Check out the two significant gear changes Collin Morikawa made before winning the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Given his star power, early success and consistency on the course, it’s easy to forget that Collin Morikawa – who won the 2023 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP – hadn’t won a PGA TOUR event since the 2021 Open Championship.

Certainly, there are longer active winless stretches on the PGA TOUR, but Morikawa had five PGA TOUR victories and two majors to his name before his 25th birthday, so the idling tally marks in his win column were, at least, surprising.

For a golfer like Morikawa, however, finding a weakness in his game isn’t easy. Currently, in the 2022-2023 season, Morikawa ranks 10th in Strokes Gained: Total, 19th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green.

Hitting a squeaky-clean fade shot, Morikawa doesn’t miss shots very often.

Once aboard the green, though, it was Morikawa’s putting that started to raise concerns. In the 2020-21 PGA TOUR season, Morikawa ranked just 178th in Strokes Gained: Putting (he was ranked 1st in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green that season).

Looking to address his putting woes, and develop more consistency on the greens, Morikawa started working with renowned putting instructor Stephen Sweeney – who has a long list of PGA TOUR and global students – at the beginning of 2023.

At the time, Morikawa was using a TaylorMade TP Soto putter, equipped with a stout LA Golf 135-gram composite shaft, which is a growingly popular shaft among fellow PGA TOUR players, including Tom Kim, recent winner of the Shriners Children’s Open.

During Morikawa’s early work with Sweeney, he didn’t make a putter nor shaft change; he stuck with his old gamer throughout most of 2023.

Prior to Summer 2023, however, Morikawa and Sweeney noticed that the differential between the lightweight TP Soto blade putter head, and the heavy graphite shaft, could be affecting his feel. Morikawa didn’t want the stiffness of the shaft to change, though, because he liked the consistency it added to his stroke.

So, Morikawa – and Sweeney – wanted an extra stiff putter shaft, but with an ultra-lightweight construction to better match with his TP Soto blade putter head.

The products that Morikawa tested included a Mitsubishi Diamana P-135 shaft, which uses the same weave and materials that the company uses in its flagship products, and the shaft is designed to reduce torque and increase stability throughout the stroke.

He liked it, but the shaft was still too heavy.

That’s when Mitsubishi got into re-design mode and built Morikawa a 1-of-1 prototype. According to the company, its designers were able to retain the same stiffness as the heavier model, while reducing the weight of the shaft to 105 grams.

With that, Morikawa found his answer.

Prior to the Ryder Cup, Morikawa conducted testing with the Mitsubishi prototype shaft at TaylorMade’s “The Kingdom” facility in Southern California, and he put the new shaft in play for the event.

In his first stroke-play PGA TOUR event using the Mitsubishi Diamana 105-gram prototype shaft, Morikawa won the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP.

Not a bad start.

Morikawa also made a few drastic gear changes during the middle of the 2023 FedExCup Playoffs, too.

Ahead of the BMW Championship, Morikawa switched his golf ball model, and the shafts in his long irons.

Big changes, indeed.

“On Monday, late afternoon at the BMW Championship – so, one day after playing the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis – Collin felt that his driver and woods were spinning too much, and his long irons weren’t launching high enough,” a TaylorMade representative told GolfWRX.com on Monday following the 2023 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. “As for the testing process, TaylorMade’s Tour Team suggested testing the TP5x golf ball for lower spin, higher launch and more stability – especially in crosswinds – and to combine the ball switch with lighter shafts (True Temper Dynamic Gold “Mid” Tour Issue) in the long irons.

“The changes helped create the spin numbers he was looking for with his woods, while maintaining the low-cut shot he prefers, and it held the ball in the air against the wind at the desired launch angle with his long irons. Because of the lower-spinning ball, we then added a little bit of loft to his mid-to-short irons, and he was in total control. The results were more predictable…it was a pretty rigorous test session for it being the day after a playoff event, and then switching to a new golf ball during the playoffs.”

So, after conducting rigorous mid-Playoffs testing, fine-tuning his long game, switching golf balls and changing into a prototype putter shaft, Morikawa found the winner’s circle, once again.

Now, the 26-year-old Morikawa is a six-time PGA TOUR winner (including two majors). And, he has an equipment setup that’s completely dialed in.