5 Tour Equipment Habits Our Testing Says You Should Copy (And 3 You Shouldn’t)

The best golfers in the world have access to almost anything along with people who work tirelessly to help them find an advantage.

That makes their equipment decisions interesting but it also makes them easy to misinterpret.

Seeing a pro carry a particular club tells us what works for that player. Their choices may or may not translate to the recreational game and we shouldn't assume all of them do.

Using our testing as a backbone, here are five PGA Tour pro gear habits you should borrow … and three you need to think twice about before implementing.

Worth copying: Mixing iron models within your set

Our data is clear that golfers can benefit greatly from using multiple iron models in their bag which is something we commonly see in the pro game.

For instance, when we analyzed player's irons, the Callaway Apex Ai150 ranked 12th for proximity with the 5-iron and 13th with the 7-iron, then jumped to second with the pitching wedge. The Titleist T150 went the other direction: fifth with the 5-iron, second with the 7-iron and 13th with the pitching wedge.

It's just an example but it's worth repeating that irons need to be evaluated in sections rather than grouping all of them together as one cohesive unit.

It may come to light that one iron set is best for you. However, it's worth investigating.

Habit to copy: Evaluate the long, middle and short irons separately. A blended set is worth exploring if different models solve different problems. Before ordering, check the carry gaps through the transition.

Worth copying: Letting wedge shots help choose your golf ball

Justin Thomas began his recent Titleist ball-testing session with chips and pitches around the green. Before moving through the rest of the bag, he evaluated how the candidates felt, flew, spun and reacted on the short-game shots he needed to play.

We think of ball testing as being primarily about driver stats and spin rates but control on wedge shots is just as critical.

Our 2026 ball test found meaningful differences around the green. The Callaway Chrome Tour X, Titleist Pro V1x and Srixon Z-Star Diamond were the only three balls to exceed 5,900 rpm in the greenside test. At the other end, the Titleist Velocity generated barely half the spin of the Chrome Tour X.

That doesn't make maximum spin the right answer for everyone but it does mean a ball choice can change the shots available to you.

Habit to copy: Include your regular chips and pitches when comparing balls. Watch the flight and rollout, then evaluate approach shots and driver performance before settling on a model. A few extra yards off the tee shouldn't make the entire decision.

Worth copying: Comparing putters from several distances

A putter can be successful from one range and disastrous from another. Don't overlook that.

For example, after trying a Bettinardi BB48 mid-mallet this year, Matt Fitzpatrick returned to his BB1 Flow prototype. He explained that his blade's make rates were better, particularly from five to 15 feet, even though his broader Strokes Gained comparison had been fairly similar. Fitzpatrick prioritized that critical range where he needed more confidence.

Our 2026 mallet test demonstrates how performance can change with distance. The Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.2R led the field on long putts but finished below average at medium range.

This isn't a comparison between that retail Scotty Cameron and Fitzpatrick's custom Bettinardi but it's a reason to look more closely at why you are choosing a putter.

Habit to copy: Give putter candidates a meaningful trial from short, medium and long range. Record makes and the distance of your misses. A few satisfying 10-foot putts on a shop's practice green provide a very small sample.

Worth copying: Test wedges beyond a perfect, dry lie

Tour wedge testing involves more than clipping attractive pitches from good grass.

TaylorMade's Hi-Toe 5 testing with Tommy Fleetwood includes bunkers, tight lies, rough and full swings. You know, all the short-game shots that are going to happen.

For everyday golfers, moisture deserves a place in that evaluation.

The difference in our 2026 wedge test was striking. On dry 50-yard shots, all 15 models fell within a 488-rpm spin range. With water added, the spread exceeded 3,700 rpm.

The Vokey SM11 averaged 6,857 rpm dry and 6,860 wet-effectively unchanged. The Performance Golf ONE.1 went from 7,217 to 3,506 rpm. Its higher dry-spin number concealed a substantial loss when wet.

