It takes a certain kind of confidence — or chaos — to show up at a major championship with two drivers, no driver, or a club you and your team literally made up a name for. But that’s exactly the kind of energy Phil Mickelson has brought to his bag over the years.
While most of us are tweaking our grip or maybe trying a new ball, Lefty has spent decades flipping the script on conventional gear wisdom — often with shockingly good results.
Let’s get into the wildest, weirdest, and most brilliant equipment experiments of Mickelson’s career.
The Two-Driver Setup That Actually Worked
In 2006, The Masters wasn’t just memorable for Phil’s second green jacket — it was the moment he made carrying two drivers look genius. One was set up for his standard fade. The other? A longer-shafted, draw-biased bomber with a lower center of gravity.
Most players were still arguing about 3-woods vs. hybrids. Phil was out here playing chess with a driver for each miss.
Even crazier? He brought the same two-driver concept back at the 2021 PGA Championship — and won with it at Kiawah Island. At 50 years old.
He paired a Callaway Epic Speed with a TaylorMade Original One Mini Driver, the latter essentially serving as his safety-first “fairway finder” with 11.5 degrees of loft. And that mix of firepower and control helped him become the oldest major champion in history.
Chasing Distance With Insane Loft Specs
If you thought 9° drivers were low… how about 5.5°?
That’s what Phil used during his 2021 PGA run. A custom Callaway Epic Speed head paired with a nearly 48-inch shaft — the USGA legal limit. Lighter head. More speed. A draw-biased screw placement on the face.
It wasn’t just marketing fluff. This was a fully re-engineered head, built from scratch for one guy with one mission: hit bombs and win majors.
For amateur golfers, it’s a masterclass in intentional gear tweaking. Phil didn’t chase distance blindly — he worked with R&D teams to make sure the launch, spin, and dispersion numbers actually made sense for his swing.
Enter: The “Phrankenwood”
Only Phil could get away with bringing a club to Augusta that sounded like a Marvel villain.
The “Phrankenwood” was a custom-built club made just for the 2013 Masters — a fusion of the X Hot 3Deep fairway wood and a driver face, created to launch high, spin low, and go forever. He figured out in testing that the 3Deep was going almost as far as his driver — and with more control.
So he built a Frankenstein hybrid. And it worked.
You can laugh at the name, but you can’t argue with the logic. Augusta National demands creativity, and Mickelson gave himself a club that fit the course — not just the textbook.
Wedges That Break the Rules (and Nearly Broke the Internet)
We all know Phil’s short game is ridiculous. But part of that comes from wedge setups that most golfers wouldn’t dare try.
A 64-degree lob wedge at Winged Foot? Check. Five wedges in the bag at once? Also check.
Phil’s PM Grind wedges — developed with Callaway — are basically mini excavators for your golf bag. High-toe design, aggressive grooves, and custom bounce options tailored to his ridiculous creativity around the greens.
He’s not just playing what’s on the rack. He’s helped create what’s on the rack.
Brand Switches, Timing Drama, and Ryder Cup Fallout
Not every switch has gone smoothly.
In 2004, just two weeks before the Ryder Cup, Mickelson made a bombshell move from Titleist to Callaway. The timing? Let’s just say U.S. captain Hal Sutton wasn’t thrilled. After a rough showing, Lefty was benched — and questions about gear familiarity took center stage.
It’s one of the few times an equipment change backfired on the scoreboard.
Still, the switch eventually paid off. Callaway gave him creative control, letting him test and tweak to his heart’s content. And it set the stage for some of the most iconic clubs in his bag history — including the aforementioned Phrankenwood.
The Ping Eye 2 Wedge Saga
This one was wild.
In 2010, Phil showed up on Tour using a 20-year-old Ping Eye 2 wedge — complete with square grooves that had been outlawed under new USGA rules.
But here’s the twist: a legal loophole meant any Ping Eye 2 made before April 1, 1990, was still allowed. Technically legal. But very much frowned upon.
When fellow pro Scott McCarron called it “cheating,” Mickelson didn’t hold back. He defended his choice publicly, then put the club away to squash the controversy.
Moral of the story? The rules are the rules — but that doesn’t mean everyone will agree with how you play them.
Two 5-Irons? Four Putters? Why Not Both?
In recent years, Phil’s bag setups have gotten even more unpredictable.
In 2025, reports showed he was testing bags with:
- Two different 5-irons
- Four putters
- Two drivers
- Multiple golf balls
- And even Japan-only Callaway X Forged irons (which he used to win the 2013 Open Championship)
Why? Because Mickelson sees golf like a puzzle. Each course, each condition, each swing — it all needs the right piece at the right time. If you’ve ever overthought your club selection on a windy par 3, you get it.
Gear for the Game You Have — Not the One You Want
As he’s aged, Mickelson’s focus has shifted from pure distance to smart setups. He’s ditched long irons in favor of multiple 5-woods, showing that forgiveness and versatility now trump ego-driven specs.
That evolution is something any weekend golfer can learn from.
You don’t need to copy Phil’s bag (please don’t), but you can steal his mindset: be curious, be strategic, and don’t be afraid to challenge tradition if it helps you play better.
