Ian Poulter What's In The Bag? Part 2

Poulter Whats In The Bag 2

In part two of this exclusive Ian Poulter What's In The Bag interview for Golf Monthly, the Englishman talks through his line-up from irons to golf ball.

Irons: Titleist 714 CB (5&6), Titleist 714 MB (7-9)

"I use the CB head in the 5 and 6-iron. The reasons for that is they are the two longest irons I carry. I like the look of the irons first and foremost but there is a little extra help in the longish irons. They hit it slightly higher than my lower irons. From there I blend into the MB irons. I use Project X PXi 7.0 shafts. I used Dynamic Gold x100 shaft for many years but I moved into this shaft because I reduced the weight in the shaft very slightly and gained extra height and because of that the ball was stopping a little quicker."

Read Part 1 of Ian Poulter What's In The Bag

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM5 48˚, 52˚, 56˚ & 63˚

"A couple of years ago I went to into a four wedge system from a three wedge system. I used to use a 48˚, 54˚ and 60˚. What I have been able to do now is tighten those gaps down, that’s the scoring part of the golf game. I’ve always liked a fairly straight leading edge. So I have always asked the guys to take a bit off the curve on the front edge. We lightly touch it on a grinding machine to straighten that leading edge. I do that on the 52˚, 56˚ and 63˚."

 

Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron GSS Newport 2

"It has taken me a while to get into this putter. I’ve always loved his putters and admired his workmanship but moving to Titleist for the 2015 season I really wanted to try and get this in the bag so I worked really hard. It’s a very clean looking head. I have actually put a bit of weight in the top of the shaft. It's not something that was done in the factory. I felt when I received the putter and was testing it, it was fractionally heavier than the putter I was previously using. So I tried to counteract that by putting a bit of weight in the other end of the shaft and it lightens up the swing weight slightly."

 

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1X 2015

“I’ve been a Pro V1x guy for a long time. I have never used a Pro V1 in a tournament so I don’t know, I’ve always used an x. The spin rates have been good, the feel around the greens has improved this year. The numbers I feel match my game and what it is I want out of a golf ball. There is a tiny sound difference when you putt [using the 2015 version of the Pro V1x] which is good. The fact that it is softer, it dampens the sound slightly.”

Neil Tappin
Digital Editor

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