Jake Knapp’s journey to the PGA Tour has been one of golf’s best stories, and the unique assortment of clubs he wields to deliver his powerful swing is just as compelling. This article provides a full breakdown of every club in Jake Knapp's bag, not just listing the models but explaining the why behind each choice. We’ll look at how his equipment complements his game and what practical lessons you can apply to choosing your own gear.
Before we get into the hardware, it helps to understand the player. Jake Knapp's path to the PGA Tour wasn't a straight line from a prestigious college program. For years, he bounced between the professional mini-tours, balancing golf with work as a nightclub bouncer and wedding security guard to make ends meet. This blue-collar background makes him incredibly relatable, but it’s his on-course swagger and effortless power that grab your attention.
Knapp is what we call a "bomber." He swings hard, creates incredible clubhead speed, and isn't afraid to hit driver where others might lay up. His equipment choices are a direct reflection of this aggressive, powerful style. His bag isn't just a random collection of the newest models, it’s a carefully curated toolkit designed to manage his speed and unlock his scoring potential. Let’s break it down.
The Club: The foundation of Knapp’s power game starts with his Ping G425 LST driver. The "LST" stands for Low Spin Technology, and this is the most important detail. This version of the popular G425 line features a smaller, more pear-shaped head (445cc) and internal weighting that pushes the center of gravity forward. This is specifically designed to reduce backspin on the golf ball.
Why He Plays It: As a player with elite swing speed, Knapp generates a ton of spin naturally. Too much spin can be a distance killer, causing the ball to "balloon" up into the air and fall short of its potential. Think of it like a plane taking off too steeply and then stalling. The LST helps him convert his raw speed into a more piercing, forward-moving ball flight, maximizing his total distance and rollout.
Takeaway for Your Game: Are you a high-swing-speed player who notice their drives climbing high and then dropping without much roll? You might be generating too much spin. While not everyone needs the lowest-spinning driver head, understanding that spin is a key factor in distance is huge. A driver fitting can quickly identify if a lower-spinning model could help you add 15-20 yards by optimizing your launch and spin numbers.
The Club: This is arguably the most interesting club in Knapp's bag. Instead of a traditional 3-wood, he carries a TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver. This club has a larger head than a standard fairway wood (304cc) but is smaller than a full-sized driver. It’s a modern throwback to the smaller-headed "Burner" drivers of the past.
Why He Plays It: A mini driver offers the best of both worlds. Knapp uses it as his go-to "fairway finder" off the tee. The larger face gives him more confidence and forgiveness than a typical 3-wood, making it easier to hit straight on tight holes. At the same time, the shorter shaft (compared to a driver) gives him more control. It serves as a more powerful, forgiving 2-wood that bridges the gap perfectly between his driver and his longest iron.
Takeaway for Your Game: Do you struggle with a hooking your driver but hit your 3-wood well? Or maybe you just need a reliable club to get the ball in play when the pressure is on? The mini driver could be a game-changer. For a mid- to high-handicapper who finds the driver intimidating, this "driver-lite" can be a massive confidence booster off the tee without sacrificing too much distance.
The Club: Knapp’s iron setup is that of a pure ball-striker. He starts with a Srixon ZU85 driving iron. This is a hollow-body, high-strength steel-faced iron designed to launch low with high ball speed - a perfect "stinger" club.
His scoring irons are custom-stamped blades, essentially PXG 0211 ST irons that he stamped "PK-21" on himself by hand in his garage. These are true blades: a single piece of forged carbon steel with a very thin topline, minimal offset, and no perimeter weighting for forgiveness. Everything is concentrated right behind the sweet spot.
Why He Plays Them: The driving iron gives him a versatile weapon for windy days, tight tee shots, and long approaches into par 5s where a high-flying wood isn't ideal. The blades are all about feel and control. For a player of Knapp’s incredible skill, a blade provides the ultimate feedback. He can feel the exact strike location on the face, which allows him to manipulate the ball flight - hitting high fades, low draws, and everything in between - with maximum precision.
