Xander Schauffele switches drivers before Ryder Cup

New gear at the Ryder Cup is usually limited to custom footwear, but this week, Xander Schauffele will be taking on Whistling Straits with a new driver. The Olympic gold medalist is moving from an Epic Speed Triple Diamond to an Epic Speed Triple Diamond LS.

According to Callaway, the switch is the final piece in the optimization puzzle that began when Schauffele made the switch into the Chrome Soft X LS ball (the LS stands for low spin) in early June, before a run that saw him finish in the top-10 in the U.S. Open and win the Olympic men’s golf competition.

Schauffele is committed to using the ball for its across-the-bag performance, but the lower spin rate was compromising his ability to hit the tight draw he prefers off the tee.

In a quick-fix solution ahead of the TOUR Championship, Callaway TOUR rep Kellen Watson, installed a Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 7 X shaft to help Schauffele squeeze out some more spin with his driver. Schauffele continued his East Lake success that week, shooting the third-lowest 72-hole score of the week to finish fifth in the FedExCup.

However, for Schauffele and Callaway, a solution that allowed him to keep his Graphite Design Tour AD BB 7 X shaft in play was the ultimate goal. According to Callaway’s Johnny Wunder, Xander and the Callaway team were in pursuit of the following Trackman numbers.

Stock shot: 2,200-2,400 RPM

5-yard draw: 2,200-2,400 RPM

Fairway finder: 2,600-2,700 RPM

Fade: 2,400-2,600 RPM

Working with Watson; Callaway’s Senior VP of Global Sports Marketing, Tim Reed; and his father, Stefan, Xander discovered a switch that helped him attain those numbers. He switched to a 10.5-degree Callaway Epic Speed LS Triple Diamond head (set to 9 degrees) with the Tour AD BB 7 X shaft. The head is designed to create less spin, but tuning down the loft – which opens the face, a look Schauffele prefers – added the RPMs Schauffele was looking for and allowed his draw to fly slightly higher and farther.