change – Ultra Golfing https://ultragolfing.com Golf news & updates Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:11:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://ultragolfing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/cropped-UG_Favicon-32x32.png change – Ultra Golfing https://ultragolfing.com 32 32 Chris Gotterup Credits the Biggest Change in His Bag, New Bridgestone Tour B X, for His Second Win of the Season https://ultragolfing.com/chris-gotterup-credits-the-biggest-change-in-his-bag-new-bridgestone-tour-b-x-for-his-second-win-of-the-season/ https://ultragolfing.com/chris-gotterup-credits-the-biggest-change-in-his-bag-new-bridgestone-tour-b-x-for-his-second-win-of-the-season/#respond Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:11:53 +0000 https://ultragolfing.com/chris-gotterup-credits-the-biggest-change-in-his-bag-new-bridgestone-tour-b-x-for-his-second-win-of-the-season/

VeloSurge Technology Powers Gotterup’s Huge WM Phoenix Open Victory

Link to High-Res Imagery

PHOENIX, Ariz.  – Bridgestone Golf staffer Chris Gotterup earned his second PGA Tour victory of the new season and fourth of his young career using the brand new Bridgestone TOUR B X with MindSet golf ball on Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open with a final round of 64 and 16-under-par total. The dramatic playoff victory marks Gotterup’s second win in less than a month (he won the Sony Open in January), making him the hottest player on the PGA Tour and the leader in 2026 FedEx Cup standings.

“This was another great highlight in my career, and I couldn’t have done it without Bridgestone and the new TOUR B X with MindSet” said the New Jersey native. “With the new TOUR B X, I’m getting max speed and distance off the tee, and total control when it matters most around the greens. As far as I’m concerned, this is the best golf ball I’ve ever played, and the sky is the limit for the rest of the season.”

Gotterup’s extraordinary play featured six birdies on the back nine and three on the front, allowing him to pass both Hideki Matsuyama and Scottie Scheffler on the way to victory. Gotterup was also fourth in driving distance for the week, third in shots gained approach, third in shots gained around the greens, and seventh in shots gained off the tee.

“We believe deeply in Chris’ ability, heart and competitiveness and knew he was destined for big things,” said Dan Murphy, president of Bridgestone Golf. “His ability to handle pressure and win against the best in the world is incredible to see from such a young player, and we’re thrilled that he’s doing it with our new TOUR B X golf ball and our 220 MB forged irons.”

The new TOUR B X golf ball is built with VeloSurge technology, delivering a seamless synergy between the mantle and core. The new material discovery features a denser mantle material pushing the Moment of Inertia (MOI) to bounds never seen in a golf ball for increased ball speed and distance. Testing with Bridgestone TOUR staff members Chris Gotterup and Jason Day, along with amateur players of varying swing speeds, produced average gains of 2.3 mph in ball speed and 8.7 yards in distance across the board, making the new TOUR B family the most exciting and advanced available today.

To learn more about the TOUR B family of golf balls (X and XS for over 105 mph swingers, RX and RXS for under 105 mph swingers) and start playing the right golf ball for your game, please visit bridgestonegolf.com and try Bridgestone’s online ball fitting tool.

About Bridgestone Golf

Based in Covington, GA, Bridgestone Golf USA manufactures premium golf balls, clubs and accessories under the Bridgestone and Precept brands. The company started making golf balls in 1935 and today has more golf ball design patents than any other company. Beginning in 2006, Bridgestone revolutionized golf ball selection with its custom ball-fitting program, identifying a golfer’s ideal golf ball based on personal swing characteristics. Today, as the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, Bridgestone has conducted over four million fittings via a combination of live-fitting, online selection, OTTO Autonomous Ball Fitting, and its V-FIT video ball fitting.  The consumer data gathered from ball-fitting continues to inspire Bridgestone’s innovative new golf ball designs, yielding industry-leading performance products for the entire range of players, from recreational golfers to the best in the world. Bridgestone Golf is proudly represented on international professional tours by Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Jason Day, Kurt Kitayama, Boo Weekley, and Chris Gotterup.  Bridgestone Golf USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo. More information:  bridgestonegolf.com.

 

Media Contact: Emily Scott, JDPR, emilys@jdpr.com

 

 

 

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Why Golf Pride wants to change the way you think about grips https://ultragolfing.com/why-golf-pride-wants-to-change-the-way-you-think-about-grips/ https://ultragolfing.com/why-golf-pride-wants-to-change-the-way-you-think-about-grips/#respond Sun, 01 Mar 2026 18:09:54 +0000 https://ultragolfing.com/why-golf-pride-wants-to-change-the-way-you-think-about-grips/

The grips on your golf clubs have long been something of an afterthought. Even during a clubfitting, there’s often little time spent dialing in your grips. At the end of the process, you’re usually asked a simple question — What grip do you prefer? — and then you’re on your way.

