GolfWRX Bag Deep Dive: How Ryan Gerard Builds His Setup Around Ball Launch

The Launch-First Philosophy of Ryan Gerard

PGA Tour winner Ryan Gerard traveled 10,000 miles to Mauritius just to earn his Masters invitation — and he brings that same relentless approach to equipment testing. His entire bag is built around one goal: getting the ball airborne.

Gerard openly acknowledges that his swing delivery delofts the club more than most players, so every setup decision compensates for that tendency.

Driver: 11 Degrees Isn't Too Much

His Titleist GT3 runs at 11 degrees, set to C3 in the SureFit adapter for an additional 0.75 degrees. Heavy back-weighting pushes the CG rearward to boost launch and spin. He averages just 89 feet in apex height — well below the Tour average — with spin reaching up to 2,800 rpm. "I could gain yards by dropping spin, but I'm prioritizing hitting the fairway," he explains.

Woods: Bought Online, Not Off the Tour Truck

The TaylorMade Qi10 HL 3-wood (16.5°) was self-purchased online — Gerard jokes he wants fans to leave stock available for him. His Qi35 9-wood is bent from 24° down to approximately 22° for proper gapping. His reasoning: "A 9-wood bent down looks square at address and gives me the high, spinny flight I want."

Irons: Everything a Half-Inch Long

Titleist T250 (4-iron) and T100 (5–9 irons) — all half an inch over standard length, with B-weighted (lighter) heads to balance swing weight. The 4-iron sits at 24.5 degrees, closer to a standard 5-iron. Weak bends on 5 and 6-irons, near-standard on 7–9, to maintain 13–14 yard gaps.

Wedges: Grinding Off the Logo for Swing Weight

Vokey SM10 and SM11 wedges feature no BV logo — the material has been ground away to reduce head weight. "I'm a feel player. Heaviness around the green costs me face control," Gerard says.

Putter: Whichever Scotty Cameron Feels Right That Week

Gerard rotates between a Newport 2 blade, Phantom 3 prototype, Phantom 5.2 Circle T (used to win the Barracuda Championship), and Phantom 9. He has used up to four putters in a single tournament. "Nothing matches the feel and speed control of a blade — but I'm experimenting with mallets."

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Despite optimizing for launch throughout the bag, Gerard sticks with the Pro V1 for short game feel and spin. "It lets me make a confident, committed swing on short shots."

Strokeslab Take

Gerard's setup is a textbook case of fitting to the player rather than the standard. His trade-off — sacrificing distance for consistent launch windows and fairway access — is well-supported by Strokes Gained data, which consistently shows that elite approach play outweighs marginal distance gains.