Chris Kirk is playing this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale and has recently made some interesting changes to his clubs that you don’t generally see from tour players.

The first big change is the driver. Kirk recently switched to the all-new ST200X from Mizuno with a Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana D+ series 60 TX. A change like this seems pretty normal since the ST200X is one of three new drivers released from Mizuno for 2020 and Kirk is a Mizuno staff player. But the ST200X is the lightest, most draw-biased, game improvement driver model in the ST200 series, and it’s not too often you see a tour player fit into a draw-biased club. He also plays in an upright/lower-lofted hosel setting making the driver effectively play around 9.5 degrees.

When we reached out to Mizuno for comment we were told the reason for Kirk’s decision to use the most draw-biased driver in the line was simple “to help eliminate one side of the course.” It’s a common practice by golfers of all skill levels to choose a shot shape of the tee with the predominant option being a fade but in the case of Kirk who prefers to see the ball draw right to left the choice was simple.

The other switch for Kirk is more unusual than the first and that is a full iron shaft swap from ProjectX LZ (Load Zone) to True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S200.

• More photos of Chris Kirk’s WITB in the forums. 

Tour players are creatures of habit, and when it comes to iron shafts they are one of the last things players tinker with since weight, flex, and balance point can all change the feel of a club.

When asked about the change spotted this week at the WMPO here’s what Kirk had to say.

“For a couple of years now, I used the Project X LZ 6.5 that weighed 125g, and then S200 into my wedges that weigh 127g to keep weight consistent. Then I found I needed something that just spun just a hair more than the Project X LZ but would have the same soft feel.”

“I talked with the Mizuno guys and asked why can’t we just try S200’s throughout the bag? … I put them in and just love the soft feel. They are very similar to an S300 or S400 and it’s hard to tell the difference except for the lighter weight.”

When asked how this change ultimately changed ball flight Kirk replied

“Ideally, in the set from 4-iron through-9 iron I want to see it peaking between 95 and 100 [feet] and these are just perfect, and my spin numbers are right where I want them to be”

With all these setup changes for Mr. Kirk, and a wide-open TPC Scottsdale as the venue for this week’s event, it’s going to be fun to see if they result in a great finish.

• More photos of Chris Kirk’s WITB in the forums.