The folks at Golf Pride don’t think this is the most prudent approach. 

“We believe we’re designing equipment for your hands,” says James Ledford, Golf Pride president. “Not handles for your clubs.”

For Ledford, that distinction is more than semantics. Golf Pride thinks about grips as a true performance category, rather than just a finishing touch. While clubheads, shafts and balls have been studied for decades with standardized testing and performance metrics, grips have largely escaped the same level of scrutiny.

“There really haven’t been established protocols for how to study grips the way the industry studies equipment,” Ledford says. “We all understand clubhead delivery numbers. We don’t really have those standards yet for grips.”

That gap is what Golf Pride wants to close.

Instead of treating grips as passive components, the company is approaching them as active performance tools that influence strike quality, consistency and, most importantly, confidence. In Ledford’s view, the grip shouldn’t be the final decision in the fitting process, but the starting point. Most golfers think about the clubhead first, then work their way up the shaft, and only finally consider the grip. The company is deliberately flipping that order.

At Golf Pride’s state-of-the-art Performance Lab in Pinehurst, N.C., players go through a Tour-level grip fitting that takes into account hand size, climate conditions, texture and firmness to narrow down possible grip choices. Then it’s time to actually hit shots on a simulator until you find the grip that feels the best for your swing. It soon becomes clear just how influential the grip can be.

“This is where we’re really trying to understand grips as equipment,” Ledford says. “It’s about building real data around how grips influence performance.”

For years, grips have been the quiet constant in the bag. Golf Pride is betting that once golfers start treating them like real equipment — not an afterthought — that silence won’t last much longer.

Golf Pride MCC Grip

Golf Pride MCC Grip

The MCC™ (New Decade® MultiCompound) is an innovative hybrid grip that fuses the positive performance of rubber and cord. The MCC boasts the Golf Pride® exclusive Brushed Cotton Cord in the upper hand area for firm all-weather control, and a performance rubber material in the lower hand for ultimate feel and responsiveness.

View Product

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LAB Golf DF3i adds stainless steel insert to change feel and sound https://ultragolfing.com/lab-golf-df3i-adds-stainless-steel-insert-to-change-feel-and-sound/ https://ultragolfing.com/lab-golf-df3i-adds-stainless-steel-insert-to-change-feel-and-sound/#respond Tue, 17 Feb 2026 05:09:50 +0000 https://ultragolfing.com/lab-golf-df3i-adds-stainless-steel-insert-to-change-feel-and-sound/


LAB Golf’s DF3i keeps lie angle balance intact while adding a stainless steel insert to deliver firmer feel and more traditional sound.

Gear: L.A.B. DF3i putter

Price: $499 (stock), $599 and up (custom)

Specs: 6061 aluminum body with milled stainless steel face insert, steel sole weights, 69-degree lie angle.

Available: Feb. 27

Who it’s for: Golfers who struggle to return the putter face square at impact or consistently start putts on their intended line.

What you should know: The DF3i retains the lie angle balance design that defined the original DF3, but adds a milled stainless-steel insert like the one used in the OZ.1i and OZ.1i HS, delivering a firmer feel and more traditional sound at impact.

The Deep Dive: First impressions have never mattered much to L.A.B. Golf. From the moment the company introduced the first lie-angle balanced Directed Force to the broader putting conversation, its designs have pushed golfers to focus less on shape and more on functionality. The DF3i continues that philosophy, pairing the same stability-driven geometry and lie-angle balanced design of the original DF3 with a milled stainless-steel insert that brings a firmer feel and more familiar sound to a putter built around one central goal: keeping the face square to the arc a golfer naturally creates.

The DF3i is an evolution of the DF3 platform introduced in 2024. The compact mallet shape remains intact, as does the center-shafted construction and the precise weighting that defines lie angle balance. Once the putter is soled behind the ball, its mass properties are designed to keep the face from opening or closing relative to the stroke path. The putter is balanced relative to its lie angle, which is why length, lie, and build specs are so critical to how the design functions.

The noticeable change is in the face. The body and hitting area of the original DF3 are made entirely from 6061 aluminum, but the DF3i has been a milled stainless-steel insert that is secured in place with screws in the sole. That construction mirrors what L.A.B. introduced with the OZ.1i and OZ.1i HS and allows engineers to maintain precise mass placement while altering sound and feel. The result is a firmer impact sensation and a sharper, more metallic auditory feedback that some golfers felt was missing from the original DF3.

