When Nike announced its departure from the hardware market at the end of last season, it signaled an abrupt end to Rory McIlroy’s multi-year, multi-million dollar romance with the company as far as clubs go (he’s still wearing the clothes).
The four-time Major winner embraced the opportunity of being a ‘free agent’ again and flirted with variety of manufacturers, often teeing it up with a mixed bag as he took his time to decide which company would win his heart.
Last month, the World No.2 revealed that his courting days were over once more when he committed to another big money deal, this time with TaylorMade.
“I’ve been on Tour for 10 years and I’ve never been as excited about equipment as I am right now,” he said. “I feel like it will help me be a better player and hopefully win more Majors and get back to the top of the World Rankings as well.”
He’s reportedly been getting impressive results right through the bag – 181 mph ballspeed, 12.3° of launch, 2,119 rpm spin rate, and 315.8-yard carry (338.5-yard total distance) with the new M2 driver. Exceptional versatility, distance and turf interaction with the M2 Tour fairway woods. Forgiveness without forgoing distance or control with his “Rors Proto” irons.
Motivation
But perhaps the most surprising motivating factor behind his decision to switch to TaylorMade is that it’s the TPX5 ball which floats his boat above all else.
He was unhappy with his ball control at Augusta during the Masters and so called TaylorMade’s Vice President of Tour Operations Keith Sbarbaro to arrange some testing sessions with the TPX5 and was blown away by what he describes as “the best ball I’ve hit, ever”.
“I always had it in my head that the more spin I could get with a golf ball, the better,” McIlroy said. “But obviously that was working against me. I didn’t have anything in my head at that time, just sort of wanting to find the best equipment. So we got on the TrackMan and I started hitting this TP5x golf ball and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’
“It’s always windy down here and I could just see from the flight that the ball was going through the wind and doing exactly what I wanted it to do. At that point I sort of felt like I probably should have given that ball more thought when I started testing new stuff at the beginning of the year.”
With McIlroy in the stable, TaylorMade now has the world’s top three players in it’s ranks with World No.1 Dustin Johnson and World No.3 Jason Day also on the team.
What is in the bag?
2017 M2 DRIVER 9.5º
MCG KURO KAGE SILVER 70 XTS
Rory: “It’s a very traditional shape and I like the contrast between the white and the black face because it’s very easy to align. I like the sound of it. “
20117 M2 TOUR FAIRWAY 15º
MCG TENSEI CK BLUE 90TX
2017 M2 FAIRWAY 18º
FUJIKURA COMPOSITES PRO P95X
Rory: “Lets say I have a 280 carry over water and to be able to think, ‘Ok, it’s just a comfortable 3-wood’ – it’s a nice feeling! It’s just so consistent. “
IRONS
P750 TOUR PROTO IRONS (3-4)
TRUE TEMPER PROJECT X 7.0
P700 SERIES “RORS PROTO” IRONS (5-9)
TRUE TEMPER PROJECT X 7.0
Rory: “I’ve played muscle-backs my whole life and you’ve got to be very precise with them. You can hit these maybe a tiny bit out of centre and it still goes. I’m all for trying to make the game as easy as possible and this certainly does.
WEDGES
MILLED GRIND WEDGES 48°, 54° SB & 60° LB
TRUE TEMPER PROJECT X 6.5
BALL
TP5X GOLF BALL #22
Rory: I’ve never had a ball that I can launch so high into the wind and it still go the number that I think it’s going to go. Leaving Augusta on the Sunday night and I’d really struggled in the wind with what I had – and I never thought that in a two-week period I’d be at this point with this ball. You don’t have to do anything different – the ball gets there.
