The secrets of the 7 devices inside Viktor Hovland's golf bag

The gear team at GOLF.com spends a lot of time at tour events photographing the gear used by the world's best players. Posting pictures of the club out of context works in some situations, but it doesn't help the weekend golfer understand why behind the pro's setup.

In this GOLF.com series, equipment editors Jonathan Wall and Ryan Barath answer those questions by highlighting interesting clubs in golfers' bags, unique weights, loft sleeve settings and more. Welcome to “Bay Spy.”

The Viking

Very little in Hovland's portfolio has changed in recent years – except for a few things. The most obvious is the custom putter cover – some might call it a stretch to attach the gear change to the cover, but that's okay – which started last year when Ping officially released the “Hovi” Signature PLD Limited putter.

For years, Hovland protected his Ping PLD DS72 putter in a white cover with a Norwegian flag. The new wand protector is nothing with the fearsome Viking staring straight into your soul. It's a look we've seen from Hovland a few times.

Look closely and you'll see a few Easter eggs dotting the sides that symbolize his life and interests. The orange and black stitching is no doubt a nod to his time spent at Oklahoma State University. And of course, he still lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

A fun cover that combines his Norwegian roots, love of death metal and life on “Stilly.”

A quiet revolution

It started with the lob wedge in 2023 and has quietly spread to other scoring tools in the bag. I'm talking about Hovland's decision to move away from the KBS all-shaft setup he's been using for years in irons and wedges and embrace True Temper's Dynamic Gold Tour Issue.

True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue of Iron Shaft

$44.99

The True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue is perfect for the player looking for a low launch, low spin shaft designed for ultimate control and accuracy. You can buy a True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue built to your exact specifications. True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue The gold standard by which all other irons are measured. It is the most successful shaft in golf history and continues to dominate the professional tour year after year. Tour Issue shafts hold industries that can withstand the weight for the hard work that top players demand. You can purchase the True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue in the following flexes: S400, and X100.

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Arguably the most popular wedge shaft on Tour, the Dynamic Gold Tour Issue first noted that Hovland had moved away from using a stiffer flex in his wedges since becoming a champion. The S400 offers a slightly softer feel than KBS's Tour V but with a similar weight profile (132 grams vs. 130 grams). Choosing a heavier weight on the wedges can add more control and feel around the green.

In Hovland's case, going for a softer swing and adding weight can bring more feel around the green with those tricky shots.

Follow my lead

Hovland's Ping i210 irons are a great reminder that one of the best players in the world uses a set with a profile that perfectly toes the line between better player and game improvement. With a thicker and wider top line than Ping's best player offerings (Blueprint S and Blueprint T), the i210 is aimed at a wide variety of players – from beginners to intermediate handicappers.

If anything, Hovland's setup, which he's been using since he took up the job in 2019, highlights the importance of trying other offerings before defaulting to the collective profiles that throw off professional circuits.

For Hovland, you've found the i210 fits well among the short irons because of the low, highly controlled flight they've produced. On a 4- to 6-iron, a wide sole keeps the head from digging unnecessarily into the turf. A setup most golfers should embrace.

Hiding in plain sight

Back in 2023, Ping released a video of Hovland hitting a shot with Tour rep Kenton Oates by his side. It's a fun video meant to highlight the huge short game improvements made by Hovland and coach Joe Mayo that culminated in the season ending. Not to mention the PGA Tour record for one-year earnings at $34.5 million. It was a a lot good year for Hovland.

Hovland has switched to two of Ping's s159 wedges (50 and 56 degrees) since fantasy season, but the Glide 2.0 lob wedge remains. As for why Hovland still plays the 2.0, Oates told GOLF.com last season that it comes down to personal preference.

“The end of [the 2.0] he always deserved it,” said Oates. “The heel and the back were perfect. Now if he wanted to go into a 4.0 lob wedge with the same characteristics, we would have to do things a little differently to match it.”

As the wedge game continued to improve last season, Hovland approached Oates at the 2023 Players Championship and asked for a true 60-degree Glide 2.0 TS. Prior to the switch, he was using a low-bounce 58TS (Thin Sole) wedge that bent two degrees weaker at the stated loft of 60 degrees to reap the benefits of more flexibility around the green.