Takeaway for Your Game: This is a coaching moment. Be careful about playing blades. While they look beautiful in the bag, Tour pros like Knapp play them because their living depends on precise ball-striking day in and day out. For the average golfer, a miss with a blade can be punishing, losing significant distance and direction. You are almost always better off with a "cavity-back" or "hollow-body" iron that offers significantly more forgiveness on off-center hits. Play a club that helps your bad shots, not just one that rewards your perfect ones. A forgiving driving iron, however, can be a great addition to almost any bag as a fairway wood alternative.
The Club: For his scoring clubs, Knapp trusts the most popular wedges in professional golf: Titleist Vokeys. He carries a 52-degree SM9 model as his gap wedge and two custom WedgeWorks Vokeys in 56 and 60 degrees for sand play and chipping. Vokey Wedges are known for their consistency, vast array of sole grind options, and sharp grooves that produce a high spin.
Why He Plays Them: Consistency is king in the short game. Knapp knows exactly how far his 52, 56, and 60-degree wedges will fly. This precise "gapping" allows him to confidently dial in his distances inside 125 yards. The custom grinds on his 56 and 60-degree wedges are tailored to his specific swing (his angle of attack) and the typical course conditions he faces, allowing the sole to interact with the turf perfectly for clean contact on chips, pitches, and bunker shots.
Takeaway for Your Game: Your wedges are your scoring tools! Having consistent yardage gaps between them is one of the easiest ways to improve your short game. If you have a huge 25-yard gap between your pitching wedge and your sand wedge, you're leaving yourself with awkward half-swing shots. An additional "gap wedge" (around 50-52 degrees) can fill that hole. Furthermore, don't just buy wedges off the rack. Getting fit for the right sole grind for your swing type (a "digger" versus a "sweeper") can revolutionize your chipping and pitching.
The Club(s): Around the greens, Knapp rounds out his bag with some modern classics. He uses a TaylorMade Spider Tour putter, one of the most successful putter designs of the last decade. It’s a high-MOI (Moment of Inertia) mallet designed to be extremely stable through the stroke.
His golf ball of choice is the legendary Titleist Pro V1. This ball offers a combination of long distance off the tee, high spin into the greens, and a soft, responsive feel.
Why He Plays Them: Stability. The Spider Tour’s design resists twisting on off-center hits, meaning putts struck slightly toward the heel or toe still roll out nicely and stay closer to the intended line. For as loud and aggressive as Knapp’s long game is, this quieter, more stable approach on the greens creates a nice balance. The Pro V1 is the benchmark for all-around performance, giving him the spin he needs to stop the ball on the green without being overly spinny off the driver - a perfect match for his power.
Takeaway for Your Game: If you struggle with consistency on the greens, a high-MOI mallet like a Spider could be a fantastic choice. The feeling of stability can calm a nervous stroke and help you make more putts. For the golf ball, it’s about finding the one that works for your entire game. Don't just play whatever you find. Experiment with a few premium models to see which one gives you the best combination of distance off the tee and feel around the green.
Jake Knapp's bag is a fascinating look into the mind of a power player. It combines low-spin technology to manage his speed with high-precision blades to control his scoring shots. It is a perfect reminder that the best set of clubs is not the most expensive or newest, but the one that is best tailored to a player’s specific strengths and tendencies.
Thinking through these choices can be a great way to analyze your own needs, but sometimes it helps to have an expert opinion in your corner. We designed Caddie AI to be your personal on-demand golf expert. You can ask what club to hit in a tough situation, get a simple strategy for any hole on any course, or even snap a photo of a tricky lie in the rough for instant advice on how to play it. My goal is to give you that same tour-level course management and confident decision-making, so you can stop guessing and start playing smarter. Find out more at Caddie AI.
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