MY BAG: Francesco Molinari

"The driver is simply a great club. It's very long and forgiving. I can shape the ball both ways. Even if I don't hit it as good as I'd like, it still goes pretty much where I want. Since I switched to it [and the new ball], I've picked up 10 to 12 yards of carry."

DRIVER

Nike VRS Covert 2.0 (8.5°)

nikegolf.com

Shaft: Mitsubishi Fubuki ZT 60

mitsubishirayongolf.com

FAIRWAY WOOD

Nike VRS Covert 2.0 (15°)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage 70X TiNi

HYBRIDS

Nike VR Pro (18° and 21°)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Fubuki AX H450X

IRONS

Nike VR Pro Blade (4-PW)

Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

truetemper.com

WEDGES

Nike VR Pro (52°) and Nike VR Forged (58°)

Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

PUTTER

Nike Method 006 prototype, 34"

BALL

Nike RZN Black

GRIPS

Lamkin UTX

lamkingrips.com

TECH TALK

Weight Shift

TaylorMade SLDR S driver

A couple of years ago the engineers at TaylorMade found that placing the center of gravity low and forward in woods generates faster ball speeds and less spin than a low, rearward CG. The original SLDR driver, introduced last year, quickly became a dominant model on Tour, largely because of this weighting scheme. The new SLDR S offers many of the same features, including a 20-gram sliding weight in the sole that allows players to manipulate shot shape up to 30 yards. The weight, positioned on a track behind the face, also helps to produce lower-spinning shots. The bonded SLDR S (no adjustable hosel) has a slightly lower CG than the original, a new paint job (silver crown with black face) and appears larger at address. SLDR S comes in 10°, 12°, 14° and 16° lofts. $329.

TWO PHOTOS

FRED VUICH FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (BALL, BAG)

PHOTO

STUART FRANKLIN/GETTY IMAGES (MOLINARI)

PHOTO

BRIAN HENN (SLDR S)

LIFTOFF Higher-lofted heads enable players with slower swing speeds to get ample launch.