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A simple gear change helped Nelly Korda win a U.S. Women’s Open

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 04:48:19 +0000

Nelly Korda put fresh wedges in play at Riviera, a reminder that worn grooves can quietly cost everyday golfers spin and control.

Nelly Korda’s winning setup at the U.S. Women’s Open was full of equipment most golfers would expect from the best player in the women’s game.

There was a TaylorMade Qi4D driver, a TP5x golf ball, a Stealth 2 7-wood, P·7CB cavity-back irons and a prototype blade putter. In other words, gear that can make everyday golfers drool and lean closer to the screen, even if that exact setup might not be ideal for the average player trying to take on Riviera Country Club, which ranks 17th on Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses.

That’s the effect “winner’s bags” can have. A great player wins a huge tournament, the equipment list gets posted, and golfers start looking for magic.

However, the most useful gear lesson from Korda’s U.S. Women’s Open victory at Riviera may not be that she plays a Qi4D driver, TaylorMade’s TP5x ball or a prototype blade putter. It might be that before one of the biggest tournaments of the year, she paid attention to something many recreational golfers ignore until it is too late: Nelly put fresh wedges in the bag.

According to TaylorMade, Korda added fresh MG5 wedges for Riviera, specifically a 50-degree SB and a 54-degree HB, to get fresh grooves for firm turf conditions at the U.S. Women’s Open. That may sound small compared with a driver switch or a new putter, but around Riviera, where firm greens, tight lies and recovery shots can expose inconsistencies, it matters.

Most amateurs understand that grips wear out, balls get scuffed and driver faces can crack.

Wedge grooves are different. They wear down gradually, almost invisibly, until one day the ball that used to check near the hole starts releasing like it has a dinner reservation somewhere behind the green.

Fresh grooves are not about making a wedge “better” in some mysterious, Tour-only way. They restore consistency. When grooves are sharp and clean, especially on partial shots, bunker shots and pitches from grass, they help the face manage moisture, debris and friction. That can create more predictable spin and launch.

As grooves wear, you won’t lose control immediately. Instead, you may notice that one shot checks and the next one hops and runs. Suddenly, what felt like a technique problem might be an equipment maintenance problem.

For Korda, the move was tied to Riviera’s firm turf. On softer courses, players can use trajectory and landing angle to help stop the ball. On firm courses, especially major championship setups, spin control becomes more valuable because the margin for error shrinks. Otherwise, a good shot can become a 25-footer.

Korda’s week was not won only with wedges. She drove the ball beautifully, hit controlled iron shots and leaned on the all-around game that has made her the dominant player in women’s golf.

But the wedge detail is important because it shows how elite players think about equipment. They are not just asking, “What is the newest club?” They are asking, “What does this course demand?”

You probably do not need Korda’s exact driver specs, her prototype putter or to organize your golf life around what a major champion uses, unless you also have a world-class swing, elite speed control and a short game that travels under U.S. Open pressure.

But you probably need to look at your wedges because most avid players use them for too long.

If you play a lot, practice from bunkers, hit range balls with your wedges or use the same 54-degree or 56-degree club for everything inside 100 yards, the grooves may be more worn than you think.

That does not mean you need to replace your wedges every few months like a Tour player. Tour pros hit more shots, practice more often and compete on firmer, faster surfaces where tiny differences are magnified. But recreational golfers often go too far in the other direction, keeping wedges in the bag for years while expecting them to perform like they did when they were new.

For you, the better question is whether your wedge shots still behave the way you expect. Do half-wedges launch higher and spin less than they used to? Do chips release more than they did a season ago? Do bunker shots feel like they are sliding up the face?

Maybe it is technique, but maybe your wedge grooves are dulling.

Scoring clubs are precision tools, and precision tools wear.

Golfers love to talk about gaining 10 yards with a driver. Distance is fun. Drivers are cool, but nobody walks into a golf shop and says, “I would like to spend money on spin consistency from 47 yards,” unless they are either very serious or their short game is in bad shape.

Before Riviera asked her to control trajectory, spin and distance under major championship pressure, Nelly Korda made sure two of her most important scoring clubs were fresh.

A fresh wedge won’t make you as good as Nelly Korda, but it might make your next pitch behave more like the shot you thought you hit.

David Dusek is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering equipment and technology.

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Nelly Korda’s grip change paid off — but she wouldn’t recommend it

admin — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 08:16:38 +0000

Nelly Korda won the biggest title of her career over the weekend, besting the field at Riviera Country Club for a one-shot victory at the U.S. Women’s Open. But unlike so many of the victories in her career, she did not look totally in control of her swing throughout the week.

