Updated October 2, 2021. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
The Rundown:
List’s 2022 Driver: TaylorMade SIM Driver
“With Twist Face technology and a speed-injected face, the SIM driver provides forgiveness and faster swings. Expect reduced golf ball spin, less slice and hooks, only if you’re ready to pay a premium – you can’t go wrong with the SIM Driver.”
List’s 2022 Fairway Wood: TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Wood
“The SIM Max delivers an astonishing distance with its V-Steel sole that reduces friction and Speed Pocket that increases ball speed. For increased yardage on all swings, the TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Wood is your best bet.”
List’s 2022 Utility Iron: Callaway X-Forged Utility Iron
“The X-Forged Iron has a high level of forgiveness with a dependable sweet spot exceptional at shot-making. For the weekend warrior looking to produce more yardage and better accuracy, Callaway’s X-Forged Utility Iron is the perfect club!”
Known for his exceptionally long drives on the PGA Tour, Luke List routinely hits the ball further than 320 yards off the tee box.
List turned heads when he finished 6th in 2019’s PGA Championship. Yet to win his first PGA tournament title, List has claimed victory twice on the Korn Ferry Tour.
In tournaments, he uses a wide range of clubs with companies such as TaylorMade, Callaway, and Titleist represented.
In this Luke List WITB, we’ll take a look at what clubs the 35-year old golfer carries and how his choices could bring new life to your game.
Luke List WITB: Every Club He Uses in 2022
What’s in List’s Bag?
TaylorMade SIM Driver
Best tour-level driver for advanced golfers
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PROS
- Asymmetrical sole optimizes the speed of the club in the impact zone for boost in distance
- Speed Injected Twist Face gives the golfer more forgiveness while increasing swing speed
- Adjustable weighting and loft sleeve provide full customization of your shotmaking
CONS
- Sophisticated driver certainly doesn’t play well for beginning golfers and high handicappers
On the tee box, very few golfers hit it as far as Luke List. His weapon of choice for launching golf balls 320 yards down the fairway is the TaylorMade SIM Driver. The company, best known for the M-Series of drivers has outdone themselves with the SIM series.
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The SIM driver, also used by Hideki Matsuyama, focuses its attention on reducing the spin of your golf ball for less slices and hooks. While the SIM might not be as forgiving as its little brother, the SIM Max, the driver uses a lower weight in the rear of the clubhead to create the swing speed and launch angle that will provide you with the best drives of your career.
Other features include Twist Face Technology to boost forgiveness, a Speed-Injected Face for a hotter, faster swing, and a sliding weight that rests behind the clubface to dial in the perfect customization for your shot.
A fantastic driver worth all the accolades, the TaylorMade SIM Driver is a marvelous piece of golfing equipment.
TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Wood
Best fairway wood for mid handicappers
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PROS
- V-Steel sole provides better turf interaction with reduced friction for cleaner contact
- Speed Pocket behind the club face helps create fantastic swing speed, great for slower swingers
- Dramatic launch with stunning distance, can easily be used as alternative to driver on shorter holes
CONS
- As expensive as most first-rate drivers, but worth the price due to performance
When it comes to what List uses for his heaviest lifting off the tee box, the 35-year old golfer uses the latest innovative driver and fairway woods from TaylorMade. The SIM Max Fairway Wood provides all the creativity and ingenuity you’d expect from the longtime golf equipment manufacturer.
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This low profile, high-performance club definitely creates the launch and distance that all professional golfers crave from their secondary woods. Features such as the V-Steel sole plate reduces friction with the turf for better efficiency and higher swing speed.
This fairway wood will run you a few hundred dollars, more than some frontline drivers, but if you are looking to increase the range of your game, this club can add serious yardage.
Wisely, List sticks with TaylorMade for doing his most damage and the SIM Max Fairway Wood delivers mind-blowing distance.