Hovland hasn't looked back since that week.

PING s159 Custom Wedge

$179.99

With the addition of two new grinds and lofts, the s159 tour-style wedges are available in 25 loft/grind combinations to match the wedge to your playing conditions and technique while ensuring a well-rounded set. Extensive testing by PING's top players has helped create wedges that will appeal to golfers of all abilities. The new WebFit Wedge program provides a quick and easy way to determine the s159 grinds that best suit your game. Tour-Proven Design The tour-inspired 8620 carbon steel head features a soft feel and clean shape with a straight leading edge for improved results on full shots. Two performance enhancing finishes (Hybropearl 2.0 Chrome and Midnight) are available for all loft/grind combinations. More Grooves. More Spin. Wheel-cut slots are milled with precision to varying sizes, depending on the loft. The 46 to 52-degree wedges are milled to increase groove volume for more control on full shots. The 54-to-62-degree options feature tightly sealed MicroMax grooves to transfer more spin, especially on greens.

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“Now you're playing a true 60-degree wedge that's going to be a lot more versatile,” Oates said. “It will sit down because it doesn't bounce a bit but it will need more skill. Since his switch, his stats have steadily improved and he has never been asked to go back [to the 58-degree]. That shows the work he's done in learning how to expose those jumps and hit those clean shots a little bit. “

And if you want a smaller baseball, Hovland's lob wedge is actually one of the earliest examples of the s159. It says Glide 2.0 on the head, but the unique geometry and turf interactions are designed to mimic the latest ping tools. Talk about hiding in plain sight.

Strong as he goes

Hovland isn't afraid to change his favorite club in the bag – as long as the tweak produces results. And when the results bear fruit, the ringing stops.

If you need proof, look no further than the Hovland G425 LST driver. For 2022, Ping reps worked with Hovland to increase launch and combat the less-than-comfortable spin rate by removing the shaft tip from his Fujikura Speeder 661 TR TX shaft to soften the overall structure.

The head loft has also increased slightly from 8.4 to 8.6 degrees and hot melt (three grams) has been placed in the toe so that Hovland does not release the ball excessively since his path starts to go to the right. Ultimately, the changes resulted in a more consistent launch around 11-12 degrees at around 2,300 RPMs of spin.

The small tweaks provided a significant benefit: Hovland didn't have to worry about dropping to dangerous levels on the occasional mishit.

The fix was so good Hovland kept the driver frozen in time. That's when you know you're doing something right as a Tour rep.

To keep it constant

The club grip is another item in the bag that hasn't changed going back to Hovland's time at Oklahoma State. Golf Pride's New Decade MultiCompound (58R) is a popular formula used by dozens of professionals, including Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy. (It was McIlroy who helped put “MCC” on the map around 2011.)

Pride of Golf A New Decade of MultiCompound Midsize

$11.99

The Golf Pride New Decade MultiCompound grip combines rubber and cord performance for a fresh look and feel. It features Golf Pride's exclusive Black Velvet Cord upper for tough, all-weather control, and a soft, rubber grip on the lower handle for control and responsiveness.

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Designed with brushed cotton thread on the upper hand for stability, and rubber on the lower hand for control, the MCC was one of the first grips to combine the two feels and textures. For Hovland, the grip provides a consistent feel and reliability that comes in handy (no pun intended) when testing different heads.

Leave it as it is

Ending this edition of “BagSpy” on back-to-back grip notes feels like a bad weather, but it's hard not to save space for Hovland's 15-inch Winn grip. When Hovland and Ping began developing a new prototype mallet in 2020, the 26-year-old worker made it clear that he didn't want to mess around any other way. Visible wear on the red handle (the photo above was taken at the Memorial Tournament) further confirms that Hovland has no interest in trying anything else.

The 36-inch putter isn't nearly as tall as Rickie Fowler's 38-inch fairway was popular last season, but the addition of a longer grip allows Hovland to squeeze in more for stability during the swing.

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Jonathan Wall

Golf.com Editor

Jonathan Wall is GOLF Magazine and the Managing Editor of GOLF.com Materials. Before joining the staff at the end of 2018, he spent 6 years assembling PGA Tour equipment. He can be reached at [email protected].