The Loop

5 questions with Kevin Kisner on his equipment and winning on the PGA Tour

December 13, 2015

Kevin Kisner won his first PGA Tour event in November at the RSM Classic and leads the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings. He answers five questions from E. Michael Johnson.

Golf Digest: You’re playing Callaway’s new Great Big Bertha driver. What is your process for testing equipment?

It takes me time to get into a new club. I got the driver at East Lake, and it wasn’t a perfect fit—and that’s OK. I’m not one of those guys who has to love a club right away. But I eventually got the right shaft. When I was growing up, the first titanium driver I ever had was the Great Big Bertha. So it’s kind of funny that I won my first PGA Tour event with a Great Big Bertha.

Are you a club tinkerer?

I’m the opposite of a tinkerer. I might’ve walked into the tour van about three times in 2015, and that was just to have my grips changed. I don’t like to mess around too much.

Do you have to fight the temptation to change?

It’s a fine line. We’re fragile. You don’t want to tinker too much because if you do, you might think that iron shot you missed was because you have new clubs in the bag. But you also don’t want to feel like you’re missing out on something that might make you better. You have to be comfortable with what you’re playing, and that wasn’t always something I did when I first came on tour. I signed some equipment deals that were mostly about the money. Now I have to be comfortable with what I’m playing. That was something I learned over time.

Is technology making golf too easy?

I don’t know—are architects designing 240-yard par 3s making the game too easy? Certainly technology in equipment has advanced, but so has everything else, including course design. When we’re shooting low 60s every time, then maybe it’s making it too easy. But we’re not doing that. The game’s still plenty difficult.

Any changes to your bag for the new year?

The clubs I won with are still sitting in the garage after Sea Island. When I start practicing again, I might look at some new stuff. I have a set of the new Apex Pro irons that I haven’t even touched yet. That might be my offseason work.