Habit to copy: Evaluate wedges in conditions that resemble your rounds, including moisture. If you regularly play through morning dew, dry-range performance leaves a consequential question unanswered.

Worth copying: Giving a higher-lofted fairway wood a chance

We've talked about this one a lot so I won't linger too long on it.

Our fairway wood testing shows why distance alone is an incomplete measure. The COBRA OPTM LS was third-longest for total distance in 2026 but it also produced the lowest launch, lowest spin, lowest peak height and shallowest descent angle in the field. That combination deserves scrutiny if the club's main job is approaching greens.

Look beyond the final yardage because there is more to it than carry numbers.

Habit to copy: Test a higher-lofted wood against the long iron you struggle to use. Compare carry, dispersion, height and how the shots land. The club that travels farthest isn't automatically the one that fills the gap best.

You can skip: Automatically making room for a 60-degree wedge

Enter controversy.

Pros may carry a 60-degree wedge as routinely as the rest of us carry a wallet but that doesn't mean we should match them.

The amateur data calls for a measured argument here.

In Shot Scope data, average golfers were far better off with lower-lofted wedges in terms of up-and-down percentage.

The numbers don't justify declaring the lob wedge a disaster for amateurs-particularly if we're talking about low-handicap players-but it's worth thinking of the lob wedge as a tool that needs to have a defined purpose rather than an assumed player on your team.

Give the lob wedge a job before giving it a slot. Which shots does it handle better than your sand wedge? How often do you face them? If it provides a useful option, keep it. If you rarely use it effectively, that space deserves another look.

You can skip: Treating your 3-wood as a "fairway finder"

Conventional wisdom suggests a 3-wood should be treated as a more accurate version of your driver when the moment calls for it.

However, this thinking is far more meaningful for Tour pros than it is for amateur golfers.

For recreational golfers, accuracy advantages are virtually non-existent with a fairway wood instead of a driver. And the loss of distance can make using one off the tee a poor option if the main consideration is accuracy.

Shot Scope tee-shot data showed that 15-handicappers hit 47 percent of fairways with driver versus 46 percent with 3-wood while giving up 12 yards with the shorter club. Ten-handicappers improved their fairway percentage from 49 to 52 percent by choosing 3-wood-but sacrificed 26 yards. Even five-handicappers gained only two percentage points while surrendering 16 yards.

This will vary golfer to golfer but it shouldn't be assumed that your fairway wood is a fairway finder.

The predictability pros have with fairway woods means that they can be used for a wider variety of options. For example, Justin Thomas used one off the tee in 30 percent of his tee shots when he won the Players Championship a few years ago.

They also have greater ability to flight down and shape fairway woods so it's just not the same when comparing it to amateur golfers.

Skip assuming your 3-wood is a safer option off the tee. Use your own analytics to understand shot value between driver and fairway woods.

You can skip: Replacing clubs on a predictable schedule

Pros replace wedges frequently and often change into the latest driver model when it comes out. They can sometimes set their schedules to getting fresh clubs.

Amateurs might feel pressure to keep pace with some of those changes but it's really not necessary.

Don't get me wrong. Wear still matters. In our accelerated groove-wear test, a new 56-degree Vokey SM10 averaged 7,021 rpm on 50-yard shots. After 500 bunker shots, it averaged 3,737 rpm. Carry distance variability also increased.

But pros are going to hit a lot more shots than a recreational player, quickly accumulating wear. Plus, they have access to change out equipment whenever they want (even if they don't have to do it).

As for drivers, it would be a fool's game to update with each model change or even every three model changes. Can the latest and greatest beat your gamer? If it can't, it doesn't matter how shiny the face is.

Your equipment is worth monitoring for performance changes but you don't need to automatically renew based on the calendar.

Skip copying a professional's replacement calendar. Use your playing and practice volume as reasons to inspect performance.

So those are the takeaways. What are your thoughts? Let me know below in the comments.

Top Photo Caption: Austin Eckroat decides on a club at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (GETTY IMAGES)