Rise of the nine-wood, the salvation of shameless hackers

Telegraph

15-05-2025

Once the salvation of the shameless hacker, the rise of the nine-wood is one of the more unusual trends in the elite professional men's game. But the fact that Collin Morikawa – arguably the world's best iron player – is turning to the dark side highlights that this could be so much more than a fad.
Any 18-handicapper worthy of his or her one-shot per hole will tell you the merits of swapping out a four-iron or five-iron or perhaps both for a club with the same loft that makes it easier to hit it from the rough. But professionals are supposed to be far more accomplished, so this ever-growing movement has taken the range by surprise.
'I'm not sure I ever thought that we'd be seeing so many big names putting it in their bag,' Pete Cowen, the renowned coach, said. 'But a while ago the seven-wood raised in popularity and now it's the nine-wood's turn. Yeah, the bigger equipment makers are marketing them, but the pros only use something if it works. And the nine-wood clearly does, as you might see here [ at the US PGA Championship ] this week.'
Now serving up 9-wood butter cuts.
Check out the new #Qi35Fairway @collin_morikawa is testing this week, and then check the spec. 👇 #TeamTaylorMade pic.twitter.com/EJfhQwy45g
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) May 12, 2025
Depending on who you talk to, there are debates over was the first to employ the game-improver on Tour, but as one of Tommy Fleetwood's nicknames is 'Tommy Nine-Wood' it is fair to consider the Englishman as one of the pioneers. 'For years I have switched between a three-iron and a seven-wood, depending on the test ahead,' he said. 'If its windy, then the three-iron goes in, but if I need a higher launch to help stop approach shots on firm greens, I go in with the seven-wood. The nine-wood is just an extension of this and I happily put it into play a few years ago.'
Fleetwood first used the TaylorMade Stealth Nine-Wood at the 2023 Players Championship and has not really looked back – just upwards. The PGA Tour website explains that 'due to the centre of gravity, club design, and length of shaft, fairway woods will naturally produce longer and higher-flying golf shots compared to their iron equivalents'.
'It has 24 degrees of loft, about the same as a four-wood, but it is like hitting a wedge onto the green – it goes up and drops straight down,' Fleetwood explained. 'It's not a club you're going to drill and get more out of it, it's just going to go up in the air and come straight down. I's a nice feeling when the ball drops down next to the hole like an anvil.'
TaylorMade's Senior Manager, Adrian Rietveld, concurs with Fleetwood, for whom he has, on occasion, worked as an emergency caddie. It is almost akin to a cheat code. 'These nine-woods are basically pitching wedges for a 225-yard shot,' he said.
Fleetwood's secret weapon did not stay classified for long. Dustin Johnson, the former world No 1, had also chucked the weapon into battle and his example inspired his LIV comrade Richard Bland to do the same. The Englishman, who qualified for this week courtesy of winning last year's Senior US PGA, is ready to utilise it at Quail Hollow in the season's second major, believing that it will be a huge help because of the thick, wet rough.
Will Morikawa do the same? He 'gamed' a TaylorMade Qi35 nine-wood at last week's Truist Championship and was impressed. He thanked his new bagman, Joe Greiner, for the tip.
'I never even thought about a nine-wood,' Morikawa said. 'But when I was talking to Joe, I was asking about four-irons and he mentioned it [Greiner's previous employer Max Homa tested one last year]. It's kind of a club, not that I struggle with, but I want to find the perfect distance and launch with, especially in certain conditions.
'Look, it has stopping power from 225 yards. It probably hits the ball the highest of any club in my bag. So why wouldn't you use it? You'd probably be dumb not to have a go.'
So let the purists sneer. 'Doesn't bother me,' Johnson said. 'If it saves shots, I ain't proud.'