Yes, the body remains milled from 6061 aluminum, with steel weights positioned in the forward portion of the sole. Those weights vary by putter length and are measured and installed by hand to ensure the proper lie angle balance is achieved. The DF3i also continues to use L.A.B.’s Press Pistol 2 Degree grip, which introduces built-in forward press through an asymmetrical shaft entry. At address, that setup keeps the shaft, hands, and primary hitting area more in line, while the rear hoop portion of the head sits back from the ball.

Visually, the DF3i still won’t be mistaken for a classic blade or a modern Tour-style mallet, and L.A.B. has never pretended otherwise. The brand’s growth has been driven by performance-first golfers and reinforced by Tour validation, with multiple PGA Tour wins in recent seasons from players using L.A.B. designs. The biggest win, of course, came last year at Oakmont, when J.J. Spaun won the 2025 U.S. Open using a DF3.

Those results have helped shift the conversation from how these putters look to how they behave during the stroke.

As with any lie-angle balanced putter, the DF3i is at its best when it’s built specifically for the golfer using it, rather than treated as a one-size-fits-all solution. However, L.A.B. will continue to sell the DF3i directly to consumers. Personalization options include a rainbow of colors, alignment features, shafts and some grip options.

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Brooks Koepka hasn’t been his old self. That might change this week https://ultragolfing.com/brooks-koepka-hasnt-been-his-old-self-that-might-change-this-week/ https://ultragolfing.com/brooks-koepka-hasnt-been-his-old-self-that-might-change-this-week/#respond Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:49:21 +0000 https://ultragolfing.com/brooks-koepka-hasnt-been-his-old-self-that-might-change-this-week/

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Bubba Watson criticizes major LIV format change for 2026 https://ultragolfing.com/bubba-watson-criticizes-major-liv-format-change-for-2026/ https://ultragolfing.com/bubba-watson-criticizes-major-liv-format-change-for-2026/#respond Sun, 18 Jan 2026 17:31:44 +0000 https://ultragolfing.com/bubba-watson-criticizes-major-liv-format-change-for-2026/

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Should It Change Based on Club? https://ultragolfing.com/should-it-change-based-on-club/ https://ultragolfing.com/should-it-change-based-on-club/#respond Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:38:20 +0000 https://ultragolfing.com/should-it-change-based-on-club/

Talk to any golf coach, and they will tell you that the root of your issue stems from your grip, posture, and ball position. In this post, I take you through the intricacies of the different types of grip and explain why you should employ the duplicate driver grip vs an iron grip.

I intend to help you better understand the different grips and strengths and how they impact your swing path, club plane, power, and accuracy. After reading this article, you’ll notice that consistency is gold and that leaving your grip unchanged ensures a smooth transition between woods and irons.

I suggest bookmarking our guide to proper golf grips to improve your control, accuracy, and power during your golf swing.

 

Quick Overview of The Different Types of Grips

Before I dive into the best grip for driver and iron shots, let me introduce you to the predominant setups and strengths. Besides explaining how to operate each hold, I will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each setup.

Grip Setups

Overlap grip

overlapping grip

The overlap or Vardon grip is the grip that I see most players employing as coaches promote it. It offers a controlled hold of the golf club. Let me explain how you would prepare for a shot with this grip if you are right-handed.

Steps:

  1. Grab the base of the grip with your left hand, and leave your index finger off the grip as if you were pointing a firearm.
  2. Wrap your left index finger around the grip
  3. Place your right hand underneath the left
  4. Rest your right pinky finger on your left index knuckle

Interlocking

interlocking grip

An interlocking grip is the least common setup among amateurs, but Jack Nicklaus always used it, and clearly, it works. This setup is said to work best for golfers with smaller hands, who struggle to gain a solid handle on the club using Vardon’s approach.

Steps:

  1. Grab the base of the grip with your left hand, and use the firearm approach I suggested with the overlap.
  2. Wrap your left index finger around the club’s grip
  3. Guide the pinky finger on your lower hand through the webbing between your left index and middle fingers.

Baseball

10 finger grip

The baseball or ten-finger grip allows for comfortable hand placement when you are just starting out. Or, in my case, 28 years later. It is a grip that most coaches dismiss because the incorrect pressure can prompt your hands to operate independently and send the clubface off the path during swings.

Steps:

  1. Grab the base of the grip with your left hand, and ensure that all five fingers touch the rubber.
  2. Grip the lower portion of the handle with your right hand
  3. Ensure your knuckles on both hands align with one another

 

Grip Strength

Neutral

Golf-Grip-Neutral

The golden standard of strength and a golf coach’s best friend is the neutral grip, designed to help golfers deliver improved accuracy. When your hands are positioned neutrally, you’ll notice that the V-shape created from the webbing between your thumb and index finger align on both hands.