Her stubbornly uncooperative swing was apparent during her opening round of the championship on Thursday afternoon as she posted a two-over 73. In that opening stanza, Korda lost strokes to the field with her approach play — a rarity for one of the best ball strikers in the game.

“I hit it really good Monday through Wednesday, so I have honestly no idea where this came from,” she said. “So I’m going to go to the range.”

Joining her on the range was her sister, six-time LPGA winner Jessica. And as the duo searched in the dirt for the missing ingredient in Korda’s swing, Jessica noticed something. Her sister’s grip was looking a little weak, with her trail hand creeping too much on top of the shaft. In an effort to correct it, she suggested strengthening her grip and putting that trail hand a little more underneath the shaft.

Grip changes are some of the most difficult tweaks you can make to your golf swing, and most pros avoid them at all costs. When you are used to holding the club a certain way, even the slightest adjustment can send you spiraling, and it can change delivery dynamics pretty aggressively if not done correctly. But after the poor performance in Round 1, Korda decided to give it a shot.

“I just kind of keep laying it off at the top,” Kords said. “It felt super funky today, but I just trusted and went with it.”

The results were immediately evident. In Round 2, Korda’s iron play returned to its previous form. She gained over a shot on the field with her approach play, posting a 67 to get herself right back in the mix. She matched that number on Saturday to share a piece of the 54-hole lead, and headed into the final round in prime position to claim the title she craved most.

“I think the grip change is one of the hardest things to do,” Korda said in a TV interview after her round. “The trust level is definitely high with [Jessica]. I know I can always count on her. She’s been there through my warmups and warm downs almost every single day, so she’s been a great support system.”

The mid-tournament grip change was a risky move, and as a fellow professional golfer, Jessica knew how uncomfortable the adjustment must’ve been. Shortly after finishing off her one-shot victory, Korda met with the press and shared that Jessica “could barely sleep” from the thought of ruining her sister’s swing with the advice.

In the end, the risky move paid off. Korda posted a final-round 69 on Sunday to hold off the charging Charley Hull and Gabby Lopez, adding the biggest bullet point to her hall-of-fame-worthy resume.

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Bridgestone made 1 huge change for its 2026 golf ball lineup

admin — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:22:15 +0000

Bridgestone Golf released a new Tour B lineup for 2026, replacing all four of its previous models with new options. There’s two lower-speed offerings in the R series — Tour B RX (red box) and Tour B RXS (green box) — as well as two higher-speed models in the Tour B X (black box) and Tour B XS (blue box).

All four models retain the option to purchase with their popular Mindset graphic. Although the big change this year? VeloSurge technology. I got a chance to test with the Tour B X and the Tour B XS at The Crosby Club and came away with some cool findings.

But first, let’s compare the specs of the lineup.

Bridgestone always has two congruent lines in its Tour B series of golf balls that are separated by speed. For driver speeds over 105 mph you’ll want to use the Tour B X or Tour B XS, with the X being the lower launching and spinning option of the two. For driver speeds under 105 mph you’ll want to try the R series with the Tour B RX being the lower launching and spinning option over the Tour B RXS golf ball. They are even color-coded to make it easy on you — the Tour B X is the black box, Tour B XS is the blue box, the Tour B RX is the red box, and the Tour B RXS is the green box.

The reason for having two different congruent lineups dictated by speed is compression measurement. The lower speed offerings are going to have a lower compression rating. If you’re a higher speed player you likely won’t see much a difference between the two speed offerings, but for slower speed players, playing a ball with too high of a compression can force you to lose out on speed and other performance.

The lower speed player wants to be able to consistently compress the ball properly, as that’s how the golf ball is designed to perform. Because a higher speed player is going to compress the ball no matter what, the differences aren’t going to show as much, but the higher compression ball will usually be more consistent.

And it’s even more important in the 2026 lineup because of VeloSurge.

The easiest way I can explain VeloSurge technology in the new 2026 Tour B series is that they took the concept of a 10k MOI driver and implemented it into a golf ball. They’ve created a core, mantle and cover that actually moves mass to the perimeter of the golf ball, which helps increase the MOI of the golf ball and then helps it fly more consistently.

With VeloSurge, they have a new core-mantle integration that supports the now lighter and softer core, with a new mantle layer that’s actually made out of kevlar. This kevlar mantle protects the core and works together to create a strong, consistent deformation at impact. This unlocks a more consistent “rebound” as the ball begins its flight. And a more consistent rebound means more consistent performance, and with the 2026 lineup, it also means more speed. (I noticed the speed gains more specifically in the middle of the bag than anywhere else.)

