Ryder Cup hero Jon Rahm’s golf equipment blends new woods, old irons and prototype gear
In one of the most eagerly awaited major championships in years, Jon Rahm claimed his first green jacket by winning the 2023 Masters by four shots over Brooks Koepka and three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson. The victory gave Rahm his second major title (he won the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines) and a lifetime exemption into the event, along with a $3.24 million paycheck.
But Rahm’s amazing season included more than winning a green jacket. The Spaniard won the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions, American Express and the Genesis Invitational. he was also a runner-up at the British Open and the Mexico Open at Vidanta, and at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, Italy, Rahm was a monster. He won three points in four matches while seemingly making one clutch shot after another.
From an equipment standpoint, Rahm made some changes to his equipment setup before 2023, but his bag still contains several clubs that helped him win more than $5 million in prize money last season.
DRIVER: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees), with Aldila Tour Green 75 TX shaft
The Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond has weights in the back and in the front of the sole. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Rahm finished first in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee last season on the PGA Tour, so it would have been understandable if he opted to stick with this Callaway Rouge ST Triple Diamond driver and not transition into Callaway’s new Paradym Triple Diamond, but he did.
“My request to Callaway is always simple,” Rahm said during his fitting for the Paradym. “Longer, straighter and more forgiving. There you go. If we can try to do that every year, we’re good. So far, the last two years, they’ve gotten better.”
Rahm saw prototypes of the Paradym Triple Diamond for the first time in late September of 2022 at Silverleaf Club, his home course in Scottsdale, Arizona. The driver he hit was not in “cosmetic final,” which means the paint, decals and markings were not what you would see at retail. Rahm liked the overall shape of the head, which is critical when fitting tour pros. If they don’t like how a club looks, they typically won’t play it.
Three months later Rahm visited Callaway’s test center in Carlsbad. He liked the driver, but it was critical in the final fitting that he not only find a gamer but also a back-up with which he can travel and use if the gamer is damaged.
While Rahm’s driver head states the loft is 10.5 degrees, the actual loft is closer to 11.6 degrees. Callaway fitters tweaked the head’s weights, putting a 5-gram weight in the front port and a 10-gram weight in the back to give Rahm’s driver the precise flight and spin numbers he wanted. Kellen Watson, Callaway’s PGA Tour performance rep, said Rahm saw tighter dispersion and more consistent spin numbers than with his old driver.
Rahm has used the same Aldila Tour Green 75 TX shaft for more than a decade, and Callaway’s PGA Tour reps don’t even consider changing it when they bring new drivers to Rahm for prototype testing. The Spaniard tested nearly a dozen Aldila Tour Green 75 TX shafts in Carlsbad to find backup shafts, too.
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FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T (16 and 18 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8X shafts
Jon Rahm’s Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T 3-wood (Callaway)
Rahm’s 3-wood is a secondary driving club because, with his length off the tee, he rarely needs to hit a 3-wood from the fairway into a par 5.
Last season Rahm used a custom Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond T 3-wood that produced less spin and a more piercing trajectory than the standard version. This winter he transitioned into a specially made Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T that has a deeper face than the standard Triple Diamond fairway wood, along with a higher heel and toe area.
The club has a 7-gram weight in the center of the sole behind the tungsten Speed Cartridge. Callaway said the club helps Rahm gain consistent spin with his fast swing, so shots hit slightly low or high in the face produce a more predictable flight and distance.
Rahm used his 18-degree 5-wood at Augusta National, but on some courses he removes it in favor of a Callaway Apex UT driving iron.
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IRONS: Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW), with Project X 6.5 shafts
While Rahm made changes to his woods with Callaway’s latest driver and some customized fairway woods, he has not made any changes to his irons. He plays the Callaway Apex TCB, a model created as an alternative to muscleback blades for elite golfers (TCB standing for tour cavity-back).
The Apex TCB has a thin topline, minimal offset and a narrow sole. While Xander Schauffele was the Callaway staff player most involved with the creation of the Apex TCB, Rahm loved them right away because they are similar to irons he played before joining Callaway’s staff.
Just as Rahm is not open to changing his wood shafts, he has stuck with the same shafts in his iron for several years, Project X 6.5. He has used them since before he turned pro.
“He has always loved the feel of those shafts and they have matched up to what he’s been doing, swing-wise, perfectly,” Watson said. “Spin numbers, launch numbers and the workability of the shafts for him … it’s just a very familiar feel for him, so you don’t change what’s been working.”
WEDGES: Callaway JAWS Raw (52, 56 and 60 degrees), with Project X 6.5 shafts
Jon Rahm’s Callaway wedges (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Rahm uses the Apex TCB pitching wedge that matches his irons and has 46.5 degrees of loft.
He previously used Callaway’s JAWS Forged wedges in 52, 56 and 60 degrees, but he transitioned to the JAWS Raw models when they became available. As the name implies, the steel used to make the heads is unchromed raw steel, so it slowly starts to rust after it is exposed to air and moisture. While many players like the rusty look because it reduces glare and looks cool, the biggest advantage of RAW wedges, especially for pros, is they don’t show ugly scratches from the custom grinding process as happens with a shiny chrome finish.
At the 2023 Ryder Cup, Rahm opted to use a prototype Callaway lob wedge that appears to have the company’s X Grind sole. There is some heel and toe relief, but significant bounce in the center of the sole. Callaway has not released any details about the club.
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PUTTER: Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S
Jon Rahm’s Odyssey putter (David Dusek/Golfweek)
This club has been in Rahm’s bag for nearly two years, having been added at the 2021 Memorial, and Rahm used it thoughout most of 2023.
The standard Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S has the famous White Hot insert that has been popular with pros and recreational players for more than 20 years, but Rahm requested Odyssey make his with metal microhinges designed into the insert. Microhinges debuted in 2017, and Odyssey said they help the ball roll instead of skidding off the face. Rahm’s putter has Microhinge Star microhinges, which create a firmer feel than previous versions, so the ball comes off quicker.
Jon Rahm’s Odyssey putter
Rahm’s putter also has no alignment aids of any kind, while the retail version has three black alignment lines. The short slant-neck design creates about 30 degrees of toe hang, which is ideal for golfers who have a slight arc in their stroke.
However, before the start of the Ryder Cup, Rahm switched into a prototype Odyssey mallet putter. The new putter has a similar shape and slant-neck hosel, but a darker finish than Rahm’s previous gamer. It has a pair of weights in the sole — one in the heel and one in the toe — and is labeled “A.I. ONE.”
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BALL: Callaway Chrome Soft X
Jon Rahm’s Callaway golf balls (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Jon Rahm’s golf ball of choice is the Callaway Chrome Soft X, a four-piece ball with a cast urethane cover. While other four-piece balls have a dual-core, the Chrome Soft X has a dual-mantle system surrounding the core. The inner mantle is soft, while the outer mantle is firm. Callaway said the layers work together to amplify speed with woods and long irons while providing a foundation for the soft urethane cover so golfers can generate more spin with their wedges.
While most golfers play a 1, 2, 3 or 4, Rahm plays a 10.
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