Callaway Utility Iron
Best utility iron for low handicappers
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PROS
- One-piece construction provides exceptional shot making ability with small, but dependable sweet spot
- High level of forgiveness even though the iron has shorter face
- Extremely long from fairway or even when using on the tee box
CONS
- Hard to hit for inexperienced golfers who need easier clubs for their skill set
The Callaway X-Forged Utility Iron is one of Luke List’s secret weapons. Since List can hit the ball just about longer than anyone on tour, a utility iron allows him the freedom to gain more control and shot shaping ability from anywhere on the fairway.
When List finds himself facing a long iron shot on a par 5, he can use the Callaway iron to control the height of his shot with exceptional distance control.
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For the weekend warrior, a utility iron, such as this one from Callaway, can help produce more yardage off the tee box with better accuracy through tighter hitting areas.
While utility irons are not right for every golfer, especially those who are just learning the game, advanced golfers will certainly see the true benefit of the Callaway X-Forged Utility Iron over time.
Titleist T100 Irons
Best players’ iron for low handicappers
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PROS
- Exceptional balance with high-density tungsten body that evenly distributes weight in sole
- Marvelous turf interaction precisely cuts through the grass for higher contact point and better spin
- One-piece construction provides dependable feel and response throughout swing
CONS
- Since these are considered a players’ iron, tough for beginners to find consistency due to steep learning curve
List depends on the Titleist T100 Irons for his play from the fairway. These players’ irons offer a combination of precision and feel that rank among the best irons on the market. The full-forged construction creates a solid and consistent response that provides instant feedback to the golfer at impact.
The reason Luke plays with these irons and not traditional blade irons is because of how they react with the turf. The T100 iron has a longer sole that smoothly cuts through the turf to get the ball centered on the club face for maximum distance and ideal shot shape.
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You should be warned, these irons are designed for advanced players only. High handicappers and beginning golfers will struggle to find consistency with these irons due to the higher level of skill needed to take full advantage of their performance.
An incredible iron set worth its weight in gold, the Titleist T100 irons lift the game of any low handicapper who is looking to take that final step to be among the best.
Titleist Vokey Wedges
Best wedges for mid handicappers
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PROS
- Lower center of gravity boosts shot height for higher, softer landing on greens
- Out of sand and deep rough, Vokey Wedge produces jaw-dropping spin
- Deep spin milled grooves create outstanding spin for better control
CONS
- Very pricey wedges made for advanced golfers, but great for mid handicappers
The Titleist Vokey Wedges are another high-level addition to List’s bag. The Vokey models are widely considered one of the best ever created and once you take them on the course, you’ll quickly see why due to their performance.
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The thin head, large sole body of the Vokey wedge allows the club to easily slide underneath the golf ball for maximum spin on any type of shot. While these wedges certainly shine in the thick rough and sand, they are incredibly accurate from the fairway with a high spin rate.
Again, as with the clubs of most professionals, the Vokey wedges are expensive, but their performance is unmatched. Titleist offers plenty of sole grinds and loft options to help you round out your bag.
Utilizing deep, spin milled grooves, the Titleist Vokey wedge creates maximum spin on every swing for shot making capabilities that raise the game of any amateur.
Axis1 Rose Putter
Best luxury mallet putter for advanced golfers
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PROS
- Heavier head creates slower, more dependable swing that delivers outstanding roll
- Winged mallet provides excellent balance with more dependable and accurate roll
- Offset gives golfer clear line of sight to the ball for better perception
CONS
- High priced putter, but the performance is well worth the cost
Luke uses Justin Rose’s putter from Axis1 on the greens. The Axis1 Rose Putter is a winged mallet that can easily be classified as a heavy putter due to its 355 gram head.
The best feature on the Rose putter is the milled plated face. What most golfers want with their putters is feel and control. You’ll find both on the Axis1 Rose Putter. The solid feel helps steer your putts along the target line with a clean roll that will satisfy you.