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Bridgestone 2026 TOUR B X Golf Balls

THE NEW TOUR B X IS PUSHING THE LIMITS OF DISTANCE UNBOUND DISTANCE: New VeloSurge core-mantle integration technology delivers breakthrough velocity for unmatched distance off the tee TOUR CONTROL: The Reactiv iQ cover adheres to the clubface longer, generating tour-level spin and precision control on shots around the green The TOUR B X delivers increased ball speed for MAXIMUM DISTANCE off the tee and HIT & SIT performance on approach shots Bridgestone Golf is the #1 BALL FITTER IN GOLF: The TOUR B X is higher compression for swing speeds OVER 105 mph Designed for players who want additional distance TIGER WOODS, JASON DAY, CHRIS GOTTERUP and KURT KITAYAMA assisted in the development of the NEW TOUR B X and they along with HARRY HALL and MATT KUCHAR play it in professional competition

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What stood out to me

First, the Tour B X. I actually played the older version of the Tour B XS (blue box) golf ball and quite liked it, but the issue was that it didn’t perform super well in the wind, which is an absolute requirement for somebody who lives anywhere near Chicago. When I tried to use the Tour B X (black box) I wasn’t able to generate enough spin, although it performed much better in the wind. So I was stuck.

However, with the new 2026 lineup, the Tour B X has really impressed me. It’s still lower spin on the driver — and I’d have to rework my driver to fit the golf ball — but through the rest of the bag it held pretty tightly with the B XS. Even on the shorter shots from about 130 yards and in, the B X performed really well.

Chris Gotterup has had a strong 2026 with a Bridgestone Tour B X golf ball.

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Wind performance made a dramatic change for the 2026 lineup, specifically for me in the Tour B XS. In the video, you can hear me say several times the ball just doesn’t care that the wind exists. I was genuinely shocked. There was a moment in the video where I was hitting a driver on a downhill par 5 with winds crossing at about 20 mph — and the ball didn’t leave its start line. I kept asking the man filming if he was seeing the same thing. When we moved up to hit a long iron into the green, we saw the same performance again. The two Tour B balls were probably the best balls I’ve ever seen perform in the wind. (As someone who plays in the Chicago area often, that’s a significant declaration.)

As with every other piece of equipment in the bag, I always recommend getting fit and testing your options. Bridgestone, as the self-proclaimed leader in ball-fitting, actually has a terrific fitting tool on its website and the brand hosts tons of local fitting days (so see if any are near you).

You can see how I did my own testing in the video, and you’ll learn things yourself once you start trying to play with different types of flights and shots.

And once you’ve decided on what ball is best for your game, make sure to find your local True Spec fitter to get your entire bag dialed.

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Bubba Watson criticizes major LIV format change for 2026

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 17:31:44 +0000

Heading into the 2026 LIV Golf season, Bubba Watson is focused on capturing his first LIV win. But the two-time Masters champion is also concerned with a big change the league is making for the new year.

In a new interview, Watson criticized LIV’s decision to dramatically alter its tournament format to 72 holes, provided a defense for the 54-hole format and opened up on Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return.

Bubba’s 54-hole defense: ‘Better for the fans when there’s chaos’

Back in November, LIV Golf made the surprising announcement that they would change all of their tournaments from 54 holes to 72 holes.

Though it was a shock to see the league ditch one of its defining characteristics, one that is even represented in the league’s name, there was a very good reason for it: the Official World Golf Ranking.

Since its inception, LIV has failed to earn recognition by the OWGR. As a result, most of its players have tumbled in the world ranking and, most importantly, struggled to qualify for major championships.

LIV’s 54-hole format was one of the sticking points keeping LIV from earning OWGR recognition.

LIV Golf’s sudden shift from 54 to 72 holes is a major-driven stunner

By:

James Colgan

But in a recent interview with the Mirror US Sports’ Sam Frost, Watson stated his public disagreement with the format change.

When asked if he supported LIV’s move to 72 holes, Watson made his opinion as clear as possible.

“Um, no,” Watson began.

But he backed up his opinion with a detailed reasoning. First, he criticized 72-hole tournaments, arguing that more holes lead to more runaway winners and less close action.

“I think we should go three days. And there’s a reason why. I think with the sprint, everyone stays together. When you go four days you’re going to have some more spread out leaders, and it just kind of takes away your last round, right?” Watson argued.

