Okay, here we go. Here’s my take on the “witb henrik stenson” thing, kinda like a brain dump of what I messed with.
Alright, so I got hooked on this whole “What’s In The Bag” (WITB) thing after seeing Henrik Stenson’s setup. Man, that guy could stripe it. I figured, hey, maybe a little gear tinkering could rub off on my game. Spoiler alert: it didn’t, but it was still fun.
First things first, I started digging into what Stenson actually used. I mean, specifics. It’s not just about having a Callaway driver, it’s which Callaway driver, what shaft, the whole shebang. I spent hours on forums, websites, all that jazz, trying to piece it together.
The Driver: From what I could tell, he was rocking a Callaway something-or-other, but the shaft was the key. He always favored a low-launch, low-spin setup. So I went down to the local golf shop and started hitting a bunch of drivers with different shafts. Tried to keep my swing somewhat consistent (big somewhat there), and paid attention to the numbers on the launch monitor. Ended up with something that felt pretty good, though probably cost me a small fortune.
The Irons: This was a rabbit hole. He’s played a bunch of different irons over the years. I think at one point he was using Callaway Apex Pro irons, but with some serious modifications. Forget trying to replicate that exactly. I just looked for something similar in terms of shape and feel. Ended up snagging a used set of Apex Pros from a buddy who was upgrading. Saved some cash there, thankfully.
The Wedges: Now, this is where I got a little obsessive. Stenson always seemed to have really precise wedge play. I read that he was particular about the grind on his wedges. I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to figure out what “grind” even meant. Eventually, I realized it’s basically how the sole of the club is shaped to interact with the turf. I went back to the golf shop and started messing around with different wedges, trying to see what felt best around the greens. It was a lot of trial and error, and I still shank it sometimes.
The Putter: He was a big advocate of Odyssey putters. I already had an Odyssey, so I felt like I was one step ahead. Still can’t sink a putt to save my life, but hey, at least I have the right brand!
The Balls: This is where it gets truly ridiculous. I started researching what kind of golf balls Stenson played. Then I bought a dozen and started comparing them to the balls I usually play. Honestly, I couldn’t tell much of a difference. But in my head, I felt like I was playing like a pro.
What I learned: Okay, so mimicking Stenson’s bag didn’t magically turn me into a tour pro. Shocker, right? But I did learn a lot about golf equipment and what works for my game. It was a fun project, even if my wallet is still recovering. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll actually be able to break 80. Maybe.
- Did I improve my game drastically? Nope.
- Did I learn a ton about golf equipment? Definitely.
- Was it a fun (and expensive) experiment? Absolutely.
Bottom line: Don’t expect to become Henrik Stenson just by copying his gear. But messing around with your clubs can be a fun way to geek out about golf and learn more about what makes your game tick.
