It’s Rogue ST Launch weekend!!
You can now go into your local golf store and get your own Rogue ST Hammer and I can’t wait to hear what you all think.
#gorogue or go home
Next week I’ll do a deep dive on the best Rogue ST question, but today I wanted to tackle a topic that has been quite common over the past few months.
This is a question I had myself when we launched the Apex UW.
Where does it sit from a launch/spin perspective if everything else is equal? In addition, where does the UW sit VS a 5-wood? It’s perplexing, actually, but there is a solution.
After doing my own testing and watching what happens on Tour, here is the answer, keep in mind that this is not gospel rather a ballpark to guide you in your next fitting.
Apex UW (19) VS X-Forged UT (18)
In this case (my test), the Apex UW spun less than the UT but launched higher with a much steeper land angle. To put numbers on it, I launched the UT around 8 degrees with 3300RPMs of spin and the UW at 10 with 2900RPMs. Ball speeds outta the center were within 1-2 MPH. The UW will fly further than the UT based on the length of the club and its launch profile, BUT the UT will be easier to hit low and more or less “sting” out there. Dispersion is apples to apples.
Both of these clubs have a ton of weight at the bottom of the club which will help get the ball up but based on wood vs. iron design; the UW will always launch higher.
Apex UW VS 5-Wood
In my opinion, this is where the UW gets very competitive in the nuance. In my experience, a 5-wood, due to its properties, will always launch higher with less spin than the UW. In my testing, I have seen that. As a 5-wood player for the better part of 15 years, I know they have hot spots higher on the face and spinny spots a few grooves low. The UW mitigates these quite a bit, which makes it so unique.
On Tour, it’s those hot and spinny shots that some players don’t want. If you have a club that you know will stay in a similar spin ballpark up and down the face, that’s a plus. Fewer surprises that way. On the other hand, for someone like Dylan Frittelli, a 5-wood player, knowing there is a hot ball in there if he chooses can be beneficial.
So what player am I?
5-Wood: Players looking for higher launch, lower spin, and don’t require the low, low ball.
UW: Players looking for mid-flight, mid-spin with a tighter spin tolerance. AKA Versatility
UT: Players looking for something they can drive down with sufficient spin or prefer the look of an iron in that 18-20 degree spot in the bag.
Happy Hunting
JDub
