Victor Hovland WITB 2023 – What’s In Victors Bag – Club Breakdowns

Victor Hovland WITB 2023 – What’s In Victors Bag – Club Breakdowns

2020 was a good year for Viktor Hovland. In February, he claimed his first PGA tour victory by winning the Puerto Rico Open. Then, before the year was over, he claimed his second PGA tour victory at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

He is the first Norwegian in PGA history to snag a Tour victory and he is only 23-years old! So everyone will be looking to see how he follows up his breakout season and what will be in his bag.

Quick Facts

Age:	23
Height:	5’10”
Born:	Oslo, Norway
Birthday:	September 18th, 1997
PGA Tour wins:	2
Drive distance:	303.90 yards (average)

What’s In Victor’s Bag?

Driver	Ping G425 LST – 9 Degrees
Woods	TaylorMade SIM – 14.5 Degrees
Irons	Callaway X Forged UT – 21 Degrees Ping i210 Irons – 4-PW
Wedges	Ping Glide 3.0 – (50, 55 Degrees) Vokey WedgeWorks – (60 Degrees)
Putter	Ping PLD Prototype Putter

Driver – Ping G425 LST – 9 Degrees

Shaft: Project X Hzrdus Smoke RDX Black

Selling Points:

• Pear-shaped head
• Titanium forged face
• Weight shifter

Key Features:

The 17 gram adjustable rear weighting is effective for fitting the swing of most players as you can shift it according to draw, neutral and fade.

The smaller 450cc head and forged face effectively reduce spin for better ball speed and straighter flight.

available in 9 and 10.5 degrees of loft but Hovland prefers the 9 degree version to wrangle a bit more distance from the club.

Pros:

• Good internal weighting
• 8 hosel settings
• Stock Arccos Caddie Smart grips

Cons:

• Small face
• Doesn’t sound great

Overall Score: 96/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

TaylorMade SIM 3 Wood – 14.5 Degrees

 

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei Blue AV

Selling Points

• V Steel Sole
• Carbon crown
• Twist face technology

Key Features:

The SIM woods utilize a slightly curved face that helps to reduce side spin. And with less spin, ball speed and distance is increased.

The lightweight carbon crown also allows more weight to be internalized behind the sweet spot without increasing the overall club weight.

The Taylormade SIM fairway woods are available in 14, 15 and 19 degrees of loft while Hovland has his custom-set to 14.5.

Pros:

• Adjustable loft (+/- 2)
• Great launch angle
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Chips easily
• Low face height

Overall Score: 98/100

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Driving Iron – Callaway X Forged UT – 21 Degrees

 

Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI

Selling Points

• Hollow body construction
• Flash Face cup
• Tungsten weighting

Key Features:

Hovland will be using the Callaway X Forged UT driving iron set to 21 degrees this year.

It’s made of mild carbon steel and sports a hollow body design which gives it a very soft feel.

Higher swing speed players will be able to get great distance from this club while the Flash Face cup provides good spin control.

Pros:

• Very stable feel
• Good face flex
• Weighted nicely

Cons:

• Not for slow swing speeds
• More for distance than precision

Overall Score: 94/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Ping i210 Irons – 4-PW

 

Shafts: KBS Tour-V

Selling Points

• Elastomer insert
• Machined grooves
• Leading edge

Key Features:

Overall, these irons have a great feel. The wider, rounded sole profile combined with a leading edge make getting under tough lies much easier. The sharp edge radius of the machined grooves give these irons a tighter feel when you need acute spin control on approaches.

Pros:

• Very soft feel
• Good vibration dampening
• Great on approaches

Cons:

• Not great for distance
• Not for beginners

Overall Score: 93/100

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Wedges – Ping Glide 3.0 – (50, 55 Degrees)

 

Shafts: KBS Tour-V

Selling Points

• Milled grooves
• Elastomer cushion
• Enhanced offset

Key Features:

These wedges were made to be pleasing to the eye for the player. And with the enhanced offset, they are surprisingly user-friendly. But the greenside spin control is really where it’s at with these wedges. They feature progressive groove profiles for more control with each wedge.

Pros:

• Multiple grind options
• Many shaft options
• Golf Pride and Ping grips

Cons:

• Pretty expensive
• Relatively small club heads

Overall Score: 95/100

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Wedges – Vokey WedgeWorks – (60 Degrees)

 

Shaft: KBS Tour-V

Selling Points:

• Cambered sole (K grind)
• Wide back flange (T grind)
• Tour-grade

Key Features:

The Vokey wedges are known for customization.

They are available in a number of grinds that emphasize low bounce, address club face rotation and come in a number of finishes. Hovland uses a 60 degree custom Vokey wedge.

Pros:

• They look great
• Highly customizeable
• Amazing turf interaction

Cons:

• Expensive
• Limited spin control

Overall Score: 96/100

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Putter – Ping PLD Prototype Putter

 

Selling Points:

• High MOI
• Compact
• Permodized graphics

Key Features:

Hovland uses a one of a kind Ping PLD prototype putter. PLD stands for Putting Lab Design. Ping allows users to basically design their own putters therefore each one is a unique line. But one common factor of all PLD putters is a very high MOI.

Pros:

• Great feel
• Multiple head shapes
• Many graphic options

Cons:

• Very limited run
• Each one is at least a little different

Overall Score: 92/100

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Ball – Titleist Pro V1

 

Selling Points:

• Tetrahedral dimples
• Low spin casing layer
• ZG Process core

Key Features:

The Pro V1 balls feature a casing layer with a high flex.

The casing is made of an ionomer material that is designed to reduce spin on drives and for wood and longer irons. And the firm core is congenial to faster swing speeds and garners more distance.

The low profile tetrahedral dimple design (388) smooths out the flight of these balls for longer carry distance and less drag.

Pros:

• Soft feel
• Great drop and stop capability
• Consistent flight trajectory

Cons:

• For fast swing speeds
• Low flight

Overall Score: 98/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Caddie

On the bag for Hovland in 2021 is Shay Knight. Shay Knight has been caddie for Jerry Kelly, Aron Price and Matt Jones just to name a few.

Hovland met Knight in 2020 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic (which Hovland went on to win) and he replaced Alan Bratton (Hovland’s college coach and former caddie) as Hovland went pro.