Ever watch Collin Morikawa flush a laser-straight iron shot and think to yourself, How does he do that? While his silky smooth swing is obviously the main ingredient, the tools he uses play a significant role. This article breaks down every single club in Collin Morikawa's golf bag, explaining not just *what* he plays, but *why* he plays it. You'll get a professional's insight into his equipment choices and learn how his tour-level strategy can help you make smarter decisions about your own clubs.
Collin Morikawa’s 2024 WITB: A Coach’s Breakdown
Collin Morikawa’s bag is a fantastic example of a modern tour pro’s setup. It's not about playing the hardest-to-hit clubs, it's about optimizing performance, managing misses, and playing to his strengths. He’s with TaylorMade, and his bag is a beautifully blended set of their products, each piece strategically chosen for a specific purpose.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 Max (9 degrees)
At the top of the bag, Collin plays the TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver, typically set at 9 degrees. This choice might surprise some golfers who assume a top player would use the lower-spinning LS model. However, this is a perfect first lesson from Morikawa’s setup.
The Qi10 Max is the most forgiving head in the Qi10 lineup. It's designed to offer maximum stability on off-center hits and help promote a straighter ball flight. For Collin, who is not the longest hitter on tour but one of the most accurate, this makes perfect sense. His game is built on finding fairways, and the Max head gives him the confidence to swing freely without worrying about a big miss. The high MOI (Moment of Inertia) means that when he doesn't catch it perfectly on the sweet spot, the drop-off in distance and accuracy is minimal.
What You Can Learn From This
You don't need the "pro" model! The biggest mistake I see amateur golfers make is choosing a driver that's built for swing speeds and strike consistency they don't have. Prioritizing forgiveness is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of intelligence. Finding the fairway more often, even if it costs you a few potential yards on your absolute best swings, will lower your scores far more effectively than hitting one long bomb followed by a drive that’s out-of-bounds. Take a page out of Collin's book and test a more forgiving driver head. You might be shocked at your improved consistency.
Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees) & TaylorMade SIM (19 degrees)
Collin’s fairway wood setup is a great mix of old and new. He uses a modern TaylorMade Qi10 3-wood (often referred to as a "rocket 3-wood" because of its strong loft) and a much older TaylorMade SIM 5-wood.
- 3-Wood: The Qi10 3-wood is a versatile weapon. The strong 13.5-degree loft makes it a cannon off the tee on tight par-4s, but it's still forgiving enough to hit high, soft shots into par-5s. It utilizes TaylorMade’s speed pocket technology to maintain ball speed on shots hit low on the face, a common miss with fairway woods.
- 5-Wood: Seeing an older SIM in his bag is awesome. This highlights a critical point: if a club works, it works. Players develop immense trust in certain clubs, especially fairway woods, which are notoriously difficult to replace. The 19-degree SIM is his go-to for long approach shots from the fairway or even from light rough. He knows exactly how it will fly and react, and that confidence is worth more than any new technology could promise.
What You Can Learn From This
Don't just chase the newest gear. That old 5-wood or hybrid in your bag that you hit pure every time? Don't feel pressured to replace it just because a new model came out. For an average golfer, the mental confidence you have standing over a trusted club is a massive advantage. Also, consider the roles of your fairway woods. A strong 3-wood can be a fantastic "small driver," while a higher-lofted 5-wood or 7-wood can be much easier to hit from the grass than a long iron.
Irons: TaylorMade P-770 (4-iron), P-7MC (5-6), P-7CM (7-PW)
Welcome to Collin Morikawa's office. His irons are where he truly makes his living, and his setup is a masterclass in personalized equipment. He plays a "combo" or "split" set, blending three different models to get the exact performance he needs from each club.
- Long Iron (4-iron): TaylorMade P-770. The P-770 is a "player's distance" iron. It has a forged, hollow-body construction with a thin face and internal tungsten weighting. This design packs more ball speed and forgiveness into a compact, traditional-looking shape. For his longest iron, Collin wants that little bit of extra help to launch the ball high and land it softly from long range.
- Mid Irons (5-6 irons): TaylorMade P-7MC. The "MC" stands for Muscle Cavity. These are a single-piece forged iron that offers an incredible feel with a touch more perimeter weighting than a pure blade. They provide the perfect blend of workability - the ability to hit fades and draws on command - with enough stability to handle less-than-perfect strikes. These are his transition irons.
