winner's bag

The ball switch that helped Collin Morikawa regain his winning edge

By E. Michael Johnson

October 23, 2023

Lintao Zhang

Collin Morikawa ended a 27-month winless streak at the Zozo Championship, using a final-round 63 to grab his sixth PGA Tour title at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Japan. A front-nine 30 gave him a three-shot cushion and Morikawa cruised from there.

Controlling his ball into the greens has long been Morikawa’s calling card and to do that you have to have faith in your golf ball to perform consistently. Morikawa made a ball switch at the BMW Championship in August from TaylorMade’s TP5 to its TP5x model—a firmer, lower spin ball.

TaylorMade’s senior tour manager Adrian Rietveld explains the switch. “Collin tested the TP5x vs his gamer TP5 at the BMW Championship in August and found that he was hitting his desired numbers with his long irons more consistently with the TP5x,” Rietveld said. “That was something he felt like he was lacking in his game and the lower spin and flight characteristics of TP5x produced the numbers he was looking for. We then added a little loft to his mid and short irons to give him 500 rpm more spin with those clubs after the switch to TP5x and that created the perfect blend of spin and flight characteristics throughout the bag. The switch allowed him to see the flight he was looking for in his long irons but also maintain the low cut he hits with driver and 3-wood.”

The move paid off in Asia as Morikawa was not only T-3 in greens in regulation but hit it close enough to rank second in putts per GIR with his TaylorMade TP Soto.

Morikawa also changed wedges in August, to TaylorMade’s Milled Grind 4. "I like the control of the MG4 and being able to see that through the turf is great,” he said. “I used to have a lot heavier of a wedge and then learned having a little lighter headweight wedge I can get the club back to neutral where I want it when chipping. I always have issues with leading edge forward, [the] leading edge digging in. Having the MG4 TW wedge [based off Tiger Woods’ grind] I can get it back a little lighter and let the club get back before my hands and go from there. I feel like I have more control of the club. I can stay aggressive with my body keeping in front of me rather than having it behind me and going around."

And keeping in front of the field, too.