Video summary
The video introduces a controversial piece of golf equipment known as the "11-wood," a club that initially appears ridiculous to the host but quickly proves to be a game-changer for long-distance shots. Despite his personal hesitation and physical limitations due to a back injury, the presenter tests this high-lofted fairway wood, which features 27 degrees of loft, comparable to a strong five iron in modern sets. The primary argument presented is that golfers often fixate solely on carry distance while ignoring other critical metrics like launch angle, descent angle, and spin rate. The 11-wood excels by generating steep descent angles around 50 degrees and efficient ball speeds relative to swing speed, allowing it to glide effortlessly through rough and land the ball close to the pin with remarkable consistency.
The host challenges the traditional norms of golf bag construction, noting that while he previously championed unpopular technologies like lab putters and seven woods before they became mainstream, this 11-wood remains an outlier in the current market. He explains that despite hitting incredible shots, including a par five completed with two drives from this club followed by a wedge approach, he refuses to permanently include it in his bag. This reluctance stems not from poor performance, but from a psychological barrier where golfers struggle to accept alternatives outside the established standard. The presenter highlights that even when swinging tentatively due to injury, the club performs better than expected, suggesting it is particularly beneficial for players who need extra help getting the ball airborne or navigating difficult lies.
Ultimately, the video concludes with a reflection on the rigidity of golf culture and the difficulty of adopting new equipment that defies convention. The presenter admits that while he preaches the importance of keeping an open mind to easier alternatives, there are personal limits and boundaries that prevent him from fully embracing such an unconventional club. He acknowledges that no one else in his group carries an 11-wood, reinforcing its status as an oddball that challenges the status quo. Although the data shows impressive efficiency and versatility, the host realizes he is still "stupid" for not putting it in his bag after witnessing its capabilities, yet he maintains his stance that some clubs are simply too different for average golfers to comfortably integrate into their regular rotation.
Read the full video transcript
I've stumbled across a club that, well,
quite honestly, looks ridiculous. But
after testing it, I'm questioning
everything I thought I knew about the
long end of the golf bag. You see, this
club made absolutely zero sense
until I hit one.
And then my mind changed completely.
Wow. You see, this club is one that I'm
not supposed to like. It's not supposed
to be in my bag. It's not supposed to be
anywhere near my bag.
But for some reason, it's very difficult
to ignore.
That's ridiculous.
Hopefully, get on that flag.
Oh.
That's a golf shot.
And for reference as to where this sits
in my bag, that was 162 yd uphill with a
slight breeze into. Now, if you watch
this channel over a number of years,
you'll know that I don't shy away from
having an opinion that is perhaps
different than the norm, the majority.
I was the first person, in my opinion,
to seriously give credit to lab putters
many, many years ago when everyone
thought they were absolute junk. Now
look at everybody.
This channel also looked at seven woods,
promoting them three or four years ago.
Now they're in players' bags. Everyone's
got a seven wood in the bag.
And this product is no different. You're
all going to hate it.
Maybe in two or three years from now,
this video will be relevant. Now, the
reason I referenced that yardage is when
I first picked up this club, it wasn't a
club that I envisaged playing at 162 yd
uphill and into the breeze.
Ah. Now, what was so impressive about
that shot into the screen wasn't the
fact that we found it, but how we did.
Ball flight, ball speed, launch angle,
descent angle, where that stopped within
a couple of feet of where it pitched.
That's what's super impressive about
this golf club and different from an
alternative option. And you see, the
thing for me is when golfers finally
realize that yardage, how far they hit
the ball, is only one part of the
equation, then we might actually start
to get somewhere and see scores lower
because you'll start using clubs like
this. Well, maybe.
Now, I will, of course, record some data
later on in this video and see exactly
what this club is producing. But,
this club is ridiculous because of the
amount of loft it's got on it. It is, of
course, a fairway wood and it's got 27°
of loft. Now, that would compare to
maybe a strong lofted five iron in
today's modern sets of game improvement
irons. The question is, no matter how
good I tell you this club is, I still
think it's one that you're really going
to struggle putting in the bag. And that
for me is where golf
is crazy.
But, not as crazy as I've got as this
club. To be honest with you, I've got a
bloody back injury. I'm swinging what I
would call tentatively. And uh
this is going way different than it
should do, trust me. You know what they
do say, beware of the injured golfer.
And what's odd is, despite how good I
hit this club and how many times I
repeatedly talk about great launch,
great spin, great ball speed, and
everything else,
Oh my god.
It's that ridiculous.
