Equipment
WRX Insider: Jimmy Walker going back to steel at Colonial
It all started with an experiment during lockdown. It’s late March and 2016 PGA Champion Jimmy Walker is bored…so he breaks out his old 42-inch Titleist 970 3-wood with a Dynamic Gold X100 shaft (circa 2000) and starts ripping a few.
Odds are it’ll feel great but the numbers won’t actually hold up…right?
Now it needs to be said that I interact with Jimmy from time to time via text having met last year through Claude Harmon at the Canadian Open. He’s an awesome human being, one of the best out there. How can you not like a guy that’s kind, humble, loves BBQ, four fingers of whiskey, a good telescope, and talking gear. Hell, the guy is a unicorn in my book.
One of the most entertaining aspects to him is his pure love of gear and especially the classics. When I say classics, I mean late 90s/early 2000 classics. The guy knows his stuff. So for both of us to see the numbers above and realize what was possible was a total nerd parade. The question at that point was, if the 970 does this, what will TS3 do?
Zap ahead a month later and I get this picture…
Jimmy then proceeded to start testing this thing, and low and behold the numbers were solid. Even better, it felt like a hammer. That’s the feeling he was chasing.
Now, at this point, I’m inspired. I’m online trying to find 45-inch X100’s, which are hard to find FYI. JJ Van Wezenbeeck (Titleist tour rep) had to dig around and dust off some old stock to get this done for Walker.
So now what? He won’t take this any further will he? Is it possible to go steel in a TS3? Will it even function?
Then I get this picture…
Followed by these numbers…
To which I replied….
Will it pan out? Who knows but for a gear head like me, I’m rooting hard for a win. I’m grateful I was able to be a small fly on the wall for this experiment.
I love this guy.
Driver, 3-wood specs
Driver: Titleist TS3 (8.5 degrees @ 7.75, C1 setting)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X-100 (44 inches, tipped to length)
3 wood: Titleist TS3 (15 degrees @ 14.25, C1 setting)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X-100 (42 inches, tipped to length)
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
Imafitter
Jun 9, 2020 at 10:21 pm
Will be fun to watch him play with these clubs this week. Met him when I was a volunteer driving players at the PGA two years ago…very nice guy!
Tom
Jun 9, 2020 at 10:17 pm
Not a club building expert, so please be gentle… if I wanted to try to build a 3 wood like this could I use a X100 1 iron shaft (42 in) or would that not turn out right
DeepRed
Jun 9, 2020 at 2:14 pm
Great, I just converted my fairway wood to graphite, mostly because my favorite club in my Maltby 23* hybrid, now I need to dig out the steel Rocket shafted three wood and consider yet another driver, either another of my Rocket shafts, a Rifle 6.5 or a Microtaper S.
Neil Cameron
Jun 9, 2020 at 1:29 am
Jimmys shafts were tipped to lenghth,same as Tiger did
I think Matt was using non tipped shafts(i think) which would be too soft for Matt.I remember the x100 shaft for woods was not very stiff.
ps I am a huge fan of TXG
brian
Jun 9, 2020 at 8:16 am
His dispersion was fine, but he lost something like 6mph of clubhead speed, his efficiency numbers took a dive and, of course, the ball speed some some 11mph lower with the steel shaft.
Rob
Jun 8, 2020 at 11:29 pm
I would agree with the 3 wood as I also have a steel shaft in my old Adams 3 wood…the heaver shaft just seems to work great in the 3 wood….I tried the steel shaft in an old Callaway driver but was not happy at all with that one.
Benny
Jun 8, 2020 at 6:56 pm
Awesome article and even better comments. Thanks boys!
Rule 15.3a
Jun 8, 2020 at 4:56 pm
Is he still backstopping for his buddies?
Delbert
Jun 8, 2020 at 11:33 am
I hit X100s straight and decent length. That’s all that matters is getting it in play on most days. It will be interesting to see how others react if he wins or places. Finding the right graphite shaft is like trying to find the right pair of jeans. With steel, you just hit it hard.