He continued, explaining his belief that 54-hole tournaments result in tighter competitions and invite more “chaos” to the proceedings, and that’s exactly what golf fans are hungry for.

“When everybody’s close battling, it puts more people in the mix on a Sunday or the last round on a Saturday, whichever tournament you’re at, and so that just makes it better for the fans when there’s chaos happening,” Watson said.

Watson’s stance differs from that of LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil. Just last week, O’Neil spoke confidently about LIV’s chances of securing OWGR recognition soon, and the format change is a big reason why.

Watson opens up on Koepka’s PGA Tour return

Watson’s brief interview with the Mirror US Sports didn’t only cover LIV’s format change. It also touched on the biggest news in golf from the past week: Koepka’s decision to leave LIV and the PGA Tour’s decision to let Koepka return (albeit with steep financial penalties).

The way Watson sees it, Koepka’s departure in no way threatens the future of LIV Golf.

“The league’s in a great spot,” Watson said. “One person’s not going to dictate what the league’s doing.”

LIV CEO’s response to Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return said something unheard

By:

Josh Schrock

But he also spoke positively about Koepka, revealing that he’s both happy for the five-time major champion and pleased that Koepka was able to choose the pro golf path that best suits him and his family.

“The beauty is, though, now [Koepka] gets to spend more time with his family, that’s what he wants. And so that’s good, that’s great for him. As a friend, I hope he has a great time. It’s great that he’s still playing professional golf. LIV has always been about pathways to play other tours, so it’s great,” Watson said.

As for his own goals for 2026, 72 holes or not, Watson’s focus is simple. He wants to finally hoist his first-career individual LIV trophy and win a championship for his RangeGoats team.

“I want to win on LIV. I haven’t lifted an individual trophy on LIV… I would love to lift a championship trophy for a team on LIV. That’d be another notch on the belt.”

The 2026 LIV Golf season gets underway the first week of February with the LIV Golf Riyadh event in Saudi Arabia.

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Should It Change Based on Club?

admin — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:38:20 +0000

Talk to any golf coach, and they will tell you that the root of your issue stems from your grip, posture, and ball position. In this post, I take you through the intricacies of the different types of grip and explain why you should employ the duplicate driver grip vs an iron grip.

I intend to help you better understand the different grips and strengths and how they impact your swing path, club plane, power, and accuracy. After reading this article, you’ll notice that consistency is gold and that leaving your grip unchanged ensures a smooth transition between woods and irons.

I suggest bookmarking our guide to proper golf grips to improve your control, accuracy, and power during your golf swing.

Quick Overview of The Different Types of Grips

Before I dive into the best grip for driver and iron shots, let me introduce you to the predominant setups and strengths. Besides explaining how to operate each hold, I will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each setup.

Grip Setups

Overlap grip

The overlap or Vardon grip is the grip that I see most players employing as coaches promote it. It offers a controlled hold of the golf club. Let me explain how you would prepare for a shot with this grip if you are right-handed.

Steps:

Grab the base of the grip with your left hand, and leave your index finger off the grip as if you were pointing a firearm.
Wrap your left index finger around the grip
Place your right hand underneath the left
Rest your right pinky finger on your left index knuckle

Interlocking

An interlocking grip is the least common setup among amateurs, but Jack Nicklaus always used it, and clearly, it works. This setup is said to work best for golfers with smaller hands, who struggle to gain a solid handle on the club using Vardon’s approach.

Steps:

Grab the base of the grip with your left hand, and use the firearm approach I suggested with the overlap.
Wrap your left index finger around the club’s grip
Guide the pinky finger on your lower hand through the webbing between your left index and middle fingers.

Baseball

The baseball or ten-finger grip allows for comfortable hand placement when you are just starting out. Or, in my case, 28 years later. It is a grip that most coaches dismiss because the incorrect pressure can prompt your hands to operate independently and send the clubface off the path during swings.

Steps:

Grab the base of the grip with your left hand, and ensure that all five fingers touch the rubber.
Grip the lower portion of the handle with your right hand
Ensure your knuckles on both hands align with one another

Grip Strength

Neutral

The golden standard of strength and a golf coach’s best friend is the neutral grip, designed to help golfers deliver improved accuracy. When your hands are positioned neutrally, you’ll notice that the V-shape created from the webbing between your thumb and index finger align on both hands.