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While this putter understandably doesn’t fit into everyone’s budget, it could win you over with its performance. On long putts, the Axis1 provides a smooth takeaway and finish for a straight roll that you can rely upon on tough to read surfaces.
The Axis1 Rose Putter won us over by maintaining a high level of reliability and performance from anywhere on the green.
Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls
Best golf ball for low handicappers
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PROS
- Low spin off the tee box for truer flight with more consistency and better accuracy
- High spin around the green for shot-stopping power that rivals any golf ball
- Urethane cover is soft for improved feel, while enhanced core increases ball speed
CONS
- Most expensive golf ball on the market, but produces unlike any other
List uses Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls because of the distance and feel that the tour-level golf ball provides throughout the round. Routinely played by top professionals around the world, the Pro V1 offers consistent flight with high spin around the green.
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Since List is one of the longest hitters on tour, he needs a golf ball with next-level compression and low penetrating shot height. The Pro V1 stays low spin for less extreme shot shape, allowing you to keep the ball in the fairway, even when your impact zone goes off-center.
For amateurs, playing with a ball like a Pro V1 can revolutionize their game. Not only will they find that the Pro V1 works better from the fairway, but they’ll see dependability that few golf balls can mimic.
The Titleist Pro V1 remains one of the best golf balls ever produced. And regardless of your skill level, you’ll find that this golf ball can improve your game from tee box to green.
Questions & Answers
Can a Higher Lofted Driver Provide More Yardage?
Yes, if you are struggling to keep the ball in the air on your drives, switching to a driver with more loft can help you extend your distance. For beginners and high handicappers that cannot lift the ball into the air, a high lofted driver, something around 12 degrees in loft, can dramatically improve the quality of the drives.
But this advice comes with a warning. For golfers who are hitting the ball too high, a higher lofted driver will only worsen the issue. Instead, you need a lower lofted driver, something 9.5-degrees and under.
How Can You Hit a Ball Higher With Your Irons?
To hit the ball higher with irons, there are two steps you can take to create a better launch. The first is move the ball up slightly in your stance. You need compression from impact that comes higher on the clubface to lift the ball. Too many golfers try to hit the ball thin and sweep it, rather than starting a divot directly behind the ball and allowing it to find the center of the face.
But having the ball too far back in your stance won’t allow you to lift the ball, but rather hit a low line drive that cuts through wind, but doesn’t have much distance. Moving your impact point at address to the inside of your front leg, should put you in the ideal position to hit the golf ball with more lift.
Another way you can create more launch angle with your irons is to purchase irons that have a lower center of gravity. Large soled irons usually help lift because the point of impact is lower on the face with more trajectory.
Can You Create More Spin With a Wedge?
Yes, you can create more spin with a wedge through a few different methods.
The first is by altering your stance. Let’s say that you are hitting a moderate pitch shot that needs to clear a bunker and stop quickly on the green. By opening your stance and the club face on your wedge, you can use an outside-inside swing to slide the face underneath the golf ball. The swing will create high RPMs that cause the ball to lift high and land soft with shot-stopping spin.
Another way to create more spin with a wedge is by sharpening your grooves. Deep, sharp grooves grip the outer layer of the golf ball, creating friction that produces spin. You can sharpen your wedge’s grooves either through a professional service or via a tool that you can buy online or at any golf superstore.
The final way to increase spin is by buying a new wedge altogether. Professional golfers routinely use new wedges each week to ensure they have wedges that spin at high rates.
How does a golf ball affect your short game?
A golf ball can affect your golf game through distance and spin rates. Two-piece golf balls fly farther than some multi-layer golf balls, but they don’t offer the sophistication of a tour-level golf ball.
The spin rate on multi-piece balls is higher than those found with two-piece golf balls because the outer layer, or skin, is thinner and provides more grip when contacted by the grooves on a club.
High handicappers don’t necessarily need the sophistication of a multi-piece ball because they should focus on consistency and fundamental development. Low handicappers, however, need the high spin and long distance mix that tour-level golf balls provide.