Topher
Jun 8, 2020 at 11:32 am
Any idea of the swingweight of these woods?
Dave
Jun 8, 2020 at 4:24 pm
D-Heavy. Or, Heavy D. Either way I’m super curious what it feels like.
Kevin Ricciardelli
Jun 8, 2020 at 4:25 pm
D5
joro
Jun 8, 2020 at 10:57 am
A lot of people think that heavier is still better than the light stuff being used today. I was a Master Wood Maker for Cobra and in my own game hit the steel shafted Driver around 260 pretty consistently and that was with a Wood hear with a COF of 7.5 which is nothing compared to todays Ti Meta, Graphite, bounce, faces that go to a COF of 8.3 and more. So I can see where with the extra weight and a fast swing good distance and especially more accuracy can be achieved. I think a guy like Phil would be better off with the accuracy of steel and maybe give up a few years to keep it on the Planet. But of course his ego will be affected if he is not the longest out there. Accurate he is not, long he is but where it goes nobody knows.
stanley
Jun 8, 2020 at 10:31 am
interesting. i hate to be a doubter but i think it’s safe to say that he will go back to his graphite shaft sooner than later.
gwelfgulfer
Jun 8, 2020 at 10:11 am
Golfworks here in Canada blew the remaining stock of DG woods shafts a couple of years ago, so I picked up a few to try out. Currently have an X100 in a 10.5* 9015D @ 44″. Feels great, lower flight that rolls out nicely. I also picked up some OG Rifle 7.0 and 6.0’s years ago and have them in some fairway woods, interesting to say the least with the 7.0’s in a wood (currently in a Wishon 949MC 16.5*).
Tommy
Jun 8, 2020 at 9:16 am
I’d want to know how the TS3 numbers with a graphite shaft compare to the TS3 steel shaft numbers, including ball speed, spin rate and dispersion. Hard to say whether it is worthwhile going back to steel without that comparison…
gwelfgulfer
Jun 8, 2020 at 10:06 am
These guys go more by ‘eye’ than numbers when you’re at the top. They have different needs/wants than just being ‘optimized’ for distance. Take the experiment that Woodland did a couple years ago dropping down to a 4wd and steel shaft and still flying it over 300. With graphite, his gapping was bad at the top of the bag.
Brandon
Jun 8, 2020 at 10:35 pm
In another article on Walker’s shafts it said he lost a little distance in the steel but it was good because his gapping was better. His next club is 3 iron with he can hit 240 so now he can add a 64 degree instead of the 5 wood or whatever he dropped.
brian
Jun 8, 2020 at 9:10 am
The TXG guys did a video on this and their results did not match Jimmy Walker’s.
chip75
Jun 8, 2020 at 9:50 am
Matty was losing a lot of club speed with the steel shaft, if Jimmy is losing an equal amount he’d be giving up a club or two. Would be interesting to see comparison numbers. 121.5 mph is pretty fast for the X-100. Being a “Steel Guy” I’ve always wanted to see the test, but after TXG’s results, I’m not sure if further study is required, perhaps another few brave souls are needed …
Jack Nash
Jun 8, 2020 at 8:55 am
Would love to see Jimmy in the winners circle again. Plus winning with a steel shaft? The graph boys would be spinning.
EastpointeCC
Jun 8, 2020 at 8:49 am
This is priceless. I would love to see a large sample size. My guess is that the dispersion will be much larger than modern graphite but who knows. This also highlights just how insanely good these guys are.
William
Jun 8, 2020 at 8:15 am
I had to email True Temper about X100 driver shafts. They don’t make them anymore but still have a few “in stock” that can be custom ordered.
Picked up a 970 15* and a 7.5* underline 975D to build out a Tiger Slam bag. Who knew the X100 shafts would be harder to acquire than T blades or a 970 fairway wood now.