TaylorMade's r7 Mini driver, Ping Scottsdale putters & Callaway's new Elyte drivers

USA Today

15-04-2025

TaylorMade's r7 Mini driver, Ping Scottsdale putters & Callaway's new Elyte drivers Learn everything you need to know about TaylorMade's new r7 Mini driver, Ping's updated Scottsdale putters and more.
Last week at the Masters Tournament, six players used either a mini driver or a fairway wood that would be considered a "driver alternative" like a low-lofted 2-wood, including Akshay Bhatia, Fred Couples, Tony Finau (he actually carried two Ping G430 LST drivers), Tommy Fleetwood, Jake Knapp and Adam Scott. Combine that with the 29 players in the 95-player field who opted to carry a 7-wood, and you can see players are more willing than ever to blend clubs that would have been considered "non-traditional" into their sets.
Manufacturers are well aware of this, and golf equipment companies are producing more types of drivers and fairway woods than ever before, targeting specific types of players and engineering clubs to handle more situations. For recreational golfers, that's fantastic because working with a good custom fitter, it has never been easier to find gear that can help you reign in your slice, produce a higher ball flight or reduce the effects of an inconsistent swing. Plus, with the outdated stigmas surrounding unconventional gear fading away, that means no one has to feel self-conscious walking to the first tee with a 7-wood or a 9-wood in their bag. Two hybrids, no problem! These days anything goes, and that can help everyone have more fun on the course and shoot lower scores.
If anyone gives you a side-eye at the course, tell them you're following a hot trend: Sahith Theegala, Tommy Fleetwood and Dustin Johnson all carried 9-woods last week at Augusta National.