3 Wood Swing & Review

This video is me hitting into a par 5 with a recently built TaylorMade RBZ Tour 14.5deg 3 wood with a Matrix HD RADIX 8X prototype Bright Orange shaft, built by ACD (Alpi Custom Designs). The swing looks better with less weight on my left hip that the previous video of my driver. As I mentioned before, I struggle with swaying so this process is taking a bit longer because I do not want my weight shift too occur through a sway back as I start the take away. It needs to be a turn with the weight transferring to my right thigh and hip as I go back and to the top. I have also been working on my grip, which I have a weird problem of the finger nail of my left thumb digging into the pad of my right thumb. Its due to my left thumb being on the left side of the grip and underneath my right thumb, instead of it being on the right half of the grip and tucked into the crease of my right palm. I will try to post some pics to help show the problem since its not easily explained. Just the small shift of my thumb from the left side of the shaft to the right, feels so awkward. It is so minimal but makes such a big impact throughout the swing because my grip of the club feels so different. Therefore I can feel my hands compensating through the swing, especially at the top and at the start of the transition.At the top, the club does not feel as supported as before so my hands feel loose and sometimes I can feel the club move in my hands as the club transitions from the top down to impact. This then causes my hands to tighten or my swing to get quick/jumpy because I think the club is loose in my hands. Its been a bit of work to be comfortable and trusting in the change even though it is such a small thing. Sometimes its the smallest things that cause the biggest problems.

 This 3 wood is amazing. The Tour 14.5deg RBZ head is outstanding from all points: looks, feel, playability and distance. I experimented with several shafts in this head. First a tour issue Rombax Z-series 8-S tipped 1", which is amazing but too low spinning and didn't launch the ball off the deck. Next was a Tour Spec Fujikura 757 Speeder. This shaft was a bomber off the deck and the tee but unfortunately just a little too light. It was tough to feel the club through the swing. I also tried a few lower end shafts with poor results and then finally this Matrix. Eric plays this same shaft, but in blue, in his Tour Edge CB3 3wd and absolutely kills it. After trying his out for a bit one day, I loved the shaft and the rest is history. I have tested my setup against a handful of other RBZ's built by Taylormade at their fitting center and this club blows theirs out of the water. The only shaft that was close to mine was the Fubuki Alpha 70X, which felt heavier than a 70 series shaft, and was a really great shaft. I love building clubs and love it even more when they come out as good as this 3 wood. Its a great feeling when you can play and enjoy the clubs you yourself have built. But as a true golfer, I already want to try all the new 3 woods that just came out; RBZ Stage 2, Callaway X Hot & RAZR Fit Extreme and also the Titleist 913. This shaft in one of those heads could be even better!!

On a Tour Sauce Tour Talk note, it only took one round before Rory put his Cameron back into the bag and took out that junk Method putter. I wonder what else he will replace. Also Phil was using the new Odyssey Versa putter last week out in the desert at the Humana but this week at Torrey he has gone back to his old Odyssey High Toe #9 blade.

"You never plow a field by turning it over in your mind"

Scott Alpi
@scottalpi