Ian Poulter: What's In The Bag?

Poulter What's In The Bag 1

published 15 June 2015

In this exclusive Ian Poulter In The Bag interview, the Englishman tells us what he's carrying and how it is set up for his game

One of the puzzles facing professional and amateur golfers alike is finding a line up of golf clubs that is perfectly tailored to the player’s own, individual game. With different physiques, swings and gear preferences our final specifications are all unique to us and what works for one player, almost certainly will not work for another.

At the start of the 2015 season, Poulter left Cobra to join Titleist and as such made major changes to the equipment he was using. In this exclusive, Ian Poulter In The Bag interview, the Englishman talks in-depth about the golf clubs he carries each week on tour. From driver to golf ball, he explains what he likes and why he’s made certain important choices.

Driver: Titleist 915 D2 9.5˚

“I’ve had this in the bag now for probably seven months. It’s 9.5˚ and the setting I currently use is D3. I like the design of having the recoil channel in the sole the reason being that I have always been against teeing the ball up too high. If I hit is slightly lower on the face I don’t lose any ball speed and I get my maximum distance.”

Read part two of Ian Poulter’s In The Bag interview

Fairway woods: Titleist 915 F 15˚

“It is set up in a C4 configuration. The reason is that I am looking to carry the 3-wood 260 yards. This is the only 3-wood in the Titleist 915 range that I have tested. It’s the only one I have hit and it works. I have got an exact replica back up of it in case something happens to it or it doesn’t turn up to a tournament.”

Hybrids: Titleist 915 Hd 20.5˚ & 23.5˚

“With my 3-iron hybrid I am looking for 235 yards of carry. I go from a 3-iron to a 4-iron hybrid and for that I am after 220 yards of carry. Its not necessarily the rough that’s the big factor for me in the reason I use hybrids, it is the simple fact that I get extra height, I can get the maximum carry but I can get the ball stopping on the green quicker than I can with a 4-iron. I’ve done some testing with a 4-iron – it carries about 215 yards, but because I use the hybrid version it carries 220 yards. So it carries 5 yards more but stops a lot faster.

Read part two of Ian Poulter’s In The Bag interview exclusively for Golf Monthly.

In his current role, Neil is responsible for testing drivers and golf balls. Having been a part of the Golf Monthly team for over 15 years and playing off a handicap of 3, he has the experience to compare performance between models, brands and generations. For 2022 he thinks the main trend in drivers is: "In a word, consistency. Whilst all the brands are talking about ball speed (and the new drivers are certainly long), my biggest finding has been how much more consistent the ball flights are. Mishits don't seem to be causing the same level of drop-off or increase in the spin numbers. This means that more shots seem to be flying the way you want them to!" As far as golf balls are concerned the biggest development is in the, "three piece, non-Tour, urethane-covered section. For regular golfers, these models offer superb performance at both ends of the bag without denting your wallet quite as much as the premium Tour-played options."

Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he is now the brand's Digital Editor and covers everything from Tour player interviews to gear reviews. In his time at Golf Monthly, he has covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points.

Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons (4-9): Mizuno JPX 919 Forged Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 46˚, 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X