MY BAG: Chris Kirk

"I've struggled in the past to hit a 3-iron high and long enough, but this one flies more like a hybrid."

DRIVER*

PXG

0811 (9°)

pxg.com

Shaft: Mitsubishi

Kuro Kage 60x

mitsubishirayongolf.com

FAIRWAY WOOD

Titleist

915Fd (15°)

titleist.com

Shaft: Mitsubishi

Diamana D+ White 80x

HYBRID

PXG

0317 (17°)

Shaft: Mitsubishi

Diamana D+ White 90x

IRONS

PXG

0311T (3-9)

Shaft: Project X 6.0

pxshaft.com

WEDGES

PXG

0311 (50°, 54°) and

PXG

0311T (59°)

Shaft: True Temper

Dynamic Gold S400

truetemper.com

PUTTER*

Titleist

Scotty Cameron Roundback Plus,35 inches

BALL

Titleist

Pro V1

GRIPS

Golf Pride

Tour Velvet

golfpride.com

*By press time, Kirk had switched to the Callaway Great Big Bertha driver (9°) and the PXG Brandon putter.

TECH TALK

Spring-Loaded

TaylorMade M2 fairway woods

The M2 features a lightweight carbon crown that allows more weight to be distributed low in the head. Whereas its brother, the M1, has sliding weights on the sole for tuning shot shape, there are no weights in the M2. Instead, there's a deep sole channel positioned close to the face—the company calls it the most flexible Speed Pocket to date—that provides more ball speed on shots struck low on the face. The R&D team says impact is similar to how a pinball lever snaps back and through; the Speed Pocket imparts a forward motion, which reduces backspin. Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson, Gary Woodland, Camilo Villegas, J.B. Holmes and Victor Dubuisson are among those playing M2 fairway woods on the PGA Tour. $250 each.

FLUTED HOSEL

The long, light design helps dampen sound at impact.

TWO PHOTOS

KOHJIRO KINNO FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (BAG, BALL)

PHOTO

SAM GREENWOOD/GETTY IMAGES (KIRK)

PHOTO

COURTESY OF TAYLORMADE (FAIRWAY WOOD)