I'm not stupid, I still won't put it in
my bag. And if you're wondering about
all the drama in terms of why not reveal
it, Andy, well, because I know as soon
as I do, you're going to switch off.
But, I know my limits. It's time to come
clean. What is that wood that is under
that cover?
It's an 11-wood.
Don't go. Don't go anywhere cuz I know
you're just dying to switch off because
you're too good for this, aren't you?
Oh, my back is in bulk and I know what
you're thinking.
This club is for your granddad. Well,
it probably is.
But, it's probably for a lot of others
as well that struggle with so many
things
that this club is good with.
And you know what? In all honesty, I
have not hit a single bad shot with this
club when I've been testing it this
morning.
Now, before I go any further, we're
going to jump over to another tee where
I tested earlier to get some average
yardages of this thing. Next thing we
need to do is see where this sits in and
how consistent it is in terms of
performance.
So, earlier we were in around that 160
carry. We've got flightscope on.
What does this do in terms of data?
Nice easy swing. Let's not try and smash
this and uh
Well, it was a solid start.
We're down the fairway.
164 yd carry. I'll have a look at the
numbers a bit closer in a minute or two
because I'm going to hit a fair old uh
few. I'm going to say that, three, four,
or five.
We'll see what it looks like in data
parameters in terms of that launch
angle, descent angle, spin, and that
carry distance. Now, before I go and hit
any other wonderful shot with an 11
wood, yeah, I said that, let's just have
a quick look at those numbers and what
they mean. First thing for me is I've
got to compare it to what is my
equivalent iron. And I would say at that
loft and that that kind of distance, I'm
probably hitting a six iron. So, when I
see my spin in and around what's that,
636163,
then we're starting to produce a spin
number that is Well, it's a nice spin
number in terms of control. But, then
pair it up with those descent angles.
There's a couple there at 50-odd
degrees. That means it's coming down
very, very steep indeed. And
that club head speed ball speed ratio
without going into too much detail means
that it's very efficient. For my for how
fast I'm swinging it, the ball speeds
are really fast. That's the simplest way
of putting it. So, all around from a
data perspective,
if I compared it to my 6 iron,
depending on what you're looking for in
your game, this would stand up and it
would be really really impressive. Now,
then you switch it back to the idea of
I'm swinging slow, I'm an injured
golfer, I'm relying on the club a bit,
it's doing even better than it perhaps
should do. And the other thing I want
when I'm putting a golf club in my bag
is I want some versatility. Where does
it help me out on the golf course? Well,
if I'm sitting
down a little in the rough,
what does this 11 wood do?
>> [gasps and laughter]
>> Well, pretty much what we've seen off
the tee.
Launches the ball super high, doesn't
worry about that rough whatsoever. It's
not the heaviest, don't get me wrong,
but it glides through it, make use of
the width of sole, make use of the CG in
terms of popping a ball up in the air.
Iron alternative?
No-brainer. So, the question then has to
become, why as an average golfer, just
like you, would I have an issue putting
this
Oh, Jesus. I mean, it's
It's unbelievable.
Why would I have a problem putting this
in the bag? What is wrong with me? What
is wrong with you? Because you won't put
it in either. So, the crazy thing about
this video is I've just I'm recording
bits that I don't need to because I'm
going to show you a wedge shot and
that's because we just played a par five
by hitting two 11 woods.
And those two 11 woods have left me well
with a bit of a
a bit of a flick with a wedge, a 56
wedge.
And ironically, this won't go wrong,
will it? No, he won't.
You know golf can be
played in a number of different ways
with a number of different clubs and the
problem we have
we just know how golf is supposed to be
played
and we just stick with that and we
really struggle with anything that sits
outside
of what is the norm, don't we?
Oh, you have an ace in hand. Ah.
Thought we'd have a nice birdie to
finish. Two 11 woods and a 56 degree
wedge. No one ever seen that coming on a
par five.
Look, I'm going to finish there because
I don't need to hit any more 11 woods
and say, "Oh my god, that was amazing."
You get the picture. It performs really
well,
but it is an oddball, isn't it? It's
something that we're not familiar with,
we're not really comfortable with. I
have never played golf with anybody
who's got an 11 wood in the bag, so
therefore it's not normal.
So, for me then to be the first golfer
in my group to put an 11 wood in the
bag,
yeah, it takes a bit, you know what I
mean? So,
I preach a lot on this channel about
opening your mind to all types of
different alternatives to make the game
easier, but I also know there are limits
and there are boundaries that
everybody's and mine just might be an 11
wood for now at least anyway.
But having seen what I've just seen, I
realize I'm also stupid. Right, thanks
for watching. See you soon.