Weak

weak grip

A weak or closed grip occurs when the back of your right hand is visible at the address. Essentially it removes most of your left hand from the line of sight. Now, a weak grip is not to be confused with the level of tension in your hands. You should always have a lighter grip pressure.

You’ll see that a weak grip means that your right-hand covers your left hand. In other words, you rotate your right hand clockwise from the neutral position.

When you leave your right hand closed, you reduce the wrist hinge making it impossible to turn your hands over through impact. You’ll find it causes you to clubface open at impact and slice or push your golf ball into trouble.

An open clubface, coupled with an outside-in swing path, causes you to cut across the ball at impact and send your ball flying right of the target.

Cutting across the golf ball with an open clubface will cause your ball to travel right of the target. In addition, you may struggle to square your face up and leave it closed, prompting a nasty hook.

Strong

Strong grip

You create a strong grip by rotating your right hand anti-clockwise from the neutral position until your palm faces away from you. This is also described by coaches as an open grip because the palm of your hand is open, and faces your chest.

Many golfers feel that this grip helps them boost power for optimal clubhead and ball speed. However, it is a common reason amateur golfers slice their golf balls all over the course.

A strong grip is not all bad and clearly works for Dustin Johnson, but it caused me to play with a fade for most of my junior years. Instead of fixing it, I compensated by aiming further to the right and allowing the ball to fade back toward my target.

 

Should You Use a Different Grip Between Your Driver and Irons?

No, you best not use different golf club grips for your driver and irons to ensure consistency and a smooth transition between your stronger and mid-loft golf clubs. When you employ a different iron grip to a driver grip, it may lead to varying swing paths and ball flight, making it a challenge to produce consistency.

The only golf clubs where I would permit a change in your grip setup is with a putter. Feel, feedback, and bullseye accuracy is the order of the day. You achieve this by restricting wrist movement on putts.

Besides the conventional left-hand high and right-hand low, the claw, saw, left-hand low, and wrist-lock grip is used on the dancefloor.

 

Which Grip is Best for a Driver?

A neutral setup is the best golf grip for a driver, as it sets you up to produce a controlled swing path and straighter golf shots. It is irrelevant whether you use an interlocking, overlapping, or baseball grip as long as your strength is neutral.

You may feel like your neutral approach costs you clubhead speed, coefficient of restitution, and ball velocity. In this case, I recommend that you try a stronger grip. Remember, although it may help your swing speed, it can cause you to leave your clubface open at impact and slice or push your shots.

Now, for those experienced players who have found success using alternative methods, you are proof that there is no one size fits all approach. This article is to help beginners get ahead and limit the number of bad habits the rest of us have picked up over the years.

 

Which Grip is Best for Irons?

Like your driver, I advise using a neutral grip for irons to encourage direct ball flight and lower the risk of producing a hook or slice. If you set up for a draw, you may consider tightening your grip by rotating it anti-clockwise slightly to help you close the clubface faster.

Conversely, when you wish to play a fade with your irons, you can weaken your grip by moving it clockwise to slightly conceal your left hand. Remember, this is a game of inches, and rotating it too much can lead to a savage slice.

 

Which Grip is The Best For Putting?

As a traditionalist, I support utilizing the conventional reverse overlap setup, which requires the opposite placement to a full-swing Vardon grip. With this grip, your left index finger sits on the knuckle of your lower right hand, switching roles. You’ll find that this setup restricts wrist movement for straighter putts.

Another option is the low left-hand approach or right-hand low for lefties. Instead of your setup for full shots, you place your left hand at the bottom of the grip while the right hand anchors at the base. You’ll find that this grip promotes less tension and wrist action to keep your putter face square at contact.

Finally, golfers also use the saw or claw variants, which Mark O’Meara popularized in the nineties. You literally hold the putter as if you were holding a saw or have a claw, which restricts moving your wrists to keep your club online during your stroke.

 

Which Grip is Best to Hit a Draw?

Our guide has highlighted that a stronger grip is your best bet to hit a draw because it helps you close the clubface faster at impact.

However, be careful not to over-strengthen your grip because this can rapidly turn your draw into a snap hook and lead you down the path of trouble. In addition, ensure that you are aiming to the right of your target to compensate for the proposed right curve.

 

Which Grip is Best to Hit a Fade?

Contrary to a draw, a fade requires a slightly weaker grip setup, which will help you propel the club on an out-to-in swing path. You’ll notice that this leads to your clubface slicing across the ball while remaining open to the line and sending your ball on a left-to-right trajectory.

Finally, ensure that you are set up left of your proposed target to prepare for the fade, or you will end up right of the mark.

 

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years. Current Handicap: 8



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