- Scoring Irons (7-iron through Pitching Wedge): TaylorMade P-7CM. This is the special stuff. The "CM" stands for Collin Morikawa, as these are prototypes made exactly to his specifications. They are a pure muscle-back blade, designed for maximum feel and control. When Collin is in scoring range, he wants zero surprises. The blade design allows him to control trajectory and spin with surgical precision. Hitting down on the ball, he can flight a 7-iron low into the wind or hit a high, soft floater just by how he delivers the club. This level of control is why he’s considered one of the best iron players in the world.
What You Can Learn From This
This is probably the most valuable lesson in Collin’s bag. You do not have to play one iron model from 4-iron to pitching wedge. Most amateurs would benefit hugely from a combo set. Think about it: a more forgiving, easier-to-launch model for your long irons (4, 5, 6-iron), and a more controllable, feel-oriented cavity-back or muscle-back design for your scoring clubs (8, 9, PW). This gives you help where you need it most (long approaches) and precision where it's at a premium (attacking pins). Ask your local club-fitter about blending iron sets. It could completely change your game.
Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 (50°, 56°, 60°)
To complement his deadly iron play, Collin carries three TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 (MG4) wedges. These wedges are known for their sharp grooves, raw face that rusts over time for enhanced spin, and versatile grinds.
His gapping is typically 50° (essentially his gap wedge), 56° (sand wedge), and 60° (lob wedge). This setup gives him consistent yardage gaps between his pitching wedge and his highest-lofted club. The key with tour pro wedges isn't just the loft, but the bounce and grind. The grind refers to the shaping of the sole, which affects how the club interacts with the turf. Collin uses different grinds on his wedges to give him versatility for various shots - from tight lies, to thick rough, to soft sand.
What You Can Learn From This
Know your gaps! Do you know how far you hit your pitching wedge? Your sand wedge? If there's a 30-yard gap between them, you have a problem. Adding a gap wedge (usually around 50°-52°) can give you a full-swing club for those awkward in-between yardages. More importantly, get fitted for your wedge bounce. A player who sweeps the ball in firm conditions needs a different bounce than a player who digs in soft conditions. The right bounce makes chipping exponentially easier.
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto Blade
Collin Morikawa’s ball striking is legendary, but his putting has occasionally been his weak link. He’s been known to experiment with different putters, but currently, he uses a classic blade-style putter, the TaylorMade TP Soto. The most interesting part of his putter isn't the head, but the grip he uses - a SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 1.0P.
This thicker, non-tapered grip is designed to quiet the hands and wrists during the stroke, promoting a more stable, shoulder-driven motion. For a player who may have a tendency to get "handsy" under pressure, a grip like this can be a game-changer by forcing a more repeatable-stroke. It’s a clear sign that he is actively working to improve the weakest part of his game.
What You Can Learn From This
Finding the right putter is a personal journey. Don't be afraid to experiment! If you're struggling on the greens, changing your putter grip is one of the easiest and most cost-effective changes you can make. A thicker grip can help if you're yippy, while a thinner grip can give more feel to a player who relies on their touch. Second, even the best players in the world work on their weaknesses. Acknowledge what part of your game holds you back and be proactive in trying new equipment or techniques to fix it.
Golf Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
The final piece of the puzzle is his golf ball, the TaylorMade TP5x. The "x" model is the firmer, faster-spinning version of the TP5. It's designed for lower spin with the driver and long irons for more distance, but maintains high spin around the greens for maximum control on chips and pitches. This fits Collin's game perfectly, providing the distance he needs off the tee while giving him the stopping power required for his elite iron and wedge game.
What You Can Learn From This
Your golf ball is the only piece of equipment you use on every single shot. Don't just play whatever you find in the woods. Test a few different models to see how they feel off the putter and how they react around the greens. Finding a ball that feels good and gives you PREDICTABLE performance can provide a huge boost of confidence.
Final Thoughts
Collin Morikawa's bag is a brilliant case study in thoughtful equipment selection. It’s a carefully crafted arsenal where every club has a specific job, blending forgiveness for consistency with precision for scoring. His setup proves that smart choices that play to your strengths are far more effective than simply choosing the most advanced or "tour-looking" clubs.
Understanding your game like Morikawa understands his - knowing your shot patterns, miss-tendencies, and yardage gaps - is the first step toward building a better bag. It can be hard to spot these patterns on your own, which is where personalized coaching can be a huge help. With a tool like Caddie AI, you can get tour-level analysis of your game, pinpointing exactly where your equipment might be hindering improvement. By analyzing your shot data, we help you understand if you need a more forgiving driver or different wedge lofts, taking the guesswork out of building a set that truly supports your game.