Ernie Els, with his famously smooth, powerful swing, is a walking lesson in rhythm and tempo, an approach affectionately dubbed the Big Easy that has earned him four major championships. The clubs he chooses are a direct reflection of this philosophy, blending modern forgiveness with the classic feel he’s trusted for decades. This article will take you on a detailed tour of Ernie Els’ current golf bag, offering a club-by-club breakdown and, more importantly, coaching insights you can directly apply to your own game.
While many tour pros opt for the lowest-spinning, most demanding drivers on the market, Ernie takes a different approach. His trust is placed in a XXIO X Driver, typically set at 10.5 degrees and paired with a Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 60 TX shaft. This choice might surprise people who associate pros exclusively with brands marketed heavily on tour, but it’s a brilliant move that holds a valuable lesson.
XXIO drivers are engineered with a strong focus on being lightweight and easy to swing, promoting a sense of effortlessness to help generate clubhead speed. For a player like Ernie, who built a career on liquid-smooth tempo rather than brute force, this equipment philosophy aligns perfectly. He doesn’t need a driver to fix a flaw or manufacture more speed, he needs one that complements and enhances his natural rhythm.
Many amateur golfers buy the same driver they see a 25-year-old bomber use on TV, and then they wonder why they struggle to hit the fairway. These drivers are often low-spinning to combat incredibly high swing speeds and demand a very precise strike on the face. Ernie’s choice reminds us to prioritize workability and forgiveness over pure, aggressive specs.
Ask yourself: Does my driver feel easy to swing, or do I feel like I have to launch an all-out assault on the ball to make it perform? If it’s the latter, you might be fighting your equipment. Like Ernie, look for a driver head and shaft combination that feels like a natural partner to your tempo. You might discover that a slightly more forgiving model, or even a lighter shaft, allows you to swing smoother and find more fairways - ultimately leading to longer, more playable drives.
Continuing his partnership with XXIO, Ernie also carries a matching XXIO X 3-wood (15 degrees). This club serves a dual purpose: it’s a reliable alternative to the driver on tight tee shots and a powerful weapon for attacking par-5s in two. His shaft choice remains consistent with the driver, showing a dedication to a uniform feel at the top of his bag.
The choice to carry just one fairway wood speaks volumes. Instead of filling his bag with multiple woods or hybrids, Ernie relies on his extraordinary skill with his long irons to bridge the gap. This setup is all about consistency and knowing your weapons inside and out. He knows a 3-wood is generally easier to control than a driver, and he has masterful command over his irons, creating distinct and reliable yardage gaps without extra clubs.
Think about the last time you faced a narrow Par 4. Did you pull the driver with a feeling of hope, or did you have a "go-to" club that you knew you could put in the fairway? Every golfer needs a reliable fairway-finder. For many, that's a 3-wood or a 5-wood. Spend time on the range finding a fairway wood that you can hit confidently off the tee. The goal isn’t to hit it as far as your driver, the goal is to have an option that gives you a high percentage of finding the short grass. Just having that club in your bag can take immense pressure off your driver and lead to much better scoring.
This is where Ernie’s bag gets particularly interesting for students of the game. He doesn’t use a single model of iron, he uses a blended, or combo, set. This is a tactic many elite players use to optimize performance throughout the bag, and it's something more amateurs should consider.
The Srixon ZX5 Mk II irons are beautiful clubs, but they pack a little more technology and forgiveness. They are designed as a "player's distance" iron, offering a bit more help with ball speed and launch, especially on shots not struck perfectly in the center. This is exactly what anyone - even one of the best ball-strikers ever - wants in their longer irons, which are inherently more difficult to hit purely.
From the G-iron down through the pitching wedge, Ernie transitions into the Srixon ZX7 Mk II irons. These are more of a traditional player's cavity-back blade. They offer less offset, a thinner topline, and are engineered to provide maximum feedback and workability. In these scoring clubs, Ernie prioritizes precision and the ability to control trajectory and shape over the added forgiveness of the ZX5s.
This is one of the most transferable lessons you can take from Ernie's bag. You are not required to play the same iron model from 4-iron to pitching wedge! If you struggle with consistency in your long irons (and most golfers do), consider a combo set.
Here’s how to think about it:
For his short game, Ernie relies on the expertise of Cleveland, one of the most respected names in wedges. He carries a set of Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack wedges in three classic lofts: 52, 56, and 60 degrees. "Tour Rack" means these wedges can be custom ground to his exact specifications, a luxury reserved for the best players.
The lofts he carries create perfect 4-degree gaps from his pitching wedge through his lob wedge, giving him a full-swing option for any "in-between" yardage inside 120 yards. The specific grinds and bounce on these wedges are personally tailored to his shallow angle of attack and the typical firm conditions he faces on tour, allowing the club to interact with the turf perfectly on chips, pitches, and bunker shots.
Amateur golfers often buy wedges off the rack without considering two vital elements: gapping and bounce.
Over his career, Ernie has used a multitude of putters, but he often returns to familiar shapes. His current choice is a testament to this, as he uses an Odyssey White Hot OG #1 Stroke Lab Putter. This is a classic Anser-style blade with the iconic White Hot insert that has been beloved by pros and amateurs for over two decades for its soft, responsive feel.
He opts for the Stroke Lab shaft, which is a multi-material shaft designed by Odyssey to improve the tempo and consistency of the putting stroke. Once again, a technology choice that aligns perfectly with his "Big Easy" mantra.
Golfers often blame their putter after a bad day on the greens, rushing to buy the newest, most high-tech mallet. Ernie’s choice of a timeless design reminds us that confidence and feel are paramount. The best putter for you is the one that looks good to your eye at address, sits square, and makes you feel like you can start the ball on your intended line. Don't be afraid to stick with an older model if it gives you that confidence. Trying to get used to a brand new putter every season is often a recipe for frustration, not lower scores.
Exploring Ernie Els’ golf bag is a masterclass in smart, personalized equipment choices that value feel and forgiveness just as much as pure performance. His bag proves that you don't need the latest of everything, but rather the right clubs for your specific game and natural swing rhythm.
Applying this lesson to your own bag is the next step. While you might not have Ernie's famous tempo, a tool like Caddie AI simplifies the process of making smarter, pro-level decisions on the course. We have seen how personalized advice can change a player's mindset, and our app provides that, getting rid of the guesswork. It can give you instant advice on club selection, shot strategy, and even help you navigate tricky lies by analyzing a photo you take, empowering you to stand over every shot with the same commitment a pro does.
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