Weak

A weak or closed grip occurs when the back of your right hand is visible at the address. Essentially it removes most of your left hand from the line of sight. Now, a weak grip is not to be confused with the level of tension in your hands. You should always have a lighter grip pressure.

You’ll see that a weak grip means that your right-hand covers your left hand. In other words, you rotate your right hand clockwise from the neutral position.

When you leave your right hand closed, you reduce the wrist hinge making it impossible to turn your hands over through impact. You’ll find it causes you to clubface open at impact and slice or push your golf ball into trouble.

An open clubface, coupled with an outside-in swing path, causes you to cut across the ball at impact and send your ball flying right of the target.

Cutting across the golf ball with an open clubface will cause your ball to travel right of the target. In addition, you may struggle to square your face up and leave it closed, prompting a nasty hook.

Strong

You create a strong grip by rotating your right hand anti-clockwise from the neutral position until your palm faces away from you. This is also described by coaches as an open grip because the palm of your hand is open, and faces your chest.

Many golfers feel that this grip helps them boost power for optimal clubhead and ball speed. However, it is a common reason amateur golfers slice their golf balls all over the course.

A strong grip is not all bad and clearly works for Dustin Johnson, but it caused me to play with a fade for most of my junior years. Instead of fixing it, I compensated by aiming further to the right and allowing the ball to fade back toward my target.

Should You Use a Different Grip Between Your Driver and Irons?

No, you best not use different golf club grips for your driver and irons to ensure consistency and a smooth transition between your stronger and mid-loft golf clubs. When you employ a different iron grip to a driver grip, it may lead to varying swing paths and ball flight, making it a challenge to produce consistency.

The only golf clubs where I would permit a change in your grip setup is with a putter. Feel, feedback, and bullseye accuracy is the order of the day. You achieve this by restricting wrist movement on putts.

Besides the conventional left-hand high and right-hand low, the claw, saw, left-hand low, and wrist-lock grip is used on the dancefloor.

Which Grip is Best for a Driver?

A neutral setup is the best golf grip for a driver, as it sets you up to produce a controlled swing path and straighter golf shots. It is irrelevant whether you use an interlocking, overlapping, or baseball grip as long as your strength is neutral.

You may feel like your neutral approach costs you clubhead speed, coefficient of restitution, and ball velocity. In this case, I recommend that you try a stronger grip. Remember, although it may help your swing speed, it can cause you to leave your clubface open at impact and slice or push your shots.

Now, for those experienced players who have found success using alternative methods, you are proof that there is no one size fits all approach. This article is to help beginners get ahead and limit the number of bad habits the rest of us have picked up over the years.

Which Grip is Best for Irons?

Like your driver, I advise using a neutral grip for irons to encourage direct ball flight and lower the risk of producing a hook or slice. If you set up for a draw, you may consider tightening your grip by rotating it anti-clockwise slightly to help you close the clubface faster.

Conversely, when you wish to play a fade with your irons, you can weaken your grip by moving it clockwise to slightly conceal your left hand. Remember, this is a game of inches, and rotating it too much can lead to a savage slice.

Which Grip is The Best For Putting?

As a traditionalist, I support utilizing the conventional reverse overlap setup, which requires the opposite placement to a full-swing Vardon grip. With this grip, your left index finger sits on the knuckle of your lower right hand, switching roles. You’ll find that this setup restricts wrist movement for straighter putts.

Another option is the low left-hand approach or right-hand low for lefties. Instead of your setup for full shots, you place your left hand at the bottom of the grip while the right hand anchors at the base. You’ll find that this grip promotes less tension and wrist action to keep your putter face square at contact.

Finally, golfers also use the saw or claw variants, which Mark O’Meara popularized in the nineties. You literally hold the putter as if you were holding a saw or have a claw, which restricts moving your wrists to keep your club online during your stroke.

Which Grip is Best to Hit a Draw?

Our guide has highlighted that a stronger grip is your best bet to hit a draw because it helps you close the clubface faster at impact.

However, be careful not to over-strengthen your grip because this can rapidly turn your draw into a snap hook and lead you down the path of trouble. In addition, ensure that you are aiming to the right of your target to compensate for the proposed right curve.

Which Grip is Best to Hit a Fade?

Contrary to a draw, a fade requires a slightly weaker grip setup, which will help you propel the club on an out-to-in swing path. You’ll notice that this leads to your clubface slicing across the ball while remaining open to the line and sending your ball on a left-to-right trajectory.

Finally, ensure that you are set up left of your proposed target to prepare for the fade, or you will end up right of the mark.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years. Current Handicap: 8

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