Henrik Stenson is a creature of habit, especially with his golf clubs. The guy likes what he likes and doesn’t switch until it touches him at an almost spiritual level. How can you argue? When the guy is healthy and on form, he’s as scary as anyone on Tour. Case in point the 2016 British Open or 2013 Fed Ex Playoffs. When it’s good, it’s next level. Some of our staff transition easily and some prefer to stick with what works for them. It’s not a commentary on the quality of the new gear rather a study into a player’s mind.
The Diablo 3-Wood (which is back in the bag this week) is the club that gets the most attention for stubbornness with his Legacy Black irons coming in at a quick second. The irons have been in for 8 years and him not switching into new ones isn’t as mind-boggling. Irons are irons and you see more players sticking with a trusted set for time frames that far outpace other equipment. Tour players hate to guess, some way more than others and the irons are a part of the bag that seems to be a battleground for that.
Last week at Valero it was the putter switch that blew my mind. Henrik is a streaky putter to put it fairly. He has spells of making everything and spells of well….not. At no point did he ditch his WH #7, for almost 7 years!!! Early in his career putter switches were quite normal for Stenson. It was the one part of the bag that was more or less equal opportunity. Obviously, that hasn’t been the case since 2014. That trusted #7 was cemented in the bag. Until now.
Odyssey Tour Rep Joe Toulon is the man who helped get Henrik into the new wand and this is what he had to say:
“Henrik is famously slow to change equipment. When he finds something he likes, it tends to stick around for a while. That’s why whenever a new piece of equipment finds its way into his bag, it’s a big deal. We first showed him the 2B10 at the Players and he liked it enough to ask us to make one up in his specs. He received it the following week and decided to make the switch at Valero for the simple reason that he wanted a new look. The 2B10 gave him a fresh look at address and the alignment worked very nicely.“
Old Putter: Odyssey “Pro” WH #7 (DBL Bend fluted shaft)
Specs:
Length: 34.25
Grip: Garsen G-Pro Edge Max
Loft: 3.25
Lie: 72.25
Swing Weight: E3
Overall Weight: 513G
New Putter: Odyssey 2B10 (DBL Bend, Tour Lined)
Specs:
Length: 34.5
Grip: Garsen G-Pro Edge Max
Loft: 3
Lie: 71
Swing Weight: E3
Overall Weight: 520G
Henrik is +1 after Round 1 at Augusta and seems to putting the ball well (1.33 Putts Per Hole Avg). We shall see how this shakes out.