GolfWRX: Ryan Gerard's Tour Bag Built Around One Obsession — Launch Angle

Who Is Ryan Gerard?

Ryan Gerard is a PGA Tour winner known for relentless self-improvement — including a 10,000-mile trip to Mauritius just to secure a Masters invitation. That same grinding mentality extends to his equipment setup.

The Core Philosophy: Fighting Deloft

Every club in Gerard's bag is configured around one physical reality: he delofts more than most players at impact. Rather than rebuild his swing, his entire setup compensates with extra loft, lighter swing weights, and high-launch shafts.

Driver: Loft-Heavy GT3

Gerard plays a Titleist GT3 at 11 degrees, boosted further with a C3 SureFit adapter (+0.75°). Heavy back-weighting promotes high launch and elevated spin. His apex averages just 89 feet — well below Tour average — but the trade-off is fairway accuracy over raw distance. Spin can reach 2,800 rpm, and he accepts it: "I'm really looking to hit the window and keep it in the fairway."

Woods: Online Purchases and Bent Lofts

His TaylorMade Qi10 HL 3-wood (16.5°) was purchased online — not from a Tour truck. He's bought multiple versions and half-jokingly asked readers not to buy them all out. His Qi35 9-wood is bent down from 24° to 22° for tighter gapping while retaining a square visual at address.

Irons: Every Spec Dialed In

The Titleist T250 4-iron plays at a remarkable 24.5 degrees of loft. All irons are half an inch longer than standard, with B-weighted (lighter) heads to maintain feel. Lofts are progressively weakened through the 5- and 6-irons, then return near standard at 7–9 for consistent 13–14 yard gaps.

Wedges: Ground Down for Feel

Gerard's Vokey SM10/SM11 wedges have their BV logos literally ground off to reduce head weight — a custom approach he used to achieve via bore holes. The goal: maximum face control in the short game.

Putter: A Rotating Roster

Gerard may carry two to four Scotty Cameron putters in any given week. His go-to models include the Newport 2 blade, a Phantom 3 prototype, and a Phantom 5.2 Circle T (the putter he won the Barracuda Championship with).

Ball: Pro V1 for Short Game Confidence

Despite engineering maximum launch everywhere else, Gerard trusts the Titleist Pro V1 for its short game spin and feel — a deliberate counterbalance to his high-launch long game.