single malt scotch.

 

Turns even a crappy round into something good.

[WilCox]

TS2 7-wood... don't leave home without it.  Nuff said.

 

Callaway PM19 58* wedge.  I've always been a pretty good bunker player, but the Phil wedge brought me up another notch.  Plus it's added shots to my game that I never had before. 

 

 

[courcy75]

Ping G425 LST driver. I didn't like the head shape (still don't) but the amount of fairways I've hit the past few months has made golf seem so much easier. 

[Goblox]

Titleist U510 2 iron. I have so much trouble getting over the idea that hybrids should be swung like irons and I hit them terribly. Got a U510 for when my driver isn’t being my friend and it’s an absolute fairway finder for me. I live at pretty high elevation and get solid distance to begin with so it’s been a life saver and can basically be my 3 wood

[fore_righty]

Bridgestone Tour BXS golf balls, can't beat them at that price point.

[2Down]

I was surprised to find myself putting better after changing to a P2 Grip on my Mizuno m-craft V.

 

Honerable mention to my Cleveland tour rack wedges  liked the 56º so much I added a 52º and 60º

[Sean124]

I found the driver I played in high school in 1998 on eBay for $15. The 2 biggest surprises:

 

1. I like it so much it’s in my bag as a 2nd driver

 

2. The look on the PGA store guy’s face when I asked him to put a Ventus 6X in it

 

[texasdave]

Titleist TSi3 driver and AVX ball, Srixon ZX5 irons

 

im not a long hitter by any means and never thought i spun the ball too much but the combo of the driver and ball have given me an extra 10-12 yards, i play with a consistent group of guys who were always longer than me off the tee and now i'm even with them and longer about half the time

 

And with the ball even my irons are about 5 yards longer without sacrificing stopping power. 

 

Srixon ZX5 irons...never played anything srixon but these were getting such good feedback here that i decided to take a shot when i saw a set with Modus 120 shafts...so glad i did...forgiving without looking like a typical clunky game improvement iron, like them so much i didn't even consider the new P790 and i had played the previous two models of that club. 

 

[cgallery]

Project X Iron shafts... love the feel of them

Also added a new to me blacked out MySpider which I love the look of 

[gs1184]

It’s more like a surprise brand… Taylormade. For whatever reason, I never meshed well with Taylormade clubs. I tried out the P790 clubs and loved them. Felt great, went long and were straight.

 

Then just for fun I tried out the SIM2 driver. Blew my ts2 driver away. My friend at my local golf shop recommended I put the Fujikura Ventus blue 60-X. I tried it, and the numbers were off the chart on the monitor. Much lower spin and more consistency and distance. I took it to the course and my ballflight was identical to the monitor. 
 

now I am looking to get a matching 3 wood and hybrid 😁

[ChipNRun]

This may not have big WOW factor, but I really like my reshafted MD3 and MD4 wedges. Shifted from steel to PX Catalyst 80 6.0 graphite (~85 grams).

 

Callaway told me the shafts were not available in their supply chain, but I was able to find three through an eBay site in Fresno - taper tip even!!!!

 

This supports my shift to MAX irons (see below) with Catalyst 65 5.5 shafts.

 

The reshafted MDs feel solid, and a touch livelier than with the steel shafts. I've picked up about 8 yards a club, mainly stabilizing toward the high end of yardage I got with steel. Wedges are just easier to control and swing on tempo (same with MAXs). Several more greenside and inside-100 up and downs since their transformation.

 

As for MAXs, they came in at C8/D0 from factory. They just feel a little light, harder to feel at top than my prior irons (Tour Edge CB Pro Tungstens with KBS Tour 90). At the Callaway rep fitting, I had requested them kick up the SwWt to D2. But, I was warned this would cause a supply-chain catastrophe.

 

 

This bugged me, as Ping and Callaway had reputation for kicking up the SwWt in irons for people who requested it; a frequent request for those shifting to lighter graphite shafts. I may end up having local clubsmith put {tungsten powder + cork} down shaft at regrip time to get D2.

[kwcsports]

I put an old Odyssey DFX 1100 putter back in the bag after sitting on the sidelines for 15 years at least. New grip and I've never putted better. It's staying this time.