TaylorMade released a video this week that is well worth your time. Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood played a three-hole match … using each other’s clubs. If you care about customization, I think you’ll like this. It gives an insight that we don’t usually get from professionals. These are two of the best players in the world and neither of them could completely escape clubs that weren’t built for them. Here’s what stood out.
Differences between golf bags
The start of the video does not start with a complete WITB or spec sheet for each player. Here’s what I was able to glean about some of the minor differences:
- Lie angle: Fleetwood plays 1-straight, Rory plays better.
- Iron shaft: Fleetwood is on a Project X 6.5, Rory a 7.
- Gloves: McIlroy has cord in his wedges and woods, softer rubber in his irons. Fleetwood has softer rubber throughout.
- Wedge attic: Fleetwood carries a 60 degree, Rory a 61.
- Shot Length: Fleetwood is 35 inches, Rory 34.
Here’s a look at the current club setup for each player:
Tommy Fleetwood vs Rory McIlroy (2026 WITB Match)
| Category | Tommy Fleetwood | Rory McIlroy |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | TaylorMade Qi4D LS | TaylorMade Qi4D |
| Fairway Woods / Top of Bag | TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini Driver, Qi35 5W, Qi4D 9W | TaylorMade Qi10 3W, Qi4D 5W |
| lattice | TaylorMade P7TW (5–PW), GAPR Lo (4) | TaylorMade P760 (4), Rors Proto (5–9) |
| wedges | TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe 3 (52°), MG Proto (56°, 60°) | TaylorMade MG5 (46°, 50°, 54°, 61°) |
| Putter | TaylorMade Spider Tour Black | TaylorMade Spider Tour X |
| BALL | TaylorMade TP5x | TaylorMade TP5 |
Truth 1: The lie angle is not a small detail
The moment Fleetwood got hold of McIlroy’s irons, the problems began. McIlroy plays his irons a little flatter than standard and Tommy is a step up because of the way he releases the club at impact. This change was immediately apparent.
The 5-iron came up short and spinning, nowhere near where Fleetwood expected. This is the convenient detail that most amateur players dismiss as something only tournament pros should worry about. If your lie angle is off, your ball flight is off.
Truth 2: Clubs are built to produce a specific stroke
McIlroy’s driver wanted to wait. Fleetwood mentioned it almost immediately and even when he tried to hit it straight, the ball kept going straight.
You saw the same thing with the 9-wood. McIlroy hit it a few times and it continued to fly the same distance no matter how he swung it.
These clubs are built to produce a specific window of flight, spin and distance. When you put them in someone else’s hands, those tendencies don’t go away. Even the best players in the world have to work with the limitations that a golf club imposes.
Truth 3: Feel the changes in the way you move
Some of the biggest differences had nothing to do with ball flight. They were based on feelings.
Grip and swing weight differences were two of the most noticeable. Even the pitcher felt different enough to change the way they approached the shot.
Fleetwood noticed these changes in feel in his tempo. When something feels heavier or just different in your hands, you instinctively adjust. You might not notice it right away, but it changes the way you swing the club.
This is where customization becomes so important.
The data still needs to work out, but the club should feel good too. If it’s too far, you won’t move it the same way, no matter what the numbers say. The goal is to find a configuration where both are within a range that allows you to perform.
Final thoughts
McIlroy and Fleetwood are two of the best ball-strikers in the world and even they couldn’t just take each other’s clubs and go win an event. If this happens to them, think about what is happening to you every round with clubs that have never adjusted to your swing. Adapt.
